2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On August 2, 2003, the Buccaneers opened the preseason in Tokyo. The team’s first international game was part of the NFL’s American Bowl series and the twelfth exhibition in Japan. A  crowd of 43,601 was at the Tokyo Dome to see the Bucs rout the New York Jets 30-14.
After the game, Jon Gruden commented, "We enjoyed Tokyo enormously, but we're ready to go home now." Warren Sapp added, "The sushi here is a lot better than in the States." |
The preseason began in Tokyo, Japan, against the New York Jets in one the NFL's "American Bowl" exhibition games. It was the first time the Bucs had played outside the United States. Training camp did not feature many surprises. Jacquez Green returned to the team as a free agent acquisition, however, he ended up being cut. The Bucs had also signed quarterback Jim Miller who was a nine year veteran and played with Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Chicago. Miller was slow to recover from injuries, missed the entire preseason and ended up being cut. Jon Gruden said of defending the Super Bowl title, "We've got some nice memories, but we have to move on."
Monday Night Football and Philadelphia's new Lincoln Financial Field was the
site for the season opener. The Bucs defense picked up where it left off last
year by sacking Donovan McNabb (19 of 36 for 148 yards) three times,
intercepting him once and forcing the Eagles quarterback to fumble the ball
away. The offense took some time to get rolling and the Bucs lead 3-0 at the
half. An 80 yard drive was capped by Joe Jurevicius keeping his feet in the
corner of the end zone and a 10-0 lead after three quarters. A 73 yard drive
lead to a second Jurevicius TD catch, a circus type grab were he tipped the
ball in the air and dove in the end zone for the reception, and the Bucs had a
17-0 victory. Warren Sapp had his first career reception, as he caught a Brad
Johnson (27 of 36 for 238 yards with an INT) pass for 14 yards and a key first
down. Sapp said of his catch, "I've always dreamed about it." Jon Gruden felt
the defensive lineman, who lined up several times at tight end, "Looked pretty
good out there." The head coach also talked about the shutout, "What can you
say about our defense? They did a great job. They hustle, they tackle and
they're very stingy."
"We looked like the Super Bowl chumps," said Keyshawn Johnson after the Bucs home opener redefined the word ugly. The game saw 31 penalties, 17 for the Bucs (168 yards) and 16 for Carolina (120 yards), and Martin Gramatica had two field goals blocked. The Bucs defense played well, as Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (9 of 23 for 96 yards with 2 INTs) was largely ineffective, but Stephen Davis did rush for 142 yards on 33 carries. The offense sputtered at times, yet the Bucs had a 397 to 258 advantage in total yards. Brad Johnson (34 of 61 for 339 yards with an 1 INT) threw a team record number of passes and Keyshawn Johnson caught nine ball for 102 yards. Carolina lead 9-3 with 1:49 left in regulation and the Bucs had the ball at their own 18 yard line with no time outs. Ten plays later, Brad Johnson found Keenan McCardell in the back of the end zone to tie the score at 9-9 with all zeros on the stadium clock. All that was needed was a PAT to pull out a dramatic victory, however, Gramatica's extra point was blocked. Carolina's third blocked kick forced the game into overtime. John Kasey kicked his fourth field goal of the game, this one from 47 yards with 3:28 left in OT, and the Panthers had a 12-9 victory. Brad Johnson said of all the flags, "If you want to call a penalty on every play, you probably can. It seems we came pretty close today."
The Bucs got back on track at the Georgia Dome. The defense held Atlanta to 29
yards rushing and 136 total yards. The Falcons turned the ball over five
times, Dwight Smith picked off Doug Johnson (13 of 19 for 95 yards with 3 INTs)
twice and linebacker Ryan Nece had his first career interception. The Tampa
Bay offense generated 316 total yards and Brad Johnson (16 of 24 for 192 yards
with an INT) threw two first half touchdown passes. Warren Sapp scored on a 6
yard Johnson pass that gave the Bucs a 17-3 lead at the half. Mike Alstott
added two short scoring runs in the second half and the Bucs had a 31-10
victory. One negative was ten Buccaneers penalties for 123 yards. Sapp said
of his first career offensive touchdown, "I'm much more into taking a football
from a quarterback than I am catching one from him." Jon Gruden added, "It
just adds to the legacy of Warren Sapp."
