2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
The 2004
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
season began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record in 2003
. Brian Griese
set a number of franchise records for passing. Michael Clayton set a rookie record for receiving.
and Warren Sapp
). Both of their contracts were expiring, and younger players would fill their positions. Lynch was released after medical exams indicated ongoing injury problems. Many Buccaneers fans were stunned by the move, as Lynch was a very popular player whose aggressive, intelligent play earned him several Pro Bowl
appearances. He was also well regarded for his philanthropic work in the Tampa-area. Lynch was quickly signed by the Denver Broncos
, where he had consecutive injury-free Pro Bowl seasons. Sapp signed with the Oakland Raiders
, where he played in a limited role in 2004, and sat out much of the 2005 season with injuries but returned to form in 2006. Since wide receiver Keenan McCardell refused to play until he was given a better contract or traded, he was sent to the San Diego Chargers
for draft compensation.
brought training camp to a screeching halt. The Buccaneers' first preseason game was also postponed (from Saturday to Monday) due to the storm. After returning to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
, it was determined that the soaked fields and disrupted schedule was too much to overcome. The team broke camp over a week early, and returned to Tampa. A "rump" week of camp took place at the team facilities, and at the same time, some players and team officials tended to damaged homes in the wake of the storm.
Martin Gramatica
did not help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to a 5-11 record. The Buccaneers became the first NFL team to follow up a Super Bowl championship with back-to-back losing seasons. The lone highlights of 2004 were the high-quality play of rookie wide receiver Michael Clayton and the return of Doug Williams, who joined the Bucs front office as a personnel executive.
games. The home team is in caps.
The game against Cincinnati scheduled for Saturday August 14 was postponed until Monday August 16 due to Hurricane Charley
.
. In the second quarter, Brad Johnson
threw deep for an apparent 29-yard touchdown pass to newly-acquired wide receiver Joey Galloway
. Galloway, was unable to secure the ball, and suffered a groin injury on the play. After a Martin Gramatica
field goal, the Buccaneers entered halftime trailing 10-3.
Ronde Barber
tied the score at 10-10 after he recovered a Mark Brunell
fumble 9 yards for a touchdown. After an interception, Washington, managed two field goals in the fourth period, and held on to win 16-10.
struggled mightily, completing only 4-of-7 for 34 yards and one interception. Jon Gruden
pulled Johnson after the first quarter and replaced him with second year player Chris Simms
, to the delight of fans.
Simms drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 1 yard line. Attempting a quarterback sneak on third-and-goal, Simms fumbled the snap. Tampa Bay settled for a field goal and a 10-3 halftime deficit. In the fourth quarter, another field goal narrowed the game to 10-6. With just over two minutes left, Simms drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 26. The game ended, however, after he was intercepted with 1:11 to go.
Simms debut yielded mixed results; 175 yard passing, but no touchdowns, and two costly turnovers. The Buccaneers started the season 0-2.
, for a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVII
on Sunday Night Football
. The game saw the Buccaneers face former player Warren Sapp
(who signed with Oakland in the offseason) for the first time. This game was being played while central Florida, including Tampa, was being impacted by Hurricane Jeanne
.
Brad Johnson
was back in place at starting quarterback, but his numbers were again mediocre. He threw two interceptions (one was returned for a touchdown). Trailing 30-6, Johnson managed two fourth quarter touchdown passes (Tampa Bay's first offensive touchdowns of the season), but the comeback stalled, and the Buccaneers started the season 0-3.
Also, Tim Brown, playing his swan song
season in Tampa Bay, scored his 100th career touchdown against his old team, the Raiders.
connected with Michael Clayton for a 51-yard touchdown in the first half, but three Jason Elam
field goals proved to be the winning edge for Denver
.
), defeating the Saints
20-17. Slumping Brad Johnson
was benched for the season, and Chris Simms
started at quarterback. Simms' first NFL start was short-lived, however, as he left the game in the first quarter with a sprained shoulder. Brian Griese
took over at quarterback, later connecting on a 45-yard touchdown to Ken Dilger
, which proved to be the winning margin.
on Monday Night Football
for the fourth time in five seasons. A Michael Pittman
fumble was returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Adam Archuleta
, and Martin Gramatica
missed two field goal attempts, sinking the Buccaneers' chances at victory.
With a final rating of 7.7, this was the lowest-ever rated MNF
game on ABC.
rushed for 109 yards, and Brian Griese
threw a touchdwon pass as Tampa Bay prevailed over the visiting Chicago Bears
.
in week 9. Brian Griese
threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Pittman
rushed for 128 yards on the ground.
