2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another free agent signing was defensive end Simeon Rice. The third overall draft pick in 1995, out of the University of Illinois, Rice played five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. With a starting defensive line now featuring all number one draft picks, Chidi Ahanotu was released. Other players not returning included safety Damien Robinson and offensive lineman Frank Middleton.
The Bucs held the twenty-first pick in the college draft, but they moved up. They traded that first round pick, and their second round pick, to Buffalo for the Bills number one. Tampa Bay selected University of Florida offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker with the fourteenth overall selection.
On May 22, owners voted on a division realignment that put the Bucs in the new
NFC South Division beginning in 2002. So, this year would the team's last in
the NFC Central Division.
The season opened, and Brad Johnson made his first start for the Buccaneers, at Dallas. The new quarterback completed his first nine passes, however, the offense stalled near the goal line and the Bucs settled for a field goal. Defensive back Brain Kelly made a huge hit to keep Emmitt Smith out of the end zone on third and goal, so the Cowboys kicked a field goal and the game was tied 3-3 at the half. While he was only sacked once, Cowboys rookie QB Quincy Carter (9 of 19) had a tough introduction to the NFL with a pair of interceptions and just 34 yards passing. Dallas only converted one third down and set the team record low with just one first down via the pass. The Bucs held Smith to 40 yards rushing and Dallas could only generate 127 total yards on the afternoon. Early in the fourth quarter, a 1 yard touchdown run by Johnson (26 of 35 for 195 yards with 1 INT) erased a 6-3 Cowboys lead. The Bucs 10-6 victory was the team's first at Texas Stadium. Warrick Dunn admitted, "That was too close for comfort."
The National Football League postponed the games for the weekend following the September 11th terrorist attacks. The only other times games were canceled were due the 1982 and 1987 players strikes.  Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle always regretted playing games the weekend following the assassination of President Kennedy. Then commissioner Paul Tagliabue (pictured) issued a statement calling off the games that said in part: “We in the National Football League have decided that our priorities for this weekend are to pause, grieve, and reflect. It is a time to tend to families and neighbors and all those wounded by these horrific acts of terrorism.”Warren Sapp agreed with the decision, “I think we all knew, as Americans, that there was something way more important than football this week.” |
The Buccaneers returned to action at Minnesota on September 30. Even with the offense struggling, a Warrick Dunn touchdown run gave the Bucs a 16-13 fourth quarter lead. Late in the game, things looked pretty good when a Mark Royals punt pinned the Vikings back at their own 4 yard line. With 1:03 left in the game, an 8 yard touchdown run by Daunte Culpepper capped off a 96 yard drive and put Minnesota up 20-16. Culpepper (30 of 44 with 1 TD and 2 INTs) threw for 322 yards, the Vikings finished with 402 total yards, still the Bucs had a chance. Their final drive started at their own 25 yard line and ended with a Brad Johnson (20 of 34 for 224 yards) interception at the Vikings 3 yard line. In a game where Martin Gramatica kicked three field goals, Tony Dungy stated the obvious. "We have got to find a way to score touchdowns." Derrick Brooks had a team record 23 tackles, but was not happy with game winning drive. "We had a chance to finish a team off today and didn't do it. We're down, but by no means are we out."
The Buccaneers and Packers played a scoreless first quarter in the season's first game at Raymond James Stadium. It looked as if Green Bay was going to get on the board first, then linebacker Shelton Quarles returned an interception of Bret Favre 98 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest play in Bucs history and put the home team up 7-0. Favre (20 of 35 for 258 yards with 3 INTs) came back and hit Bill Schroeder (4 catches for 117 yards) on a 67 yard scoring pass to tie the game at the half. Brad Johnson (23 of 29 for 184 yards) was sacked five times, three by defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, before the Bucs went on the longest scoring drive in team history. A 39 yard touchdown run by Mike Alstott capped off a 95 yard drive and Tampa Bay lead 14- 10. Once again, the game came down to the final play. On fourth down, a Favre pass was knocked down in the end zone as time expired. Tony Dungy was not totally satisfied. "We've got to score more than fourteen points a game." Warren Sapp took it in stride. "You play to your strengths. We run the ball and turn to our defense. Look, if you want to see an offensive juggernaut, I advise you to hop on a TWA flight and head to St. Louis."
