As a Bucs fan my entire life ( since their inception in 1976, I was 5) , to this day, this is the game I cherish the most.. Even more than either Super Bowl victory.. I was in absolute tears and grabbed up my sweet little mom, who was the one who introduced me to football, and never missed any of my games from 6 to 18, and we just happily cried together!! I'll never forget that moment..She's 80, now, and still loves her Bucs and her boy❤️ Love my mama!!
@@chrisuncleahmad666 We were playing with house money that game. We were a young team going up against the best team in football on the road. We predictably lost so there wasn't a lot of heartbreak there. 2002 was supposed to be our year. Then 2003 was. At least we made the Super Bowl in 2004. We had a great underdog run back to the NFC Championship in 2008 but lost. Then the magic of 2017 made all the previous pain hurt a little bit less.
Yeah I posted a similar comment myself. Not from Philly, but I remember the game, and to this day I keep hearing that this is seen as the worst loss in Eagles history, and I guess more to your point maybe Philadelphia sports history.
The “Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell” call is so nostalgic for me, it reminds me of the old school soccer games I used to play all the time where the announcers would often just say the name of the player over and over the closer you got to the goal, slowly rising in intensity.
I don’t think he is. I used to hate him always calling Cowboys games but I really don’t mind him anymore. He’s a decent commentator who has some very good moments. I think the problem is mostly Troy these days, he hasn’t changed at all from his early 2000s style. I think Buck needs a goofball personality to contrast with him, sort of like the Pat Summerall : John Madden dynamic.
I've never gotten over this loss. Not even the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl win was enough to erase it. The circumstances coming in are what make it so devastating. - The Eagles had reached the 2001 NFC Championship Game and almost beat the Greatest Show on Turf. - 2002 was a storybook season. The Eagles went 4-1 after McNabb got hurt to earn HFA when everyone counted them out. - The Eagles were the number one ranked team entering the postseason - It was the last game at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles were going to close out the stadium in style. - The opponent was a Bucs team that the Eagles had run out of town for two straight seasons. - The Eagles were virtually injury-free. The setup was perfect. All the stars were aligned. When Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards and Duce Staley scored less than a minute into the game, the Vet was about to explode. No one could've foreseen at the time how such a high would result in such a devastating defeat.
I couldn't agree more with everything you said and I'm a Packer fan. I thought the 2007 NFC Championship hurt for us Packer fans, but this one is an absolute heartbreaker. I probably would have been depressed for at least a year, if not longer.
It was great watching this game. Had two years of heartbreaking playoff losses to the Eagles only to be redeemed in the final game at the old stadium. That game was awesome! Go Bucs!
Good- I’m glad it still haunts you to this day -2002/2003 was OUR year Eagles defeated the bucs in the playoffs multiple times and never went on to win the championship You DESERVED this loss and your loud, obnoxious fanbase is a utter disgrace
For everyone who says Gruden won with Dungy's team...this right here is the evidence to the contrary. The Eagles kicked Tampa's ass in back to back years in the playoffs at the Vet and then humbled them in the regular season. But by this point, Gruden's offense had gotten to the point of being able to compliment what Tampa did on defense and not put them in bad positions like Shaun King and Brad Johnson (22/36, 4 INTs in 2001 wild card game) had done. The most important play in the franchise's history was that catch and run by Joe Jurevicus. Changed the whole complexion of this game. This team does not win the Super Bowl without Gruden. Period. For all the stains he put on his own legacy, he DID give this team enough juice on the offensive end to win big games and also managed to drag that team back to the postseason two more times and should have in 2008 if not for, in the irony of ironies, getting knocked out in the last week by JaBustus Russell and the Oakland Raiders.
That is why he never won with that team again...and a mediocre career since. He DID win with Dungy's team. The team easily wins the SB without Gruden and more than likely would have beaten Philly in this game by even more with Dungy. If Gruden was a good coach he should have won at LEAST 3 SBs with that team. Not a coincidence that Dungy drafted another group in Indy and won a SB there. I like how you ignore the fact that Philly lost 3 straight NFC Championship games....Philly had McNabb at QB who couldn't win big games.
@Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot it was Tony’s team and Tony definitely would’ve won with that team whether this same season or within the timespan. They weren’t a fluke of a team and he damn sure wasn’t a fluke of a coach. Side note: Jon had extra leverage knowing ALL Raiders play calling but Tony still would’ve got one like he did with the Colts
Gruden put the finishing touches on the house that Dungy built. Dungy and Gruden's contributions to this title should not be treated as mutually exclusive. There is a little more nuance to the situation that cannot be expressed in one sentence, so consider the following... We needed an offensive game plan that would not get destroyed by Jim Johnson and at the very least, match Philly's offensive output (considering Tampa's superior D). Is Jon Gruden the ONLY person that could do this? It can be argued that an above average OC could have given us a similar result. Can you say the same about Dungy and Kiffin? No. The Tampa2 doesn't exist without them. Gruden doesn't get the chance to elevate a mediocre offense to glory without Tampa2. From 2003-2008, Gruden sacrificed defensive depth and alienated/traded All-pro/HOF defensive talent as he tried (and failed) to build an Oakland esque offensive in TB. You know, the one that got destroyed by the defense he was sacrificing. Meanwhile, Dungy inherited an all-star/HOF offense in Indy. He did not chase away Marvin Harrison, Edgerin James, or Peyton Manning in a misguided attempt to emulate past success. He let the offense do it's thing, while raising the level of their D. The Bucs became basement dwellers as we were removed from the designs of Dungy, while the Colts were going 13-3 every year.
