|
|
Three interception returns for TDs spark Bucs' victory
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Super Bowl was a nightmare by halftime for the Oakland Raiders -- and then Coach Chucky's horror show got even worse. Defense did 'em in, baby! And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't need much more. Coach Jon Gruden and his Bucs won their first NFL championship Sunday, routing the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in the first matchup of best offense vs. best defense. The Tampa Bay defense won by a mile, returning three of a record five interceptions for touchdowns and shutting down any hope the Raiders had of a late comeback. ''There was nothing they could do to us,'' Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. ''Nothing.'' It was especially sweet for the former NFL laughingstock, a team that lost its first 26 games after it started playing in 1976 in those garish orange uniforms. Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon hardly looked like the NFL's MVP. ''We were just absolutely terrible. It was a nightmarish performance,'' he said. Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer gave all the credit to the man he finally hired a year ago, a devilish, blond taskmaster known as ''Chucky'' after the horror show doll. ''I want to thank Coach Gruden for what he did,'' said Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer, who was the butt of jokes for his revolving coach search that finally brought Gruden from the Raiders. ''He came from heaven and he brought us to heaven. We were waiting for the right man and the right man came -- Jon Gruden.'' Gruden, who at 39 became the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl, is known as an offensive guru. This victory was with a defense run by Monte Kiffin and other holdovers from former coach Tony Dungy. ''I'm not saying it's the best defense I've ever seen,'' said Tim Brown, the Oakland receiver who was in his first Super Bowl in 15 NFL seasons. ''But it's really very good defense.'' Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson had two interceptions, as did Dwight Smith, who returned both of his picks for touchdowns, including a 50-yarder to finish off the scoring with two seconds left. Derrick Brooks also returned an interception for a touchdown. Simeon Rice had two of the Bucs' five sacks as Tampa Bay romped to a 20-3 halftime lead then scored two quick third-quarter touchdowns. That rendered futile a late comeback by the Raiders that included a touchdown on a blocked punt and 48-yard touchdown pass from Gannon to Jerry Rice. ''Right now, I wouldn't care if they put Mount Everest in front of me,'' said Simeon Rice, who was playing against a line of 300-pounders. ''I just wanted to be a world champion.'' The Tampa Bay offense did its part, too, led by Michael Pittman, who ran for 124 yards on 29 carries. Mike Alstott had a 2-yard touchdown run and Brad Johnson added two touchdown passes to Keenan McCardell, the second an 11-yarder after an 89-yard drive that ate up almost eight minutes of the third quarter. Just 43 seconds later, Smith grabbed the ball away from Jerry Rice and took it to the end zone to make it 34-3. Oakland owner Al Davis' slogan ''Just win, baby!'' wasn't going to work this time. How good was the Tampa Bay defense? The Bucs limited the Raiders to 19 yards rushing, 269 total yards and just 11 first downs. Oakland had just 62 total yards in the first half, second-lowest total in Super Bowl history. And the five interceptions of Gannon were the most he had in any game this season. He finished 24-for-44 for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Credit the victory also to Gruden, who left Oakland for Tampa Bay in what seemed at the time far too much in draft choices and cash -- $8 million to be exact. Although Gruden denied it, his knowledge of his old team worked out perfectly. ''Every play they've run, we've run in practice,'' Tampa Bay safety John Lynch said. Kiffin, the defensive coordinator, wasn't surprised the Bucs seemed to know just about everything the Raiders would do. ''Jon Gruden was Gannon. Nobody can be like Gannon like Gruden can,'' Kiffin said. ''He taught Gannon. He was in Gannon's head.'' But Gruden played down that apparent advantage. ''That was all overrated,'' he said. ''I stayed away from the defense. That's a credit to our players. We've got a great defensive club.'' To be fair, the Raiders might have entered this game a bit distracted. Their All-Pro center, Barret Robbins, was sent home before the game for missing team functions Saturday. The Bucs took advantage, with Sapp, Lynch and the interior defense constantly pushing up the middle against backup center Adam Treu to put pressure on Gannon and shut down the run. This was a victory for one of the NFL's longtime sad sacks. Between 1983 and 1996, the Bucs were the league's worst franchise, going without a winning season and losing 10 or more games in 13 of those 14 years. ''I've got to believe that coming where we were in this organization, the ridicule and the heartbreak, it's a great thing,'' said Lynch, one of five current Bucs who wore the orange uniforms that were a symbol of their futility. Even a year ago, the team was a mess after the Glazer family fired Dungy and went after big-name coaches like Bill Parcells and Steve Mariucci before landing Gruden. But if this was a glorious day for the Bucs, it was the opposite for the Raiders, who have three Super Bowl victories but hadn't played in pro football's showcase game in 19 years. Oakland's aging warriors did little. Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, the 40- and 36-year-old wide receivers, were all but invisible for most of the game. Rice, who has a reception in every game he's played since 1985, didn't have his first until 3:30 was left in the third quarter and the Raiders trailed by 31 points. That came just before Gannon's 39-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Porter gave the Raiders their first touchdown. They got their second just 44 seconds into the fourth quarter when Tim Johnson blocked a Tom Tupa punt and Eric Johnson caught it in the air and took it in. But even those touchdowns didn't produce what they could have because the Raiders twice missed two-point conversion attempts. Tampa Bay started badly, but it soon took control and led 20-3 at halftime on a 2-yard touchdown run by Alstott and a 5-yard touchdown catch by McCardell. The defense held the Raiders' top-ranked offense to just three first downs at intermission. But the Raiders struck the first blow. On the opening series, Johnson was hit by Regan Upshaw as he threw toward an open McCardell, and Charles Woodson intercepted to give the Raiders the ball at the Tampa Bay 28. But Oakland had to settle for Sebastian Janikowski's 40-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Bucs came right back to tie it on Martin Gramatica's 31-yarder. It was set up by two 23-yard plays, a pass from Johnson to Joe Jurevicius and a sweep by Pittman. Jackson's first interception for Tampa Bay set up the next score: Gramatica's 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give the Bucs a 6-3 lead. Jackson got another interception on the Raiders' next possession, returning it 23 yards to the Raiders' 45. Tampa Bay couldn't move and Tupa had to punt. But the Tampa Bay defense held the Raiders to three downs and out, and the Bucs finally broke through to take a 13-3 lead. First Karl Williams returned Shane Lechler's punt 25 yards to the Oakland 27, then Pittman had runs of 6 and 21 yards to give Tampa Bay a first down at the 2. On the second play, Alstott went in for the game's first touchdown with 6:24 left in the half. The Bucs made it 20-3 at halftime on a 77-yard, 10-play drive, which was aided by three Oakland penalties and capped by a quick out to McCardell on first down from the 5. The second half featured the comeback and the counter-comeback. But it was never really in doubt. ''That touchdown at the end of the half was a big one,'' McCardell said. ''It got us going into the second half and gave us the momentum to come out and play like we did.'' |
| Final | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Oakland Raiders (11-5) | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 21 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) | 3 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
| 1ST QUARTER | SCORE | ||
| OAK | FG | SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI 40 YD 4:20 Drive Info: Time 2:55, Plays 7, Yds 14 Key Plays: C Woodson 12-yard interception return to Tampa Bay 36 Gannon 8-yard pass to Garner to Tampa Bay 28 Gannon 9-yard pass to Brown on 3rd-and-2 to Tampa Bay 19 | OAKLAND 3-0 |
| TAM | FG | MARTIN GRAMATICA 31 YD 7:09 Drive Info: Time 2:49, Plays 9, Yds 58 Key Plays: B Johnson 11-yard pass to Jurevicius to Tampa Bay 40 B Johnson 23-yard pass to Jurevicius on 3rd-and-10 to Oakland 37 Pittman 23-yard run to Oakland 14 | OAKLAND 3-3 |
| 2ND QUARTER | SCORE | ||
| TAM | FG | MARTIN GRAMATICA 43 YD 3:44 Drive Info: Time 3:53, Plays 9, Yds 26 Key Plays: Jackson 9-yard interception return to Tampa Bay 49 B Johnson 11-yard pass to K Johnson on 3rd-and-9 to Oakland 39 B Johnson 9-yard pass to K Johnson to Oakland 27 | TAMPA BAY 6-3 |
| TAM | TD | MIKE ALSTOTT 2 YD RUN (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 8:36 Drive Info: Time 2:02, Plays 4, Yds 27 Key Plays: Williams 25-yard punt return to Oakland 27 Pittman 19-yard run to Oakland 2 | TAMPA BAY 13-3 |
| TAM | TD | KEENAN MCCARDELL 5 YD PASS FROM BRAD JOHNSON (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 14:30 Drive Info: Time 3:15, Plays 10, Yds 77 Key Plays: Pittman 9-yard run to Tampa Bay 42 B Johnson 16-yard pass to Alstott to Oakland 42 Pittman 3-yard run plus 5-yard illegal use of hands penalty on Raiders' Grant to Oakland 29 B Johnson 10-yard pass to K Johnson to Oakland 20 Alstott 3-yard run on 3rd-and-1 to Oakland 17 B Johnson 12-yard pass to Alstott to Oakland 5 | TAMPA BAY 20-3 |
| 3RD QUARTER | SCORE | ||
| TAM | TD | KEENAN MCCARDELL 8 YD PASS FROM BRAD JOHNSON (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 9:30 Drive Info: Time 7:52, Plays 14, Yds 89 Key Plays: B Johnson 10-yard run on 3rd-and-2 to Tampa Bay 29 B Johnson 9-yard pass to K Johnson to Tampa Bay 40 B Johnson 11-yard pass to Jurevicius on 3rd-and-7 to Oakland 46 B Johnson 33-yard pass to Jurevicius to Oakland 14 B Johnson 12-yard pass to Dilger to Oakland 1 B Johnson 5-for-7 for 73 yards | TAMPA BAY 27-3 |
| TAM | TD | DWIGHT SMITH 44 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 10:13 | TAMPA BAY 34-3 |
| OAK | TD | JERRY PORTER 39 YD PASS FROM RICH GANNON (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED) 12:46 Drive Info: Time 2:33, Plays 8, Yds 82 Key Plays: Gannon 25-yard pass to Jolley on 3rd-and-11 to Oakland 42 6-yard pass interference on Buccaneers' Quarles on 3rd-and-4 to Tampa Bay 46 Gannon 7-yard pass to Ritchie to Tampa Bay 39 | TAMPA BAY 34-9 |
| 4TH QUARTER | SCORE | ||
| OAK | TD | ERIC JOHNSON 13 YD RETURN OF BLOCKED PUNT (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED) 0:44 | TAMPA BAY 34-15 |
