History of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

John McKay and early frustration (1976–78)

The Buccaneers joined the NFL

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

as members of the AFC West

AFC West

The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...

in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons.

The Tampa Bay expansion franchise was originally awarded to Tom McCloskey

Thomas McCloskey

Thomas D. McCloskey was a Philadelphia construction magnate. He became the president of McCloskey & Co. Builders when his father, former Democratic National Treasurer Matthew H. McCloskey, was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ireland....

, a construction company owner from Philadelphia. McCloskey quickly became dissatisfied with the financial arrangement with the NFL, and backed out of the deal a month later. The NFL found a replacement in 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...

, a wealthy tax attorney

Tax law

Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...

from Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

well-known in NFL circles for brokering an unprecedented franchise swap between the Baltimore Colts

History of the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....

and Los Angeles Rams

St. 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,...

. A name-the-team contest resulted in the nickname "Buccaneers," a reference to the pirates who frequented Florida's Gulf coast during the 17th century. The team's first home was Tampa Stadium, which had recently been expanded to seat just over 72,000 fans.

Longtime USC coach John McKay

John McKay (football coach)

John Harvey McKay was an American football player and coach. He was served as the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1984. In 16 seasons with the USC Trojans, McKay compiled a record of 127–40–8 and...

was recruited as the team's first head coach. McKay had never been a fan of the NFL and turned down three previous offers for a coaching position, but was finally convinced after being offered a $3 million contract and the challenge of building a new team from scratch. He stressed a five-year plan that relied on veteran players, quality draft picks, and patience. However, the expansion draft

1976 NFL Expansion Draft

The 1976 National Football League Expansion draft was held on March 30 – 31, 1976. The expansion teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, each selected 39 players from the other 26 NFL teams. When one player was chosen from an existing team, that team was then permitted to...

prior to the entrance of the Bucs and Seahawks into the league was not as generous as it would become for later NFL expansion teams, so the Buccaneers were saddled with aging veterans and castoffs from other teams. Despite McKay's coaching, the Bucs often appeared incompetent, with missed tackles, fumbled snaps, and a frustrating inability to score, and the patience of fans and local media soon wore thin. McKay was also criticized for relying too much on the USC playbook—for example, the "student body right" rushing play—not to mention choosing running back

Running back

A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

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...

over future NFL Hall of Famer 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:...

in the 1977 NFL Draft

1977 NFL Draft

The 1977 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 3–4, 1977...

.

This frustration, and even anger, that Buccaneer fans targeted at McKay—which prompted the brief popularity of bumper stickers that proclaimed "Throw McKay in the Bay"--stemmed from the team's notorious 26-game regular season losing streak, including their then-record 0-14 season (a record since broken by the 2008 Detroit Lions

2008 Detroit Lions season

The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...

, who went 0-16). The 1976 Bucs

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...

are widely considered one of the worst NFL teams of all time. They were shut out four times and scored only 125 points the entire season, an average of 15 per game, while giving up 412. The Buccaneers suffered so many injuries that they were forced to hire players off the street and from the CFL

Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

. The team became the butt of many jokes, especially from Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson

John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...

on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....

, but also from the fans themselves, who late into the 1977 season, wore bags on their heads and encouraged the team to "go for 0," as in zero wins. After a particularly dismal effort during the streak, coach McKay gave perhaps the quintessential comment on the team's plight. In a post-game press conference, Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen

Tom McEwen

Tom McEwen, is an American drag racer, who won the U.S. Nationals during part of his 45 year career. He is listed as number 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA’s first 50 years. He received the nickname "the Mongoose" in 1964 from engine builder Ed Donovan. It was largely originally used...

asked McKay about the execution of his team's offensive line. McKay responded, "I'm in favor of it." Another choice quotation that summed up his frustration at the time: "We can't win at home, we can't win on the road, so we were going to petition the league for a neutral site."

The 1977 season started even worse as the Buccaneers were shut out six times. Finally, in Week 13 the Bucs did finally manage to win their first regular-season game (the Bucs had beaten the Atlanta Falcons

1976 Atlanta Falcons season

The 1976 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons 11th season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**...

17-3 in a 1976 pre-season game before their first regular season) —on the road, defeating the New Orleans Saints

1977 New Orleans Saints season

The 1977 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 11th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 4-10, winning only three games...

, 33-14. The win was highlighted by three interceptions returned for touchdowns, an NFL record at the time. Saints QB Archie Manning

Archie Manning

Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...

had said that it would be a disgrace to lose to Tampa Bay, and after the game was over the Buccaneers players taunted him by chanting "It's disgraceful!". (The team would later equal this feat 25 years later when they defeated the Oakland Raiders

2002 Oakland Raiders season

-AFC Championship Game:-References:...

in 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...

.) Manning to this day disputes the charge that he said this. Others have noted that the clever coach McKay may have made the statement up to motivate the team. After being greeted by 8,000 cheering fans when the team arrived back in Tampa late that evening after the game, the Bucs followed up the victory with a win at home over the St. Louis Cardinals

1977 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season

The 1977 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 56th year with the National Football League and the 17th season in St. Louis.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:**...

during the final week of the season. Afterwards, a mob of fans ran onto the field and tore down the goalposts.

The 1978 season

1978 NFL season

The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...

was another losing campaign

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...

, but it was highlighted by the presence of rookie

Rookie

Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

Doug Williams

Doug Williams (football player)

Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and head football coach of the Grambling State University Tigers...

. Despite a season-ending injury in which his mouth had to be wired shut, he showed enough potential to give Bucs fans hope for the future. His leadership and often electrifying play would transform the team much sooner than anyone expected. Injuries led to a 5-11 record, but for the first time the Buccaneers began to resemble a real team.

A brief period of success (1979–1982)

The Bucs'

1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season saw the team make a dramatic leap from being a winless expansion franchise, perceived as mistake-prone and ridiculed by the rest of the league, to becoming a serious contender for the National Football League championship...

situation improved rapidly in 1979

1979 NFL season

The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...

. With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams, the first 1,000-yard rushing season from running back Ricky Bell

Ricky Bell (running back)

, and a smothering, league-leading defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

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 Bucs kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a stunning performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

.

With four games left in the season, the Bucs only needed to win one of them to make the playoffs

NFL playoffs, 1979-80

The NFL playoffs following the 1979 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XIV.Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season , the Dallas Cowboys did not play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.-AFC: Houston Oilers 13,...

