| 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Glazer family |
| General manager | Jason Licht |
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 4th NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Doug Martin DT Gerald McCoy LB Lavonte David OG Logan Mankins QB Jameis Winston |
The 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 40th season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Lovie Smith. The offseason was marked by the draft selection of All-American Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. The team wore a patch to commemorate the club's 40th season. [1]
After their Week 8 overtime win at Atlanta, the Buccaneers had already improved on their record from 2014 (2–14). Entering the month of December, Tampa Bay had just swept division rival Atlanta, avenging an ugly 56–14 defeat on TNF a year earlier. The team found themselves mathematically in the hunt for a playoff berth with a 6–6 record. Despite showing improvement, the Buccaneers lost their final four games of the season. They finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South for the fifth straight year.
Despite missing the playoffs, Doug Martin finished second in the league in rushing yards (just 82 yards shy of Adrian Peterson), and the franchise had their first ever season finishing in the top five in total offense. Winston, who started all 16 games, was voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. On the defense side, the Buccaneers made improvements, ranking in the top ten in total yards and points allowed.
On January 6, 2016, head coach Lovie Smith was fired after two seasons as head coach. [2]
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State |
| 2 | 34 | Donovan Smith | OT | Penn State |
| 61 | Ali Marpet | G | Hobart | |
| 4 | 124 | Kwon Alexander | LB | LSU |
| 5 | 162 | Kenny Bell | WR | Nebraska |
| 6 | 184 | Kaelin Clay | WR | Utah |
| 7 | 231 | Joey Iosefa | FB | Hawaii |
Notes
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 15 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 16–26 | 0–1 | TCF Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 25–11 | 1–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | Cleveland Browns | L 7–31 | 1–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 3 | at Miami Dolphins | W 22–17 | 2–2 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | Tennessee Titans | L 14–42 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 20 | at New Orleans Saints | W 26–19 | 1–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 27 | at Houston Texans | L 9–19 | 1–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 4 | Carolina Panthers | L 23–37 | 1–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 38–31 | 2–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 6 | Bye | |||||||
| 7 | October 25 | at Washington Redskins | L 30–31 | 2–4 | FedExField | Recap | ||
| 8 | November 1 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 23–20 (OT) | 3–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 8 | New York Giants | L 18–32 | 3–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 15 | Dallas Cowboys | W 10–6 | 4–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 22 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 45–17 | 5–5 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | ||
| 12 | November 29 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 12–25 | 5–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 6 | Atlanta Falcons | W 23–19 | 6–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 13 | New Orleans Saints | L 17–24 | 6–7 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 17 | at St. Louis Rams | L 23–31 | 6–8 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 27 | Chicago Bears | L 21–26 | 6–9 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 17 | January 3 | at Carolina Panthers | L 10–38 | 6–10 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Opening day was a matchup between the No. 1 overall and the No. 2 overall selections in the 2015 NFL draft. Jameis Winston started at quarterback for Tampa Bay, and Marcus Mariota started at quarterback for Tennessee. Mariota snagged the headlines for the day, passing for 209 yards and four touchdowns as the Titans routed the Buccaneers 42–14. Winston's Buccaneer debut was mostly forgetful, as his first pass attempt in the NFL was a "pick 6" interception.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 26 |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay rebounded after their week 1 loss, and defeated the New Orleans Saints for the first time since October 2011. Jameis Winston threw a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown, as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 23–7 lead. The Saints rallied, and had two chances for a game-tying touchdown in the final 8 seconds. Drew Brees final throw was knocked down at the endline, and the Buccaneers snapped a 7-game losing streak dating back to the 2014 season.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza missed three field goals and missed an extra point, as Tampa Bay fell at Houston by the score of 19–9. Jameis Winston threw for 261 yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception in the loss. Brindza did make a 58-yard field goal in the second quarter, which was the second-longest field goal in franchise history. Midway through the third quarter Vincent Jackson appeared to catch a 23-yard touchdown pass from Winston, but it was overturned after review, when it was determined that he did not get both feet down.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 10 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 37 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Cam Newton threw for 124 yards and two touchdown passes, as Carolina beat Tampa Bay by the score of 37–23. Jameis Winston threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, but threw four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and lost a fumbled snap in the defeat. After his struggles the previous week, Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza missed two field goals and an extra point, and was cut by the club on Monday morning.