2003 South Division Standings Team W L T Div Carolina 11 5 0 5-1 New Orleans 8 8 0 3-3 Tampa Bay 7 9 0 2-4 Atlanta 5 11 0 2-4 2003 Pre-Season (4-1) July 20, 2003: Every year we ask ourselves if the current NFL champion can repeat? I believe this Date team has enough going for it to accomplish this feat. But that's from the heart, if you look at the Team Outcome W-L-T schedule, they have a very tough hoe to tow, or is it toe to row, or road to hoe? Anyway..... two of Sat 8/2/03 at N.Y. Jets W 30-14 1-0 the teams in the first three games of the season have a statement to make. Something to prove after Fri 8/8/03 at Miami W 20-19 2-0 last years embarrassment by the Bucs. Philadelphia (postseason) and Atlanta (manhandled them in Mon 8/18/03 at St. Louis L 16-26 2-1 both regular season games last year). They also play division rivals Carolina (which should be a W) Sat 8/23/03 Jacksonville W 10-6 3-1 and New Orleans (whom has been a long standing nemeses even before re-alignment), and Thu 8/28/03 Houston W 34-3 4-1 Indianapolis and San Fran (who shouldn't be taken lightly). 2003 Regular Season (7-9) I figure they may go 3-5 in the first half, or 5-3 depending on the other teams development. The Date Team Outcome W-L-T second half of the season tho' they could go 5-3. Worst case scenario they'd be 8-8 for the season, which I highly doubt, or they could go 10-6, which is more feasible. Mon 9/8/03 at Philadelphia W 17-0 1-0 Sun 9/14/03 Carolina L 9-12 OT 1-1 Sun 9/21/03 at Atlanta W 31-10 2-1 2003 Preseason Sun 9/28/03 Bye Mon 10/6/03 Indianapolis L 35-38 OT 2-2 PreS Game 1 August 2, 2003: Tampa Bay (1-0) vs NY Jets (0-1) Sun 10/12/03 at Washington W 35-13 3-2 The Bucs won their first preseason game this year yesterday morning (Saturday L 7-24 3-3 Sun 10/19/03 at San Fran 8/2/03) against the New York Jets 30-14. The game was held in Tokyo Japan. And the Bucs looked good. It was televised live on ESPN2 5:00 AM my Sun 10/26/03 Dallas W 16-0 4-3 time (6:00 PM Japan time) and yep, I was awake and watched it. Sun 11/2/03 New Orleans L 14-17 4-4 The Jets received the ball to start the game and they marched right down and Sun 11/9/03 at Carolina L 24-27 4-5 scored, 0-7. But it would be the last time they saw the end zone till the last Sun 11/16/03 Green Bay L 13-20 4-6 three minutes of the game. The Bucs first string offense only played the first Mon 11/24/03 N.Y. Giants W 19-13 5-6 possession but answered the Jets TD by marching down and scoring themselves. The touchdown Sun 11/30/03 at Jacksonville L 10-17 5-7 was overturned by a bad call by the ref's and Tampa settled for a field goal, 3-7. It was defense by Sun 12/7/03 at New Orleans W 14-7 6-7 both teams the remainder of the half, but Tampa got a touchdown and extra-point in the last 20 Sun 12/14/03 Houston W 16-3 7-7 seconds before the break, 10-7. Sat 12/20/03 Atlanta L 28-30 7-8 No one scored in the third quarter. But in the fourth the Bucs came to life slapping 17 unanswered Sun 12/28/03 at Tennessee L 13-33 7-9 points up, 30-7. The Jets, crushed well before fourth quarter, did score just before the game ended making the score look like it wasn't as bad as it really was, 30-14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason games hardly tell how a team will do through the course of the regular season, but the Leader Stats through Bucs look like they never left the field during the off-season. The one thing that stood out the most 2003 Regular Season Passing: was the much improved execution and management by the offense. Which is/was Tampa's QB Brad Johnson Achilles' heel. If they continue to play as well as they did against the Jets, this team could repeat 16 Games Started 16 Played again. Barring injuries of course. 