Bizarro World: Redskins finding lucky touch at right time

The Washington Redskins threw for 41 yards Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their 120 yards of total offense was the worst output by a winning team in a playoff game. But that's the thing; they may have been the worst team to ever win in the postseason, but they won. And they won really, really ugly.

Offensively, the Redskins looked like the 2004 team we all came to hate; Mark Brunell looked like he'd never picked up a football before and Clinton Portis played like his new alter ego, "Rev. (Can't) Run."

But what was so stunning was that Washington, whom I've grown accustomed to assuming will lose, managed to overcome this ineptitude. They committed only one turnover, and were the benefactors of nearly every close call in the game. Oh yeah, and the defense was really, really good.

Before yesterday, the worst offensive output by a winning team in the playoffs was 122 yards by the Baltimore Ravens in a 2001 win at Tennessee. The Ravens won the Super Bowl that season. Just a thought.

Washington defensive coordinator/eight-million dollar man Gregg Williams looked like a bargain on Saturday. Even though the Bucs had more yards than the Redskins, they also committed two more turnovers. In the playoffs, whoever takes the ball away more will probably win the game.

LaVar Arrington's interception and Sean Taylor's fumble for a touchdown were the two best offensive plays of the night for Washington, only they came from the defense. Those two quick scores for the Redskins did a great job of masking the fact that Washington couldn't move the ball at all.

Most of Brunell's 15 passes were either wide, short or long. Portis and Ladell Betts looked like they were trying to run head-on into oncoming Beltway traffic.

But even though they were clearly over-matched physically, the Redskins backfield clearly won the game mentally. Because they only turned the ball over once, Tampa Bay was forced to string together long drives every possession, and Washington's defense didn't let that happen.

To be fair, though, Washington wanted to let that game go. Antonio Brown and Chris Cooley fumbled, only to recover the ball both times. Sean Taylor was able to score only because Marcus Washington fumbled the pigskin right to him. It really came down to luck.

Washington would have lost without all the luck they got. The Buccaneers had the game tied in the fourth quarter, but Edell Sheppard dropped a touchdown pass. Chris Simms threw a perfect pass, and Sheppard flat out coughed it away. And because Tampa Bay was at home and building momentum, you know they would have won that game in overtime. But luckily, Sheppard now has eight months to think about the drop.

No team is more dangerous in the playoffs than the one who gets all the breaks. And no team is more dangerous than the one who wins games in ways that nobody can figure out.

Washington's win Saturday reminded me of Rosie O'Donnell; really ugly, confusing and frustrating, yet still really successful. I could never figure out why she was so beloved, but she was. And that's really all that matters in the scheme of things.

The Redskins can beat the Seahawks next week. Not because they beat them already in Week Three; that game was in Landover, the game next week is in Seattle. But Washington's run defense is so good that they can minimize Shaun Alexander. They're not going to force three turnovers, but they're capable of slowing, if not stopping, an offense that gains 370 yards per game.

But a win will require the offense to show up. And if the Redskins play the same heady football that they did against Tampa Bay, they will undoubtedly get more than 120 yards. They just have to avoid committing turnovers.

Also, remember that Seattle chokes every year in the playoffs. Last year, like this season, the Seahawks went 8-0 at home and played their first playoff game at their place. Against the 8-8 St. Louis Rams, Seattle had seven dropped passes, and became the first team ever to lose a postseason game to a .500 ball club. In fact, Seattle hasn't won a playoff game in 22 years.

Usually, basing a strategy around luck, history and no offense won't win you many games. But hey, it worked against Tampa Bay.