2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

rdf:langString 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

rdf:langString * Mike Alstott FB 7px * Darian Barnes FB 7px * Torrie Cox DB 7px * John Howell FS 7px * Joe Jurevicius WR 7px * Brian Kelly CB 7px * Than Merrill S 7px * Greg Spires DE 7px * Tony Taylor RB 7px * Kenyatta Walker T 7px * Tim Wansley CB 7px * Ellis Wyms DE 7px

rdf:langString WR Keenan McCardell

rdf:langString Tampa Bay Buccaneers

rdf:langString Tampa Bay Buccaneers

rdf:langString * Brad Johnson * Shaun King * Chris Simms

rdf:langString Buccaneers seasons

rdf:langString LB Derrick Brooks, DE Simeon Rice

rdf:langString

rdf:langString DT Warren Sapp

rdf:langString LB Derrick Brooks

rdf:langString WR Keenan McCardell

rdf:langString DE Simeon Rice

rdf:langString Did not qualify

rdf:langString The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League, the 6th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 2nd under head coach Jon Gruden. The season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7–9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The season started out on a positive note, as the Buccaneers defeated their bitter rival from the three previous postseasons, the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the first game in Lincoln Financial Field, and with a 17–0 shutout victory, it appeared Tampa Bay had picked up right where they had left off the season before. Their home opener against Carolina in week 2 was a disappointment, however, as special teams woes thwarted what would have been a game-winning touchdown as time expired. The go-ahead extra point was blocked, and Tampa Bay lost in overtime. The worst was yet to come, however, in week 5. The team blew a 35–14 lead in the final four minutes and lost to the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, the night that former coach Tony Dungy returned to Tampa. The team began to unravel, both on the field and off the field, with injuries piling up, and locker room tensions mounting. Combined with the Oakland Raiders' dismal 4–12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached the playoffs that year. This situation would not happen again until the 2016 season when both the Broncos and the Panthers, the two Super Bowl contenders for the 2015 season, would miss the playoffs. This was the most recent season that a Super Bowl champion had a losing record following the Super Bowl until the Rams in 2022

rdf:langString * Ronde Barber CB * Scott Frost FS * David Gibson SS * Corey Ivy SS * John Lynch SS * Jermaine Phillips FS * Travaris Robinson S * Dwight Smith CB * Ronyell Whitaker CB

rdf:langString * Chartric Darby DT * Booger McFarland DT * Cleveland Pinkney DT * Simeon Rice DE * Warren Sapp DT * Corey Smith DE * Dewayne White DE

rdf:langString * Derrick Brooks OLB * Jack Golden OLB * Ryan Nece OLB * Shelton Quarles MLB * Dwayne Rudd OLB * Nate Webster MLB

rdf:langString * Cosey Coleman G * Anthony Davis T * Cornell Green T * Kerry Jenkins G * Austin King C * Sean Mahan G * Roman Oben T * John Wade C * Jason Whittle G

rdf:langString * Jameel Cook FB * Thomas Jones * Cecil Martin FB * Michael Pittman * Aaron Stecker KR

rdf:langString * Ryan Benjamin LS * Martín Gramática K * Tom Tupa P

rdf:langString * Ken Dilger * Rickey Dudley * Will Heller * Roland Williams * Todd Yoder

rdf:langString * Keyshawn Johnson * Charles Lee * Keenan McCardell * Edell Shepherd * Karl Williams PR