| OAK | TD | JERRY RICE 48 YD PASS FROM RICH GANNON (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED) 8:54 Drive Info: Time 2:56, Plays 8, Yds 78 Key Plays: Raiders' take over at Oakland 22 following an aborted Tampa Bay field goal attempt Gannon 9-yard pass to Jolley to Oakland 31 Gannon 7-yard pass to Wheatley to Oakland 38 Gannon 14-yard pass to Jolley on 3rd-and-7 to Tampa Bay 45 Gannon 6-for-8 for 88 yards | TAMPA BAY 34-21 |
| TAM | TD | DERRICK BROOKS 44 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 13:42 | TAMPA BAY 41-21 |
| TAM | TD | DWIGHT SMITH 50 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MARTIN GRAMATICA KICK) 14:58 | TAMPA BAY 48-21 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | ||
| OAK | TAM | |
| FIRST DOWNS | 11 | 24 |
| Passing | 9 | 15 |
| Rushing | 1 | 6 |
| Penalty | 1 | 3 |
| 3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY | 7-16 | 6-15 |
| 4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| TOTAL NET YARDS | 269 | 365 |
| Total plays | 60 | 76 |
| Average gain | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING | 19 | 150 |
| Rushes | 11 | 42 |
| Average per rush | 1.7 | 3.6 |
| NET YARDS PASSING | 250 | 215 |
| Completion-attempted | 24-44 | 18-34 |
| Yards per pass | 5.1 | 6.3 |
| Sacked-yards lost | 5-22 | 0-0 |
| Had intercepted | 5 | 1 |
| PUNTS-AVERAGE | 5-39.0 | 5-31.0 |
| RETURN-YARDAGE | 190 | 287 |
| Punts-returns | 3-29 | 1-25 |
| Kickoffs-returns | 9-149 | 4-90 |
| Interceptions-returns | 1-12 | 5-172 |
| PENALTIES-YARDS | 7-51 | 5-41 |
| FUMBLES-LOST | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION | 22:46 | 37:14 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DEFENSE - Oakland | |||||||||
| TOT | SOLO | AST | SCK | YDS | FF | INT | YDS | INT/TD | |
| Eric Barton | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Bill Romanowski | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Travian Smith | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Charles Woodson | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | -- |
| Rod Woodson | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Anthony Dorsett | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Rod Coleman | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| John Parrella | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Tory James | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Chris Cooper | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Napoleon Harris | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Regan Upshaw | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Junior Ioane | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| DeLawrence Grant | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Team | 79 | 57 | 22 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| DEFENSE - Tampa Bay | |||||||||
| TOT | SOLO | AST | SCK | YDS | FF | INT | YDS | INT/TD | |
| Brian Kelly | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Shelton Quarles | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Simeon Rice | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Dwight Smith | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 94 | 2 |
| Ronde Barber | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Derrick Brooks | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
| Greg Spires | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Ellis Wyms | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Warren Sapp | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Nate Webster | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Dexter Jackson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 34 | -- |
| John Lynch | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Alshermond Singleton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Corey Ivy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| Team | 45 | 38 | 7 | 5.0 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 172 | 3 |
| GAME INFO | ||
| REFEREE: Bill Carollo UMPIRE: Ed Coukart HEAD-LINESMAN: Dale Williams | LINE-JUDGE: Mark Steinkerchner FIELD-JUDGE: Tom Sifferman SIDE-JUDGE: Rick Patterson | BACK-JUDGE: Don Carey |
| ATTENDANCE: 67,603 | TIME OF GAME: 3:50 | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st QUARTER | |
| at 15:00 | |
| Start of the 1st quarter. | |
| Tampa Bay at 15:00 | |
| Kickoff returned by Aaron Stecker (TAM) for 20 yards. | |
| 1-10 at TAM 26 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Mike Alstott (TAM) for 4 yards. |
| 2-6 at TAM 30 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 3-5 at TAM 31 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side intercepted by Charles Woodson (OAK). Returned for 10 yards. |
| Oakland at 14:56 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 36 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 8 yards. |
| 2-2 at TAM 28 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 3-2 at TAM 28 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Tim Brown (OAK) for 9 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 19 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at TAM 18 | Rich Gannon (OAK) rushed left side for 2 yards. |
| 3-7 at TAM 16 | Rich Gannon (OAK) sacked for a loss of 6 yards. |
| 4-13 at TAM 22 | 40 yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski (OAK) is good. |
| Tampa Bay at 10:40 | |
| Kickoff returned by Aaron Stecker (TAM) for 28 yards. | |
| 1-10 at TAM 31 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Joe Jurevicius (TAM) for 11 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 40 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete across the middle. |
