"Buccaneers Smother Raiders for First Super Bowl Win," Reuters, January 27, 2003
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' top-ranked defense defused the Oakland Raiders' league leading offense to claim a 48-21 win at Super Bowl XXXVII on Sunday. A relentless defense, that intercepted five passes and returned three for touchdowns, two by Dwight Smith and another from Derrick Brooks, mercilessly tormented Raider quarterback Rich Gannon the entire contest to set up the franchise's first NFL championship win. "I want to thank coach (Jon) Gruden, he came from heaven and brought us to heaven," said Bucs' owner Malcom Glazer, who last February gave up two first round draft picks, two second round selections and $8 million to pry Gruden, NFL's coaching wunderkind away from the Raiders. Whether that was too high a price to pay for a coach had been the subject of great debate but in the wild celebrations Glazer's decision appears to have been a stroke of gridiron genius. After four years in Oakland, Gruden's intimate knowledge of his former team paid dividends as he formulated the perfect game plan. "We have a great defense in Tampa, not a good defense, a great defense," said Gruden, who at 39 is the youngest winning coach in Super Bowl history. "I'm not going to apologize for how I got here or if I hurt some feelings. "I'm just glad to be here. "I've had a very emotional week. I don't know how I got to Tampa exactly but I am going to enjoy the victory tonight." The Bucs never allowed Gannon, the league's most valuable player, a chance to get his high-powered attack in gear until the contest was out of reach.
DOMINATING DEFENSE
Even a late game lapse that allowed the Raiders to score three touchdowns and cut the deficit to 34-21 could not detract from one of the most dominating defensive displays ever witnessed at a Super Bowl. A swarming Bucs defense allowed Oakland just 62 yards in total offense in the opening half -- the second lowest ever in the 37-year history of the NFL championship game. While the MVP award could have gone to any of several defenders, Dexter Jackson, who sparked the Bucs with a pair of first half interceptions that both led to scores, claimed the honor to the cheers from his team mates and thousands of fans spread through Qualcomm Stadium. "Tonight opportunities came my way and I was able to capitalize on them," Jackson said. "We're the champions and our defense is one of the best of all time, one of only five teams to hold people to under 200 points in a season. "I had a lot of people asking how good we were and I told them, we can't say until we win. "Now we've won and now I can say we are a great defense."
JOHNSON SUPREME
A suffocating effort by that vaunted defense could have been expected, but a near faultless performance from Tampa Bay's journeyman quarterback Brad Johnson was not. Johnson, whose route to the Super Bowl included a stint in Europe with the defunct London Monarchs, completed 18 of 34 passes for 215-yards and a pair touchdowns. His offensive leadership helped the Bucs put 27-years of misery behind them -- including a 0-26 streak that remains the longest winless run in NFL history -- as the team deservedly claimed the sport's highest honor. Making their first championship game appearance, the Buccaneers got the game off to a jittery start, cornerback Charles Woodson intercepting Johnson on their opening series. But the Raiders could not move the ball and were forced to settle for a 40-yard field goal from Polish-born kicker Sebastian Janikowski. After quickly pulling back to 3-3 with a field goal of their own, Tampa Bay's win was keyed by a 31-point blitz that spanned the middle quarters. Both Jackson interceptions resulted in points for the Bucs, one turnover resulted in a 31-yard Martin Gramatica field goal the other a 10-play 77-yard scoring drive capped off by a five-yard pass from Johnson to Keenan McCardell. The scores -- combined with a Mike Alstott two-yard scramble into the end zone -- allowed the Bucs to take a commanding 20-3 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned to the field, the Buccaneers continue to impose itself, stopping the Raiders cold on their first possession. Tampa Bay then stamped their complete authority on the contest, Johnson engineering a workmanlike 89-yard, 14-play drive finished off by another five-yard strike to McCardell. On Oakland's very next possession, Smith sent a jolt through the "Raider Nation" when he intercepted Gannon and raced 44-yards into the end zone to push Tampa Bay even further in front, 34-3. The Raiders, however, refused to give up, striking for three quick touchdowns. First, Gannon found Jerry Porter in the back of the end zone with a 39-yard touchdown strike then just seconds into the final quarter, the "Raider Nation" jumped to life when Eric Johnson scooped up ball off a blocked punt and returned it 13 yards for another touchdown. When Gannon hit evergreen Jerry Rice, the first 40-year-old to play in a Super Bowl, with a 48-yard touchdown pass cutting the deficit to 34-21, Buc fans began to fidget in their seats. But order was restored in the final two minutes with Brooks and Smith intercepting Gannon and returning the ball 44 and 50 yards respectively for touchdowns. "Obviously it wasn't our night," Gannon said. "We were just absolutely terrible, it was a nightmarish performance. "I think we only had three first downs the first half. We were just completely out of rhythm. "Turnovers killed us. It was a very, very long night for the Raiders."
By Steve Keating. Copyright Reuters 2002. All rights reserved.
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