WASHINGTON (AFP) — Using only 10 men for their first defensive play, the Washington Redskins honored defensive star Sean Taylor on and off the field Sunday but lost 17-16 to Buffalo in their first game since his death.
A moment of silence also was observed before the game as it was at every National Football League game this week. A large sign bearing Taylor's name and jersey number "21" was unveiled Sunday inside the Redskins' home stadium.
The Redskins took the opening kickoff and drove for a field goal to take an early lead, then kicked to Buffalo. But when the Bills' offense took the field, Washington played with only 10 defenders, leaving vacant Taylor's safety spot.
"We decided to do that last night," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We wanted to play defense with Sean Taylor on the field one more time."
The tribute, signifying the team's belief that Taylor was with them on the field if only in spirit, was an emotional moment for a club still grieving in the wake of Taylor's death Tuesday, one day after suffering a gunshot wound.
"It was a good call for the first play," Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs said. "It was a good way to honor Sean."
Reed Doughty, filling the defensive spot once held by Taylor, ran onto the field for the next play as planned after a Buffalo first down. The full 11-man Redskins' defensive unit stiffened and forced the Bills to punt.
"There was a lot of adrenaline going out there," Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell said. "You are so full of emotions and wanted to win it for Sean."
Often after making big plays, Redskins players would cross their hearts and point to the sky, a symbolic gesture to their absent former teammate.
"I look up to let him know that if he still wants to play he can play through us. And I know he still wants to play," Redskins receiver Santana Moss said.
Signs in the stands mourned Taylor's death as well, a unity in grief that had made the Redskins and their supporters determined to make the most of the current season in tribute to Taylor.
Funeral services were scheduled for Monday morning at Florida International University. The entire Redskins organization will attend the funeral, even through it trims training time for their next game Thursday against Chicago.
"We want to really celebrate Sean's life tommorrow. We want to celebrate a man who meant a lot to all of us," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "This has been a long week for us. Hopefully tomorrow we can focus on him."
While Washington defenders kept the Bills from scoring a touchdown, they surrendered a scoring drive in the last seconds to lose. Rian Lindell kicked his fifth field goal, the game-winner, from 36 yards with four seconds to play.
Lindell made a 51-yard field goal that was wiped out because the Redskins called a timeout just before the play.
But when Redskins coach Joe Gibbs tried to call another, it was illegal back-to-back timeouts and the penalty moved Lindell 15 yards nearer the goalposts to set up the winning kick.
"To be quite truthful, I made a decision there at the end and it is very likely it cost the game," Gibbs said. "That's on me. I told the team that. I want to tell everybody out there that."
The Redskins took the field with a patch on the upper right front of their uniforms honoring Taylor, who was remembered in a moving pre-game video tribute as well.
In memorium, the Redskins also will continue to list Taylor as a defensive starter for the remainder of the season on its official depth chart.
All NFL games observed a moment of silence for the 24-year-old safety who was shot by intruders Monday in his home near Miami. But the drama was in the US capital as the Redskins fell to 5-7 with the loss in the wake of tragedy.
Just hours before Sunday's kickoff, the fourth man charged in the shooting death of Taylor, 19-year-old Jason Mitchell, was denied bond Sunday in a Fort Myers, Florida, courtroom.
Venjah Hunter, 20, Eric Rivera, 17, and Charles Wardlow, 18, were all denied bond Saturday on charges of unpremeditated murder, armed burglary and home invasion with a deadly weapon.
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