No, Jon Gruden would have won the super bowl either way. He is the only one who knew how to stop the league's best offense, and he did.
I know you are a Raiders fan but the Buc's dominated on D the entire year and the year before. Being their former coach did help but they still had the league's best D. As for whether they would have won with Dungy, I really dont think so. As apposed to Mo, I though that he taught their offense from what he learned from the Raiders rather than from teacing the D based on the Raiders offensive scheme. I think that Dungy is a very good coach but his playoff record speaks for itself.
The Bucs Defense was a great defense. I take nothing away from them. They were able to shut down the League's most dangerous Offensive Weapon (Vick), and the League's most dangerous offense (Oakland). But I just think that Gruden made most of the difference in the Super Bowl. There were also a lot of intangibles that favored the Bucs (Robbins disappearance) If you read articles, you will find out that 3 days before the Super Bowl, Gruden basically lined up under center and drove his offense down the field against his bewildered defense using the audibles he knew Gannon would call. John Lynch read the audibles in the Super Bowl and told the defense exactly where they needed to be, and also what holes would open up in the Offensive Line. Tampa Bay deserves credit, but Gruden is just an evil scientist who schemes, and schemes until he has perfected his plan. Kudos to Gruden, he won the title, But the boys in black are still around.
Whenever a top 3 defense meets a top 3 offense in the SB, the defense wins. Didn't the Titans have a top 3 defense the year St. Louis won? Tony Dungy's teams haven't scored a TD in their last 4 playoff games. No way they would have won with his offensive style.
But the TB defense scored as many points as the Raiders. Sure ... but a lot of that is TB's ability to consistently move the ball. If they keep going 3-and-out, Oakland has more opportunities to score and eventually likely would have. It's the same reason Texas can't ever beat OU -- we can never hold the ball and rely on our defense, but if you leave them out there the whole game, they eventually will fall apart. Besides which, the TB defense started scoring after they had the huge lead and forced Oakland out of their gameplan. Who knows what happens if its still 3-3 instead of 27-3.
I think no. Grudens intimate knowledge of the Raiders offense helped the Bucs great D make the proper ajustments. I honestly believe if it had been any other team the Raiders would have won it all. No slight on Dungy-I just dont think he is the offensive guru Gruden is. Dungy is a better defensive coach no doubt, but Gruden was smart enough to leave the Tampa D in Monte Kiffin's hands.
If the Bucs hadn't humilated the Raiders, Maybe I could agree, but, the fact is they were humiliated. The bucs were the clearly the better team. It had nothing to do with Gruden knowing the Raiders. But I do believe Gruden was neccessary for them to win. That's obvious. They added him. They won. I mean what more can you say.
That is almost the stupidest thing I have ever heard. But I think "Michael Vick will be lucky to pass for more yards than Rodney Peete" is #1.
No, the Titan's had the #1 defense the following year (2000), but in 1999 their defense was pretty far down the ladder. 1999 team stats
The Bucs knew the Raiders audibles and general play calls, once they got into Gannon's head, it was all over. Without Gruden, they wouldn't have known how to stop that offense - without Gruden, they don't win.
Oakland's offense was the best offense in the league. No one could figure out how to stop it. They rolled over Tennessee and The Jets, two teams that were supposed to give them a tough time. Bottom line is Rich Gannon throws nothing but high percentage passes, short 7 yard slants, and 15 yard out routes at the most. It is impossible for someone to know exactly where the ball is going to be unless they know Gannon. Gruden knows Gannon, Hell, Gruden BUILT Gannon, Gruden probably knows Gannon better than he knows himself. Once Gannon knew that it was pointless, he finally gave up and just started chucking the ball, and exposed the Secondary. But of course it was way too little, too late. The perfect Offense Gruden built in 3 years, he tore apart in 3 hours. Its really as simple as that. I guarantee you put another great defensive team against the Raiders (Eagles, Bucs under Dungy) You would have had a very different result.
