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TAMPA, Fla.--The world finally believes in Joe Gibbs now. His players may have had a shred of doubt last season, but they bought into his gospel long before the cynical public did.

That faith has paid off in a remarkable season that isn't over yet. And Gibbs is the best thing the Washington Redskins have going for them as they enter the second round of the NFL playoffs.

The Redskins will cross the continent Saturday to play top-seeded Seattle without two injured linemen (Randy Thomas and Renaldo Wynn). Another critical player, Shawn Springs, hopes to return from a groin injury--one of the worst possible setbacks for a cornerback.

Their most gifted player, Sean Taylor, could be suspended and will be, at best, on triple secret probation. Running back Clinton Portis' shoulders are sore, and Gibbs' offense is coming off the worst performance ever (120 total yards) by a team that actually won a playoff game.

Combine those factors with the Seahawks being rested, playing at home and motivated by an overtime loss at Washington in September, and Seattle should be about a 17-point favorite.

Instead, no one anywhere is discounting the Redskins' chances. And it's not because of Portis or Mark Brunell or Santana Moss or Taylor or LaVar Arrington.

It's because of Gibbs, along with Gregg Williams and the men who coach for them.

"Up here, you don't win with Xs and Os," Gibbs has said about a million times this season when asked to explain his team's remarkable turnaround. "It's about character."

Well, he's half right. Defensively, the Redskins have won with strategy rather than stars. (Granted, getting defensive tackles Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave'a healthy again has meant more than most people will ever know.)

Williams benched Arrington early in the season without a significant drop-off. The Redskins did miss Taylor after he was ejected in Saturday's 17-10 victory at Tampa, but his absence wasn't fatal. Williams and his aides have succeeded largely with interchangeable parts.