As a lifelong Bucs fan, this single moment, after years of losing, 2 years in a row of getting crushed by Philly in the playoffs, a tear ran down my eye at the conclusion. Go Bucs! Get Barber in the HOF!!! #ItsABucsLife
Ronde was all over the place in every game. If you watch the tape he is in just about every single frame where the ball was, even if he didn't touch it. RB deserved his trip to Canton IMHO.
Fun Fact two former assistants who are now head coaches of one of the NFL's biggest rivalries were both in this game for each team. Mike Tomlin was a defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and John Harbaugh as a special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Another fun fact: Between the two staffs, there are TWELVE future NFL head coaches in this game. One was an interim (Rich Bisaccia) and a few others didn't do well, but others have won two Super Bowls and many playoff appearances.
I was a freshman in high school watching this sneaking beers and smoking a little with my buddies, one was from Philly and was crushed by the loss. Now I'm 34...memories
I just remember everyone had the Eagles picked for them to go to the Super Bowl. The last game at the Vet. Playing the Bucs who have only won once at the Vet in 1995. They hadn't won any game under 32 degrees. Everything was against the Bucs. Then the Eagles on their first drive went down and scored like it was nothing. Everyone thought the Bucs would fold, but they didn't. Had the resiliency to overcome being behind and that 3rd down pass to Jurevicius was the key to get the Bucs back into the game.
A lot of people talked about how the 2002 Super Bowl was Jon Gruden’s revenge game against the Raiders, this NFC Championship game was the Buccaneers revenge against the Eagles because the last few times these teams played one another the Eagles would find a way to win and some of those games were played at the Vet. I’m sure history would’ve said that the Bucs had no chance in this game but last I check big games aren’t won by what happened in the past.
Those two postseason loses cost Tony Dungy his job. That was also added motivation for Sapp, Brooks, Barber & co. Bc they love Dungy & speak highly of him
The story of this game was short, quick throws…or rather how short, quick throws burned the Eagles defense on pretty much every down the Bucs spent on offense
The eagles were stacked and a force to be reckoned with in the 2000s decade. It’s a shame they didn’t win any Super Bowls that decade and only went to one despite being in 5 nfc championship games (and in 4 straight) that decade
I love being able to hear the iconic Gene Deckerhoff call of the Ronde Barber interception in the background while Joe Buck is boring the hell out of the audience. Goosebumps!
Man, early 2000s Andy Reid play calling was something else. That run on 3rd and 9 coupled with that punt at the TB 31 in the 1st quarter practically invited TB back into the game. Also, how about that Joe Jurevicius sighting?
There was a pretty stiff wind blowing in the Eagles’ faces and NO ONE thought the Bucs would drive the ball 96 yards for a touchdown after that punt. Now that kickers can hit any field goal under 60, you would never punt there.
I ran up and down my street (Philly Suburbs) yelling "Taaaaammmmmpppaaaaa Baaaayyyyyy"! Its was just sooooo quiet. Neighbors didnt speak for 6 months😂😂😂 Go Bucs
Nothing beat that Mitchell return, that Staley scoring run and the crowd going insane. You couldn't have dreamt a better start to a game. What a shame. As a 12-year-old watching this game, I think I was more stunned than angry. No matter how you slice it, losing games of this magnitude is a horrible feeling.
Barber still deserves to be in the Hall IMO. He was so big for us. One game shouldn’t get you in but it should have a lot of influence on it. Without him we don’t win this game. This was the super bowl to me especially after having lost the two years before in the vet. To tear it down was even more special
One game? He’s the only player in NFL history with 45 ints and 25 sacks. Also the all time consecutive starts for DB. Also revolutionized the slot corner position. He also has over 1k tackles. He should’ve been first ballot
And he is in, making 4 Hall of Famers on that defense (Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber). A strong argument could be made for Simeon Rice getting in as well. Legendary unit, the best pass defense I've ever seen.
Final NFL game at Veteran’s Stadium, with the Bucs not only had never won a game in Philadelphia ever, but they had also never won a game when kickoff temperatures were below 40°F. And yet despite all this, Ronde Barber and the crew upset perhaps the peak of the McNabb Eagles on this night.
I'm guessing many Philly fans see this as the worst Eagles loss of all time? Even more so than Super Bowl 39 and Super Bowl 15? This seemed to be Andy Reid's best team, and they had owned the Bucs. Just completely choked :(
This was way, way, way worse than losing sb38. I don't think it's even close for Eagles fans. Losing sb38 sucked, yeah, but it wasn't the absolute punch in the gut this was.
I was devastated watching this game when I was 12 yrs old. I was born and raised in Houston Texas and as a kid when I just started watching and playing football, Houston didn't have a football team. So I needed a team to cheer for as a kid and that team for me was the Philadelphia Eagles. I still don't know why I chose that team as the one I would want to reach the super bowl each year. Whether it was the scary defense or the exciting scrambling ability of one of the first rushing quarterbacks in Donovan McNabb, the Eagles were my favorite team before the Houston Texans were created. Even though the Eagles would reach the NFC Championship like 3-4 yrs in a row and lose each one I would still be routing for them to win so this game was really hard to watch again
This is still the biggest game in Buccaneer history. The Eagles owned us for years but this was the game that showed that the Bucs wouldn't be losers forever. Ronde Barber will be talking about this game in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech one day.
