TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Conventional football wisdom says teams don't win in the postseason with rookie quarterbacks. So why do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem so confident with Shaun King?

King, nicknamed "Smoothie" by teammates, will become the first rookie at his position to start a playoff game since 1991 when the Bucs face the Washington Redskins in Saturday's NFC divisional game.

"I don't know that he plays like a rookie," Washington coach Norv Turner said. "He's very composed. He's throwing the ball with great accuracy. He's making good reads."

The last rookie quarterback to start in the playoffs was Todd Marinovich, who fumbled twice and threw four interceptions in the Los Angeles Raiders' 10-6 AFC wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs -- a game Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy remembers well.

Dungy was the Chiefs' secondary coach, though he said Marinovich's situation was so dissimilar to King's that it's difficult to compare. The Chiefs also beat the Raiders the week before in the regular-season finale, which was Marinovich's first start.

"We were playing at home," Dungy recalled. "He was playing on the road. We had the crowd noise. We had Derrick Thomas coming off the corner. Kansas City's a tough play for any quarterback, rookies especially."

The Bucs know the Redskins will try to rattle King. But playing at home, backed by one of the league's stingiest defenses, they like the rookie's chances.

King is 4-1 as a starter since taking over for the injured Trent Dilfer. And it's not as if he hasn't been under playoff-type pressure because Tampa Bay (11-5) needed every one of its victories down the stretch to hold off Minnesota for its first NFC Central title in 18 years.

The last rookie quarterback to make at least five starts for a team that made the playoffs was Kelly Stouffer in 1988. But he didn't take any postseason snaps.

If King can beat the Redskins (11-6), he'd become the first rookie quarterback to win in the playoffs since Pat Haden led the Los Angeles Rams to a 14-12 victory over Dallas in 1976.

Dungy isn't concerned about whether the second-round draft pick, who's thrown for 875 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, is in over his head.

"Shaun's won some games for us here," the coach said. "We feel like he gives us the best chance to win."

The Bucs have taken some pressure off King by placing a heavy premium on establishing the run with Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, while rarely asking their quarterback to throw downfield.

The defense, anchored by Defensive Player of the Year Warren Sapp and fellow Pro Bowl selections Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson and John Lynch, has held opponents to 17 points or less 12 times. The Bucs are 11-1 in those games.

"It's not going to be a 30-0 game. We don't do that," Sapp said. "We're going to make it a 60-minute war. It's going to come down to five or six plays."

The Redskins beat Detroit 27-13 in a wild-card game last week, limiting the Lions to 45 yards on the ground. They know the best way to force King from his comfort zone is to shut down Alstott and Dunn. Even then, there's no guarantees.

T he Redskins, who had the NFL's second-ranked offense this year, still don't know how much leading rusher Stephen Davis (1,405 yards, 17 TDs) will be able to play because of ankle and knee injuries.

The offensive line is banged up, too, with center Cory Raymer bothered by a pulled rib muscle and left tackle Andy Heck out after tearing his left hamstring against the Lions.

The Bucs said regardless of how much Davis plays, or who's blocking for him and protecting quarterback Brad Johnson, they must seize this rare opportunity.

Tampa Bay last made it to the NFC title game in 1979 and has been in the playoffs only four times since.

"They've let us stick our foot in the door," Sapp said. "We've got the door cracked. Now we're going to stick our bodies through because we feel we've got a ball club that can get it done."

WASHINGTON Season schedule and results

TAMPA BAY Season schedule and results

September 12 Dallas L 35-41 September 19 @NY Giants W 50-21 September 26 @NY Jets W 27-20 October 3 Carolina W 38-36 October 17 @Arizona W 24-10 October 24 @Dallas L 20-38 October 31 Chicago W 48-22 November 7 Buffalo L 17-34 November 14 @Philadelphia L 28-35 November 21 NY Giants W 23-13 November 28 Philadelphia W 20-17 December 5 @Detroit L 17-33 December 12 Arizona W 28-3 December 19 @Indianapolis L 21-24 December 26 @San Francisco W 26-20 January 2 Miami W 21-10 January 8 Detroit W 27-13 January 15 @Tampa Bay 4:15pm ET

September 12 NY Giants L 13-17 September 19 @Philadelphia W 19-5 September 26 Denver W 13-10 October 3 @Minnesota L 14-21 October 10 @Green Bay L 23-26 October 24 Chicago W 6-3 October 31 @Detroit L 3-20 November 7 @New Orleans W 31-16 November 14 Kansas City W 17-10 November 21 Atlanta W 19-10 November 28 @Seattle W 16-3 December 6 Minnesota W 24-17 December 12 Detroit W 23-16 December 19 @Oakland L 0-45 December 26 Green Bay W 29-10 January 2 @Chicago W 20-6 January 15 Washington 4:15pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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