Though that was briefly in doubt during a frightening Raider rally in the fourth quarter, the Bucs finished off a 48-21 victory in Super Bowl XXXVII with two late defensive touchdowns.

The final period began with Tampa Bay facing a third-and-nine at their own 32. Interested in killing the clock, RB Michael Pittman ran up the middle for just one yard and the Bucs punted away. Or tried to. Tom Tupa's punt was blocked by LB Tim Johnson, then hauled in by Johnson and returned 13 yards for a touchdown. The two-point attempt again failed, leaving the Bucs up by 19.

Tampa Bay was still interested in beating the clock, sending Pittman off right tackle for no gain on first down. However, a quick pass out to WR Keyshawn Johnson on second down picked up 18 yards and moved the chains out to the Bucs' 42. Pittman picked up two yards on his next carry, but a play-action pass attempt was covered this time and Johnson had to throw it away under pressure. After an offsides penalty on Oakland, the Bucs faced a third-and-three. QB Brad Johnson tried to hit WR Keenan McCardell deep and CB Charles Woodson was called for pass interference at the Raiders' 35-yard line.

Replays seemed to indicate that it was a fortunate call for the Buccaneers, and Pittman made the most of that good fortune, cutting and weaving downfield on his next carry for 24 yards down to the Raiders' 11. FB Mike Alstott got two yards on a first-down run up the middle, but Pittman lost them back on second down trying to sweep right. A short pass to Alstott in the right flat got just two and K Martin Gramatica came out to try a 27-yard field goal, but the play went awry when Tupa dropped the snap. Gramatica picked up the loose ball but was tackled at the Raiders' 22.

On first down, QB Rich Gannon hit TE Doug Jolley near the left sideline for a gain of nine. A well-developed screen pass to RB Tyrone Wheatley picked up seven yards and a first down at the 38. Gannon tried to throw a short pass to Garner on the next first down, but DT Warren Sapp tipped it at the line of scrimmage. A quick pass out to WR Jerry Rice on the left side was complete but good for just three yards as Rice had to slide down to catch it. Another good pocket for Gannon allowed him to eventually find Jolley over the middle for a gain of 14 and a first down at the Bucs' 45.

The Bucs blitzed CB Ronde Barber on the next play, and the pressure helped force Gannon to throw his pass away. DE Simeon Rice drew a holding call on second down, setting up second-and-20 back at Oakland's 45. A short pass to Garner picked up seven yards and, on third-and-13, Gannon found Rice wideover the middle for a 48-yard touchdown pass. The two-point attempt was once again no good.

The Bucs took over at their own 20 after a touchback with just over six minutes remaining. Pittman ran three times to drain the clock, with Oakland calling a timeout at 5:13 after the second one. In one of the biggest plays of the game, Johnson then faked a handoff and threw a pass to Alstott in the flat for nine yards and a first down at the Bucs' 32. As the clock ticked below five minutes left, Pittman went up the middle for no gain, then off right tackle for just one yard. The clock stopped with exactly four minutes remaining, a Raider injury stopped the clock, but it started to run again at the whistle. Pittman's toss-sweep right picked up two yards but kept the clock running. Tupa punted away with three minutes left and hit a booming, 43-yarder that return man Darrien Gordon got back to the Raiders' 26.

The Raiders' first-down play was an 11-yard pass to Rice, but Gannon was forced to scramble on the next snap and pick up just one yard as the two-minute warning arrived. After the break, DT Warren Sapp sacked Gannon for a loss of nine, and on the next play, LB Derrick Brooks cut in front of a pass intended for WR Marcus Knight, intercepted it and returned it 44 yards for the game-clinching score.

Starting from their own 27 with just over a minute left, the Raiders tried a short pass to Garner but it was dropped. On second down, Jolley caught a pass over the middle for a gain of six and the Raiders let the clock run. On third down, Gannon hit Rice at the Raiders' 42 for a first down. Garner caught another short pass, but CB Dwight Smith then intercepted a tipped pass and raced 50 yards for yet another touchdown.

One more kickoff, covered easily, ended Super Bowl XXXVII.