Buccaneers 2001, A Wild Ride?
(September 6, 2001)

Philadelphia 21, Tampa Bay 3. Eight months later the stench lingers. Will that miserable playoff performance be the motivation to propel the 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl? In 1999, a touchdown from the big game, in 2000 a pathetic postseason performance. The Bucs have a ton of talent, but can they put it all together? Sunday at Dallas we begin to find out. Are you ready for some football?

Boy are we ever. There is a need to erase the memory of the Philly nightmare. Last year it was fashionable to pick the Bucs to play in their own stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. This year, even more prognosticators are chosing the Tampa Bay team to go to the big game.

One reason expectations are once again every high is the newcomers. Quarterback Brad Johnson brings experience where the Bucs desperately needed it. Shaun King did an admirable job, and hopefully will again in the future, but the Bucs need proven leadership at the QB position. One knock on Johnson is that he is injury prone, so King had better be ready to take over. Ryan Leaf was picked up during the offseason, but lost out on the number three QB position to Joe Hamilton.

Another free agent signing was defensive end Simeon Rice. A great defense just got better. Lynch, Brooks, Sapp, Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers. Stay healthy and this could be the best Bucs defense yet, and that is saying something.

The draft of Kenyatta Walker should help the offensive line. While the Johnson and Johnson (Brad to Keyshawn) connection will be called upon to spark the offense, Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott will continue to figure predominantly in a ball control attack. The salary cap makes it difficult, if not impossible, for teams to have the perfect balance on both sides of the ball. The Bucs defense is very good and has the potential to be called great. Baltimore won it all last year based on defense. If the Tampa Bay offense can upgrade itself to average, and it is possible having a new quarterback will generate a slow start, the team will have a shot at fulfilling all the predictions.

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this is the last run at a NFC Central Division title. Next year it is off to the newly created NFC South with Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans. The Bucs can leave the Black and Blue division with a bang. A division championship, a bye in the first round of the playoffs, a return to the NFC Championship Game and an appearance in the game played in New Orleans on January 27, 2002. I make no predictions, but hang on tight. It is likely to be a wild ride.