1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
The 1982
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back. The team played only two games before the players' union called a labor strike, which resulted in a nine-game season. The season began with a three-game losing streak, as the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent statistically in each game, but showed a tendency for mental errors at crucial moments. The first game in which they were outgained by their opponent was their first win, a franchise-first victory over the Miami Dolphins
on Monday Night Football
. The team made a playoff run against a difficult schedule, facing only two opponents with losing records. Their schedule included all four eventual Conference Championship participants. They overcame double-digit deficits to win on last-minute field goals in their final two games (kicker Bill Capece
was the NFC's second-leading scorer), and had to survive opponents' last-minute rallies in all five of their victories. In the strike-season playoff format in which the top eight conference teams made the playoffs, the Buccaneers' seventh-place finish gave them a first-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys
. Despite a poor performance by the offense, the Buccaneers carried a 17-16 lead into the fourth quarter, before the Cowboys rallied for a 30-17 victory following a controversial penalty call. This would be the last playoff appearance of the John McKay era, and was followed by 14 consecutive losing seasons.
The year began with longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bass
and several players leaving for San Diego. Observers questioned why Bass, who had built the defenses that had ranked at or near the top of the league statistically over the last several years, would leave; and further, why so many of the team's top players and former MVPs had been traded away. The team unveiled a new, Wayne Fontes
-designed defensive philosophy, featuring tighter coverage to reduce the number of small gains, and increased blitzing to thwart opponents' practice of double-teaming Lee Roy Selmon
. The team continued to be regarded as having one of the quickest, hardest-hitting defenses in the NFL, a defense which ranked first in the NFC. In the later part of the season, the offense began to jell, taking a part in the victories more equal to that which the defense played. In particular, the line allowed the fewest sacks in the league, while providing an improved running game. The offense as a whole developed an ability to rally from deficits. However, they continued to be criticized as overly conservative, as they scored just 9 first-quarter points in their 10 games, and opened up their passing attack only when behind late in games. This became an issue in the playoff loss to Dallas, where Doug Williams was unable to recover from a bad start. Following the season, the Buccaneers were represented by Jimmie Giles, Hugh Green, and Lee Roy Selmon in the Pro Bowl.
was dropped when the act turned out to have been committed by an imposter who merely claimed to have been Bell. Bell later filed a libel suit against the Associated Press
over their reporting of the incident. With the NFLPA contract on the verge of expiring, union officials became angered over the lack of progress in March meetings, and continued to raise the prospect of a strike. Other offseason distractions included an incident in which Hugh Green was arrested for evading police after being pulled over for a speeding ticket, and contract holdouts by Richard Wood and Jimmie Giles
. Giles, who threatened retirement, received a verbal commitment to get a contract renegotiation at a later date; while an angry Wood wound up reporting to camp with no guarantee that his contract would be extended beyond 1984
. The team was able to negotiate an agreement with the Tampa Sports Authority that guaranteed their residence in Tampa Stadium through 1995
.
, director of pro scouting, accepted an offer to become the offensive line coach of the New England Patriots
. University of Tennessee
defensive line coach and original Miami Dolphin
Frank Emanuel
was hired, charged with the task of improving the kicking teams that occasionally lost games for the Buccaneers. Tom Bass, considered to be the chief architect of the Buccaneer defense, was hired to take the San Diego Chargers
' defensive coordinator position that had recently been vacated by Jack Pardee
. Bass' duties were taken over by defensive backfield coach Wayne Fontes, who had turned down a similar offer from the Los Angeles Rams. Fontes was noted for having built a league-leading secondary out of players obtained from trades and waivers. It was alleged that McKay disagreed with Bass over certain defensive philosophies, and so encouraged Fontes to remain with Tampa Bay, with the intent of giving him Bass' job. This was the first major defensive coaching change since the franchise's inception. Former Notre Dame
assistant Jim Gruden was brought in as running backs coach, displacing George Chaump
, who turned down an offer to remain in the organization in a different position. Chaump later accepted a head coaching position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
. Longtime equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo unexpectedly resigned during the season, for unknown reasons that were revealed a week later, when he was arrested for selling $21,000 worth of stolen game jerseys.
fourth-round and 1982
third-round selections. The latter was the last pick in the round, having originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers
. The undisclosed off-field problems that led to Lewis' trade allegedly involved an argument over a suspension, which McKay interpreted as a challenge to his authority. Rumors that the trades were connected to drug use that was partially responsible for the team's disappointing 1980
performance were years later confirmed by McKay and team owner Hugh Culverhouse
. Ricky Bell
, the Buccaneers' all-time leading rusher, and Dewey Selmon
, their former All-Pro
linebacker, joined him shortly afterward, both traded for draft picks. Bell would only play two games for the Chargers before being diagnosed with the dermatomyisitis
that would lead to his death from cardiac arrest
two years later. Selmon's status as the team's union representative led to criticism from the National Football League Players Association, who said that he should not have been traded during contract negotiations, although Selmon himself approved the trade. The issue increased the difficulty in negotiations for a new bargaining agreement, as the union pointed to this and a rumored trade of alternate representative Mark Cotney
as examples of teams harassing representatives. Dewey's brother Lee Roy was elected to take his place as player representative. Tackle Dave Reavis
, a member of the 1976
expansion squad, became the first active player to retire as a Buccaneer, although he was reinstated and rejoined the team later in the season.
in exchange for the Bears' 1983
1st-round pick. The Buccaneers' original 2nd-round pick had been traded to the Miami Dolphins
as part of a trade for cornerback Norris Thomas
. Their 4th-round pick and their second pick in the 3rd round came from the San Diego Chargers
, in trades for RB Ricky Bell
and LB David Lewis
. The Buccaneers' original 4th-round pick had earlier been traded to the Dallas Cowboys
for DE Dave Stalls
.
All-America
guard Sean Farrell
was not expected to last until the Buccaneers' selection at number 18, leaving UCLA
tackle Luis Sharpe
and USC guard Roy Foster as leading candidates. Despite their wealth of linebacking talent, USC linebacker Chip Banks
was also under consideration, given the likelihood that he would be the best player available. As it turned out, Farrell advised several teams not to select him, including the St. Louis Cardinals
, who drafted ahead of the Buccaneers and selected Sharpe. This left Farrell available for the Buccaneers, who drafted him with plans to play him in Ray Snell
's spot and move Snell to left tackle.
Farrell was labeled as a "can't-miss" prospect, but the Buccaneer draft was otherwise marked by a pronounced tendency to gamble. This was evidenced in personnel director Ken Herock
's comments that previous Buccaneer staffs would not have had the confidence to make the selections they did. Second-round pick Booker Reese had ideal physical characteristics for a pass-rushing defensive end, but had to make the difficult jump from Division 1-AA to professional football. Several of the selections had injury histories, notably receiver Andre Tyler, who was believed to be a better player than his Stanford
teammate, Chicago Bears receiver Ken Margerum
, but did not play at all in 1981. Chronic knee injuries prevented quarterback Bob Lane from ever having become a starter in college. Defensive end John Cannon
missed half of his senior season with knee injuries. Jeff Davis
and Michael Morton
were considered undersized, and Jerry Bell
had little experience. Bell was also criticized for being lazy and playing below his potential, although this turned out to be something that Arizona State
coach Frank Kush
said of many players. Cannon was selected for the tenacity he displayed while playing through injuries, while Morton was selected as a return man. David Barrett was believed to be a better runner than previous Buccaneer fullback Johnny Davis.
Mainly on the basis of the first two picks, McKay stated that the draft was the best in team history. He felt that Davis, a hard hitter who at six feet was considered too short by many teams, was possibly the best player the team had yet obtained in the fifth round, and that seventh-rounder Thomas Morris had the speed to succeed as an NFL cornerback. The team followed the draft by signing several free-agents, including quarterback Jerry Golsteyn
.
, Buccaneer staff saw that negotiations with Farrell's agents would be difficult, and decided to pick Reese. Equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo, representing the team in New York, failed to get the message to draft Reese due to a faulty speakerphone, and instead turned in the card with Farrell's name on it. The team denied the story when it was reported in the Boston Globe the following week, instead saying that they expected Reese to be the best player available when they drafted, and that Farrell's surprise availability caused them to reevaluate their plans. According to the team, the confusion of this reevaluation, combined with the consideration of a trade offer from the Buffalo Bills
and the faulty phone, caused Marcuccillo to submit Farrell's name prematurely, but that Farrell was their intended selection. The Buccaneers were so enamored of Reese that they traded their 1983 first-round pick for the Chicago Bears
' 1982 2nd-round pick to be able to select him, despite a league-wide expectation that the 1983 draft class would be far superior to that of 1982. Negotiations with Farrell proved not to be difficult, although the deal was not finalized until five minutes before the deadline to sign players before the expiration of the union contract. Farrell wound up starting 59 games over 5 years with Tampa Bay. Reese started only 7 games in three seasons. After a 1984 arrest, he was sent to the Los Angeles Rams for a 12th-round draft pick. The Bears used the Buccaneers' pick to select star receiver Willie Gault
.
, while the owners were threatening a lockout
. The union began to negotiate with cable television
networks, investigating the possibility of holding their own games should a lockout occur. Players demanded a 55% share of gross team profits. They felt that they were not getting a fair share of NFL income, based on the facts that NFL salaries were lower than in other sports, while the NFL had the highest TV revenue of all sports. Team officials reported no slowdown of ticket sales, despite the likelihood of a strike and the lack of a league refund policy.
The on-field preseason action began with Randy Crowder
, in his first workout since a 1980
knee injury, suffering a tear of his Achilles tendon
that required surgery and meant that he would miss the season for the fourth time in his nine years in the NFL. The loss of Crowder was a blow to the team's plans of using more four-man fronts for added pass rush. Mike Washington
, on the other hand, was able to make a successful recovery from offseason surgery that left him with only a 50% chance of ever playing again. Mark Cotney returned, having recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the 1981
season. Jerry Eckwood
was diagnosed with a damaged spinal disc that required season-ending surgery. Former Green Bay Packers
1000-yard rusher Terdell Middleton
was signed shortly afterward.