It was back home for Monday Night Football, the Indianapolis Colts and Tony Dungy. It was the first time in franchise history the team faced off against a former Buccaneers head coach. Keenan McCardell (4 receptions for 106 yards) caught two touchdown passes and returned a fumble for a score, as the Bucs built a 28-7 lead after three quarters. With 5:09 remaining, Ronde Barber returned an interception 29 yards for a TD and Bucs seemed to have the game in hand 35-14. Everything was going Tampa Bay's way with Michael Pittman rushing for 106 yards and Brad Johnson (26 of 39 for 318 yards with 1 INT) throwing for three touchdowns. Then the bottom fell out. Peyton Manning (34 of 47 for 386 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT) got hot and the Colts made a historic comeback. Marvin Harrison (11 catches for 176 yards with 2 TDs) and Ricky Williams (2 TD runs) helped Indianapolis score three touchdowns in the final 3:37 to send the game to overtime. With 3:47 left in OT, a 26 yard Mike Vanderjagt field goal gave the Colts a 38-35 victory. Each team was penalized eleven times, the Bucs for 111 yards and the Colts for 80 yards, but the last flag was the most controversial. Vanderjagt had missed his first shot at the winning kick, however, a leaping penalty on Simeon Rice gave him another shot. It was a wild night, as the Bucs out-gained the Colts 457 to 455 in total yards. Indianapolis became the first team in NFL history to come back and win after training by 21 or more points with less than four minutes to play. The news got worse the next day when the team found out Mike Alstott was lost for the season due a neck injury. Jon Gruden said of the game, "I'm right there with you, Tampa Bay. I'm sick, I'm distraught, I'm disappointed and I don't like the feeling in my stomach." Tony Dungy talked about the game and facing his former team. "I am just extremely happy, but when you face guys you went to war with, it was really tough out there."
Next was a trip to play the Redskins and the one time coach of the Tampa Bay
Bandits. Steve Spurrier had also flirted with becoming the Bucs head coach a
couple of times. Early in the second half Washington had a 13-7 lead, then the
Bucs scored 28 answered points. Brad Johnson (22 of 30 for 268 yards) did hit
Keyshawn Johnson on a 39 touchdown play, but injuries forced the team to use
numerous backup players. Todd Yoder had a pair of TD catches for his first
career touchdowns and rookie tight end Will Heller also scored his first TD.
Brad Johnson capped four long scoring drives (85, 80, 91 and 70 yards) with
scoring passes. The Tampa Bay defense recorded six quarterback sacks, Simeon
Rice tied the team record with four sacks and Warren Sapp had the other two,
and Derrick Brooks returned an interception 44 yards for the game's final
score. Rob Johnson (4 for 4 for 35 yards), who played for the Bucs last
season, came on late in the game for Patrick Ramsey (21 of 32 for 211 yards
with 1 TD and 2 INTs). Rice said of the 35-13 victory, "I think this team
showed its resilience today. We knew our title and our character were on the
line." Spurrier remarked, "They're a better team than we are. That's all you
can say."
The Buccaneers played poorly on both sides of the ball at San Francisco. Brad Johnson (21 of 34 for 241 yards) did hit Keenan McKardell (3 receptions for 119 yards) on a 75 yard touchdown pass to tie the score 7-7 after one quarter, but the Bucs QB was intercepted three times and the team also lost one of three fumbles. Defensively, the Bucs allowed the most total yards since 1991. Garrison Hearst rushed for 117 yards and the game's first score. Jeff Garcia (15 of 29 for 253 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT) threw a 75 yard TD pass to Terrell Owens (six catches for 152 yards) and the 49ers were up 21-7 at the half. The 49ers rolled up 458 yards of offense in a 24-7 victory. Simeon Rice said after the defeat, "I think we should put that Super Bowl bid on hold. That party is over with. The parade I didn't go to is done. That title, the banner, carrying a ring, that was good for last year. That was good for the offseason. Right now, we're living in a storm and it's raining hard."
Brad Johnson (13 of 26 for 151 yards) threw a touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Pittman rushed for 113 yards on 30 carries, and Martin Gramatica booted three field goals, but the defense was the story against Dallas. The Buccaneers intercepted Quincy Carter (15 of 25 for 140 yards) twice, sacked him four times and held the Cowboys to 178 total yards. Rhode Barber said of the 16-0 victory at Raymond James Stadium, "We played with a purpose today. It was like old times again." Dallas head coach Bill Parcells, who had backed out of the Bucs head coaching job the year before, admitted, "We did not have a chance to win this game. We cannot do what we did today and expect to beat the world champions."
The Buccaneers could not overcome six turnovers in a home game against New
Orleans. Deuce McAllister rushed for 110 yards, and Aaron Brooks (13 of 29 for
142 yards with 1 INT) threw a touchdown pass, but four turnovers inside the
Saints 30 yard line doomed Tampa Bay. Ashley Ambrose intercepted Brad Johnson
(27 of 46 for 321 yards) twice and returned the second pick 73 yards for a
score giving New Orleans a 14-0 lead after three quarters. Brad Johnson was
sacked four times, but the Bucs did come back to tie the game on two long
fourth quarter scoring drives. A 70 yard drive was capped with a 26 yard Brad
Johnson to Michael Pittman touchdown pass and the home team was on the board.