The Buccaneers first trip to Nashville saw the Titans lead 28-14 in the fourth quarter. Fred McNair (15 of 23 for 230 yards with an INT) lead the way for Tennessee with a touchdown pass and a scoring run. Warrick Dunn accounted for the Bucs scoring with a TD run and in the third quarter he was the recipient of the first touchdown pass for Brad Johnson as a Buccaneer. Keyshawn Johnson was the team's leading receiver with eight receptions for 140 yards and Tennessee mistakes, including twelve penalties for 117 yards, kept the Bucs in the game. Brad Johnson (24 of 50 for 287 yards with an INT) threw two more scoring passes in the fourth quarter. The first went to Jacquez Green and the second to Dave Moore with 54 seconds left to force overtime. Tampa Bay won the coin toss, however, they could not move the ball and 2:38 into overtime Joe Nedney kicked the winning field goal from 49 yards. Warren Sapp placed the blame for the 31- 28 defeat on the defense. "If 28 ain't enough for this defense, we're in trouble." Tony Dungy's commented, "We're an average football team."
Jerome Bettis and the Pittsburgh defense lead to the Bucs demise at Raymond James Stadium. Bettis ran for 143 yards, including a 46 yard touchdown, and threw the option pass for another score. Ten times the Steelers got to Brad Johnson (24 of 40 for 283 yards with a TD and an INT). The ten sacks equaled Pittsburgh's record for sacks and Tampa Bay's for sacks allowed. Linebacker Joey Porter lead the charge with four sacks. Ronde Barber did grab two interceptions of Kordell Stewart (10 of 16 for 100 yards) in a 17-10 defeat. Keyshawn Johnson, who had ten receptions for 159 yards, spoke of the team's lack of effort. "I'm shocked by the way all of us played. If you were at the game, you saw a display of poor football." Center Jeff Christy said, "A performance like that is absolutely inexcusable."
The A-Train was rumbling in the next game. Mike Alstott ran for 129 yards, on
a career high 28 carries, and tied the team record with three rushing
touchdowns. The Bucs lead 28-0 by half time and had dominated the visiting
Vikings. The Bucs chocked up twenty first downs, while Minnesota had none, and
Tampa Bay had an 297-44 advantage in total yards at the intermission. Brad
Johnson (18 of 25 for 214 yards) threw two scoring passes, one to running back
Aaron Stecker for his first career touchdown. Martin Gramatica broke the team
record for consecutive extra points (81). Four times the Bucs sacked Minnesota
QB Daunte Culpepper (13 of 24 for 150 yards with 1 TD and an INT). The
Buccaneers scored on seven straight possessions in a 41-14 victory. John Lynch
talked after the game. "There is nothing worse in life than underachievement
and we've been underachieving for a long time. This is the way we're capable
of playing. I think we're on the verge of something big." At the post game
press conference, Tony Dungy was asked what the team could do to keep the
momentum. "Maybe we can get you guys to write that we aren't any good. That
seems to help."
A Brett Favre to Antonio Freeman touchdown pass gave the Packers a quick 7-0 lead at Lambeau Field. The Bucs then converted turnovers, including two Favre (16 of 27 for 180 yards) interceptions, into points. Brad Johnson (18 of 30 for 177 yards) threw touchdown passes to Dave Moore and Mike Alstott, as Tampa Bay took a 17-7 third quarter lead. Johnson was sacked seven times and two big plays took the wind out of the Buccaneer sails. Ahman Green rushed for 169 yards and a 63 yard third quarter touchdown. The Bucs still lead 20-14, before a 55 yard punt return by Allen Rossum gave the home team a one point lead with 3:03 remaining. The Bucs did have two more possessions, nevertheless, Green Bay had the 21-20 victory. Tony Dungy said of blowing a ten point second half lead, "This one, I think, will take our guys a while to get over. That puts us behind the 8-ball. We've got to pour it on the second half of the year."
The Bucs and Lions played a scoreless first quarter at the Silverdome. When
Brad Johnson (20 of 37 for 188 yards) tossed a touchdown pass to Warrick Dunn,
Tampa Bay had a 10-0 half time lead. A Detroit touchdown was setup by a muffed
punt by Karl Williams, however, he made up for it. Williams returned the next
punt 84 yards and the Bucs had a 17-7 lead as the third quarter expired. With
1:49 left in the game, Charlie Batch (21 of 39 for 239 yards with 2 INTs) threw
a TD pass and the Lions had rallied to tie it up 17-17. It took a Martin
Gramatica field goal, from 35 yards out with 4 seconds left, for the Bucs to
keep the Lions winless. Warren Sapp, who had only gotten to the quarterback
once over the first seven games, recorded two the defense's five sacks. Ronde
Barber had two interceptions in a 20-17 victory. For the fourth straight year,
the Buccaneers were 4-4 at halfway point of season. Keyshawn Johnson said of
the game, "There were times when we just stunk up the place."
