Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 New Orleans Saints 26
Sunday 8 September 2002 at Raymond James Stadium
FOX COMMENTARY CREW Kenny Albert and Tim Green
The Buccaneers’ Super Bowl season got off to an ignominious
start with a home loss in Jon Gruden’s debut as head coach.
The Bucs were always behind and found themselves trailing by
10 late in the 4th quarter. Brad Johnson’s TD pass to Joe
Jurevicius brought them within three and after the defense
forced a punt, Martin Gramatica’s 41-yard fieldgoal as time
expired sent the game into overtime. Neither team could move
the ball but with the Bucs backed up in their endzone, punter
Tom Tupa found himself unable to kick by the Saints’ rush and
his abortive left-handed desperation pass was intercepted in
the endzone by James Allen to end the game.
GAME SCORING
NO
8:13-1Q
Carney FG28
NO
0:24-1Q
Carney FG41
TB
13:20-2Q
Gramatica FG52
NO
4:02-2Q
Williams 32 pass from Brooks (Carney kick)
TB
11:34-3Q
McCardell 4 pass from BJohnson (Gramatica kick)
NO
8:36-3Q
Stallworth 41 pass from Brooks (Carney kick
TB
2:41-4Q
Jurevicius 11 pass from BJohnson (Gramatica kick)
TB
0:00-4Q
Gramatica FG41
NO
2:50-OT
Allen 0 interception return
GAME REPORTS
Roy Cummings' game review
Martin Fennelly's award-winning column
The defense finally showed up
The special teams under fire
Game notes and anecdotes
Mick Elliott's viewpoint
Kenyatta - inactive and unhappy
From the Saints' beat writer
Buc Report Card
The gamebook and the play by play of the game
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
72 Oben
LDE
94 Spires
LG
71 Jenkins
UT
92 McFarland
C
62 Christy
DT
99 Sapp
RG
77 Washington
RDE
97 Rice
RT
74 Green
MLB
53 Quarles
WR
86 Williams
RLB
55 Brooks
WR
19 Johnson
DB
26 Smith
WR
87 McCardell
LCB
25 Kelly
WR
83 Jurevicius
SS
47 Lynch
RB
32 Pittman
FS
34 Jackson
QB
14 Johnson
RCB
20 Barber
PLAYED
7 Gramatica, 9 Tupa, 22 Gibson, 23 Phillips, 27 Stecker, 34
Stephens, 35 Ivy, 38 Howell, 40 Alstott, 43 Cook, 45 Solwold, 51
Singleton, 52 Webster, 56 Nece, 65 Hochstein, 75 Brown, 80 Yoder,
81 Battaglia, 85 Dilger, 91 Darby, 96 Wyms
DID NOT PLAY
11 Johnson, 98 Smith
INACTIVE
10 King, 30 Barnes, 31 Wansley, 60 Coleman, 67 Walker, 82 Walker,
84 Barlow, 90 Gurley
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Pittman 12-50, Alstott 6-11, B.Johnson 3-11.
SAINTS: McAllister 31-109, Brooks 3-9.
PASSING
BUCS: B.Johnson 52-28-278-0-2, Tupa 1-0-0-1-0.
SAINTS: Brooks 42-24-260-1-2
RECEIVING
BUCS: McCardell 6-63, K.Johnson 5-76, Pittman 5-31, Alstott 4-48, Jurevicius
4-37, Dilger 1-7, Yoder 1-10, Stephens 1-6.
SAINTS: Horn 8-108, Stallworth 4-63, McAllister 4-12, Smith 3-6, Pathon 2-
15, Williams 1-32, Sloan 1-12, Reed 1-12.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: Brooks 1-23.
SAINTS: Allen 1-0.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Stecker 4-118, Smith 1-25.
SAINTS: Lewis 3-52.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 5-29.
SAINTS: Lewis 3-48.
SACKS
BUCS: Sapp 1-6, Darby 0.5-2, Spires 0.5-2.
SAINTS: Knight 1-7, Whitehead 1-7, Grant 1-3.
VIDEO CLIPS Click on the boxes for the main plays from the game
Keenan McCardell got the Bucs on the comeback trail with this
Joe Jurevicius’ touchdown brought them to within three
But the game ended on this bizarre endzone interception