Don’t get me wrong - Monte was a wizard, but the talent was distracted, the defense was exposed by Peyton in that awful comeback…
Many of us think the cap and the lack of years worth of draft picks the organization spent to acquire Gruden - wasn’t Gruden’s fault - but cost us more Super Bowls. It all happened as the Super Bowl talent aged, signed elsewhere, or were cut, limiting our ability to add new blood.
It was a great team effort to remain competitive, but it was handicapped.
As I said, it’s all from recollection.
I won’t challenge your stats, but there’s a lot of context getting left out of the final picture.
It’s where I learned what ‘mortgaging the future’ meant.
are you looking up stats, or were you watching the seasons after the Super Bowl?
Didn't need to look up stats to explain how the offense (and HC) cost this team multiple SB's.
Don’t get me wrong - Monte was a wizard, but the talent was distracted, the defense was exposed by Peyton in that awful comeback…
Again, a defense that was still a Top-5 unit that year. Pitched multiple shutouts. Multiple games holding opponents to 13 points or less.
Unlike the offense, who struggled to score more than 16 points per game.
And, unlike your opinions, those are facts.
Many of us think the cap and the lack of years worth of draft picks the organization spent to acquire Gruden - wasn’t Gruden’s fault - but cost us more Super Bowls. It all happened as the Super Bowl talent aged, signed elsewhere, or were cut, limiting our ability to add new blood.
Ah yes. We heard this for years from you and the rest of the Gruden-apologists.
Guy couldn't do no wrong.
The whole aura of him calling "Spider 2 Y Banana 75 Zap Tiger Taint Punch Slurpee" while scowling on the sidelines, with multiple shifts and motions, resulting in a 4-yard completion to Dilger for 4 yards had all the casuals in complete nirvana. Those were the days.
I mean, his offenses in Las Vegas were something to witness as well. Right?
It was a great team effort to remain competitive, but it was handicapped.
It certainly was.
By an offense that was never better than middle of the road and an overrated HC.
Wasted at least 5 additional years of a SB caliber defense.
Ah, an anti-Grudenista!? Haven’t seen your lot show up to try to argue about Gruden’s Bucs winning a Superbowl in Tampa…from 20 years ago!!?
Thats epic-level grudge holding!
It fits.
It’s a fact that the Bucs defense got exposed by Peyton Manning, first. They were distracted after the Super Bowl, it’s well documented.
Its also a fact that the core of the defense either began to leave, get cut, and/or age.
Its also a fact that losing two 1st rounders, and two 2nd rounders from 2002 to 2004 denied us building the team through the draft.
There were other issues, but it’s a tired argument.
Happy retirement for you Shaq and his family!
Grudens biggest issue was his ego and talent evaluation in drafts. Bruce Allen was his puppet
curious how he would have done with Jason Licht calling the roster shots
you also may recall how the teams offense had erectile dysfunction in the playoffs under Dungy. Change was needed. Gruden was that welcomed change cementing our Super Bowl knowing the raiders playbook
was he overrated? No doubt. Very frustrating how the offense could only utilize one weapon it seemed - mccardell, Galloway, Antonio Bryant, etc
BUT with how the decade played out following Gruden, I certainly appreciated his mediocrity of making playoffs and even contending with .500ish records.
we were starved in that decade following Gruden.
these last 4 years have been a ride! Let’s never forgot where we were
Gruden deserved his spot in the wall of fame. And should still be there. (Silly how some fans have taken the bait there with him being sacrificial lamb and kept head in sand with how the rest of that investigation played out to protect NFL)
the offense (and HC) cost this team multiple SB's
Funny thing is you can make this argument on both sides of the 2002 SB team!
In fact, Brooks is/was probably Dungy's biggest "fan" and he has still credited Gruden with being the needed coaching piece to push them over the edge
Great period of time for the Bucs and I say that even agreeing with DH that it could have been a MULTIPLE SB team.
I am a fan of both Dungy and Gruden, for very different reasons.
