2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
The 2002
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
season
was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach. They won the Super Bowl
for the first time in the team's history, beating the Oakland Raiders
48–21.
WR Keenan McCardell
, and RB Michael Pittman
from the Cardinals
. The Buccaneers needed to improve their sluggish offense, as the league's sweeping realignment sent them to the new NFC South
division, along with Atlanta
, Carolina
and New Orleans
.
The offense made slight improvements during the season, but the strength of the team was the defense. The 2002 Buccaneers became the first team to lead the league in total defense, points allowed, and interceptions since the 1985 Chicago Bears
. They also held opposing quarterbacks to an unbelievable 48.4 passer rating for the season http://www.buccaneers.com/team/staffdetail.aspx?coachid=48. Led by this dominating defense, the 2002 Buccaneers achieved their most successful season to date. They won the NFC South title with the team's best ever record, 12-4, and then defeated the 49ers
in what became coach Steve Mariucci
's last game with that franchise. In a surprising upset, the Tampa Bay won their first NFC championship on the road against the Eagles in the last NFL game ever played at Veterans Stadium
. Cornerback
Ronde Barber
capped off the win by intercepting a Donovan McNabb
pass and returning it 92 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
The Buccaneers went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Oakland Raiders, by a score of 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII
. Gruden's familiarity with the Raiders' players and playbook paid off, as John Lynch
and other Buccaneer players recognized some of Oakland's formations and plays at crucial points in the game http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2003/02/03/mmqb/. The Bucs became the first team to win the Super Bowl without any picks in the first two rounds of the previous spring's NFL Draft
, having traded these picks to the Oakland Raiders for the rights to acquire Gruden. At the time, Gruden became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
outside of Orlando
.
During the first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins
on Monday night August 12, which served as Jon Gruden
's first coached game (albeit preseason), Frank Murphy took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the Buccaneers' fifth kickoff return touchdown in the preseason, however, at the time, the team had still never returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the regular season (and would do so not until 2007
).
's era in Tampa Bay began at home against new division rival, the New Orleans Saints
. Though heralded for his offensive expertise, the Buccaneers offense sputtered and was anemic for the first three quarters. The Saints held a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter, while Tampa Bay's offense had only 161 yards through three periods, and quarterback Brad Johnson
was sacked three times, on a hot, humid 90° afternoon.
With just under three minutes remaining, Brad Johnson led the Buccaneers on touchdown drive to narrow the score to 20-17. In the final two minutes, the offense finally performed, as Johnson drove the Buccaneers to the Saints 34 yard line. Tampa Bay faced 4th down with 23 seconds to go and counting, and no timeouts remaining. Martín Gramática
hurried onto the field and kicked a game-tying field goal as time expired, and forced overtime.
Tied 20-20 in the overtime period, Tampa Bay received, and quickly drove to the Saints 39 yard line. With the choice of a field goal attempt of over 55 yards, Gruden elected to punt. The teams traded possession twice, and with just over 4 minutes remaining in the overtime, Tampa Bay was pinned back at their own 5 yard line. Tom Tupa
attempted to punt on 4th down from the endzone, but Fred McAfee
was unblocked. Tupa avoided the tackle, and attempted a desperation shovel pass to John Howell from his non-throwing arm. The ball was intercepted by James Allen
, standing in the confines of the endzone, and the Saints were credited with a game-winning touchdown.
. Karl Williams
returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown, and Martín Gramática
scored three field goals. Derrick Brooks
sealed the victory and secured the 25-0 shutout with a 97-yard interception return touchdown with 1:06 to go.
Prior to the start of Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers-at-Baltimore Ravens game, the home team remembered Johnny Unitas in a variety of touching ways. Once the game began, Bucs passer Brad Johnson fashioned his own fitting tribute to the legendary quarterback.
On one of his best days as a Buccaneer, Johnson completed over 75% of his passes as Tampa Bay picked up a 25-0 road win that was mostly devoid of tension. The Bucs shared in Baltimore’s emotion during the pregame, then drained all drama from the game itself by sprinting out to a 10-0 lead and rarely letting Baltimore onto its half of the field.
Johnson completed all five of his passes on the Bucs’ opening drive, leading to a 36-yard Martin Gramatica field goal, and WR Karl Williams followed five minutes later with a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown. Staked to a 10-0 lead, Tampa Bay’s defense needed no more, pitching just the second road shut out in franchise history (the first: a 35-0 victory at Cincinnati in 1998). The Bucs’ D, somewhat perturbed at its own performance in last Sunday’s opener, even tied a bow on the affair in the final minutes when LB Derrick Brooks intercepted QB Chris Redman’s pass at Tampa Bay’s three and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown.
, the Buccaneers hosted the Rams
, continuing a popular rivalry between the two clubs. The Tampa Bay defense intercepted Kurt Warner
four times, and held a 19-14 lead late in the fourth quarter.
With just over a minute to go, Warner drove the Rams to their 34 yard line, but Derrick Brooks
intercepted his pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown, his second such score in two weeks. Tampa Bay won 26-14, and improved to 2-1.
35-7. Brad Johnson
threw three touchdown passes (of 35 yards, 65 yards and 22 yards, respectively), while Shelton Quarles
returned an interception 25 yards for a score (Tampa Bay's third such score in three weeks).
If the first quarter was a minor struggle, the rest of the game was relatively easy for the Buccaneers, as signified by the first play of the second period. Brad Johnson, who had yet another strong day, pump-faked left from the Bengals’ 35-yard line, drawing coverage away from Rickey Dudley
down the middle of the field. Johnson then lofted a perfect pass to a wide-open Dudley for a 35-yard touchdown. It was Dudley’s second score in two games as a Buccaneer.
Six minutes and two possessions later, Johnson lofted a high floater on the left sideline to another wide-open man, Keenan McCardell
. McCardell had no tacklers within 20 yards of him as he trotted into the end zone for a 65-yard score.
. The Buccaneer defense dominated yet another game, holding the Falcons to only 3 first half points, despite giving up good field position (the Falcons had a 47-yard kickoff return, a fumble recovery and a recovered onside kick).
On the first drive of the third quarter, quarterback Michael Vick
was knocked out of the game after a sack by Simeon Rice
. Doug Johnson took over at quarterback for the Falcons, and did not fare well. Though the Falcons took a 6-3 lead midway through the third period, the lead was short-lived. Three plays later, Brad Johnson
connected on a 76-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson
, and a 10-6 lead. After a Martín Gramática
field goal stretched the lead to 13-6, Tampa Bay pinned the Falcons on their own 16 yard line with 6:24 to go in the game. Doug Johnson was being sacked but got the ball off, which was, in turn, intercepted by Warren Sapp
at the Atlanta 15 yard line. Sapp lateraled
to Derrick Brooks
who then ran for a touchdown. It was Tampa Bay's fourth consecutive game with a defensive score, and Brook's third of the season.
Tampa Bay won by a final score of 20-6, and improved to 4-1.
, and notched their first ever win against the Browns franchise by a score of 17-3. Fullback Mike Alstott
was the most notable of the day, rushing 17 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Alstott rumbled 19 yards, shaking at least seven tackles, for one of the more memorable plays of his career.
Despite the convincing win, the Buccaneer kicking game suffered several woes. One field goal attempt was blocked, one sailed wide left, and another was foiled by a botched snap.
recovered and returned a Donovan McNabb
fumble for a touchdown (his fourth defensive score of the season), but Tampa Bay could not prevail over the Eagles
at Veterans Stadium
, falling 20-10. It marked the third straight loss at Veterans Stadium for the Buccaneers, and the fourth straight loss overall to the Eagles.