Late in the first quarter, Trent Green
connected to Eddie Kennison
for a 59-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 11 yard line. Dwight Smith forced a fumble, and Brian Kelly returned the fumble 32 yards for the Buccaneers. The turnover led to a touchdown and a 14–7 lead.
Early in the third quarter, Pittman broke away for a 78-yard touchdown run, the longest in Buccaneer history. Tampa Bay took the lead 34–31 after another Pittman score with 12 minutes to go.
Jermaine Phillips
sealed the game for Tampa Bay, intercepting Green with just under six minutes left. Kansas City had one final chance, but the Buccaneer defense forced a turnover on downs with only 1:15 to go.
rushed for 76 yards, and had 176 yard passing, as Tampa Bay fell to division rival Atlanta
.
35-3. Brian Griese
passed for 210 yards and two touchdown passes, and Michael Pittman
rushed for 106 yards and two touchdown runs.
Tampa Bay won their fourth game out of the last six, and improved to 4-6 on the season.
threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, but mistakes cost the Buccaneers dearly, and they fell to Carolina
21-14.
A Griese interception was returned for a touchdown, and Martin Gramatica
's kicking woes continued. He missed two field goal attempts during the game, which brought his season total to 8 misses.
was benched for the season, and journeyman veteran Jay Taylor
took his place. Tampa Bay crushed Atlanta
27-0, knocking Michael Vick
out of the game for a play, forcing two fumbles, and one interception.
At 5-7, Tampa Bay found themselves only one game out of the NFC wild card hunt.
threw for 392 yards, but four turnovers foiled Tampa Bay's chances for victory against the San Diego Chargers
. Tied 21-21 with 4 minutes remaining, Griese's pass was intercepted and returned for a game icing touchdown.
returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown (something he never accomplished playing for Tampa Bay) as New Orleans
beat Tampa Bay 21-17. Tampa Bay fell to 5-9, guaranteed themselves of their second consecutive losing season, and effectively eliminated themselves from playoff contention.
The Buccaneers led 17-7 with just over 3 minutes to go, but late-game miscues on offense and defense sunk the Buccaneers. Aaron Brooks connected on two touchdowns in the final three minutes, lifting the Saints to victory.
routed Tampa Bay 37-20 in front of an only partially-full Raymond James Stadium
. Trailing 24-7, Brian Griese
connected for two touchdown passes, but the comeback was for naught.
returned from injury to start his second game. A 75-yard touchdown pass to Michael Clayton gave the Buccaneers a 7-6 lead. Four turnovers, however, kept the game out of reach, and Tampa Bay lost to the four field goals by Arizona
.
Tampa Bay started the season with 4 straight losses, ended the season with 4 straight losses, and finished a hapless 5-11.
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
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...
season began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
. Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
set a number of franchise records for passing. Michael Clayton set a rookie record for receiving.
Offseason
Before the 2004 training camp, personnel issues and the salary cap became primary concerns. Gruden successfully lobbied the Glazers to hire his former general manager from Oakland, Bruce Allen. After Allen's arrival in the Buccaneers' front office, the team announced that it would not re-sign two of their notable defensive players (John LynchJohn Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
and Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
). Both of their contracts were expiring, and younger players would fill their positions. Lynch was released after medical exams indicated ongoing injury problems. Many Buccaneers fans were stunned by the move, as Lynch was a very popular player whose aggressive, intelligent play earned him several Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In 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...
appearances. He was also well regarded for his philanthropic work in the Tampa-area. Lynch was quickly signed by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he had consecutive injury-free Pro Bowl seasons. Sapp signed with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he played in a limited role in 2004, and sat out much of the 2005 season with injuries but returned to form in 2006. Since wide receiver Keenan McCardell refused to play until he was given a better contract or traded, he was sent to 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...
for draft compensation.
Preseason
In August, Hurricane CharleyHurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
brought training camp to a screeching halt. The Buccaneers' first preseason game was also postponed (from Saturday to Monday) due to the storm. After returning to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a athletic complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort. The complex includes 9 venues and hosts numerous amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year....
, it was determined that the soaked fields and disrupted schedule was too much to overcome. The team broke camp over a week early, and returned to Tampa. A "rump" week of camp took place at the team facilities, and at the same time, some players and team officials tended to damaged homes in the wake of the storm.
