Bucs’ Most Dominant Season
May 31st, 2020
How dominant?
It bums Joe out that there is a generation of Bucs fans whose memories of the Bucs winning the Super Bowl — if they remember — are more of the partying, victory parade and the commotion surrounding the team than the actual game.
Since the Bucs captured the Vince Lombardi Trophy in January 2003, at their best the Bucs were an average team. In the Lost Decade, the Bucs were downright lousy.
But man, that 2002 team. What a beautiful defense. One of the NFL’s best. Dominant.
But not good enough to vault those Bucs to the status of the NFL’s best seasons of the last 50 years, writes one NFL scribe.
Mike Sando of The Athletic decided to rank the most dominant seasons of each NFL team since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. Even with one of the best defenses in NFL history, the 2002 Bucs only were ranked at No. 20 behind the 2017 Eagles and just ahead of the 2009 Saints.
Some who appreciate the Buccaneers’ historically dominant defense wondered how this 2002 Tampa Bay team could miss the overall top 25. The main reason is because this Bucs team suffered four regular-season defeats, whereas all the top 25 teams lost three or fewer. This Bucs team, like the 2000 Ravens, lagged far behind in scoring, but still fared well in PPG ratios thanks to a stellar defense. Tampa Bay went 7-4 against winning teams.
The list was led by the 1985 Bears and the 1984 49ers. Pretty hard to argue with that (though some old school Steelers fans may).
But Sando is somewhat correct. For much of 2002, the Bucs offense wasn’t that great. And just when it seemed to be turning the corner, Brad Johnson got hurt. When he was out, the Bucs’ offense was Mike Shula-like, maybe worse.
But man, did the offense catch fire in the playoffs! Perfect timing.
May 31st, 2020 at 8:39 am
I was at the last game at Ray J in 2008….derrick brooks last game and I remember he looked SO SLOW like the old man chasing after children to get off his front yard……LOL 🙁
That was one helluva lost and it was hot as hell that day too………
I’m not sure what will happen this season but I don’t think the Defense will carry them to the playoffs.
May 31st, 2020 at 8:43 am
Just like this season. If the Bucs can make post season anything can happen and with Brady at the helm this offense should blow the 2002 Buc offense away statistically. I think this season hinges on our defense whether we go deep and get to the big dance.
May 31st, 2020 at 9:30 am
But man, did the offense catch fire in the playoffs!
– that’s where Gruden brought the team over the hump
May 31st, 2020 at 9:56 am
Was he trying to determine the most dominant season, team, offensive or defensive unit, coaching?
If this is based on season, I’d like to know where the ’72 Dolphins and their *undefeated* season fell. Just to quantify the quality of the decision making.
May 31st, 2020 at 10:00 am
Without knowing what criteria is used then this article and the opinions expressed in it are meaningless
May 31st, 2020 at 10:02 am
Most special of seasons…and nearly 20 years ago now. Two somewhat fluky loses to the Saints, a shellacking at the hands of the Steelers and an Eagle loss only to be avenged. This season put Brooks on the 1st ballot of the HOF with an assist from our man Ira.
May 31st, 2020 at 10:05 am
Geez, Eagles fans still have a hard on for the the thrashing we gave them in the NFC Championship game. Sando can have his opinions, but putting the 2017 Eagles ahead of the 2002 Buc’s makes him look like a dimwitted a$$. No less than top ten and I’d argue that we could curb stomp any team on that list. 😜
May 31st, 2020 at 10:40 am
How silly and arbitrary.
May 31st, 2020 at 10:46 am
Anthem
“I’m not sure what will happen this season but I don’t think the Defense will carry them to the playoffs.”
Hard to argue with that. I just have a feeling that this defense could also become special by the end of the season. Some guys are still gaining experience. By the end of the year the ALL of the young guys will have to become vets.
May 31st, 2020 at 10:57 am
Believe the Steelers loss was with a backup? May be thinking of another season though. The Saints loses we’re fluky for sure. All that mattered was making it and winning it!
May 31st, 2020 at 11:21 am
@ stpetebucsfan
I kinda agree with you….but they really came about with with Shaq Barrett amazing breakout season.
If Shaq doesn’t do as well as he did last season; I think that will truly expose the secondary.
But then you had the Brady factor….I have no doubt is will be New England friendly with alot of Dink-N-Dunk plays marching down the field. If the offense plays more than the defense….that will make an absolutely huge difference
But know one really knows for sure what a Bucs Brady offense will look like.
May 31st, 2020 at 12:13 pm
This all just comes back to Tampa never getting any respect. If it’s their players or their great defense over multiple years they just never get talked about as being great. Let’s just hope the can handle the hype this year and possibly earn the respect some of these players have deserved over the years.
May 31st, 2020 at 12:21 pm
The championship defense was hard to run against , but where they really excelled was in pass defense, they were one of the best ever in that category.
I will always remember the last game in iggles old stadium and the 1st game the following season in their new stadium-both being buc victories with joe jurevicius making one of the best catches I have ever seen. Those were the days my friend , I thought they’d never end.
May 31st, 2020 at 12:27 pm
The most dominant time..season was the year we won the Superbowl..Period. When you win a superbowl, that means you had to go thru a lot of feces to get the trophy. That team accomplished that. To be the best, you gotta beat the best.
May 31st, 2020 at 2:03 pm
@TheBucsAnthem
I sure HOPE our offense become New England friendly with alot of Dink-N-Dunk plays marching down the field.
Because the idea of Tom Brady being forced to run the same Arians offense we ran last year scares me.
May 31st, 2020 at 2:11 pm
For once I agree with Mike Johnson.
May 31st, 2020 at 5:33 pm
A top 3 all time defense.
May 31st, 2020 at 6:39 pm
Any Bucs fans that are 23 or under probably don’t remember much of the Super Bowl season. Sad that all they have known growing up is a pretty pathetic franchise in terms of wins and losses.
May 31st, 2020 at 7:17 pm
I thought the ’99 defense was a better overall group.
But Good Lord, did that Dungy “we just weren’t in sync” offense suck.
May 31st, 2020 at 9:28 pm
The last time I checked the scoreboard doesn’t care how you won. Just win. That team peaked at the right time. Sadly they had chances before that. The NFC championship game in St Louis was damn close and if they win that they win the Super Bowl IMO. And the game I sat through in 79 against those same Rams when the lost 9-0. Gotta wonder what would’ve happened had they won. Steelers rolled the Rams.