Turk’s Treatment Is Nothing Special

Coaches protect their players. Coaches stress team play. Coaches like to talk about winning as a group and losing as a group.

So when Washington Redskin long-snapper Dan Turk bounced a snap in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, costing his team a chance at a winning field goal, he at least knew his coach, Norv Turner, would protect him.

Right?

No way. Not Norv. Perhaps protecting his own job, certainly protecting his other players, Turner made sure the whole world knew who was to blame for the crucial play in Tampa Bay’s 14-13 victory.

“The ball looked like it rolled,” Turner said. “[Holder] Brad [Johnson] never had a chance. The timing was gone. And Brad did the right thing. One guy didn’t get the job done, not the whole special-teams unit.”

That ought to cheer up that one guy.

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Tampa Bay quarterback Shaun King became the first rookie in a quarter-century to win an NFL playoff game, but he’s under no illusion as to his level of development after completing 15 of 32 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown in only his seventh pro game, sixth as a starter.

“I didn’t play great,” King said, “but I didn’t lose the game. . . . I still have a long way to go as far as knowledge is concerned.”

No complaints from Tampa Bay defensive leader Warren Sapp.

“He may be a rookie quarterback,” Sapp said of King, “but he’s something special. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m glad he’s on our side.”

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The Buccaneers are 3-4 in postseason play with all three victories coming at home. The only time Tampa Bay lost a home playoff game was the only other time it played in the NFC championship game.

That was after the 1979 season, when the opponent was the Rams, as will again be the case if the Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings today in their divisional playoff matchup.

Of course, then they were the Los Angeles Rams, but now they are based in St. Louis.

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Brian Mitchell’s 100-yard kickoff return for Washington was the longest in postseason history, topping the 99-yard return by Desmond Howard for the Green Bay Packers against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.