2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season 26 Brief
The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 26th season in the National Football League.
The season began with the team trying to improve on a 10–6 season. Quarterback Shaun King was benched, and Brad Johnson was brought in from free agency. Johnson broke Tampa Bay team records for passing yards (3,406), completions (340), and attempts (540). However, the team stumbled out of the gate, and started the season with a 3–4 record. The team rallied in the second half of the season, however, improving to finish 9–7 and clinched a playoff spot.
In the Wild Card playoffs, however, Tampa Bay was routed by Philadelphia for the second year in a row. Two days later, head coach Tony Dungy was fired by the management.
NFC Wild Card Game Against the Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 54 yards, as Philadelphia dominated Tampa Bay from start to finish. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson was intercepted four times, twice by Damon Moore. It was the second consecutive season in which Philadelphia eliminated Tampa Bay from the playoffs during the wild card round, and two days later, Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy was fired.
On the Eagles first drive of the game, Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson intercepted a pass from McNabb and returned it 9 yards to the Eagles 36-yard line, setting up a 36-yard field goal from Martin Gramatica. But McNabb made up for his mistake with a 39-yard run on third down and 5 on Philadelphia's ensuing possession, setting up a field goal for David Akers that tied the game, 3–3. In the second period, McNabb completed 4 of 4 passes for 70 yards on a 73-yard drive, including a 41-yard completion to Todd Pinkston, that ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chad Lewis. Tampa responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, but once again could not dent the end zone and had to settle for another Gramatica field goal, cutting their deficit to 10–6. Later in the quarter, Eagles punter Sean Landeta pinned the Buccaneers back at their own 5-yard line and Tampa Bay could not get a first down with their next drive. After receiving Mark Royals' short 28-yard punt at the Buccaneers 31-yard line, McNabb threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley with 35 seconds left in the half. But Tampa bay managed to respond with Gramatica's third field goal before halftime, set up by a 46-yard reception from Keyshawn Johnson, cutting their deficit to 17–9.
But Tampa Bay was completely dominated in the second half. Moore recorded his first interception from Brad Johnson at the Eagles 38-yard line on the Buccaneers opening drive of the third quarter. Later on, the Eagles drove 60 yards in six plays and scored on a 25-yard touchdown run from rookie Correll Buckhalter. Johnson tried to rally his team back with a pair of drives deep into Eagles territory, but both of them were ended with interceptions. First, defensive back Troy Vincent picked off a pass from Johnson in the end zone with 4:09 left in the third quarter. Then late in the fourth quarter, safety Brian Dawkins intercepted Johnson on Philadelphia's 3-yard line. Following a punt, Moore put the game away by recording his second interception and returning it 59 yards for a touchdown.
| PRESEASON | ||||
| Date | Opponent | Week/Record | Outcome | |
| Monday Aug. 13 |
|
Miami Dolphins Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
PS - wk 1
0-1 |
Lost 14-17 |
| Saturday Aug. 18 |
|
@ Cleveland Browns FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH |
PS - wk 2
0-2 |
Lost 6-7 |
| Saturday Aug. 27 |
|
New England Patriots Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
PS - wk 3
1-2 |
Won 20-3 |
| Friday Aug. 31 |
|
Atlanta Falcons Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA |
PS - wk 4
1-3 |
Lost 7-36 |
2001 Season ResultsRecord: 9-7, DIV: 4-4 (3rd in NFC Central) |
||||
| Date | Opponent | Week/Record | Outcome | |
| Sunday Sep. 9 |
|
@ Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium, Irving, TX |
RS - wk 1
1-0 |
Won 10-6 |
| Sunday Sep. 16 |
BYE | RS - wk 2
1-0 |
||
| Sunday Sep. 30 |
|
@ Minnesota Vikings
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN |
RS - wk 3
1-1 |
Lost 16-20 |
| Sunday Oct. 7 |
|
Green Bay Packers
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 4
2-1 |
Won 14-10 |
| Sunday Oct. 14 |
|
@ Tennessee Titans
Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville, TN |
RS - wk 5
2-2 |
Lost 28-31 (OT) |
| Sunday Oct. 21 |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 6
2-3 |
Lost 10-17 |
| Sunday Oct. 28 |
|
Minnesota Vikings
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 7
3-3 |
Won 41-14 |
| Sunday Nov. 4 |
|
@ Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI |
RS - wk 8
3-4 |
Lost 20-21 |
| Sunday Nov. 11 |
|
@ Detroit Lions
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI |
RS - wk 9
4-4 |
Won 20-17 |
| Sunday Nov. 18 |
|
Chicago Bears
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 10
4-5 |
Lost 24-27 |
| Monday Nov. 26 |
|
@ St. Louis Rams
Dome at Americas Center, St. Louis, MO |
RS - wk 11
5-5 |
Won 24-17 |
| Sunday Dec. 2 |
|
@ Cincinnati Bengales
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH |
RS - wk 12
6-5 |
Won 16-13 (OT) |
| Sunday Dec. 9 |
|
Detroit Lions
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 13
7-5 |
Won 15-12 |
| Sunday Dec. 16 |
|
@ Chicago Bears
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL |
RS - wk 14
7-6 |
Lost 3-27 |
| Sunday Dec. 23 |
|
New Orleans Saints
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 15
8-6 |
Won 48-21 |
| Saturday Dec. 29 |
|
Baltimore Ravens
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 16
9-6 |
Won 22-10 |
| Sunday Jan. 6 |
|
Philadelphia Eagles Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL |
RS - wk 17
9-7 |
Lost 13-17 |
| PLAYOFFS | ||||
| Date | Opponent | NFC/Superbowl | Outcome | |
| Saturday Jan. 12 |
|
Philadelphia Eagles
Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA |
PO - Wild-Card
9-8 |
Lost 9-31 |