| 2-10 at TAM 40 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 3-10 at TAM 40 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Joe Jurevicius (TAM) for 23 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 37 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed left side for 23 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 14 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 14 | Aaron Stecker (TAM) rushed left side for 1 yard. |
| 3-9 at OAK 13 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 4-9 at OAK 13 | 31 yard field goal by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. |
| Oakland at 07:51 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 23 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 30 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 6 yards. |
| 2-4 at OAK 36 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 3-4 at OAK 36 | Rich Gannon (OAK) sacked for a loss of 5 yards. |
| 4-9 at OAK 31 | Punt by Shane Lechler (OAK) no return by Tampa Bay. |
| Tampa Bay at 06:36 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 16 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at TAM 17 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 3-9 at TAM 17 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 4-9 at TAM 17 | Punt by Tom Tupa (TAM) returned 8 yards by Darrien Gordon (OAK) to the Oakland 49. |
| Oakland at 05:46 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 49 | Zack Crockett (OAK) rushed right side for 4 yards. |
| 2-6 at TAM 45 | Zack Crockett (OAK) rushed right side for 2 yards. |
| 3-4 at TAM 43 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 4-4 at TAM 43 | Punt by Shane Lechler (OAK) no return by Tampa Bay. |
| Tampa Bay at 04:13 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 16 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 4 yards. |
| 2-6 at TAM 20 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 12 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 33 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-10 at TAM 33 | 5 yard penalty on Tampa Bay. |
| 2-15 at TAM 28 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 3-15 at TAM 28 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed left side for -2 yards. |
| 4-17 at TAM 26 | Punt by Tom Tupa (TAM) returned 23 yards by Darrien Gordon (OAK) to the Tampa Bay 49. |
| Oakland at 02:30 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 49 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 8 yards. |
| 2-2 at TAM 43 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed up the middle for no gain. |
| 3-2 at TAM 43 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side intercepted by Dexter Jackson (TAM). Returned for 10 yards. |
| Tampa Bay at 00:13 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 50 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| End of the 1st quarter. | |
| 2nd QUARTER | |
| Start of the 2nd quarter. | |
| Tampa Bay at 15:00 | |
| 2-9 at OAK 49 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 3-9 at TAM 50 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 11 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 39 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed right side for 3 yards. |
| 2-7 at OAK 36 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 9 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 27 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed right side for 5 yards. |
| 2-5 at OAK 22 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for -3 yards. |
| 3-8 at OAK 25 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete across the middle. |
| 4-8 at OAK 25 | 43 yard field goal by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. |
| Oakland at 11:16 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 23 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 34 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Jerry Porter (OAK) for 9 yards. |
| 2-1 at OAK 43 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed up the middle for 2 yards. |
| 3-8 at OAK 36 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side intercepted by Dexter Jackson (TAM). Returned for 20 yards. |
| Tampa Bay at 10:46 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 45 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 45 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 5 yards. |
| 3-5 at OAK 40 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 4-5 at OAK 40 | Punt by Tom Tupa (TAM) no return by Oakland. |
| Oakland at 09:10 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 11 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 11 | Rich Gannon (OAK) sacked for a loss of 1 yards. |
| 3-11 at OAK 10 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 4-11 at OAK 10 | Punt by Shane Lechler (OAK) returned 25 yards by Karl Williams (TAM) to the Tampa Bay 27. |
| Tampa Bay at 09:06 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 27 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 6 yards. |
| 2-4 at OAK 21 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 19 yards. |
| 1-2 at OAK 2 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed right side for no gain. |
| 2-2 at OAK 2 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for a 2 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 06:24 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 22 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 29 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 29 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed left side for 4 yards. |
