How the Tampa Buccaneers won their first Superbowl

 It all happened in 2002 when Tampa Buccaneers then head coach Tony Dungy was fired by the Glazers Owners when Dungy couldn't make the Bucs Superbowl contenders. The Bucs were humiliated in the Wildcard Playoffs in 2000 by the Philadelphia Eagles 21-3 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and in 2001 with the Bucs acquisitions of Keyshawn Johnson and Brad Johnson were humiliated by the Eagles 31-9 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia for the second time. The Glazer family knew that they had to make a coaching change and felt that Dungy's laid-back and friendly approach was not getting through to the players.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders then head coach Jon Gruden had talked to Raiders Owner Al Davis about a contract extension for a long-term deal thanks to his buddy Bruce Allen who worked along side with Gruden in Oakland. About a week before draft day, with Allen's suggestion, Gruden talked to Owner Davis about that contract extension for a long-term deal. Owner Davis had other plans and decided to trade Gruden to the Bucs for 4 draft picks (two first rounders and two second rounders) and $8,000,000.00 in cash.

Gruden had taken the Raiders to an AFC Championship and a Divisional Playoffs when Gruden was the Raiders Head Coach from 1998-2002. Owner Davis didn't want to pay coaches money because Owner Davis was cheap. He'd pay coaches yearly and then re-sign them for mid level exceptions.

Bucs new head coach Gruden nicknamed Chucky from the movie Child's Play because of his fiery no nonsense coaching style, was the polar opposite of then Bucs head coach Dungy who was the Bucs players buddy. 

Gruden was an Offensive guru, who brought his West coast offense to the Bucs. The Bucs Defensive Coordinator at the time was Mike Tomlin. Monte Kiffin's Defense was tenacious for the Bucs. With that being said Gruden was determined to do what Dungy failed to do which was helping the Bucs be Superbowl contenders.

In Gruden's first season as Bucs head coach, the Bucs went (12-4) locking up the NFC South Division and a first round bye with the #2 seed. The Bucs would host a Divisional Playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) the #4 seed at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Bucs QB Brad Johnson threw 2 TD passes, one to receiver Joe Jurevicious and the other to former Raiders tight end Rickey Dudley. Bucs Fullback Mike Alstott rushed for 2 TD's as the Bucs routed the Niners 31-6. The Bucs D forced Niners QB Jeff Garcia into 5 turnovers.

The Bucs would then head to Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia to take on the Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) the #1 seeded team in Philadelphia on January 19, 2003. This game was important for the Bucs because the Eagles dominated the Bucs, winning 4 straight against the Bucs. This was also the last game played at the Vet because the Eagles were going to their new Stadium Lincoln Financial Field next season.

The game started off with the Bucs kicking to Brian Mitchell of the Eagles on special teams which Brian Mitchell ran for 80 yards giving the Eagles excellent field position. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb handed the football off to Eagles running back Duce Staley who ran through holes to score a TD to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead over the Bucs.

The biggest momentum for the Bucs when they were down 7-3 to the Eagles and it was 3rd down and 5 at the Bucs own 20 yard line, Bucs QB Brad Johnson saw a one on one mismatch with Eagles linebacker Barry Gardner on Bucs receiver Joe Jurevicious and Bucs QB Brad Johnson connected on a short pass to Bucs receiver Joe Jurevicious for a 75 yard catch and run that helped set up Bucs Fullback Mike Alstott for a TD run to give the Bucs a 10-7 lead on the Eagles.

Once again tied at 10, the Bucs were able to get Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson involved in the Bucs Offense which led to Bucs QB Brad Johnson throwing a TD pass to Keyshawn Johnson to help the Bucs go up 17-10 at halftime over the Eagles.

In the second half the Bucs D focused on blitzing Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, forcing McNabb to throw incomplete passes and forced a fumble which was scooped up by Ellis Wyms of the Bucs. At the end of the third Quarter the Bucs were up 20-10 over the Eagles.

The Eagles still had their chances in the forth Quarter despite being down 20-10. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw key first down passes to Eagles tight end Chad Lewis and one to former Green Bay Packers receiver Antonio Freeman which made it first and goal at the Bucs 10 yard line. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw a costly interception that Bucs Cornerback Ronde Barber ran back 95 yards for a touchdown. The Bucs won 27-10 to go on to their first ever trip to the Superbowl.