, and did so in their final contest at home against the Kansas City Chiefs

1979 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–9 record and fifth place finish in the AFC West. The Chiefs missed the playoffs due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records....

, which was played in the worst downpour in Bucs history. Finishing with a 10-6 record, the Bucs had their first winning season in franchise history, and also won the Central Division in a tiebreaker over the Chicago Bears

1979 Chicago Bears season

The 1979 Chicago Bears season was their 60th regular season and 14th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-6 record under second year coach Neill Armstrong but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the opening round of the...

. In an upset, the Bucs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles

1979 Philadelphia Eagles season

The 1979 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the second consecutive year, a feat the team had not achieved for three decades...

24-17 in the divisional round of the playoffs

NFL playoffs, 1979-80

. Because the Los Angeles Rams

1979 Los Angeles Rams season

The 1979 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 42nd year with the National Football League and the 34th season in Los Angeles. It was the final season for the franchise in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, as owner Carroll Rosenbloom previously announced the Rams would move to Anaheim Stadium for...

defeated the Dallas Cowboys

1979 Dallas Cowboys season

The 1979 Dallas Cowboys season was their 20th in the league. The team was unable to improve on their previous output of 12–4, winning only eleven games...

in the other NFC playoff game, the Bucs hosted the NFC Championship Game

NFC Championship Game

The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...

the following week in Tampa. The Bucs lost to the Rams 9-0, thanks to great defense by the Rams. In only their fourth season, the Bucs seemed on the verge of fulfilling McKay's five-year plan.

Injuries plagued the team again in 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...

, and they were limited to five wins, ten losses, and one tie (against the also injury-plagued Packers

1980 Green Bay Packers season

The 1980 Green Bay Packers season was their 60th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 5–10–1 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft :...

).

The Bucs made the playoffs

NFL playoffs, 1981-82

The NFL playoffs following the 1981 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVI. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. All four of the AFC playoff games were between teams who had never faced each other in the postseason before...

again despite mediocre performance in the 1981 season

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:...

, winning a weak division and entering the first round during the strike-shortened 1982 season

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...

. The 1981 season came down to a thrilling final game at Detroit

1981 Detroit Lions season

The 1981 Detroit Lions season was their 52nd in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 9-7, winning only eight games. The team missed the playoffs for the eleventh straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...

. The winner would take the Central Division crown and the loser would miss the playoffs. The Lions had not lost at home all season. Although the Bucs trailed early, an 84-yard touchdown bomb from QB Williams to WR 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...

and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by David 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....

sealed the shocking win for the Bucs. The Dallas Cowboys

1981 Dallas Cowboys season

The 1981 Dallas Cowboys season was their 22nd in the league. The team matched their previous output of 12–4. They lost the Conference Championship game for the second straight season....

rewarded the Bucs' efforts with a 38-0 blowout in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The 1982 season started just as poorly for the Bucs, as they went 0-3 before a player's strike shut down the NFL for seven weeks. When the league resumed play, the Bucs were nicknamed the "Cardiac Kids" for winning five of their next six games all in the final moments to go 5-4 and qualify for the expanded playoff slate

NFL playoffs, 1982-83

The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...

. In the first round, the Bucs once again faced the Cowboys

1982 Dallas Cowboys season

The Dallas Cowboys finished the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, placing them second in the NFC. After losing the season opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Cowboys won the next six, five after the strike...

at home in Dallas

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...

, but the Bucs put up a much better fight, actually leading the game at the half but lost 30-17.

The Bucs did not return to the playoffs, nor did they have another winning season under Culverhouse's ownership.

The worst team in the league (1983–1996)

Doug Williams was the lowest-paid starting quarterback in the NFL during the 1982 season, and his salary of $120,000 was less than several backups. At the end of the season, Williams asked for a raise to $600,000 per season—a reasonable sum at that time, given Williams' past performance and his market value. However, Culverhouse would not offer more than $400,000 despite McKay's protests. Feeling that Culverhouse was unwilling to pay him a salary befitting his status as an NFL starter, Williams bolted to the USFL

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...

, where he played two seasons for the Oklahoma Outlaws

Arizona Outlaws

The Arizona Outlaws were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They were owned by Fresno banker and real estate agent William Tatham, Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thunder of the World Football League.- 1984 Oklahoma...

. Without Williams, the Bucs appeared to be a rudderless team. The Bucs

1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with high expectations, as it was considered by some to be the Buccaneers' best squad yet. They were predicted by some to be Super Bowl contenders,, but disappointment quickly set in as personnel changes and a rash of injuries contributed to a league-worst...

started the next season

1983 NFL season

The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...

by losing their first nine games, knocking them out of playoff contention. They finished with a 2-14 record, the first of an NFL-record 13 straight seasons with 10 or more losses. Many Bucs fans blamed Williams' departure for this seemingly endless streak of futility, and the fact that Williams later returned to the NFL and led the 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,...

to victory in Super Bowl XXII

Super Bowl XXII

Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...

only deepened the frustration among Bucs fans.

It can be argued that the team's lengthy woes were primarily due to how Culverhouse ran the organization. Culverhouse kept the team's payroll among the lowest in the league, which prompted few quality players to sign with the team. The ones who did rarely stayed long. Selmon, the Bucs' first draft pick in 1976 and the only Hall of Famer to have earned his credentials primarily in Tampa Bay, was the only real star who had a long tenure with the team. The Bucs also made several missteps in the NFL Draft, the most notorious of which was the team's selection of Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....

as the #1 overall pick when he openly stated he would never play for them. The Bucs also frequently traded or gave up on quality players who went on to greater success on other teams. The most notable examples are all quarterbacks: Williams; Steve Young, who was traded 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...

after the Bucs drafted Vinny Testaverde

Vinny Testaverde

Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...

first overall in the 1987 draft

1987 NFL Draft

The 1987 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 28–29, 1987...

, only to become a Super Bowl MVP

Super Bowl MVP

The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...

and Hall of Famer

Pro Football Hall of Fame

with San Francisco; and Testaverde, whom the Bucs let walk to the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

via free agency

Free agent

In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

in 1992. They also traded away draft picks that turned into eventual Hall of Famers Irving Fryar

Irving Fryar

Irving Dale Fryar is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League.Fryar grew up in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey and played high school football at Rancocas Valley Regional High School...

and Dan Hampton

Dan Hampton

Daniel Oliver Hampton also known as "Danimal" is a retired Hall of Fame American football defensive tackle who played twelve seasons for the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990 in the National Football League. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002...

