With the victory over the Bucs, the Skins took a two game lead over the rest of the division, despite devastating injuries along the offensive line. Although they gave up ample yardage, the defense stiffened in the red zone, and took the ball away four times. Surely, this was a game this Tampa Bay team should have won. Let’s find out from The Tampa Bay Times what happened:
Bucs’ Jacquizz Rodgers has career receiving day, but costly fumble was his only takeaway
By Eduardo Encina
TAMPA — Bucs running back Jacquizz Rodgers recorded his first professional 100-yard receiving game Sunday but had no reason to celebrate following Tampa Bay’s 16-3 loss to Washington.
Rodgers, who hadn’t logged more than 56 receiving yards in any of his previous 102 NFL games, had 103 yards on eight catches — which tied his career high — out of the backfield as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s top target.
The Bucs utilized their running backs as receivers — all three running backs caught passes — especially with tight end O.J. Howard minimalized in double coverage. Rodgers, who is the team’s top receiving back, was the biggest beneficiary.
“There was some stuff where Quizz caught a bunch of balls,” Fitzpatrick said. “He had a bunch where that’s where that was what they were giving us and we were just trying to dink and dunk at times and take what what were giving us and that was just the way that it went today.”
Four of his receptions were for 10 yards or more, including a 24-yard gain in the second quarter that was the biggest gain on the Bucs’ only scoring drive of the game.
But it was a costly fourth-quarter fumble — the third of four Bucs turnovers — that was all Rodgers could think about after the game.
“I’m (mad) as hell,” Rodgers said. “I fumbled. All the rest of that (stuff) don’t matter.”