2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dozens of new players were added to the roster and the Bucs concentrated on the offensive line. Eleven year veteran Todd Steussie, twelve year veteran Derrick Deese, nine year vet Matt O'Dwyer and five year man Matt Stinchcomb were added to the o-line. O'Dwyer was injured in training camp and guard Jason Whittle would end up being traded to the New York Giants for a draft pick. Brian Griese, a six year veteran, was brought in as a backup quarterback. Ten year veteran Charlie Garner and six year veteran Greg Comella were among the new running backs. Nine year veteran receiver Joey Galloway came from Dallas in a trade for Keyshawn Johnson. Cornerback Mario Edwards and linebacker Ian Gold, both four year veterans, were signed. After a year with Buffalo, tight end Dave Moore returned to Tampa Bay. Also signed was five year veteran punter Josh Bidwell. When Keenan McCardell decided to holdout, wide receivers Tim Brown, who played 16 season with the Raiders, and ten year vet Bill Schroeder were brought into camp.

The largest crowd to ever watch the Bucs, 90,098, was on hand at FexEx Field to welcome Joe Gribbs back as the Washington Redskins head coach. On Washington's first possession, Clinton Portis (148 yards rushing) ran 64 yards for a quick 7-0 Redskins lead. The teams exchanged field goals, before Rhode Barber ran an fumble by Mark Brunell (13 of 24 for 125 yards with an INT) back 9 yards and the game was tied at 10-10 after three quarters. The Tampa Bay offense never really moved the ball with just 30 yards rushing and 169 total net yards. Brad Johnson (24 of 37 for 169 yards) was sacked four times and intercepted once. John Hall added two fourth quarter field goals and Washington won 16-10. Jon Gruden said after the game, "We've obviously got a long way to go, especially on offense. It was a tough day for us, no doubt about it."

The offense did not fare much better in the home opener. Brad Johnson (4 of 7 for 34 yards with an INT) was pulled in the second quarter in favor of Chris Simms (21 of 32 for 175 yards with 1 INT) and Seattle sacked the quarterbacks five times. The Bucs defense held the Seahawks to 182 total yards and Anthony McFarland recorded two of the team's four sacks of Matt Hasselbeck (12 of 26 for 147 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT). In a game with little offense, Seattle punted ten times and the Bucs eight time, Seattle won 10-6. Jon Gruden talked about putting Simms into the game. "We needed to give the offense a lift. I felt Chris would come in and give us a different perspective." On starting the season 0-2, the head coach admitted, "The light bulb is flickering, at best. It's a crisis right now."

There were plenty of story lines leading up to a Sunday night Super Bowl XXXVII re-match in Oakland. Warren Sapp playing as a Raider against his former team. New Buccaneers Tim Brown, Charlie Garner and General Manager Bruce Allen returning to Oakland. And then there was the return of "Chucky," as Jon Gruden and his staff wore black for the head coach's return to the "Black Hole." Rich Gannon (2 of 4 for 10) was looking forward to revenge, but a hit by Derrick Brooks knocked him out of the game after seven plays, and Kerry Collins (16 of 27 for 228 with 1 TD and 1 INT) came in at quarterback. Garner also went out early in the game with a season ending knee injury. After Martin Gramatica and Sebastian Janikowski traded field goals, the game was 6-6 in second quarter, the Raiders scored the next 24 points. Tyrone Wheatley rushed for 102 yards and an Oakland touchdown. Brad Johnson (22 of 36 for 309 yards) threw for two fourth quarter scores and had an interception returned by cornerback Phillip Buchanon for a TD. Tim Brown caught a TD, his first with the Bucs after 99 with the Raiders, to become the fourth player in NFL history to catch 100 scoring passes. Bill Schroeder (4 receptions for 126 yards) also caught a TD pass in the Bucs 30-20 defeat. Sapp said afterwards, "Big buildup, great game and the right outcome. It felt like deja vu at times."

