A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Head coach | Jon Gruden |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. 49ers) 31–6 Won NFC Championship (at Eagles) 27–10 Won Super Bowl XXXVII (vs. Raiders) 48–21 |
| Pro Bowlers | 7 |
| AP All-Pros | 5
|
| Team MVP | QB Brad Johnson |
The 2002 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27th in the National Football League (NFL). It was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.[1][2][3]
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.[4] This was Tampa Bay's only Super Bowl appearance and win until 2020, with the Super Bowl win also being their most recent playoff game win in the same span. The 2002 Buccaneers’ defense, which included four players who would eventually be elected the Pro Football Hall of Fame,[5] is often cited as one of the best ever, as well as one of the most potent pass defenses in league history.[6][7][8][9][10] In 2019, the NFL ranked the 2002 Buccaneers as the 45th best NFL team of all time.[11]
Summary
In January 2002, after losing in the wild card round to the Eagles for the second consecutive year, the Buccaneers fired head coach Tony Dungy.[12][13] After that they began a prolonged search for his replacement. Potential candidates included Gators head coach (and former Buccaneers quarterback) Steve Spurrier, former Giants head coach Bill Parcells, Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Parcells passed on the offer, while Spurrier took the job at Washington. Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay threw his support behind Lewis but the Glazers were displeased with the selection of yet another defensive-minded coach that they overruled McKay and took control of the candidate search themselves. They made it clear that their top choice was Gruden; however, he was still under contract with the Raiders. While talks with the Raiders were secretly underway, the Glazers publicly pursued 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci. But shortly thereafter, Al Davis agreed to release Gruden to Tampa Bay,[14] but the move was costly. Tampa Bay paid Oakland with two first-round draft picks (2002, 2003), two second-round picks (2002, 2004) and $8 million in cash payments.[15]
Upon his arrival in Tampa Bay, Gruden immediately went to work, acquiring former Jaguars 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.[16] 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, 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.[17] The Bucs became the first team to win the Super Bowl without any picks in the first two rounds of the previous spring's draft, having traded these picks to the Oakland Raiders for the rights to acquire Gruden. At the time, Gruden made history by becoming the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Offseason
| Signings | Departures |
|---|---|
| P Tom Tupa (Jets) | CB Donnie Abraham (Jets) |
| TE Ken Dilger (Colts) | LB Jamie Duncan (Rams) |
| WR Keenan McCardell (Jaguars) | WR Jacquez Green (Redskins) |
| WR Joe Jurevicius (Giants) | TE Dave Moore (Bills) |
| QB Rob Johnson (Bills) | P Mark Royals (Dolphins) |
| RB Michael Pittman (Cardinals) | |
| TE Rickey Dudley (Browns) | |
| DE Greg Spires (Browns) | |
| T Roman Oben (Browns) |
2002 expansion draft
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Expansion Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 14 | Sean McDermott | Tight end | Houston Texans |
2002 NFL draft
| 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | |
| Round | Selection | ||||
| 1 | 21 | Traded to the Oakland Raiders | |||
| 2 | 53 | Traded to the Oakland Raiders | |||
| 3 | 86 | Marquise Walker | WR | Michigan | |
| 4 | 119 | Travis Stephens | RB | Tennessee | |
| 5 | 157 | Jermaine Phillips | S | Georgia | |
| 6 | 193 | John Stamper | DE | South Carolina | |
| 7 | 233 | Tim Wansley | CB | Georgia | |
| 250 | Tracey Wistrom | TE | Nebraska | ||
| 254 | Aaron Lockett | WR | Kansas State | ||
| 255 | Zack Quaccia | C | Stanford | ||
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
During the offseason, the Buccaneers signed a new deal with Walt Disney World, and moved their Training Camp from the University of Tampa 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).