.

The front-office woes affected the team regardless of who was brought in to coach. After McKay stepped down at the end of the 1984 season

1984 NFL season

The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....

, Leeman Bennett

Leeman Bennett

Leeman Bennett is a former football coach who served at both the collegiate and professional levels, but is most prominently remembered as head coach of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers....

, who had coached 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...

to their first-ever playoff win, was hired. After two disastrous 2–14 seasons, he was replaced by former New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

and University of Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide football

head coach Ray Perkins. Perkins brought back much-needed discipline and "three-a-day" practices, but it proved too much of a good thing. The team was so physically drained by game day that the losses continued to pile up, and Perkins was fired before the end of the 1990 season

1990 NFL season

The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...

. Offensive coordinator Richard Williamson was elevated to head coach, and after his brief success in the final remaining games, he retained his head coaching position for the following year. The momentum didn't last, however, and was fired after the 1991 season

1991 NFL season

The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....

.

It wasn't until the hiring of Sam Wyche

Sam Wyche

Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...

that Bucs fans had reason for optimism. Wyche had coached the Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals

The 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...

to a Super Bowl appearance, one which the team could have won if not for a fourth quarter comeback engineered by 49ers QB Joe Montana

Joe Montana

Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...

. Wyche did not have immediate success in Tampa, and even his bold "five-dash-two" (indicating five wins and two losses) declaration in his final season with the Bucs proved premature. However, Wyche deserves credit for drafting three key players who would later prove to be the core of the team's renewed success on defense--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...

, Derrick Brooks

Derrick Brooks

Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....

and John Lynch

John 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...

.

Things only really began to change, however, after Culverhouse died of lung cancer

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...

in 1994.

New ownership, Tony Dungy, and a return to contention (1996–2001)

Despite the profitability of the Buccaneers in the 1980s, Culverhouse's death revealed a team close to bankruptcy

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

, which surprised many observers. His son, Miami attorney Hugh Culverhouse, Jr., practically forced the trustees of his father's estate to sell the team, which cast doubt on the future of the franchise in Tampa. Interested parties included New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

owner George Steinbrenner

George Steinbrenner

George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...

and Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

owner Peter Angelos

Peter Angelos

Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...

, the latter of whom publicly declared he would move the team to Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, as the city did not have an NFL franchise at that time. However, in a last-minute surprise, Malcolm Glazer

Malcolm Glazer

Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...

outbid both of them for $192 million, the highest sale price for a professional sports franchise up to that point. Glazer immediately placed his sons Bryan

Bryan Glazer

Bryan Glazer is part of the Glazer family, who control First Allied Corporation, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, and who have purchased a controlling interest in the English football club Manchester United. The family is based in Florida....

, Edward, and Joel

Joel Glazer

Joel Glazer is part of the Glazer family, who control First Allied Corporation and the Zapata Corporation, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, and England's Manchester United Football Club...

in charge of the team's financial affairs, and the family's deep pockets and serious commitment to fielding a winning team—in Tampa—allowed the Bucs to finally become competitive. The team's performance dramatically improved when the Glazers hired 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...

defensive coordinator Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy

Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...

as head coach, jettisoned the old "creamsicle" uniforms, and convinced Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, Florida

As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

voters to raise sales taxes to partially fund the construction of 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...

1996 season: Dungy's first year

During Dungy's first season in 1996

1996 NFL season

The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...

, the team continued to struggle, starting the season 1–8. But in the second half of the season they finished 5–2, primarily due to the performance of a defense ranked seventh in the NFL led by Hardy Nickerson

Hardy Nickerson

Hardy Otto Nickerson is a former American football linebacker who played 16 seasons for four teams from 1987 to 2002 in the National Football League and is currently the head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif. He attended Verbum Dei High School, a Catholic school...

and the maturing of Wyche's draftees Brooks, Lynch and Sapp. Dungy, widely renowned for his somber, even-tempered personality, quickly brought balance and morale to the team. Defensive coordinator

Defensive coordinator

A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

, Monte Kiffin

Monte Kiffin

Monte Kiffin is an American football coach. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history...

, developed and refined their trademark Tampa 2

Tampa 2

The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...

defensive scheme, which became the foundation for Tampa Bay's future success, not to mention a blueprint copied by other teams in the NFL, including 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...

and the St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams

The 1997 season: Back to the playoffs

Everything finally came together in 1997

1997 NFL season

The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...

. The team started the season 5–0, picking up where they left off the previous year, and this quick start once again landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated--not once, but twice. The Bucs went 10–6 for their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982, as a wild-card team. In the Bucs' final home game at Houlihan's Stadium

Houlihan's Stadium

Tampa Stadium was a sports venue located at 4201 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida, USA...

(formerly Tampa Stadium), the team defeated the Detroit Lions

1997 Detroit Lions season

The 1997 season marked the Lions qualifying for the playoffs. Bobby Ross replaced Wayne Fontes as head coach. The highlight of the season was Barry Sanders becoming the third player in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season.-Staff:...

20–10 for only the second playoff win in franchise history. They lost at Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...

to the eventual NFC Champion Green Bay Packers

1997 Green Bay Packers season

The 1997 Green Bay Packers season concluded with the team winning its second consecutive NFC championship, but losing in a 31-24 upset to John Elway's Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII...

21–7. Still, there was reason for optimism, and the expectations were high for the following season.

1998-2001: "The New Sombrero"

The 1998 season

1998 NFL season

The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...

, the first to be played in the newly-constructed Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium

, saw the Bucs

1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was seen as a disappointment following their breakthrough 1997 season. It was their first season in Raymond James Stadium. They were the only team to beat the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In week 16 they recorded the biggest road win in their...

lose several close games en route to a disappointing 8–8 record. The 1999 season

1999 NFL season

The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...

saw much better fortunes. On the strength of the NFL's number one overall defense and a surprising performance by rookie QB Shaun King

Shaun King

Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...

, the Bucs

1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 8-8 season. Rookie Shaun King replaced the injured and inconsistent Trent Dilfer late in the season...

finished the season with an 11–5 record and won their third NFC Central Division Championship. They edged the Washington Redskins

1999 Washington Redskins season

The 1999 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record from 1998.-NFL Draft:The New Orleans Saints traded all of their draft picks to the Washington Redskins for running back Ricky Williams, the first time ever that an NFL team has had only one pick in a...

