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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/biznesslizard on 2025-05-16 18:01:42+00:00.
Now, about that Super Bowl. Go back and watch it. Brad Johnson didn’t have a great game. The offensive game plan seemed to be, “Let the defense rest long enough, don’t score too fast, and don’t turn it over.”
Yes, the Bucs defense was legendary. But a mostly forgotten story:
“The day before the Super Bowl, Robbins went missing after failing to take his prescribed medication for bipolar disorder. He was later found in a disoriented state, reportedly believing the Raiders had already won the game. Due to his condition, head coach Bill Callahan decided that Robbins was unfit to play, leading to his suspension for the game. Backup center Adam Treu started in his place, and the Raiders’ offensive line struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ formidable defense, contributing to their 48–21 loss.”
Between the o-line leaking like a runny nose, and Gannon not helping them at all with unforced errors, the Bucs had this game locked before it even got started.
Does that mean Gruden is a bum? Absolutely not, he crafted that defense, and it did its job. Gruden is an all-time defensive coach.
But he won a single ring, with players much better than a coach his age should be coaching. The rest of his portfolio, relative to other coaches in his praise bracket, is objectively trash. Doc Rivers had a much longer version of a similar career, and the league and its fans have very little respect for him. He finds work because he’s a company man.
So what is it about Gruden that makes so many people see him like Greg Popovich? Because he definitely wasn’t getting that kind of love as a working coach.