Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 New Orleans Saints 26 Sunday 8 September 2002 at Raymond James Stadium
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.
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 SUBSTITUTIONS 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
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
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.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below for the main plays from the game Keenan McCardell got the Bucs on the comeback trail with this touchdown pass Joe Jurevicius’ touchdown brought them to within three late in the fourth quarter But the game ended on this bizarre endzone interception after Tom Tupa avoided a punt block