TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- So much for the notion you can't win in the playoffs with a rookie quarterback.

	Bucs tight end John Davis celebrates after hauling in the game-winning TD pass.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have insisted all along that Shaun King is not a typical first-year player, and with one of the NFL's best defenses behind him, there's no reason he can't lead them to the Super Bowl.

After beating the Washington Redskins 14-13 in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game, that's exactly what the 22-year-old native of neighboring St. Petersburg will a get a chance to do.

"I don't know about destiny. But I know this is a team of desire and heart," NFL Defensive Player of the Year Warren Sapp said. "With those two things working for us, you can't go wrong too many times."

The Bucs wiped out a 13-point second-half deficit with a pair of touchdowns set up by Washington turnovers, then held on to win when the Redskins botched a 52-yard field goal attempt with 1:08 remaining.

Mike Alstott scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter, and King threw a 1-yard TD pass to third-string tight end John Davis that put Tampa Bay (12-5) ahead with 7:29 left.

Brad Johnson moved the Redskins into field-goal range for Brett Conway on their last possession. But the snap was bounced back to holder Johnson, and the quarterback scrambled to throw an incompletion that ended Washington's hopes.

"The ball looked like it rolled. Brad never had a chance -- the timing was gone," Redskins coach Norv Turner said. "Brad did the right thing. One guy didn't get the job done, not the whole special teams unit."

ESPN.COM BREAKDOWN

Why the Bucs won: 1. Keeping in touch. Even when the offense was floundering and the running game was going nowhere, Tampa Bay still managed to stay within two touchdowns of Washington. Credit the Bucs defense for keeping things close for the first 2½ quarters. 2. Case for the defense: The Bucs held the NFL's No. 2 offense in check throughout the game. Tampa Bay allowed only 26 yards in the second half, and the 'Skins were only able to sustain one decent drive for a field goal. 3. Turnovers equal turnaround. Despite its dominating defense, Tampa Bay wouldn't have won without two big takeaways. John Lynch's interception and Warren Sapp's fumble recovery both set up touchdowns. Why the Redskins lost: 1. The short of it. Despite playing terrific defense, Washington gave the Bucs a short field on the game-winning TD drive. Brad Johnson's fumble on the Washington 32 made things too tough on a defense that allowed just 186 yards. 2. No big plays. Norv Turner's big-play offense was completely devoid of big plays. NFC rushing champ Stephen Davis was held to 37 yards on 17 carries, and Michael Westbrook had just one catch for four yards. 3. Kicking themselves. Although a 52-yard field goal would have been a long shot anyway, Dan Turk's bad snap cost the 'Skins a shot at a game-winning kick with 1:17 left. We'll never know if kicker Brett Conway might have been able to win it. Game ball goes to: The Tampa Bay defense. In addition to holding the potent Redskins to just 157 yards, the Bucs defense also set up both of their team's touchdowns. Linebacker Derrick Brooks led the way with 14 tackles, and Steve White had two of the Bucs' four sacks. Up next: The Bucs will travel to St. Louis for the NFC title game next Sunday at 4:15 p.m. ET.

The victory sent the Bucs, who have won nine of their last 10, into the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1979. They will travel to St. Louis next Sunday.

"I don't care if I have to go to Russia to win this thing," Sapp said. "I've got my bags packed. I'll go anywhere to play this game."

Washington (11-7) built a 13-0 lead on Brian Mitchell's playoff-record, 100-yard kickoff return and two field goals by Conway. The Redskins had held a 20-0 record when leading playoff games after three quarters, but then began making mistakes.

"The way the game began, it was tough to lose," Redskins receiver Michael Westbrook said. "We didn't finish them off when we had a chance."

Johnson was 20-for-30 for 149 yards and one interception. He was sacked four times -- twice by Steve White, who also forced a fumble that Sapp recovered at the Washington 32 to set up the winning score.

King completed 15 of 32 passes for 157 yards and one interception. He was sacked twice, and avoided a third when he hurried a throw as Washington's Ndukwe Kalu leveled him on the go-ahead TD pass to Davis.

"I saw an NFL quarterback," Redskins cornerback Darrell Green said of the first rookie quarterback to win since Pat Haden in 1976. "I didn't see a rookie."

Washington scored on its first four possessions en route to its 27-13 wild-card victory over Detroit. But it was a lot tougher to get the ball into the end zone on a Tampa Bay defense that held opponents to 17 points or less 12 times during the season.

The 13 points were a season low for the Redskins, who are 0-3 when held to 17 or fewer. The Bucs limited Stephen Davis, who had been doubtful after spraining his right knee against the Lions, to 37 yards on 17 rushes.

Johnson did move the ball well enough, though, to give Washington the field position it needed to set up Conway's 28-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter.

King became the first rookie quarterback to start a playoff game since Todd Marinovich fumbled twice and threw four interceptions in the Los Angeles Raiders' 10-6 AFC wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1991.

The Bucs were confident King, nicknamed "Smoothie" because of his calm demeanor, would not be affected by the pressure of being just the sixth rookie quarterback since 1970 to take the first snap in the postseason.

"We talked about it before the season. It's still not an ideal situation," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said. "Going into the season, I hoped he'd learn. ... He's sped up the learning curve a little bit."

But he looked tentative in the pocket and had trouble picking up open receivers after performing with remarkable poise in leading Tampa Bay to a 4-1 record after Trent Dilfer was lost for the season Nov. 28.

The Bucs were able to help King during the drive to the team's first NFC Central title in 18 years with a strong running game. However, the Redskins never let Alstott or Warrick Dunn get on track.

"This certainly wasn't artistic, and it wasn't pretty, but it was one of the best wins I've been involved with," said Dungy, who's in his fourth year with Tampa Bay after serving 15 seasons as a NFL assistant.

"I think the biggest thing you can say about our guys is they play with a lot of heart and they don't give up ... I think it was after the first game we won this year we talked about winning ugly, and we said we wouldn't mind ugly-winning them all the way to the Super Bowl."

Considering Washington held Alstott and Dunn to just 22 yards in the first half, the Bucs were fortunate to only trail 3-0 before Mitchell's kickoff return gave the Redskins a double-digit lead. It grew to 13 when Darrell Green's interception set up Conway's second field goal, from 48 yards midway through the third quarter.

The Bucs got back into the game by forcing two turnovers they converted into touchdowns. Lynch's interception led to Alstott's TD run late in the third quarter, and White's forced fumble set up the winning score. But the Bucs needed to have Dunn recover King's fumble and run for a first down during the decisive drive.

"That's when I figured we were going to win. When I fumbled, he picked it up and ran for a first down," King said. "Those are the type of things that have been happening each week."