Brad Johnson (40 of 54 for 399 yards with 2 INTs) completed a team record forty passes and his 399 passing yards were the third highest in Bucs history. He also ran for a touchdown on the quarterback sneak. Warrick Dunn (138 yards) and Keyshawn Johnson (89 yards) each caught a dozen passes. Martin Gramatica kicked three first half field goals against Chicago. The Bucs rushed for only nineteen yards, turned the ball over four times, and three long pass plays sealed their fate. Bears QB Jim Miller (14 of 25 for 228 yards with an INT) and wide receiver Marty Booker hooked up three times at Raymond James Stadium. Booker had seven receptions for 165 yards, which equaled the third highest number of receiving yards against a Tampa Bay team. After almost losing the ball on a fumble, Chicago decided to kneel down on three straight plays to run out the clock. After the final kneel down, the Bucs took possession at their own 32 yard line with eighteen seconds left. Two pass plays and a late hit penalty later, the Bucs were at the Chicago 31 yard line with six seconds remaining. Gramatica had a chance to send the game to overtime, however, his 48 yard field goal attempt hit the upright. After the 27-24 defeat, Keyshawn Johnson was asked if the season was over. "It's not over. There are seven games left. It's a very tough season, and at the same time, it can look like very slim to none as far as making the playoffs."
The Rams had the best record in the league when the Bucs went to St. Louis for
Monday Night Football. The Tampa Bay defense forced five turnovers and Warren
Sapp recorded two of the team's three sacks. Brad Johnson (21 of 34 for 185
yards with an INT) was also sacked three times in a back and forth game. Mike
Alstott ran for two scores and passed James Wilder as the Bucs career touchdown
leader with 47. He also equaled Wilder's team record of 37 rushing touchdowns.
The game was tied 17-17 after three quarters and a 21 yard touchdown run by
Warrick Dunn proved to be the game winner. Torry Holt lead the Rams receivers
with eight catches for 139 yards, but Kurt Warner (19 of 39 for 291 yards with
a TD) was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to secure a 24-17 Buccaneers
victory.
Cincinnti took a 3-0 lead after the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Brad Johnson opened the game with fourteen straight completions, however, a team record drive of 11:15 ended in a missed field goal. Ronde Barber blocked a punt, and Todd Yoder picked up the ball and ran 11 yards for his first career touchdown, to give the Bucs a 7-3 half time advantage. Two Martin Gramatica field goals, he also missed on two attempts, put Tampa Bay up 13-3 in the fourth quarter. Donnie Abraham picked off a fourth quarter pass to match the team record of 29 career interceptions held by Cedric Brown. The Bengals staged a fourth quarter rally. The comeback was complete when Jon Kitna (19 of 38 for 144 yards) hit Corey Dillon on a short touchdown pass with 8 seconds left to send the game to overtime. The Bucs won the toss and matched down the field, before the sixth sack of Brad Johnson (26 of 33 for 231 yards) moved them out of field goal range. A Mark Royals punt pinned the Bengals deep, then John Lynch forced and recovered a fumble at the Cincinnati 3 yard line to setup the game winner. Gramatica was good from 21 yards, at 9:54 of overtime, and the Bucs had a 16-13 victory. Simeon Rice had two of team's three sacks and the Bucs had their first back to back victories of the year. Tony Dungy answered those who asked about another ugly win, "It's not a beauty contest. It's a football game."
Detroit was still win-less when they came to Tampa. A Mike Alstott scoring run gave him a team career record for rushing touchdowns (38) and the Bucs a 7-3 second quarter lead. With rookie quarterback Mike McMahon (11 of 25 for 165 yards) making his first NFL start, and on the strength of four Jason Hanson field goals, the Lions held a 12-7 fourth quarter advantage. The Bucs got to McMahon three times, while Detroit recorded four sacks and two interceptions of Brad Johnson (31 of 54 for 305 yards). Keyshawn Johnson caught ten passes for 101 yards, set a new Buccaneers record for receptions in a season and went over 1,000 yards for the year. He also set a new league record for receptions without scoring (92), before his last grab won the game. The Johnson to Johnson connection teamed up on a 13 yard TD with 45 seconds left to give the Bucs a 15-12 victory. Keyshawn Johnson talked about what he told Tony Dungy before the winning drive. "I told 'em, 'This is the time you've got to put the football in my hands' and he said 'Don't worry. We are, we are.'"