This just popped up in my feed after the eagles meltdown in the wild card game. This is still one of my favorite games I ever watched, finally put that cant win in the cold myth to bed.
Man o man as a bucs fan other than my kids of course lol this was the best day of my sports life!!!!! Number 20 running down the Field pumping his fist in the air classic #gobucs
This was probably my favorite football game. The Eagles beat Tampa bay in the playoffs the last 2 seasons before this one. The odds were not in Tampa Bay's favor. I remember how worried I was until Rondae Barber picked it off. What a win.
I remember everybody saying the Bucs were going to get blasted bc they wouldn't be able to deal with the cold. So much for that one. The Bucs had one of the best defenses of all time, HOFer at every level and position group D-Line, LB, CB, Safety. They had a good offense as well Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, Alstot. Vikings fans must've been sick watching Brad Johnson go and win a SB with Tampa
Grew up in Philly. Was living in Tampa during this time. Watched this with a bunch of Tampa fans and friends at a bar. I was so sure the Eagles would win. The beginning kick off and td, then the interception. All down hill from there. I had to deal with the parade traffic jam. An awful game.
Alot of things about this game here, how about the best return man in the history of the league showing out like that, and it's always the home grown Penn State guys that end up killing the Eagles man ... also, the Vet was just a different type of monster ... usually the crowd noise doesn't translate to the TV broadcast fully, but my goodness they were loud that day .... no matter which team won this day, it hurts that much more knowing that the winner of this game was almost guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, the Raiders had no shot ...
I'll dare say the greatest sports moment in Tampa Bay Sports History, given what we had to overcome and the circumstances leading up to this game. We had been eliminated two straight years by the Eagles in the Wild Card Round, and they had beaten us earlier that season. This Bucs team was not to be denied this time. Ronde's Pick 6 to clinch it would see to that. If you listen closely, during Ronde's Pick 6, you'll hear Gene's call in the background.
I know Brian Dawkins, he was my Favorite Football player when I was a little Boy. And that was my Storyline about my High School Football when I was a Running Back and Free Safety, I Inspires like Earl Thomas, Marshawn Lynch, Brian Dawkins and Barry Sanders.
Any long time Eagles fan will tell you that this game was the most devastating loss in recent Eagles history. Even worse than the Super Bowl a couple years afterwards. We sat in section 254 at the vet from the first game in 1971 all the way through the last game played there- this game versus the Buccaneers. And walking out of veteran stadium was typically either overwhelmingly celebratory or cacophony of anger. But walking out of the vet after this game was dead silence. I’ve never heard anything like it before or since. No one yelling. No one talking. Just dead fkn silence. Having said that, I’m sure every single person reading this feels really bad for us Eagles fans. Probably not.
As a cowboys fan, I don’t feel too bad for eagles fans. As human beings though, I can empathize with anyone who has felt that kind of pain. But hey, you guys got your ring in 2017, that’s something to be proud of.
@@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820 yeah that made it all better, at least for awhile. But then blowing that one to the Chiefs last year kind of brought it all back in a way. We will always have 52 but 1 for 4 in the Super Bowl is pretty gut wrenching, especially when two of the three losses were by a stinking FG.
I was at this game. It was around 0 degrees but once Brian Mitchell ran that opening kickoff and Duce scored the TD it felt like it was 95 and sunny. Then it just started getting colder and colder again. Worst Eagles loss ever.
And this was his first season as the football play by play A guy after Summerall stepped down. Although to be fair I think he did do some games for fox that year.
Al michaels has been calling NFL games since at least the 80s, Collinsworth, Jim Nantz and Greg Gumbel since the 90s. Lots of the top commentators have been around for ages.
As An Eagles Fan, This Hurts To Watch. It Really Does. The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles Were Perhaps My Favorite Eagles Team Of All Time. Such A Great Group Of Guys Who Deserved A Championship. 💙 The 2002 Eagles 😢🦅
As a Bucs fan this game scares the shit out of me going into it. Eagles had a loaded secondary and had all sorts of exotic blitzes that had destroyed them in the regular season loss. Another banger this weekend!
The eagles deserved to lose that game joe jervrvis’s son died the night before and eagles fans and players taunted him with it all day worst fans in any sport
I was a teenager when this game happened but I remember the hype leading up to it was extremely intense. Truly a heartbreaker, i hated Ronde Barber after that lol
Shout out to the BUCS for shutting down the old vet in style... Rip!!! And another Shout out to Coach Dungy because He built the Team that won the first ever Super Bowl!!!
One of the greatest days of my life when Barber intercepted that pass I started crying like a baby I always loved bucs but they always sucked I remember as a kid sneaking in bucs games with my friends it (stadium) was always empty fans with bags over their head people would always send my friends and I food and drinks thanks my friends and I would be crying cause the bucs was losing understand we love the bucs this was 77 78 now to see the bucs when a super bowl we are still crying understand we love the bucs.
This game was hilarious to me. As a Giants fan and Vick fan that year, I was pissed they took the Falcons down. When Bucs smacked them I was like well at least Philly won't be in that SB 😂
Ronde Barber was a Philly nightmare that day. He strips the ball on a corner blitz, stopping one drive and then gets an INT and the longest return in post season history, stopping another drive. I’m sure this game was big consideration for his hall of fame selection.