The Bucs marched 97 yards to tie the score with 2:08 left. On fourth down and
ten, Keenan McCardell caught a 30 yard pass to make it 14-14. The Saints had
time to set up their own heroics and John Carney kicked the winning 47 yard
field goal with :08 on the clock. The Bucs looked good on the stat sheet,
gaining 21 first downs to New Orleans 10 and having a 362 to 257 advantage in
total yards, yet lost the only stat that mattered 17-14. Jon Gruden said of
the loss, "It's hard to swallow any time you get beat. We've had our share of
swallowing this year. We've swallowed some real whoppers." Keyshawn Johnson,
who caught ten passes for 124 yards that afternoon, remained optimistic.
"We'll make the playoffs. You can say I guarantee it. There's still a lot of
football left."
At Carolina, the Panthers took a 10-0 lead after one quarter. Tampa Bay cornerback Tim Wansley had two interceptions and he returned his first career pick 23 yards and the score was 10-7 at the half. Ricky Proehl (3 receptions for 133 yards) caught a TD pass and Carolina stretched the lead to 20-7 after three quarters. Brad Johnson (24 of 43 for 275 yards with 1 INT) threw one touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson and Keenan McCardell (9 receptions for 118 yards) made a one handed grab for another to put the Bucs in front 21-20. Simeon Rice recorded two sacks and the Bucs set the NFL record by having at least one sack in 69 consecutive games. After a Martin Gramatica field goal, the Bucs had scored seventeen unanswered points and lead 24-20 with 2:41 left. The Panthers marched 78 yards and Jake Delhomme (20 of 32 for 277 with 2 INTs) threw a 5 yard pass to Steve Smith for the winning score. Jon Gruden said after his first back to back losses as the Bucs head coach, "We've had games in our pockets and then gotten mugged."
| Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has always been a bit of a rebel with a penchant
for litigation. He even sued the for Buccaneers for trademark infringement
involving the team's new pirate logo.
In a case filed with a Santa Clara County court, the Raiders wanted the court
to bar the Bucs from wearing their uniforms while playing in California. The
suit claimed the new logo was "likely to dilute the distinctive quality of the
Raiders' mark, thereby lessening its capacity to identify the Raiders, and Stating the issue belonged in federal court, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge John Herlihy dismissed the case. The judge did say that if the Bucs had to wear an alternative uniform in California, then Florida might say, "When the Raiders come to Florida, get that logo off your uniform, put a daisy on your uniform." In the same suit, the Raiders objected to the Carolina Panthers use of silver and black in their color scheme. After the dismissal, Raiders officials said they were exploring their legal options, however, no appeal has ever been filed. |
On Tuesday November 18, and the 4-6 Bucs on a three game losing streak, the team announced that Keyshawn Johnson would be inactive for the remainder of the season. Johnson had worn out his welcome and made no secret of the fact he wanted out of Tampa Bay after the season. While Jon Gruden refused to go into deatil, he said that Johnson's behavior had become a problem and that "for whatever reasons, he did not want to be here." Johnson, who had said his relationship with the head coach was "like a bad marriage," stated "I didn't see this coming at all. It's probably better this way. I'm out of his hair, he's out of my hair."
The losing streak came to an end against the New York Giants on Monday Night
Football. After a scoreless first quarter, Thomas Jones scored on a 1 yard run
and the home team was on the board. Charles Lee broke loose on a 53 yard pass
for his first touchdown with the Bucs and the lead was 14-3 at the half. In
the fourth quarter, cornerback Frank Walker intercepted Brad Johnson (22 of 32
for 269 yards) and returned the ball 56 yards to narrow the gap to 17-13. The
Tampa Bay defense also had some big plays, including two interceptions of Kerry
Collins (18 of 34 for 160 yards), forcing four turnovers and Warren Sapp
recorded two sacks. A late safety made the final score 19-13. John Lynch said
of the victory, "It felt good to close one out." Derrick Brooks added, "Being
5-6 never felt so good."
After a scoreless first quarter, and a Byron Leftwich to Kyle Brady touchdown pass, the Jaguars had a 7-0 lead in Jacksonville. The Buccaneers answered with a Thomas Jones touchdown run and a Martin Gramatica field goal put the Bucs in front. The Jags tied the game by halftime. While Jacksonville's Fred Taylor ran for 118 yards, Brad Johnson (21 of 38 for 156 yards with 1 INT) and the Bucs offense had trouble sustaining drives. The only score of the second half was a 48 yard Leftwich (20 of 34 for 224 yards) to Jimmy Smith (10 receptions for 136 yards) touchdown pass. After the 17-10 Sunday night defeat ended any realistic shot at making the playoffs, head coach Jon Gruden said, "I realize the buzzards are flying around here and there are funeral arrangements being made."