| 3-6 at OAK 33 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Porter (OAK) for 11 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 44 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed up the middle for -1 yards. |
| 2-11 at OAK 43 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 5 yards. |
| 3-6 at OAK 48 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 4-6 at OAK 48 | Punt by Shane Lechler (OAK) no return by Tampa Bay. |
| Tampa Bay at 03:45 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 23 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 5 yards. |
| 2-5 at TAM 28 | 5 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 1-10 at TAM 33 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 9 yards. |
| 2-1 at TAM 42 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Mike Alstott (TAM) for 16 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 42 | 2 minute warning. |
| 1-10 at OAK 42 | 5 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 1-5 at OAK 37 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-5 at OAK 37 | 8 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 1-10 at OAK 29 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for -1 yards. |
| 2-11 at OAK 30 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 10 yards. |
| 3-1 at OAK 20 | Tampa Bay timeout; 00:46 remaining 2nd quarter |
| 3-1 at OAK 20 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for 3 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 17 | Tampa Bay timeout; 00:41 remaining 2nd quarter |
| 1-10 at OAK 17 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Mike Alstott (TAM) for 12 yards. |
| 1-5 at OAK 5 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Keenan McCardell (TAM) for a 5 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 00:30 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 3 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 13 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 13 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 3-9 at OAK 14 | Tampa Bay timeout; 00:13 remaining 2nd quarter |
| 3-9 at OAK 14 | Charlie Garner (OAK) rushed right side for 3 yards. |
| End of the 2nd quarter. | |
| 3rd QUARTER | |
| Start of the 3rd quarter. | |
| Oakland at 15:00 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 20 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 27 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Porter (OAK) for 3 yards. |
| 2-7 at OAK 30 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Doug Jolley (OAK) for 5 yards. |
| 3-2 at OAK 35 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 4-2 at OAK 35 | Punt by Shane Lechler (OAK) no return by Tampa Bay. |
| Tampa Bay at 13:29 | |
| 1-10 at TAM 21 | 10 yard penalty on Tampa Bay. |
| 1-10 at TAM 11 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 6 yards. |
| 2-4 at TAM 17 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 2 yards. |
| 3-2 at TAM 19 | Brad Johnson (TAM) rushed right side for 10 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 28 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 2 yards. |
| 2-8 at TAM 30 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 9 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 39 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-10 at TAM 40 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed right side for 3 yards. |
| 3-7 at TAM 43 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Joe Jurevicius (TAM) for 11 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 46 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for -1 yards. |
| 2-11 at OAK 47 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Joe Jurevicius (TAM) for 33 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 14 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at OAK 13 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Ken Dilger (TAM) for 12 yards. |
| 1-1 at OAK 1 | 10 yard penalty on Tampa Bay. |
| 1-11 at OAK 11 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 3 yards. |
| 2-8 at OAK 8 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Keenan McCardell (TAM) for a 8 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 05:30 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 28 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 32 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 8 yards. |
| Tampa Bay at 04:57 | |
| 2-2 at TAM 40 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side intercepted by Dwight Smith (TAM). Returned for a 45 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 04:47 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 15 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 18 | Rich Gannon (OAK) sacked for a loss of 1 yards. |
| 2-11 at OAK 17 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 3-11 at OAK 17 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Doug Jolley (OAK) for 25 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 42 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Jerry Rice (OAK) for 6 yards. |
| 2-4 at OAK 48 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete across the middle. |
| 3-4 at OAK 48 | 6 yard penalty on Tampa Bay. |
| 1-10 at TAM 46 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jon Ritchie (OAK) for 7 yards. |
| 2-3 at TAM 39 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 3-3 at TAM 39 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Porter (OAK) for a 39 yard touchdown. |