14–13 in the Divisional round

NFL playoffs, 1999-2000

The NFL playoffs following the 1999 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIV.These playoffs were notable in that all outdoor games were played with gametime temperatures of 50°F or higher, making for one of the warmest playoff seasons of all time...

, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams

1999 St. Louis Rams season

The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973. On the...

in an unusually low-scoring NFC Championship Game, 11–6. The Bucs' loss was controversial, highlighted by the unusual reversal of a pass from King to WR Bert Emanuel

Bert Emanuel

Bert Tyrone Emanuel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...

. Despite the fact that Emanuel clearly controlled the ball at every point during the catch, booth replay official Jerry Markbreit

Jerry Markbreit

Jerry Markbreit is a former American football referee in the National Football League for 23 seasons and became one of the most recognizable referees in the game. Markbreit officiated football games for 43 seasons. From 1965 to 1975, Markbreit officiated college football games in the Big Ten...

ordered a review of the call. Referee Bill Carollo

Bill Carollo

William F. "Bill" Carollo is a retired American football official who officiated National Football League games from the 1989 through 2008. He wore uniform number 63. Carollo officiated in two Super Bowls and seven conference championship games...

determined that the nose of the ball had touched the ground as he brought it into his body. The resulting reversal all but ended the Bucs' hopes of mounting a game-winning drive. In league meetings later that year, NFL later changed the rules regarding what constituted an incomplete pass

Incomplete pass

An incomplete pass is a term in American football which means that a legal forward pass hits the ground before a player on either team gains possession. For example, if the quarterback throws the ball to one of his wide receivers, and the receiver either does not touch it or tries to catch it...

, which was a backhanded admission that the reversal was incorrect.

Offensive woes

In spite of Dungy's success at coaching Tampa Bay into a winner, one of the consistent criticisms from the media and from fans—and later, from players including Warren Sapp

Warren Sapp

--was that the defense was expected to shoulder too much of the responsibility for winning games. Beyond fullback Mike Alstott

Mike Alstott

Michael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...

and running back Warrick Dunn

Warrick Dunn

Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...

--who served as a one-two punch ground attack—and wide receiver

Wide receiver

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

Keyshawn Johnson

Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...

, the team was otherwise underwhelming on offense. Despite the ongoing criticism, Dungy remained staunchly loyal to his coaching staff, but at the conclusion of the 1999 season, general manager

General Manager (American football)

In the National Football League, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract discussions with players....

Rich McKay

Rich McKay is the president, CEO, and former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.-Early years:...

forced Dungy to fire offensive coordinator

Offensive coordinator

An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

Mike Shula

Mike Shula is an American football quarterback coach for the Carolina Panthers, an NFL team. Between 2003 and 2006, he was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program.- Early life :...

. He was replaced by former 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...

and Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

offensive coordinator Les Steckel

Les Steckel

Les Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:...

in 2000, and the result was the Bucs' highest-scoring season ever, another 10–6 record, and another trip to the playoffs as a wild card. despite his transformation of the team's offense, Steckel's drill sergeant approach to coaching (he was a colonel

Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...

in the Marines

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

) was a poor fit for the franchise. He was fired at the end of the season, after the Bucs lost 21–3 to the Philadelphia Eagles

2000 Philadelphia Eagles season

The 2000 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance. The season started in Dallas famously known for the onside kick that the Eagles kicked and recovered to start the game. This game is known as the Pickle Juice Game.-NFL Draft:...

.

Rather than choose from the pool of strong offensive coordinators available at the end of the 2000 campaign (including former Redskins coach Norv Turner

Norv Turner

Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...

), Dungy decided to elevate his receivers coach Clyde Christiensen to the position. It can be argued that this controversial decision was the final nail in the coffin for Dungy's tenure. Although the team

2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 10-6 season. It was Tony Dungy's final season as the Buccaneers head coach. He was fired after losing in the playoffs to Philadelphia for the second straight season.-Staff:...

achieved a 9–7 winning record in 2001

2001 NFL season

The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...

, they barely made it into the playoffs as the lowest-seeded wild card. To add insult to injury, the Bucs were once again blown out by the Eagles—this time, 31–9.

Frustrated with the team's inability to reach the Super Bowl despite a league-dominating defense, Malcolm Glazer fired Dungy the following day—a decision that created more controversy among devoted players and fans. Despite whatever weaknesses that may have been ascribed to him, Dungy was highly respected around the league as a man of solid character and a coach to whom players were fiercely loyal. Dungy went on to coach the Colts to the Super Bowl XLI

Super Bowl XLI

Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...

championship against the Chicago Bears

2006 Chicago Bears season

The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...

, in the process becoming the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl.

Jon Gruden, the Super Bowl, and beyond (2002–present)

Dungy was soon hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....

, while the Bucs mounted a prolonged and much-maligned search for his replacement. Several potential candidates were offered the job, including University of Florida

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...

head coach Steve Spurrier

Steve Spurrier

Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...

, Bill Parcells

Bill Parcells

Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...

and Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis

Marvin Ronald Lewis is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, a position he has held since January 14, 2003...

. Spurrier jumped to the Redskins when he was offered the most lucrative salary package ever offered to an NFL head coach, and Parcells eventually passed on the Bucs' offer—the second time he had done so in the history of the franchise. Bucs general manager Rich McKay threw his support behind Lewis, and his hiring appeared so certain that the Ravens held a going-away party for him. The Glazer brothers were so displeased with the selection of a yet another defensive-minded coach that they overruled McKay and took control of the candidate search themselves. They made it clear that their top choice was 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...

. The problem was that he was still under contract to 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...

.

While talks with the Raiders were secretly underway, the Glazers publicly pursued another respected offensive mind, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers

head coach Steve Mariucci

Steve Mariucci

Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...

. Just when initial reports indicated that Mariucci had agreed to become both the Bucs' head coach and general manager, Raiders owner Al Davis

Al Davis

Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...

agreed to release Jon Gruden to Tampa Bay. Observers suggested that the Glazers' offer to Mariucci was merely a clever bargaining tactic: since Davis' large ego is well documented, it was very likely he wouldn't allow such a blockbuster trade to take place so near his turf. If the tactic didn't work, then the Bucs would still get the type of head coach the Glazers desired.

