Personnel
Staff
| 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Head coach | Sam Wyche |
| Home field | Tampa Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 5th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Team MVP | MLB Hardy Nickerson |
The 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 20th season in the National Football League (NFL).
The season began with the team trying to improve on a 6–10 season in 1994, a season in which the team won 4 straight games at the end of the year, and four of their final five. It was Sam Wyche’s final season as the team's head coach.
Prior to the season Malcolm Glazer took over ownership of the team, then the Bucs drafted defensive lineman Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks, both of whom are recognized as two of the team's greatest ever players. The Buccaneers' first-ever draft pick, Lee Roy Selmon, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
There had been rumors as far back as the end of the 1993 season that new owner Glazer, who purchased the team from the estate of the late Hugh Culverhouse, would move the team after funding to improve Tampa Stadium was not obtained, [1] but a referendum kept the Bucs in Tampa for 1995. The possibility of moving the Buccaneers to Cleveland, Ohio was an undercurrent throughout the 1995 season once Art Modell’s relocation of the Browns to Baltimore was announced. [2]
Bucs Head coach Sam Wyche gained some notoriety for saying "Five dash Two" to reporters during a press conference after the seventh game of the season, referring to the team's 5–2 record at the time. Tampa Bay had won 9 of its previous 12 games, going back to the end of the 1994 season, and many observers felt they had become a sleeper NFC playoff contender. However, the good luck and victory string soon ran out, and the team would go 2–7 for the remainder of the season.
Following the week seven overtime win over Minnesota, Tampa Bay lost three in a row before beating expansion Jacksonville, only after Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin decided to go for a 2-point conversion when scoring a last-minute touchdown. It failed and the Bucs won 17–16, giving them a sweep of that season's new expansion teams, as they had beaten Carolina 17–10 in week 5. Two more losses followed, and the 6–7 Buccaneers had a prime time ESPN Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, who were playing without future Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White due to injury. Tampa Bay pulled out an overtime win over the eventual NFC Central champion Packers to make their record 7–7, ensuring that their streak of 10-loss seasons—dating back to the 1983 season—would end. The Buccaneers had remained in playoff contention through fourteen games for the first time in a 16-game season since 1981, when they won their second division championship in three seasons under coach John McKay and quarterback Doug Williams. (the Buccaneers qualified for the expanded playoff tournament during the strike-shortened 1982 season, their last postseason appearance until 1997).
The Bucs, however, lost to the Chicago Bears by 21 points at Soldier Field in the penultimate game of the season, ending their playoff hopes. In the season finale at home against a surging Detroit Lions team who were riding a six-game winning streak, Tampa lost decisively in a nationally televised Saturday game. The game became infamous due to a sideline argument between Wyche and quarterback Trent Dilfer; it was later revealed that Wyche planned to pull Dilfer for young backup quarterback Casey Weldon regardless of how the game was going, triggering Dilfer's furious reaction and also angering teammates of the very respected if inconsistent starter. The Buccaneers' overall passing attack in 1995 was anemic: they passed for the fifth-fewest yards in the league, had the second-worst team passer rating (60.3), and set an NFL record for fewest team touchdown passes (5) in a 16-game season. [3]
Rumors also swirled that Wyche, knowing he would be let go by new owners without a winning record after a 5–2 start, ordered the team to wear orange jerseys and orange pants for the season finale (which at the time, would have been a first to wear the same colored top and bottom other than white), but after several players refused to wear it, the idea was scrapped. New owner Malcolm Glazer decided Wyche's tenure as coach was done, and started the search for the next coach of the Buccaneers, a search that would bring in coach Tony Dungy, who would turn the Buccaneers into a perennial playoff team (a 54–42 record and four playoff appearances in six seasons with the Tampa Bay), and build the foundation for their first Super Bowl win in 2002.