Donnie Abraham grabbed his thirtieth career interception, to become the Bucs all-time leader, but that was one of the few highlights coming out of Chicago. Keyshawn Johnson did catch seven passes for 119 yards, however, he had a key fumble. Brad Johnson (18 of 40 for 191 yards) was sacked four times, picked off twice and his fumble meant a total of four turnovers. The game was tied 3- 3 midway through second quarter, before the bottom fell out for Tampa Bay. Bears quarterback Jim Miller (14 of 29 for 190 yards with an INT) threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Bears ground out the victory. Rookie running back Anthony Thomas was held to 27 yards rushing in the first half, then his 146 yards in second half pretty put the game away for Chicago. While the Bears clinched a playoff spot with a 27-3 victory, the Bucs chances dimmed. John Lynch said, "You'd like to call this a fluke, but it wasn't. We're not the most consistent team."
The opening kickoff set the tone in a crucial game against New Orleans. Aaron
Stecker returned the kick a team record 86 yards and set the Bucs up at the
Saints 14 yard line. Two plays later, Brad Johnson threw the first of his
three touchdown passes and the Bucs were on the board. Johnson (16 of 31 for
207 yards) was not sacked or picked off on the afternoon. Ronde Barber picked
off the first pass by Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks (21 of 38 for 248 yards
with 3 TDs and 4 INTs), Mike Alstott pounded his way into the end zone from a
yard out and the crowd at Raymond James Stadium could sense a rout. The Bucs
built a 30-0 lead by half time, holding New Orleans to just one first down and
34 total yards. Barber picked off a team record three passes and returned the
last for a fourth quarter touchdown. His nine interceptions on the year
equaled Cedric Brown's twenty year old team record for interceptions in a
season. In a game full of highlights, Alstott rushed for 101 yards and Simeon
Rice recorded two of team's three sacks. Martin Gramatica booted four field
goals, however, he was injured on the final kick causing John Lynch to take
over for a couple of kickoffs. The Buccaneers equaled the team record for
points in a 48-21 thrashing. Barber said of the victory, "This was our first
playoff game. That's how we approached it. I mean, our backs were against the
wall for what, the 100th time this year?"
On a Saturday night, the Baltimore Ravens returned to the site of their Super
Bowl triumph. A first quarter interception by Ronde Barber was his tenth of
the year and established a new team record. Brad Johnson (13 of 29 for 90
yards) dove into the end zone from a yard out and the Bucs lead 16-7 after
three quarters. Mike Alstott broke loose on a 32 yard run, with 1:35 left, to
put the game away. Veteran place kicker Doug Brien, the second leading scorer
in the history of the New Orleans Saints who was signed during the week, kicked
three field goals. The Buccaneers did not turn the ball over and allowed no
sacks. The defense recorded five sacks, two by Dexter Jackson, and intercepted
Elvis Grbac (21 of 37 for 205 yards with 1 TD) twice. The Bucs also blocked a
punt. A 22-10 victory put the team in the playoffs. Tony Dungy talked about
the postseason. "Playoff teams look like we've looked the last couple of
weeks. If we can stay healthy, I think we can do something special."
In the game that was originally scheduled for week two, Philadelphia came to town for an unusual season finale. The Bucs would open the playoffs the following week in Philadelphia, regardless of the outcome, so it was almost like an exhibition game. With most starters on both teams making cameos appearances, and some not even dressed, it did look like the preseason. Brad Johnson (3 of 4 for 46 yards) played one series, before giving way to Shaun King (19 of 28 for 148 yards with 1 INT). Eagles QB Donovan McNabb handed the ball off twice, then Koy Detmer (5 of 14 for 51 yards with 1 INT) came on. The Bucs took a 10-0 lead on a touchdown run by Aaron Stecker and held a 13-3 advantage late in the fourth quarter. Third string quarterback A.J. Feeley (10 of 14 for 143 yards with 1 INT) threw a 2 yard TD pass to Dameane Douglas with 2:12 left in the game. When Karl Williams fumbled the kickoff, Feeley and Douglas again hooked up, this time from 24 yards with 1:46 remaining. Philadelphia had scored two touchdowns in 26 seconds. The Eagles were flagged eleven times for 95 yards, while the Bucs were penalized once for ten yards. Ronde Barber said after the 17-13 defeat, "We just have to focus on next week."