The Glazers' shrewd move eventually paid off in acquiring Gruden, but it cost the team dearly. The team hired Gruden away from the Raiders on February 20, 2002, but the price was four draft

NFL Draft

The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...

picks, including the Bucs' first and second round picks in 2002, their first round pick in 2003, and their second round selection in 2004, along with $8 million in cash; the league as a result prohibited any further trading of draft picks for coaches. Gruden, who was frustrated by the limitation of his coaching authority by Davis, was more than pleased to return to Tampa Bay, as his parents lived nearby, and he had spent part of his childhood in Tampa in the early 1980s when his father had worked as a Bucs running back coach and director of player personnel.

The 2002 season: Super Bowl champions

Upon his arrival in Tampa, Gruden immediately went to work, acquiring former Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars

The 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...

WR Keenan McCardell

Keenan McCardell

Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...

, and RB 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....

from the Arizona 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...

. The Bucs needed to improve their sluggish offense, as the league's sweeping realignment sent the Bucs to the new NFC South Division, along with 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...

, Carolina Panthers

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...

and 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 ....

.

The offensive retooling worked, and combined with the league's top defense, the 2002 campaign was the Buccaneers' most successful season to date. They won the NFC South title with a 12-4 record—the team's best ever—then defeated the San Francisco 49ers

2002 San Francisco 49ers season

The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans...

in what became coach Steve Mariucci

Steve Mariucci

Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...

's last game with that franchise. In a surprising upset, the Bucs won their first NFC championship on the road against the Eagles

2002 Philadelphia Eagles season

The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 70th in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 11–5, going 12–4 and making the playoffs for the third consecutive year...

in the last NFL game ever played at Veterans Stadium

Veterans Stadium

Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...

. Cornerback

Cornerback

A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

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...

capped off the win by intercepting a Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb

Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...

pass and returning it 92 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia fans could only watch in stunned silence.

The Bucs went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Oakland Raiders

2002 Oakland Raiders season

-AFC Championship Game:-References:...

, by a score of 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII

Super Bowl XXXVII

. Gruden's familiarity with the Raiders' players and playbook paid off, as John Lynch

John Lynch (American football)

and other Bucs players recognized some of Oakland's formations and plays at crucial points in the game. Also, the Raiders did not attempt to use one rushing play. This was the first game that had one team not attempting a pass or rushing play once in a single game. The Bucs became the first team to win the Super Bowl without any picks in the first two rounds of the previous spring's NFL Draft

2002 NFL Draft

The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...

, having traded these picks to the Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders

for the rights to acquire Gruden. Gruden became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.

2003-04: Front-office tensions

Soon after the Super Bowl victory, a growing number of press reports indicated Gruden's lack of patience with general manager McKay. McKay was a major architect of the Bucs rebuilding effort over the previous ten years, and he, like Gruden, had long-established ties to the Tampa Bay area

Tampa Bay Area

The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...

. However, during the 2003 season, the Gruden-McKay relationship deteriorated as the Bucs struggled on the field. In November, Keyshawn Johnson was deactivated by the team ten games into the season for his conduct, which included sideline arguments with Bucs coaches and players. Johnson was eventually 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 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...

.

Johnson's unusual deactivation was a definitive sign that Gruden had indeed gained control. In December, the Glazers allowed McKay to leave the Bucs before the end of the regular season, and he promptly joined the Falcons as president and general manager. Thus, McKay watched his first game as a Falcons executive sitting next to owner Arthur Blank

Arthur Blank

Arthur M. Blank is an American businessman and a co-founder of The Home Depot. Today he is known for his philanthropy and his ownership of the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League.-Early life:...

in a Raymond James Stadium skybox. The Falcons

2003 Atlanta Falcons season

The 2003 Atlanta Falcons season is best remembered for in the 3rd preseason game, the QB Michael Vick broke his leg and was done for most of the season. Atlanta had 2 other QBs take over for a combined 2-10 record. Vick returned in week 14 and ended the season with a 3-1 record.-NFL...

defeated the Bucs

2003 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...

30-28, another sign of how the season had spiraled downward. Despite opening the season with a Monday night win over the Eagles in Philadelphia's new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field

Lincoln Financial Field

Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...

, the Bucs finished the season 7-9. Combined with the Raiders'

2003 Oakland Raiders season

The 2003 Oakland Raiders season was the teams's 44th in the National Football League. They were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 11–5, instead winning only four games. The team had a five game losing streak in the middle of the season, and they lost seven games by a...

dismal 4-12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached the playoffs

NFL playoffs, 2003-04

The NFL playoffs following the 2003 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVIII.Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoffs games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly-rated...

that year.

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

Bruce Allen (American football)

Bruce Allen is the general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, Allen served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders .-Background:...

. After Allen's arrival in the Bucs' front office, the team announced that it would not resign two of their best defensive players—John Lynch and Warren Sapp—before the regular season even started. Both of their contracts were expiring, and younger players could fill their positions. Lynch was released after medical exams indicated ongoing injury problems. Many Bucs 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 Bay 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, where he played in a limited role in 2004, and sat out much of the 2005 season with injuries. 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.

The distracted Bucs began the 2004 season

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...

with a 1-5 record, their worst start since Gruden arrived. The fading accuracy of kicker

Placekicker

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

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...

didn't help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to a 5-11 record, making the Bucs 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.

The 2005 season: Another division crown

In the 2005 season

2005 NFL season

The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...

, the Bucs returned to their winning ways. The Buccaneers selected Carnell "Cadillac" Williams

Carnell Williams

Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

in the first round of the 2005 draft

2005 NFL Draft

The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...

, and the rookie would provide a running game the Buccaneers hadn't possessed since the days of James Wilder

James Wilder

James Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...

in the 1980s. Williams set the NFL record for most yards rushing in his first three games with 474, and was named as the AP's 2005 Offensive Rookie of the Year. His shoes and gloves from the third game of the season are now on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

.
With their 2005 campaign marking the Buccaneers' 30th Season in the NFL, the team won their first four games before entering a midseason slump hampered by a season-ending injury to starting QB 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....

during a win over the Miami Dolphins

2005 Miami Dolphins season

-Schedule:-References:...

