TORONTO - Mike Shanahan had done just about everything there is to do in his pro coaching career - except being on the receiving end of a shutout. That changed against the Buffalo Bills.

John Beck was sacked nine times, and the Washington Redskins were held to 178 total yards in a 23-0 loss to the Bills in Toronto on Sunday.

Shanahan, the third-winningest active coach in the league, was blanked for the first time in his 24 seasons as an NFL coach or offensive coordinator, according to STATS LLC.

"It's a tough one to take," Shanahan said. "It's pretty humbling to take that."

The loss was the third straight for the sliding Redskins (3-4), who started the season with three wins in four games.

"I think everybody's frustrated that we've lost three consecutive games and haven't played good enough to win in any of the games," linebacker London Fletcher said.

The offensive ineptitude came against a Bills defense that was ranked 31st overall, and had registered four sacks all season.

"You never want to have a game where you don't score any points," Beck said. "We didn't get things going, and when we would start to get something going we couldn't continue it."

The Bills were led by another efficient performance from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who signed a six-year, $59 million contract on Friday. He shook off a pair of turnovers - and a big hit from Fletcher - to finish 21 of 27 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie first-round pick Marcell Dareus led Buffalo's defense with 2 sacks.

"The effort our defense had, all we needed was three points," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick hit tight end Scott Chandler for two touchdowns, helping the Bills (5-2) match their best start since 2008, and improve to 4-0 at "home." They also won a regular-season game at Toronto for the first time in four trips since the cross-border series was established in 2008.

Running back Fred Jackson continued to pile up yards, finishing with 120 yards rushing, and 74 receiving. With 1,074 yards from scrimmage, he became only the fourth Bills player to surpass 1,000 yards seven games into a season, and first since Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas in 1991.

The Redskins, meanwhile, continue to unravel as a result of a growing list of injuries.

Without running back Tim Hightower (knee), receiver Santana Moss (hand) and tight end Chris Cooley (knee), the Beck-led attack managed 61 yards of offense and three first downs on six first-half possessions.

It didn't get much better in the second half as they were shut out for the first time since a 17-0 home loss to Dallas on Dec. 27, 2009.

Their second drive of the half ended when Beck was sacked for a seventh time attempting to convert a fourth-and-4. The next time out, Beck was intercepted by George Wilson.

Beck went 20 of 33 for 208 yards, as Washington managed just 10 first downs. Ryan Torain had 14 yards on eight carries.

Associated Press