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Fans watch a video tribute to Sean Taylor before the start of yesterday's game against the Buffalo Bills at FedEx Field.
Washington Redskins fans display a sign memorializing Sean Taylor, who died last week after being shot.
Washington's Clinton Portis reveals a shirt commemorating slain teammate Sean Taylor |
BY STEVE DeSHAZO
LANDOVER, Md.--What was already arguably the most difficult week in the 75-year history of the Washington Redskins concluded with even more frustration.
Yesterday's confounding 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills pales in comparison to the heartbreak the organization suffered when Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor was shot and killed.. But the players who spent their emotions publicly throughout a trying week desperately wanted to earn a victory as a tribute to their late teammate--while improving their playoff hopes as well.
It didn't turn out that way--"not if you're going to write a storybook ending, that's for sure," center Casey Rabach said in a grim locker room.
The Redskins led all the way--until coach Joe Gibbs drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for calling two consecutive time-outs in an attempt to freeze Bills kicker Rian Lindell.
Lindell's challenging 51-yard attempt in a cold rain became a routine 36-yarder, which he calmly converted with four seconds remaining to send Washington (5-7) to its fourth straight loss.
"I made a decision at the end that very likely cost us the game," said Gibbs, who claimed an official told him the move was not illegal. "That's on me. I told the team that, and I want to tell everyone that."
It spoiled a day of tribute to Taylor, an immensely popular player who was shot during an apparent burglary attempt at his home in Miami early Monday and died less than 24 hours later. Four men have been charged in Taylor's death.
"Death is a part of life," cornerback Shawn Springs said. "We missed him, but he would have wanted us to go out and play hard."
Before the game, the team showed a four-minute video tribute to Taylor, known as one of the NFL's hardest hitters, and distributed white towels bearing his jersey number, 21. Inside FedEx Field, fans--many wearing Taylor replica jerseys--held up handmade signs that read: "Our loss is monumental" and "Heaven has a hell of a safety."
Taylor's locker was sealed with plexiglass. And both teams wore No. 21 decals on their helmets, as did all NFL teams this weekend, and the Redskins sported similar patches on the front of their jerseys.
Said Bills safety Donte Whitner: "If I wasn't part of the Buffalo Bills organization, I probably would have been rooting for the Redskins because whenever someone goes through tragedy or hard times like that, you're rooting for them to do well. I'm happy for my teammates and everyone in here, but I still feel for the Washington Redskins."
The Redskins also paid a final tribute to Taylor by sending 10 defensive players onto the field for Buffalo's first offensive play. After rookie running back Fred Jackson gained 22 yards against the short-handed defense, safety Reed Doughty joined his teammates.
"We didn't go out there with 10, we went out there with 11," linebacker London Fletcher said. "We wanted to play defense with Sean on the field one more time."
Added assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams, who came up with the idea Saturday night: "We wanted to let Sean ride with us one more time. It was pretty much a unanimous choice among the defense."
Washington's defense kept the Bills (6-6) out of the end zone all day, but the offense struggled, and Buffalo moved into position to win in the final minutes. That's when Gibbs--a Hall of Fame coach whose second tenure with the Redskins has produced a 27-35 record--was penalized.
Gibbs said he asked an official if he could call consecutive time-outs, and "I felt like he said yes." But the move is illegal, and Gibbs admitted, "I have nobody to blame but myself. It's not their fault; it's my fault."
Redskins players felt the ultimate honor they could pay to Taylor was to win. But they couldn't deliver. Now, the tough times continue for the Redskins, who'll travel to Miami as a team today for Taylor's funeral. Then they'll have one day to prepare for Thursday night's home game against the Chicago Bears.
Said offensive tackle Chris Samuels: "I thought the best thing we could do was go out and lay it on the line. Did we win? No. But I think we did what we could."
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