. Replacement starter 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...

struggled early as the Bucs lost games to the San Francisco 49ers

2005 San Francisco 49ers season

The 2005 season was the 60th for the Niners overall, and 56th in the NFL. They were trying to improve on their 2-14 record from 2004. Head Coach Dennis Erickson had been fired just after the end of the 2004 season, and Mike Nolan, son of former head coach Dick Nolan, was at the reins.-Week 1: vs. St...

and Carolina Panthers

2005 Carolina Panthers season

-Regular season:-Postseason:-Wild Card playoffs:The Panthers forced five turnovers, limited the Giants to only 109 yards of total offense, and became the first club to shut out a home playoff team since the Los Angeles Rams shut out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1980 NFC Championship Game...

, but Simms came into his own when he led the team to a last-minute win over the Washington Redskins

2005 Washington Redskins season

The 2005 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-10 record from 2004. The Redskins placed 2nd in the NFC East. Washington earned their first playoff berth since 1999.-Offseason:...

in a 36-35 thriller to break that slump. In a gutsy move, Gruden went for the win with a two-point conversion

Two-point conversion

In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...

plunge by fullback

Fullback (American football)

A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...

Mike Alstott

. A booth review of that play was inconclusive, and Redskins 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...

stated after the game his belief that Alstott had not scored.

The Bucs followed up with important wins over their NFC South division rivals, sweeping both the New Orleans Saints

2005 New Orleans Saints season

The 2005 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve from their 8–8 record from 2004. The Saints played two preseason games in the Louisiana Superdome before being forced to evacuate New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina...

and Atlanta Falcons

2005 Atlanta Falcons season

-Roster:-Preseason:-Regular season:-Awards and honors:* Michael Vick, Pro Bowl selection-References:...

, as well as defeating the Panthers in a rare victory at Carolina. Even with a tough loss against the Chicago Bears

2005 Chicago Bears season

-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against-Week 1: at Washington Redskins:-Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals:-Week 5: at Cleveland Browns:...

and a humiliating shutout

Shutout

In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....

against the New England Patriots

2005 New England Patriots season

The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....

, the Bucs finished 11-5 and won the NFC South by virtue of a tie-breaker over the Panthers. The Bucs' 30th Anniversary season would end on a sour note, as they lost 17-10 at home to the Redskins in the wild-card round. A late Bucs touchdown could have tied the game, but the play was ruled incomplete when a booth review

Instant replay

Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...

upheld the referee's decision.

The Bucs sent three veteran players to the 2006 Pro Bowl

2006 Pro Bowl

The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...

, including cornerback Ronde Barber

Ronde Barber

and punter

Punter (football position)

A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...

Josh Bidwell

Joshua John Bidwell is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...

. Outside linebacker Derrick Brooks

Derrick Brooks

was named the Pro Bowl MVP, with a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown.

2006

After winning the division in 2005, the Bucs suffered through an abysmal 2006 season

2006 NFL season

The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...

. The season was plagued by injuries, with starters such as G Dan Buenning

Dan Buenning

Dan Robert Buenning is an American football guard for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.Buenning has also been a member of the Chicago Bears.-External...

, WR Michael Clayton, RB Carnell Williams

Carnell Williams

, DE Simeon Rice

Simeon Rice

Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...

, CB Brian Kelly, and QB Chris Simms

Chris Simms

all being placed on injured reserve at some point in the season. The season also saw a lot of rookies starting for the Bucs, such as QB Bruce Gradkowski

Bruce Gradkowski

Bruce Raymond Gradkowski is an American Football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Toledo.Gradkowski has previously been a member of the Tampa...

, T Jeremy Trueblood

Jeremy Trueblood

Jeremy Tyler Trueblood is an American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

, and G Davin Joseph

Davin Joseph

Davin Joseph is an American football guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Buccaneers 23rd overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.-Early years:Joseph played high school football at Hallandale High School...

. The league schedule was also unfriendly to the Bucs, scheduling them for 3 games (two of them away games) within 11 days of each other.

There was more to the lost season than just injuries however, as most of the players put on injured reserve had been done so after the team's 0-3 start, and offensive shutouts in the first two games in which no touchdowns were scored by the Buccaneers. The departure of several key defensive coaches and assistants didn't bode well with players, who complained to some in the media of not being able to hear coaches in team meetings.

Inconsistent and unorganized are how some players referred to one of the newcomers, who most players had a hard time making the transition from long-time favorites Rod Marinelli

Rod Marinelli

Rodney Marinelli is the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Chicago Bears. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Lions...

and others. Some believe the problems in 2006 were rooted in recent years mistakes, lack of salary cap

Salary cap

In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...

room to bring in high impact free agents, lack of top 50 draft picks over the last 5 or 6 years due to trades, and maybe even a failure to properly assess talent resulting in a lack of contribution from second day draft picks in recent history.

The Bucs started off the season 0-3, with QB Chris Simms throwing only 1 touchdown to 7 interceptions. In the third game of the season, a last-minute loss to the Carolina Panthers

2006 Carolina Panthers season

-Regular season:-Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons:at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North CarolinaThe Panthers opened the regular season at home against the Atlanta Falcons on September 10. They lost, in what many fans and players alike referred to as an embarrassing game, 20-6. Kicker John Kasay...

, Simms's spleen was ruptured, and he was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season. After their bye week, the Bucs elected to start rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski

Bruce Gradkowski

, a 6th round pick from Toledo

Toledo Rockets football

The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...

.

Gradkowski started off performing decently. People who in hindsight claim the Bucs should have started the more experienced Tim Rattay

Tim Rattay

Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...

forget the Bucs nearly upset the New Orleans Saints

2006 New Orleans Saints season

The 2006 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been damaged all of the previous season by Hurricane Katrina...

, and then went on to win two narrow victories: one, against the Cincinnati Bengals

2006 Cincinnati Bengals season

The 2006 Cincinnati Bengals season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, defending their AFC North Division Championship title, and progress further through the playoffs than they made in the 2005 season having lost to Pittsburgh in the 1st round after losing star...

, winning on an overturned call resulting in a touchdown; and another against the Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

, thanks to Matt Bryant

Matt Bryant

Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...

's 62-yard field goal. After these victories, though, Gradkowski's performance declined. After a 3-17 loss to the New York Giants

2006 New York Giants season

The 2006 New York Giants season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, which saw them win the NFC East. They did not win the NFC East or improve on that record, falling to 8-8 on the season after starting 6-2...

in heavy winds, the Bucs proceeded to lose 5 of their next 6 games, leading them to a record of 3-10 (0-6 in their division). In the loss to the Atlanta Falcons

2006 Atlanta Falcons season

-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: at Carolina Panthers:at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina The Falcons opened the regular season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on September 10...