Regular season
The distracted Buccaneers began the 2004 season with a 1-5 record, their worst start since 1996. The fading accuracy of kickerPlacekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín 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...
did not help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to a 5-11 record. The Buccaneers became the first NFL team to follow up a Super Bowl championship with back-to-back losing seasons. The lone highlights of 2004 were the high-quality play of rookie wide receiver Michael Clayton and the return of Doug Williams, who joined the Bucs front office as a personnel executive.
Preseason
The Buccaneers played four preseasonNational Football League exhibition season
The National Football League preseason refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five weekends of...
games. The home team is in caps.
- BUCCANEERS 20, BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
6 - JAGUARSJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
14, Buccaneers 6 - BUCCANEERS 17, DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe 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...
10 - Buccaneers 19, TEXANSHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
9
The game against Cincinnati scheduled for Saturday August 14 was postponed until Monday August 16 due to Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff (ET) | Opponent | Results | Game Site | TV | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||||
| 1 | September 12 | 1:00 pm | at Washington Redskins 2004 Washington Redskins season The 2004 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record from 2003. It was also the season of Joe Gibbs's return as Head Coach after coming out of retirement.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
L 10–16 | 0–1 | FedEx Field | FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
90,098 | |
| 2 | September 19 | 1:00 pm | Seattle Seahawks 2004 Seattle Seahawks season The 2004 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 29th season with the National Football League. Seahawks Stadium was renamed Qwest Field when Qwest bought the naming rights on June 2, 2004.-2004 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-Playoffs:-External links:... |
L 6–10 | 0–2 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
FOX | 65,089 | |
| 3 | September 26 | 8:30 pm | at Oakland Raiders 2004 Oakland Raiders season The 2004 Oakland Raiders season was their 45th in the league. They improved upon their previous season's output of 4–12, instead winning five games. The team had a five game losing streak in the middle of the season and only won one game by a touchdown or more, a rematch with their Super Bowl... |
L 20–30 | 0–3 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... |
60,874 | |
| 4 | October 3 | 1:00 pm | Denver Broncos 2004 Denver Broncos season The 2004 Denver Broncos season was the team's 45th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:* *... |
L 13-16 | 0–4 | Raymond James Stadium | CBS | 65,341 | |
| 5 | October 10 | 1:00 pm | at New Orleans Saints 2004 New Orleans Saints season The 2004 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 38th as a member of the National Football League. They matched their previous season's output of 8–8, and the team finished the season on a four game winning streak.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
W 20-17 | 1–4 | Louisiana Superdome | FOX | 64,900 | |
| 6 | October 18 | 9:00 pm | at St. Louis Rams 2004 St. Louis Rams season The 2004 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 67th year with the National Football League and the 10th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Playoffs:... |
L 21-28 | 1-5 | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
ABC | 66,040 | |
| 7 | October 24 | 1:00 pm | Chicago Bears 2004 Chicago Bears season -Scoring Summary:Q1 - CHI - 7:38 - Thomas Jones 2 yd TD run Q2 - DET - 0:16 - Jason Hanson 27 yd FG Q3 - DET - 12:17 - Bracy Walker 92 yd blocked FG return TD... |
W 19-7 | 2-5 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX | 65,550 | |
| 8 | Bye Week Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
||||||||
| 9 | November 7 | 1:00 pm | Kansas City Chiefs 2004 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2004 Kansas City Chiefs season proved not to be as successful as the team's previous season. Though the Chiefs finished the regular season with the most yards and the second highest amount of points, they also had a losing record of 7–9 and no playoff appearance.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
W 34-31 | 3-5 | Raymond James Stadium | CBS | 65,495 | |
| 10 | November 14 | 1:00 pm | at Atlanta Falcons 2004 Atlanta Falcons season -Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1:The Falcons began their season by traveling to San Francisco, where Falcons head coach Jim L. Mora had coached the last five years as the 49ers defensive coordinator, to play the San Francisco 49ers... |
L 14-24 | 3-6 | Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
FOX | 70,810 | |
| 11 | November 21 | 1:00 pm | San Francisco 49ers 2004 San Francisco 49ers season The San Francisco 49ers started their 2004 season hoping to improve upon their disappointing 7-9 output from the previous season. However, the season was a complete disaster, as the 49ers were the worst team in football in 2004. The 49ers managed only two victories, both coming against... |
W 35-3 | 4-6 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX | 65,234 | |
| 12 | November 28 | 1:00 pm | at Carolina Panthers 2004 Carolina Panthers season -Regular season:-References:... |
L 14–21 | 4–7 | Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East... |
FOX | 73,124 | |
| 13 | December 5 | 1:00 pm | Atlanta Falcons 2004 Atlanta Falcons season -Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1:The Falcons began their season by traveling to San Francisco, where Falcons head coach Jim L. Mora had coached the last five years as the 49ers defensive coordinator, to play the San Francisco 49ers... |
W 27-0 | 5–7 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX | 65,566 | |