| 2 point pass from Rich Gannon (OAK) to Jerry Porter (OAK) is no good. | |
| Tampa Bay at 02:14 | |
| Kickoff returned by Dwight Smith (TAM) for 22 yards. | |
| 1-10 at TAM 31 | 10 yard penalty on Tampa Bay. |
| 1-20 at TAM 21 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed left side for 2 yards. |
| 2-18 at TAM 23 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed left side for 4 yards. |
| 3-15 at TAM 26 | 6 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| End of the 3rd quarter. | |
| 4th QUARTER | |
| Start of the 4th quarter. | |
| Tampa Bay at 15:00 | |
| 3-9 at TAM 32 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| Oakland at 15:00 | |
| 4-8 at TAM 33 | Raiders punt blocked, recovered by Eric Johnson (OAK), returned for a touchdown. |
| 1-10 at TAM 0 | 2 point pass from Rich Gannon (OAK) to Tim Brown (OAK) is no good. |
| Tampa Bay at 14:16 | |
| Kickoff returned by Dwight Smith (TAM) for 18 yards. | |
| 1-10 at TAM 24 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for no gain. |
| 2-10 at TAM 24 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Keyshawn Johnson (TAM) for 18 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 42 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 2 yards. |
| 2-8 at TAM 44 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 3-8 at TAM 44 | 5 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 3-3 at TAM 49 | 15 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 1-10 at TAM 34 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed left side for 24 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 42 | Mike Alstott (TAM) rushed up the middle for 2 yards. |
| 2-8 at OAK 40 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for -2 yards. |
| 3-10 at OAK 11 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass left side complete to Mike Alstott (TAM) for 2 yards. |
| 4-8 at OAK 9 | Martin Gramatica (TAM) rushed left side for -4 yards; turnover on downs. |
| Oakland at 09:02 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 13 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Doug Jolley (OAK) for 9 yards. |
| 2-1 at OAK 31 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Tyrone Wheatley (OAK) for 7 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 38 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 38 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Rice (OAK) for 3 yards. |
| 3-7 at OAK 41 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Doug Jolley (OAK) for 14 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 45 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the right side. |
| 2-10 at TAM 45 | 10 yard penalty on Oakland. |
| 2-20 at OAK 45 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 7 yards. |
| 3-13 at TAM 48 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Jerry Rice (OAK) for a 48 yard touchdown. |
| 2 point pass from Rich Gannon (OAK) to Jerry Porter (OAK) is no good. | |
| Oakland timeout; 06:06 remaining 4th quarter | |
| Tampa Bay at 06:06 | |
| Oakland kickoff, touchback by Tampa Bay. | |
| 1-10 at TAM 20 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at TAM 21 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 2 yards. |
| 3-7 at TAM 23 | Oakland timeout; 05:13 remaining 4th quarter |
| 3-7 at TAM 23 | Brad Johnson (TAM) pass right side complete to Mike Alstott (TAM) for 9 yards. |
| 1-10 at TAM 32 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at TAM 33 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed up the middle for no gain. |
| 3-9 at TAM 33 | Oakland timeout; 04:00 remaining 4th quarter |
| 3-9 at TAM 33 | Michael Pittman (TAM) rushed right side for 3 yards. |
| 4-7 at TAM 35 | Punt by Tom Tupa (TAM) returned 5 yards by Darrien Gordon (OAK) to the Tampa Bay 26. |
| Oakland at 02:44 | |
| 1-10 at OAK 26 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Rice (OAK) for 11 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 37 | Rich Gannon (OAK) rushed right side for 1 yard. |
| 2-9 at OAK 38 | 2 minute warning. |
| 2-9 at OAK 38 | Rich Gannon (OAK) sacked for a loss of 9 yards. |
| Tampa Bay at 02:00 | |
| 3-18 at TAM 29 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side intercepted by Derrick Brooks (TAM). Returned for a 45 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 01:18 | |
| Kickoff returned by Marcus Knight (OAK) for 9 yards. | |
| 1-10 at OAK 27 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass incomplete to the left side. |
| 2-10 at OAK 27 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Doug Jolley (OAK) for 6 yards. |
| 3-4 at OAK 33 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass left side complete to Jerry Rice (OAK) for 9 yards. |
| 1-10 at OAK 42 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass across the middle complete to Charlie Garner (OAK) for 9 yards. |
| Tampa Bay at 00:34 | |
| 2-1 at TAM 49 | Rich Gannon (OAK) pass right side intercepted by Dwight Smith (TAM). Returned for a 50 yard touchdown. |
| Extra point by Martin Gramatica (TAM) is good. | |
| Oakland at 00:02 | |
| Kickoff returned by Chris Cooper (OAK) for 5 yards. | |
| End of the 4th quarter. | |
| End of the game. | |
![]() Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Dwight Smith, right, as Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber (20) comes in on the play in the first quarter in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego Sunday, Jan. 26, 2003. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman. (Allsport / Brian Bahr) |