, Gradkowski was replaced in the 4th quarter by Rattay.

In the first half of the Bucs' next game, against the Chicago Bears

2006 Chicago Bears season

, Gradkowski was again replaced by Rattay, who led the team from a 24-3 deficit to a score of 31-31, with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. However, the Bucs then lost the game in overtime, 34-31. Rattay was then named the new starting quarterback for the last two games for the season. The Bucs finished their season with a 4-12 record, tied for third worst in the NFL.

The Bucs sent three players to the 2007 Pro Bowl

2007 Pro Bowl

The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....

, cornerback Ronde Barber

Ronde Barber

, tight end/long snapper Dave Moore (A "Need" player according to Saints coach Sean Payton

Sean Payton

Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...

), and late addition outside linebacker Derrick Brooks

Derrick Brooks

(as an injury replacement). This would be Brooks' 10th consecutive Pro Bowl and 10th Pro Bowl overall.

2007: A return To grace

2007 began well for the Buccaneers, as they made a splash in the off season signing veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia

Jeff Garcia

Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....

, linebackers Cato June

Cato June

Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...

and Patrick Chukwurah

Patrick Chukwurah

Patrick C. Chukwurah is a Nigerian defensive end of American football who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

, and former New York Jets fullback B.J. Askew. However, they suffered heavy losses also, releasing 3 time pro bowl defensive end Simeon Rice

Simeon Rice

Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...

and starting middle linebacker Shelton Quarles

Shelton Quarles

Shelton Eugene Quarles is a former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he played for in his ten-year career from 1997 to 2006. He now serves as a scout for the Buccaneers.-High school years:...

, both of whom spent the majority of their career in Tampa Bay. Further disappointment came in the form of a neck injury sustained by 6 time pro bowler and 12 year veteran fullback Mike Alstott

Mike Alstott

in a preseason match against 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...

. The injury placed him on injured reserve for the rest of the season, and ultimately led to his retirement in January 2008.

The regular season

2007 NFL season

The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....

began with a crushing 20-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks

2007 Seattle Seahawks season

The 2007 Seattle Seahawks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The team has improved upon its 9-7 record in 2006 and secured its fourth consecutive NFC West division title and its fifth consecutive playoff appearance...

in Qwest Field

Qwest Field

CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...

. But by week 6 the Bucs had turned their fortunes around and had a record of 4-2, including home victories against division rivals the Carolina Panthers

2007 Carolina Panthers season

The 2007 Carolina Panthers season was the 13th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 8–8 record in 2006, finishing 7–9.-Staff:-Roster:-Preseason:-Regular season:-Week 1: at St. Louis Rams:...

and the New Orleans Saints

2007 New Orleans Saints season

-Game summary:The 2007 New Orleans Saints began their regular season in the annual Thursday night Kickoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, New Orleans trailed early as Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning completed a 27-yard TD pass to WR Marvin...

. Running Back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in a week 4 home victory over the Panthers, which contributed to a 33-14 blowout loss to former Bucs head coach Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts

2007 Indianapolis Colts season

The 2007 Indianapolis Colts season was the 55th season for the team in the National Football League and 24th in Indianapolis. The 2007 Indianapolis Colts improved upon their 12–4 record from 2006 as well as winning their 5th straight AFC South Championship. They finished the season 13–3 and lost to...

the next week. The Buccaneers' misfortune against non-divisional teams was countered as the season progressed by their domination of the NFC South

NFC South

The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...

. In week 15, Micheal Spurlock

Micheal Spurlock

Michael Curtis Spurlock is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

recorded the first ever kick return touchdown ever scored by a Tampa Bay Buccaneer in a home victory against the Atlanta Falcons. They won all but one of their divisional games and, at the peak of their success, had a record of 9-5. Many factors contributed to this, such as the problems faced by Atlanta, whose star quarterback Michael Vick

Michael Vick

Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...

had been arrested on dog fighting charges in the preseason, and the season-ending ACL

Anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

tear suffered by New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister

Deuce McAllister

Dulymus Jenod "Deuce" McAllister is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

. they finished off the season on a low point, however, but still won the NFC South division, and qualified for a playoff spot at 9-7.

Tampa Bay were set to host the New York Giants

2007 New York Giants season

The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...

at Raymond James Stadium for their second home playoff game in 3 years. They began well opening up the scoreboard with the first touchdown of the game, which was a 1-yard Earnest Graham

Earnest Graham

Earnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....

run. However, the Giants outscored the Bucs 24-0 until the last 3 minutes of play, when Jeff Garcia completed a touchdown pass to Alex Smith

Alex Smith

Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...

to bring the Bucs back to just a ten point deficit. However, an interception by R.W. McQuarters with two minutes left, sealed the victory for Giants. In the end the Buccaneers had been held to 271 yards of total offense and 3 turnovers, and lost the game 24-14.

2008

On January 28, the Buccaneers re-signed head coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen through the 2011 season. Also during the offseason, the Buccaneers expressed interest in acquiring QB Brett Favre from Green Bay, but he eventually signed with the New York Jets instead. The 2008 regular season began with a loss to New Orleans, followed by three wins, a loss to Denver, two more wins, a defeat in Dallas, and four wins over the Chiefs, Vikings, Lions, and Saints. At 9-3, the Buccaneers were close to guaranteeing their place in the playoffs, with 4 games remaining in the season. However, they fell to Carolina on Monday Night Football, which ended their chances of successfully repeating as division champions. They next lost to Atlanta in overtime, followed by their first home loss of the season to San Diego.

The final week of the season still held playoff hopes, although it would take a Buccaneers win over Oakland coupled with a Dallas loss. The Buccaneers couldn't hold their 4th quarter lead against the Raiders, and lost 31-24. Adding insult to injury, Dallas lost their final game against Philadelphia, giving the Eagles the final wild card playoff spot over Dallas and the Bucs. Having finished 9-7 and missing the playoffs, Jon Gruden was fired January 16, 2009, almost one year to the date he received a contract-extension. GM Bruce Allen was fired on the same date as well. This would usher in a wholesale change of coaches and players leading up to the 2009 season, with Raheem Morris being elevated to head coach on January 17.

