1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
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 more eleven times. Colorful, maverick former USC coach John McKay
, whose wisecracking remarks occasionally agitated fans and the league, led the team. Lee Roy Selmon
, the Buccaneers' only Hall of Fame representative (as of 2009), made his rookie debut in an injury-plagued season.
The expansion draft was largely made up of aging veterans, giving the Buccaneers little basis for success. The lack of medical information provided on players in the expansion draft contributed heavily to the team's problems, as they finished the season with 17 players on injured reserve. They were last in the league in points scored, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns. After a 19-point 4th-quarter performance brought them within striking distance of a victory in week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs, they were blown out of every game the rest of the season. Subsequent expansion teams were given a more generous allotment of draft picks and expansion draft opportunities, in part to avoid a repeat of the Buccaneers' difficulties.
, encouraged by recommendations from Vice President of Operations Ron Wolf
and Alabama
coaching legend Bear Bryant
, chose John McKay, winner of four national championships at USC, as the first Buccaneer head coach. Aided by a string of great tailbacks, including Heisman Trophy winners O.J. Simpson and Mike Garrett
, McKay was credited with popularizing the I formation
. Other candidates considered included Hank Stram
, Ara Parseghian
, and Joe Paterno
. McKay was reportedly offered a five-year contract worth $750,000, plus cars, insurance, and real estate, and turned down an offer from the Seattle Seahawks
and a counter-offer from USC to take the job. Critical of the NFL, he had turned down offers from professional teams in the past. McKay cited NCAA cutbacks in finances and recruiting as motivations for leaving the college ranks, saying simply that it was "time to try something else". McKay's only promise was that he would beat what he called "Pittsburgh's timetable", referencing the fact that it took the Steelers 41 years to win their first championship.
compared to "taking off in a jet airplane and finding out that neither engine works."
Additionally, assistant coach Dennis Fryzel
, when the team was penalized for having 12 players on the field, asked a referee, "Which one was it?" And injured guard Ira Gordon
reportedly told McKay, "Coach, I got the x-ray, but I don't feel any better".
Coach McKay had won four national championships while coaching at USC, and he never hesitated to express his lack of awe at the NFL. He earned enemies in the league with his dismissive comments and nonchalant attitude. The league liked to promote the games as having life-or-death significance, and were undercut by a coach who would make statements such as, "You draw X's and O's on a blackboard and that's not so difficult. I can even do it with my left hand". Such statements made the Buccaneers' road more difficult, as a feeling grew around the league that McKay was a newcomer who needed to be taught a lesson. Linebacker Richard 'Batman' Wood echoed those sentiments: "It was a brand-new organization. Who cared about us? They wanted to devastate us, beat us in the ground. And with coach McKay coming from college, they wanted to maybe even play us a little harder." Examples given of opponents using McKay's comments as an excuse to run up the score included the reverse that Denver ran late in a 48-10 victory, and the timeout that Chuck Fairbanks
called at the end of the Patriots game to enable Steve Grogan to break the NFL record of season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. One sports analyst had predicted that McKay's lucrative contract would encourage opposing coaches to run up the score on the Buccaneers, to be able to demonstrate to their team owners that they were deserving of similar money.
Fed up with the attitude that he had to prove himself in the NFL, McKay once drunkenly needled Don Shula
by saying, "I think pro coaches should have to prove themselves by winning four national championships in the colleges". He later admitted to having ruffled some feathers in the NFL, but said, "it wasn't as if they didn't deserve it".
, mostly during World War II
: the 1934 Cincinnati Reds
at 0–8, the 1942 Detroit Lions
at 0–11, the Chicago Cardinals
, the Brooklyn Tigers
at 0–10, and the 1944 Chicago Cardinals/Pittsburgh Steelers at 0–10 (the Cardinals and Steelers merged for the 1944 season
and are commonly referred to as Card-Pitt
, or, derisively, as the "carpet"). The 14-game single-season losing streak was matched by the 1981 Baltimore Colts
, who won their opener and closer, but lost every game in between. The 1982 Colts
were winless in a strike-shortened season, but did get a tie in one game. The 0–14 record has since been matched by the 1980 New Orleans Saints
, who won their second to last game to end the season 1–15. The 1990 New England Patriots
had a 1–1 record when several of the players sexually harassed a female reporter. The fallout from the scandal contributed to the team finishing 0–14 in its final games. The record was surpassed by the 2001 Carolina Panthers
, who lost their last fifteen games to eclipse the Buccaneers' record for consecutive games lost in a single season, and the 2008 Detroit Lions
, the only winless team in the era of 16-game schedules. Nine NFL teams have lost 15 or more games in a season since the 1976 Buccaneers' record. The Buccaneers' 26-game losing streak from 1976 to 1977 still stands as the longest in modern NFL history.
