Defensive plays were huge. In a previous column I said that if the Raiders won, the MVP would be Rich Gannon. And if the Bucs won, the MVP would be a member of Tampa Bay's defense. Sure enough, corner Dexter Jackson came away with two interceptions and MVP honors.

	From the start, the Bucs looked inspired, while the Raiders appeared to be having just another day at the office. They even looked bored on the sidelines. I believe teams take on the personality of their head coach -- something that was very apparent in this game. Gruden is a fiery, in-your-face, hot-tempered, big-tempo type of guy. And so is his team. And they played that way.

When the score was 34-3, I felt like I was re-living Super Bowl XVIII. Like Gannon, I was the league's MVP that year when we lost to the Oakland Raiders. So, I know exactly how Gannon must feel because I've been there and I felt the same way. I sympathize with what he went through.

The Bucs were prepared for everything and anything the Raiders tried to throw up. One week preparation turned out to be a big advantage to the Bucs. Jon Gruden knew the Raiders' plays and what they would try and do. The Raiders just didn't have time to change a lot, and the Bucs ultimately got the better of the matchup.

Best coaching move
Monte Kiffen going to a 4-2-5 and playing nickel most of the day was a great move. It gave him more versatility and didn't allow the Raiders to get into a throwing rhythm. This game was very similar to the conference championship matchup, in that an early interception changed the tempo in favor of Tampa Bay and the Bucs continued to build throughout the game and steamroll its way to victory.

Overall, Gruden did a fantastic job. Just to give you an idea of how good of a coach he is, think back to last season: With Jerry Rice in his first year with the system and Tim Brown in his 14th, Gruden had the task of distributing the football to both of them while trying not to bruise any egos.

At the end of last season, both Rice and Brown had caught nine touchdown passes. That's not a coincidence. That's how good Gruden is at designing where he wants the football to go and who he wants to get the ball to.

Unsung hero
The Bucs' front four and secondary are far from unsung.

Offensively, Brad Johnson did what he needed to do. It was the Bucs' ability to sustain a running game that made a world of difference. Two guys stand out as unsung: Michael Pittman and his ability to run the ball and Joe Jurevicius, who successfully converted third downs. Jurevicius did a great job last week, so the Raiders knew he'd be a factor. They tried to defend him, but they couldn't.

Play of the game
Dexter Jackson's second interception got the Bucs going. Rich Gannon was flushed out and picked off, and the Bucs wound up at midfield. That interception was huge. It flipped the switch for the Bucs. Like I said earlier, this game looked so much like the championship game against Philadelphia -- right down to early turnovers, field position, all of it. The Raiders were able to withstand an early charge, but after that interception, it was Bucs the rest of the way.

Super stat
Gannon's five interceptions were super bad. The No. 1 defensive team in football did not get to the Super Bowl by chance. So the fact that the Raiders struggled offensively wasn't that big of a surprise. But I thought they'd play better. I thought the game would be closer. The Raiders only tried to go up top a couple times because Gannon just didn't have the time.

At one point, John Lynch basically said that everything the Bucs practiced is what the Raiders were doing -- that's an amazing confidence factor for the defense. That means you're going to jump in front of stuff. Plus, the Bucs offense were scoring points, thus eliminating the Raiders' ability to run the ball.

Biggest surprise
The biggest surprise was the Raiders inability to mount any offense early in the game. Gannon had little time to throw and never established any sort of rhythm. They're capable of better. But unlike other sports, this isn't the first of a seven-game series. It doesn't work that way. In football, this is it.

From the start, the Bucs looked inspired, while the Raiders appeared to be having just another day at the office. They even looked bored on the sidelines.

I believe teams take on the personality of their head coach -- something that was very apparent in this game. Gruden is a fiery, in-your-face, hot-tempered, big-tempo type of guy. And so is his team. And they played that way.

Conversely, Bill Callahan is very cool, calm and collected. All season, the Raiders were very matter of fact and business-like. They cruised along as a great team, with a lot of composure. That said, this is the Super Bowl. So, I was surprised by their lack of enthusiasm.

X-factor
Barret Robbins' absence was felt. The center is the traffic cop of the offensive line. And any time you lose a 16-game starter, someone else has to step up and play.

After a full season together, you cannot take away one of the five starting guys up front and have high expectations for your offensive line. A team's strength goes up the middle. So, the loss of Robbins effected the Raiders immensely.

Next to Gannon, he was the player the Raiders could afford to lose the least. As a former quarterback, I know the importance of a center -- not to mention a Pro Bowl center. Robbins is one of the best players on the team, so it's not a knock on Adam Treu. If he was better than Robbins, Treu would be the starter.

What's next for the Bucs?
This is just the beginning for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Consider how Rich Gannon's efficiency improved in the years he's been with this offensive system. Then look at how quickly Brad Johnson settled in and think about how much better he'll be next year. This Bucs offense will be greatly improved next year with the addition of certain elements. Admittedly, they need help on the offensive line and would like to upgrade their wide receiving corps.

From a defensive standpoint, the addition of Simeon Rice was the difference in the Bucs' ability to be a Super Bowl championship team. He was the difference-maker because they've never had that kind of performance from that end. They've had good players, but never anyone who could accomplish what they could with Warren Sapp on the inside.

We saw what happened when Barry Sims tried to block him. That's what happens when anyone tries to block him. When they tried to block him one-on-one, he made huge plays. So can they get better? Yes.

The Bucs have just had a taste of how far they can go. This isn't a team that will become complacent. If you want to start thinking about next year, you can think repeat performance. They could possibly do it.

What's next for the Raiders?
With salary cap considerations and the age factor, it will be a while before we see the Raiders here again. The Raiders were built to make a run for the roses this season. So they're challenged with where they can go from here.

Their two wide receivers aren't getting any faster. And it's questionable how long players like Gannon and Rod Woodson will continue to play. The health of the corners is also questionable.

Draft choices will be very important. If they make the right choices and get some players they can sustain, it will certainly make things ealier. But they're picking 31st and 32nd. They can trade up, but I doubt they'll get a No. 1 or No. 2 from the Cincinnati Bengals.

A game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, former NFL QB Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award. He wrote a daily Cup o' Joe for ESPN.com during Super Bowl week.