![]() Oakland Raiders Charles Woodson (24) is tackled by Tampa Bay wide receiver Joe Jurevicius (83) after Woodson intercepted a pass in the first quarter. (Associated Press) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman runs past Raiders defensive back Anthony Dorsett for a 23-yard gain. (Associated Press) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Keenan McCardell smiles after making the first of his two touchdown receptions. (Associated Press) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers Brad Johnson celebrates one of his two touchdown passes to Keenan McCardell. (Associated Press) |
![]() Raiders running back Charlie Garner reacts to a play at the end of the second quarter. (Associated Press) |
![]() Raiders safety Derrick Gibson (36) and his teammates look at the scoreboard in the third quarter. (Associated Press) |
![]() Buccaneers coach John Gruden celebrates after one of Dwight Smith's interception returns. (Associated Press) |
![]() A dejected Jerry Rice looks at the scoreboard late in the game. (Associated Press) |
![]() Michael Pittman celebrates Tampa Bay's win. (Associated Press) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dexter Jackson, named the game's most valuable player, holds the Vince Lombardi trophy. (Associated Press) |
![]() Carlos Santana and Houston's Beyonce Knowles entertain fans and the television audience during pre-game festivities. (Associated Press) |
![]() Carlos Santana and Houston's Beyonce Knowles entertain fans and the television audience during pre-game festivities. (Associated Press) |
![]() The Dixie Chicks (from left) Emily Robison, Natalie Maines and Martie Seidel, add to the slate of Texas performers at the Super Bowl by singing the National Anthem. (Associated Press) |
![]() Celine Dion and a backup choral group sing "God Bless America" before the start of the game. (Associated Press) |
![]() Shania Twain performs during the halftime show. (Associated Press) |
![]() Shania Twain performs during the halftime show. (Associated Press) |
![]() Gwen Stefani, lead singer of No Doubt, performs with the group at halftime. (Associated Press) |
![]() Gwen Stefani dances as Sting sings a solo. (Associated Press) |
![]() Band On The Run (Reuters) |
![]() Band On The Run (AP Photo) |
![]() Field of Green (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) |
![]() Hands Off (Al Bello/Getty Images) |
![]() Getting His Kicks (Al Bello/Getty Images) |
![]() Paydirt (Brian Bahr/Getty Images) |
![]() Pick Pocket (Donald Miralle/Getty Images) |
![]() Mouth That Roared (Al Bello/Getty Images) |
![]() Silver And Black Is Blue (Reuters) |
![]() An Oakland Raiders fan has a none-too-subtle suggestion for the NFL's officials, who many Raiders fans blame for keeping Oakland out of last year's Super Bowl. |
![]() Tampa Bay was forced to use one of its two challenges barely four minutes into the game after Aaron Stecker nearly fumbled the kickoff return. Stecker was ruled down by contact. |
![]() Bucs safety Dexter Jackson gets a low-five from teammate Corey Ivy after the second of Jackson's two interceptions. |
![]() Keenan McCardell's 5-yard touchdown catch sent the Bucs into the locker room with a 20-3 lead at halftime. |
![]() Jerry Porter's 39-yard touchdown reception gave the Raiders a lift towards the end of the third quarter. Al Bello/Getty Images |
![]() Eric Johnson (center) celebrates his touchdown return on a blocked punt with Tim Johnson (left) and Clarence Love. |
![]() Jerry Rice's 48-yard touchdown catch was a case of too little, too late, narrowing the gap to 13 points, the closest the Raiders would get to the Bucs. |
![]() Dwight Smith returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns, one for 44 yards and the other for 50 yards to ice the Bucs' 48-21 victory. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images |
![]() Brad Johnson led an efficient Bucs offense and let the defense do most of the work, throwing for 215 yards and two touchdowns. |
![]() Warren Sapp. (AP Photo) |
![]() Shane Lechler (9), Eric Johnson (41), Tim Brown (81), Madre Hill (30) and Frank Middleton (73) wait for the end. (AP Photo) |
![]() Dexter Jackson earned MVP honors thanks to his two key interceptions. (AP Photo) |
![]() Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans celebrate their team's 48-21 win over the Oakland Raiders. (AP Photo) |
| Game Info: 6:00 pm EST, Sun Jan 26, 2003 TV: ABC | |
Last February, Davis, the 73-year-old owner of the Oakland Raiders, sold coach Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the exorbitant price of two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million. So it's only fitting the Raiders and Buccaneers battle each other for football's ultimate treasure in a seafaring city. "I told the NFL to move this game back a week and pump this up," said Raiders receiver Tim Brown, who finally reached the Super Bowl in his 15th season. But no further hype is necessary. There are plenty of subplots to complement the enticing Gruden storyline. How about the Raiders' No. 1 ranked offense going against Tampa Bay's top-rated defense? Oakland has scored 521 points in 18 games (28.9 average), including 71 in playoff victories over the New York Jets and Tennessee. The Bucs have allowed just 212 points in 18 games (13.3), including 16 in postseason wins over San Francisco and Philadelphia. Oakland's strength is throwing the ball with NFL Most Valuable Player Rich Gannon at quarterback, future Hall of Fame receivers Jerry Rice and Brown and pass-catching back extraordinaire Charlie Garner. But Tampa Bay's strength is defending the pass with Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Brooks, the