The Buccaneers took a 3-0 lead on a mid-forty degree afternoon in Philadelphia
and the playoff game against the Eagles was tied 3-3 after one quarter. Brad
Johnson (22 of 36 for 202 yards) set Bucs postseason records for completions
and passing yards, while Warrick Dunn had team playoff record eight receptions.
Simeon Rice recorded two sacks and Martin Gramatica kicked three field goals,
before things got ugly at Veterans Stadium. Brad Johnson also equaled the Bucs
playoff record with four interceptions and was picked off twice by safety Damon
Moore, who returned the second for a fourth quarter touchdown to eliminate all
doubt of the outcome. Donovan McNabb (16 of 25 for 194 yards with an INT)
threw two scoring passes and lead all rushers with 57 yards on four carries.
The Bucs were shutout in the second half and had not scored a touchdown in
their last three playoff games, an NFL record twelve consecutive postseason
quarters without scoring a TD. Keyshawn Johnson talked of the team's lack of
effort in a 31-9 defeat. "We've got a lot of guys on this team, they do a lot
of barking and no biting."
A 9-7 regular season record placed the Buccaneers third in the division. It was the first time the franchise had three straight winning seasons and the first time they made the playoffs three years in a row. The Bucs put the ball in the air a team record 592 times and set records for completions (362) and completion percentage (61.1%).
Keyshawn Johnson lead the NFC with a team record 106 receptions and his 1,266 receiving yards was fourth best in the conference. Brad Johnson set team records for pass attempts (559), completions (340) and completion percentage (60.8%). Ronde Barber picked off a team record ten passes to lead the NFC. Barber was tied for the league lead with Cleveland rookie, and former USF Bull, Anthony Henry. Simeon Rice lead the team with eleven sacks. Six Buccaneers made the Pro Bowl with Ronde Barber, making first Pro Bowl appearance, and Mike Alstott named as starters. Reserves were Keyshawn Johnson, his first trip since joining the Bucs, and John Lynch. Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp were also named as starters, however, they did not play in the game due to injury. Barber and Sapp were also named to the All-Pro team. Keyshawn Johnson was voted the team's Most Valuable Player by the local media.
As the 2001 season progressed, the rumors that Tony Dungy's job was on the line
intensified. Newspapers reported that if the team did not make a playoff run,
Bill Parcells would replace Dungy as head coach. The players seemed to respect
Dungy. On the possibility of his firing, Derrick Brooks said "I'd be very
disappointed if there is a change at the top." Jeff Christy remarked, "He's
one of the main reasons I came to Tampa and if he leaves, it would be very
upsetting to us all." In the postseason, the players had a chance to make a
statement about the coach's future. An embarrassing 31-9 loss may have done
just that. Keyshawn Johnson spoke of what he told the team before the
Philadelphia game. "I told everybody that it was all right in front of us. We
could make the decision hard or we could make it easy." After the game Johnson
said "To do what we did in this situation, with a man that has done so much for
this organization, it doesn't make any sense to me." After the Eagles loss,
Dungy did not want to talk about the rumors. "I'm not going to speculate. We
don't need a funeral here."
Two days after the playoff loss, the announcement came. Tony Dungy was fired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. The former coach talked about his time with the Bucs. "It's been a great six years. We came with the idea of winning the Super Bowl and we didn't get that done, but we accomplished a lot." Team owner Malcolm Glazer said of the dismissal, "It has been a privilege to work with not only Tony Dungy the coach, but Tony Dungy the man. This has been a most difficult decision." Joel Glazer added, "It's not pleasant and because it was Tony Dungy, it was downright miserable. But we felt at this time, change was just good for everybody." Joel Glazer also denied all the rumors. "We never talked to Bill Parcells about the possibility of coaching here. We've not had conversations, but we're going to start that search next."
Parcells himself claimed he was mulling over the decision, though many thought it was a negotiating ploy. "It involves an awful lot and before I'm ready to take that step, I have to think about it very, very strongly. I'm in the process of doing that and I'll decide very, very shortly." It wasn't long before word came. "I just don't want to try to do this for only one of two years," Parcells said. "I just don't think I can make the committment."
The pursuit of Bill Parcells may have also cost the team a shot at hiring Steve Spurrier. Spurrier had left the University of Florida to give the NFL a shot. While Tampa Bay may have been a better fit, Spurrier signed with the Washington Redskins.
| Related Links |
| 2001 Buccaneers Results |
| 2001 NFC Central Division Standings |
| 2001 Buccaneers Draft |
| 2001 Buccaneers Statistics |
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