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
As a Bucs fan my entire life ( since their inception in 1976, I was 5) , to this day, this is the game I cherish the most.. Even more than either Super Bowl victory.. I was in absolute tears and grabbed up my sweet little mom, who was the one who introduced me to football, and never missed any of my games from 6 to 18, and we just happily cried together!! I'll never forget that moment..She's 80, now, and still loves her Bucs and her boy❤️ Love my mama!!
I know you'll be watching this weekend!
The “Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell” call was Joe Buck at his best
@Keith Cousins nobody cares
Mitchell…..Mitchell….Mitchell 😂😂
"Down to the 25"
Thankfully he's become more energetic in recent years. Both for football and baseball. He was unbearably boring for the majority of his career.
Also got to love Troy moaning about Todd Pinkston after one of the greatest plays in our team’s history. 🙄
The most painful loss in Philadelphia sports history right here. We've had a lot of heartbreakers but nothing touches this.
I know Philly lost an NFC-CG the previous year to St. Louis, but this game and that Rams matchup were total polar opposites.
@@chrisuncleahmad666 We were playing with house money that game. We were a young team going up against the best team in football on the road. We predictably lost so there wasn't a lot of heartbreak there. 2002 was supposed to be our year. Then 2003 was. At least we made the Super Bowl in 2004. We had a great underdog run back to the NFC Championship in 2008 but lost. Then the magic of 2017 made all the previous pain hurt a little bit less.
Even more than 2004? Cuz that team, imo, was better than the 2002 team. People forget how loaded on defense the Bucs were.
Yeah I posted a similar comment myself. Not from Philly, but I remember the game, and to this day I keep hearing that this is seen as the worst loss in Eagles history, and I guess more to your point maybe Philadelphia sports history.
Unrelated but how has this season been? Are you sold on Hurts being the guy?
That pick-6 by Barber that sealed the Bucs to their first trip to the Super Bowl was absolutely legendary
💯
Considering the stakes, its gotta be the greatest play in franchise history (if not 2 or 3)
Ronde and Tiki Barber.
Great football names.
@@andrewlarson7 it's consistently posted as the number one play in franchise history. Hard to argue.
I love that you can hear Gene Deckerhoff, the Bucs radio man, in the background ok that play. Pretty funny.
Man, Ronde Barber shutting down The Vet once and for all with a pick 6 to take them to a Super Bowl, just one of the best NFL moments ever
... for a Buck fan...
Hey intro fancy seeing you here
I hate to say it, but if you include fumble recoveries, fumbles caused, and picks, he was the best ball hawking safety during that time.
Should be in the HOF, hope he gets in this year
Forever my favorite Bucs game
The “Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell” call is so nostalgic for me, it reminds me of the old school soccer games I used to play all the time where the announcers would often just say the name of the player over and over the closer you got to the goal, slowly rising in intensity.
Keyshawn Johnson voice:we shut the vet down!! No more vet!! Classic and iconic..RIP Jim Johnson…
The Eagles had so many heartbreaking playoff games in the 2000s.
As a Ravens fan, we had lost 3 AFC Championships in 4 years before winning a Super Bowl. Every franchise goes through this.
not as bad as 4th and 26...
@@michaelhession2105 the eagles literally did the same thing 01 02 and 03 eagles lost in the nfc chip
#FACTS
At least they got to enjoy the most fluke super bowl ever a few years ago
"Mitchell. Mitchell. Mitchell."
Buck has come a long ways in his commentating, but he's still an enormous toolbox.
I don’t think he is. I used to hate him always calling Cowboys games but I really don’t mind him anymore. He’s a decent commentator who has some very good moments. I think the problem is mostly Troy these days, he hasn’t changed at all from his early 2000s style. I think Buck needs a goofball personality to contrast with him, sort of like the Pat Summerall : John Madden dynamic.
I've never gotten over this loss. Not even the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl win was enough to erase it. The circumstances coming in are what make it so devastating.
- The Eagles had reached the 2001 NFC Championship Game and almost beat the Greatest Show on Turf.
- 2002 was a storybook season. The Eagles went 4-1 after McNabb got hurt to earn HFA when everyone counted them out.
- The Eagles were the number one ranked team entering the postseason
- It was the last game at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles were going to close out the stadium in style.
- The opponent was a Bucs team that the Eagles had run out of town for two straight seasons.
- The Eagles were virtually injury-free.
The setup was perfect. All the stars were aligned. When Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards and Duce Staley scored less than a minute into the game, the Vet was about to explode. No one could've foreseen at the time how such a high would result in such a devastating defeat.
And to make it worse, it was freezing cold. Bucs were labeled as a team that couldn't play in the cold... just awful man
I couldn't agree more with everything you said and I'm a Packer fan. I thought the 2007 NFC Championship hurt for us Packer fans, but this one is an absolute heartbreaker. I probably would have been depressed for at least a year, if not longer.
Don't forget, the Bucs handed the Eagles a loss when they opened Lincoln Financial the next year. ;)
It was great watching this game. Had two years of heartbreaking playoff losses to the Eagles only to be redeemed in the final game at the old stadium. That game was awesome! Go Bucs!