2009

Although the 2008 season was a disappointment, 2009 would prove a disaster for the Buccaneers. The team lost seven consecutive matches, including an international series game with New England in London. Finally, in Week 9, the team donned its orange-and-white throwback uniforms and hosted the Packers. Green Bay was struggling with a weak O-line, and the Buccaneers swept to victory 38-28 after a pair of touchdown passes by rookie QB Josh Freeman

Josh Freeman

-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...

. Afterwards, the losses resumed as Tampa Bay dropped four games in a row against Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, Carolina, and New York before they brought down Seattle in Week 15, followed by New Orleans. The team lost the season ender against Atlanta to finish 3-13.

2010

The poor 2009 record of Tampa Bay was in part due to a youthful, inexperienced team (barring a few exceptions such as 35-year-old CB Ronde Barber, the last remaining member of the 2002 Super Bowl team), and it was hoped that they would improve with time. The Buccaneers got off to a 2-0 start in 2010 by beating Cleveland and Carolina, but both were weak opponents and they proved unable to handle Pittsburgh, a team that was only two years removed from its 2008 Super Bowl win, losing 38-13. Following their bye week, they beat the Bengals in Cincinnati 24-21. After the road victory in Cincinnati, the Bucs came home to face the defending Super Bowl champion Saints, who were struggling after a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in which the Cardinals did not score an offensive touchdown, but capitalized on New Orleans turnovers. A victory would have helped the Bucs towards first place in the NFC South; however, they were blown out 31-6. The next week saw another home deficit against the St. Louis Rams with the Bucs trailing 6-17 at halftime. Strong defense shut down the Rams offense in the second half, and with two field goals and a late touchdown pass to Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, the Bucs topped the Rams 18-17. After the game with the team standing at 4-2, head coach Raheem Morris would famously state, "We're the best team in the NFC." The following week, the Bucs would make good on Morris's claim by defeating the Arizona Cardinals on the road in a game where they led 31-14, fell behind late 35-31, then retook the lead 38-35 and sealed the victory with an Aqib Talib

Aqib Talib

Aqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...

interception of Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson

Derek Anderson (American football)

Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

near the end zone. With the Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons tied for first place in the division at 5-2, a matchup in Atlanta gave the Bucs a chance to take sole possession of first place. Trailing 27-14 in the second half, Bucs returner Micheal Spurlock returned a Falcons kickoff for a touchdown to put the Bucs within a touchdown of the lead. The game came down to fourth down attempt to score from the Falcons 1 yard-line. Rookie running back LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Montez Blount is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2010....

was stopped up the middle and gave the Falcons the close victory. Following the tough loss, the Bucs came home and defeated the Carolina Panthers 31-16 before going on the road against the San Francisco 49ers and pitching a 21-0 shutout. The next week, the Bucs road game against the Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

, their fourth game away from Raymond James Stadium in five weeks, was moved to a late start, and the Bucs lost a hard-fought defensive struggle 17-10. Finally returning home the next week, the team sported their throwback creamsicle uniforms and honored coach John McKay at halftime in a home contest against the Falcons on national television. With a great defensive performance and two interceptions of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Villacher SV of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...

, it seemed the Bucs would get revenge on the Falcons for their loss four weeks ago, leading 24-14 deep in the second half. But Falcons returner Eric Weems

Eric Weems

Eric Weems is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Bethune-Cookman.-Early years:Weems attended Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida and...

returned a kick for a touchdown and the Falcons scored offensively to take a 28-24 lead. Quarterback Josh Freeman attempted the late comeback as he had against the Browns, Bengals, Rams, and Cardinals, but was denied with a Brent Grimes

Brent Grimes

Brent Omar Grimes is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

interception. At 7-5, the Bucs' playoff hopes seemed less assured, and the team had yet to defeat an opponent with a winning record, while several key starters had been lost for the season. In a rainy outing at Washington, the Bucs prevailed 17-16 thanks to a botched extra-point attempt by the Redskins, but lost to the Detroit Lions at home in overtime to break the Lions' historic road losing streak. Needing help to make the playoffs as a wild-card team, the Bucs routed the eventual NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks 38-15 in Tampa. With the last week of the regular season on the slate, the Bucs needed to defeat the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome

Louisiana 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...

, then hope for the defeats of the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants by the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins, respectively, as both teams held playoff tiebreakers over the Buccaneers. The Saints planned to fight the Bucs equally hard, as a victory and a Falcons loss to the Carolina Panthers would give them the #1 seed in the NFC. The game was close and hard-fought throughout the first half, but two key turnovers by the Bucs defense, a Barrett Ruud

Barrett Ruud

Barrett James Ruud is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....

forced fumble of Saints running back Julius Jones

Julius Jones

Julius Andre Maurice Jones is an American football running back who played college football at the University of Notre Dame and is currently a member of the Free Agent Class of the National Football League. Before signing with the Saints on October 12, 2010, Julius had stints with the Dallas...

near the Bucs' goal line and an interception of Saints quarterback Drew Brees

Drew Brees

Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

near the end of the half, gave the Bucs the slight edge. A Saints field goal in the fourth quarter cut the Tampa Bay lead to 20-13, but with the Falcons holding a large lead over the Panthers , Saints coach Sean Payton

Sean Payton

chose to sit Brees and put in backup Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel

William Chase Daniel is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009...

. The Bucs held on and won the game 23-13, finishing the season with a 10-6 record, their best since 2005. However, the Packers and Giants both won close games as well, thus sending the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers to the playoffs. For the second time in three years, the Bucs had finished with a winning record, yet missed the playoffs. The season marked a 7-game improvement over the previous one, and was highlighted by the superb play of second-year quarterback Josh Freeman and a strong rookie class led by Gerald McCoy

Gerald McCoy

McCoy was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 3rd overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. McCoy and the Buccaneers agreed to a five-year, $63 million contract on July 31, 2010.-Tampa Bay Buccaneers:...

, Arrelious Benn

Arrelious Benn

-External links:**...

, Mike Williams, Cody Grimm

Cody Grimm

Cody James Grimm is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft...

, and LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount

. No Buccaneers were selected to the Pro Bowl, but left tackle Donald Penn

Donald Penn

Donald Ward Penn is an American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

did play in the game as a replacement for Green Bay's Chad Clifton

Chad Clifton

Jeffrey Chad Clifton is an American football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....

, marking Penn's first appearance. Raheem Morris finished second in AP NFL Coach of the Year voting, and Mike Williams finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

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