NF: 4th and Long Game of the Week

The Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) at Washingon Redskins (2-2) The Scene: FedEx (huh?) Field, Landover MD

Recap:

It was a battle of two of the NFC's top teams: the Redskins, a team that make key acquisitions towards improvement and a postseason berth, and the Buccaneers, a team that many feel can go to and even win the Super Bowl. A fairly even matchup, right?

Right! Except there seemed to be lacking the offensive firepower that characterized the two teams. There wasn't even a score until there were 1:38 left in the first quarter, when the Bucs drew first blood on a Mike Alstott two yeard run.

Bucs: 7, Skins: zip.

It stayed that way until 3:14 left in the first half when Stephen Davis took a pitch and ran with it for awhile--50 yards to be exact--to pay dirt, tying the score.

Bucs: 7, Skins: 7.

After the halftime festivities concluded, the two teams took the field again and it didn't take long; though it wasn't a touchdown, Skins kicker Michael Husted broke the tie with a 28-yard field goal seven minutes into the third quarter.

Skins: 10, Bucs: 7.

It stayed that way for a long, long time, until just under four minutes left in the game, when, after Darryl Green stripped Keyshawn "I Just Need To Keep The Ball In My Damn Hands" Johnson of the football at the Bucs' 26 yard line, six plays later, Larry Centers took an eight-yard pass from Brad Johnson for a score to put the Skins up by ten and seemingly drive the proverbial nail into the Bucs' coffin.

Skins: 17, Bucs: 7.

But hold up! There's a reason why many feel that the Buccaneers are Super Bowl-bound! They can turn it up when they need to, and they did just that. On their next possession following the last Redskins score, Shaun King answered with a touchdown pass of his own, a 46-yard pass to Ridell Anthony, but what made this play all the more spectacular was the fact that King had been stripped of the ball by Bruce Smith, only to recover it and hit Anthony all alone behind the Redskin defense.

Skins: 17, Bucs: 14.

Looking to get the ball back and grab another score with only a few precious minutes left in the game, the Bucs attempted an onside kick, only the Skins recovered it. Looking to attempt once more to put the proverbial nail in the Bucs' coffin, they moved the ball into field goal range, but Husted's attempt was blocked.

With under a minute left in regulation play, the Buccaneers drove 51 yards on six plays. As the Bucs were lining up to spike the ball and kill the clock, Redskins DE Marco Coleman was called for being offside, a five-yard penalty setting up Martin Gramatica's 42-yard field goal, re-tying the score as time ran out.

Skins: 17, Bucs: 17, heading into OT.

The Redskins won the coin toss, but failed to make anything out of their possession. The Buccaneers, too, failed to score and were forced to punt.

Deion Sanders took the punt and ran it back exactly 57 (count 'em) yards, setting up Husted's 20-yard field goal, sending the fans home happy.

Skins: 20, Bucs: 17. Final.

Status: With the victory, the Redskins improve to 3-2 and are tied for first place with the New York Giants in the NFC East. The loss drops the Buccaneers to 3-2 and are tied with the Detroit Lions for second place behind the 4-0 Vikings.

article courtesy of www.4thandlong.net