Good- I’m glad it still haunts you to this day -2002/2003 was OUR year
Eagles defeated the bucs in the playoffs multiple times and never went on to win the championship
You DESERVED this loss and your loud, obnoxious fanbase is a utter disgrace
For everyone who says Gruden won with Dungy's team...this right here is the evidence to the contrary. The Eagles kicked Tampa's ass in back to back years in the playoffs at the Vet and then humbled them in the regular season. But by this point, Gruden's offense had gotten to the point of being able to compliment what Tampa did on defense and not put them in bad positions like Shaun King and Brad Johnson (22/36, 4 INTs in 2001 wild card game) had done. The most important play in the franchise's history was that catch and run by Joe Jurevicus. Changed the whole complexion of this game. This team does not win the Super Bowl without Gruden. Period. For all the stains he put on his own legacy, he DID give this team enough juice on the offensive end to win big games and also managed to drag that team back to the postseason two more times and should have in 2008 if not for, in the irony of ironies, getting knocked out in the last week by JaBustus Russell and the Oakland Raiders.
That is why he never won with that team again...and a mediocre career since. He DID win with Dungy's team. The team easily wins the SB without Gruden and more than likely would have beaten Philly in this game by even more with Dungy. If Gruden was a good coach he should have won at LEAST 3 SBs with that team.
Not a coincidence that Dungy drafted another group in Indy and won a SB there.
I like how you ignore the fact that Philly lost 3 straight NFC Championship games....Philly had McNabb at QB who couldn't win big games.
@Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot it was Tony’s team and Tony definitely would’ve won with that team whether this same season or within the timespan. They weren’t a fluke of a team and he damn sure wasn’t a fluke of a coach.
Side note: Jon had extra leverage knowing ALL Raiders play calling but Tony still would’ve got one like he did with the Colts
@@donavonhoward1899 TB pulled away because they had the much better players on both sides of the ball.....had nothing to do with Gruden.
Gruden put the finishing touches on the house that Dungy built. Dungy and Gruden's contributions to this title should not be treated as mutually exclusive.
There is a little more nuance to the situation that cannot be expressed in one sentence, so consider the following... We needed an offensive game plan that would not get destroyed by Jim Johnson and at the very least, match Philly's offensive output (considering Tampa's superior D). Is Jon Gruden the ONLY person that could do this? It can be argued that an above average OC could have given us a similar result. Can you say the same about Dungy and Kiffin? No. The Tampa2 doesn't exist without them. Gruden doesn't get the chance to elevate a mediocre offense to glory without Tampa2.
From 2003-2008, Gruden sacrificed defensive depth and alienated/traded All-pro/HOF defensive talent as he tried (and failed) to build an Oakland esque offensive in TB. You know, the one that got destroyed by the defense he was sacrificing. Meanwhile, Dungy inherited an all-star/HOF offense in Indy. He did not chase away Marvin Harrison, Edgerin James, or Peyton Manning in a misguided attempt to emulate past success. He let the offense do it's thing, while raising the level of their D. The Bucs became basement dwellers as we were removed from the designs of Dungy, while the Colts were going 13-3 every year.
Brilliant comment. Wish I could like it 10000 times
As a lifelong Bucs fan, this single moment, after years of losing, 2 years in a row of getting crushed by Philly in the playoffs, a tear ran down my eye at the conclusion. Go Bucs! Get Barber in the HOF!!! #ItsABucsLife
I miss them old touchdown sounds when a team score. Bring that back man
Absolutely. Bring it back
Ronde was all over the place in this game. A strip sack and pick 6 to send them to the super bowl. Best DB in Bucs history
Ronde was all over the place in every game. If you watch the tape he is in just about every single frame where the ball was, even if he didn't touch it. RB deserved his trip to Canton IMHO.
Fun Fact two former assistants who are now head coaches of one of the NFL's biggest rivalries were both in this game for each team. Mike Tomlin was a defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and John Harbaugh as a special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Where’s the fun part?
Another fun fact: Between the two staffs, there are TWELVE future NFL head coaches in this game. One was an interim (Rich Bisaccia) and a few others didn't do well, but others have won two Super Bowls and many playoff appearances.
In this game both Andy Reid and Jon Gruden coached under Mike Holmgren with the Packers.
Had no idea Mike Tomlin was a Buccaneers coach!
@@PhilJHaast7695 yeah he was a defensive backs coach for them from 02-05 before spending one year with the Vikings in 06
I was a freshman in high school watching this sneaking beers and smoking a little with my buddies, one was from Philly and was crushed by the loss. Now I'm 34...memories
I just remember everyone had the Eagles picked for them to go to the Super Bowl. The last game at the Vet. Playing the Bucs who have only won once at the Vet in 1995. They hadn't won any game under 32 degrees. Everything was against the Bucs. Then the Eagles on their first drive went down and scored like it was nothing. Everyone thought the Bucs would fold, but they didn't. Had the resiliency to overcome being behind and that 3rd down pass to Jurevicius was the key to get the Bucs back into the game.
Prior to this game, the Bucs did beat the bears I believe for their 1st win when the temp dropped below 32. The bears were terrible that year though.
Ronde had the best grin on his face shutting down the dump
That Ronde Barder pic 6 was legendary in a hostle environment sending the bucs to their first super bowl shutting down the vet 🔥
A lot of people talked about how the 2002 Super Bowl was Jon Gruden’s revenge game against the Raiders, this NFC Championship game was the Buccaneers revenge against the Eagles because the last few times these teams played one another the Eagles would find a way to win and some of those games were played at the Vet. I’m sure history would’ve said that the Bucs had no chance in this game but last I check big games aren’t won by what happened in the past.
And Gruden was the QB coach for the eagles back then
And McNabb is a master choker who clearly doesn’t buckle his chinstrap
@@thenewjord50 Gruden was the Raiders coach prior to 2002
Those two postseason loses cost Tony Dungy his job. That was also added motivation for Sapp, Brooks, Barber & co. Bc they love Dungy & speak highly of him
@@joshingram071 duh I know that
This was the first time conference championship Sunday started in the late afternoon rather than at noon.
