LANDOVER, Maryland (Ticker) -- There's no shortage of character on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Healthy players are another story.
The injury-riddled Buccaneers rebounded from the worst collapse in NFL history, putting together a mild rally of their own in a 35-13 rout of the Washington Redskins.
Brad Johnson threw four touchdown passes for the Buccaneers, whose vaunted defense gave up 28 points in the fourth quarter - 21 over the final 3:37 - of Monday night's 38-35 overtime loss to Indianapolis.
Tampa Bay turned it around this week, scoring 28 unanswered points in the final 23 1/2 minutes. The defending Super Bowl champions moved back over .500 at 3-2, improving to 3-0 on the road.
"We beat a good football team on the road, overcoming an emotional loss, short week," coach Jon Gruden said. "Guys stepped up."
Washington's former starting quarterback, Johnson completed 22-of-30 passes for 268 yards. With injuries sidelining a number of his weapons, Johnson threw a pair of TDs to backup tight end Todd Yoder and another to third-stringer Will Heller.
Yoder and Heller saw extended action because of an injury to tight end Ken Dilger, who joins a list of walking wounded that includes fullback Mike Alstott and wideout Joe Jurevicius.
"There's not a lack of character around here," Gruden said. "We've just got too many guys in the training room."
The Bucs stepped up their defense, holding the NFL's fifth-rated offense to 275 yards. End Simeon Rice tied a team record with four sacks and tackle Warren Sapp added his first two of the season.
"I knew we had to get a win today," Rice said. "We had to take it upon ourselves, put the game on our shoulders and take the game over."
Washington committed the only three turnovers of the game. Patrick Ramsey threw a pair of interceptions, one that resulted in a TD drive and another in a touchdown return.
The Redskins had a 13-7 lead until the Bucs moved 80 yards on eight plays, capped by an 11-yard pass from Johnson to Yoder.
On Washington's next possession, Ramsey looked deep for Rod Gardner, but Smith picked off the pass at Tampa Bay's 9-yard line. The Bucs put together a 91-yard TD drive, building a 21-13 lead on Johnson's four-yard pass to Heller.
Yoder had never caught a touchdown pass in 45 career games while Heller, an undrafted rookie, had never caught a pass of any kind. The two combined for five receptions, totaling 32 yards.
"We had two tight ends who, early in the year, you would have never thought they would catch a touchdown," Bucs safety John Lynch said. "Guys are just making big plays."
One of the big plays came from Keyshawn Johnson. After the Bucs' defense forced a three-and-out, Brad Johnson threw a 39-yard TD pass to Keyshawn Johnson for a 28-13 lead with 8:48 remaining.
"We were able to execute in the second half and exploit their secondary," said Keyshawn Johnson, who had four catches for 80 yards. "The game was close, but once we kicked it into gear, we found a lot of success."
So did the defense. On Washington's next drive, tackle Anthony McFarland tugged Ramsey's throwing arm from behind and linebacker Derrick Brooks stepped in front of a pass, returning it 44 yards for a score.
In addition to his four sacks, Rice forced and recovered a fumble. Sapp and McFarland helped hold the Redskins to 68 yards rushing.
"Those guys are unbelievable," Brad Johnson said of the Bucs' defense. "They've proven it the last five or six years. They're doing it again this year. They're scoring on defense. They're stopping people."
Ramsey was 21-of-32 for 211 yards with a TD. Because he was sacked six times, coach Steve Spurrier pulled him for the Redskins' final series.
"He told me he wanted to go back in, but I said, `No, I don't want you getting beat up anymore than you are,'" Spurrier said. "Let's rest up and fight another day."
That's what the Redskins have to do after losing their second straight game to fall to 3-3.
"For us to be at 3-3, I'm very concerned," Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington said.