The emergence of the United States Football League
prompted the NFL to expand each roster by four players to 49. Playing rosters remained at 45, with four players each week to be placed on an inactive taxi squad. The competition marked a change in the team's philosophy, in that they no longer regarded themselves as an expansion team, and were now willing to consider veteran players who could immediately help the team, rather than choosing strictly on perceived potential. Bill Kollar
's slow recovery from his knee injury of the previous season opened up competition at left defensive end, with Dave Stalls
performing well, and Booker Reese slow to learn Tampa Bay's system. A similar level of competition existed at linebacker, with Scot Brantley
playing well enough to replace Richard Wood in the lineup, and rookie Jeff Davis in contention for a starting spot. Andy Hawkins
survived a challenge from Dana Nafziger when, temporarily inserted into the lineup due to Hawkins' ankle injury, Nafziger wound up leading the team in sacks. The preseason ended with a 34-0 domination of the Atlanta Falcons
that left observers with high expectations for the regular season, although coach McKay expressed concern over what he termed a "lackluster" practice on the Monday of final roster cuts, warning that others could be cut to make room for a signee from the waiver wire. There were 14 new players on the final roster, including 9 of the team's 11 draft picks, with the major portion of the turnover occurring at running back and on the defensive line. This development contradicted McKay's statements following the previous season's postseason loss to Dallas, in which McKay expressed confidence in his existing lineup.
was deemphasized and more emphasis was placed on blitzing, especially from Hugh Green. Despite a strong preseason performance, the Buccaneers started the regular season with two mistake-filled losses.
and management representative Jack Donlan. Planned "All-Star" games by the players failed, due to a lack of participation by star-caliber players. One season ticket-holder retained attorney Ellis Rubin
in a breach of contract suit against the Buccaneers over the cancelled games.
termed talk of canceling the season "scare tactics", and sent a telegram stating such and reminding owners of their legal responsibility to negotiate. Shortly afterward, Stalls leveled accusations that a member of the coaching staff had made telephone calls to numerous players, asking them if they would return to camp if it was reopened, and whether they supported the union's proposed wage scale. This was perceived as an attempt to divide the players, and was denounced by the union's public relations director as "an unfair labor practice". Similar incidents were later reported in Cincinnati and Buffalo. Assistant to the president Phil Kreuger
stated that the calls were made with the knowledge of McKay and owner Hugh Culverhouse
, but the assistants were only to have asked the players what kind of physical condition they were in. This incident damaged McKay's relationship with the players, and it was later stated by Hugh Culverhouse, Jr. that it marked the point at which McKay lost his desire to coach the team.
joined Williams in publicly opposing the union's stance, and several players who wanted to return to work organized a meeting to vote on the management council's latest proposal, apart from what they termed the "peer pressure" and intimidation of the team's union leaders. The players still rejected the proposal by a 36-4 margin. Divisions began to appear within the team, as Williams reported losing respect for younger players who he felt were bending to union pressure, and a public shouting match breaking out between Williams and Charley Hannah
. A settlement was reached shortly afterward, on November 16, with a guaranteed $1.17 billion dollars to be paid to the players over the next five years. The contract was ratified by a 3-1 margin on December 8. Severance pay and minimum wage scales were added. It wound up being the longest and costliest strike in sports history, lasting 57 days and causing eight weekends of play to be cancelled, although one was rescheduled for the weekend of Jan 2-3. The NFL lost an estimated $275 million in revenue. Several players afterward reported feeling misled by Garvey, saying that many players had been hurt, while little had been gained.
, McKay's first victory over Don Shula in seven meetings. The win left the Buccaneers tied with five other teams for last place in the NFC
, with the toughest remaining schedule of the six. Each of their first four post-strike opponents entered the matchup with only one previous loss. Erratic performances continued to be a problem. Reversing their form of the previous year, which featured only one running back fumble in the entire season, the Buccaneers led the league in fumbles. Players credited a newfound maturity for their ability to rally from the large deficits caused by their mistake-prone play.
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Buccaneers faced the Vikings in the first regular-season game played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Buccaneers outperformed the Vikings in the early stages of the game, but were not able to establish a significant lead. Players reported being surprised by the Vikings' heretofore-unseen emphasis on the running game. McKay singled out the offensive line as performing very poorly, a performance he attributed to a lack of enthusiasm. He stated that guard Sean Farrell played like a rookie, but tempered his criticism by pointing out that Farrell was playing while injured. The constant Viking pass rush required the Buccaneers to resort to quarterback rollout plays. Guard Ray Snell
suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for several weeks. Players complained of difficulty breathing due to the lack of adequate air conditioning in the Metrodome. By McKay's count, the team made 12 major errors, ruining their chances against a Vikings team who was also considered not to have played a good game. Citing league rules, McKay would not comment on complaints about the officiating, though others alleged that specifics were that: audibles could not be called due to the crowd noise, Lee Roy Selmon was repeatedly held, and that Hugh Green and Mark Cotney were not guilty of called penalties that extended a Minnesota drive that eventually led to a touchdown. Several Buccaneers protested that Cotney's roughing the kicker penalty was the result of punter Greg Coleman
tripping Cotney, and then pretending to have been hit. Coleman was later awarded a mock Oscar by Minnesota newspapers. Opposing coach Bud Grant
described the officiating errors as "enough to make a grown man cry". A pair of out-of-bounds calls, including one which negated a Buccaneer fumble recovery, were also considered to be questionable. The Buccaneers attempted a late rally, inspired by the taunting of Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer
, who claimed to have been spit on by Neal Colzie
. The team's only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a Doug Williams pass to Jimmie Giles. A potential game-tying drive ended when Matt Blair
tipped a Williams pass that went to Willie Teal
for an interception. Williams was intercepted three times in all. It was Tampa Bay's first season-opening loss since 1978
. Giles' touchdown was his 20th, which moved him past Ricky Bell to become the Buccaneers' all-time touchdown leader. Williams had a single 12-yard carry that moved him into 4th place all-time in team rushing.
For the second week in a row, the Buccaneers lost to an opponent they outgained, due to numerous errors. The first half was played in a torrential downpour in which lightning struck Tampa Stadium. The Buccaneers had ball-handling problems, fumbling the center snap four times. Joe Theismann
credited purposeful practice in the rain to his avoidance of the type of struggles that Williams had. Two of Williams' fumbles led to Mark Moseley
field goals, while the other two hurt Tampa Bay's field position. The Buccaneers were able to close the lead to 18-13 in the fourth quarter, before Washington was able to dominate the game with their running. The home crowd booed the team, particularly Williams, through the first half. For the second week in a row, they ended an opponent's drive, only to give the opponent a second chance due to a defensive holding penalty. The Redskins ran the ball 45 times, 43 of them to their right side (away from Lee Roy Selmon and Hugh Green), despite injury problems on that side of their line. John Riggins
' 34 carries tied the Redskins record set in 1937
by Cliff Battles, remained for several years as the record by a Buccaneer opponent, and extended his streak to 236 consecutive carries without fumbling. At one point, he carried seven straight times for 48 yards. Former Buccaneer Curtis Jordan
scored the winning touchdown when he recovered his own block of a Larry Swider
punt in the end zone. The Redskins noticed the Buccaneer center's tendency to drop his head while snapping, and used that to their advantage on Jordan's punt block. A late rally attempt fizzled when an apparent 71-yard Doug Williams touchdown pass to Kevin House
was called back when House was ruled to have been pushed out of bounds. Having opened the season with two victories over 1981
playoff teams, Washington coach Joe Gibbs
told his players, "We're hot, let's not strike now".
, Irving, Texas
Post-strike play resumed in a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys
. The 13,439 no-shows were the highest number in Dallas since an ice storm eight years earlier, and broke the Cowboys' string of 44 consecutive sellouts. Fan expectations were low for the game, as both teams were expected to be in poor physical condition following the layoff. The crowd in attendance became more vocal as the game went on, thanks largely to a series of questionable calls by the officials, all against Dallas. The Buccaneers were held to nine points, despite five possessions inside the Dallas 10-yard line, and despite statistically outperforming the Cowboys on both offense and defense. Doug Williams completed 23 of 42 passes with no interceptions, and James Wilder rushed 12 times for 67 yards. The Buccaneers were plagued by mistakes such as Theo Bell
dropping a pass in the end zone, and Bill Capece missing a 24-yard field goal attempt. The Cowboys, for their part, only twice were able to move the ball into Buccaneer territory. Reserve fullback Robert Newhouse
scored the winning points on a 3-yard third-quarter run. The Buccaneers had the ball in the final minute, but Kevin House was ruled out of bounds on a potentially game-winning end-zone reception. Jimmie Giles' fumble on the following play was recovered by Michael Downs
at the Dallas 1-yard line with five seconds remaining. Buccaneer players were upbeat after the loss, feeling vindicated that they had been able to play competitively with the Cowboys, as contrasted with their playoff loss of the previous season. McKay credited Tom Landry
's coaching, saying that the Cowboys were not much more talented than the Buccaneers.
Don Strock
, playing the second half in relief of ineffective Dolphins quarterback David Woodley
, was intercepted four times by the Buccaneer secondary, which had made only one interception in the preceding three games. The Buccaneers' five interceptions were a home-field record. The Buccaneers took a 16-3 lead on Bill Capece field goals of 27, 28, and 36 yards, and a 3-yard Doug Williams touchdown run. Strock then threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Joe Rose, the Dolphins' first touchdown since September 19. On the Dolphins' next possession, Neal Colzie faked a coverage shift to the outside, but instead cut back to the middle. This left Colzie, a native of Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood, in position to catch a 51-yard interception which set up a 1-yard James Wilder touchdown. An 11-yard Rose touchdown reception brought the Dolphins to within a touchdown with 34 seconds left. The Dolphins were able to get the ball back after an onside kick, but Mike Washington's game-ending end-zone interception preserved the win. James Owens rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries, his second-highest total as a Buccaneer. Williams completed only 7 of 19 passes for 81 yards and no touchdowns, which broke his 27-game streak of 100-yard passing games that dated back to October 26, 1980. A new defensive statistic was created to account for the Buccaneers' performance in this game. The Elias Sports Bureau
, who had been unable to conceive of a situation in which three or four defensive players reach a quarterback at the same time, was forced to credit Dave Logan
, Hugh Green, and Andy Hawkins each with ⅓ of a sack when they all tackled Woodley simultaneously. Colzie, not simply content to have played a large part in defeating the coach who had previously demoted and traded him, afterward accused Don Shula
of intolerance toward outspoken black players.
