Buccaneers vs. Redskins: Washington Grades, Notes and Quotes
Showcasing their flair for the dramatic, the Washington Redskins rallied from 24 points down to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, 31-30.
Outscoring the Bucs 24-6 in the second half, Washington posted the largest comeback in franchise history. In a contest in which defense was optional, 830 total yards of offense was accumulated.
Driving for the winning score, Tampa Bay's last-ditch effort was halted when running back Charles Sims threw the game away on an ill-advised pitch attempt in the final seconds.
Pending the results of the remaining NFC East games, the Redskins could enter their bye week in a tie atop the NFC East.
Back to this contest, though: Here are the postgame grades, notes and quotes for Washington.
Position Grades
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B+ |
| RB | D |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | C |
| DL | D+ |
| LB | D |
| DB | C- |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | B- |
With a tenuous hold on his starting job, Kirk Cousins turned in one of his better performances on the year in Week 7.
Cousins had season highs in completions, yards, yards per attempt and touchdowns. On the afternoon, he completed 33 of 40 passes for 317 yards. Adding a score on the ground, he was responsible for four touchdowns overall.
While these are impressive numbers on the stat sheet, what really stood out about Cousins was his response to adversity.
His fumble put the Skins in a 24-0 hole in the first half. But instead of reverting back into the player who routinely forces plays, he calmly directed the team's comeback.
Cousins played turnover-free football the remainder of the game. He culminated his performance with an 11-play, 80-yard drive to provide the final margin.
In the backfield, Washington again couldn't get its running game on track. Even with the return of Trent Williams, the team was only able to muster 50 yards on 19 carries.
Bolstered by the return of Jordan Reed, Washington's receiving corps had a banner day. Reed was the high man with 11 receptions, 72 yards and two touchdowns, but five different Redskins eclipsed 48 yards receiving.
Taking advantage of DeSean Jackson's absence, Jamison Crowder and Ryan Grant had eight receptions for 102 yards between them.
Moving to the offensive line, the team had another up-and-down performance. On one end, the running lanes simply weren't there for the Skins against the Bucs' 25th-ranked rushing defense.
In pass protection, it was a whole different story. Cousins was sacked once and hit seven times on 40 passing attempts.
On to the defense.
For a third consecutive week, Washington was gashed in the running game. Behind 136 yards from Doug Martin, Tampa tallied 190 yards on the ground.
It gets worse. In back-to-back years now, the secondary has been scorched by receiver Mike Evans. The only receiver to snag more than one reception on the day, Evans finished with eight receptions, 164 yards and a touchdown.
With the Redskins pass rush registering just six quarterback hits and one sack, Jameis Winston played mistake-free football and threw for 297 yards and two scores.
Besting its reputation, the Skins' special teams were solid in this one. Dustin Hopkins converted his lone field-goal attempt, and the team recovered a surprise onside kick to fuel its comeback bid.
While the defensive coaching staff had little answers for the Bucs offense, head coach Jay Gruden deserves credit for keeping Cousins in his comfort zone. Gruden continued to mix in runs and play-action passes, even in the face of a double-digit deficit. A contrast from previous weeks, the passing game also featured more throws down the field.
Life doesn't get any easier for the Redskins with matchups against the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots in the coming weeks. It has to be said, though, that in avoiding a 2-5 start, Washington kept its NFC East hopes alive.
On to the bye week.
Important Note No. 1: Third-Quarter Turnaround
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Washington's comeback from a 24-point deficit technically began in the closing minutes of the second half. Nonetheless, the third quarter was the turning point here.
The 'Skins had been outscored 46-3 in third quarters prior to this contest. Holding a 14-point edge over the Bucs, the team flipped the script in Week 7.
With Jackson's potential return following the bye week, one can only hope Washington sticks with the aggressive mindset it showcased in this bout over the second half of the season.
Important Note No. 2: Injury Woes Continue
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It's not a Redskins game without a key injury.
The likes of Keenan Robinson and Dashon Goldson missed time to injury in this matchup. While both returned to action, star linebacker Ryan Kerrigan did not.
As ESPN's John Keim noted, Kerrigan exited with a fractured hand. The team has to be relived it has a bye week up next. But in lieu of the injuries it has in the secondary (Chris Culliver and DeAngelo Hall), any extended absence from Kerrigan would have dire consequences for Washington's fading defense.
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Quote No. 1: Cousins Answers His Critics
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From goat to savior: That about sums up the play of Cousins the past two weeks.
Rightfully so in lieu of his play, Cousins faced questions about his job security all week in the lead-up to the Tampa Bay game.
Walking to the locker room directly after the win, a ramped-up Cousins had a pointed message for his critics in the media, via CSN Mid-Atlantic:
"VIDEO: Redskins Kirk Cousins screams “YOU LIKE THAT” after 24-point comeback vs. Buccaneers https://t.co/2t0LgcCWao pic.twitter.com/5sDAhWvI6n
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 25, 2015"
Cousins did have a fumble, but in all three of Washington's wins this season, he hasn't thrown an interception.
With no apparent end in sight to the team's struggles on the ground, Cousins will have to shoulder the offensive load going forward.
Quote No. 2: Halftime Adjustments
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It's no secret that the Redskins have routinely come out flat to start the second half of games.
Livid his team had turned in such a lackluster first-half performance—in a contest he proclaimed a must-win all week, no less—Gruden lit into his team at halftime, according to Trent Williams (h/t ABC's Alex Parker).
"Jay (Gruden) was livid. You rarely ever see him in that state, but he was on the gas," he said.
Gruden isn't the first and won't be the last coach to light a fire under an underachieving bunch. According to ESPN Stats & Info, though, he is in relatively uncharted territory following his team's comeback.
Washington engineered just the fifth comeback from a 24-point deficit in the past 15 seasons.
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