The Greatest Run In Bucs History
November 2nd, 2021
The architect, general manager Jason Licht.
Lost in the madness of Sunday’s gut-wrenching loss to the Slimy Saints and their third-rate quarterback is the Bucs completing the greatest 16-game run in franchise history.
From the 2020 bye week to the 2021 bye week, Tampa Bay is 14-2. Of course, that includes thumping the Saints, Packers and Chiefs in succession to win the Super Bowl.
Before all you Bucs old timers start barking about the 2002 glory years Bucs, Joe has done the math.
That team never reeled off a 14-2 run no matter how you carve it up. After losing to New Orleans (irony!) on opening day of the ’02 season, Chucky’s Bucs went 15-3 to win the Super Bowl. Then they opened with a win in 2003 before the wheels fell off. So their best run stands at 16-3.
Regardless, Joe must loudly applaud what’s happened at One Buc Palace, which means a standing ovation for general manager Jason Licht.
Shine a spotlight all you want on Licht’s career record (55-69), he can scream “Scoreboard!” all day long and be right on the money. Tom Brady most likely isn’t coming to the Bucs if they don’t have Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, both drafted by Licht long before Bucco Bruce Arians showed up.
Evans is the best offensive player drafted in team history (Sorry, A-train), and Godwin was an extraordinary third-round pick.
Joe also is confident Brady doesn’t show up if the offensive line wasn’t arguably the best pass-blocking unit in the NFL. And mighty Tristan Wirfs wasn’t in the house yet when Brady signed his contract.
The Bucs rolled through this run with a ridiculously young secondary and became the first team in at least a dozen years to win a Super Bowl without a Pro Bowl or former Pro Bowl defensive back on the roster.
Edge rushers are a top NFL commodity and Licht stole Jason Pierre-Paul from the Giants in 2018 and then belted a grand slam grabbing then-26-year-old Shaq Barrett off the street.
Joe could go on about how the Bucs were built to accomplish this 14-2 stretch.
A bye week is a good time to take a deep breath and reflect. Appreciate what’s happened and forget about the Saints embarrassing the Bucs for a few minutes.
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:07 pm
Only this season matters & that’s the problem b/c the players seem to be satisfied
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:08 pm
You’re absolutely correct about Evan’s being the best offensive player drafted by The Buccaneers
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:12 pm
one quick note. The Saints didn’t embarrass the Bucs. The Bucs embarrassed themselves. They reminded me of the old Bennie Hill show hahahaha
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:14 pm
And yet their mad and act the sky is falling. Same haters saying the same thing last year I’m still waiting on that crow.
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:17 pm
Jason Licht was on his way out until BA showed up with Bowles; I think that BA and Bowles and defining the players they like was a real reason for this. Brady signing up to be with BA is 1A, wirfs fell into the bucs lap. Licht blew an entire draft year when he grabbed VH3 with a #1 pick
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:41 pm
The architect, Tom Brady.
Don’t kid yourself, there is no doubt who turned around this morose franchise. If Philip Rivers signed here instead of Brady you wouldn’t be crowing about the job Jason Licht has done with this team.
Bruce Arians is a great coach and he and Bowles certainly help but they were 7-9 with Winston as QB.
In the SB, despite all of the “gifts” that drew Brady to the team it was Fournette, Gronkowski and AB that scored all the points in the Super Bowl. Every offensive player was one Brady went after and pushed to get. None of those guys, particularly AB, would be on this roster otherwise.
So yes, all hail the architect of the Bucs resurgence, not a 55-69 GM or a coach who was 7-9 the year previous but the GOAT QB, Tom Brady.
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:41 pm
No Jason No BA No TB12 no SB.
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:42 pm
Well said Tom
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:48 pm
Licht also drafted Evans, D Smith , Marpet and Jameis his 1st 2 years – who knew Jameis would become a vaudeville act?
November 2nd, 2021 at 12:53 pm
Yes, Jason Licht has made some great picks! I remember back when Mike Evans was drafted, some were calling for us to draft Johnny Manziel. Well, time has shown that it was Mike Evans who made Johnny Manziel, not the other way around.
Then, to take Chis Godwin, in the third round was literally theft, in the first degree!
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:07 pm
To be fair Chris one of the Joes still think we should have drafted Johnny Football.
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Tom S…..agreed great points
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:20 pm
I think it would be hard to find a team that is fielding more of their own draft picks, than the Bucs.
Historically good teams, draft well. Packers & Steelers, come to mind.
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:28 pm
No Licht no BA no TB12 no SBLV.
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:33 pm
You call people who were around for the Bucs’ first Super Bowl “old timers”, so what the heck do you call those of us who cheered for Leroy, Doug, Jimmie, and Ricky?!!