and Nebraska guard Tom Alward, Denver Broncos
and Notre Dame
defensive end Pete Duranko
, and Chicago Bears
wide receiver Wayne Wheeler. Having not selected a quarterback in the veteran allocation draft, they addressed that need in their first-ever trade, a deal to get local favorite Steve Spurrier from the San Francisco 49ers. The former Heisman Trophy
winner was obtained for a second-round draft choice and two of the veteran draftees, Bruce Elia
and Willie McGee. An earlier attempt to obtain a quarterback failed when the team sent a future draft pick to the Saints for backup quarterback Larry Cipa, only to waive him when he failed his physical. The Buccaneers also used a third-round pick to obtain defensive back Mike Washington from the Baltimore Colts.
' Director of Player Personnel since 1963 and was credited with much of their success, was hired as Vice President of Operations. Los Angeles Rams general manager Don Klosterman
and former Kansas City Chiefs
head coach Hank Stram
were early candidates for the job; but Klosterman withdrew, and Stram was interested in a combined coach/general manager position. Wolf was directly responsible for the drafting of 20 of the Raiders' 22 starters, and his effectiveness at scouting talent was believed to be a major reason for the Raiders' being one of the few teams not to belong to a scouting combine. The Buccaneers quickly developed a Raiders flavor, choosing to hire a scouting staff rather than rely on the computerized scouting reports that almost all other teams were using, and hiring Raiders business manager Ken LaRue to serve in the same capacity. One of Wolf's responsibilities was to assist in the hiring of a head coach. Wolf persuaded Culverhouse that it would be better for any prospect to gain a year of experience and knowledge in his present job, rather than be named at expansion time, when there was little or no advantage to having a coach in place.
Wolf named Tom Bass
director of player personnel. Bass had previously served as head of scouting and defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals
, the only team apart from the Buccaneers and Raiders that still maintained a human scouting staff instead of using the computerized services,, and the team on whose model the Buccaneers' expansion strategy was patterned. Bass was Paul Brown
's first coaching hire with the expansion Bengals, and previously had been an assistant under Sid Gillman
with the San Diego Chargers
, and with Don Coryell
at San Diego State
. Former McKay assistant and Utah State
head coach Phil Krueger
was added to the staff, joined shortly thereafter by USC assistants Wayne Fontes
and Willie Brown, as defensive backs and receivers coaches, respectively. Dennis Fryzel, the last University of Tampa
head coach, was added to handle special teams. Denver Broncos assistant Jerry Frei
was hired as offensive line coach, becoming McKay's first assistant hired from the professional ranks, and was followed by former New York Jets defensive coordinator Dick Voris, hired initially as defensive line coach. Abe Gibron
, former head coach of the Chicago Bears
and college teammate of McKay at Purdue
, was brought on board as a defensive assistant. The staff was completed with the addition of Atlanta Falcons
assistant and former Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills
head coach John Rauch as offensive coordinator. Tampa resident Harry Smith, a trainer with experience working with local college athletes such as John Matuszak
and Gary Huff
, became the team's strength and conditioning coach.
was considered to be the worst draft class in many years, with only eight high-quality prospects, as compared to the normal 27 or 28. The popularity of the wishbone offense
among college teams left the draft devoid of quarterback prospects. A drawing held the previous December gave the Buccaneers the rights to the first overall selection.
for quarterback Steve Spurrier. Their first 3rd-round pick was traded to Baltimore for cornerback Mike Washington
. Their first 4th-round pick and last 5th-round picks were traded to the Los Angeles Rams for linebacker Jim Peterson. Their 8th-round pick was traded to the New York Jets
for linebacker Steve Reese.
history and described as "one of the greatest defensive linemen I have ever watched" by coach McKay. Shortly thereafter, with their second pick of the second round, they took his brother Dewey. The two, who were the two leading tacklers on the 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team
, were the third pair of brothers in NFL history to go to the same team in the same draft. They became the only pair of brothers to play for the same NFL team at the same time until Lyle Blackwood
joined his brother Glenn
on the Miami Dolphins' roster in 1981
. The move prompted brother Lucious Selmon
to offer to come out of retirement if Tampa Bay would obtain his NFL rights. The Buccaneers spent their first second-round pick on Florida
fullback Jimmy DuBose, and took Colorado
offensive tackle Steve Young in the third round. Later-round picks who made the team included defensive back Curtis Jordan
, quarterback Parnell Dickinson, and running back George Ragsdale
. Carl Roaches
, later a Pro Bowl return man for the Houston Oilers, and Tommy West
, later the head coach of the University of Memphis
, were selected by the Buccaneers but did not make the roster.
