Mad Mike Posted August 25, 2002 Share Posted August 25, 2002 No Florida recount needed http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports/redskins/MGB4RPOFA5D.html BY PAUL WOODY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 25, 2002 TAMPA, Fla. - Shane Matthews took advantage of an unexpected starting assignment to make a push for the job as the Washington Redskins' first-string quarterback. Greg Scott pushed himself across the goal line after a 66-yard mad dash with a fumble recovery. Those performances, along with an opportunistic night by their defense and special teams, enabled the Redskins to continue their roll through the preseason with a 40-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Matthews, starting because Danny Wuerffel was sidelined by a stomach virus, presented an efficient first-half performance to help the Redskins (4-0) jump to a 16-7 lead. Matthews ran the offense well, recognized when the plays sent in by coach Steve Spurrier would not work and changed them at the line. The veteran quarterback engineered three scoring drives. Matthews threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rod Gardner in the first quarter, catching the Bucs flat-footed on a second-and-1 play. Matthews appeared to be slightly behind Wuerffel in the sweepstakes to win the starting job. The question now is whether last night will push Matthews ahead or whether Wuerffel's illness will extend the competition for a week. The Redskins' starting offense had few problems moving the ball against Tampa Bay's first-string defense. "I think overall we probably won't be happy unless we're playing our style of football," said Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber, a former standout at the University of Virginia. "We've all got some work to do. We all know that." The Redskins even got in a few successful running plays in the first half. Stephen Davis had his longest gain of the preseason, a 9-yard run in the first quarter. Davis still was used sparingly. He had just four other carries and gained a total of 19 yards for the evening. For most of the evening, though, Spurrier continued to work on the passing game. Matthews threw 15 times in the first half, completing eight for 97 yards. Unlike last week when the Redskins clearly were outplayed by the Pittsburgh starters, the Redskins held the upper hand against the front line players from Tampa Bay (2-1). "We had some bad field position in the first half," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "We had some drives, but we've just got to finish them off. We cannot turn the ball over." The Redskins intercepted two passes in the first half. Linebacker LaVar Arrington grabbed one and returned it 26 yards to the Tampa Bay 43. Two other Redskins made that interception possible. Linebacker Jessie Armstead blitzed Brad Johnson, forcing the Bucs quarterback to release the ball earlier and with less velocity than planned. And cornerback Fred Smoot got a hand on the pass, tipping it into the air toward Arrington. Champ Bailey picked off another Johnson pass, grabbing the ball on the sidelines and getting his feet down with the aplomb of a wide receiver before falling out of bounds. Johnson was the Redskins' quarterback in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. The backups took over in the second half, and several made strong statements for the Redskins. Del Cowsette had several good plays at defensive tackle, none more notable than his sack, which also forced Rob Johnson, the Bucs' backup quarterback, to fumble. That's when Scott, a rookie from Hampton University and Southampton High School, stepped in. Scott scooped up the ball and chugged 66 yards for a touchdown. That gave the Redskins a 23-10 lead, and the rout was afoot. Rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey got his first game experience of the preseason. He looked good at times, rifling bullets to receivers, and less than good at other times. He was intercepted once, and shoddy blocking by the backup linemen limited his time in the pocket. Ramsey completed 10 of 20 passes for 117 yards. The victory did not come without its consequences. Four Redskins were knocked out of the game with injuries. Tight end Walter Rasby suffered a sprained left knee, backup linebacker Eddie Mason suffered a sprained left shoulder, offensive lineman Rod Jones sprained his right elbow in the first quarter and rookie defensive back Andre Lott was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the third quarter. Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted August 25, 2002 Share Posted August 25, 2002 Sapp put the "DUH" in Flor-a-DUH.:laugh: :laugh: Lavar said" Hang on this chad":laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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