The next week it was the return of another former Buc, as John Lynch came back to Tampa Bay as a Denver Bronco. Tight end Patrick Hape, another ex-Buc, caught a Jake Plummer (13 of 31 for 138 yards) touchdown pass to open the scoring. Brad Johnson (15 of 23 for 162 yards) hooked up with Michael Clayton for the receiver's first career TD. In the fourth quarter, it was the third field goal of the day by Jason Elam that provided the winning margin. After the 16-13 deafeat, Johnson said of the still win-less Buccaneers, "Not many people on this team have ever been 0-4. It's a different experience. You hate it for the us, the players, for everything we're going through. You hate it for the fans." Lynch admitted of his return, "There were some mixed emotions. I really had to stay focused. I'm just glad I didn't walk into the wrong locker room and I'm glad I went to the right sidelines."

Chris Simms (Simms 5 of 8 for 68 yards) got his first NFL start at New Orleans, however, he injured his shoulder on a first quarter sack and Brian Griese came into the game. It was his first action with Buccaneers and he made the most of it. Griese (16 of 19 for 194 yards) threw a 45 yard touchdown pass to Ken Dilger, and Ronde Barber returned a fumble for a score, as the Bucs took a 20- 7 third quarter lead. The Saints battled back with Deuce McAllister rushing for 102 yards and Aaron Brooks (11 of 23 for 106 yards with an INT) throwing a pair of TD passes. Even with eleven penalties for 65 yards, the Bucs posted the first win of the season 20-17. Griese, on coming in for Simms, said "I really feel like he'd earned his shot, but I also feel that I can still play. I think I proved today that I can move the offense here. I hope it's going to be a stepping stone for us."

A Monday night game at St. Louis was the stage for the first Buccaneers start for Brain Griese. Michael Clayton had his first 100 yard receiving game (8 catches for 142 yards) and Griese (27 of 40 for 286 yards with 1 INT) tossed touchdown passes to Michael Pittman and Will Heller. The defense recorded four sacks of Marc Bulger (18 of 30 for 264 yards with 1 INT), including two by Greg Spires, however turnovers killed Tampa Bay. Rams safety Adam Archuleta broke a 14-14 third quarter tie with a 93 yard fumble return for a TD, which was the longest fumble return against Bucs in team history. A total of four turnovers, including a fumble at their own 5 yard line and an interception at the Ram 2 yard line, were too much to overcome. Torry Holt (124 receiving yards) caught a pair of TD passes to lead the Rams to a 28-21 victory. Jon Gruden said of the defeat, "We missed two field goals and fumbled in the red zone twice. I'm fully responsible for this mess, and with all these turnovers, we might be the best 1-5 team in history. We did it to ourselves."

The Buccaneers had back-to-back 93 yard second quarter scoring drives and took a 10-0 halftime lead over Chicago. Brian Griese (15 of 23 for 163 yards) threw a touchdown pass to Michael Clayton and Michael Pittman rushed for 109 yards with a TD. The defense recorded four sacks, two by Simeon Rice, and held the Bears to 167 total yards. Jonathan Quinn (5 of 9 for 47 yards) started at quarterback for Chicago with Ohio State rookie Craig Krenzel (9 of 19 for 69 yards with an INT) seeing his first NFL action in relief. Former Buccaneer Thomas Jones scored the Bears touchdown in the Bucs 19-7 victory. Ronde Barber said after the game, "I was starting to think that if we didn't win this one, people might start rebelling and giving their season tickets back. We needed to put our best effort forward in this stadium."

With the Buccaneers having 418 total yards, and Kansas City 459, it was a shootout at Raymond James Stadium. Brian Griese (22 of 34 for 296 yards) threw two touchdown passes and Chiefs QB Trent Green (32 of 42 for 369 yards with 2 INT) tossed three. Tight end Tony Gonzalez (9 receptions for 123 yards) had a nice TD grab for the visitors and Eddie Kennison (6 catches for 104 yards) also had 100 yard receiving day. Two things made the different. One was the running of Michael Pittman. He rushed for 128 yards, including a 78 yard score, which was the longest run in Bucs history. Pittman also tied the team record with three rushing TDs in the game. The other factor was that Bucs did not turnover the ball, while Kansas City had three turnovers. One of the few negatives was that Tim Brown did not catch a pass, which ended the third longest streak in NFL history at 179 consecutive games with a reception. Each team was penalized ten times. Jon Gruden said after the 34-31 victory, "Every champion never dies. Once you are a champion, you are a champion forever. You are relentless and you will always rise."