league's premier cover linebacker, cornerbacks Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly and four-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch. "I think this is one of the great defenses of all time," said Lynch, who gets to play the Super Bowl in his hometown. "I think we have a chance to cement that by winning the Super Bowl." It is the Raiders that have the mystique with three Super Bowl titles and the famous slogans "Commitment to Excellence" and "Just Win, Baby" coined by Davis, while Tampa Bay wallowed in futility and playoff heartbreak before Gruden came along. But Brown isn't buying into any mystique talk, especially since the Raiders are making their first Super Bowl appearance since a 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins in January 1984, when the cast of characters included Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen, Howie Long and Mike Haynes. "There hasn't been too much Raider mystique around here the last 15 years," said Brown, one of three receivers in NFL history with more than 1,000 catches. "The only way you have mystique is if you beat people. The only way you get that back is by winning championships." The Raiders have a boatload of players who have won championships. Linebacker Bill Romanowski, 36, is seeking his fifth Super Bowl ring; the 40-year-old Rice is playing for his fourth; and safety Rod Woodson, cornerback Tory James and defensive tackle Sam Adams have all played on Super Bowl-winning teams. Tampa Bay has no such championship experience - the Bucs are appearing in the Super Bowl for the first time in their 27-year existence. Then again, neither did the New England Patriots last season in Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams. The Buccaneers began their existence in comical fashion with 26 straight losses before winning their final two games in 1977. Under Tony Dungy, the Bucs made the playoffs four times in six years, but reached the NFC championship game just once. After watching his team lose at Philadelphia in the wild card round each of the last two years by a combined score of 52-12, Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer fired Dungy and paid a heavy price for Gruden, the offensive guru who had a year left on his contract with the Raiders. Under Gruden, the Bucs set a franchise record for wins (12), steamrolled San Francisco, 31-6, in the divisional playoffs and avenged their losses to the Eagles with a 27-10 win in the NFC championship game. "He's a 'get it done' type of guy," Barber said of Gruden. "He'll put it on his shoulders to get guys ready to play. You've got to appreciate that in a coach and I think players really respond to that." Gruden led the Raiders to the playoffs twice in four years, but lost in the AFC championship game to Baltimore in 2000 and in the divisional playoffs to New England last season. Most of his former players in Oakland loved him, but some didn't. One was Pro Bowl right tackle Lincoln Kennedy. "He was a little man who wanted to be a big man," Kennedy said. "He had kind of a Napoleonic complex." While Gruden is known for his scowl and cocky demeanor, Raiders rookie coach Bill Callahan went about his business in somewhat anonymous fashion. First hired by Gruden as an offensive line coach in Philadelphia, Callahan served as Gruden's offensive coordinator in Oakland before being promoted by Davis to replace his former boss. Callahan never sought the spotlight throughout the season but now will try to become just the third rookie coach to win a Super Bowl, joining George Seifert with San Francisco in 1989 and Don McCafferty with Baltimore in 1970. "Bill doesn't get enough credit for his no-nonsense demeanor," said Gannon, who threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in the 41-24 win over Tennessee in the AFC championship game. At age 37, Gannon earned MVP honors for the first time and is now heading to his Super Bowl. But the Bucs possess the league's fastest defense. NFL sack leader Simeon Rice and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Warren Sapp will try to disrupt Gannon's rhythm on Sunday. Playing a complex "Cover-2" defense under coordinator Monte Kiffin, the Bucs will try to confuse Rice and Brown, but both are masters at finding the seams. Tampa Bay corners Barber and Kelly or some of the fast linebackers - Brooks, Shelton Quarles and Al Singleton - may be better off bumping Rice and Brown early and often. Brooks likely will be assigned to Garner, who had 91 catches this season, and Lynch will draw rookie tight end Doug Jolley. Gruden's biggest impact in Tampa Bay was in designing the West Coast offense to suit Brad Johnson, the NFC's highest-rated passer who threw for 259 yards and a touchdown in the conference championship game. Known for his accuracy, Johnson takes advantage of his tall receivers - Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell and Joe Jurevicius - with intermediate throws over the middle. Last year, the Super Bowl was decided on a 48-yard field goal by New England's Adam Vinatieri on the game's final play. Both Sebastian Janikowski of Oakland and Martin Gramatica of Tampa Bay kick for distance and accuracy. Gramatica has converted 9-of-10 field goals in the postseason. The last time the teams met was in December 1999 and Gruden was on the Oakland sideline with Callahan when the Raiders embarrassed the Bucs, 45-0, at Network Associates Coliseum. It is the most lopsided loss in Tampa Bay's history. The Raiders lead the series, 4-1.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||