The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history
By Ian Cummings
The Plunder of Pirates . 19. player. 48. . Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Derrick Brooks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The best defenses have layers. The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive unit was a triple-decker nightmare propped up by some of the greatest modern defensive standouts of the last generation.
Like all great defenses, others peaked at the ascension of its core, but the Buccaneers’ stalwart outfit was built around three Pro Football Hall of Fame-level players, each manning one level of the defense.
On the line, there was the devastating Warren Sapp, the Aaron Donald of the early 2000s. In the linebacking corps, there was Derrick Brooks, the pirate commander, and the NFL’s 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. And in the secondary, the menacing John Lynch still roamed the ranks, solidifying his reputation as one of the hardest hitters in NFL history.
From the second through the fourth quarter of 2002, the Buccaneers outscored their opponents 380 to 173. In the playoffs, the Buccaneers allowed an average of 12.1 points per game. In the Super Bowl, they bested the Raiders 48-21, and the defense almost outscored the offense.
With a Hall-of-Fame core, the Buccaneers earned the greatest plunder in 2002. Their legacy lives on, a strong and shivering wind on the high seas.