, with a crew from NFL Films
on hand to film the proceedings. Chicago Bears quarterback and Tampa native Gary Huff showed up to taunt the receivers. McKay noted that many of the players were out of shape, and expressed surprise at players who he felt were not taking advantage of a big opportunity. Ron Wolf, after seeing the team's players in action, admitted disappointment at his own efforts in assembling the team. Defensive coordinator Abe Gibron, who promised to be honest with each player about his performance and told one that he had a chance of making the team, but that "You're built like Tarzan, but you run like Jane", assessed the defense as having the makings of a great front four. The team's smallest, and perhaps fastest, player was Carl Roaches, who at 5'6½" and 165 pounds, could run the 100-yard dash in 9.5 seconds. The team's strongest player was fitness fanatic Dave Pear, who could bench press 10 repetitions at 400 pounds. McKay was unimpressed with the candidates at backup quarterback, saying of one injured contender, "his hand is still bad, but his passing is worse". Middle linebacker soon proved to be a position for which there were no quality candidates in camp. Running back George Ragsdale impressed the coaches, but broke his wrist in training camp. Essex Johnson, the Cincinnati Bengals' all-time leading rusher and one of three remaining original Bengals, was obtained for "undisclosed considerations".
The (as McKay liked to point out, undefeated) team made their game debut against the Los Angeles Rams
in an exhibition at the Los Angeles Coliseum on July 31. McKay called the players' performance "unaggressive, uninspiring, lethargic, and unacceptable", and cut 15 players one day prior to the following Tuesday's cutdown date. McKay was pleased with the following week's improved performance against the Green Bay Packers
, a 10-6 loss in which a late interception of a Parnell Dickinson pass prevented a likely Buccaneer victory. After the Packers referred to them as the "Tampa Buccaneers", the Buccaneers threatened to introduce the "Green Packers" at their next meeting. The Buccaneers' first victory came in a 17-3 preseason win over the favored Atlanta Falcons
, in which they scored on runs by Steve Spurrier and Essex Johnson, and a Mirro Roder field goal. Although the win had no official significance, it raised optimism among fans, particularly due to the team's defensive performance. McKay himself was puzzled, unsure whether the win was due to a superior performance by Tampa Bay, or a lack of effort by the Falcons. Their home debut came in a 28-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins, in front of a crowd of 71,718, a crowd which Dolphins owner Joe Robbie said proved his longtime prediction that a Bay Area team would be a success.
The late preseason saw a wave of signings of players cut by other teams, particularly the Bengals and Colts. Signees included Isaac Hagins
, Danny Reece
, Dave Green
, and Jack Novak, with Ira Gordon and camp standout Jim Cagle among those waived to make roster space for them. Running back Charlie Davis
was also obtained via trade. The moves left the team with nine former Bengals on their roster, a situation they expected, as they knew that Bengals owner Paul Brown
had more young talent than he would be able to keep on his team. Linebacker Richard Wood was obtained from the New York Jets for a future draft choice, with injury-plagued running back Harold Hart placed on injured reserve to make roster space for him. Wood was the final roster addition of the preseason, and became the fifth ex-USC player on the roster.
when leaving the locker room to take the field for their opening game. They spent 20 minutes trying to find their way out, and barely made it to the field in time for the opening kickoff. The team started out with solid defensive play, ranking in the top 10 until injuries began to set in. They began to wear out as the Buccaneers' offensive ineptitude meant that the defense spent a lot of time on the field, over 100 plays in some games. Receiver Johnny McKay pointed out the tendency of the offense to feel pressured after a three-and-out possession, with the result that they would press even harder the next time, quickly going three-and-out again. Coach McKay said early on that controlling the ball for 40 percent of the game, as they were, was not long enough to win. Placekicker Mirro Roder
was cut after missing three field goals in the first two games, in both of which the Buccaneers were shut out. Roder was not replaced, with punter Dave Green
taking over his duties. Rick Jennings
spent the shortest amount of time with the club of all players that season; picked up on waivers from the Raiders on a Tuesday, he was released the same Thursday. New uniforms had to be ordered for the team when it was discovered that the fans could not tell the players apart because the numerals on the white uniforms could not be seen from the stands. Many local Miami Dolphins fans were angered when the NFL upheld the Buccaneers' demand that Dolphin games not be broadcast in the Tampa Bay area on days that the Buccaneers play at home. The timing of the decision led to the firing of Director of Administration Curt Mosher after the season.