It was Superbowl 37 and on January 26, 2003 it was at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. The Bucs would host the Oakland Raiders (11-5). Bucs coach Gruden would face his former team the Raiders. This was the same team that former Raiders coach Gruden first brought that west coast Offense to. In a trade the Raiders got former Kansas City Chiefs QB Rich Gannon, then Raiders coach Gruden wanted St. Louis Rams QB Trent Green but settled for Owner Davis choice Rich Gannon.

Raiders assistant coach Bill Callahan was promoted to head coach when Gruden went to the Bucs. Naturally Gruden knew all the Raiders plays. The Raiders didn't change any of the plays. 

Gruden, who coached QB Rich Gannon in Oakland knew Gannon's consistent play known as the Slug-o-seam.  The Slug-o-seam is when a QB pump fake a slant and go to get the free safety to go there and wide open is a receiver where the QB will find the receiver open down the middle of the field when he throw the seam. Gruden is playing QB and is imitating QB Gannon in practice and throw over 100 Slug-o-seams. Gruden is telling the Bucs D "don't fall for Gannon's pump fakes."

The Raiders kicked the football off to Bucs special teams Aaron Stecker who had an excellent run but on third down Bucs QB Brad Johnson threw an interception that Raiders safety Charles Woodson caught easily. The Bucs D was able to hold the Raiders Offense to 3. The Raiders went up 3-0 on the Bucs.

Bucs QB Brad Johnson connected on a pass to Bucs receiver Joe Jurevicious for 23 yards and Bucs running back Michael Pittman ran for 23 yards and the Bucs were able to tie the game up a 3.

The Bucs D would force a turnover when Bucs safety Dexter Jackson intercepted Raiders QB Rich Gannon. With the Bucs up 6-3, the Bucs D forced another turnover when Bucs safety Dexter Jackson intercepted Raiders QB Rich Gannon for a second time. The game's first touchdown came on Bucs Fullback Mike Alstott's TD run on 2nd and goal at the Raiders 5 yard line that helped the Bucs go up 13-3 on the Raiders.

The Raiders couldn't get anything going Offensively in the first half. The Bucs D were effective in stopping both the pass and the run. Bucs receiver Keenan McCardell was targeted and scored when Bucs QB Brad Johnson threw a TD pass to McCardell that helped the Bucs go up 20-3 at halftime.

In the second half, the Bucs continued to get it going Offensively with Bucs QB Brad Johnson getting it done with his legs running for a key first down and even getting Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, Bucs tight end Ken Dilger, and Bucs receiver Keenan McCardell involved, who scored a TD to help the Bucs go up 27-3 over the Raiders. The Bucs D would then force another Raiders turnover when Bucs Nickelback Dwight Smith intercepted Raiders QB Rich Gannon pass for a pick 6 to help the Bucs go up 34-3 over the Raiders. At the end of 3 Quarters in dominating fashion the Bucs are up 34-3 over the Raiders.

With time running out on the Raiders chances of winning they decided to throw the football every chance that they got. Raiders QB Rich Gannon appeared to have a questionable TD play to his receiver Joey Porter that cut the Bucs lead to 34-9.

The Bucs challenged and it was unsuccessful and the Bucs was charged a timeout. The Raiders tried for a 2-point conversion and failed. Then after the Bucs went three and out on their next possession the Bucs were forced to punt. Bucs punter Tom Tupa punted and Tupa's punt was blocked. Raiders special teams Eric Jolley ran it in for a TD to cut the Bucs lead to 34-15. The Raiders tried a 2-point conversion and it failed. Then when the Bucs botched a chance to get 3, the Raiders would get back in the game when Raiders QB Rich Gannon connected on a long TD pass to Raiders receiver Jerry Rice to help cut the Bucs lead to 34-21. The Raiders tried a 2-point conversion and it failed.

The Bucs never panicked, in fact their D forced a key sack on Raiders QB Rich Gannon and Bucs safety Derrick Brooks made a key interception on Raiders QB Rich Gannon's pass that Brooks ran back 45 yards for a TD and Bucs Nickelback Dwight Smith made the other key interception on Raiders QB Rich Gannon's pass that Smith ran back also 45 yards for a TD. The Bucs routed the Raiders 48-21 to win their first ever Superbowl. Bucs safety Dexter Jackson was the Bucs Superbowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Jon Gruden was the Bucs youngest head coach at the age of 39 to win a Superbowl.