Early in the game, quarterback Brad Johnson
suffered a rib injury, but managed to stay in the game. With 14 minutes to go, physically beaten and exhausted, Johnson lofted a pass intended for Keyshawn Johnson
, and it was intercepted. He lacked strength due to the bruised rib. Brad Johnson was benched and would not return to the game. The turnover sealed the victory for the Eagles.
, and managed to guide the Buccaneers to a tough 12-9 win over the Carolina Panthers
. Martín Gramática
hit four field goals (32, 52, 53, and 47 yards respectively) for Tampa Bay's only points.
In the final minute, tied 9-9, Rob Johnson drove the Buccaneers into Carolina territory. With 21 seconds to go, Johnson scrambled for a 9-yard run, and was pushed out of bounds at the Carolina 35. But he was injured on the play. Third-string quarterback Shaun King
scurried off the bench cold
, and delivered a clutch 7-yard pass to Karl Williams
. With 5 seconds to go, Gramatica kicked the game-winning field goal.
returned to the lineup, throwing five touchdown passes (including three to Keyshawn Johnson
), and a total of 313 yards, as the Buccaneers rolled 38-24 over the visiting Vikings
.
Under Brad Johnson’s jersey on Sunday was a flak jacket, designed to protect the two fractured ribs on his left side.
With the win, the Buccaneers moved to 7-2, tying the 1979 team for the best start in franchise history. With Green Bay (6-1) playing on Monday night and New Orleans (6-2) having the week off, Tampa Bay is the first NFC team to reach seven wins. They hold a half-game edge over the Saints in the NFC South race.
threw two touchdown passes, and Martín Gramática
scored four field goals, in a 23-10 win over the Panthers
. The Buccaneers swept the season series with Carolina, and posted a franchise-best 8-2 start.
The Bucs reached that franchise high-water mark on Sunday with a 23-10 victory over Carolina, in the process moving into a tie with former division rival Green Bay for the best record in the NFL. Tampa Bay and Green Bay square off for sole possession of the league’s best mark next Sunday in Raymond James Stadium.
After the Bucs defeated Carolina, 12-9, in an ‘ugly’ game three weeks ago in Charlotte, the rematch was billed as another defensive struggle, though with a twist. While this was indeed a matchup of the league’s first and third-ranked defenses, it also marked the returns of starting quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Rodney Peete, each of whom missed the last game between the two. Statistically, Johnson and the Bucs’ defense came out on top, though Bucs Head Coach Jon Gruden complimented the Panthers’ work, as well.
came to Raymond James Stadium
, with the best record in the NFC
on the line. In the first quarter, Brett Favre
connected on a touchdown pass to Donald Driver
to take the lead 7-0. Tampa Bay scored a field goal at the end of the first half, and the score was 7-3 at halftime. The Buccaneers scored another field goal in the third quarter, narrowing the deficit to 7-6.
On the first play of the next drive, Favre was intercepted by Brian Kelly, who returned the ball to the Packers 18 yard line. During the return, Chad Clifton
was jogging down field, away from the main action, and was blindsided by Warren Sapp
. Clifton laid motionless on the field for several minutes, and was carted off the field with a season-ending pelvic injury. The turnover led to a Brad Johnson
touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius
, followed by a two-point conversion catch by Keyshawn Johnson
, and a 14-7 lead.
Ronde Barber
, Dexter Jackson, and Kelly intercepted three more Favre passes, and Tampa Bay won convincingly 21-7. At 9-2, the Buccaneers stood with the best record in the NFC conference. After the game, Sapp and Packers coach Mike Sherman
were involved in a confrontation on the field, exchanging heated words. The Sapp hit was regarded by some as a cheap shot, but Clifton would recover fully from the injury, and Sapp defended his actions, and was not penalized by the league.
scored a 44-yard touchdown catch, and Keenan McCardell
caught another late in the game, but the Buccaneers fell to the Saints, 23-20 on Sunday Night Football
. Brad Johnson
was intercepted once, lost a fumble, and Aaron Stecker
lost another fumble, as the Saints swept Tampa Bay for the season.
The Bucs, leading the NFL in turnover differential entering the weekend, had a difficult time holding onto the ball, fumbling four times and losing two of those loose balls. QB Brad Johnson was also intercepted for the first time in four games, and those three giveaways, plus a pair of long returns by Michael Lewis in the third quarter turned a 9-6 halftime lead deficit into a 20-9 lead for the Saints, which they never relinquished.
Brooks got off to a slow start, completing just one pass for two yards in the first quarter, but he heated up in the second and third periods, engineering one first-half touchdown drive and throwing two scoring passes in the third quarter. By the end of the game, he had a strange mix of numbers, completing just nine of 25 passes for 155 yards but throwing two touchdowns and no picks. Added to his two-touchdown day in a season-opening, 26-20, overtime Saints win in Tampa, Brooks has four TD passes against Tampa Bay this season; the rest of the league has three in 10 games.
quarterback Michael Vick
entered the game with considerable pregame hype and an 8-game unbeaten streak. Vick, however, was sacked twice by Tampa Bay, and held to only 125 yards passing and a measley 15 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Brad Johnson
connected on four touchdowns (two apiece to Jurevicius
and McCardell
) as the Buccaneers won 34-10.
n two games against Tampa Bay, Vick has completed just 16 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception. On October six, Vick completed just four of 12 passes for 37 yards before sustaining an injured shoulder on a third-down Simeon Rice sack. He was hit hard several times on this Sunday as well, as the Bucs’ pass rush was relentless, but never left the game.
Plus, any though that the second-year scrambler would run wild on the Bucs’ defense effectively ended on the third play of the game when LB Derrick Brooks hit him square in the chest after a one-yard scramble. After rushing just one time for one yard in the first Bucs-Falcons contest, Vick ran five times
With the victory, Tampa Bay maintained its grip on first place in the NFC South with three weeks remaining. By game’s end, the Bucs had a 1.5-game lead on both Atlanta and New Orleans, though the Saints’ late-afternoon game would either expand Tampa Bay’s edge to two games or shrink it to one. The Bucs also became the first NFL team to 10 wins, at 10-3, as the 9-3 Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were also scheduled for later games.
and Michael Pittman
each scored a rushing touchdown, but the visiting Buccaneers found themselves still tied 20-20 late in the fourth quarter with the 3-10 Lions
. With 3:04 to go, Martín Gramática
broke the tie with a 38-yard field goal, and Tampa Bay held on for a 23-20 victory.
Injuries plagued the Buccaneers that week, as John Lynch
sat out the game with a neck strain. Keyshawn Johnson
left the game with a groin injury, and Anthony McFarland
broke his right foot, and would miss the remainder of the season. Most notably, however, was quarterback Brad Johnson
, who suffered a back injury during the game. He did not leave the game, but afterwards, the severity of the injury was more significant than originally known. He would be sidelined during practice the following week.
sidelined, backup quarterback Shaun King
started against the Steelers
on Monday night
. Tampa Bay was rocked 17-7 by the visiting Steelers, the second consecutive season being beaten soundly at home by Pittsburgh.
The night started out on a rough note even before kickoff, as during pre-game warm-ups Warren Sapp
skipped through the Steelers. Jerome Bettis
shoved Sapp, and this was followed by a heated argument between the two teams. The Buccaneers had also been ridiculed by Steelers' Lee Flowers
as being "paper champions."
