5 unsung heroes from stunning win over Buccaneers

1. The coaching staff

That’s right, Ron Rivera. The entire coaching staff gets a thumbs up for their showing on Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Coming off the bye, fans expect their teams to be disciplined, have a largely foolproof game plan and to execute assignments.

Washington did just that against the defending champs. Scott Turner continued to prove that he’s grossly underrated as an offensive coordinator.

Despite averaging less than three yards per carry, the third-year OC remained committed to the run and it paid off when it mattered most on the final 19-play drive that ate up almost 11 minutes of game clock.

Jack Del Rio’s group, meanwhile, didn’t give an inch on defense. They limited Brady to just 6.5 yards per pass attempt, 273 total yards of offense, and just 19 points, all of which were season-lows for the Bucs.

Don’t look now, but Washington’s defense is giving up just 20 points per game over the last three contests. Considering that number was well north of 30 just a month ago, it’s clear the unit is making serious strides.

Finally, we get to Rivera. While it says a lot that Washington fought tooth and nail for their head coach, that’s to be expected…unless, you know, you thought Rivera had actually lost his grip on the locker room. Getting beyond that, though, the veteran HC made the call of the game by going for it on 4th and 1 to win the game.

Rivera could have gone conservative and taken the three points, but he knew better than to give the ball back to Brady. Instead, he went for the win and Gibson came through with a one-yard score heard ’round the NFL.