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:35 pm
@Dusthty Rhothdes Says:
“…Jason Licht was on his way out until BA showed up with Bowles; ….”
————————-
CORRECTION, he was on his way out until TB12 chose to be a Bucs.
JL was/is smart enough to understand his situation, and paid off, good for him.
This does not make BA and his company, elite coaching staff. Quite the opposite, the whole staff is below average, and as far as HC; we don’t have one, instead we have a Football Analyst that love the media talking; having fun with golf cart…fishing. More then ones he admits:
“i get the hell out of their way”
“i do not participate on offence meeting”
“they don’t need me (coaching staff)”
..and so on…
how you going to match him with:
Sean Payton
Sean McVay
Matt LaFleur
Mike Vrabel
and Bill Belichick
..most don’t want to see this, most are in denial…. but boy o boy, Bucs after TB12 ?????
November 2nd, 2021 at 1:52 pm
Dynasty creating back to back Super Bowl win or get off my television. Good run across two seasons is meaningless. Ask Seattle what one win during a great run feels like. Or Green Bay. Or Philly. Don’t set the bar unless you can jump over it.
November 2nd, 2021 at 2:10 pm
Licht’s latest was drafting kyle trask for nothing–kid will never be our starting quarterback we could of gotten a decent corner with that pick.
November 2nd, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Thank you for Licht.
Him and his staff help to put together the coaches, the drafts, the free agents. They’ve been in the best in the entire NFL the last five years.
November 2nd, 2021 at 2:40 pm
Yes let’s celebrate after NO humiliated our team. Maybe that’s he current problem, team looking back and not toward. What a dumb headline.
November 2nd, 2021 at 2:45 pm
BA has won coach of the year 2 times, must be something to that. That is just the facts. While we are at it, How many Super Bowls has Billy B won without Brady. Yep the same as BA, 0 Super Bowls.
So for those who just want to crap on BA, whatever, but the facts are there for all to see. Is he the greatest coach no, but to crap on him is just not warranted.
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 2nd, 2021 at 3:11 pm
@”…BA has won coach of the year 2 times, must be something to that…”
—————
Yes it is, is call Past Tense (2012;2014).
Bill Parcells WAS a great coach, no body mention him today, he is retired.
There is when BA belong, then we can chat “how good he WAS once”.
November 2nd, 2021 at 3:25 pm
lol lol just giving stating facts, and you just seem to like to spew your dislike for BA. whatever,……..
CURRENT FACT
Oh and another fact, BA is CURRENT Head Coach of the World Champions.
I did not see any Coach mentioned in your list holding the Lombardi trophy last Feb 7. But BA was.
These pesky little FACTS…
Is he the greatest not a chance, but sorry the facts speak different about BA. Very glad BA came to Tampa to be the Head Coach.
These pesky little FACTS lol lol lol
GO BUCS!!
November 2nd, 2021 at 3:40 pm
As a guy who was not always happy with Jason Light. I am not Gonna call Brady the architect but he gets kudos for being the inspiration. Now You gotta give it up for Licht, since he drafted the likes of Wirfs,Godwin, White, Marpet,Smith and Kappa and brought in jensen.,He built the line that protects Brady and Chris Godwin is an undeniable future pro baller and quite possibly a hall candidate.
Now the signing of JPP, an inspirational player in his own rite and Shaq along with the drafting of White added badly needed pieces to the defense that bowed up and shut down some of the best offenses in football during our super bowl run.
Licht wins the architect title hands down in my book.
November 2nd, 2021 at 3:46 pm
The 2002 Bucs defense is literally the best passing defense in the history of the game. Ever. That’s not me being a homer, that is what the stats tell you. In fact you can easily make a statistical case that the 2002 Bucs defense is the greatest defense in the history of the game, and they didn’t pad their stats like the overrated 2000 Ravens beating up on an expansion team twice a year.
If the 2021 Bucs offense ends up being the best passing offense in the history of the game, then we can start talking. But as we know, defense wins championships.
If these teams ever faced, which is impossible, the 2002 team would win a 14-13 type of game.
November 2nd, 2021 at 4:03 pm
2002 Bucs team, HOF level stars…
Offense: Alstott
Defense: Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, Barber, Rice
2021 Bucs team, HOF level stars…
Offense: Brady, Evans, Brown, Gronk
Defense: David
———
I’m putting Alstott into the HOF as a FB. Yeah, I know it never happens, but anyone who watched him play know he was an all-time level special player. I’m not putting Wirfs in the HOF yet, but in 10-years we can look back and see where he’s at. Same with Godwin.