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 38 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay snapped an 11-game home losing streak that dated back to December 2013, defeating Jacksonville by the score of 38–31. Doug Martin rushed for 123 yards, two touchdowns, and had one receiving touchdown. Connor Barth returned to the club as kicker, going 3-for-3 on field goals, and 3-for-3 on extra points.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 10 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 30 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay blew a 24–0 lead to the Redskins . Kirk Cousins threw a game-winning 6-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Reed with 24 seconds left in regulation.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Falcons | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Atlanta turned the ball over four times, twice inside the red zone. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 17-point lead, with 20 points scored off of turnovers. However, Matt Ryan threw a game-tying touchdown pass to Julio Jones with 17 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. The Buccaneers won the coin toss in overtime, and scored a field goal on their first possession. The Tampa Bay defense held Atlanta to a turnover on downs, securing a 23–20 victory.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 10 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 32 |
| Buccaneers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Jameis Winston scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown run with 9:25 remaining, but the potential game-tying two point conversion attempt failed. The Giants subsequently kicked two field goals to go back up by 8 points. The Buccaneers attempted a hook and lateral play as time expired, but Trevin Wade of the Giants recovered the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown the other way.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Dallas and Tampa Bay were limited to field goals for the first 59 minutes of the game. Trailing 6–3 with just over one minute left, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston scrambled for a 4-yard run to the endzone, but lost the ball as he was up-ended just short of the goal line. Dallas recovered the fumble, but was penalized for defensive holding by Jeff Heath. On the next play, Winston ran a naked bootleg for a 1-yard touchdown and a 10–6 Tampa Bay lead with 59 seconds remaining in regulation. With 28 seconds left, Matt Cassel's pass intended for Dez Bryant was intercepted by Bradley McDougald in the endzone to secure the victory. Bryant lobbied for pass interference due to contact by McDougald, but it was not called. It was Tampa Bay's first victory against Dallas since 2003, and the Cowboys' 7th straight loss (all without Tony Romo).
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Doug Martin rushed for 235 yards, and Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes (tying an NFL rookie record), as Tampa Bay routed the Eagles by a score of 45–17. The combined 283 rushing yards was a franchise record for the Buccaneers, and the 521 total offensive yards was the second-highest regular season total in team history.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Colts | 3 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 25 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Matt Hasselbeck threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns passes to T. Y. Hilton as the Colts defeated Tampa Bay 25–12.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 23 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay swept Atlanta for the first time since 2007. Jameis Winston threw for 227 yards, one touchdown pass, and one rushing touchdown. Winston connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 1:39 remaining for the game-winning score. One play later, Lavonte David sealed the win with an interception of Matt Ryan on the first play of the Falcons' final drive.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Drew Brees threw for 312 yards and two touchdown passes, as New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 24–17. The Saints jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, and led 17–10 at halftime. Tampa Bay made the score 24–17 after Jameis Winston threw a touchdown pass to Adam Humphries with just under 9 minutes left in regulation. Trailing by 7, the Buccaneers got the ball back with 5:22 to go, but went 3-and-out. The Saints were then able to run out the clock to secure the win.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 23 |
| Rams | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Case Keenum threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns for the St. Louis Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Rams jumped out to a 28–6 lead after three quarters. Jameis Winston rallied the Buccaneers with a career-high 363 yards passing, and threw two touchdown passes to trim the deficit to 31–23 with 1:34 left in regulation. An onside kick attempt failed, and the Rams ran out the clock to secure the victory. This would become the final home game for the Rams in St. Louis, as the team relocated back to Los Angeles for the 2016 season.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 26 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Jameis Winston's hail-mary pass touchdown to Austin-Seferian Jenkins is not enough as Tampa Bay fell to Chicago 26–21 in the Buccaneers’ final home game of the season, and Lovie Smith went 0–2 against his former Bears team that fired him at the end of the 2012 season.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Panthers | 0 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Carolina swept the season series and finished with a record of 15–1. Tampa Bay finished the season losing their final four games and slipped to 6–10. After an incomplete pass by Jameis Winston, Mike Evans exchanged heated words with the officials resulting in Evans receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls and an ejection from the game.