The team failed to throw a touchdown pass in any of their first five games, three of which were shutout losses. Offensive coordinator John Rauch
walked out on the team during the week 5 game against Cincinatti, and gave 'personal differences' as the reason for his resignation. His duties were taken over by McKay, who pointed to the increased effectiveness of the team's "simpler" offense, saying that they were no longer "trying to do all the things people said you have to do in this league". On a strange NFL weekend in which O.J. Simpson was ejected from a game for fighting, the Chicago Bears lost a game due to a referee's inadvertent whistle, and Minnesota Vikings
receiver Sammy White
fumbled away a touchdown due to starting his celebration before entering the end zone, McKay launched an obscenity-filled tirade against Denver Broncos
coach John Ralston after a blowout loss. McKay admitted that his feelings dated back to their college rivalry, when McKay coached at USC and Ralston coached at Stanford University
, but pointed to specific plays such as a reverse and a last-minute punt return as evidence that Ralston was trying to run up the score
. Third-string running back Manfred Moore
caught a lucky break when, waived after the week 13 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, he was picked up by the Oakland Raiders
as an injury replacement for ex-Buccaneer Rick Jennings. He wound up going from an 0–13 team to the eventual Super Bowl
champion. Players began to meet for postgame parties at Steve Spurrier's house, in order to avoid having to show their faces in public. According to defensive end Pat Toomay
, "By the time we got to the last game of the season, we had so many injuries that we didn't feel we had much of a chance. Everybody was so sick of the season that they showed up packed and ready to get out of town. It looked like a bunch of Okie
s fleeing the dust bowl." McKay said that the week 4 game against the Baltimore Colts
summed up the season: "On one play I looked up and one of our guys was getting kicked out of the game, and two more were getting carried off".
The team did not score a touchdown until cornerback Danny Reece
returned a fumble 44 yards in the fourth game. Running back Louis Carter
threw their first touchdown pass in an "Expansion Bowl" loss to the Seattle Seahawks
in which the two teams combined for 310 yards in penalties. They were outscored 412–125, allowed 6.7 yards per play, and allowed an average of 183 rushing yards per game. Several factors contributed to their record. One was the cheapness of owner Culverhouse, who went so far as to lease the team jet from McCullough (the chainsaw manufacturer) Airlines. He at times had to pay for fuel with his own credit card, because of McCullough's financial difficulties. The offense was able to move the ball freely at times, but had difficulty getting the ball into the end zone, and were shut out five times. McKay and Spurrier had a difficult relationship, with Spurrier at times taking public potshots at McKay. Frustrated by the lack of quality receivers, Spurrier criticized McKay for playing his own son Johnny ahead of receivers Spurrier considered more capable. Coach McKay, for his part, questioned (rightly, according to Spurrier himself) Spurrier's drive, although he publicly defended Spurrier by terming fans who booed him "idiots". Spurrier was not the only player angered over the younger McKay's retention, and Pat Toomay later alleged that Spurrier would throw passes over the middle to McKay in an attempt to get him injured, but that McKay made no effort to catch them. Injuries were a large factor. Only five Buccaneers started all 14 games, and neither of the team's projected starting running backs, Harold Hart and Vince Kendrick, ever played a regular-season down for the team. The defense, who played the equivalent of two seasons in one due to the inability of the offense to mount sustained drives, was hit particularly hard by injuries. Toward the end of the year, the roster got so thin that the team signed undersized ex-USC linebacker Jimmie "Psycho" Sims straight off the streets. With no time to learn the system, Sims was simply instructed to blitz on every down. Finally, the losing was in part by design: McKay was determined to give experience to young players who he felt could help the team in the future, rather than obtain veterans who might help the team win a few games in the short run, but who would no longer be around by the time the team would develop into a championship contender.
The 2008 NFL Network program "10 Worst Teams of All Time" (produced prior to the 2008 Detroit Lions season) recognized the 1976 Buccaneers as the worst NFL team ever, although it is disputed that their record was deceptive, as they were decimated by injuries and were a play away from victory several times. There is some opinion that the 1976 team was not even the worst in Buccaneers history, with the 2-14 1986
squad deserving of that distinction.
