Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Head coach | Tony Dungy |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 5
|
| AP All-Pros | 3
|
| Team MVP | LB Derrick Brooks |
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.
Following their breakthrough 1997 season, the Buccaneers finished 8–8 and missed the postseason; nonetheless they were the only team to beat the 15–1 Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In Week 17, they recorded the biggest road win in franchise history with a 35–0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a record that stood until the 2020 team defeated the Detroit Lions 47–7 in Detroit.
| 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 34 | Jacquez Green | Wide receiver | Florida | |
| 2 | 45 | Brian Kelly | Cornerback | USC | |
| 3 | 84 | Jamie Duncan | Linebacker | Vanderbilt | |
| 4 | 104 | Todd Washington | Center | Virginia Tech | |
| 6 | 175 | James Cannida | Defensive tackle | Nevada | |
| 6 | 184 | Shevin Smith | Safety | Florida State | |
| 7 | 212 | Chance McCarty | Defensive end | TCU | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | August 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 30–6 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium |
| 1 | August 8 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 13–17 | 1–1 | Oklahoma Memorial Stadium |
| 2 | August 13 | at Miami Dolphins | L 13–14 | 1–2 | Pro Player Stadium |
| 3 | August 24 | at Oakland Raiders | W 41–7 | 2–2 | Network Associates Coliseum |
| 4 | August 28 | at New Orleans Saints | L 6–10 | 2–3 | Louisiana Superdome |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 7–31 | 0–1 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 62,538 | Recap |
| 2 | September 13 | at Green Bay Packers | L 15–23 | 0–2 | Lambeau Field | 60,124 | Recap |
| 3 | September 20 | Chicago Bears | W 27–15 | 1–2 | Raymond James Stadium | 64,328 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Detroit Lions | L 6–27 | 1–3 | Pontiac Silverdome | 74,724 | Recap |
| 5 | October 4 | New York Giants | W 20–3 | 2–3 | Raymond James Stadium | 64,989 | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | ||||||
| 7 | October 18 | Carolina Panthers | W 16–13 | 3–3 | Raymond James Stadium | 63,600 | Recap |
| 8 | October 25 | at New Orleans Saints | L 3–9 | 3–4 | Louisiana Superdome | 52,695 | Recap |
| 9 | November 1 | Minnesota Vikings | W 27–24 | 4–4 | Raymond James Stadium | 64,979 | Recap |
| 10 | November 8 | Tennessee Oilers | L 22–31 | 4–5 | Raymond James Stadium | 65,054 | Recap |
| 11 | November 15 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 24–29 | 4–6 | Alltel Stadium | 72,974 | Recap |
| 12 | November 22 | Detroit Lions | L 25–28 | 4–7 | Raymond James Stadium | 64,265 | Recap |
| 13 | November 29 | at Chicago Bears | W 31–17 | 5–7 | Soldier Field | 51,938 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | Green Bay Packers | W 24–22 | 6–7 | Raymond James Stadium | 65,497 | Recap |
| 15 | December 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 16–3 | 7–7 | Raymond James Stadium | 65,335 | Recap |
| 16 | December 19 | at Washington Redskins | L 16–20 | 7–8 | Jack Kent Cooke Stadium | 66,309 | Recap |
| 17 | December 27 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 35–0 | 8–8 | Riverfront Stadium | 49,826 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
The Buccaneers moved out of aging Houlihan's Stadium after the 1997 season. With construction crews still putting the finishing touches on brand new Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers were forced to play all of their preseason games on the road. The team opened with a win against Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame Game, then faced Kansas City in Oklahoma, an ordeal which saw the team sit at the airport nearly all night.
After another road trip to Miami, the travel started taking a toll on the team. A cross-country trip to Oakland was followed four days later by a game at New Orleans.
Coming off their playoff season from 1997, the Buccaneers opened 1998 with high expectations. Still on the road, their first game in the new stadium would have to wait until week 3. Receiver Bert Emanuel went out with a sprained ankle, and Tampa Bay lost 31–7.
Jacques Green returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown (only his second-career return attempt) to set a franchise record for longest punt return. However, Green Bay won 23–15.
After five games on the road during the preseason, and the first two regular season games played away, the Buccaneers finally were ready for a home game. The highly anticipated first game at brand new Raymond James Stadium saw the Buccaneers host the Bears. After falling behind 15–0 at halftime, Tampa Bay scored 27 unanswered points to win 27–15. Dave Moore caught a one-handed pass for a 44-yard touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Warrick Dunn ran for a 44-yard touchdown. Raymond James Stadium was opened with a victory, and the Buccaneers improved to 1–2.
