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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- It was finally time for Prime Time -- just
as he promised.
Deion Sanders, whose first four games with Washington were
decidedly unspectacular, returned a punt 57 yards in overtime to
set up Michael Husted's 20-yard field goal, giving Washington a
20-17 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday.
|  | | Washington needed all of Stephen Davis' 141 rushing yards on 28 carries. |
It was retribution for the 33-year-old Sanders, who until Sunday
hadn't come close to living up to the $57 million, seven-year deal
he signed last summer with Washington, although he kept promising
he would. And it was retribution for Husted, who spent the first
six years of his career in Tampa and had a 35-yard attempt blocked
by Warren Sapp with 43 seconds left, allowing Tampa to tie the game
in regulation.
"I know how a woman in labor feels, they wait nine months and
the baby will come," Sanders said. "Boy did that baby come. She
was a big one. All you doubters -- I've got room on the bandwagon."
That big one could have major ramifications in the NFC.
It gave Washington its second straight win after a 1-2 start and
handed Tampa its second loss after a 3-0 start.
"We're playing hard but we're not playing well enough to win,"
said Sapp, who was benched for the first quarter. "We turned the ball over, we didn't play
well on special teams and we didn't stop a good running back. It
cost us a ballgame."
ESPN has learned the reason Sapp
didn't start was his arriving late to a team
meeting on Saturday. Sapp's teammates were not aware
that Sapp would be benched until just before pregame warm-ups.
The Redskins appeared to have this one won when Darrell Green
stripped Keyshawn Johnson at the Tampa Bay 26, setting up a 9-yard
TD pass from Brad Johnson to Larry Centers that gave them a 17-7
lead with 3:50 left.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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As anticipated, this game was a defensive struggle between two evenly matched teams. When these teams met in the playoffs last year, it was a similar game but with a different outcome (a 14-13 Bucs win).
The Redskins defense was maligned last year, but it stepped up in this game. DE Marco Coleman (eight tackles, three sacks) is having an outstanding year.
This a difficult loss for the Bucs. It was their second straight tough loss after falling short last week against the Jets.
It doesn't get any easier for the Bucs. Next week, they play the NFC Central-leading (and undefeated) Minnesota Vikings. As for the Redskins, it looks like they have turned things around after a shaky 1-2 start.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director of football operations.
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But Shaun King threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Reidel Anthony
on a play on which he was stripped of the ball by Bruce Smith, but
picked it up and found Anthony all alone behind the Washington
defense.
Washington recovered Tampa Bay's onside kick and moved to
field-goal range, but Husted's attempt was blocked.
Then the Bucs, starting with 43 seconds left, moved 51 yards on
six plays, the last of which was a 19-yard pass to Johnson. As the
Bucs lined up to spike the ball, Marco Coleman was still on the
Tampa Bay side of the ball and was called for being offside, moving
the ball 5 yards closer for Martin Gramatica's 42-yard field goal
that tied the game as time expired.
"It was one of those things we learned last week," Tampa Bay
coach Tony Dungy said of the loss to the Jets in which the Bucs
surrendered two touchdowns in the final 1:54. "You never give up.
You see what happens. We got into it on a fluke play and they got
back into it on a fluke play."
This game was dominated by Washington's defense and the running
of Stephen Davis, who had 141 yards on 28 carries. Coleman had
three sacks and LaVar Arrington, the second overall pick in the
draft, got his first in the NFL and had a second negated by a
penalty.
"We were being judged by this game," Coleman said. "The way
we won helped us out. No one can say now that we can't win the
close game."
The Bucs started the game without Sapp, last year's defensive
player of the year who was benched for disciplinary reasons. Sapp
entered the game in the second quarter, and Dungy declined to
elaborate after the game.
Tampa Bay scored first -- typically with its defense. Leon
McFarland sacked Johnson, and Damien Robinson recovered at the
Washington 25. Five plays later, Mike Alstott went in from the 2 to
give the Bucs a 7-0 with 1:38 left in the first period.
Davis tied it with a 50-yard run with 3:14 left in the half.
Husted's 29-yard field goal on Washington's first possession of
the second half made it 10-7. It was set up by a 58-yard, 10-play
drive.
Tampa Bay maneuvered slowly into field-goal position late in the
third quarter and early in the fourth, driving from its own 11 to
the Washington 22. But Gramatica's 40-yard field goal attempt to
tie it hooked wide, leaving the Bucs still trailing 10-7.
It was an important miss -- after Tampa Bay came within 3, it was
forced to try an onside kick. Washington recovered and Davis ran
the clock down to 51 seconds. But the block gave the Bucs another
chance, and they capitalized.
Until Deion took over.
Game notes
Coleman's three sacks gave him eight in five games, a high
for his 9-year NFL career. ... Redskins right guard Tre Johnson
left in the first quarter with what was called a knee sprain. The
team said he will be examined on Monday. ... Davis' touchdown run
was the first rushing touchdown allowed by Tampa Bay this season.
... The Redskins' last overtime game was last Dec. 26, when they
won 26-20 at San Francisco.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Clayton: Don't doubt Deion
Dungy sits Sapp for one quarter
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tony Dungy explains the problems the Bucs are having.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
ESPN's Ed Werder talks with the Redskins' hero of the day Deion Sanders.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Redskins' QB Brad Johnson said the team stepped it up on both sides of the field.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Keyshawn Johnson looks to get by this loss and prepare for next week's matchup.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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