| Pick | Round | Player | Position | School |
| 12 | 1 | Warren Sapp | Defensive Tackle | Miami |
| 28 | 1 | Derrick Brooks | Linebacker | Florida State |
| 43 | 2 | Melvin Johnson | Defensive Back | Kentucky |
| 105 | 4 | Jerry Wilson | Defensive Back | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 143 | 5 | Clifton Abraham | Defensive Back | Florida State |
| 179 | 6 | Wardell Rouse | Linebacker | Clemson |
| 215 | 7 | Steve Ingram | Offensive Tackle | Maryland |
| 227 | 7 | Jeff Rodgers | Defensive End | Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–6 | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium | 66,266 |
| 2 | September 10 | at Cleveland Browns | L 6–22 | 1–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 61,083 |
| 3 | September 17 | Chicago Bears | L 6–25 | 1–2 | Tampa Stadium | 71,507 |
| 4 | September 24 | Washington Redskins | W 14–6 | 2–2 | Tampa Stadium | 49,234* |
| 5 | October 1 | at Carolina Panthers | W 20–13 | 3–2 | Memorial Stadium | 50,076 |
| 6 | October 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 19–16 | 4–2 | Tampa Stadium | 41,732* |
| 7 | October 15 | Minnesota Vikings | W 20–17 (OT) | 5–2 | Tampa Stadium | 55,703* |
| 8 | October 22 | Atlanta Falcons | L 21–24 | 5–3 | Tampa Stadium | 66,135* |
| 9 | October 29 | at Houston Oilers | L 7–19 | 5–4 | Astrodome | 31,489 |
| 10 | Bye | |||||
| 11 | November 12 | at Detroit Lions | L 24–27 | 5–5 | Pontiac Silverdome | 60,644 |
| 12 | November 19 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 17–16 | 6–5 | Tampa Stadium | 71,629* |
| 13 | November 26 | at Green Bay Packers | L 13–35 | 6–6 | Lambeau Field | 59,218 |
| 14 | December 3 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 17–31 | 6–7 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 52,879 |
| 15 | December 10 | Green Bay Packers | W 13–10 (OT) | 7–7 | Tampa Stadium | 67,557* |
| 16 | December 17 | at Chicago Bears | L 10–31 | 7–8 | Soldier Field | 49,475 |
| 17 | December 23 | Detroit Lions | L 10–37 | 7–9 | Tampa Stadium | 50,049* |
Notes:
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Green Bay Packers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 404 | 314 | W2 |
| (5) Detroit Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 436 | 336 | W7 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 392 | 360 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 412 | 385 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 238 | 335 | L2 |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The club joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, and played its first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Prior to the 1977 season, Tampa Bay switched conferences and divisions with Seattle, becoming a member of the NFC Central division. As a result of the league's realignment prior to the 2002 season, the Buccaneers joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South. The club is owned by the Glazer family and plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Trent Farris Dilfer is an American football coach and former player who is the head football coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dilfer played as a quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He achieved his greatest professional success as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2000.
Lovie Lee Smith is an American football coach. He has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL), and as the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams in 2001 and as head coach for the Bears in 2006.
John Terrence Lynch Jr. is an American professional football executive and former player who is the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a safety for 15 seasons, primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
This article details the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football franchise.
The 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 30th season in the National Football League the 8th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 4th under head coach Jon Gruden. The season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2004; they made a complete reversal from last season by going 11–5. Cadillac Williams won Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bucs would lose in the Wild Card playoff game at home to the Washington Redskins.
The 2002 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27th in the National Football League (NFL). It was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1999 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 24th in the National Football League (NFL). The season began with the team trying to improve on an 8–8 season and return to the postseason after narrowly missing the playoffs in 1998. Rookie Shaun King replaced the injured and inconsistent Trent Dilfer late in the season. King helped rebound the team to their first NFC Central title in 18 years. The team won 10 out of 12 games at one point in the season, including a then-franchise-record six-game winning streak. The defensive side dominated the team, nine times holding opponents to 10 or fewer points. However, offensive output, while adequate, was often unspectacular – case in point, a 6–3 win over Chicago in October. Tampa Bay finished the season 11–5.