Things looked grim at the Georgia Dome as Atlanta, behind two touchdown runs by T.J. Duckett, took a 17-0 second quarter advantage. The Bucs battled back, with Brian Griese (19 of 26 for 174 yards with 1 INT) throwing TD passes to Michael Clayton and Ken Dilger, and it was 17-14 after three quarters. Tampa Bay could get no closer. Griese was sacked seven times and the Bucs were penalized 13 times for 83 yards. Michael Vick (8 of 16 for 147 yards with 1 INT) rushed for 76 yards and tossed a 49 yard scoring pass to Alge Crumpler (4 receptions for 118 yards) in a 24-14 Falcons victory. The Bucs defense did record five sacks with Shelton Quarles getting to Vick twice. One of the sacks was recorded by Chidi Ahanotu, who returned to the team due to injuries. Because of injuries in the secondary, Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson was signed the following week. At 3-6, Griese did not think the Bucs playoff hopes were completely extinguished. "It was a tough loss. I told the guys after the game we need to stick together. This season is far from over."

The Buccaneers put it all together for a home game against San Francisco. Brian Griese (15 of 21 for 210 yards) was intercepted twice, but he threw two touchdowns passes to Joe Jurevicius. Michael Pittman ran for 106 yards and a pair of scores. The Bucs sacked 49ers quarterback Tim Rattay (15 of 31 for 147 yards) five times and had a 352 to 197 advantage in total yards. Cornerback Torrie Cox had his first career interception and returned it 55 yards for his first touchdown to close out the scoring. Derrick Brooks said after the 35-3 victory, "It's been a long time since we dominated on both sides of the ball like that, but we are still not where we need to be." Dwight Smith added, "We're going to keep fighting, keep digging until we are eliminated."

At Carolina, Brian Griese (27 of 39) threw for 347 yards and tossed two TD passes to Michael Pittman (8 receptions for career high 134 yards). The Bucs recorded four sacks, out-gained Carolina 398 to 300 in total yards and Panthers place kicker Jeff Chandler missed two field goals. The Bucs still managed to give the game away. Martin Gramatica missed three field goals, Pittman lost two fumbles and Julius Peppers returned a Griese interception 46 yards for a score. Nick Goings also rushed for 134 yards for the Panthers. With 20 seconds left, Jake Delhomme (14 of 21 for 213 yards with 1 INT) heaved a 40 yard scoring pass to Keary Colbert for wide receiver's second TD catch of the day and a 21-14 Carolina victory. Speaking of his place kicker, Jon Gruden said, "It is easy to point fingers. I'm not going to that. Martin Gramatica is a guy I consider a great talent. Just pick up a media guide. He's won a tremendous amount of games for this franchise. I'm not going to talk about it anymore." Griese stated the obvious, "You can't come on the road and turn the ball over three times, miss three field goals and expect to win."

The Buccaneers cut Martin Gramatica during the week. Despite being the franchise's all-time leading scorer and the only Bucs place kicker to go to the Pro Bowl, Gramatica admitted, "It wasn't like a shock." The team signed Jay Taylor as a replacement. Taylor had played in the XFL, NFL Europe and most recently with the Orlando Arena Football League team.

Atlanta could have clinched the division title, but the defense made a statement when the Falcons came to town. Michael Vick (13 of 27 for 115 yards) was intercepted twice, and he lost two fumbles, Greg Spires recovered both times, and those turnovers lead to twenty Buccaneers points. Vick was also sacked five times, twice by Simeon Rice to give the defensive lineman 101 career sacks. Brian Griese (13 of 21 for 131 yards with 1 INT) threw a touchdown pass to Joey Galloway, which was the wide receiver's first score with Tampa Bay. New place kicker Jay Taylor kicked two field goals, including a 50 yarder. Touchdown runs by Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott accounted for the rest of the scoring in a 27-0 victory. Rice, feeling the season was not quite over, said "We have a little bit of hope. The playoffs have already started for us."

