TAMPA — One day before playing the Eagles in the 2002 NFC Championship Game, Jon Gruden addressed his team in the middle of Veterans Stadium, a place where the Bucs' season had gone to die the two previous years.
"I just tried to loosen them up because these guys want this game bad," Gruden said. "Philadelphia had our number. I remember telling the guys when I coached in Philadelphia, our fans used to call me foul names. So I said, 'Keyshawn (Johnson), cuss me out.' I had all the players just kind of cuss me out. I said, 'Is this the problem?