NFL

Try, try, try again for 'Skins

Washington's past two visits to Tampa, earlier this season and a playoff game in 2000, have ended with one-point losses.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published January 2, 2006

It's the Redskins.

Again.

Washington, which won its final five games to claim the NFC's final playoff spot, will have plenty of motivation in its wild-card game Saturday against Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium.

History hurts.

In November, the Bucs beat the Redskins 36-35 on Mike Alstott's two-point conversion run with 58 seconds left.

Almost six years ago, the Bucs rallied from a 13-0 deficit to beat the Redskins 14-13 (sealed with Washington's bad snap on a field goal with 1:17 left) in a playoff game at Raymond James. Washington hadn't been to the playoffs since.

Its return comes in the second season of Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs' second stint. Gibbs won three Super Bowl titles from 1981-92, but a 6-10 record in 2004 had many wondering if the NFL had passed Gibbs by.

"It's been real hard," offensive tackle Jon Jansen, a veteran of the past five seasons, told the Washington Post . "There's been a lot of changes, a lot of turmoil, personally and professionally. So it's very gratifying to come out of all that."

The Nov. 13 meeting between the teams marked a turning point for the Bucs, who ended a two-game losing streak when coach Jon Gruden decided to attempt a two-point conversion instead of the tying extra point. The victory propelled Tampa Bay to a 6-2 finish.

Washington went the opposite direction. The loss was the first of three in a row by a combined 10 points and came during a 2-6 stretch that put the Redskins on the brink of elimination at 5-6.

But Washington hasn't lost since. During the win streak, the Redskins have played trademark Gibbs football, relying on the steady running of Clinton Portis, heady decisions of quarterback Mark Brunell and deep threat of receiver Santana Moss.

Portis and Moss became the fourth pair of teammates to set franchise rushing and receiving records in the same season. Portis finished with 1,516 yards and Moss 1,483.

Had the Redskins lost, the Cowboys could have come to Tampa.

"It was either go out and find a way to win or we were going to have to go in and clean out our lockers," Portis told the Post. "I wasn't ready to clean out my locker."

[Last modified January 2, 2006, 02:30:25]