On the first play of the game, Tommy Maddox
's pass to Plaxico Burress
gained 41 yards to the Tampa Bay 40 yard line. The Steelers drove 81 yards in only six plays, as Maddox connected with Antwaan Randle El
for an 11-yard touchdown. On the second play of Tampa Bay's first drive, King was intercepted by Chad Scott
, who returned the ball 30 yards for a touchdown, and a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Trailing 17-0, Tampa Bay kicker Martín Gramática
made a 50-yard field goal, but it was negated by a Pittsburgh penalty, and instead Tampa Bay was awarded a first down at the Pittsburgh 28 yard line. Four plays later, however, Mike Alstott
lost a fumble at the 7 yard line, and the Steelers took a 17-0 lead into halftime.
Shaun King was finally benched having thrown a pitiful 9-for-26, an interception, and only 73 yards passing. Rob Johnson took over in the second half, and salvaged the remainder of the game. With 1:23 to go, Keyshawn Johnson
caught a touchdown pass, and avoided the shutout.
in Champaign, Illinois
, to meet the Chicago Bears
. A win would secure the #2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Brad Johnson sat out for the second game in a row, and Rob Johnson started the game for Tampa Bay.
The temperature at kickoff was 38°, and Tampa Bay looked to snap a 0-21 record in games under 40°. Rob Johnson passed for 134 yards and no interceptions, and Michael Pittman
rushed for 90 yards, but the Buccaneers offense could not score a touchdown. Martín Gramática
kicked a franchise-best 5-out-of-5 field goals, and his 15 points were the only scores of the game. Bears quarterback Henry Burris
was intercepted four times by Tampa Bay (twice by Brian Kelly, and once each by Brooks
and Smith).
With the win, Tampa Bay secured a bye for the wild card round and recorded the club's first win with the temperature under 40°. The Buccaneers finished with a franchise-best 12-4 regular season record along with a club-best 6-2 road record.
, Tampa, Florida
The Buccaneers, with the league's top ranked defense during the 2002 regular season, forced five turnovers, sacked quarterback Jeff Garcia four times, and limited the 49ers to only two field goals. Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson
, who had been sidelined for a month, returned to throw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Fullback Mike Alstott
scored two touchdowns, while the Buccaneers held onto the ball for 36:46 and held the 49ers to a season low 228 yards. This was San Francisco's first playoff game without a touchdown since 1986.
, Philadelphia
Tampa Bay won on the road for the first time in playoff history, and in temperatures below 32°F (0°C), in the last football game played at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles were heavy favorites at home going into the game. The Eagles had beaten the Buccaneers four consecutive times, in the wild card round the two previous seasons, and also during regular-season games in 2001 and 2002. During the two playoff losses, both at Veterans Stadium, Tampa Bay had failed to score a single touchdown.
Eagles running back Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards, setting up a 20-yard touchdown run by Duce Staley
less than a minute into the game. Tampa Bay responded with Martín Gramática
's 48-yard field goal on their ensuing drive. At the end of Philadelphia's next possession, Lee Johnson's punt pinned the Buccaneers back at their own 4-yard line. But Tampa Bay stormed 96 yards and scored with Mike Alstott
's 1-yard touchdown run to take the lead. The key play on the drive was a 71-yard completion from Brad Johnson
to Joe Jurevicius
on third down and two from their own 24-yard line.
David Akers
tied the score, 10-10, with a 30-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but the Bucs responded with an 80-yard, 12-play drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brad Johnson to Keyshawn Johnson
. With time running out in the half, Donovan McNabb
led the Eagles to the Tampa Bay 24-yard line, only to lose a fumble while being sacked by his high school teammate Simeon Rice
, who stripped the ball away and recovered it himself.
On the Eagles' first drive of the third quarter, McNabb lost another fumble due to a tackle from defensive back Ronde Barber
, and Bucs lineman Ellis Wyms
recovered it. Later on, with 1:02 left in the third period, Gramatica's 27-yard field goal increased the Tampa Bay lead to 20-10. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles managed to drive 73 yards to Tampa Bay's 10-yard line, but Barber intercepted McNabb's pass with 3:12 left in the game and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, clinching a trip to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
This was the last Eagles game ever played at Veterans Stadium which was demolished shortly thereafter.
, San Diego
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl
, routing the Oakland Raiders
48-21. The Buccaneers defense intercepted Rich Gannon
a Super Bowl record five times, and returned three of the interceptions for touchdowns. Safety Dexter Jackson was named the game's MVP.
As many sports fans and writers predicted, Gruden's prior knowledge of the Raiders was a major factor in the Buccaneers' win in Super Bowl XXXVII. The most damaging piece of evidence is NFL Films
footage of Tampa Bay defensive back John Lynch
telling his teammates during the game that almost all of the plays ran by Oakland's offense were plays that Gruden (who that week even played the part of "Rich Gannon" by playing QB with the scout-team offense) specifically told them to look out for. Better still for the Buccaneers was that Oakland hadn't changed their audible-calling signals that Gruden himself had installed, thus tipping off plays repeatedly. As a result, Tampa Bay dominated Oakland, outgaining them in total yards (365 to 269), rushing yards (150 to 19), first downs (24 to 11), offensive plays (76 to 60), and forced turnovers (5 to 1).
The Raiders had a great chance to score a touchdown early in the game after cornerback Charles Woodson
intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson
's pass on the third play of the game and returned it 12 yards to the Tampa Bay 36-yard line. But 6 plays later, Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice
sacked Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon
on third down, forcing Oakland to settle for kicker Sebastian Janikowski
's 40-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead.
Buccaneers kick returner Aaron Stecker
returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the 29-yard line, then appeared to fumble the ball. Although the officials initially ruled that the ball was recovered by Oakland's Eric Johnson, the play was reviewed by instant replay
and the fumble was overturned, and thus Tampa Bay retained possession.
On the first play of the drive, Brad Johnson completed an 11-yard pass to receiver Joe Jurevicius
. Johnson's next 2 passes were incomplete, but he then completed a 23-yard pass to Jurevicius on third down to advance the ball to the Oakland 37-yard line. Running back Michael Pittman
then rushed for a 23-yard gain to the 13-yard line. However on the next 3 plays, the Raiders defense limited the Buccaneers to a pair of incompletions and a 1-yard run. Kicker Martin Gramatica
then made a 31-yard field goal to tie the game, 3–3.
Later in the period, a 17-yard punt return by Raiders defensive back Darrien Gordon
gave Oakland the ball at their own 49-yard line. Gannon then threw an 8-yard pass to running back Charlie Garner
to reach the Tampa Bay 43-yard line. But on third down, Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson intercepted Gannon's pass at the 40-yard line and returned it 9-yards to near midfield. Then nine plays after the turnover, Gramatica kicked his second field goal from 43 yards to give Tampa Bay a 6–3 lead.