Michael Clayton (9 receptions for 145 yards) made a juggling touchdown catch to tie the game at San Diego 21-21 with 6:53 left. Brian Griese (36 of 50 for 392 yards) had hooked up with Joey Galloway on two scoring passes earlier, but his turnovers would kill the Bucs. Griese was intercepted three times, twice by linebacker Donnie Edwards, and he also fumbled the ball away on a sack. In the final minutes, Edwards returned one pick for a score and the fumble lead to a field goal, as the Chargers took a quick ten point lead. While the Bucs mistakes made the difference, including a dozen penalties for 111 yards, several Chargers had big afternoons. Drew Brees (17 of 23 for 220 yards with 2 INTs) threw a pair of TD passes, LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 131 yards with a TD and Eric Parker had six catches for 118 yards and a score. After a 31-24 defeat, Ronde Barber said, "We're not losing games. We're just finding ways to beat ourselves. We're finding ways to kick our own butts."

There was some quick scoring in the game between the Buccaneers and New Orleans in Tampa. After muffing the opening kickoff, former Buccaneer Aaron Stecker ended up returning the kick 98 yards for a touchdown. On the Bucs first possession, Brian Griese (13 of 22 for 118 yards with an INT) threw a scoring pass to Joey Galloway and the game was tied 7-7. The score would remain that way until Galloway returned a punt for a score in the third quarter. A Jay Taylor field goal would put the Bucs up by ten with less than four minutes remaining. The defense pestered Aaron Brooks (14 of 21 for 169 yards) all day with Simeon Rice recording 3 1/2 of the team's seven sacks. Michael Pittman rushed for 131 yards, however, his key fumble would lead to the Bucs demise. Brooks threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:33 and Tampa Bay fell 21-17. Ronde Barber felt, "This is a bad football team and I don't know anybody who can say differently."

The home finale featured more of the same. While Brian Griese (30 of 41 for 321 yards) threw three touchdown passes, twice hitting Michael Clayton, he also had two interceptions and lost a fumble. Carolina defensive lineman Kindal Moorehead returned one of the picks for the game's final score. Toss in ten penalties and a blocked punt, as the Bucs continued to beat themselves. The Panthers had a balanced attack with Jake Delhomme (19 of 24 for 214 yards) throwing four TD passes, two caught by Muhsin Muhammad (8 receptions for 115 yards), and Nick Goings rushing for 127 yards. After a 37-20 defeat, Jon Gruden said, "I'm going to learn from this experience. I realize there will be plenty of critics and bring it on. I'm really confident we'll find a way out of this darkness."

The season finale in Tempe was a microcosm of the season. Brain Griese was banged up, so Chris Simms (16 of 32 for 224 yards with 1 TD) got the start. Simms did throw a 75 yard touchdown pass to Michael Clayton, however, he was intercepted twice, sacked four times and fumbled away a snap. Cardinals quarterback Josh McCown (16 of 36 for 115 yards with an INT) did not fare much better and all of Arizona's points came on four field goals by Neil Rackers. Joe Jurevicius said after the 12-7 defeat, "It was a dismal season, to say the least. I am happy it's over. I'm sick of losing." Jon Gruden had plenty to say about his team's poor play. "I hope they got it all out their system this year. For the next 100 years, I hope. I feel like I've let a lot of people down. If we can't play any better than this, they need to get a new coach. Whether they run me out of here or not, we will not allow that kind of play. That did not happen at the Chamberlain-Leto game and it will not happen here." Gruden did indicate that he wanted to turn the ship around stating, "I plan on being here until I'm dead."

Even with the 5-11 record, and becoming the first team to have back-to-back losing seasons after winning Super Bowl, there were some positives for the 2004 Buccaneers. Brian Griese came on to become the third rated passer in the NFC and Michael Clayton broke all the team rookie receiving records. Derrick Brooks went to the Pro Bowl for a franchise record eighth time and Ronde Barber made his second trip to the Pro Bowl. Brooks and Barber were also named to the All-Pro team.

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2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Results

2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft

2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Statistics

2004 NFC South Division Standings

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