SI: Redskins-Buccaneers Preview

[Duncan]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/previews/2005/11/13/1778_preview.html

GAME: Washington Redskins (5-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3).

TIME: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. EST.

The Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the thick of their respective division races. Only the Redskins, though, are performing like a playoff team at the moment.

The Redskins look to continue their rise in the NFC East standings, while the Bucs try to avoid slipping further in the NFC South when the teams meet in Tampa for the first time in nearly six years.

Washington won for the second time in three games last Sunday, beating Philadelphia 17-10 to move into a second-place tie with idle Dallas in the division. The Redskins and Cowboys trail the first-place New York Giants by one game.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, fell 34-14 at home to Carolina on Sunday for its third loss in four games. The Bucs opened 4-0 to take the early division lead, but are now one game back in third place.

Against the Eagles, Clinton Portis scored the go-ahead points on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Mark Brunell completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards, and safety Ryan Clark intercepted Donovan McNabb 's final pass on a fourth-and-4 from the 7 with about 1 1/2 minutes left as Washington snapped a seven-game losing streak to Philadelphia.

''A loss would have meant your back was against the wall and you're pretty much fighting week-to-week just to survive,'' Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. ''To wind up 5-3, this puts you in a much better position. ... It gives you the feeling that you're fighting for it rather than trying to come off the floor.''

Washington is looking to match last season's win total of six.

''It's a new era. Guys have that taste in their mouths. Guys are starting to believe,'' defensive end Renaldo Wynn said. ''It's an electricity, from top to bottom.''

Tampa Bay matched its win total of a year ago on Oct. 16, but has dropped two straight since quarterback Brian Griese was lost for the season with torn knee ligaments.

His replacement, Chris Simms , was sacked five times last week, lost a fumble and threw two interceptions.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, though, said he's sticking with the third-year quarterback.

''I think he's getting better,'' Gruden said. ''I think blame has got to be assessed. That's just part of society. The coach gets the blame and the quarterback gets the blame, and we get the blame as a football team when you get defeated soundly at home like we did.''

Gruden said part of the blame needs to go to the Bucs' inability to take pressure off Simms by establishing a running game. They gained 44 yards on 18 carries against Carolina, with rookie Carnell ''Cadillac'' Williams being limited to 29 yards on 11 attempts.

''We're going to find a way to get the running game going, and that's the great thing about going back to work here. We've got a chance to prove it,'' Gruden said.

Washington hasn't played in Tampa since losing 14-13 in a divisional playoff game on Jan. 15, 2000. Including that victory, the Bucs have beaten the Redskins four straight times on their home field since a 23-17 defeat in 1993.

STANDINGS: Redskins - 2nd place (tied), NFC East. Buccaneers - 3rd place, NFC South.

REDSKINS LEADERS: Offense - Brunell, 1,781 passing yards and 12 passing TDs; Portis, 620 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs; Santana Moss , 49 receptions, 856 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs. Defense - Cornelius Griffin , 3 sacks; Clark, 2 INTs.

BUCCANEERS LEADERS: Offense - Griese, 1,136 passing yards and 7 passing TDs; Williams, 496 rushing yards; Williams and Mike Alstott , 2 rushing TDs; Joey Galloway , 44 receptions, 731 receiving yards and 6 receiving TDs. Defense - Simeon Rice , 5 sacks; Brian Kelly , 3 INTs.

REDSKINS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 119.4 yards per game (14th in NFL); Passing Offense - 223.3 ypg (14th); Total Offense - 342.7 ypg (11th). Rushing Defense - 119.8 ypg (21st); Passing Defense - 170.0 ypg (6th); Total Defense - 289.8 ypg (7th).

BUCCANEERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 114.8 ypg (16th); Passing Offense - 195.4 ypg (21st); Total Offense - 310.2 ypg (21st). Rushing Defense - 75.9 ypg (2nd); Passing Defense - 161.0 ypg (2nd); Total Defense - 236.9 ypg (1st).

LAST MEETING: Sept. 12, 2004; Redskins, 16-10. At Landover, Md., the Redskins forced two turnovers that led to scores in Gibbs' first game back with the team since 1992.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Redskins - Gibbs is 3-0 against Tampa Bay, and the Redskins have won three of the last four regular-season meetings in the series. ... Washington is 7-1 when RB Portis rushes for 100 yards. ... WR Moss is second in the NFL with 18 receptions on third down. Buccaneers - WR Galloway has a TD in three straight games, and 11 in his last 13 contests. ... DE Rice is 3 1/2 sacks away from passing Sean Jones (113) for 13th all-time. ... Ronde Barber needs one sack to become the first CB in NFL history with 20 sacks and 20 INTs.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Redskins - 1-3 on the road; Buccaneers - 3-1 at home.

INJURIES: Redskins - QUESTIONABLE: DT Griffin (hip); DT Cedric Killings (ankle); S Omar Stoutmire (hamstring). PROBABLE: QB Brunell (calf); DE Phillip Daniels (ankle); DT Joe Salave'a (foot); T Chris Samuels (knee); S Sean Taylor (ankle). Buccaneers - QUESTIONABLE: WR Michael Clayton (knee); S Dexter Jackson (hamstring); RB Michael Pittman (shoulder). PROBABLE: T Anthony Davis (knee).