, New Orleans, Louisiana
Hoping to match their win total of the entire previous season, the Saints entered the game hoping for a team-record fourth consecutive victory. McKay compared the Saints to the San Francisco 49ers, who the previous season had made the leap to Super Bowl champion after years of poor performances. In playoff contention for the first time in franchise history, the Saints entered the game with a defense ranked second only to Tampa Bay's in the NFC. Louisiana native Doug Williams felt at home playing in front of the New Orleans crowd. Saints quarterback Ken Stabler
completed 29 of 43 passes for 333 yards and no interceptions, completing passes to nine different receivers. He threw often at inexperienced cornerback Johnny Ray Smith, Mike Washington's injury replacement. The Buccaneers blitzed heavily, mainly from the safeties, as the Saints' double-tight end formation prevented the Buccaneers' regular pass rush from reaching Stabler. They sent both safeties on one play, with Cedric Brown disrupting Stabler's handoff to George Rogers
and causing a fumble that Neal Colzie recovered. Colzie was sent frequently on blitzes, and later reported mixed emotions about having to hit his former teammate Stabler. The win was preserved with Dave Stalls' sack of Stabler in the final minute of play, which drove the Saints out of Morten Andersen
's regular field goal range. Andersen's last-minute 60-yard attempt missed narrowly. The Buccaneers were the beneficiary of a questionable offensive pass interference penalty against the Saints' Larry Hardy
during the Saints' final drive. An earlier Saints drive ended when Hugh Green's hit on Hardy caused a fumble that Smith recovered. McKay said afterward that neither team deserved to lose.
, Flushing, New York
The Buccaneers suffered a loss to the New York Jets
in a game played in snow and a 20 mile per hour wind. It was Doug Williams' first game played in the snow, and only the second outdoor game played in the north in December for the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers wore knitted hoods to cope with the -5 degree wind chill factor, the first time this apparel had been worn in an NFL game. They made numerous errors, fumbling a kickoff, bobbling four kicks, and dropping several passes. Four Buccaneer turnovers led to 19 Jet points, and helped the Jets to take a 14-0 lead before Tampa Bay's first offensive play. Williams declined to blame the weather for the team's performance, and McKay said that "If we had anything frozen, it was our brains". The Buccaneers set a still-standing team record by fumbling eight times, losing three. A pass interference call against Jim Obradovich
caused a 15-yard completion to Gerald Carter
to be called back. Jets offensive coordinator Joe Walton
instructed quarterback Richard Todd to avoid long passes due to the weather. Williams attempted long passes, but was intercepted twice, completing 18 of 38 passes for 204 yards. The loss tarnished good performances by James Wilder, whose 116 yards on 11 receptions set club records for passing yardage and receptions by a running back, and the offensive line, who stymied the Jets' New York Sack Exchange
defensive line. League-leading rusher Freeman McNeil
was held to 53 yards on 14 carries, and fumbled twice. The Jets had to play without middle linebacker Stan Blinka
, who had been suspended for delivering a forearm blow to the head of Packers receiver John Jefferson
. There were 32,223 no-shows, the most in the league all season and the Jets' smallest-ever crowd in Shea Stadium
. The Jets' 32 points were the most scored against the Buccaneers since 1980. It was the Jets' fifth consecutive win, giving them the best start in their history at 5-1.
Playing against the NFL's top-ranked defense, the Buccaneers took the lead twice on drives of 77 and 88 yards. Doug Williams completed 20 of 36 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Williams became the first Buccaneer quarterback to pass the 12,000 career yard mark, while Kevin House became the first Buccaneer receiver with 2,000 career yards. Booker Reese recorded his first NFL sack. Bill Capece missed a field goal that would have tied Garo Yepremian
's club record of seven straight, then later suffered a dislocated shoulder. Melvin Carver's 89 rushing yards in his first NFL start were a season high for Buccaneer running backs. Carver caught a 2-yard Doug Williams touchdown pass, and ran 13 yards for another touchdown. Gordon Jones
caught his first touchdown of the season. An interference penalty on Bill Simpson
put the Buccaneers in position for a field goal that gave Tampa Bay a 10-9 halftime lead. Simpson later caught one of Williams' three interceptions, setting up a 24-yard touchdown drive. Eugene Marve
caught the second in the Buffalo end zone, causing Williams to be booed. The first quarter included a play on which four separate penalties were called, three interceptions (two by Williams), a fake field goal, a missed extra-point, a 50-yard kickoff return, and two occasions on which Buffalo chose to run a play instead of punting on fourth down. Buccaneer special teams allowed 138 yards in kickoff returns. The Bills scored on two runs by Leaks, and one by quarterback Joe Ferguson
. Ferguson threw three interceptions, including Hugh Green's first of the season. Buffalo had the ball in field goal range in the final minute, but the win was preserved when Lee Roy Selmon forced a fumble by Bills fullback Roosevelt Leaks
at the Buccaneer 18 with 36 seconds to play, on the same double-safety blitz which had caused a key fumble in the Dolphins game. On Tampa Bay's final possession, Carver's habit of quickly laying the ball down after being tackled nearly became a problem when he was tackled at the Tampa Bay 18 with 24 seconds left. The Bills mistook this for a fumble and began to celebrate, until the officials ruled that the ball was dead.
Local product and former Florida Gators
kicker Brian Clark was signed to take the injured Bill Capece's place on kickoffs, but was benched after failing to get the ball inside the Lions' 20-yard line on two attempts. Norris Thomas
said that the Buccaneers "stunk up the joint" and could not do anything right until the third quarter. After allowing the Lions a 21-6 third quarter lead, the Buccaneer defense stopped them on three consecutive plays on one series, and only allowed them only nine yards the rest of the game. Gary Danielson
was held to one completion on four second-half pass attempts, while Billy Sims
was held to 68 yards on 21 carries. The Lions' pass rush kept the Buccaneers from attempting long passes, despite the injury-riddled nature of the Lions' secondary. Doug Williams brought the team to within one point on a thre—yard touchdown run and a 2-yard pass to James Owens. A late fourth-quarter interference call against Bobby Watkins
gave the Buccaneers field position on the Detroit 13-yard line. The Lions were angered by this call, as they believed that Williams had overthown Kevin House on the play, and that House had interfered with Watkins. McKay admitted that the Lions had a "legitimate gripe" about the call, but pointed to an earlier play on which Giles was ruled to have fumbled, despite the Buccaneers' belief that Giles was already down and that the play was over. Bill Capece kicked field goals of 34 and 29 yards, and scored the winning points on a 27-yard field goal with 25 seconds left. Detroit linebacker Stan White
taunted Capece with calls of "Remember Oakland last year?" as Capece prepared to kick, referring to a block of Capece's potentially game-winning field goal against the Raiders.
Doug Williams overcame several early turnovers and an aching knee and hamstring to throw touchdowns of 35 and 31 yards to Jimmie Giles that brought the Buccaneers back from a 23-6 deficit. Otis Wilson
returned one of Williams' interceptions 39 yards for a touchdown. A Gary Fencik
interception and a Steve McMichael
fumble recovery led to field goals. Bears players pointed to a missed 38-yard Bill Capece field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter as the point where the Bears' offense relaxed and the game turned. Following that play, a holding penalty and a Neal Colzie sack of Jim McMahon
drove the Bears back to the 5-yard line, setting up the touchdown drive that brought the Buccaneers to within three points. Capece tied the score by kicking a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left. After 20 consecutive pass attempts, the Buccaneers pitched right to James Wilder for their first offensive play in overtime. The play caught the Bears blitzing the middle in a nickel defense, and resulted in the Buccaneers' longest run play of the year, 47 yards to the Chicago 13-yard line. Saying that "He who messes around in field goal position lives to regret it", McKay immediately sent Capece to kick the winning field goal. Capece set records by being the first Buccaneer to kick four field goals in a game, and to kick 18 field goals in a season. Williams passed and rushed for 397 combined yards, still the fifth highest total in Buccaneer history. James Owens' 30-yard kickoff return was the team's longest of the season. Buccaneer and Bear players alike credited the loud Tampa Stadium crowd as a factor in the win.
at Texas Stadium
, Irving, Texas
Injuries to Mike Washington, Cedric Brown, and Johnny Ray Smith required that three members of the secondary play outside of their regular position. Neal Colzie took over for Brown at free safety, while Mark Cotney took over Colzie's regular strong safety spot. Dwayne O'Steen, a starter from Oakland's Super Bowl XIV
team, was signed during the week to add depth to the secondary. Both quarterbacks played while injured. Dallas quarterback Danny White's thumb was so sore that he could not hold a piece of paper. His jaw was so sore that he was not able to eat before the game, and required novocaine shots to play. He would not have played if it had been a regular-season matchup, but passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns. The advisability of starting Doug Williams was later questioned, due to his sore hamstring and knee. Williams spent the entire game throwing away from his former Grambling
teammate Everson Walls
, throwing only four times for one completion to Walls' side of the field. Against expectations, Tampa Bay's defense played well, despite spending over 40 minutes of the game on the field, and despite the injuries to the secondary and later to Hugh Green. Dallas entered the game as the best rushing team of all playoff contenders, with Tony Dorsett
second only to Freeman McNeil in yardage.
After the Cowboys took a first quarter lead on two Rafael Septien
field goals, the Buccaneers took the lead when the ball popped out of the hands of White and into those of Hugh Green. Green never broke stride, and returned the fumble 60 yards for a touchdown. The play happened so quickly that the Dallas offensive line continued to block, unaware that Green was downfield with the ball. Cotney then returned an interception 50 yards, leading to a 32-yard Bill Capece field goal. A 6-yard pass from White to Ron Springs
gave the Cowboys a 13-10 halftime lead. After a third-quarter Septien field goal, Williams threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Gordon Jones
to give the Buccaneers a 17-16 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Charley Hannah was penalized for an illegal block, which negated an 11-yard James Wilder run. Hannah kicked the referee's flag in protest, resulting in a further call of unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty of half the distance to the goal line. The two penalties combined to move the Buccaneers back from their 33 to their 11-yard line. McKay was outraged that the officials would call such a penalty in such an important game, sarcastically describing Hannah's actions as "horrible abuse. One of the worst things I've ever seen on a football field". On the following play, third-string safety Monty Hunter caught his first career interception, a pass intended for Jimmie Giles, and returned it for the go-ahead touchdown. Dallas followed with an 81-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard pass from White to Timmy Newsome
. Linebackers coach Howard Tippett followed field judge Dick Dolack all the way back to the locker room after the game, shouting obscenities the entire way, and telling him, "You cost us this game".
