Jon Gruden, they want you now.
Jon Gruden coached the Oakland Raiders last season and got them to the playoffs, but then wanted out so he could coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gruden’s Bucs reached the Super Bowl on Sunday with their 27-10 win at Philadelphia over the Eagles, and now the Raiders he left behind will see him in San Diego at Super Bowl XXXVII.
“It’s going to be a situation that’s challenging for our team,” said Raiders coach Bill Callahan, who was promoted after serving as Gruden’s offensive coordinator. “But we’ve got one more game left.”
Remembering: Raiders Tim Brown and Jerry Rice admitted last week they were still bothered by memories of the AFC title game two years ago, when they scored only three points in the last championship game played in their Coliseum. They also conceded that watching the Baltimore Ravens celebrate going to a Super Bowl at their expense gnawed at them.
“I saw enough of it to bother me,” Brown said. “They were already starting the ceremony while we were on the field. That was enough, all that I needed to see.”
Ground McNair: Steve McNair’s 67 rushing yards for the game gave him 336 career rushing yards in playoff games and moved him past Terry Bradshaw (274), Kordell Stewart (282) and Joe Montana (314) among quarterbacks. Only Steve Young (594) and John Elway (461) have more rushing yards, both amassed in 22 games compared with McNair’s seven.
“McNair played like a true warrior today,” Callahan said. “He had no quit in him, no die in him.”
Bad boys: The Raiders were penalized nine times for 58 yards in the first half. For the game the Raiders were flagged 14 times for 127 yards, giving the Titans seven first downs by penalty, one-fourth of their first downs.
Elite company: The win ties the Raiders with the San Francisco 49ers for second place in postseason victories (25) behind the Dallas Cowboys (32). It also made Callahan only the second head coach to reach a Super Bowl in his first season. The first was George Seifert of the 49ers after the 1989 season.
Better results: In their two previous AFC championship appearances, the Raiders managed only a field goal each time, in 2000 and in 1990 when they were mauled 51-3 by the Buffalo Bills. But they have won in three of their four Super Bowl appearances.