Jackson intercepted another pass on the Raiders' next drive and returned it 25 yards to Oakland's 45-yard line, making Jackson the first player ever to record 2 interceptions in the first half of the Super Bowl. However, the Buccaneers were unable to take advantage of the turnover and were forced to punt. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, they got a big assist from their punter Tom Tupa
, who managed to pin Oakland all the way back at their own 11-yard line with his punt. The Raiders could not move the ball either, losing 1 yard on 3 plays with their ensuing drive. Tampa Bay punt returner Karl Williams
then returned Shane Lechler
's punt 25 yards, giving the Buccaneers great field position at Oakland's 27-yard line. Aided with Pittman's gains of 6 and 19 yards, the Buccaneers scored their first touchdown on a 2-yard run from fullback Mike Alstott
, increasing their lead 13–3. Then with 3:45 left in the half, Tampa Bay drove 77 yards, assisted by a pair of catches by Alstott for 28 total yards. Johnson finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell
to give the Buccaneers a 20–3 halftime lead.
Tampa Bay continued to dominate the game for most of the third quarter. The Buccaneers forced the Raiders to punt on the opening drive of the second half. Next, Tampa Bay marched 89 yards on a 14-plays drive that took 7:52 off the clock, and ended with Johnson's 8-yard touchdown pass to McCardell to increase their lead to 27-3. Then on the second play of Oakland's ensuing drive, Buccaneers defensive back Dwight Smith intercepted Gannon's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, making the score 34-3.
After giving up 34 unanswered points, Oakland finally managed to drive 82 yards down the field and score on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Gannon to receiver Jerry Porter
. Although he was initially ruled as being out of bounds when he caught the ball, it was determined that Porter had one foot in the end zone and used it to drag the other foot out. The two-point conversion
failed, so the Raiders were still down 34-9.
The Raiders' touchdown seemed to fire up their defense, who forced the Buccaneers to a fourth down on their ensuing possession. Oakland lineman Tim Johnson then blocked Tupa's punt, and Raiders defender Eric Johnson returned the ball 13 yards for a touchdown. Another two-point conversion for Oakland failed, but Tampa Bay's lead was cut to 34-15.
Tampa Bay responded by moving the ball to the Oakland 9-yard line on their ensuing drive, featuring a 24-yard run by Pittman, but they came up empty after Tupa fumbled the snap on a field goal attempt. A few plays later, Gannon threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerry Rice
with 6:06 left in the game, cutting the Raiders deficit to 34–21. Rice became the first player to catch a touchdown pass in 4 different Super Bowls, and third overall to have TDs in 4 Super Bowls (Thurman Thomas and John Elway
). The two-point conversion failed when Jerry Porter caught the ball and was forced out of bounds; while the official did not judge it to be a force-out, (judgement call) hence, that part of the play was non reviewable.
In an attempt to prevent a Raiders comeback, the Buccaneers managed to run the clock down to 2:44 on their ensuing drive before being forced to punt. Then on third and 18 from the Oakland 29-yard line, Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks
intercepted a pass from Gannon and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a 41–21 lead with only 1:18 left putting the game out of reach. And a few plays later as the Raiders were now playing for pride, Smith intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown (the 200th TD in Super Bowl history).
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach. They won the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
for the first time in the team's history, beating the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
48–21.
Summary
Upon his arrival in Tampa, Gruden immediately went to work, acquiring former JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
WR Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
, and RB Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
from the Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Buccaneers needed to improve their sluggish offense, as the league's sweeping realignment sent them to the new NFC South
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
division, along with Atlanta
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Carolina
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and New Orleans
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
The offense made slight improvements during the season, but the strength of the team was the defense. The 2002 Buccaneers became the first team to lead the league in total defense, points allowed, and interceptions since the 1985 Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
. They also held opposing quarterbacks to an unbelievable 48.4 passer rating for the season http://www.buccaneers.com/team/staffdetail.aspx?coachid=48. Led by this dominating defense, the 2002 Buccaneers achieved their most successful season to date. They won the NFC South title with the team's best ever record, 12-4, and then defeated the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in what became coach Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
's last game with that franchise. In a surprising upset, the Tampa Bay won their first NFC championship on the road against the Eagles in the last NFL game ever played at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. Cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
capped off the win by intercepting a Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
pass and returning it 92 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
The Buccaneers went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Oakland Raiders, by a score of 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
. Gruden's familiarity with the Raiders' players and playbook paid off, as John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
and other Buccaneer players recognized some of Oakland's formations and plays at crucial points in the game http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2003/02/03/mmqb/. The Bucs became the first team to win the Super Bowl without any picks in the first two rounds of the previous spring's NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, having traded these picks to the Oakland Raiders for the rights to acquire Gruden. At the time, Gruden became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
2002 NFL Draft
| Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | |||||
| 1 | Traded to Oakland | |||||
| 2 | Traded to Oakland | |||||
| 3 | 86 | Marquise Walker Marquise Walker Marquise Walker is a former professional American football wide receiver and punt returner who signed to play in the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan where he set many of the school's receiving records and became an 2001 College Football... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
6'2" | 210 | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... |
| 4 | 119 | Travis Stephens Travis Stephens Travis Tremaine Stephens is a former running back in the NFL. He played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee where he is the single season record holder for rushing yards... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
6'1" | 180 | Tennessee University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States... |
| 5 | 157 | Jermaine Phillips Jermaine Phillips Jermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
S | 6'2" | 230 | Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... |
| 6 | 193 | John Stamper John Stamper John Stamper was a British aeronautical engineer who was chief designer of the Blackburn Buccaneer strike aircraft.... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
6'3" | 250 | South Carolina University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House... |
| 7 | 233 | Tim Wansley Tim Wansley Tim Wansley is a former cornerback in the NFL. He was chosen in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of Georgia by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.... |
CB Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
6'5" | 260 | Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... |
| 250 | Tracey Wistrom | TE Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
6'7" | 280 | Nebraska | |
| 254 | Aaron Lockett | WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
5'10" | 189 | Kansas State Kansas State University Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States... |
|
| 255 | Zack Quaccia | C Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
6'6" | 290 | Stanford | |
- Tampa Bay signed rookie free agent Ryan NeceRyan NeceRyan Clint Nece is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
a line backer from UCLA after the draft.
Preseason
During the offseason, the Buccaneers signed a new deal with Walt Disney World, and moved their Training Camp from the University of TampaUniversity of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a athletic complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort. The complex includes 9 venues and hosts numerous amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year....
outside of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
During the first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Monday night August 12, which served as Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
's first coached game (albeit preseason), Frank Murphy took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the Buccaneers' fifth kickoff return touchdown in the preseason, however, at the time, the team had still never returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the regular season (and would do so not until 2007
2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League. On December 16, 2007, they cliched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006....
).
Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game Site | TV | NFL Recap |
Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||||
| 1 | Mon. August 12 | 8 pm EDT | Miami Dolphins 2002 Miami Dolphins season The 2002 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 37th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 11–5, instead winning only nine games. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
W 14–10 | 1–0 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
WFLA WFLA-TV WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be... |
http://www.buccaneers.com/team/gamereport.aspx?gamedate=8/12/2002 | |
| 2 | Fri. August 16 | 7:30 pm EDT | at Jacksonville Jaguars 2002 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2002 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's 8th year in the National Football League. The team finished with a record of 6–10 and finished 3rd place in the AFC South... |
W 20–0 | 2–0 | Alltel Stadium | WFLA WFLA-TV WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be... |
http://www.buccaneers.com/team/gamereport.aspx?gamedate=8/16/2002 | |
| 3 | Sat. August 24 | 8 pm EDT | Washington Redskins 2002 Washington Redskins season The 2002 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 2001.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
L 10–40 | 2–1 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
http://www.buccaneers.com/team/gamereport.aspx?gamedate=8/24/2002 | |
| 4 | Fri. August 30 | 7 pm EDT | at Houston Texans 2002 Houston Texans season The 2002 Houston Texans season was the franchise's first-ever season and the city of Houston's first NFL season since the Houston Oilers left in 1997 to move to Tennessee to become the Titans.... |
W 17–13 | 3–1 | Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface.... |
WFLA WFLA-TV WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be... |
http://www.buccaneers.com/team/gamereport.aspx?gamedate=8/30/2002 | |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Stadium | TV Time | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | September 8, 2002 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 26-20 OT | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 4:15pm | 65,554 | |
| 2 | September 15, 2002 | at Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
W 25-0 | 1–1 | PSINet Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
FOX 1:00pm | 69,304 | |
| 3 | September 23, 2002 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 26–14 | 2–1 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
ABC 9:00pm | 65,652 | |
| 4 | September 29, 2002 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 35-7 | 3–1 | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
FOX 1:00pm | 57,234 | |
| 5 | October 6, 2002 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20-6 | 4-1 | Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
FOX 1:00pm | 68,936 | |
| 6 | October 13, 2002 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17-3 | 5–1 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
CBS 1:00pm | 65,625 | |
| 7 | October 20, 2002 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-10 | 5-2 | Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
FOX 4:15pm | 65,523 | |
| 8 | October 27, 2002 | at Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
W 12-9 | 6–2 | Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East... |
FOX 1:00pm | 72,892 | |
| 9 | November 3, 2002 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W 38-24 | 7-2 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 1:00pm | 65,667 | |
| 10 | Bye | |||||||
| 11 | November 17, 2002 | Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
W 23-10 | 8-2 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 4:15pm | 65,527 | |
| 12 | November 24, 2002 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 21-7 | 9-2 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 4:15pm | 65,672 | |
| 13 | December 1, 2002 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 23-20 | 9-3 | Louisiana Superdome | ESPN 8:30pm | 68,226 | |
| 14 | December 8, 2002 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34-10 | 10-3 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 1:00pm | 65,648 | |
| 15 | December 15, 2002 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 23-20 | 11-3 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
FOX 1:00pm | 61,942 | |
| 16 | December 23, 2002 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 17-7 | 11-4 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
ABC 9:00pm | 65,684 | |
| 17 | December 29, 2002 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 15-0 | 12-4 | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium (Champaign) thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as... |
ESPN 8:30pm | 55,832 | |
| Postseason | ||||||||
| Wild Card | Bye | |||||||
| Divisional | January 12, 2003 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 31-6 | 13-4 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX 1:00pm | 65,599 | |
| Conference | January 19, 2003 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 27-10 | 14-4 | Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
FOX 3:00pm | 66,713 | |
| Super Bowl Super Bowl XXXVII Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season... |
January 26, 2003 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 48-21 | 15-4 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
ABC 6:30pm | 67,603 | |
Week 1 New Orleans Saints
Jon GrudenJon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
's era in Tampa Bay began at home against new division rival, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Though heralded for his offensive expertise, the Buccaneers offense sputtered and was anemic for the first three quarters. The Saints held a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter, while Tampa Bay's offense had only 161 yards through three periods, and quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
was sacked three times, on a hot, humid 90° afternoon.
With just under three minutes remaining, Brad Johnson led the Buccaneers on touchdown drive to narrow the score to 20-17. In the final two minutes, the offense finally performed, as Johnson drove the Buccaneers to the Saints 34 yard line. Tampa Bay faced 4th down with 23 seconds to go and counting, and no timeouts remaining. Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
hurried onto the field and kicked a game-tying field goal as time expired, and forced overtime.
Tied 20-20 in the overtime period, Tampa Bay received, and quickly drove to the Saints 39 yard line. With the choice of a field goal attempt of over 55 yards, Gruden elected to punt. The teams traded possession twice, and with just over 4 minutes remaining in the overtime, Tampa Bay was pinned back at their own 5 yard line. Tom Tupa
Tom Tupa
Thomas Joseph Tupa, Jr. is a former American football punter and quarterback in the National Football League.-Personal life and high school career:...
attempted to punt on 4th down from the endzone, but Fred McAfee
Fred McAfee
Fred Lee McAfee is a former American football running back in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early years:...
was unblocked. Tupa avoided the tackle, and attempted a desperation shovel pass to John Howell from his non-throwing arm. The ball was intercepted by James Allen
James Allen (American football)
James Deshaune Allen is an American football linebacker in the National Football League who is currently a free agent and played most recently for the New Orleans Saints.-Early life:Allen was born and raised in Portland, Oregon...
, standing in the confines of the endzone, and the Saints were credited with a game-winning touchdown.
Week 2 at Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay rebounded in week 2 against the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Karl Williams
Karl Williams
Karl "The Truth" Williams is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for nine seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He currently plays in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm. His nickname was The Truth.His cousin, Mondray Gee, is...
returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown, and Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
scored three field goals. Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
sealed the victory and secured the 25-0 shutout with a 97-yard interception return touchdown with 1:06 to go.
Prior to the start of Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers-at-Baltimore Ravens game, the home team remembered Johnny Unitas in a variety of touching ways. Once the game began, Bucs passer Brad Johnson fashioned his own fitting tribute to the legendary quarterback.
On one of his best days as a Buccaneer, Johnson completed over 75% of his passes as Tampa Bay picked up a 25-0 road win that was mostly devoid of tension. The Bucs shared in Baltimore’s emotion during the pregame, then drained all drama from the game itself by sprinting out to a 10-0 lead and rarely letting Baltimore onto its half of the field.
Johnson completed all five of his passes on the Bucs’ opening drive, leading to a 36-yard Martin Gramatica field goal, and WR Karl Williams followed five minutes later with a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown. Staked to a 10-0 lead, Tampa Bay’s defense needed no more, pitching just the second road shut out in franchise history (the first: a 35-0 victory at Cincinnati in 1998). The Bucs’ D, somewhat perturbed at its own performance in last Sunday’s opener, even tied a bow on the affair in the final minutes when LB Derrick Brooks intercepted QB Chris Redman’s pass at Tampa Bay’s three and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown.
Week 3 St. Louis Rams
On Monday nightMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, the Buccaneers hosted the Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, continuing a popular rivalry between the two clubs. The Tampa Bay defense intercepted Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
four times, and held a 19-14 lead late in the fourth quarter.
With just over a minute to go, Warner drove the Rams to their 34 yard line, but Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
intercepted his pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown, his second such score in two weeks. Tampa Bay won 26-14, and improved to 2-1.
Week 4 at Cincinnati Bengals
Tampa Bay crushed the BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
35-7. Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
threw three touchdown passes (of 35 yards, 65 yards and 22 yards, respectively), while Shelton Quarles
Shelton Quarles
Shelton Eugene Quarles is a former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he played for in his ten-year career from 1997 to 2006. He now serves as a scout for the Buccaneers.-High school years:...
returned an interception 25 yards for a score (Tampa Bay's third such score in three weeks).
If the first quarter was a minor struggle, the rest of the game was relatively easy for the Buccaneers, as signified by the first play of the second period. Brad Johnson, who had yet another strong day, pump-faked left from the Bengals’ 35-yard line, drawing coverage away from Rickey Dudley
Rickey Dudley
Rickey Deshun Dudley , is a former professional American football player. A 6'6", 252-lb. tight end from Ohio State University, Dudley was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 1st round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
down the middle of the field. Johnson then lofted a perfect pass to a wide-open Dudley for a 35-yard touchdown. It was Dudley’s second score in two games as a Buccaneer.