Yep
Ja Rule be fire
I think they wanted to ensure that a west coast team would not be playing too early.
The story of this game was short, quick throws…or rather how short, quick throws burned the Eagles defense on pretty much every down the Bucs spent on offense
bruh i see u one almost every nfl related video lol
@@Eramatseab7 Because he’s a legend who knows his football lol
And McNabb just flat out sucked lol
@@edwardfights4900 facts
Dink and dunk their way to victory.
The eagles were stacked and a force to be reckoned with in the 2000s decade. It’s a shame they didn’t win any Super Bowls that decade and only went to one despite being in 5 nfc championship games (and in 4 straight) that decade
Yeah only if we had a real QB
@@johnomalley7211 Mcnabb was a GREAT qb
@@mariosnum1fan Yes He Was, You & John Omalley Got Two Great Comments As Well And I Love Them Both.
@@mariosnum1fan define GREAT
We needed some receivers lol.
Brian Mitchell was such a good returner doesn’t get mentioned enough
Facts
Then came b-rabbit and Lito did a lil something to before he became a starter
except at 00:45 👀👀💀💀☕️☕️☕️
I love being able to hear the iconic Gene Deckerhoff call of the Ronde Barber interception in the background while Joe Buck is boring the hell out of the audience. Goosebumps!
"GOING COAST TO COAST!" Ironic because thats where they were going after the game. (San Diego to be exact)
Will never forget it!
Every time that idiot calls a game I'm watching, I have to hit the mute button.
Man, early 2000s Andy Reid play calling was something else. That run on 3rd and 9 coupled with that punt at the TB 31 in the 1st quarter practically invited TB back into the game. Also, how about that Joe Jurevicius sighting?
Playing after his son was born with a defect, would die in March 2003.
There was a pretty stiff wind blowing in the Eagles’ faces and NO ONE thought the Bucs would drive the ball 96 yards for a touchdown after that punt. Now that kickers can hit any field goal under 60, you would never punt there.
Andy Reid is why Mcnabb never got a ring.. god his 3rd down play calls and his 2 minute clock management skills were beyond awful.
Horrendous but he to learn at the expense of McNabb
I ran up and down my street (Philly Suburbs) yelling "Taaaaammmmmpppaaaaa Baaaayyyyyy"! Its was just sooooo quiet. Neighbors didnt speak for 6 months😂😂😂 Go Bucs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Against Philadelphia Eagles From The 70s 80s And Early 90s ☺🏈Thanks For Uploading
I remember watching this game in high school and as a bucs fan this is still my favorite buccaneers game to watch... This was some good memories
Thank you NFL Throwback I’ve been waiting for long time for y’all to drop this legendary game
ruclips.net/video/xjD3uXD0Zr4/видео.html
The whole game
@@scbroncosfan84 I can’t watch the whole game it puts me too sleep that’s why I watch game highlights of NFL throwback that make it short
@@hooverredman5167 yeah I actually fell asleep watching it lol
Nothing beat that Mitchell return, that Staley scoring run and the crowd going insane. You couldn't have dreamt a better start to a game. What a shame. As a 12-year-old watching this game, I think I was more stunned than angry. No matter how you slice it, losing games of this magnitude is a horrible feeling.
The last game at the vet the place was a dump but it was a special place.
19 years later this game still stings.
0:45 Joe Bucks greatest call
Lmao
Correct
Barber still deserves to be in the Hall IMO. He was so big for us. One game shouldn’t get you in but it should have a lot of influence on it. Without him we don’t win this game. This was the super bowl to me especially after having lost the two years before in the vet. To tear it down was even more special
One game? He’s the only player in NFL history with 45 ints and 25 sacks. Also the all time consecutive starts for DB. Also revolutionized the slot corner position. He also has over 1k tackles. He should’ve been first ballot
He absolutely should be in.
And he is in, making 4 Hall of Famers on that defense (Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber). A strong argument could be made for Simeon Rice getting in as well. Legendary unit, the best pass defense I've ever seen.
This was 1 of my best years as a long time football fan.....Go Bucs and Warren Sapp
Final NFL game at Veteran’s Stadium, with the Bucs not only had never won a game in Philadelphia ever, but they had also never won a game when kickoff temperatures were below 40°F.
And yet despite all this, Ronde Barber and the crew upset perhaps the peak of the McNabb Eagles on this night.
Actually, the Bucs had gotten a couple of wins in Philly prior to 2002. They beat the Eagles in Philly in 1995 and 1999.
I love that laser sound effect Fox used to have.
16:00 Ronde Barber crushes every single Philly native sole
I'm guessing many Philly fans see this as the worst Eagles loss of all time? Even more so than Super Bowl 39 and Super Bowl 15? This seemed to be Andy Reid's best team, and they had owned the Bucs. Just completely choked :(
Crazy to think how they lost this game the way it started for them unfortunately I’m a raider fan so I seen the bucs Kill us after Lmaoo
This was way, way, way worse than losing sb38. I don't think it's even close for Eagles fans. Losing sb38 sucked, yeah, but it wasn't the absolute punch in the gut this was.
I was in 8th grade was/still am a huge Eagles fan I don’t think I’ve seen my dad as speechless as the end of this game. Utter silence.
