- On January 26, 2003,
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders
for their first Superbowl in franchise history. The Buc's defense picked
off Rich Gannon five times, including one by Superbowl
MVP, Dexter Jackson to help grab an early lead,
and one by Dwight Smith among the final ticks of the
clock in the fourth quarter with players already
celebrating on the sideline. (gentle music) But, the path the the
Superbowl started well before the players took the field that season. GM Rich McKay spent the
mid 90s and early 2000s constructing this champion,
including drafting seven of the 111 players on the
NFL's number one defense, and that defense came together under coordinator, Monte Kiffin and former head coach, Tony Dungy who crafted the, now
iconic, Tampa 2 Defense. However, it was Tony Dungy's shortcomings that ultimately led to their championship. Following back-to-back
losses in the wildcard round on the road in Philadelphia,
Dungy was let go. Tampa Bay then stacked
first and second round picks onto a pile of cash and
sent it to the Raiders for the rights of their
head coach, Jon Gruden. Gruden did what Dungy couldn't. He led them to a franchise
best 12 and four record, he defeated Philadelphia on
the road in the post season, and went staring down the barrel of his former team, the
Bucs buried them, 48-21. (gentle music) John Gruden was the difference maker. With him at the hlm, they couldn't lose. Their future was bright, and
nothing could stand in the way of this team becoming a dynasty. (gentle music) (upbeat music) Throughout their Superbowl run, it was knows that the relationship between John Gruden and his leading
receiver, Keyshawn Johnson was less than amicable. Johnson was the first Bucs receiver with over a thousand yards
since Mark Carrier in 1989, something Johnson achieved
in both 2001 and 2002. But, he wasn't happy with the way he was used in the offense. Fully aware of Keyshawn's
importance in a Buc's offense, lacking a depth of offensive play makers, Gruden make a commitment
to better understand the outspoken, emotional receiver as they prepared to defend their crown. But, hope for peace didn't last long. In week three, sideline footage of a heated exchange between the two did little to quell worries about their deteriorating relationship. A week 12 loss to the
Packers marked the last time Johnson would play in
a Buccaneer's jersey. On November 18th, less
than 10 months removed from their Superbowl win, the Bucs deactivated
the disgruntled receiver claiminghe had become a distraction. Receivers are replaceable. What mattered most was that
the front office was happy. Report of a rift between Jon Gruden and GM Rich McKay started
coming out before the last piece of confetti hit the ground. Gruden openly criticized
McKay at an off-season owner's meeting and it became clear that he was unhappy
with the amount of money tied up in defensive players as well as McKay's inability
to sign offensive play makers. Future Hall of Famer,
Emmitt Smith, cited tension between the two as the reason he chose to sign with the Cardinals over the defending champs. He was quoted saying,
there was a power struggle going on down there, I
didn't want to fool with it. That struggle ended in favor of Gruden before the season's end. McKay was granted permission to interview for other opportunities,
and in December of 2003, one month after the team
deactivated Keyshawn Johnson, McKay was hired as President
and General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons. 2003 saw the loss of Johnson and McKay as well as Superbowl MVP, Dexter Jackson who left in free agency
prior to the season, but it also marked the return
of Tony Dungy to Tampa, this time as head coach of the Colts. It was a week five,
prime time, Monday night football match up. The undefeated Colts,
led by Peyton Manning, were caught on their
heels to start the game. The Bucs second drive ended in a 74-yard touchdown pass from QB Brad Johnson to wide out, Keenan McCardell. - [Announcer] There's Keenan
McCardell for a touchdown. - [Mike] On their following
drive, Johnson was picked off by Colt's safety, Mike Doss, who then fumbled the ball
into the hands of McCardell. - [Announcer] And the Bucs have it. - [Mike] Who took it in
for a long touchdown. - [Announcer] Second
touchdown of the night, - [Mike] The Bucs entered
half up 21 nothing and momentum heavily in their favor. With five minutes remaining in the fourth, Buc's corner, Ronde Barber, picked off Peyton Manning and returned it for a touchdown, a nail in the coffin, or so it was thought. Up 35-14, the Bucs has
a statement to make, but ended up making a very different one. With under five minutes to go, the Colts marched back
starting with a 90-yard kick off return, and a quick touchdown. - [Announcer] And, Mungro scores,
he's in for the touchdown. - [Mike] An onside kick recovery,
a bomb to Marvin Harrison, and a defensive stop, put the
ball back in Manning's hands, down seven, with under two
minutes left on the clock. Manning hit Marvin Harrison again. - [Announcer] Catching it is Harrison, he's down at the five yard line. - [Mike] To set up another touchdown. Then, with the game tied,
Gramatica's 62 yard attempt, as time expired, was blocked, and the game went into overtime where the Colts would complete a comeback for the history books. - [Announcer] By Vanderjagt,
and he hits the uprights, and it bangs through. - This second half collapse
illustrated the team's season-long struggles, but they entered week 16
with their playoff hopes still intact. They just needed to get past the Falcons. The last play of the game
for the Buc's offense was a failed two-point conversion. They lost 28-30 and were eliminated from playoff contention
by Atlanta six days after they named Rich McKay their new President and General Manager. The Bucs hired Jon Gruden hoping that he would
help spark their offense. For the most part, it worked. The team jumped from the
24th ranked offense in 2002, to the 10th ranked offense in 2003, while maintaining a top five defense. But, their two and seven
record and one-score games proved to be their downfall
as the seven and nine Bucs followed up their Superbowl
run with a losing record. It was not the best way for