Six minutes and two possessions later, Johnson lofted a high floater on the left sideline to another wide-open man, Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
. McCardell had no tacklers within 20 yards of him as he trotted into the end zone for a 65-yard score.
Week 5 at Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay visited another new division rival, the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Buccaneer defense dominated yet another game, holding the Falcons to only 3 first half points, despite giving up good field position (the Falcons had a 47-yard kickoff return, a fumble recovery and a recovered onside kick).
On the first drive of the third quarter, quarterback Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
was knocked out of the game after a sack by Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice
Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
. Doug Johnson took over at quarterback for the Falcons, and did not fare well. Though the Falcons took a 6-3 lead midway through the third period, the lead was short-lived. Three plays later, Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
connected on a 76-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
, and a 10-6 lead. After a Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
field goal stretched the lead to 13-6, Tampa Bay pinned the Falcons on their own 16 yard line with 6:24 to go in the game. Doug Johnson was being sacked but got the ball off, which was, in turn, intercepted by Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
at the Atlanta 15 yard line. Sapp lateraled
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
to Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
who then ran for a touchdown. It was Tampa Bay's fourth consecutive game with a defensive score, and Brook's third of the season.
Tampa Bay won by a final score of 20-6, and improved to 4-1.
Week 6 Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay hosted ClevelandCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and notched their first ever win against the Browns franchise by a score of 17-3. Fullback Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
was the most notable of the day, rushing 17 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Alstott rumbled 19 yards, shaking at least seven tackles, for one of the more memorable plays of his career.
Despite the convincing win, the Buccaneer kicking game suffered several woes. One field goal attempt was blocked, one sailed wide left, and another was foiled by a botched snap.
Week 7 at Philadelphia Eagles
Derrick BrooksDerrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
recovered and returned a Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
fumble for a touchdown (his fourth defensive score of the season), but Tampa Bay could not prevail over the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, falling 20-10. It marked the third straight loss at Veterans Stadium for the Buccaneers, and the fourth straight loss overall to the Eagles.
Early in the game, quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
suffered a rib injury, but managed to stay in the game. With 14 minutes to go, physically beaten and exhausted, Johnson lofted a pass intended for Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
, and it was intercepted. He lacked strength due to the bruised rib. Brad Johnson was benched and would not return to the game. The turnover sealed the victory for the Eagles.
Week 8 at Carolina Panthers
Rob Johnson started for the injured Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, and managed to guide the Buccaneers to a tough 12-9 win over the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
hit four field goals (32, 52, 53, and 47 yards respectively) for Tampa Bay's only points.
In the final minute, tied 9-9, Rob Johnson drove the Buccaneers into Carolina territory. With 21 seconds to go, Johnson scrambled for a 9-yard run, and was pushed out of bounds at the Carolina 35. But he was injured on the play. Third-string quarterback Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
scurried off the bench cold
Warming up
A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity , a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport...
, and delivered a clutch 7-yard pass to Karl Williams
Karl Williams
Karl "The Truth" Williams is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for nine seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He currently plays in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm. His nickname was The Truth.His cousin, Mondray Gee, is...
. With 5 seconds to go, Gramatica kicked the game-winning field goal.
Week 9 Minnesota Vikings
Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
returned to the lineup, throwing five touchdown passes (including three to Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
), and a total of 313 yards, as the Buccaneers rolled 38-24 over the visiting Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Under Brad Johnson’s jersey on Sunday was a flak jacket, designed to protect the two fractured ribs on his left side.
With the win, the Buccaneers moved to 7-2, tying the 1979 team for the best start in franchise history. With Green Bay (6-1) playing on Monday night and New Orleans (6-2) having the week off, Tampa Bay is the first NFC team to reach seven wins. They hold a half-game edge over the Saints in the NFC South race.
Week 11 Carolina Panthers
Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
threw two touchdown passes, and Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
scored four field goals, in a 23-10 win over the Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. The Buccaneers swept the season series with Carolina, and posted a franchise-best 8-2 start.
The Bucs reached that franchise high-water mark on Sunday with a 23-10 victory over Carolina, in the process moving into a tie with former division rival Green Bay for the best record in the NFL. Tampa Bay and Green Bay square off for sole possession of the league’s best mark next Sunday in Raymond James Stadium.
After the Bucs defeated Carolina, 12-9, in an ‘ugly’ game three weeks ago in Charlotte, the rematch was billed as another defensive struggle, though with a twist. While this was indeed a matchup of the league’s first and third-ranked defenses, it also marked the returns of starting quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Rodney Peete, each of whom missed the last game between the two. Statistically, Johnson and the Bucs’ defense came out on top, though Bucs Head Coach Jon Gruden complimented the Panthers’ work, as well.
Week 12 Green Bay Packers
Longtime rival Green BayGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
came to Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
, with the best record in the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
on the line. In the first quarter, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
connected on a touchdown pass to Donald Driver
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver is an American football wide receiver and children's author. He plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
to take the lead 7-0. Tampa Bay scored a field goal at the end of the first half, and the score was 7-3 at halftime. The Buccaneers scored another field goal in the third quarter, narrowing the deficit to 7-6.
On the first play of the next drive, Favre was intercepted by Brian Kelly, who returned the ball to the Packers 18 yard line. During the return, Chad Clifton
Chad Clifton
Jeffrey Chad Clifton is an American football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
was jogging down field, away from the main action, and was blindsided by Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
. Clifton laid motionless on the field for several minutes, and was carted off the field with a season-ending pelvic injury. The turnover led to a Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius
Joe Jurevicius
Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
, followed by a two-point conversion catch by Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
, and a 14-7 lead.
Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, Dexter Jackson, and Kelly intercepted three more Favre passes, and Tampa Bay won convincingly 21-7. At 9-2, the Buccaneers stood with the best record in the NFC conference. After the game, Sapp and Packers coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
were involved in a confrontation on the field, exchanging heated words. The Sapp hit was regarded by some as a cheap shot, but Clifton would recover fully from the injury, and Sapp defended his actions, and was not penalized by the league.
Week 13 at New Orleans Saints
Mike AlstottMike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
scored a 44-yard touchdown catch, and Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
caught another late in the game, but the Buccaneers fell to the Saints, 23-20 on Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006....
. Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
was intercepted once, lost a fumble, and Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Western Illinois....
lost another fumble, as the Saints swept Tampa Bay for the season.
The Bucs, leading the NFL in turnover differential entering the weekend, had a difficult time holding onto the ball, fumbling four times and losing two of those loose balls. QB Brad Johnson was also intercepted for the first time in four games, and those three giveaways, plus a pair of long returns by Michael Lewis in the third quarter turned a 9-6 halftime lead deficit into a 20-9 lead for the Saints, which they never relinquished.
Brooks got off to a slow start, completing just one pass for two yards in the first quarter, but he heated up in the second and third periods, engineering one first-half touchdown drive and throwing two scoring passes in the third quarter. By the end of the game, he had a strange mix of numbers, completing just nine of 25 passes for 155 yards but throwing two touchdowns and no picks. Added to his two-touchdown day in a season-opening, 26-20, overtime Saints win in Tampa, Brooks has four TD passes against Tampa Bay this season; the rest of the league has three in 10 games.