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Carolina Panthers | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | 500 | 308 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 339 | 345 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 408 | 476 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 342 | 417 | L4 |
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division Leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Carolina Panthers | South | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .441 | .438 | W1 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .477 | .457 | L1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .449 | W3 |
| 4 | Washington Redskins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .465 | .403 | W4 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5 [lower-alpha 1] | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6 [lower-alpha 1] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
| 8 [lower-alpha 2] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9 [lower-alpha 2] | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10 [lower-alpha 2] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11 [lower-alpha 2] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12 [lower-alpha 3] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13 [lower-alpha 3] | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14 [lower-alpha 3] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .484 | .406 | L4 |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .539 | .463 | W1 |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .531 | .438 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
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 2013 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 38th in the National Football League (NFL), and second and final under head coach Greg Schiano. It also marked the 19th and final season under the ownership of Malcolm Glazer, who died on May 28, 2014. The Buccaneers finished with a record of 4–12 and failed to improve their 7–9 record from last season, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 13. For the first time since 1996, longtime cornerback Ronde Barber was not on the roster, as he retired in May 2013.
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 2015 season was the St. Louis Rams' 78th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth under head coach Jeff Fisher, and their 21st and final season in St. Louis, Missouri, their home since the 1995 season.
The 2015 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, the 56th overall and the 19th in the state of Tennessee. Second-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired on November 3 following a 1–6 start, and was replaced by tight ends coach Mike Mularkey on an interim basis. Despite slightly improving from their 2–14 season from the previous year, finishing with a 3–13 record, they finished with a lower Strength of Schedule, thus earning the right to the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, later trading it to the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2015 season was the Carolina Panthers' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Ron Rivera. This season marked the first time in team history they played on Thanksgiving. The Panthers had their best single-season turnaround in team history, going from 7–8–1 to 15–1.
The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium. The previous year, the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions.
The 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League and the first under head coach Dirk Koetter. In week 13, the club won their seventh game, eclipsing their win total from 2015.
The 2016 New York Giants season was the franchise's 92nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh season playing their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the first under head coach Ben McAdoo.
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
The 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 20th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and the second under head coach Dirk Koetter.
The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.
The 2018 season was the Carolina Panthers' 24th in the National Football League (NFL) and their eighth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was the team's first season without former assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason and former offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who became the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
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 2019 season was the New Orleans Saints' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 13th under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2019 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 44th in the National Football League (NFL), their 22nd playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and their first under head coach Bruce Arians. Despite improving on their 5–11 record from 2018 with a Week 14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Buccaneers missed the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, which meant the Buccaneers were one of two teams to not qualify for the postseason in the 2010s, with the other team being the Cleveland Browns.
The 2023 season was the New Orleans Saints' 57th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 48th to host games at the Caesars Superdome and the second under head coach Dennis Allen. The team improved on their 7–10 record from 2022, but missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The Saints finished tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South division title, as well as in a three-way tie with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks for the last Wild Card spot; however, the Saints lost both tiebreakers.
The 2023 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 48th in the National Football League (NFL), their tenth under the leadership of general manager Jason Licht and their second under head coach Todd Bowles. Tampa Bay finished 9–8 and won their third consecutive NFC South division title. They also made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, their longest such streak since 1999–2002.
