2000 season-in-review team reports —
NFC Central
As published in print Jan. 31, 2001
|
| Overview |
| The Buccaneers’ 2000 season never managed to meet the high
expectations of fans, players and coaches. After the Bucs reached the NFC championship
game in 1999 but scored only six points, the consensus of opinion was the offense could
only get better, especially after the team added three Pro Bowl players and a new
offensive coordinator who guided his last team to the Super Bowl. But while the Bucs
returned to the postseason, they were knocked out in Round One, as the offense continued
to struggle. |
| Turning point |
| In a battle of unbeatens, the Bucs led the Jets 17-6 in the fourth
quarter of their Week Four matchup. But New York scored the game’s final 15 points,
aided by a Mike Alstott fumble as the Bucs were trying to run out the clock. The Jets won
on a TD pass by RB Curtis Martin with 52 seconds left. The loss was the first of four
straight for the Bucs, and the fumble began a turn for the worse for Alstott. |
| Offensive MVP |
| No one was more valuable to the Bucs’ offense than RB Warrick Dunn,
who rushed for 1,133 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. In the team’s biggest
game of the year, the Week 16 encounter vs. St. Louis, Dunn rushed for 145 yards and three
touchdowns, as the Bucs clinched a playoff spot. With Alstott either struggling or nursing
a knee injury, Dunn became the featured back. During the four-game winning streak that put
the Bucs in the playoffs, Dunn averaged 130 yards per contest. |
| Defensive MVP |
| Though he faded a bit late, DT Warren Sapp was the engine that made the
Bucs’ defense go. He set a team record with 16½ sacks, many of which were timely. He
also had a career-high 76 tackles. In the opinion of some observers, Sapp had a better
season than he did in ’99, when he earned NFL Defensive MVP honors from Pro
Football Weekly. |
| Biggest surprise |
| After coming perilously close to being tabbed a bust, DE Marcus Jones
finally broke out — and earned himself a big payday as a result. The former
first-round pick had 13 sacks, five more than he had in his first four NFL seasons. He
also generally played better against the run. The performance earned Jones a seven-year
contract extension worth $40.25 million, including a $5.25 million signing bonus. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| The offense. Added were WR Keyshawn Johnson, C Jeff Christy and OG
Randall McDaniel, not to mention offensive coordinator Les Steckel, who guided the AFC
champion Titans in ’99. But while the offense set team records for touchdowns and
points scored, the additions didn’t translate into postseason success. The unit was
plagued with inconsistency, and second-year QB Shaun King showed he still has plenty to
learn. In the end, Steckel was fired, and the Bucs find themselves back where they
started. |
| Rookie recap |
| The Bucs’ 2000 rookie class didn’t make much of an impact. Of
course, much of that had to do with the team trading its two first-round picks to the Jets
for Keyshawn Johnson. Hence, the Bucs’ first pick turned out to be OG Cosey Coleman,
a second-round pick who hardly played. Third-rounder Nate Webster contributed on special
teams and showed flashes of potential in spot duty at middle linebacker. S David Gibson, a
sixth-round pick, showed he could be a valuable special-teamer if not one day become the
heir apparent to SS John Lynch. TE James Whalen, a fifth-rounder, was cut, and QB Joe
Hamilton, a seventh-rounder, never threw a pass. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| Keyshawn Johnson had the best season for a Bucs receiver in 11 years, but
even he would admit that his performance fell below expectations. He had eight games with
fewer than 50 yards receiving. OLs Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel sparked the running
game, but the Bucs never were able to solve their inability to convert short-yardage
situations. According to STATS Inc., the Bucs finished a distant last in the league in
first-down percentage on 3rd-and-short runs. |
Top of page
|
Regular-season record: 10-6
|
| Team leaders |
|
Rushing — Warrick
Dunn, 248 yards on 1,133 carries, 4.6 avg., 8 TDs.
Passing — Shaun
King, 233-428 attempts for 2,769 yards, 18 TDs, 13 interceptions, 75.8 rating.
Receiving — Keyshawn
Johnson, 71 receptions for 874 yards, 12.3 avg., 8 TDs.
Scoring — Martin
Gramatica, 126 points on 42 PATs and 28 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Aaron
Stecker, 29 for 663 yards, 22.9 avg., 0 TDs.
Punt returns — Karl
Williams, 31 for 286 yards, 9.2 avg., 1 TD.
Punting — Mark
Royals, 85 for 41.8 avg., 35.1 net, 8 TB, 17 inside 20, 0 blk., 63L.
Interceptions — Donnie
Abraham, 7 for 82 yards, 11.7 avg., 0 TDs.
Sacks — Warren
Sapp, 16½. |
| Results |
|
| Pointspread Shown Refers to Tampa Bay. |
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 3 |
At New England |
(-3) |
21-16 |
| Sept. 10 |
Chicago |
(-6.5) |
41-0 |
| Sept. 17 |
At Detroit |
(-3) |
31-10 |
| Sept. 24 |
New York Jets |
(-7.5) |
17-21 |
| Oct. 1 |
At Washington |
(+2) |
17-20* |
| Oct. 9 |
At Minnesota |
(+2) |
23-30 |
| Oct. 15 |
BYE |
|
|
| Oct. 19 |
Detroit |
(-8) |
14-28 |
| Oct. 29 |
Minnesota |
(-3) |
41-13 |
| Nov. 5 |
At Atlanta |
(-8) |
27-14 |
| Nov. 12 |
Green Bay |
(-8.5) |
20-15 |
| Nov. 19 |
At Chicago |
(-7) |
10-13 |
| Nov. 26 |
Buffalo |
(-3.5) |
31-17 |
| Dec. 3 |
Dallas |
(-10) |
27-7 |
| Dec. 10 |
At Miami |
(+3) |
16-13 |
| Dec. 18 |
St. Louis |
(+2.5) |
38-35 |
| Dec. 24 |
At Green Bay |
(+3) |
14-17* |
| POSTSEASON |
| Dec. 31 |
At Philadelphia |
(-3) |
3-21 |
| * Overtime |
|
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