| 14 | December 12 | 4:15 pm | at San Diego Chargers 2004 San Diego Chargers season The 2004 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2003. They finished the campaign 1st in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets... |
L 24-31 | 5-8 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
FOX | 65,858 | |
| 15 | December 19 | 1:00 pm | New Orleans Saints 2004 New Orleans Saints season The 2004 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 38th as a member of the National Football League. They matched their previous season's output of 8–8, and the team finished the season on a four game winning streak.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
L 17-21 | 5-9 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX | 65,075 | |
| 16 | December 26 | 1:00 pm | Carolina Panthers 2004 Carolina Panthers season -Regular season:-References:... |
L 20-37 | 5-10 | Raymond James Stadium | FOX | 65,380 | |
| 17 | January 2 | 4:15 pm | at Arizona Cardinals 2004 Arizona Cardinals season The 2004 Arizona Cardinals season was the 85th season the team was in the National Football League. The team managed to improve upon their previous output of 4-12. However, the team failed to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.-NFL Draft:... |
L 7-12 | 5-11 | Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass... |
FOX | 31,650 | |
| Division games are in bold text. | |||||||||
- Indicates game is a Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday 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...
game
Week 1: at Washington Redskins
Opening day saw Tampa Bay visit WashingtonWashington 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,...
. In the second quarter, Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
threw deep for an apparent 29-yard touchdown pass to newly-acquired wide receiver Joey Galloway
Joey Galloway
Joseph Scott Galloway is an American football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks eighth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft...
. Galloway, was unable to secure the ball, and suffered a groin injury on the play. After a Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín 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...
field goal, the Buccaneers entered halftime trailing 10-3.
Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
tied the score at 10-10 after he recovered a Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
fumble 9 yards for a touchdown. After an interception, Washington, managed two field goals in the fourth period, and held on to win 16-10.
Week 2: Seattle Seahawks
Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
struggled mightily, completing only 4-of-7 for 34 yards and one interception. Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
pulled Johnson after the first quarter and replaced him with second year player Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, to the delight of fans.
Simms drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 1 yard line. Attempting a quarterback sneak on third-and-goal, Simms fumbled the snap. Tampa Bay settled for a field goal and a 10-3 halftime deficit. In the fourth quarter, another field goal narrowed the game to 10-6. With just over two minutes left, Simms drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 26. The game ended, however, after he was intercepted with 1:11 to go.
Simms debut yielded mixed results; 175 yard passing, but no touchdowns, and two costly turnovers. The Buccaneers started the season 0-2.
Week 3: at Oakland Raiders
Tampa Bay traveled to OaklandOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, for a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
on Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006....
. The game saw the Buccaneers face former player Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
(who signed with Oakland in the offseason) for the first time. This game was being played while central Florida, including Tampa, was being impacted by Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the season, as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida...
.
Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
was back in place at starting quarterback, but his numbers were again mediocre. He threw two interceptions (one was returned for a touchdown). Trailing 30-6, Johnson managed two fourth quarter touchdown passes (Tampa Bay's first offensive touchdowns of the season), but the comeback stalled, and the Buccaneers started the season 0-3.
Also, Tim Brown, playing his swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
season in Tampa Bay, scored his 100th career touchdown against his old team, the Raiders.
Week 4: Denver Broncos
Tampa Bay's dismal start continued, as they dropped to 0-4 on the season. Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
connected with Michael Clayton for a 51-yard touchdown in the first half, but three Jason Elam
Jason Elam
Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
field goals proved to be the winning edge for Denver
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Week 5: at New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay broke a six-game losing streak (dating back to 20032003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...
), defeating the 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 ....
20-17. Slumping Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
was benched for the season, and Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
started at quarterback. Simms' first NFL start was short-lived, however, as he left the game in the first quarter with a sprained shoulder. Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
took over at quarterback, later connecting on a 45-yard touchdown to Ken Dilger
Ken Dilger
Kenneth Ray Dilger is a retired professional American football player.-Early years:Ken Dilger was raised in Mariah Hill, Spencer County, Indiana. He attended Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Indiana where he played quarterback; he also starred in basketball and baseball...
