“Brad Was Our MVP That Year”
December 5th, 2012
Joe’s been enjoying all the glory-years reminiscing this week, as the Bucs prepare for their 10-year Super Bowl anniversary celebration Sunday. However, what’s blown Joe’s mind is all the fabricated memories from fans heard on sports radio.
From who was on the team to who Chucky brought in when he arrived in 2002, 10 years has wiped out the brain cells of many a fan. And it seems Chucky himself might fall into that group.
Venerable Tampa Tribune bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman caught up to the man with the 100-pound playbook and Chucky belted out some strange line about Brad Johnson excelling with a bunch of strangers.
“We had a really good defense — we all knew it,” said Gruden, “but a defense doesn’t become great until you have an offense that can capitalize on that success. You have to play complementary football, and I really feel Brad was our MVP that year.
“I know Derrick played great, but for Brad Johnson to lead the NFC in passing efficiency with a bunch of guys he’d never met, including me, and then accomplish what he did in the playoffs was sensational.”
Huh? “A bunch of guys” Johnson “never met?” It was a somewhat bizzare line from Chucky, considering Johnson was here in 2001, when he tossed 106 balls to Keyshawn Johnson and worked in the backfield with Mike Alstott. And what is “passing efficiency?”
But Chucky’s call of Brad Johnson as the team MVP seemed more off the mark. The Bucs defense allowed only 12, TWELVE, points a game that season. Joe surely would have picked an MVP from that side of the ball.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:10 am
One more reason to be happy he isn’t our coach anymore.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:15 am
Brooks was the MVP. … Wasn’t it Chucky who went with Rob Johnson that season for a stretch??
December 5th, 2012 at 11:21 am
Joe it’s a fair statemrnt by Gruden. The bunch of guys he never met were McCardell, Jerevicius, Dilger, Pittman, Dudley, etc
December 5th, 2012 at 11:22 am
You’re wrong joebucsfan, just wrong. Sure, the Bucs fullback…freaking fullback…was the same guy..fumbling, stumbling…Alstott. Meshawn…the player with 100 catches and 1 TD in a season (exaggeration, but close). Did you forget that the defense remained in tact for the 2002 season, but the majority of the offensive players were free agents. Not just regular free agaents, but cast offs, Pittman, Dilger, Jurevicius, McCardell, and a few others.
If the vaunted Bucs defense was so good, they would have won in 1999, or at least one a play off game in the two years following. The defense needed an offense. And God sent Chucky.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Joe
Come on Joe, really???
Joe Jurevicius, Michael Pittman, Keenan McCardell, Ricky Dudley, Reggie Barlow, and Ken Dilger ARE A BUNCH OF GUYS!!!
I’m sure Gruden would give the whole defense MVP.
BTW passing efficiency = passer rating formula
December 5th, 2012 at 11:33 am
What Super Bowl winner doesn’t have new offensive players on his team the first year they won it?
It’s a dumb comment by Gruden and typical of him not giving the defense its due.
The 2002 defense was statistically much better than in previous years. You give up less than 2 touchdowns a game and nobody should beat you.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Remember all those game Johnson won for us in 2002, putting the team on his back and leading us to comeback wins? Didn’t think so.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:37 am
Stick
Yes, ‘that’ Rob Johnson, cause the ‘awesome’ Shaun “Burger” King couldn’t get it done.(sorry Joe had to say it). I remember that Steelers game, King was awful. Johnson was 2-0 when Brad was hurt, even broke that cold record curse in Chicago.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Kennedy
I dont think anybody is putting Rob Johnson on any pedastal, but he didnt lose any either. I still cringe a little every time I think about him or King having SB rings, but atleast he won his 2 he started in.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:42 am
Sapp was our MVP. Nothing we did was possible without him being a force.
Still though, don’t sell Brad short. What he did was amazing. And “passing effiiciency” means whatever Gruden wants it to mean. Like you’re not used to a coach around these parts making up words or phrases.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Gruden’s comments are all about him.
I’m thankful for the SB, but don’t miss him one bit….not one.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Vic
What Super Bowl winner doesn’t have new offensive players on his team the first year they won it?
Maybe one or two new offensive players, but not half an offense. There were a couple of O-line men that were new too. Roman Oban and Kerry Jenkins. 8 players are a BUNCH!!
BTW If your so sure about that statement why dont you mention a few?
December 5th, 2012 at 11:47 am
Vic, you’re retarded. “What SB team doesn’t have new players?’ OK when do car crashes happen without drivers? uh, drivers lead to crashes. Your argument is dumb. 2002 had half the starting 11 as new free agents and they all played a key role in winning games and the Superbowl…oh and B. Johnson was throwing the ball. to them. You go Joe, You go Joe!
Kennedy, You may have forgotten the games that Johnson sat out and King and R. Johnson started. It was pathetic. Brad Johnson was smart and efficient, quickly learning the Gruden offense.