Week 14 Atlanta Falcons
FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
entered the game with considerable pregame hype and an 8-game unbeaten streak. Vick, however, was sacked twice by Tampa Bay, and held to only 125 yards passing and a measley 15 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
connected on four touchdowns (two apiece to Jurevicius
Joe Jurevicius
Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
and McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
) as the Buccaneers won 34-10.
n two games against Tampa Bay, Vick has completed just 16 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception. On October six, Vick completed just four of 12 passes for 37 yards before sustaining an injured shoulder on a third-down Simeon Rice sack. He was hit hard several times on this Sunday as well, as the Bucs’ pass rush was relentless, but never left the game.
Plus, any though that the second-year scrambler would run wild on the Bucs’ defense effectively ended on the third play of the game when LB Derrick Brooks hit him square in the chest after a one-yard scramble. After rushing just one time for one yard in the first Bucs-Falcons contest, Vick ran five times
With the victory, Tampa Bay maintained its grip on first place in the NFC South with three weeks remaining. By game’s end, the Bucs had a 1.5-game lead on both Atlanta and New Orleans, though the Saints’ late-afternoon game would either expand Tampa Bay’s edge to two games or shrink it to one. The Bucs also became the first NFL team to 10 wins, at 10-3, as the 9-3 Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were also scheduled for later games.
Week 15 at Detroit Lions
Mike AlstottMike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
and Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
each scored a rushing touchdown, but the visiting Buccaneers found themselves still tied 20-20 late in the fourth quarter with the 3-10 Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. With 3:04 to go, Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
broke the tie with a 38-yard field goal, and Tampa Bay held on for a 23-20 victory.
Injuries plagued the Buccaneers that week, as John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
sat out the game with a neck strain. Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
left the game with a groin injury, and Anthony McFarland
Anthony McFarland
Anthony Darelle "Booger" McFarland is an American football player who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University.McFarland has also played for the Indianapolis Colts...
broke his right foot, and would miss the remainder of the season. Most notably, however, was quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, who suffered a back injury during the game. He did not leave the game, but afterwards, the severity of the injury was more significant than originally known. He would be sidelined during practice the following week.
Week 16 Pittsburgh Steelers
With Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
sidelined, backup quarterback Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
started against the Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on Monday night
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Tampa Bay was rocked 17-7 by the visiting Steelers, the second consecutive season being beaten soundly at home by Pittsburgh.
The night started out on a rough note even before kickoff, as during pre-game warm-ups Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
skipped through the Steelers. Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
shoved Sapp, and this was followed by a heated argument between the two teams. The Buccaneers had also been ridiculed by Steelers' Lee Flowers
Lethon Flowers
Lethon 'Lee' Flowers is a former defensive back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers all of his 8 years in the NFL from 1995–2002. He played college football for the Georgia Tech football team....
as being "paper champions."
On the first play of the game, Tommy Maddox
Tommy Maddox
Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:At L. D...
's pass to Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
gained 41 yards to the Tampa Bay 40 yard line. The Steelers drove 81 yards in only six plays, as Maddox connected with Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
for an 11-yard touchdown. On the second play of Tampa Bay's first drive, King was intercepted by Chad Scott
Chad Scott
Chad Oliver Scott was an American football cornerback who retired in 2008. He was a surprise number 1 draft choice for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who picked him 24th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft...
, who returned the ball 30 yards for a touchdown, and a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Trailing 17-0, Tampa Bay kicker Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
made a 50-yard field goal, but it was negated by a Pittsburgh penalty, and instead Tampa Bay was awarded a first down at the Pittsburgh 28 yard line. Four plays later, however, Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
lost a fumble at the 7 yard line, and the Steelers took a 17-0 lead into halftime.
Shaun King was finally benched having thrown a pitiful 9-for-26, an interception, and only 73 yards passing. Rob Johnson took over in the second half, and salvaged the remainder of the game. With 1:23 to go, Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
caught a touchdown pass, and avoided the shutout.
Week 17 at Chicago Bears
In the final week of the season, Tampa Bay traveled to Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Champaign)
thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as...
in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, to meet the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. A win would secure the #2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Brad Johnson sat out for the second game in a row, and Rob Johnson started the game for Tampa Bay.
The temperature at kickoff was 38°, and Tampa Bay looked to snap a 0-21 record in games under 40°. Rob Johnson passed for 134 yards and no interceptions, and Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
rushed for 90 yards, but the Buccaneers offense could not score a touchdown. Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
kicked a franchise-best 5-out-of-5 field goals, and his 15 points were the only scores of the game. Bears quarterback Henry Burris
Henry Burris
Henry Burris, Jr. is a professional Canadian and former American football player. Burris plays the quarterback position with the Canadian Football League Calgary Stampeders. Burris spent one year as a reserve quarterback for the National Football League's Chicago Bears...
was intercepted four times by Tampa Bay (twice by Brian Kelly, and once each by Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
and Smith).
With the win, Tampa Bay secured a bye for the wild card round and recorded the club's first win with the temperature under 40°. The Buccaneers finished with a franchise-best 12-4 regular season record along with a club-best 6-2 road record.
Divisional playoffs: San Francisco 49ers
at Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
, Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 54°F (Partly cloudy)
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe BuckJoe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
(play-by-play), Troy AikmanTroy AikmanTroy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
and Cris CollinsworthCris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(color commentators) - Referee: Gerald AustinGerald AustinDr. Gerald "Gerry" Austin is a retired American football official, who worked in the National Football League from the 1982 season through the 2007 season. He wore uniform number 34, which is now worn by Clete Blakeman. Austin has officiated in three Super Bowls, one as a side judge and two as a...
- Game Attendance: 65,599
The Buccaneers, with the league's top ranked defense during the 2002 regular season, forced five turnovers, sacked quarterback Jeff Garcia four times, and limited the 49ers to only two field goals. Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, who had been sidelined for a month, returned to throw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Fullback Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
scored two touchdowns, while the Buccaneers held onto the ball for 36:46 and held the 49ers to a season low 228 yards. This was San Francisco's first playoff game without a touchdown since 1986.
NFC Championship: at Philadelphia Eagles
at Veterans StadiumVeterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, Philadelphia
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 26°F (Mostly cloudy)
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe BuckJoe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
(play-by-play), Troy AikmanTroy AikmanTroy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
and Cris CollinsworthCris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(color commentators) - Referee: Terry McAulayTerry McAulayTerry McAulay is an American football official in the National Football League since the 1998 NFL season, and Coordinator of Football Officials for the Big East Conference since 2008....
- Game Attendance: 66,713
Tampa Bay won on the road for the first time in playoff history, and in temperatures below 32°F (0°C), in the last football game played at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles were heavy favorites at home going into the game. The Eagles had beaten the Buccaneers four consecutive times, in the wild card round the two previous seasons, and also during regular-season games in 2001 and 2002. During the two playoff losses, both at Veterans Stadium, Tampa Bay had failed to score a single touchdown.
Eagles running back Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards, setting up a 20-yard touchdown run by Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
less than a minute into the game. Tampa Bay responded with Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
's 48-yard field goal on their ensuing drive. At the end of Philadelphia's next possession, Lee Johnson's punt pinned the Buccaneers back at their own 4-yard line. But Tampa Bay stormed 96 yards and scored with Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
's 1-yard touchdown run to take the lead. The key play on the drive was a 71-yard completion from Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
to Joe Jurevicius
Joe Jurevicius
Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
on third down and two from their own 24-yard line.
David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
tied the score, 10-10, with a 30-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but the Bucs responded with an 80-yard, 12-play drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brad Johnson to Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
. With time running out in the half, Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
led the Eagles to the Tampa Bay 24-yard line, only to lose a fumble while being sacked by his high school teammate Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice
Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
, who stripped the ball away and recovered it himself.