, Houston, Texas
The Buccaneers, making their NFL debut against the Houston Oilers, averaged less than two yards per offensive play. They were unable to score despite being given good field position by two Oiler fumbles. Steve Spurrier completed 8 of 21 passes for 36 yards, and starting running backs Jimmy DuBose
and Louis Carter rushed for 12 yards on 15 carries. Despite being outgained 169 to 8 by the second quarter, they were only behind 7–0 and missed a chance to tie the score when Lee McGriff dropped a Spurrier pass in the end zone. A later drive ended when Spurrier overthrew John McKay, Jr.
, instead hitting defender C.L. Whittington
. A third chance to tie the score was lost when Mark Cotney
dropped an interception of a Dan Pastorini
pass with a clear path to the end zone. Whittington gave the Buccaneers the ball on the Oiler 11-yard line by fumbling a punt, but then killed the Buccaneers' scoring chances by intercepting another Spurrier pass. Ronnie Coleman ran 25 times for 142 yards for the Oilers. McKay expressed concern over the team's offense after the defeat, and responded to a reporter's taunt of "I thought you said you were going to win some games?" by saying, "Houston has been in the league 6,000 years and still hasn't won a championship. The Bucs will be heard from". It was a day with a bad beginning, middle, and ending for the Buccaneers. The day began with the Buccaneers getting lost in the maze-like Astrodome interior, and ended with the team's charter plane bouncing and rolling before righting itself on landing. In addition, starting tackle Dave Reavis
was injured during pregame warmups and was lost for the season.
The San Diego Chargers
got 16 first downs, compared to 5 for the Buccaneers. Chargers players and coaches praised the Buccaneers' defense, who held them to 9 points until the final three minutes of the game, saying that they played the equivalent of five quarters. Three Tampa Bay quarterbacks completed a combined 3 of 8 passes for −4 yards. Buccaneers receiver Bob Moore
said, "We're at rock bottom now...but if we start pointing a finger, we'll go 0–14". The Chargers finished with 325 yards of offense to the Buccaneers' 125. Inconsistent blocking was blamed for the offensive problems, a situation that was not helped by the injury to tackle Dave Reavis. Mercury Morris
, who had been picked up on waivers by the Chargers from the Miami Dolphins after the Buccaneers' preseason game against the Dolphins, commented that the difference in Buccaneers' offensive line protection between the two games was like watching two different teams. The Buccaneers' lack of speed was also noticeable. The loss marked the first time since 1961 that a professional football team was shut out in the first two games of the season, when the Oakland Raiders
were shut out by the same two teams in the same order.
The Buccaneers scored their first points, but were not able to score enough to win, despite statistically outperforming the Buffalo Bills
in most phases of the game. The Buccaneers had only three Dave Green field goals to show for seven possessions inside the Bills' 22-yard line. O.J. Simpson, who would rush for a season total of 1,503 yards, was held to only 39 yards on 20 carries. The Bills, the highest-scoring team in recent years, were 1 of 12 in third-down conversions, and were surpassed in yardage, first downs, rushing average, and number of total plays. Buffalo took the lead on Bob Chandler
's 58-yard reception of a tipped pass. The Buccaneers' 338 yards of offense, a great improvement over their previous two games, coincided with coach McKay's relenting to Steve Spurrier's demands that he be able to call his own plays. Spurrier suffered a bone chip in his throwing hand that made his status questionable for the next week's game.
, Baltimore, Maryland
After taking a 3–0 lead against one of the league's better teams on a Dave Green field goal, the Buccaneers were overwhelmed by the Baltimore Colts in a disastrous second quarter. A Danny Reece interception of a Bert Jones
pass was called back due to a roughing-the-passer penalty, and another was dropped by Richard Wood. Cornerback Mike Washington
was thrown out of the game for fighting. Cal Peterson
and Lee Roy Selmon went out with knee injuries. Film of the game appeared to indicate that the injury to Selmon was intentional. The Colts followed with 9 points in each of the next two quarters. The Buccaneers finally scored their first two touchdowns of the year, a fumble return by Danny Reece and a 1-yard Charlie Davis
run. The Colts set team records with eight sacks, and with 124 penalty yards. They outgained Tampa Bay 458 yards to 89 and 31 first downs to 6. The Buccaneers were only able to complete four passes; wide receiver Lee McGriff was their leading passer with a 39-yard completion. Said McKay afterward, "Field position hurt us badly, dropped passes hurt us badly, no blocking hurt us badly, injuries hurt us badly, and penalties hurt us badly. Otherwise, it was a perfect afternoon."