, which proved to be the winning margin.
Week 6: at St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay faced St. LouisSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
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...
for the fourth time in five seasons. A Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
fumble was returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Adam Archuleta
Adam Archuleta
Adam Jason Archuleta is a former American football safety. He played college football at Arizona State, and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams 20th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft....
, and Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín 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...
missed two field goal attempts, sinking the Buccaneers' chances at victory.
With a final rating of 7.7, this was the lowest-ever rated MNF
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...
game on ABC.
Week 7: Chicago Bears
Michael PittmanMichael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
rushed for 109 yards, and Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw a touchdwon pass as Tampa Bay prevailed over the visiting 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...
.
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs
The lone highlight game of Tampa Bay's forgetful 2004 season came against Kansas CityKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in week 9. Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
rushed for 128 yards on the ground.
Late in the first quarter, Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
connected to Eddie Kennison
Eddie Kennison
Edward Joseph "Eddie" Kennison, III is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams 18th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
for a 59-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 11 yard line. Dwight Smith forced a fumble, and Brian Kelly returned the fumble 32 yards for the Buccaneers. The turnover led to a touchdown and a 14–7 lead.
Early in the third quarter, Pittman broke away for a 78-yard touchdown run, the longest in Buccaneer history. Tampa Bay took the lead 34–31 after another Pittman score with 12 minutes to go.
Jermaine Phillips
Jermaine Phillips
Jermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
sealed the game for Tampa Bay, intercepting Green with just under six minutes left. Kansas City had one final chance, but the Buccaneer defense forced a turnover on downs with only 1:15 to go.
Week 10: at Atlanta Falcons
Michael VickMichael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
rushed for 76 yards, and had 176 yard passing, as Tampa Bay fell to division rival Atlanta
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...
.
Week 11: San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay crushed the lowly 49ersSan 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...
35-3. Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
passed for 210 yards and two touchdown passes, and Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
rushed for 106 yards and two touchdown runs.
Tampa Bay won their fourth game out of the last six, and improved to 4-6 on the season.
Week 12: at Carolina Panthers
Brian GrieseBrian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, but mistakes cost the Buccaneers dearly, and they fell to Carolina
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
21-14.
A Griese interception was returned for a touchdown, and Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín 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...
's kicking woes continued. He missed two field goal attempts during the game, which brought his season total to 8 misses.
Week 13: Atlanta Falcons
Kicker Martin GramaticaMartin Gramatica
Martín 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...
was benched for the season, and journeyman veteran Jay Taylor
Jay Taylor
James "Jay" Taylor is an American professional football kicker for the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League. He played collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers.-High school years:...
took his place. Tampa Bay crushed Atlanta
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...
27-0, knocking Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
out of the game for a play, forcing two fumbles, and one interception.
At 5-7, Tampa Bay found themselves only one game out of the NFC wild card hunt.
Week 14: at San Diego Chargers
Brian GrieseBrian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw for 392 yards, but four turnovers foiled Tampa Bay's chances for victory against 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...
. Tied 21-21 with 4 minutes remaining, Griese's pass was intercepted and returned for a game icing touchdown.
Week 15: New Orleans Saints
Former Buccaneer Aaron SteckerAaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Western Illinois....
returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown (something he never accomplished playing for Tampa Bay) as New Orleans
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 ....
beat Tampa Bay 21-17. Tampa Bay fell to 5-9, guaranteed themselves of their second consecutive losing season, and effectively eliminated themselves from playoff contention.
The Buccaneers led 17-7 with just over 3 minutes to go, but late-game miscues on offense and defense sunk the Buccaneers. Aaron Brooks connected on two touchdowns in the final three minutes, lifting the Saints to victory.
Week 16: Carolina Panthers
CarolinaCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
routed Tampa Bay 37-20 in front of an only partially-full Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
. Trailing 24-7, Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
connected for two touchdown passes, but the comeback was for naught.
Week 17: at Arizona Cardinals
Chris SimmsChris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
returned from injury to start his second game. A 75-yard touchdown pass to Michael Clayton gave the Buccaneers a 7-6 lead. Four turnovers, however, kept the game out of reach, and Tampa Bay lost to the four field goals by Arizona
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...
.
Tampa Bay started the season with 4 straight losses, ended the season with 4 straight losses, and finished a hapless 5-11.