Tampa Bay Buccaneers History

Jon Gruden has a lot to smile about but he won’t. The grim faced coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is coming off his best year since winning the Super Bowl. The nice thing is he has even more to look forward to. He’s finally found a quarterback he can trust in Jeff Garcia, a Pro Bowl pick in 2006. Earnest Graham, while not the best back in the NFL, is at least dependable. And the defense in Raymond James Stadium is starting to get a younger feel to it.

The success is something Gruden has been waiting for. His team finished the 2005 NFL regular season at 11-5 then slumped to 4-12 in 2006. With fans calling for his head, Gruden just gritted his teeth and took on 2007. Divisional sweeps of the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints stacked the deck in the Bucs favor and wins over the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, among others, earned the Bucs a playoff spot. The fact that they were promptly knocked out by Washington would account for the scowl of Jon Gruden’s face.