The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their first season in Raymond James Stadium.
The 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL). Having gone 6–10 the previous season, Tampa Bay finished second in the NFC Central, and secured their first playoff berth since the strike-shortened 1982 season.
The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 2nd season in the National Football League, the 2nd playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 2nd under head coach John McKay. After one lone season in the AFC, it was the franchise's first season in the NFC, competing in the Central division. It continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, second only to the Chicago Cardinals who lost a total of 29 games in a row from 1942 to 1945. Fear of becoming the Buccaneers’ first victim provided motivation to opposing teams. It took nearly two seasons for the Buccaneers to achieve their first franchise victory, a 33–14 win over the New Orleans Saints in the second-to-last game of the year. The next week, the Bucs earned their first home victory, over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 4th season in the National Football League the 4th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 4th under head coach John McKay. After having won just seven games in the previous three seasons combined, the 1979 Buccaneers won ten games, making this their first winning season. They finished as NFC Central division champions, and won the first playoff game in franchise history.
The 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, the 12th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the first under head coach Ray Perkins. It was a year of great change for the Buccaneers. Perkins had only needed three seasons (1979–1981) to build the New York Giants into a playoff team, and it was hoped that he would be able to repeat the feat with the Buccaneers. They improved over their 2–14 record from 1986 and finished 4–11.
The 1994 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 19th season in the National Football League (NFL). The year began with the death of owner Hugh Culverhouse. Ownership was transferred to a three-man board of trustees. Season ticket sales dwindled, and rumors of the team's location were a persistent distraction all year. At mid-season, the new ownership removed all personnel responsibilities from coach Sam Wyche, and gave them to Vice President Rich McKay, who they named general manager. They also put the team up for sale. On the field, Errict Rhett became the first rookie in the team's history to rush for 1,000 yards, despite not starting until the ninth game of the season.
The Buccaneers–Dolphins rivalry is between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). It is an in-state, interconference matchup between the two oldest NFL teams in the state of Florida. It has been active in most years since the Buccaneers joined the league as an expansion team in 1976. The rivalry is mostly a mainstay of the preseason, as the teams have been in different conferences since 1977 and as such only play each other during the regular season once every four years.
The Buccaneers–Panthers rivalry is a rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.
The Buccaneers–Saints rivalry is the rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. While the teams first met in 1977, the rivalry did not develop until the teams were placed in the NFC South in 2002, resulting in two annual meetings. The Saints lead the overall series, 39–25. The two teams have met in the playoffs once, in the 2020 NFC Divisional Round, which the Buccaneers won, 30–20.
The 2020 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Bruce Arians. The club acquired long-time New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and traded for Brady's former Patriots teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski during the offseason. They improved on their 7–9 record from the previous season by finishing 11–5 to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007 – though 10 of their 11 wins were against non-playoff teams. They advanced through the playoffs to reach and win Super Bowl LV. They were the first team only having one Pro Bowler to do so since the 2007 Giants, and the first team to play in and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium, Raymond James Stadium. They were the 7th wild card team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl, as well as the fifth team to win three road games to advance to the Super Bowl, joining the 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2007 New York Giants, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, and 1985 New England Patriots.
The Buccaneers–Packers rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1921 and saw significant periods of sustained success under Curly Lambeau in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi. However, the Packers entered the 1970s in a sustained slump. They only made the playoffs once from 1968 to 1976. The Buccaneers entered the NFL in 1976 as part of an agreement to expand the league after the AFL–NFL merger. The Packers and Buccaneers played their first game during the 1976 NFL season, with the Packers shutting out the Buccaneers 13–0. The loss was part of the Buccaneers 0–14 record in 1976, the first time an NFL team lost every game in a 14-game season.