On the Eagles' first drive of the third quarter, McNabb lost another fumble due to a tackle from defensive back Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, and Bucs lineman Ellis Wyms
Ellis Wyms
Ellis Rashad Wyms is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
recovered it. Later on, with 1:02 left in the third period, Gramatica's 27-yard field goal increased the Tampa Bay lead to 20-10. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles managed to drive 73 yards to Tampa Bay's 10-yard line, but Barber intercepted McNabb's pass with 3:12 left in the game and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, clinching a trip to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
This was the last Eagles game ever played at Veterans Stadium which was demolished shortly thereafter.
Super Bowl XXXVII: Oakland Raiders
at Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, San Diego
- Game time: 6:18 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 81°F (sunny)
- TV announcers (ABCMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
): Al MichaelsAl MichaelsAlan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
(play-by-play) and John MaddenJohn Madden (American football)John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
(color commentator) - Referee: Bill CarolloBill CarolloWilliam F. "Bill" Carollo is a retired American football official who officiated National Football League games from the 1989 through 2008. He wore uniform number 63. Carollo officiated in two Super Bowls and seven conference championship games...
- Game Attendance: 67,603
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, routing the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
48-21. The Buccaneers defense intercepted Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
a Super Bowl record five times, and returned three of the interceptions for touchdowns. Safety Dexter Jackson was named the game's MVP.
As many sports fans and writers predicted, Gruden's prior knowledge of the Raiders was a major factor in the Buccaneers' win in Super Bowl XXXVII. The most damaging piece of evidence is NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
footage of Tampa Bay defensive back John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
telling his teammates during the game that almost all of the plays ran by Oakland's offense were plays that Gruden (who that week even played the part of "Rich Gannon" by playing QB with the scout-team offense) specifically told them to look out for. Better still for the Buccaneers was that Oakland hadn't changed their audible-calling signals that Gruden himself had installed, thus tipping off plays repeatedly. As a result, Tampa Bay dominated Oakland, outgaining them in total yards (365 to 269), rushing yards (150 to 19), first downs (24 to 11), offensive plays (76 to 60), and forced turnovers (5 to 1).
The Raiders had a great chance to score a touchdown early in the game after cornerback Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
's pass on the third play of the game and returned it 12 yards to the Tampa Bay 36-yard line. But 6 plays later, Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice
Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
sacked Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
on third down, forcing Oakland to settle for kicker Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
's 40-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead.
Buccaneers kick returner Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Western Illinois....
returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the 29-yard line, then appeared to fumble the ball. Although the officials initially ruled that the ball was recovered by Oakland's Eric Johnson, the play was reviewed by instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
and the fumble was overturned, and thus Tampa Bay retained possession.
On the first play of the drive, Brad Johnson completed an 11-yard pass to receiver Joe Jurevicius
Joe Jurevicius
Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
. Johnson's next 2 passes were incomplete, but he then completed a 23-yard pass to Jurevicius on third down to advance the ball to the Oakland 37-yard line. Running back Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
then rushed for a 23-yard gain to the 13-yard line. However on the next 3 plays, the Raiders defense limited the Buccaneers to a pair of incompletions and a 1-yard run. Kicker Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
then made a 31-yard field goal to tie the game, 3–3.
Later in the period, a 17-yard punt return by Raiders defensive back Darrien Gordon
Darrien Gordon
Darrien Jamal Gordon was born November 14, 1970 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) to James and Goldia Gordon. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1989 where he was an All-State football player and two-time state champion wrestler as well as an honor student....
gave Oakland the ball at their own 49-yard line. Gannon then threw an 8-yard pass to running back Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner III is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
to reach the Tampa Bay 43-yard line. But on third down, Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson intercepted Gannon's pass at the 40-yard line and returned it 9-yards to near midfield. Then nine plays after the turnover, Gramatica kicked his second field goal from 43 yards to give Tampa Bay a 6–3 lead.
Jackson intercepted another pass on the Raiders' next drive and returned it 25 yards to Oakland's 45-yard line, making Jackson the first player ever to record 2 interceptions in the first half of the Super Bowl. However, the Buccaneers were unable to take advantage of the turnover and were forced to punt. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, they got a big assist from their punter Tom Tupa
Tom Tupa
Thomas Joseph Tupa, Jr. is a former American football punter and quarterback in the National Football League.-Personal life and high school career:...
, who managed to pin Oakland all the way back at their own 11-yard line with his punt. The Raiders could not move the ball either, losing 1 yard on 3 plays with their ensuing drive. Tampa Bay punt returner Karl Williams
Karl Williams
Karl "The Truth" Williams is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for nine seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He currently plays in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm. His nickname was The Truth.His cousin, Mondray Gee, is...
then returned Shane Lechler
Shane Lechler
Edward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career...
's punt 25 yards, giving the Buccaneers great field position at Oakland's 27-yard line. Aided with Pittman's gains of 6 and 19 yards, the Buccaneers scored their first touchdown on a 2-yard run from fullback Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott
Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
, increasing their lead 13–3. Then with 3:45 left in the half, Tampa Bay drove 77 yards, assisted by a pair of catches by Alstott for 28 total yards. Johnson finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
to give the Buccaneers a 20–3 halftime lead.
Tampa Bay continued to dominate the game for most of the third quarter. The Buccaneers forced the Raiders to punt on the opening drive of the second half. Next, Tampa Bay marched 89 yards on a 14-plays drive that took 7:52 off the clock, and ended with Johnson's 8-yard touchdown pass to McCardell to increase their lead to 27-3. Then on the second play of Oakland's ensuing drive, Buccaneers defensive back Dwight Smith intercepted Gannon's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, making the score 34-3.
After giving up 34 unanswered points, Oakland finally managed to drive 82 yards down the field and score on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Gannon to receiver Jerry Porter
Jerry Porter (football player)
Jerry Porter is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft, after playing college football at West Virginia...
. Although he was initially ruled as being out of bounds when he caught the ball, it was determined that Porter had one foot in the end zone and used it to drag the other foot out. The two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
failed, so the Raiders were still down 34-9.
The Raiders' touchdown seemed to fire up their defense, who forced the Buccaneers to a fourth down on their ensuing possession. Oakland lineman Tim Johnson then blocked Tupa's punt, and Raiders defender Eric Johnson returned the ball 13 yards for a touchdown. Another two-point conversion for Oakland failed, but Tampa Bay's lead was cut to 34-15.
Tampa Bay responded by moving the ball to the Oakland 9-yard line on their ensuing drive, featuring a 24-yard run by Pittman, but they came up empty after Tupa fumbled the snap on a field goal attempt. A few plays later, Gannon threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
with 6:06 left in the game, cutting the Raiders deficit to 34–21. Rice became the first player to catch a touchdown pass in 4 different Super Bowls, and third overall to have TDs in 4 Super Bowls (Thurman Thomas and John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
). The two-point conversion failed when Jerry Porter caught the ball and was forced out of bounds; while the official did not judge it to be a force-out, (judgement call) hence, that part of the play was non reviewable.
In an attempt to prevent a Raiders comeback, the Buccaneers managed to run the clock down to 2:44 on their ensuing drive before being forced to punt. Then on third and 18 from the Oakland 29-yard line, Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
intercepted a pass from Gannon and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a 41–21 lead with only 1:18 left putting the game out of reach. And a few plays later as the Raiders were now playing for pride, Smith intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown (the 200th TD in Super Bowl history).
Scoring by quarter
Staff
| 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
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