The following remains a record due to the shortened season, but is not on pace for a record if projected out to a full season:
The following records set in 1982 have since been broken:
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back. The team played only two games before the players' union called a labor strike, which resulted in a nine-game season. The season began with a three-game losing streak, as the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent statistically in each game, but showed a tendency for mental errors at crucial moments. The first game in which they were outgained by their opponent was their first win, a franchise-first victory over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. The team made a playoff run against a difficult schedule, facing only two opponents with losing records. Their schedule included all four eventual Conference Championship participants. They overcame double-digit deficits to win on last-minute field goals in their final two games (kicker Bill Capece
Bill Capece
William George Capece is a former professional American football player who played placekicker for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
was the NFC's second-leading scorer), and had to survive opponents' last-minute rallies in all five of their victories. In the strike-season playoff format in which the top eight conference teams made the playoffs, the Buccaneers' seventh-place finish gave them a first-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Despite a poor performance by the offense, the Buccaneers carried a 17-16 lead into the fourth quarter, before the Cowboys rallied for a 30-17 victory following a controversial penalty call. This would be the last playoff appearance of the John McKay era, and was followed by 14 consecutive losing seasons.
The year began with longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bass
Tom Bass (American football)
Tom Bass is a retired American football coach who spent 30 years as an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Diego Chargers. He played at San Diego State University as a lineman until a bout of polio left him unable to play football. He then served as an undergraduate...
and several players leaving for San Diego. Observers questioned why Bass, who had built the defenses that had ranked at or near the top of the league statistically over the last several years, would leave; and further, why so many of the team's top players and former MVPs had been traded away. The team unveiled a new, Wayne Fontes
Wayne Fontes
Wayne Fontes is a former American football coach and college and professional football player who was the head coach of the NFL's Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1996. His 67 wins and 71 losses are each the most for a head coach in team history.-Background and early career:Fontes was born in the...
-designed defensive philosophy, featuring tighter coverage to reduce the number of small gains, and increased blitzing to thwart opponents' practice of double-teaming Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...
. The team continued to be regarded as having one of the quickest, hardest-hitting defenses in the NFL, a defense which ranked first in the NFC. In the later part of the season, the offense began to jell, taking a part in the victories more equal to that which the defense played. In particular, the line allowed the fewest sacks in the league, while providing an improved running game. The offense as a whole developed an ability to rally from deficits. However, they continued to be criticized as overly conservative, as they scored just 9 first-quarter points in their 10 games, and opened up their passing attack only when behind late in games. This became an issue in the playoff loss to Dallas, where Doug Williams was unable to recover from a bad start. Following the season, the Buccaneers were represented by Jimmie Giles, Hugh Green, and Lee Roy Selmon in the Pro Bowl.
Offseason
An unusually active offseason saw defensive coordinator Tom Bass and several players leaving to join the San Diego Chargers. Potentially embarrassing off-field incidents were avoided when sexual assault charges against guard Greg Roberts were dropped, while an indecent exposure charge against receiver Theo BellTheo Bell
Theopolis Bell, Jr. was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
was dropped when the act turned out to have been committed by an imposter who merely claimed to have been Bell. Bell later filed a libel suit against the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
over their reporting of the incident. With the NFLPA contract on the verge of expiring, union officials became angered over the lack of progress in March meetings, and continued to raise the prospect of a strike. Other offseason distractions included an incident in which Hugh Green was arrested for evading police after being pulled over for a speeding ticket, and contract holdouts by Richard Wood and Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
. Giles, who threatened retirement, received a verbal commitment to get a contract renegotiation at a later date; while an angry Wood wound up reporting to camp with no guarantee that his contract would be extended beyond 1984
1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team making efforts to address the problems faced in the disastrous 1983 season. For the first time, the team renegotiated the contracts of players in their option years, which kept discontent over salaries to a minimum. An assistant coach was...
. The team was able to negotiate an agreement with the Tampa Sports Authority that guaranteed their residence in Tampa Stadium through 1995
1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 6-10 season in which the team won 4 straight games at the end of 1994 and 4 of the last 5. It was Wyche' final season as the team's head coach...
.
Coaching Changes
Bill MuirBill Muir
William "Bill" Muir is currently a member of the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff where he is the Offensive Coordinator. He was previously the offensive line coach. Muir is also the former offensive coordinator for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a member of head coach Jon Gruden's staff, he...
, director of pro scouting, accepted an offer to become the offensive line coach of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
defensive line coach and original Miami Dolphin
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Frank Emanuel
Frank Emanuel
Thomas Frank Emanuel is a former American football linebacker. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He played professionally for the American Football League's Miami Dolphins and the National Football League's New Orleans Saints...
was hired, charged with the task of improving the kicking teams that occasionally lost games for the Buccaneers. Tom Bass, considered to be the chief architect of the Buccaneer defense, was hired to take the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' defensive coordinator position that had recently been vacated by Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...
. Bass' duties were taken over by defensive backfield coach Wayne Fontes, who had turned down a similar offer from the Los Angeles Rams. Fontes was noted for having built a league-leading secondary out of players obtained from trades and waivers. It was alleged that McKay disagreed with Bass over certain defensive philosophies, and so encouraged Fontes to remain with Tampa Bay, with the intent of giving him Bass' job. This was the first major defensive coaching change since the franchise's inception. Former Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
assistant Jim Gruden was brought in as running backs coach, displacing George Chaump
George Chaump
-External links:...
, who turned down an offer to remain in the organization in a different position. Chaump later accepted a head coaching position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
IUP Crimson Hawks
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks, commonly known as the IUP Crimson Hawks and formerly called the IUP Indians are the varsity athletic teams that represent Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The university and all of its teams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic...
. Longtime equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo unexpectedly resigned during the season, for unknown reasons that were revealed a week later, when he was arrested for selling $21,000 worth of stolen game jerseys.
Player Trades
Dave Lewis, demoted the previous season due to assorted off-field problems, was traded to the Chargers for two draft picks, the Chargers' 19841984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
fourth-round and 1982
1982 NFL Draft
The 1982 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982...
third-round selections. The latter was the last pick in the round, having originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. The undisclosed off-field problems that led to Lewis' trade allegedly involved an argument over a suspension, which McKay interpreted as a challenge to his authority. Rumors that the trades were connected to drug use that was partially responsible for the team's disappointing 1980
1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with great optimism in the wake of their surprise NFC championship appearance of the previous season. After scoring a playoff win in only their fourth year, the Buccaneers were considered such a model franchise that the NBA expansion Dallas Mavericks...
performance were years later confirmed by McKay and team owner Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse, Sr. was the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him one of the nation's wealthiest men...
. Ricky Bell
Ricky Bell (running back)
Ricky Lynn Bell younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was an American professional football player who played running back in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982...
, the Buccaneers' all-time leading rusher, and Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League....
, their former All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
linebacker, joined him shortly afterward, both traded for draft picks. Bell would only play two games for the Chargers before being diagnosed with the dermatomyisitis
Dermatomyositis
Dermatomyositis is a connective-tissue disease related to polymyositis and Bramaticosis that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin.- Causes :...
that would lead to his death from cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
two years later. Selmon's status as the team's union representative led to criticism from the National Football League Players Association, who said that he should not have been traded during contract negotiations, although Selmon himself approved the trade. The issue increased the difficulty in negotiations for a new bargaining agreement, as the union pointed to this and a rumored trade of alternate representative Mark Cotney
Mark Cotney
Mark Cotney , is a former professional American football player who played in 10 NFL seasons from 1975-1984 for the Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Selected by the Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft, he was a member of the original winless 1976 team and the 1979 team that played in...
as examples of teams harassing representatives. Dewey's brother Lee Roy was elected to take his place as player representative. Tackle Dave Reavis
Dave Reavis
David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983....
, a member of the 1976
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their debut season in 1976, making league history as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. They did not score until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth. They lost by a touchdown or...
expansion squad, became the first active player to retire as a Buccaneer, although he was reinstated and rejoined the team later in the season.
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | 17 | Sean Farrell Sean Farrell Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields.... |
Guard | Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the... |
| 2 | 32 (from Chicago) | Booker Reese Booker Reese Booker Reese is a former American Football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League... |
Defensive End | Bethune-Cookman Bethune-Cookman Wildcats The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats are the names of the college sports teams at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Lynn W. Thompson is the current Athletic Director.Bethune-Cookman currently fields varsity teams in ten different sports... |
| 3 | 74 | Jerry Bell Jerry Bell (American football) Jerry Bell is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.... |
Tight End | Arizona State Arizona State Sun Devils football The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference.... |
| 3 | 83 (from San Diego) | John Cannon John Cannon (American football) John Cannon is a former professional American football player who attended Holmdel High School in Holmdel, New Jersey and played defensive end for nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.... |
Defensive End | William and Mary William & Mary Tribe football The William & Mary Tribe are a college football team representing the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. William & Mary currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2010, Jimmye Laycock is in his 31st... |
| 4 | 103 (from San Diego) | Dave Barrett | Running Back | Houston Houston Cougars football The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by... |
| 5 | 128 | Jeff Davis Jeff Davis (American football) Jeff Davis is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.-College career:Davis... |
Linebacker | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 6 | 158 | Andre Tyler | Wide Receiver | Stanford Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The... |
| 7 | 185 | Tom Morris | Defensive Back | Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
| 8 | 212 | Kelvin Atkins | Linebacker | Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
| 9 | 242 | Bob Lane | Quarterback | Louisiana-Monroe ULM Warhawks The Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks are the sports teams of the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 14 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's tennis, and... |
| 12 | 325 | Michael Morton Michael Morton (American football) Michael Da'mond Morton is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Washington Redskins, and the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.... |
Running Back | UNLV UNLV Rebels football The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association... |
Draft Trades
The 2nd-round pick was obtained from the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for the Bears' 1983
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
1st-round pick. The Buccaneers' original 2nd-round pick had been traded to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as part of a trade for cornerback Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for nine seasons for the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
. Their 4th-round pick and their second pick in the 3rd round came from the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in trades for RB Ricky Bell
Ricky Bell (running back)
Ricky Lynn Bell younger brother of recording artist Archie Bell, was an American professional football player who played running back in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982...
and LB David Lewis
Dave Lewis (American football player)
David Rodney Lewis is a retired National Football League linebacker.-High school career:Prior to that he played at San Diego City College and Abraham Lincoln High School where Marcus Allen, Akili Smith and Terrell Davis have since played.-College career:Lewis played college football at the...
