Buccaneers Can't Ride Redskins "Gift Horse"

Hail to the Redskins!

Thanks Washington. Thanks for trying to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get a win Sunday.

Thanks for opening the door and giving them huge first half encouragement.

You did your best. You were the good host, an absolute gift horse.

Sadly, the Buccaneers looked this Washington gift horse in the eyes and said "thanks, but no thanks."

The Buccaneers lost another game, 16-13, their fourth straight to start this dismal looking season.

This was also a game where the Bucs had a real shot.

They had a shot because the Redskins malfunctioned early and often, there was life in Gaines Adams and the rest of the defensive line, and because new starter Josh Johnson performed well enough to get his team a 10-0 halftime lead.

Unfortunately, the offense decided to shut down for most of the third quarter, the defense sagged, and the 'Skins bagged 16 unanswered points.

That fourth quarter Buccaneer field goal got the guys close, real close, 16-13 and J.J. and friends would have a last gasp with just less than two minutes to play.

It all ended when Clifton Smith put the ball on the ground and found a way for this team to lose once again.

They shot the gift horse.

Surely we could ask why Smith was carrying the ball that late when Cadillac Williams had proven effective most of the day. He picked up 77 yards on 16 carries and ran hard and was heartbroken afterwards.

"Man, man, man, tough loss, it hurts," he said stoically. "We are professionals. We got to man up."

"A real tough loss, a very disappointing loss," said Johnson after his first start.

"The young man did a nice job of managing the football game," said Morris of his "career backup."

"We'll have to self-evaluate, get better and better," Morris said, once again, as he often says after a loss.

He's right about that.

This team lost to a lousy Washington club. The 'Skins were 1-2 and really looked like they wanted to be 1-3. Jason Campbell showed us why the team sought after Jay Cutler. He had a hard time completing passes, but managed to hit Buccaneer Aqib Talib with three.

He managed only 152 yards in the air, but it was still better than the paltry 106 for Tampa Bay.

Those interceptions to Talib and early fumble to set up an easy Buccaneer touchdown were gifts for the Bucs. They were looking to incur further wrath from its fans, and looking to open the door wider for a quicker exit for head coach Jim Zorn.

It was there for the taking.

The gift horse was there, waiting for the Buccaneers.

And they shot it.