As he dug his toe in the turf Sunday afternoon with 3 seconds left and the game on the line, Redskins kicker Kai Forbath reminded himself that he had made this kick thousands of times.
Forbath was about to attempt his career-high fourth field goal of the afternoon, a 22-yarder, a routine kick only a few yards away from where he usually attempts extra points.
“I do this every day in practice, every day in games,” he told himself. “Nothing needs to change.”
And nothing did. Forbath split the uprights just as the Tennessee Titans called a late timeout, then repeated the kick with the clock ticking down to propel the Redskins to a 19-17 win. Forbath had field goals of 31, 31, 27 and 22 yards in the game, accounting for the majority of the team’s offensive production in a slow, sloppy game.
Forbath said he had not made a game-winner with his team trailing since his days at UCLA. It was his second game-winner with the Redskins.
“It felt great. You know, we needed a win bad,” Forbath said. “I couldn’t ask for better field position to kick the game-winner, so hats off to our offense for getting us there.”
SEE ALSO: Colt McCoy leads Washington Redskins to much-needed win in relief
Two months ago, Forbath was fighting for his job against rookie Zach Hocker, a seventh-round draft pick chosen specifically to try to take it away from him. Forbath struggled in the preseason, including a miss in the team’s first exhibition game against New England, but edged Hocker to make the roster.
Forbath, whose leg strength on kickoffs has been a concern for Washington, also had two touchbacks Sunday afternoon. He said they might have been aided by the wind, but “kickoffs are something that I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable with.”
Forbath has now made 11 of his 12 kicks this season and 46 of his 52 attempts with the Redskins.
“This was big for Kai, man,” tight end Niles Paul said. “We all have confidence in him and this only builds the confidence we have for him.”
Redskins make change at right tackle
Replacing Kirk Cousins at quarterback was not the only change the Redskins made to begin the second half Sunday afternoon.
SEE ALSO: SNYDER: Shaken Kirk Cousins bows out, perhaps for good
While Colt McCoy jogged to the huddle on the team’s first drive in the third quarter, he was joined by right tackle Tom Compton, who replaced starter Tyler Polumbus to begin the second half. Compton filled in for Polumbus during three of Washington’s five drives in the second half.
“Tyler had a couple of plays he struggled on, and Tom had put some good work in at practice,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “We thought that it was time to look at Tom at right tackle. He deserved an opportunity to play. We will see a little bit more of Tom.”
Gruden also said that Polumbus had a minor knee injury entering Sunday, something he and the rest of the staff wanted to monitor as the game went on. So the Redskins started the second half with Compton and kept him in the game for the second drive. Polumbus then returned for two drives before Compton replaced him on the final drive of the game.
For Compton, it was a welcome opportunity to prove himself, even in sporadic circumstances.
“I mean, being a swing tackle, you have to go in there at any play anyways,” Compton said. “I’m used to that, so it wasn’t a huge shock.”
Bowen returns after long layoff
Stephen Bowen made his season debut Sunday after missing the end of last season and the first six weeks of this season following microfracture surgery on his right knee.
Bowen only played a handful of snaps and said he was primarily utilized in short-yardage situations. But in his return from an injury that some players never return from, it was an important and welcomed step.
“Feels great, man. Especially coming back and getting a win, getting my feet wet,” Bowen said. “It’s kind of hard to get in a rhythm but as the games go, I’ll be playing more and more. I’m just happy just to play football again.”
Bowen began the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, returned to practice Wednesday and was added to the active roster on Saturday. He had not played in a game since Week 11 of the 2013 season.
Bowen said his knee responded well to the first action at game-speed since the surgery.
“It definitely was good,” he said. “You’re a little anxious at first, you don’t know. But once you get that hit, get hit in the mouth one time, the reality sets in and you’re just playing football.”
Breeland records first career interception
As the injuries in the secondary have piled up for the Redskins, Bashaud Breeland has seen his opportunities increase. And after a rough showing last week against Arizona, the rookie cornerback redeemed himself Sunday against the Titans, intercepting quarterback Charlie Whitehurst in the third quarter.
Breeland said the Redskins were in three-deep coverage, allowing him to man the space between two receivers. When Whitehurst overthrew his intended target, Breeland dived and collected the ball before it hit the ground.
“Kept my eyes on the quarterback, played between both of them and wherever he threw the ball, that’s where I was going,” Breeland said.
DeAngelo Hall’s season-ending Achilles injury forced the Redskins to rush Breeland into a starting role. Though there have been rough spots, especially last week against Larry FItzgerald, Breeland said Sunday’s game was a step in the right direction. And he’s only going to get better.
“I just want to be more patient,” he said. “That’s what was getting me in a lot of games, on the deep balls. Jamming too fast, or on the comebacks and stuff, I’m getting out too fast. I just wanted to slow the game down for myself, my technique, and just play ball.”
Rypien joins Redskins’ Ring of Fame
Mark Rypien stood on the edge of the field before Sunday’s game and looked up at the facade of the upper deck, where his name was covered with a gold sheet.
Rypien had known this moment was coming, but it didn’t feel real until he looked up at the spot between John Riggins and Charles Mann.
“Those are some pretty good guys to be next to,” Rypien said with a smile. “It is kind of surreal. I’ll probably pinch myself sometime middle of the week next week, but I think for today, I’m just going to enjoy it.”
Rypien was honored as the 46th member of Washington’s Ring of Fame during halftime of Sunday’s game against the Titans. He was introduced by team president Bruce Allen and handed a commemorative plaque as the sheet as his name was uncovered in the far corner of the stadium.
“I get to honor those that I played with,” Rypien said. “A piece of every one of those players is up there with me, along with the 56,000 fans at RFK Stadium that cheered us to a Super Bowl and greatness.”
Rypien was a two-time Pro Bolwer and won two Super Bowls in 1988 and 1992. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVI, the Redskins’ most recent championship, after replacing longtime quarterback Doug Williams, who is now a front office executive with the team.
“The accountability that we were under, knowing that in that era of football — it’s such a great era of football for the Redskins — that anything other than going deep into the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl was not acceptable,” Rypien said. “It was good. I think it made us better players.”
Rypien spent the afternoon with his family and several former teammates, who gathered at FedEx Field for the team’s annual homecoming game.
“I did finally have a chance to see what [center] Jeff Bostic looks like, what his face looks like,” Rypien joked. “I knew what his rear end looked like for quite a long time there.”
When asked about the current Redskins, Rypien said leadership played an important role in his team’s two Super Bowl runs. He also pointed to the rash of injuries this team has faced.
“One of the things you do when you win Super Bowls is you don’t have many injuries,” Rypien said. “You don’t have many missing components pulled out of the lineup and things like that. So I think there’s things they can do internally as players and as an organization, and I think it starts today.”
Extra points
Perry Riley missed his second consecutive game because of a sprained MCL in his left knee, leaving Will Compton to make his second career start. Wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, right tackle Morgan Moses and right guard Spencer Long were also inactive for the Redskins in addition to Robert Griffin III (dislocated left ankle) and cornerback Tracy Porter (strained right hamstring), who were ruled out earlier in the week. … The win was the Redskins’ first by scoring in the final two minutes of regulation since a 45-41 victory against the Chicago Bears Oct. 20, 2013. … Paul had a career-long 50-yard reception Sunday. … The Redskins have seven receptions of 50-plus yards this season, which exceeds their output from the 2013 season of three and matches their total from 2012. … Linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat made his NFL debut.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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