. The Buccaneers' original 4th-round pick had earlier been traded to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
for DE Dave Stalls
Dave Stalls
David Milton Stalls is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Raiders. He played college football for the University of Northern Colorado and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL...
.
Draft Selections
The previous year's playoff loss to Dallas drew attention to the team's historical lack of a dominating offensive line, making that position a draft priority. Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
guard Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields....
was not expected to last until the Buccaneers' selection at number 18, leaving UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
tackle Luis Sharpe
Luis Sharpe
Luis Ernesto Sharpe is a former professional American football tackle who played 13 seasons in the National Football League for the St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals from 1982 through 1994. A 3-time Pro Bowl selection, Sharpe was selected by the Cardinals in the 1st round of the 1982 NFL Draft...
and USC guard Roy Foster as leading candidates. Despite their wealth of linebacking talent, USC linebacker Chip Banks
Chip Banks
William Chip Banks is a former professional American football linebacker.He graduated from Lucy Craft Laney High School, Augusta, GA.-Professional career:...
was also under consideration, given the likelihood that he would be the best player available. As it turned out, Farrell advised several teams not to select him, including the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who drafted ahead of the Buccaneers and selected Sharpe. This left Farrell available for the Buccaneers, who drafted him with plans to play him in Ray Snell
Ray Snell
Ray Snell is a former guard in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most notably, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft...
's spot and move Snell to left tackle.
Farrell was labeled as a "can't-miss" prospect, but the Buccaneer draft was otherwise marked by a pronounced tendency to gamble. This was evidenced in personnel director Ken Herock
Ken Herock
Ken Herock was an American college and professional football player who played tight end. He played collegiately at West Virginia and professionally in the American Football League, where he played for the AFL Champion Oakland Raiders in the second AFL-NFL World Championship Game, held after the...
's comments that previous Buccaneer staffs would not have had the confidence to make the selections they did. Second-round pick Booker Reese had ideal physical characteristics for a pass-rushing defensive end, but had to make the difficult jump from Division 1-AA to professional football. Several of the selections had injury histories, notably receiver Andre Tyler, who was believed to be a better player than his Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
teammate, Chicago Bears receiver Ken Margerum
Ken Margerum
Kenneth Margerum is a retired American football player. Margerum has coached in several capacities at the college level, as head football coach at Menlo College , wide receivers coach at Stanford University and University of Hawaii, and through the 2009 season as an assistant coach for the San...
, but did not play at all in 1981. Chronic knee injuries prevented quarterback Bob Lane from ever having become a starter in college. Defensive end John Cannon
John Cannon (American football)
John Cannon is a former professional American football player who attended Holmdel High School in Holmdel, New Jersey and played defensive end for nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
missed half of his senior season with knee injuries. Jeff Davis
Jeff Davis (American football)
Jeff Davis is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.-College career:Davis...
and Michael Morton
Michael Morton (American football)
Michael Da'mond Morton is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Washington Redskins, and the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas....
were considered undersized, and Jerry Bell
Jerry Bell (American football)
Jerry Bell is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
had little experience. Bell was also criticized for being lazy and playing below his potential, although this turned out to be something that Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
coach Frank Kush
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1...
said of many players. Cannon was selected for the tenacity he displayed while playing through injuries, while Morton was selected as a return man. David Barrett was believed to be a better runner than previous Buccaneer fullback Johnny Davis.
Mainly on the basis of the first two picks, McKay stated that the draft was the best in team history. He felt that Davis, a hard hitter who at six feet was considered too short by many teams, was possibly the best player the team had yet obtained in the fifth round, and that seventh-rounder Thomas Morris had the speed to succeed as an NFL cornerback. The team followed the draft by signing several free-agents, including quarterback Jerry Golsteyn
Jerry Golsteyn
Jerry Mark Golsteyn was a former professional American football player. A 12th round drafted quarterback from Northern Illinois University, Golsteyn played in 8 NFL seasons from 1977-1984 for 5 different teams...
.
The Sean Farrell Draft Gaffe
Shortly after the draft, rumors began to fly that the Buccaneers had drafted Sean Farrell by mistake. Deliberating between selecting Farrell and Bethune-Cookman defensive end Booker ReeseBooker Reese
Booker Reese is a former American Football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League...
, Buccaneer staff saw that negotiations with Farrell's agents would be difficult, and decided to pick Reese. Equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo, representing the team in New York, failed to get the message to draft Reese due to a faulty speakerphone, and instead turned in the card with Farrell's name on it. The team denied the story when it was reported in the Boston Globe the following week, instead saying that they expected Reese to be the best player available when they drafted, and that Farrell's surprise availability caused them to reevaluate their plans. According to the team, the confusion of this reevaluation, combined with the consideration of a trade offer from the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the faulty phone, caused Marcuccillo to submit Farrell's name prematurely, but that Farrell was their intended selection. The Buccaneers were so enamored of Reese that they traded their 1983 first-round pick for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' 1982 2nd-round pick to be able to select him, despite a league-wide expectation that the 1983 draft class would be far superior to that of 1982. Negotiations with Farrell proved not to be difficult, although the deal was not finalized until five minutes before the deadline to sign players before the expiration of the union contract. Farrell wound up starting 59 games over 5 years with Tampa Bay. Reese started only 7 games in three seasons. After a 1984 arrest, he was sent to the Los Angeles Rams for a 12th-round draft pick. The Bears used the Buccaneers' pick to select star receiver Willie Gault
Willie Gault
Willie James Gault is a former American football wide receiver and Olympic athlete. Gault played in the National Football League for 11 seasons for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. He was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX, and was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team...
.
Preseason
The preseason opened with the uncertainty of whether an NFL regular season would be held, as the players union and the team owners were having trouble renegotiating the expired union contract. The union was threatening a strikeStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, while the owners were threatening a lockout
Lockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
. The union began to negotiate with cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
networks, investigating the possibility of holding their own games should a lockout occur. Players demanded a 55% share of gross team profits. They felt that they were not getting a fair share of NFL income, based on the facts that NFL salaries were lower than in other sports, while the NFL had the highest TV revenue of all sports. Team officials reported no slowdown of ticket sales, despite the likelihood of a strike and the lack of a league refund policy.
The on-field preseason action began with Randy Crowder
Randy Crowder
Randolph Channing Crowder Sr. is a former American football defensive lineman in the NFL. He played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, in his first workout since a 1980
1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with great optimism in the wake of their surprise NFC championship appearance of the previous season. After scoring a playoff win in only their fourth year, the Buccaneers were considered such a model franchise that the NBA expansion Dallas Mavericks...
knee injury, suffering a tear of his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
that required surgery and meant that he would miss the season for the fourth time in his nine years in the NFL. The loss of Crowder was a blow to the team's plans of using more four-man fronts for added pass rush. Mike Washington
Mike Washington
Mike Washington , is a former American professional football player who played in 9 NFL seasons from 1976-1984 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike was selected in the in 3rd round of 1975 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts....
, on the other hand, was able to make a successful recovery from offseason surgery that left him with only a 50% chance of ever playing again. Mark Cotney returned, having recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the 1981
1981 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1981 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 5-10-1 season. The team was considered to be superior to the 1979 team that finished the season one game shy of the Super Bowl. With the running game and special teams ineffective, the Buccaneers depended heavily on...
season. Jerry Eckwood
Jerry Eckwood
Jerry Eckwood is a former NFL running back. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1979–1981, and was a key member of the Buccaneers team that made the first playoff appearance in franchise history in 1979...
was diagnosed with a damaged spinal disc that required season-ending surgery. Former Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
1000-yard rusher Terdell Middleton
Terdell Middleton
Terdell Middleton is a former professional American football player who played running back for seven seasons in the NFL. Originally a third round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Middleton was traded to the Green Bay Packers in the preseason...
was signed shortly afterward.
The emergence of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
prompted the NFL to expand each roster by four players to 49. Playing rosters remained at 45, with four players each week to be placed on an inactive taxi squad. The competition marked a change in the team's philosophy, in that they no longer regarded themselves as an expansion team, and were now willing to consider veteran players who could immediately help the team, rather than choosing strictly on perceived potential. Bill Kollar
Bill Kollar
William Wallace "Bill" Kollar was a National Football League defensive lineman from 1974 through 1981. He has been an NFL assistant coach for 17 years. He has coached the Defensive Line of the Rams, Falcons and Bills...
's slow recovery from his knee injury of the previous season opened up competition at left defensive end, with Dave Stalls
Dave Stalls
David Milton Stalls is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Raiders. He played college football for the University of Northern Colorado and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL...
performing well, and Booker Reese slow to learn Tampa Bay's system. A similar level of competition existed at linebacker, with Scot Brantley
Scot Brantley
Scot Eugene Brantley is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s...
playing well enough to replace Richard Wood in the lineup, and rookie Jeff Davis in contention for a starting spot. Andy Hawkins
Andy Hawkins (American football)
Anthony James Hawkins is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.Hawkins brother Mike also played in the NFL for the New England...
survived a challenge from Dana Nafziger when, temporarily inserted into the lineup due to Hawkins' ankle injury, Nafziger wound up leading the team in sacks. The preseason ended with a 34-0 domination of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
that left observers with high expectations for the regular season, although coach McKay expressed concern over what he termed a "lackluster" practice on the Monday of final roster cuts, warning that others could be cut to make room for a signee from the waiver wire. There were 14 new players on the final roster, including 9 of the team's 11 draft picks, with the major portion of the turnover occurring at running back and on the defensive line. This development contradicted McKay's statements following the previous season's postseason loss to Dallas, in which McKay expressed confidence in his existing lineup.
Regular season
McKay, known for accurate preseason predictions, stated that recent mediocrity in the NFC Central meant that recent high draft positions would raise the level of competition to the extent that eight or nine wins would no longer be enough to contend for a division title. He predicted that the Buccaneers would require 11 wins to defend their title, and that they would be able to. Changes were made to their defensive philosophy, with the linebackers lining up four yards deep instead of two, giving them more time to react on running plays. They were also given more responsibilities in short zone coverage, an adjustment intended to prevent the sustained drives that opponents had been successful with in the past. The 3-4 defense3-4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...
was deemphasized and more emphasis was placed on blitzing, especially from Hugh Green. Despite a strong preseason performance, the Buccaneers started the regular season with two mistake-filled losses.