With four defensive starters out with injuries, the Buccaneers spotted the Cincinnati Bengals
a 14–0 first-quarter lead. The defense came together for the last three quarters, with the only points coming from Tommy Casanova
's 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Ken Anderson, the AFC
's leading passer, was held to 98 yards passing. Lacking healthy linebackers, the Buccaneers abandoned their 3–4 defense in favor of a 4–3. The Buccaneers held a 191–174 yardage advantage over the AFC Central-leading Bengals in the final 45 minutes. The Bengals declined to hand out game balls to any of their players after the win.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mike Curtis
blocked a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime, guaranteeing a Seahawk victory in what was billed as the "expansion bowl" meeting between two winless, first-year teams. The Buccaneers outgained the Seahawks, 285 yards to 253, but the officials outgained both, with 310 yards in penalties. The 35 penalties (accepted, 41 were thrown by the officials) were two short of the 25-year-old league record. Each team was penalized for holding eight times. Defensive tackle Pat Toomay complained that "the officials made us look like a bunch of idiots". Dan Ryczek
was the only Buccaneer lineman not to be called for holding. Tampa Bay running back Louis Carter, stuffed at the goal line, threw the ball to Morris Owens
, who dove into the end zone for the first Buccaneer passing touchdown. A tackle by Seahawk punter Rick Engles
prevented a touchdown return by Danny Reece that would have won the game for the Buccaneers. An earlier field goal try was blocked by Lyle Blackwood. The game ended with Dave Brown being helped from the field after being hit in the eye by the final penalty flag.
A blocked field goal and extra-point attempt provided the margin of victory for the Miami Dolphins. Ex-Dolphin receiver Morris Owens came back to haunt his old team with three touchdown catches. Starting quarterback Parnell Dickinson
threw the first, then was replaced by recently-acquired quarterback Terry Hanratty
after injuring his ankle. When Hanratty proved ineffective, Steve Spurrier, who had not practiced during the week due to a swollen knee, came off the bench to throw the final two touchdowns. It took a final-minute, 55-yard Garo Yepremian
field goal to clinch the game for the Dolphins, whose pass defense had been decimated by injuries. 192 of the Buccaneers' 334 total yards came through the air. John McKay would later point to this game as the high point of the Buccaneers' season. Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti
saw it differently, calling the narrow victory "a disgrace" and "the low point in Miami Dolphins' history".
, Kansas City, Missouri
The Kansas City Chiefs credited their defense with the win after holding the Buccaneers to 14 yards rushing. The Buccaneers managed only 2 first downs and 34 yards of total offense before exploding for three touchdowns in the final ten minutes. The Buccaneers were mistake-prone and ineffective throughout the first three quarters. Ken Stone was penalized for roughing on a missed field goal in the first quarter, with the result that the Chiefs got a second chance to kick it. The special teams allowed Henry Marshall
to return a punt 59 yards, setting up the Chiefs' second touchdown. They got 14 first downs and 162 yards in the final 15 minutes, scoring on an Essex Johnson run and passes from Steve Spurrier to Johnny McKay and Jack Novak
. Coach McKay felt that the difference was that the team did not begin giving effort until the fourth quarter. McKay also felt that the Chiefs left themselves vulnerable by trying to run up the score
. Bert Cooper, filling in at linebacker for an injured Steve Reese, was consistently exploited in the passing game. McKay later threated to fire players who he felt were giving a slack effort, specifically referring to a Chiefs kickoff that rolled all the way to the 4-yard line, with no Buccaneers trying to recover it. Spectators booed the team, and one threw a dead bird at Spurrier as he returned to the locker room after the game. Buccaneer defenders found some consolation in having held the AFC's top offensive team to only 13 points. Defensive end Council Rudolph
played, despite the death of his father the previous evening.
, Denver, Colorado
With the score tied 10–10, Buccaneer linebacker Cal Peterson suffered a career-ending injury untouched when his knee gave out while running in an interception for what would have been a touchdown. Lee Roy Selmon also suffered a season-ending knee injury. After taking a 13–10 lead on a Dave Green field goal, the injury-riddled Buccaneers were doomed by an 8½ minute span in which the Broncos scored 38 points. Coach McKay accused Broncos coach John Ralston of running up the score and stormed off of the field, refusing to shake hands with him after the game. He later referred to Ralston as a "horse's ass" and said, "I don't like any part of him. His day is coming". Ralston responded by pointing out that most of the Broncos points came on fumble recoveries and interceptions. McKay later revealed his thoughts on the team's likely high draft position, saying "This team needs a catalyst. Ricky Bell
can run through a wall".
, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
, New York
In what was according to coach Lou Holtz
a prearranged move, New York Jets
rookie quarterback Richard Todd was replaced by Joe Namath
late in the first quarter. Namath responded with a passing display that gave the Jets a 24–0 halftime lead. Saying that his players were "polite" to Namath, coach McKay compared the Buccaneers to a junior-high team, and said that the only thing they did better than the Jets was to be the first team on the field after halftime. Clark Gaines
rushed for 103 yards for the Jets. The Buccaneers' three quarterbacks combined for 171 yards passing, more than the Jets' quarterbacks, but the Buccaneers failed to score for the fourth time in the season. As the score rose, the press box announcer began calling out records set during the game, which included the Jets' first shutout in Shea Stadium. This was considered to be the Buccaneers' last good chance to win a game, with the next four opponents all in playoff contention. The Jets' 34 points were nearly a third of their season total to that point.
Strong first-half play left the Buccaneers tied 7–7 with the Cleveland Browns
at halftime, but they failed to maintain the intensity for the second half of the game. A screen pass from Steve Spurrier to Essex Johnson
caught the blitzing Cleveland linebackers out of position for a 13-yard touchdown. The solid blocking of the first half gave way to the Cleveland rush in the second half, and Spurrier was replaced with Parnell Dickinson in the fourth quarter. Dickinson wound up leaving the game with a season-ending knee injury on a play in which he threw an interception to Terry Brown. Two Browns players were ejected for fighting, in a game in which several Buccaneers complained of cheap shots being taken. Dave Pear
said, "If I had a gun, I would have shot them both in the head", of two Cleveland players who tried to take out his knees.
The Oakland Raiders, with an NFL-best 11–1 record, scored three touchdowns before the Buccaneers got their third first down. Mark van Eeghen
scored on two 1-yard runs. A 2-yard Ed Williams touchdown run tied the score at 7–7 after the Buccaneers recovered a fumble at the Oakland 14-yard line in the first quarter. A Dave Green field goal made the score 21–10 at halftime, but Ken Stabler
threw for two third-quarter touchdowns for the Raiders. Steve Spurrier finished the Buccaneers' scoring with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Morris Owens. Dewey Selmon
suffered a serious knee injury, the Buccaneers' 14th of the season, on the first play of the game.
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
John McKay gave ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Hanratty the start against his former team, saying that Hanratty's familiarity with the Steelers' schemes made him the best choice. "I don't know if I'm doing him a favor or not", said McKay, who compared the game to Custer's last stand
. Hanratty was pulled in favor of Steve Spurrier in the second half. McKay later told reporters critical of Hanratty's performance, "You guys should take a Sunday off and play behind our offensive line. They just poured in on us." Rocky Bleier ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns, and Terry Bradshaw
completed two touchdown passes to Lynn Swann
. Franco Harris
, with 55 yards rushing, became the fourth player both to rush for 5,000 yards in four seasons, and to gain 1,000 yards four or more times. The Steelers jumped out to a quick 21–0 lead, helped by two early Tampa Bay turnovers deep in their own territory. Pittsburgh players, some of whom could still remember having gone 1–13, described the game as "strange", but declined to comment on the Buccaneers' play. The Buccaneers managed only 85 yards of offense against a Steeler team that needed the win to maintain their playoff chances.
Two fumbles deep in New England Patriots
territory overcame a stubborn Buccaneer effort. The Patriots' 260 rushing yards stood for years as the most allowed in a game by the Buccaneers, while their total of four pass completions remains the least by a Tampa Bay opponent. New England came from behind twice on Andy Johnson
touchdown runs, and took the lead for good on Sam Hunt
's 58-yard return of a Steve Spurrier interception. Johnson's first touchdown run was a 69-yarder that set a club record. Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan
set an NFL record with four seconds left, rushing for his 12th touchdown of the year. The Buccaneers also set an NFL record, by becoming the only team to go winless in a 14-game season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
played their debut season in 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, 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 more eleven times. Colorful, maverick former 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...