On Monday Night Football, Tampa Bay faced Detroit at the Silverdome. Despite clinging to a 6–3 deficit at halftime, Tampa Bay's sputtering offense and defensive miscues cost any chance at victory. Barry Sanders rushed for 131 yards, Bryant Westbrook returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown, and Terry Fair returned a Lions record 105-yard kickoff return touchdown. Two apparent touchdown passes by Trent Dilfer were called back for penalty, and Tampa Bay fell 27–6.
Only a minute and a half into the game, Charles Mincy intercepted Kanell for a 22-yard touchdown return. Tampa Bay would never trail in the game. The Buccaneer defense held the Giants to only 135 total yards, and picked off Kanell three times in the 20–3 victory.
Tampa Bay evened their record to 3–3 with a win over Carolina. The Panthers led 13–3 in the fourth quarter, but Trent Dilfer led the Buccaneers for a rally in the final 5 minutes. On a roll out, Dilfer ran in for a 1-yard touchdown, then on the next possession, scored the go-ahead touchdown. Karl Williams caught a 29-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone with 1:39 to go to seal the victory 16–13.
The Buccaneers improved to 3–0 at Raymond James Stadium.
The Tampa Bay offense dropped seven passes, Patrick Hape lost a fumble at the Saints 3-yard line, and Trent Dilfer threw an interception, as offensive futility again plagued the Buccaneers, resulting in a 9–3 loss at New Orleans. Three times the Buccaneers had the ball inside the Saints 25-yard line, but came up with zero points. At one point, Bert Emanuel caught a touchdown pass, but the officials ruled it incomplete, saying he "trapped" the ball against the turf.
The Vikings entered week 9 at Tampa Bay undefeated at 7–0. Derrick Brooks intercepted Randall Cunningham, setting up Warrick Dunn's first touchdown run. A back and forth game saw the score tied 17–17 at halftime. Minnesota took a 24–17 lead in the third quarter, but Tampa Bay came back in the fourth. A field goal followed by a Mike Alstott touchdown run with just under six minutes remaining gave the Bucs a 27–24 lead. The Buccaneers had two rushers over 100 yards: Alstott (128) and Dunn (115), with Alstott sealing the game late with a rush of 38 yards.
Tampa Bay defeated Minnesota 27–24, the Vikings’ first loss and only one during the regular season. The Bucs remained at 0.500, improving to 4–4, and were now 4–0 at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay held a 16–3 halftime lead, but trailing 24–22 at the two-minute warning, Tennessee was facing 3rd down & 8 at their own 29-yard line. A defensive stop by Tampa Bay would have given them the ball back, and an opportunity to drive for a game-winning field goal. However, quarterback Steve McNair broke out for a game-icing 71-yard touchdown run, and the Tennessee Oilers won 31–22.
Tampa Bay was leading 24–23 with three minutes remaining. Fred Taylor broke out for a 70-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left, and Jacksonville won 29–24.
Tampa Bay trailed 21–7, but rallied late. With just over two minutes remaining, Trent Dilfer drove the Buccaneers to the Detroit 11-yard line. He was intercepted in the endzone, and Detroit held on to win 28–25. It was Tampa Bay's third straight loss.
Tampa Bay got back to their winning ways, winning their first road game of the season at Chicago. Late in the second quarter, the Buccaneers blocked a Bears punt, and Ronde Barber scooped it up. He returned the ball 21 yards for a touchdown. As time expired in the first half, Trent Dilfer threw up a Hail Mary touchdown, which was caught by Brice Hunter, his first career NFL touchdown. The Bucs took a 21–14 lead into halftime, and won the game 31–17.
Tampa Bay's record was now 5–7, still alive for the wild card hunt.
Tampa Bay hosted Green Bay in their first Monday Night Football home game since 1982. The Buccaneers forced 8 fumbles, and sacked Brett Favre 8 times. Late in the first quarter, Trent Dilfer connected to Jacquez Green for a 64-yard touchdown pass. Minutes later, at the beginning of the second quarter, Dilfer passed to Bert Emanuel in a nearly identical 62-yard touchdown pass. Leading 17–15 in the fourth quarter, Dilfer scrambled through the middle of the Packers defensive line to score a 6-yard touchdown, and a 24–15 lead. Green bay would trim the deficit to 24–22, but the Buccaneers held on to win.
Tampa Bay improved to 6–7 on the season.
Tampa Bay won their third game in a row, shutting down the Steelers to just 168 yard of offense. The Tampa Bay defense intercepted Kordell Stewart three times, and Mike Tomczak once. Mike Alstott ran for 78 yards on a wet and rainy day. The Steelers only points came early in the fourth quarter. After four tries, this was Tampa Bay's first win over Pittsburgh in team history.