The 1982 Players' Strike
Buccaneer players rejected a one-year contract proposal from team owners that would offer each player a bonus of up to $60,000. Assistant player representative Dave Stalls stated that management was trying to test the strength of an unproven union, and that the bonus amounted to "a bribe not to cross the picket line". The team voted on September 20 to accept the NFLPA executive council's recommendation to go on strike. Only three Buccaneers, of whom Doug Williams was the only one identified, voted against the strike. As team management made no effort to keep players from crossing the picket line, the players chose not to picket the One Buccaneer Place headquarters. Players initially elected not to hold organized workouts, instead leaving conditioning up to the individuals. Organized workouts were later held at Jesuit High School, but were discontinued when it was felt that they gave management less incentive to bargain. Tampa Bay, who set up an information office with phone lines manned by players who kept teammates informed of all news, was considered by the union to be the most organized of all teams. The strike was estimated to cost the league $42 million per week in lost revenue, with each canceled game costing the players $500,000 in wages. Negotiations went very slowly, with management hoping to weaken union solidarity by prolonging the strike. Agreement was difficult, with both sides making demands vastly different from the other, and pronounced personality conflicts between union negotiator Ed GarveyEd Garvey
- Background :Edward Garvey graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and spent two years in the U.S. Army; he then returned to the University of Wisconsin Law School and earned a law degree.- Law and union work :...
and management representative Jack Donlan. Planned "All-Star" games by the players failed, due to a lack of participation by star-caliber players. One season ticket-holder retained attorney Ellis Rubin
Ellis Rubin
Ellis S. Rubin was an American attorney in Miami, Florida who gained national fame for handling a variety of highly publicized cases in a legal career that spanned 53 years. He was famous for his innovative defenses and his propensity for handling lost causes. Rubin won the first case in Florida...
in a breach of contract suit against the Buccaneers over the cancelled games.
Harassment Accusations
A belief among team owners that 13 games was the shortest practical season marked the weekend of October 24–25 as the point at which the season would have to be cancelled. With that in mind, owners began considering opening camps to see how many players would show up. Garvey and union president Gene UpshawGene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
termed talk of canceling the season "scare tactics", and sent a telegram stating such and reminding owners of their legal responsibility to negotiate. Shortly afterward, Stalls leveled accusations that a member of the coaching staff had made telephone calls to numerous players, asking them if they would return to camp if it was reopened, and whether they supported the union's proposed wage scale. This was perceived as an attempt to divide the players, and was denounced by the union's public relations director as "an unfair labor practice". Similar incidents were later reported in Cincinnati and Buffalo. Assistant to the president Phil Kreuger
Phil Krueger (coach)
Phil Krueger was a college football coach at Fresno State, and Utah State. From 1964 to 1965, he coached at Fresno State, where he compiled a 10-10 record. From 1973 to 1975, he coached at Utah State, where he compiled a 21-12 record. His overall record stands at 31-22.-References:...
stated that the calls were made with the knowledge of McKay and owner Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse, Sr. was the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him one of the nation's wealthiest men...
, but the assistants were only to have asked the players what kind of physical condition they were in. This incident damaged McKay's relationship with the players, and it was later stated by Hugh Culverhouse, Jr. that it marked the point at which McKay lost his desire to coach the team.
Settlement
As the strike dragged on, Neal ColzieNeal Colzie
Cornelius Connie Colzie, better known as Neal Colzie, was an American football defensive back for the Oakland Raiders , Miami Dolphins , and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
joined Williams in publicly opposing the union's stance, and several players who wanted to return to work organized a meeting to vote on the management council's latest proposal, apart from what they termed the "peer pressure" and intimidation of the team's union leaders. The players still rejected the proposal by a 36-4 margin. Divisions began to appear within the team, as Williams reported losing respect for younger players who he felt were bending to union pressure, and a public shouting match breaking out between Williams and Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders...
. A settlement was reached shortly afterward, on November 16, with a guaranteed $1.17 billion dollars to be paid to the players over the next five years. The contract was ratified by a 3-1 margin on December 8. Severance pay and minimum wage scales were added. It wound up being the longest and costliest strike in sports history, lasting 57 days and causing eight weekends of play to be cancelled, although one was rescheduled for the weekend of Jan 2-3. The NFL lost an estimated $275 million in revenue. Several players afterward reported feeling misled by Garvey, saying that many players had been hurt, while little had been gained.
Resumption of Play
Play resumed on November 21 with a confidence-building narrow loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Thanks largely to mental errors, the Buccaneers were outscored 52-32 in their first three games, despite outgaining their opponents by an average yardage of 338 to 216. Their first win came in the fourth week over a previously-undefeated Miami Dolphins team on Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, McKay's first victory over Don Shula in seven meetings. The win left the Buccaneers tied with five other teams for last place in the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
, with the toughest remaining schedule of the six. Each of their first four post-strike opponents entered the matchup with only one previous loss. Erratic performances continued to be a problem. Reversing their form of the previous year, which featured only one running back fumble in the entire season, the Buccaneers led the league in fumbles. Players credited a newfound maturity for their ability to rally from the large deficits caused by their mistake-prone play.
Schedule
| Regular season | ||||||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Kickoff | Game site | TV | Attendance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 12, 1982 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 17-10 | 1:00 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
58,440 | 0-1 |
| 2 | September 19, 1982 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 21-13 | 4:00 | Tampa Stadium | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
66,187 | 0-1 |
| 3 | November 21, 1982 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 14-9 | 1:00 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
49,578 | 0-3 |
| 4 | November 29, 1982 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23-17 | 9:00 | Tampa Stadium | ABC Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
65,854 | 1-3 |
| 5 | December 5, 1982 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 13-10 | 1:00 | Louisiana Superdome | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
61,709 | 2-3 |
| 6 | December 12, 1982 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 32-17 | 1:00 | Shea Stadium Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
28,147 | 2-4 |
| 7 | December 19, 1982 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24-23 | 4:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC NFL on NBC NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS... |
62,510 | 3-4 |
| 8 | December 26, 1982 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 23-21 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
65,997 | 4-4 |
| 9 | January 2, 1983 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26-23 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
68,112 | 5-4 |
| NFC First Round Playoff Game | ||||||||
| January 9, 1983 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 30-17 | 4:00 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
65,042 | 5-5 | |
Roster
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1982 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Sean Farrell Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields.... RG,RT Charley Hannah Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders... RT Dave Reavis David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983.... LT Gene Sanders Eugene Sanders is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the eighth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M and Washington.... LT Ray Snell Ray Snell is a former guard in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most notably, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft... LG Steve Wilson (offensive lineman) Steve Wilson is a former American football center in the National Football League who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1985. He was the last original Buccaneer to retire and the only original Buc player to be a starter in each of the first 10 seasons of the franchise... C George Yarno George Anthony Yarno is a former professional football player, a guard with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Houston Oilers. He also played two seasons with the Denver Gold of the USFL... LG Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Scot Brantley Scot Eugene Brantley is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s... RILB Jeff Davis (American football) Jeff Davis is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.-College career:Davis... Andy Hawkins (American football) Anthony James Hawkins is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.Hawkins brother Mike also played in the NFL for the New England... LOLB Cecil Johnson Cecil Johnson is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... LILB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics Starters in boldface |
|||||
Coaching Staff
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1982 coaching staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
|
|||||
Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings
Sep 12, 1982 at Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
The Buccaneers faced the Vikings in the first regular-season game played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
The Buccaneers outperformed the Vikings in the early stages of the game, but were not able to establish a significant lead. Players reported being surprised by the Vikings' heretofore-unseen emphasis on the running game. McKay singled out the offensive line as performing very poorly, a performance he attributed to a lack of enthusiasm. He stated that guard Sean Farrell played like a rookie, but tempered his criticism by pointing out that Farrell was playing while injured. The constant Viking pass rush required the Buccaneers to resort to quarterback rollout plays. Guard Ray Snell
Ray Snell
Ray Snell is a former guard in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most notably, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft...
suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for several weeks. Players complained of difficulty breathing due to the lack of adequate air conditioning in the Metrodome. By McKay's count, the team made 12 major errors, ruining their chances against a Vikings team who was also considered not to have played a good game. Citing league rules, McKay would not comment on complaints about the officiating, though others alleged that specifics were that: audibles could not be called due to the crowd noise, Lee Roy Selmon was repeatedly held, and that Hugh Green and Mark Cotney were not guilty of called penalties that extended a Minnesota drive that eventually led to a touchdown. Several Buccaneers protested that Cotney's roughing the kicker penalty was the result of punter Greg Coleman
Greg Coleman
Gregory Jerome Coleman is a retired American football punter who had a 12-year career in the National Football League playing for the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He attended Florida A&M University...
tripping Cotney, and then pretending to have been hit. Coleman was later awarded a mock Oscar by Minnesota newspapers. Opposing coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
described the officiating errors as "enough to make a grown man cry". A pair of out-of-bounds calls, including one which negated a Buccaneer fumble recovery, were also considered to be questionable. The Buccaneers attempted a late rally, inspired by the taunting of Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer
Tommy Kramer
Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990...
, who claimed to have been spit on by Neal Colzie
Neal Colzie
Cornelius Connie Colzie, better known as Neal Colzie, was an American football defensive back for the Oakland Raiders , Miami Dolphins , and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
. The team's only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a Doug Williams pass to Jimmie Giles. A potential game-tying drive ended when Matt Blair
Matt Blair
Matt Blair was an outside linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 to 1985.-Career:...
tipped a Williams pass that went to Willie Teal
Willie Teal
Willie Teal is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU....
for an interception. Williams was intercepted three times in all. It was Tampa Bay's first season-opening loss since 1978
1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 2-12 season. Since their two 1977 victories came in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central. The Buccaneers entered the season with new...
. Giles' touchdown was his 20th, which moved him past Ricky Bell to become the Buccaneers' all-time touchdown leader. Williams had a single 12-yard carry that moved him into 4th place all-time in team rushing.