Dungy changed the culture. Gruden brought the SWAG to win.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:48 am
Vic, you’re retarded. “What SB team doesn’t have new players?’ OK when do car crashes happen without drivers? uh, drivers lead to crashes. Your argument is dumb. 2002 had half the starting 11 as new free agents and they all played a key role in winning games and the Superbowl…oh and B. Johnson was throwing the ball. to them. You go Joe, You go Joe!
Kennedy, You may have forgotten the games that Johnson sat out and King and R. Johnson started. It was pathetic. Brad Johnson was smart and efficient, quickly learning the Gruden offense.
Dungy changed the culture. Gruden brought the SWAG to win.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Our defense scored 4 defensive touchdowns in the 3 playoff games. And Ronde had that one called back at the end of the SF game.
Our opponents scored 3 offensive touchdowns (and one of those was after the Brian Mitchell KO return to the 25 yd line).
It was arguably the greatest stretch of playoff defense ever played in the history of the NFL. Derrick Brooks was the best player on that defense. MVP, no question.
December 5th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Justin, What they did was great. Yes. Historic, arguably. But without an effective offense, you get this http://youtu.be/NBqxDxGf0fs
And fro all of you Gruden haters out there. Brooks and Sapp are HoF bound. The 2002 defense will always be talked about. Brad Johnson will be a footnote. Maybe, just maybe Gruden was trying to give some love to his QB that had a difficult task that year. 1)dealing with Gruden 2) dealing with keyshawn while dealing with Gruden.
December 5th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
@ Gunner Eleven,
Hopefully Joe watches that video so he can see Shaun King “one of the three QBs to lead the Bucs to an NFC Championship game.”
Im no Gruden hater, just disagree with him on his MVP take. Obviously we dont win the Super Bowl without Brad but the driving force behind that team was the defense. Brad Johnson is certainly no footnote to Bucs fans. He’s the best QB to ever put on the Tampa Bay jersey.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
@ Justin – Steve Young played for the Bucs so technically he’s the best QB to ever put on the Tampa Bay jersey although admittedly with very different results.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
The defense was the MVP. It was the defense that gave the offense a short field to work from. There is no way that offense could drive 80 yards to score a TD. I can’t remember that offense every putting more than 8 sucessful plays together.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
@STICK: Rob Johnson got 2 starts because of Brad Johnson’s rib injury. I would like to add that when Shaun King opens his Burger-scarfing YAPPER, you’re listening to someone who couldn’t beat ROB JOHNSON out for a back-up QB job.
I absolutely, 100% agree that Brad Johnson was the MVP of that team and he should have been in consideration for MVP of the entire league. Regardless of how good the defense was, could Rob Johnson or Shaun (Burger) King have gotten 12 wins and a bye? Could they have won in Philly? The “V” means VALUABLE. You take Brad off that team, the ENTIRE team changes. Pittman rushed for 900 yards and didn’t scare defenses AT ALL, so it’s not like they could have leaned on the running game.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
SeanyMac
First,
“It was the defense that gave the offense a short field to work from.”
-That is exactly what Gruden meant by when he said…………“but a defense doesn’t become great until you have an offense that can capitalize on that success.”
Second,
“There is no way that offense could drive 80 yards to score a TD. I can’t remember that offense every putting more than 8 sucessful plays together.”
-All I can say is there is no way you watched every game that SB year then.
Dont get me wrong our defense was great, and I have always said, they were actually better the previous years and should have had several SB rings!
December 5th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
“passing efficiency” = 3yd pass on 3rd and 5.
December 5th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
There were something like 22 new players on the 53 man roster for the Superbowl season. Gruden’s dead on, and Tampa fans are spouting off about what a dolt he is. What else is new…
December 5th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, John Lynch, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice…..
All Probowl defenders for the Bucs; we had a probowler or two at every level of the defense. Gruden also coached the Bucs up on “what to expect” from Gannon and Oakland.
I am with you Joe, Derrick Brooks was our “MVP”, and Brad Johnson was 2nd.
December 5th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Simeon Rice was MVP. Greatest DE since Selmon.
December 5th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
If I recall correctly, Brad Johnson was voted team MVP in 2002. Gruden isn’t incorrect in his statement; McCardell, Pittman, Jurevicius, Dilger and Dudley were all contributors on the championship team and all of them were new. This is another fact to point out to those that insist that Gruden just stumbled onto a championship team, even though at best, the Bucs were ‘paper’ champions who could never beat Philly when Dungy was coach. Wyche drafted the defensive studs, Dungy molded them into men and set the table, and Gruden brought in the essential pieces to the offense to help turn a dominant defense into an all time great unit that won a championship. All three of those coaches were essential in the development and all three are their own man.
Looking forward to the Philly game and the reunion, exciting stuff!
December 5th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
One thing I think is not subject to dispute. The best single season head coaching job in the history of our beloved Bucs was done by one Jon Gruden in 2002.
For that all Bucs fans ought to be just a little grateful.
December 8th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
little wonder why the Chuckster over stayed his welcome in Tampa.