The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gained a dramatic 36-35 win over the Redskins yesterday with Mike Allstott powering over for the winning score - a two-point conversion - with 58 seconds remaining in the game.
Figuring into Gruden's decision was a reprieve just seconds earlier, when the Redskins blocked the point-after attempt only to be flagged for jumping offside. So with the ball one yard out, Gruden said he wouldn't have wanted to guess at what would have happened.
Right after the call was made, neither Alstott nor Chris Simms were aware of it. Alstott was sitting on the bench. "My running back coach was going berserk," Alstott said with a grin.
There was little doubt as to who was going to get the ball. Alstott knew it, Washington knew it and the crowd certainly figured it out too. The rest was history -
Allstott, after initially it seemed like he might be stopped short, powered his way over the line.
"A dramatic win," Gruden said. "One I'll never forget."
Neither will Alstott, who also had two touchdowns. He acknowledged the moment might have been one of the most special of his career. "Other than the Super Bowl, yeah," he said, "No question about it."