Week 2: vs Washington Redskins
Sep 19, 1982 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
For the second week in a row, the Buccaneers lost to an opponent they outgained, due to numerous errors. The first half was played in a torrential downpour in which lightning struck Tampa Stadium. The Buccaneers had ball-handling problems, fumbling the center snap four times. Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
credited purposeful practice in the rain to his avoidance of the type of struggles that Williams had. Two of Williams' fumbles led to Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
field goals, while the other two hurt Tampa Bay's field position. The Buccaneers were able to close the lead to 18-13 in the fourth quarter, before Washington was able to dominate the game with their running. The home crowd booed the team, particularly Williams, through the first half. For the second week in a row, they ended an opponent's drive, only to give the opponent a second chance due to a defensive holding penalty. The Redskins ran the ball 45 times, 43 of them to their right side (away from Lee Roy Selmon and Hugh Green), despite injury problems on that side of their line. John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....
' 34 carries tied the Redskins record set in 1937
1937 Washington Redskins season
The Boston Redskins moved to Washington D.C. in 1937 to become the Washington Redskins. They began with the team trying to improve on their 7–5 record from 1936...
by Cliff Battles, remained for several years as the record by a Buccaneer opponent, and extended his streak to 236 consecutive carries without fumbling. At one point, he carried seven straight times for 48 yards. Former Buccaneer Curtis Jordan
Curtis Jordan
Curtis Wayne Jordan is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins...
scored the winning touchdown when he recovered his own block of a Larry Swider
Larry Swider
Larry Swider is a former American football punter. He played in the National Football League from 1979 to 1982. He then played in the United States Football League for the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Jacksonville Bulls....
punt in the end zone. The Redskins noticed the Buccaneer center's tendency to drop his head while snapping, and used that to their advantage on Jordan's punt block. A late rally attempt fizzled when an apparent 71-yard Doug Williams touchdown pass to Kevin House
Kevin House
Kevin Nathaniel House is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 175 lbs. wide receiver from Southern Illinois University, House played in eight NFL seasons from 1980-1987 for the Buccaneers...
was called back when House was ruled to have been pushed out of bounds. Having opened the season with two victories over 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
playoff teams, Washington coach Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
told his players, "We're hot, let's not strike now".
Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys
Nov 21, 1982 at Texas StadiumTexas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
Post-strike play resumed in a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. The 13,439 no-shows were the highest number in Dallas since an ice storm eight years earlier, and broke the Cowboys' string of 44 consecutive sellouts. Fan expectations were low for the game, as both teams were expected to be in poor physical condition following the layoff. The crowd in attendance became more vocal as the game went on, thanks largely to a series of questionable calls by the officials, all against Dallas. The Buccaneers were held to nine points, despite five possessions inside the Dallas 10-yard line, and despite statistically outperforming the Cowboys on both offense and defense. Doug Williams completed 23 of 42 passes with no interceptions, and James Wilder rushed 12 times for 67 yards. The Buccaneers were plagued by mistakes such as Theo Bell
Theo Bell
Theopolis Bell, Jr. was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
dropping a pass in the end zone, and Bill Capece missing a 24-yard field goal attempt. The Cowboys, for their part, only twice were able to move the ball into Buccaneer territory. Reserve fullback Robert Newhouse
Robert Newhouse
Robert Fulton Newhouse is a former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys .-College career:...
scored the winning points on a 3-yard third-quarter run. The Buccaneers had the ball in the final minute, but Kevin House was ruled out of bounds on a potentially game-winning end-zone reception. Jimmie Giles' fumble on the following play was recovered by Michael Downs
Michael Downs
Michael Lynn Downs is a former American football safety in the NFL, having played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Phoenix Cardinals . He is a 1977 graduate of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas....
at the Dallas 1-yard line with five seconds remaining. Buccaneer players were upbeat after the loss, feeling vindicated that they had been able to play competitively with the Cowboys, as contrasted with their playoff loss of the previous season. McKay credited Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
's coaching, saying that the Cowboys were not much more talented than the Buccaneers.
Week 4: vs Miami Dolphins
Nov 28, 1982 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Don Strock
Don Strock
Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973...
, playing the second half in relief of ineffective Dolphins quarterback David Woodley
David Woodley
David Eugene Woodley was an American football player and quarterback for Louisiana State University , the National Football League's Miami Dolphins , and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, was intercepted four times by the Buccaneer secondary, which had made only one interception in the preceding three games. The Buccaneers' five interceptions were a home-field record. The Buccaneers took a 16-3 lead on Bill Capece field goals of 27, 28, and 36 yards, and a 3-yard Doug Williams touchdown run. Strock then threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Joe Rose, the Dolphins' first touchdown since September 19. On the Dolphins' next possession, Neal Colzie faked a coverage shift to the outside, but instead cut back to the middle. This left Colzie, a native of Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood, in position to catch a 51-yard interception which set up a 1-yard James Wilder touchdown. An 11-yard Rose touchdown reception brought the Dolphins to within a touchdown with 34 seconds left. The Dolphins were able to get the ball back after an onside kick, but Mike Washington's game-ending end-zone interception preserved the win. James Owens rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries, his second-highest total as a Buccaneer. Williams completed only 7 of 19 passes for 81 yards and no touchdowns, which broke his 27-game streak of 100-yard passing games that dated back to October 26, 1980. A new defensive statistic was created to account for the Buccaneers' performance in this game. The Elias Sports Bureau
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
, who had been unable to conceive of a situation in which three or four defensive players reach a quarterback at the same time, was forced to credit Dave Logan
David Logan (American football)
David Logan was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
, Hugh Green, and Andy Hawkins each with ⅓ of a sack when they all tackled Woodley simultaneously. Colzie, not simply content to have played a large part in defeating the coach who had previously demoted and traded him, afterward accused Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
of intolerance toward outspoken black players.
Week 5: at New Orleans Saints
Dec 5, 1982 at Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
Hoping to match their win total of the entire previous season, the Saints entered the game hoping for a team-record fourth consecutive victory. McKay compared the Saints to the San Francisco 49ers, who the previous season had made the leap to Super Bowl champion after years of poor performances. In playoff contention for the first time in franchise history, the Saints entered the game with a defense ranked second only to Tampa Bay's in the NFC. Louisiana native Doug Williams felt at home playing in front of the New Orleans crowd. Saints quarterback Ken Stabler
Ken Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
completed 29 of 43 passes for 333 yards and no interceptions, completing passes to nine different receivers. He threw often at inexperienced cornerback Johnny Ray Smith, Mike Washington's injury replacement. The Buccaneers blitzed heavily, mainly from the safeties, as the Saints' double-tight end formation prevented the Buccaneers' regular pass rush from reaching Stabler. They sent both safeties on one play, with Cedric Brown disrupting Stabler's handoff to George Rogers
George Rogers (American football)
George Washington Rogers is a former American football player who achieved distinction in both the college and professional ranks as a running back...
and causing a fumble that Neal Colzie recovered. Colzie was sent frequently on blitzes, and later reported mixed emotions about having to hit his former teammate Stabler. The win was preserved with Dave Stalls' sack of Stabler in the final minute of play, which drove the Saints out of Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
's regular field goal range. Andersen's last-minute 60-yard attempt missed narrowly. The Buccaneers were the beneficiary of a questionable offensive pass interference penalty against the Saints' Larry Hardy
Larry Hardy
Larry Hardy is a retired American football tight end who played eight seasons in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Jackson State University....
during the Saints' final drive. An earlier Saints drive ended when Hugh Green's hit on Hardy caused a fumble that Smith recovered. McKay said afterward that neither team deserved to lose.
Week 6: at New York Jets
Dec 12 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Flushing, New York
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
The Buccaneers suffered a loss to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a game played in snow and a 20 mile per hour wind. It was Doug Williams' first game played in the snow, and only the second outdoor game played in the north in December for the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers wore knitted hoods to cope with the -5 degree wind chill factor, the first time this apparel had been worn in an NFL game. They made numerous errors, fumbling a kickoff, bobbling four kicks, and dropping several passes. Four Buccaneer turnovers led to 19 Jet points, and helped the Jets to take a 14-0 lead before Tampa Bay's first offensive play. Williams declined to blame the weather for the team's performance, and McKay said that "If we had anything frozen, it was our brains". The Buccaneers set a still-standing team record by fumbling eight times, losing three. A pass interference call against Jim Obradovich
Jim Obradovich
For the MLB player, see Jim Obradovich.----James Robert Obradovich is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
caused a 15-yard completion to Gerald Carter
Gerald Carter
Gerald Louis Carter , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 9th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 190-lb. wide receiver from Texas A&M, Carter played in 8 NFL seasons from 1980 to 1987...
to be called back. Jets offensive coordinator Joe Walton
Joe Walton
Joseph Frank Walton is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in the National Football League and served as head coach of the New York Jets for seven seasons...
instructed quarterback Richard Todd to avoid long passes due to the weather. Williams attempted long passes, but was intercepted twice, completing 18 of 38 passes for 204 yards. The loss tarnished good performances by James Wilder, whose 116 yards on 11 receptions set club records for passing yardage and receptions by a running back, and the offensive line, who stymied the Jets' New York Sack Exchange
New York Sack Exchange
The New York Sack Exchange is a nickname given to the New York Jets defensive line of the early 1980s, consisting of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.-Origins:...
defensive line. League-leading rusher Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1981 NFL Draft....
was held to 53 yards on 14 carries, and fumbled twice. The Jets had to play without middle linebacker Stan Blinka
Stan Blinka
Stanley John Blinka is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sam Houston State. He also played one season in the United States Football League, with the...
, who had been suspended for delivering a forearm blow to the head of Packers receiver John Jefferson
John Jefferson
John Jefferson is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League . He was selected out of Arizona State University in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, where he became the first NFL player to gain...
. There were 32,223 no-shows, the most in the league all season and the Jets' smallest-ever crowd in Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. The Jets' 32 points were the most scored against the Buccaneers since 1980. It was the Jets' fifth consecutive win, giving them the best start in their history at 5-1.
