This Date In History: Buccaneers Win The NFC Championship Game

With conference championships up for grabs this weekend, we take a look back at some more Buccaneers history. Last week, we remembered Tampa Bay’s victory over San Francisco in the NFC divisional round. Today is January 19. On this date in 2003, the Bucs silenced the Philadelphia crowd with a 27-10 victory to clinch a spot in the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers had some major wins this past season, beating playoff contenders like the Falcons, Chiefs and Seahawks. While Tampa Bay may have missed out on this year’s postseason, now is still a good time to look back on some franchise history.

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The Bucs saw their season end at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000 and 2001. They also dropped the regular season matchup in 2002, so when the NFC Championship Game came around, revenge was on the line. One week after a 31-6 rout of the 49ers, the Bucs shut down the Eagles on the road by a score of 27-10. The win sent Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.

Things started very slow for Jon Gruden’s team. After a long kickoff return to open the game, the Eagles scored a few plays later on a 20-yard touchdown run by Duce Staley. The Bucs responded with a 48-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica, but the game didn’t swing into their favor until late in the first quarter.

We all know the story. Joe Jurevicius didn’t travel with the team. He was in a hospital room with his wife, as the couple’s newborn son, Michael, fought for his life. The receiver eventually made it to Philadelphia, and sparked the team with a 71-yard catch and run from Brad Johnson. Bucs play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff shouted “you go, Joe” as No. 83 ran down the sideline. It was an emotional moment for all involved. Two plays later, Mike Alstott found the end zone to give Tampa Bay the lead.

Keyshawn Johnson later caught a touchdown before Gramatica added another field goal. Then, one of the most iconic moments in franchise history came with just under three and a half minutes to go. Just when it looked like the Eagles were driving on the star-studded Buccaneer defense, Ronde Barber jumped a Donovan McNabb pass and took it back 92 yards for a game-sealing pick six. The celebration was on. Tampa Bay was headed to the Super Bowl.

The Bucs finally took down the Eagles, and ended the life of Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium in the process. Philly fans were ready to close down the stadium with a NFC title win, but instead headed home with disappointment. It was one of the finest days in Buccaneer history- until the next week, of course.

Next: Buccaneers: Addressing The Salary Cap

There was only one thing left to do. The dominant Tampa Bay defense had to face one last test: the high-powered Oakland Raiders offense. The Bucs didn’t have a lot of time to celebrate the NFC title win. Awaiting them just a few days later was a trip to Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.