2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
OwnerMalcolm Glazer
General managerRich McKay
Head coachJon Gruden
Home fieldRaymond James Stadium
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st NFC South
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. 49ers) 31–6
Won NFC Championship
(at Eagles) 27–10
Won Super Bowl XXXVII
(vs. Raiders) 48–21
Pro Bowlers
7
AP All-Pros
5
Team MVPQB Brad Johnson

The 2002 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27th in the National Football League (NFL). It was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.[1][2][3]

The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9–7 season and did so with a franchise-best 12–4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers’ head coach. They won the Super Bowl for the first time in the team's history, beating the Oakland Raiders 48–21.[4] This was Tampa Bay's only Super Bowl appearance and win until 2020, with the Super Bowl win also being their most recent playoff game win in the same span. The 2002 Buccaneers’ defense, which included four players who would eventually be elected the Pro Football Hall of Fame,[5] is often cited as one of the best ever, as well as one of the most potent pass defenses in league history.[6][7][8][9][10] In 2019, the NFL ranked the 2002 Buccaneers as the 45th best NFL team of all time.[11]

  1. ^ "2002 Buccaneers: 10 years ago they put Tampa Bay on sports world map". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Howell, Leo (July 12, 2014). "Season By Season History of the Bucs: 2002". Bucs Nation. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  3. ^ D, Jessica. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2002—The Storied Season". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  4. ^ Olney, Buster (January 27, 2003). "Buccaneers Dominate Raiders to Win Super Bowl". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame". profootballhof.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Greatest defenses of Super Bowl era". SI.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  7. ^ "SB Team of the Decade: '02 Buccaneers". www.buccaneers.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense ranked as one of best ever". The Pewter Plank. June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  9. ^ Nanni, Ryan (January 29, 2014). "Defense mechanisms: A look back at the 2002 Bucs". SBNation.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  10. ^ "2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense ranked as one of best ever". The Pewter Plank. June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  11. ^ "NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.