Week 7: vs Buffalo Bills
Dec 19, 1982 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Playing against the NFL's top-ranked defense, the Buccaneers took the lead twice on drives of 77 and 88 yards. Doug Williams completed 20 of 36 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Williams became the first Buccaneer quarterback to pass the 12,000 career yard mark, while Kevin House became the first Buccaneer receiver with 2,000 career yards. Booker Reese recorded his first NFL sack. Bill Capece missed a field goal that would have tied Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
's club record of seven straight, then later suffered a dislocated shoulder. Melvin Carver's 89 rushing yards in his first NFL start were a season high for Buccaneer running backs. Carver caught a 2-yard Doug Williams touchdown pass, and ran 13 yards for another touchdown. Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones (American football)
Gordon Jones is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams....
caught his first touchdown of the season. An interference penalty on Bill Simpson
Bill Simpson (American football)
William Thomas "Bill" Simpson is a former professional American football defensive back who played in the National Football League from 1974-1982. Before his NFL career, he played defensive back and punted for Michigan State University and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2nd round of...
put the Buccaneers in position for a field goal that gave Tampa Bay a 10-9 halftime lead. Simpson later caught one of Williams' three interceptions, setting up a 24-yard touchdown drive. Eugene Marve
Eugene Marve
Eugene Raymond Marve is a former American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the San Diego Chargers. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State University....
caught the second in the Buffalo end zone, causing Williams to be booed. The first quarter included a play on which four separate penalties were called, three interceptions (two by Williams), a fake field goal, a missed extra-point, a 50-yard kickoff return, and two occasions on which Buffalo chose to run a play instead of punting on fourth down. Buccaneer special teams allowed 138 yards in kickoff returns. The Bills scored on two runs by Leaks, and one by quarterback Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
. Ferguson threw three interceptions, including Hugh Green's first of the season. Buffalo had the ball in field goal range in the final minute, but the win was preserved when Lee Roy Selmon forced a fumble by Bills fullback Roosevelt Leaks
Roosevelt Leaks
Roosevelt Leaks, Jr. was an American football running back in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Texas....
at the Buccaneer 18 with 36 seconds to play, on the same double-safety blitz which had caused a key fumble in the Dolphins game. On Tampa Bay's final possession, Carver's habit of quickly laying the ball down after being tackled nearly became a problem when he was tackled at the Tampa Bay 18 with 24 seconds left. The Bills mistook this for a fumble and began to celebrate, until the officials ruled that the ball was dead.
Week 8: vs Detroit Lions
Dec 26, 1982 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Local product and former Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
kicker Brian Clark was signed to take the injured Bill Capece's place on kickoffs, but was benched after failing to get the ball inside the Lions' 20-yard line on two attempts. Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for nine seasons for the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
said that the Buccaneers "stunk up the joint" and could not do anything right until the third quarter. After allowing the Lions a 21-6 third quarter lead, the Buccaneer defense stopped them on three consecutive plays on one series, and only allowed them only nine yards the rest of the game. Gary Danielson
Gary Danielson
Gary Danielson is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League . He played for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1985, 1987, and 1988...
was held to one completion on four second-half pass attempts, while Billy Sims
Billy Sims
Billy Sims is a former college football and NFL running back. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1978.-Early years:...
was held to 68 yards on 21 carries. The Lions' pass rush kept the Buccaneers from attempting long passes, despite the injury-riddled nature of the Lions' secondary. Doug Williams brought the team to within one point on a thre—yard touchdown run and a 2-yard pass to James Owens. A late fourth-quarter interference call against Bobby Watkins
Bobby Watkins (cornerback)
Bobby Lawrence Watkins is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas State....
gave the Buccaneers field position on the Detroit 13-yard line. The Lions were angered by this call, as they believed that Williams had overthown Kevin House on the play, and that House had interfered with Watkins. McKay admitted that the Lions had a "legitimate gripe" about the call, but pointed to an earlier play on which Giles was ruled to have fumbled, despite the Buccaneers' belief that Giles was already down and that the play was over. Bill Capece kicked field goals of 34 and 29 yards, and scored the winning points on a 27-yard field goal with 25 seconds left. Detroit linebacker Stan White
Stan White (linebacker)
Stanley Ray White is a former American football linebacker.-Early life:Growing up in Kent, Ohio, he attended Theodore Roosevelt High School, graduating in 1968...
taunted Capece with calls of "Remember Oakland last year?" as Capece prepared to kick, referring to a block of Capece's potentially game-winning field goal against the Raiders.
Week 9: vs Chicago Bears
Jan 2, 1983 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Doug Williams overcame several early turnovers and an aching knee and hamstring to throw touchdowns of 35 and 31 yards to Jimmie Giles that brought the Buccaneers back from a 23-6 deficit. Otis Wilson
Otis Wilson
Otis Ray Wilson is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Raiders. He won a Super Bowl as a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears...
returned one of Williams' interceptions 39 yards for a touchdown. A Gary Fencik
Gary Fencik
John Gary Fencik is a former professional American-football free safety and currently an executive with Adams Street Partners. Fencik played twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears and is their all-time leader in interceptions and total tackles. He was the team's defensive captain through the 1980s...
interception and a Steve McMichael
Steve McMichael
-World Wrestling Federation :After the end of his NFL career, he appeared at ringside in the WWF for Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania XI on April 2, 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut. Taylor was wrestling Bam Bam Bigelow and there were several football players at ringside to keep wrestlers from...
fumble recovery led to field goals. Bears players pointed to a missed 38-yard Bill Capece field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter as the point where the Bears' offense relaxed and the game turned. Following that play, a holding penalty and a Neal Colzie sack of Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
drove the Bears back to the 5-yard line, setting up the touchdown drive that brought the Buccaneers to within three points. Capece tied the score by kicking a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left. After 20 consecutive pass attempts, the Buccaneers pitched right to James Wilder for their first offensive play in overtime. The play caught the Bears blitzing the middle in a nickel defense, and resulted in the Buccaneers' longest run play of the year, 47 yards to the Chicago 13-yard line. Saying that "He who messes around in field goal position lives to regret it", McKay immediately sent Capece to kick the winning field goal. Capece set records by being the first Buccaneer to kick four field goals in a game, and to kick 18 field goals in a season. Williams passed and rushed for 397 combined yards, still the fifth highest total in Buccaneer history. James Owens' 30-yard kickoff return was the team's longest of the season. Buccaneer and Bear players alike credited the loud Tampa Stadium crowd as a factor in the win.
NFC First Round
- Dallas Cowboys 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
- TV announcers (CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
): Pat SummerallPat SummerallGeorge Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
and John Madden
Injuries to Mike Washington, Cedric Brown, and Johnny Ray Smith required that three members of the secondary play outside of their regular position. Neal Colzie took over for Brown at free safety, while Mark Cotney took over Colzie's regular strong safety spot. Dwayne O'Steen, a starter from Oakland's Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
team, was signed during the week to add depth to the secondary. Both quarterbacks played while injured. Dallas quarterback Danny White's thumb was so sore that he could not hold a piece of paper. His jaw was so sore that he was not able to eat before the game, and required novocaine shots to play. He would not have played if it had been a regular-season matchup, but passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns. The advisability of starting Doug Williams was later questioned, due to his sore hamstring and knee. Williams spent the entire game throwing away from his former Grambling
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
teammate Everson Walls
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls is a former American football cornerback in the NFL, having played for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 seasons, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a 3-time All-Pro selection...
, throwing only four times for one completion to Walls' side of the field. Against expectations, Tampa Bay's defense played well, despite spending over 40 minutes of the game on the field, and despite the injuries to the secondary and later to Hugh Green. Dallas entered the game as the best rushing team of all playoff contenders, with Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
second only to Freeman McNeil in yardage.
After the Cowboys took a first quarter lead on two Rafael Septien
Rafael Septien
Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
field goals, the Buccaneers took the lead when the ball popped out of the hands of White and into those of Hugh Green. Green never broke stride, and returned the fumble 60 yards for a touchdown. The play happened so quickly that the Dallas offensive line continued to block, unaware that Green was downfield with the ball. Cotney then returned an interception 50 yards, leading to a 32-yard Bill Capece field goal. A 6-yard pass from White to Ron Springs
Ron Springs
Ronald Edward "Ron" Springs was a professional American football running back, who played eight seasons in the NFL, for the Dallas Cowboys from 1979–1984, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985-1986. He is the father of NFL cornerback Shawn Springs...
gave the Cowboys a 13-10 halftime lead. After a third-quarter Septien field goal, Williams threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones (American football)
Gordon Jones is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams....
to give the Buccaneers a 17-16 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Charley Hannah was penalized for an illegal block, which negated an 11-yard James Wilder run. Hannah kicked the referee's flag in protest, resulting in a further call of unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty of half the distance to the goal line. The two penalties combined to move the Buccaneers back from their 33 to their 11-yard line. McKay was outraged that the officials would call such a penalty in such an important game, sarcastically describing Hannah's actions as "horrible abuse. One of the worst things I've ever seen on a football field". On the following play, third-string safety Monty Hunter caught his first career interception, a pass intended for Jimmie Giles, and returned it for the go-ahead touchdown. Dallas followed with an 81-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard pass from White to Timmy Newsome
Timmy Newsome
Timothy Arthur Newsome is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1980 to 1988.-Early days:...
. Linebackers coach Howard Tippett followed field judge Dick Dolack all the way back to the locker room after the game, shouting obscenities the entire way, and telling him, "You cost us this game".
Awards and honors
- Jimmie Giles, Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
starter - Hugh Green, Pro Bowl starter
- Lee Roy Selmon, Pro Bowl starter
- Neal Colzie, team Most Valuable PlayerMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
- Neal Colzie, second-team All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
- Hugh Green, second-team All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
- Lee Roy Selmon, second-team All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
- Sean Farrell, NFL All-Rookie team
- Lee Roy Selmon, Co-Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player
Team and individual Records
Some team records set in 1982 still stand. The following would remain team records if averaged and projected out to a full 16-game season:- Fewest penalties allowed in a season (38)
- Fewest yards penalized in a season (297)
- Most fumbles in a game (8 vs. New York Jets, 12/12)
The following remains a record due to the shortened season, but is not on pace for a record if projected out to a full season:
- Fewest sacks allowed (11), only one short of the 12 allowed by the 1979 team
The following records set in 1982 have since been broken:
- Fewest passes intercepted (11, broken in 20022002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasonThe 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach...
) - Most rushing attempts by an opposing player (34 by John Riggins of Washington on 9/19, broken by Heath ShermanHeath ShermanHeath B. Sherman is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for five seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Texas A&I University and was drafted in the six round of the 1989 NFL Draft....
of Philadelphia on 10/6/1991) - Most points placekicking, single game (14 by Bill Capece against Chicago on 1/1/83, later tied by three others and broken twice by Martin GramaticaMartin GramaticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
)