2002 Bucs team, All-Pro / Pro-Bowl level stars
Offense: Keyshawn, McCardell, Christy
Defense: Quarles, Kelly
2021 Bucs team, All-Pro / Pro-Bowl level stars
Offense: Godwin, Marpet, Wirfs
Defense: Vea, White, Shaq, JPP
————-
If you count HOF-level players at x2 of yearly pro-bowl/all-pro level, then it’s… 17-17.
Wow, I didn’t plan that, just did the math at the end. Using my very subjective ranking system, the teams are very evenly matched.
November 2nd, 2021 at 4:09 pm
@”…Now the signing of JPP, an inspirational player in his own rite and Shaq along with the drafting of White added badly needed pieces ….”
—————
are they???!!!
..cause last Sunday they could not stop a third string QB, in the forth quarter, when we were leading??
have you realize that we, I mean Bucs fan and/or Bucs connected opinionnaires, give most of high rating for our D players??
no one else talks how GREAT they are, commentators around NFL ??
They are NLF players, and some of them are good… but our D sucks, I mean years….
Now THE picks:
2015 1 JW (o boy)
2016 11 Vernon Hargreaves
2017 19 O. J. Howard
2018 12 Vita Vea
2019 5 Devin White
2020 13 Tristan Wirfs
this is OK to NOT OK drafts (average). JL is like most of GMs, is doing his job, but nothing is SUPERB.
November 2nd, 2021 at 5:18 pm
I’ve been done highlighting his career record for a long time. He’s a GM that has earned his Super Bowl ring. His draft blunders held this team back (and there have been too many) but any criticism should be shelved.
November 2nd, 2021 at 5:22 pm
I’d rather look forward. Bucs were humiliated Sunday, coaches need to get to work. Too many penalties.
November 2nd, 2021 at 5:27 pm
Oh please. The 2002 Bucs is one best teams in NFL history. They don’t talk about “runs” when we talk about this team. Put the ’02 team against the Greatest Show on Turf and it was lights out. But this team is good but not legendary. It’s still a Tom Brady team first and more like “Tom Brady featuring the Buccaneers’. It’s more like “Can Tom Brady beat….” not if Tampa. Not if Bucs. We are only on TV because of Brady
November 2nd, 2021 at 6:17 pm
Hey Willie. We are called old n busteds.
November 2nd, 2021 at 6:38 pm
The fill in corners are the main problem. White needs to play football and can the intimidation and personal fouls. Also believe LVD was hobbled He was not running after players like he usually does. Crazy, they did stop said QB in the fourth quarter and gave the ball back with 1;41 left on the clock, and the pick six
ended all chance of a comeback. IF you haven’t heard praise about Shaq,JPP or
LVD then you must be watching games with the sound turned off. absolutely no
knock on Brady but this the defense gave a good amount short fields last year and at times this year. HE gets credit for the TD, but he has also benefitted from the defense setting him up at times.
November 2nd, 2021 at 7:02 pm
No matter what happened in the past the past is the past. Although sometimes it is hard to forget about it but the future is upon us. Come out of the by week with a winning attitude and play like winners and you will be winners. GOOO Bucs
November 2nd, 2021 at 7:44 pm
Lamarcus Says:
November 2nd, 2021 at 5:27 pm
Oh please. The 2002 Bucs is one best teams in NFL history.
———–
Humm… they were one of, if not the best defense in the history of the NFL. But were they one of the great teams? I don’t know, it’s hard to give that to them because of the very bad offense. Yes, by the end of the year the offense wasn’t terrible, but I think you have to average out ‘best teams’ over the course of a year, otherwise it’s just who is hot on a particular day.
But that defense, any sort of statistical analysis, factoring in opponents and defensive scoring, proves how good that defense was. If you talk net points, so points given up vs points scored by the defense, I do believe the number I came up with was 3. The defense, in 3 playoff games, against all top-8 offenses, including the #1 overall, gave up a total of 3 net points. That’s why the Dungy-built Bucs defense, even with Gruden’s garbage offense, was able to win the SB.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:14 pm
Bill Parcells, “The Big Tuna”, may be considered a better coach than BA by those in the know. He did manage to stiff the Glazers twice in his machinations to end up with a a couple of the jobs he wanted. I have not forgotten as a Bucs fan! 😈
BA and Licht certainly set the stage for TB to find our franchise a great place to land. He certainly has a chance to finish his career while playing at a remarkably high level. He can go out on top any time he wants! Who could ask for more?
November 3rd, 2021 at 2:52 am
Licht has been shaky in the past, but the dude his gold now. Any argument against that is just plain silly.
Can you imagine a Buccaneers all time team? We’d blast the hell out of any other teams all time team. 😜