Tampa Bay won 16–3 and evened their record at 7–7. They were now back in the hunt for the wild card.
Tampa Bay's playoff chances were dealt a big blow in the Week 16 loss at Washington. Tampa Bay led the Redskins 16–7 early in the fourth quarter, but blew the lead at the end. Leading 16–13 with six minutes to go, Jacquez Green fumbled a kickoff, turning the ball over. On the next play, Stephen Alexander caught the game-winning touchdown for Washington. Tampa Bay had two last chances to come back, but both times, Trent Dilfer threw interceptions.
The Buccaneers fell to 7–8 on the season, and would need to win in week 17 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Tampa Bay clobbered Cincinnati 35–0, a franchise best for a road shutout until 2020. Mike Alstott scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Bucs defense intercepted the Bengals twice (including a 56-yard return by Ronde Barber)
Tampa Bay finished 8–8 on the season, winning four out of their last five games. At the conclusion of the game, they were still alive for an NFC wild card spot. Tampa Bay needed the Giants to beat the Eagles and the Chargers to beat the Cardinals. The Giants won, helping Tampa Bay, but the Cardinals beat the Chargers 16–13 with a 52-yard field goal as time expired. By the time the Buccaneers' plane had landed back in Tampa, they were ousted from the playoffs.
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Minnesota Vikings | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 556 | 296 | W8 |
| (5) Green Bay Packers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 408 | 319 | W3 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 314 | 295 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 306 | 378 | L4 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 276 | 368 | L1 |
The National Football League playoffs for the 1997 season began on December 27, 1997. The postseason tournament concluded with the Denver Broncos defeating the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII, 31–24, on January 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
The 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League (NFL), the 9th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 5th under head coach Jon Gruden.
The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 10th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 6th under head coach Jon Gruden. On December 16, 2007, they clinched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006. However, they were defeated 24–14 in the Wildcard Round by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. The Wildcard game was Jon Gruden's final playoff appearance as head coach of the Buccaneers before being dismissed at the conclusion of the next season. This would be the last season the Buccaneers qualified for the playoffs until 2020, and the last season the Buccaneers won their division until 2021.
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 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 7th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 3rd under head coach Jon Gruden.
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 6th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 2nd under head coach Jon Gruden. The 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 1998 and finished with a losing record for the first time since 1996.
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 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 26th season in the National Football League (NFL).
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 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 2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 11th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the seventh and final under head coach Jon Gruden. Though the team finished with a winning record (9–7), they failed to defend their 2007 NFC South championship and did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing the year on a four-game losing streak. Just weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, head coach Jon Gruden was fired, a move that came as a surprise both to sports writers and Gruden himself. General manager Bruce Allen was also fired. It would also be Gruden's last time coaching until 10 years later, when he returned to coach the Oakland Raiders in 2018, whom he previously coached from 1998 to 2001.
The 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Raheem Morris. The Buccaneers entered the season attempting to improve on their 3–13 record and last place finish in the NFC South in 2009, a feat they accomplished after only six games. The Buccaneers achieved the best turnaround in franchise history and became the first team since the NFL merger in 1970 to start 10 rookies and achieve a winning season. Raheem Morris spent his second season as head coach. The Buccaneers had the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, with which they selected Gerald McCoy.
The 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the third and final under head coach Raheem Morris. The team competed in the NFC South. Both of their preseason home games, and seven of their regular season home games were played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. One regular season home game was played at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the NFL International Series.
The 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first season under new head coach Greg Schiano after the former head coach Raheem Morris was fired due to the team's record of 4–12 last season. This was Ronde Barber's last season before retiring in the 2013 off-season.
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 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the first season under head coach Lovie Smith, replacing Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the 2013 season. It was also the first season under general manager Jason Licht, following the departure of Mark Dominik, after a disappointing 2013 season. It also marked the first season under new ownership since 1994, after longtime owner Malcolm Glazer died on May 28, 2014. Glazer's sons took over team operations.
The 2018 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final under head coach Dirk Koetter.
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 2021 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Bruce Arians. They entered the season as defending Super Bowl champions and were attempting to become the first club to win consecutive Super Bowls since the team's quarterback Tom Brady did so with New England in XXXVIII and XXXIX. They entered the season riding a franchise record eight consecutive wins, which they extended to ten wins until they lost against the Rams. After their Week 16 win over Carolina, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South division for the first time since 2007. Tampa Bay won a franchise record 13 games in the regular season. In Week 18, they secured the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs, then defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31–15 in the Wild Card Round, notching postseason wins in consecutive seasons for the first time. However, their title defense came to an end with a 30–27 last-second loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