At New Orleans, Joe Horn caught nine passes for 118 yards, however, he dropped one in the end zone that would have given the Saints a 14-0 second quarter lead. On the next play, Aaron Brooks (20 of 30 for 238 yards with a TD) lost the first of three fumbles the QB would cough up that day. Brooks had a rough game, as the Bucs sacked him seven times with Simeon Rice recording three of the sacks. Two plays later, Brad Johnson threw a 14 yard scoring pass to Ken Dilger and the game was tied. A blocked punt on the Saints next possession set the Bucs up again. Warren Sapp made a juggling catch of a Johnson (20 of 34 for 213 yards with an INT) pass for a 1 yard touchdown and the Bucs had the advantage 14-7. The Bucs scored two touchdowns in 1:13 and there would be no further scoring in the game. Derrick Brook said of the victory, "We're like a wounded dog and a wounded dog will bite you."
The Buccaneers defense dominated the team's first meeting with second year
Houston Texans. They sacked rookie quarterback Dave Ragone (9 of 17 for 64
yards) five times and held Houston to 107 yards, which equalled the second
fewest total yards allowed in Bucs history. The Bucs also set a team record by
allowing -3 passing yards in the first half. Brad Johnson (17 of 28 for 237
yards) was steady, and Thomas Jones rushed for 134 yards with the game's only
touchdown. While the Bucs amassed 398 total yards, and had a 24-7 advantage in
first downs, they did have to settle for three Martin Gramatica field goals.
The 16-3 victory at Raymond James Stadium gave Tampa Bay its first back to back
wins of season and evened the team's record at 7-7. Ronde Barber commented,
"We're still in it a little bit. It's not over for us yet."
The home finale was a Saturday afternoon game against Atlanta. The Falcons lead 10-0 after the first quarter and the Bucs scored to make it 10-7. Michael Vick (8 of 15 for 119 yards) threw two touchdown passes, while Brad Johnson was intercepted four times in the first half. Atlanta scored seventeen points in the final two minutes of the half, including a 41 yard interception return by cornerback Juran Bolden, and the score was 27-7 at the intermission. The Falcons would stretch the lead to 30-7 after three quarters. The Bucs would score twenty-one fourth quarter points and the game came down to the final seconds. With 2:20 left, and the Bucs down 30-14, Johnson hit Keenan McCardell (6 receptions for 122 yards) on a 76 yard pass play. A successful two point conversion made the score 30-22. Tampa Bay recovered the on-sides kick and Brad Johnson (34 of 48 for 346 yards) threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game with 27 seconds on the clock. This time, the Bucs could not convert for the two points and it was 30-28. They tried another on-sides kick, however, Atlanta recovered and ran out the clock. The Bucs had 440 total yards, compared to 267 for the Falcons, but could not overcome the turnovers. John Lynch said afterwards, "Being home for the playoffs, that's something that's going to be miserable. It's something we haven't gone through in a long time. It's something I never really thought would happen."
The season ended at Tennessee. The game was tied 3-3 after the first quarter,
then Neil O'Donnell threw two touchdown passes to Derrick Mason. O'Donnell (18
of 27 for 232 yards with an INT) had been cut in training camp and was out of
football until two weeks before the game. Brad Johnson (13 of 23 for 96 yards)
was intercepted three times and Shaun King (11 of 15 for 106 yards and 1 INT)
came into the game early in the third quarter. King did toss a TD pass to
Aaron Stecker in a 33-13 defeat. After the loss to the Titans, Ronde Barber
said "When your record doesn't even reflect that you finished .500, that's
pretty embarrasing for us." Derrick Brooks was already looking ahead. "For
me, next year is going to be personal. And I'm making it personal right now to
take this team back to the Super Bowl."
At 7-9, the Buccaneers posted a losing record for the first time since 1996 and the team's 3-5 mark at home was the worst in ten years. Jon Gruden had plenty to say about his first losing season as a head coach. "It's humiliating. It's hard to put into words the sickness I feel for myself, our team and our fans. We've had our share of adversity this year. It makes us appreciate what we did last year. There's a fine line between winning and losing. It's a hard lesson that we've learned."
There were some individual achievements that stood out over a dismal season. Simeon Rice was second in the NFL with 15 sacks and Tom Tupa set a Bucs new record, and was third in the NFC, with 43.3 yard punting average. Keenan McCardell's 84 catches and 1,174 receiving yards were fourth best in NFC. Brad Johnson set Buccaneers records for TD passes (26), passing yards (3,811), attempts (570), completions (354) and was the fifth highest rated passer in NFC. Derrick Brooks, Keenan McCardell, Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp were voted to the Pro Bowl. For Brooks and Sapp it was the seventh straight appearance, which set the team record for Pro Bowl trips and consecutive appearances.
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causing irreparable harm that cannot adequately be compensated by an award of
damages."