LANDOVER, Md. - A bit embarrassed by all the attention he has received, coach Joe Gibbs tried to sneak onto the Redskins sideline Sunday after an 11-year absence.
Yeah, nice try.
Gibbs, who was not introduced over the public address system at FedEx Field, made a triumphant return to the NFL with a 16-10 victory against the Bucs.
"I had all the emotions going before the game," Gibbs said. "For me personally, it was a big deal. I told the players that hopefully now all the attention will be on them. They made all the great plays and they deserve the credit."
In many ways, it was as if Gibbs had never left. Stoic on the sideline, the 63-year-old coach was calm, cool and old-school conservative amid the swirl of emotions.
Leading 7-0, Gibbs opted to kick a 20-yard field goal rather than go for fourth and inches at the Bucs 2, even though Tampa Bay had failed to make a first down and turned the ball over once in its first three possessions.
As promised, Gibbs gave the ball to running back Clinton Portis until his tongue touched the turf. Using the run to set up the pass, Portis carried 29 times for 148 yards, including an electrifying 64-yard touchdown on his first carry as a Redskin.
And when the Bucs tied the score at 10 with a defensive touchdown - cornerback Ronde Barber returned a fumbled handoff - Gibbs showed no emotion whatsoever. He simply went to the offense and told his discouraged players not to worry, that everything would be okay.
And it was.
"We're absolutely thrilled," he said. "I don't know when we've fought any harder."
The buzz in Washington has been palpable since owner Daniel Snyder lured Gibbs out of retirement with a five-year, $27.5-million contract. Gibbs wasted no time in reassembling many of his former assistants, including assistant head coach Joe Bugel and offensive coordinator Don Breaux, both 64, and tight ends coach Rennie Simmons, 62.
Sunday, the press box was packed with national media. A visit by President Bush was rumored, but did not happen. A record crowd of 90,098 was there to see if its savior still had what it takes to win in a league that has gone through many changes since he last walked the sideline.
On the game's eve, Gibbs apologized to his team for all the fuss.
"We really didn't get caught up in the hype," Portis said. "Coach told us that this win was not for him. He told us, "This win is not for me, it's for us as a team. We win together, we lose together.' "
Under Gibbs, the Redskins have won many more than they've lost. From 1981 to 1992, he led Washington to four Super Bowls, winning three, and compiling a 140-65 record.
Now, make it 141.
And 500 for the Redskins.
With a regular-season mark of 125-60, Gibbs is responsible for one-fourth of the franchise's victories, not that he was willing to accept any of the credit.
"It was a big win for the Redskins organization," Gibbs said.