I'd feel sorry if the fans didn't pull the most classless move in sports history against Jureviscus
@@davidrobinson3154 Barry Gardner is still trying to catch him to this day
Outside of my Niners, it was so much fun playing with these two teams on Madden 2002 (PS2) & NFL 2K2. So many memories.
Congrats to Ronde for making it to the Hall of Fame he deserves it!
I was devastated watching this game when I was 12 yrs old. I was born and raised in Houston Texas and as a kid when I just started watching and playing football, Houston didn't have a football team. So I needed a team to cheer for as a kid and that team for me was the Philadelphia Eagles. I still don't know why I chose that team as the one I would want to reach the super bowl each year. Whether it was the scary defense or the exciting scrambling ability of one of the first rushing quarterbacks in Donovan McNabb, the Eagles were my favorite team before the Houston Texans were created. Even though the Eagles would reach the NFC Championship like 3-4 yrs in a row and lose each one I would still be routing for them to win so this game was really hard to watch again
Early 2000s must be hard for Eagles fans just by how many NFC Championships the Eagles appeared😂😂
Even late in '08 getting shredded by Larry Fitz. 😅
about like the packers of today
@@mattcox3373 History always repeats itself in many forms
It was tough, but it was a lot of fun. Especially when we came out of the 90s where the team was miserable.
I was waiting on y’all to upload this one…Ronde Barber with the greatest crowd silencer ever..
I can watch this with no hurt at all because the 2017-18 Eagles healed my heart
then the 2022 - 2023 eagles broke it again 💀💀👀👀☕️☕️☕️
@@AhDollar No, Super Bowl Team Eagles 2017-2018 team is forever, 2022-2023 Eagles I was annoyed yes, mad yes, but broken never again
I remember this game and how happy it made me for Tampa Bay, a team that had long been a joke. That season made me a Bucs fan.
Will say, Joe Buck has gotten WAY better as an announcer since this game. Has a lot more life in his voice now.
He was trying to basically copy Pat Summerall in these early days of being the top man.
Aikman slamming Pinkston for stopping his chase on Barber but not saying a thing about McNabb's weak effort. Such a QB.
Yeah, that was a really dumb call. That’s not really what I consider ‘insightful’.
That Tampa Bay defense was one of the best I've ever seen. McNabb crumbled in the spotlight as usual.
This Bucs defense was next level, especially against the pass.
That Eagles defense was legit in the early 2000s. The passing attack was complete dog stool until TO arrived.
I know Philly lost an NFC-CG the previous year to St. Louis, but this game and that Rams matchup were total polar opposites.
The Greatest Show on Turf. Yeah you're right, the Eagles looked nothing like this that year, this Eagles team was truly one of the best ever.
Rhonde Barber is going to the 2023 NFL Hall of Fame.
Eagles fans will never forget Ronde Barber pick 6 to the house
“Mitchell. 😕
Mitchell. 😐
Mitchell. 😐
Down to the 25. 😕”
This is still the biggest game in Buccaneer history. The Eagles owned us for years but this was the game that showed that the Bucs wouldn't be losers forever. Ronde Barber will be talking about this game in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech one day.
This just popped up in my feed after the eagles meltdown in the wild card game. This is still one of my favorite games I ever watched, finally put that cant win in the cold myth to bed.
0:45 greatest announcer call of all time
Man o man as a bucs fan other than my kids of course lol this was the best day of my sports life!!!!! Number 20 running down the Field pumping his fist in the air classic #gobucs
That buccaneers team was scary. They were no joke that’s for sure
The ultimate comeuppance. The Eagles thought the game was a mere formality. Hell, they even had a fireworks show planned!
I'm pretty sure fireworks are always planned regardless of the odds.
This was probably my favorite football game. The Eagles beat Tampa bay in the playoffs the last 2 seasons before this one. The odds were not in Tampa Bay's favor. I remember how worried I was until Rondae Barber picked it off. What a win.
I felt the same way
Jim Johnson's blitzes vs Monte Kiffin/Tony Dungy's Tampa 2. A defensive lover's dream.
I remember everybody saying the Bucs were going to get blasted bc they wouldn't be able to deal with the cold. So much for that one.
The Bucs had one of the best defenses of all time, HOFer at every level and position group D-Line, LB, CB, Safety. They had a good offense as well Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, Alstot. Vikings fans must've been sick watching Brad Johnson go and win a SB with Tampa
Ronde Barber was one of my favorite DBs to watch. Buddy could shut down a receiver and rush the QB.
Grew up in Philly. Was living in Tampa during this time. Watched this with a bunch of Tampa fans and friends at a bar. I was so sure the Eagles would win. The beginning kick off and td, then the interception. All down hill from there. I had to deal with the parade traffic jam. An awful game.
Alot of things about this game here, how about the best return man in the history of the league showing out like that, and it's always the home grown Penn State guys that end up killing the Eagles man ... also, the Vet was just a different type of monster ... usually the crowd noise doesn't translate to the TV broadcast fully, but my goodness they were loud that day .... no matter which team won this day, it hurts that much more knowing that the winner of this game was almost guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, the Raiders had no shot ...
I'll dare say the greatest sports moment in Tampa Bay Sports History, given what we had to overcome and the circumstances leading up to this game. We had been eliminated two straight years by the Eagles in the Wild Card Round, and they had beaten us earlier that season. This Bucs team was not to be denied this time. Ronde's Pick 6 to clinch it would see to that. If you listen closely, during Ronde's Pick 6, you'll hear Gene's call in the background.