354 of 570 attempts 62.1% Completion Rate PreS Game 2 August 8, 2003: Tampa Bay (2-0) at Miami (0-1) 3,811 Yards 26 TD / 21 INT Are these guys for real? Watching this team is watching the highest 20 Sacks / 6 Fumbles 2 Lost level of art-form that this game can deliver. All the way from watching Receiving: the eloquent execution by the third string players to the master planning WR Keenan McCardell on the sideline by Head Coach Jon Gruden and Defensive Coordinator 16 Games Started 16 Played Monty Kiffen. 84 receptions Contrary to the final score of last nights preseason game against the 1174 yards / 14.0 avg 8 TD Miami Dolphins, 20-19, this game was never that close. The Buccaneers 1 Fumble 1 Lost 1 Recovery controlled this game from the first kick-off. Mainly by the backups too. 1 TD Starting Quarterback Brad Johnson only threw 6 times completing 3 for 41 yards. The majority of Rushing: the game was played by second string QB Shaun King and third string QB Chris Simms (Phil RB Michael Pittman Simms, NY Giants, son). King had an outstanding night making 8 completions on 12 attempts (66.6%) 13 Games Started 16 Played for 72 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. He had a QB rating of 110.4 for the night. The 187 carries Buccaneers also established a running game amassing 152 yards on 37 attempts for 4.1 yds per 751 yards / 4.0 avg 0 TD's / 4 Fumble 1 Lost carry avg. That was accumulated by 10 different players including 20 597 receiving yards yards on 2 runs by Shaun King and 9 yards on 3 runs by Chris Simms. 75 catches / 8.0 avg The Tampa first string defense stayed in for very little action. The second 2 TD and third stringers held Miami to only 2 field goals in the first half, no Touchdowns: (9) points in the third, and though they tried to make a stand late in the fourth, WR Keenan McCardell it was too little too late. Points: (81) K Martin Gramatica If your a Buc fan, this game was a lot of fun to watch. Kickoff Returns: (25) RB Aaron Stecker PreS Game 3 August 18, 2003: Tampa Bay (2-1) @ St. Louis (1-1) 520 yards / 20.8 avg They aren't invincable. The Rams came onto the field prepared to make a statement. And they did 0 TD's / 1 Fumble beating the Bucs 16-26. The Rams defense shut out the Tampa offense 1st stringers behind QB Punt Returns: (15) WR Karl Williams Brad Johnson in the first quarter and QB Shaun King in the second quarter. 110 yards / 7.3 avg Meanwhile the Rams offense scored on every possession of the first half 0 TD's / 0 Fumbles against Tampa's 1st string defense. Defense: I believe the reason it was such a lopsided game is because the once proud OLB Derrick Brooks and mighty, but recently fallen, Rams wanted to prove they still had IT 71 Tackles / 30 Assists against the reigning Superbowl champs. As for the Bucs, this was their 3rd 1 Sack / 2 Forced Fumble 7 passes defended preseason game and they already had proven to 2 INT / 1 TD themselves in the first two games that they still had IT and will be playing IT Sacks: (15) safe their last three preseason games. DE Simeon Rice But I'll bet they go 4-1 in preseason. They haven't played a home game yet Interceptions: (5) but the last two are, and looking at whom they play, and the fact they'll be in S Dwight Smith front of their fans, they'll take the last 2 games. But that's just my take. Tampa Bay Buccaneer CBS SportsLine.com Power Ranking after week 17 PreS Game 4 August 23, 2003: Jacksonville (2-1) @ Tampa (3-1) #18 The Tampa defense made amends for last weeks embarrassing display against the St. Louis Rams and held Jacksonville's offense to two field goals winning The Buccaneer the game 10-6. The Buccaneers offense looked like the dreaded one of old but SwashBucklers was able to pull out the win with a field goal and one touchdown. Tampa scored only twice in twelve possessions (16.6%). Tampa lost 119 yards on 12 penalties. Last week against the Rams they lost 124 yards on 12 penalties. Sounds like something they need to work on. This game was such a 180 from what I've seen thus far, I'm tempted to say this 'undisciplined', 'disorganized' behavior by the Bucs may be for show (intentional).