them to defend their crown, but at least they still had all five of their defensive pro-bowlers from the championship roster. Drumroll, please. During the off-season, the
Bucs raided open once again and hired executive Bruce Allen as their new General Manager. Allen and Gruden then shocked
the Buccaneers' fan base by releasing fan favorite and three-time first team
all pro safety, John Lynch. They then decided to let seven-time pro bowl defensive
tackle, Warren Sepp, walk in free agency. As expected, Keyshawn Johnson was traded, reuniting him with his former Jets coach, Bill Parcells in Dallas. (dramatic music) In Johnson's absence, McCardell led the team
in receptions and yards en route to a pro bowl appearance in 2003. Knowing the Bucs lack
of depth at receiver, McCardell used his 2003
producton as leverage and held out to start the 2004 season while asking for a new contract. Despite their offensive woes, Allen and Gruden denied his request, He never took the field for the Bucs again and was flipped to the Chargers prior to the 2004 trade deadline. Less than two years removed
from their Superbowl win, the Buccaneers have lost
their GM and architect of the team as well as both top receivers and two of the five all
pros from the '02 season. The money saved was meant to
be used to upgrade the offense. Instead, it was used to sign
the aging Charlie Garner, who played only three games for the Bucs before heading to the IR,
and ultimately retiring, as well as the 38-tear-old Tim Brown, who hauled in 24 receptions
and one touchdown all year before he, too, decided to retire. (dramatic music) The 2004 season was
also the end of the road for other key Superbowl contributors. Kicker, Martin Gramatica was released following three missed field goals in a week 12 matchup against the Panthers. Dwight Smith, whose two
interceptions in the Superbowl helped seal their win, signed with the Saints in
the ensuing off season. And, Brad Johnson, who, after starting the season
oh and four, was benched in favor of 2003, third round
draft pick, Chris Simms. He was cut at the end of
the season as the age of 36. As for Simms, he made
his first career start in week five against the Saints, and threw eight passes before leaving in the first quarter
with a shoulder injury, Free agent acquisition, Brian Griese, took over until week 17 when Simms would get
his second career start. seven to 12 loss to the Cardinals to finish the season
with a five and 11 record at the bottom of the NFC South. The Buccaneers became the
first team in NFL history to follow up a Superbowl win with back-to-back losing seasons. But, all was not lost, yet. In 2005, the Bucs featured only two offensive
starters from the '02 team. But, with largely the
same faces on defense, they enjoyed a rebound year. They were, once again,
the number one defense and first round draft
pick, Cadillac Williams, was named offense rookie of the year as the 11 and five Bucs finally
returned to the post season. But, with three minutes
left in the wildcard game against Washington,
receiver Edell Shepherd dropped a potential game
tying catch in the end zone on their next drive, Chris Sime threw his second
interception of the game. The Bucs lost 17-10. To start the 2006 season,
ESPN's power rankings had the Bucs in the middle of the pack. But, they projected that if Chris Simms took a big step forward,
they could be really good. Well, Simms threw one touchdown
and seven interceptions before rupturing his spleen and missing the rest of the season. He would never take the
field for the Bucs again and was quoted saying his
relationship with Gruden was broken because of the
way the coach treated him during his recovery. Their last game of the season
wa a loss to the Seahawks. It was also the final game of fullback, Mike Alstott's career. After neck surgery in the off season, Alstott was forced to sit
the entire 2007 season before ultimately retiring. The Bucs finished the 2006
season with a four and 12 record. Tony Dungy and his Indianapolis Colts finished as Superbowl champs. (dramatic music) In the off season, the
Bucs signed QB Jeff Garcia who would go on to be the
Bucs' only pro bowler in 2007. They returned to the playoffs only to get bounced in the
wildcard round once again. This all put Jon Gruden
on thin ice, right? Well, the Bucs resigned him throgh 2011, however, he wouldn't need that much time to set up his grand finale. The 2008 Bucs tied a franchise best start going nine and three. They were in position to earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs and completely bypass the wildcard round that had become so troublesome for them. Then, in week 14, the Bucs visited a Panthers team also sporting
a nine and three record. A Monday night football matchup
with control of the division on the line. The two teams entered the
fourth quarter tied at 17. That's when the once mighty Tampa Bay defense began to crumble. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for 147 yards
and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. The Panthers grabbed hold of the NFC South with a 38-23 win and never let go. Starting with that game in Carolina, the Buccaneers didn't
notch a single victory in the ninth of December, They fell from nine and
three to nine and seven and missed the playoffs
following the loss to the team they had defeated for the championship only six years prior. (dramatic music) Long time defensive
coordinator, Monte Kiffin, who had become the league's highest paid defensive coordinator the year before, left to join his son, Lane, at Tennessee. A decision announced in
the middle of the Bucs' four game slide to end the season and the sign that the golden
era of Buccaneer's football was coming to an end. Gruden was never really
able to retool the offense the way he and the front office had hoped. He wanted to shift money and attention away from the defense
and towards the offense. In the end, it was the
collapse of the defense that doomed them. On January 16th, 2009,
Jon Gruden was fired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and so began their playoff drought. His time with the team ended
a far cry from where it began, but every rise has a fall, and the guy at the end
of the bar can still say, hey, we'll always have 2002. Just don't let him drive home.