Ah nice, I was just going to watch the Matt Bryant 62-yarder vs Philly on repeat all week, but now I can mix this into my loop as well.
I know Brian Dawkins, he was my Favorite Football player when I was a little Boy. And that was my Storyline about my High School Football when I was a Running Back and Free Safety, I Inspires like Earl Thomas, Marshawn Lynch, Brian Dawkins and Barry Sanders.
I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA POST THIS ONE I KNEW IT
Any long time Eagles fan will tell you that this game was the most devastating loss in recent Eagles history. Even worse than the Super Bowl a couple years afterwards. We sat in section 254 at the vet from the first game in 1971 all the way through the last game played there- this game versus the Buccaneers. And walking out of veteran stadium was typically either overwhelmingly celebratory or cacophony of anger. But walking out of the vet after this game was dead silence. I’ve never heard anything like it before or since. No one yelling. No one talking. Just dead fkn silence.
Having said that, I’m sure every single person reading this feels really bad for us Eagles fans. Probably not.
As a cowboys fan, I don’t feel too bad for eagles fans. As human beings though, I can empathize with anyone who has felt that kind of pain. But hey, you guys got your ring in 2017, that’s something to be proud of.
@@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820 yeah that made it all better, at least for awhile. But then blowing that one to the Chiefs last year kind of brought it all back in a way. We will always have 52 but 1 for 4 in the Super Bowl is pretty gut wrenching, especially when two of the three losses were by a stinking FG.
If the Eagles could avenge this loss on Sunday I’d really appreciate it
Agreed!
Agreed
I still don’t like Rhonde barber 😐. Nothing personal
😢
As a Bucs fan this was the greatest moment in history.
This is great. NFL should throw the full game up on youtube as well later on.
... It already is...
@@rhysrudd6252 well I’ll be damned it is already up!
4:35 when the game completely changed. Once Tampa had confidence to move the ball got that first TD with Alstott we were done.
"I got em. I got they blitzes."
-Jon Gruden, as told by Warren Sapp
Greatest Defense in NFL history. Stats dont lie.
This win was better than beating the Raiders in the Super Bowl.
I was at this game. It was around 0 degrees but once Brian Mitchell ran that opening kickoff and Duce scored the TD it felt like it was 95 and sunny. Then it just started getting colder and colder again. Worst Eagles loss ever.
I was at this game with my wife. Such a heartbreaking loss.
Ronde Barber took over the game, he was awesome
Joe Buck has been here for so long lol. It's crazy not hating but just crazy
And this was his first season as the football play by play A guy after Summerall stepped down. Although to be fair I think he did do some games for fox that year.
Buck has gotten worse 20 years later.
Al michaels has been calling NFL games since at least the 80s, Collinsworth, Jim Nantz and Greg Gumbel since the 90s. Lots of the top commentators have been around for ages.
@@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820 I know cutie. The NFL has stayed very consistent with announcers
Greatest Bucs win of all time. Yes over their two super bowl wins.
I love the Broncos so seeing the Bucs just skull stomp both the raiders and chiefs in the Super Bowl is amazing
As An Eagles Fan, This Hurts To Watch. It Really Does. The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles Were Perhaps My Favorite Eagles Team Of All Time. Such A Great Group Of Guys Who Deserved A Championship. 💙 The 2002 Eagles 😢🦅
As a Bucs fan this game scares the shit out of me going into it. Eagles had a loaded secondary and had all sorts of exotic blitzes that had destroyed them in the regular season loss. Another banger this weekend!
The eagles deserved to lose that game joe jervrvis’s son died the night before and eagles fans and players taunted him with it all day worst fans in any sport
I forget the greatest call ever by Joe Buck was the opening kickoff 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The kickoff and the TD. We though it was over.
Damn I remember watching this game as kid. I’m old now lmao
I was a teenager when this game happened but I remember the hype leading up to it was extremely intense. Truly a heartbreaker, i hated Ronde Barber after that lol
Shout out to the BUCS for shutting down the old vet in style... Rip!!! And another Shout out to Coach Dungy because He built the Team that won the first ever Super Bowl!!!
The 2000s Eagles and the '07-present Packers are the same team.
Change my mind.
One of the greatest days of my life when Barber intercepted that pass I started crying like a baby I always loved bucs but they always sucked I remember as a kid sneaking in bucs games with my friends it (stadium) was always empty fans with bags over their head people would always send my friends and I food and drinks thanks my friends and I would be crying cause the bucs was losing understand we love the bucs this was 77 78 now to see the bucs when a super bowl we are still crying understand we love the bucs.
This game was hilarious to me. As a Giants fan and Vick fan that year, I was pissed they took the Falcons down. When Bucs smacked them I was like well at least Philly won't be in that SB 😂
Todd Pinkston was notoriously known for being afraid to get hit when catching the ball.
I still was a fan #EaglesNation
Ha! I was at this game with my dad...slipped in a puddle of vomit walking out of the 700 level. RIP The Vet.
"Mitchell.......Mitchell......Mitchell......"
great commentary Joe.
My favorite game of all time. That legendary Bucs defense shut down the Vet.
I was visiting Philly at this time and watched the game in a bar. Cold as all hell that day.
Ronde Barber was a Philly nightmare that day. He strips the ball on a corner blitz, stopping one drive and then gets an INT and the longest return in post season history, stopping another drive. I’m sure this game was big consideration for his hall of fame selection.