Tampa Bay holds on to beat Redskins 31-30

By Kyle Dudley | Sunday, November 13, 2005 | ( 0 )

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A gutsy call by Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden and an equally gutsy run by fullback Mike Alstott was the difference as the Buccaneers defeated the Washington Redskins 36-35. The conversion happened after Washington blocked an extra point kick, only to have it called back for offside. With new life, Gruden opted to try for two points and the potential win.

With just 58 seconds remaining, the call was for the big 248-pound fullback, and Alstott found the end zone after initial contact stopped him short. The play was reviewed, but the conversion was upheld.

The two-pointer thwarted a solid effort by the Washington Redskin. Running back Clinton Portis rushed 23 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Mark Brunell continued his resurgent season tossing the ball for 226 yards and two touchdowns. On special teams, LaDell Betts took a kickoff back 94 yards for another score.

For Tampa Bay, Chris Simms shook off the demons and finally played up to his family name. The Buccaneers backup threw for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns. His favorite target was Joey Galloway who had 6 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. The win was the first for Simms in an NFL game where he both started and finished.

The win allowed Tampa Bay to eclipse their win total from 2004.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did, however, continue to struggle running the ball. Mike Alstott and Cadillac Williams combined for 19 carries and 41 yards on the day.

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