, whose wisecracking remarks occasionally agitated fans and the league, led the team. Lee Roy Selmon
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 Buccaneers' only Hall of Fame representative (as of 2009), made his rookie debut in an injury-plagued season.
The expansion draft was largely made up of aging veterans, giving the Buccaneers little basis for success. The lack of medical information provided on players in the expansion draft contributed heavily to the team's problems, as they finished the season with 17 players on injured reserve. They were last in the league in points scored, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns. After a 19-point 4th-quarter performance brought them within striking distance of a victory in week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs, they were blown out of every game the rest of the season. Subsequent expansion teams were given a more generous allotment of draft picks and expansion draft opportunities, in part to avoid a repeat of the Buccaneers' difficulties.
John McKay
Owner Hugh CulverhouseHugh 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...
, encouraged by recommendations from Vice President of Operations Ron Wolf
Ron Wolf
Ron Wolf is the former American football general manager of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. He also played a significant role in personnel operations with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders from 1963–1975, and again from 1978–1990...
and Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
coaching legend Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
, chose John McKay, winner of four national championships at USC, as the first Buccaneer head coach. Aided by a string of great tailbacks, including Heisman Trophy winners O.J. Simpson and Mike Garrett
Mike Garrett
Michael Lockett Garrett is a former American collegiate and professional football player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy as a tailback for the University of Southern California Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers...
, McKay was credited with popularizing the I formation
I formation
The I formation is one of the most common offensive formations in American football. The I formation draws its name from the vertical alignment of quarterback, fullback, and running back, particularly when contrasted with the same players' alignments in the T formation.The formation begins with...
. Other candidates considered included Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
, Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
, and Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
. McKay was reportedly offered a five-year contract worth $750,000, plus cars, insurance, and real estate, and turned down an offer from 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...
and a counter-offer from USC to take the job. Critical of the NFL, he had turned down offers from professional teams in the past. McKay cited NCAA cutbacks in finances and recruiting as motivations for leaving the college ranks, saying simply that it was "time to try something else". McKay's only promise was that he would beat what he called "Pittsburgh's timetable", referencing the fact that it took the Steelers 41 years to win their first championship.
McKay quotes
McKay had a natural sense of humor that helped him to cope with the pressures of the long losing streak, and it was not unusual for his press conferences to resemble comedy routines. While this may have helped cope with the on-field frustrations, it also served to mask how difficult the experience was for him, a situation his son RichRich 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:...
compared to "taking off in a jet airplane and finding out that neither engine works."
- On hearing about kicker Pete Rajecki's nervousness at playing in front of McKay: "That's unfortunate, as I plan on attending all the games".
- At a postgame press conference: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a bunch of bananas."
- At the following week's press conference, after a member of the media left a case of bananas at his door: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a Mercedes-Benz."
- On John BrodieJohn BrodieJohn Riley Brodie is a former professional American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.-Early years and education:...
's comment that Steve Spurrier throws one of three passes into the ground: "That's OK, we'll just get shorter receivers." - "We've determined that we can't win at home and we can't win on the road. What we need is a neutral site."
- "We didn't block real good, but we made up for it by not tackling."
- When asked how he compared coaching in Tampa to coaching at USC: "It's a three-hour time difference."
- "Mr. Culverhouse has been a great owner. He hasn't come to the dressing room yet to give me any suggestions. Well, I need some advice. I called the Baltimore owner, but he was busy".
- To players planning on staying in Tampa over the offseason: "Stop by my office tomorrow and pick up some fake noses and mustaches so no one recognizes your sorry asses".
- "We'll be back. Maybe not in this century, but we'll be back."
Additionally, assistant coach Dennis Fryzel
Dennis Fryzel
Dennis Fryzel was the last head football coach at the University of Tampa. He was the captain of the football team at Garfield Heights High School, where he lost his teeth to on-the-field injuries. He attended Denison University, where he played football and ran track...
, when the team was penalized for having 12 players on the field, asked a referee, "Which one was it?" And injured guard Ira Gordon
Ira Gordon
Ira Lawrence Gordon is a former professional American football player who played offensive tackle for six seasons for the San Diego Chargers. He was a starter for the last two. Left unprotected in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
reportedly told McKay, "Coach, I got the x-ray, but I don't feel any better".
McKay's comments on coaching in the NFL
I don't know what this pro football mystique is. I've gone to the pro camps. They throw the ball, they catch the ball. Many of them are ex-USC players. I'm not amazed at what they do. I've watched the pros play. They run traps, they pitch the ball, they sweep. What else is there?
- John McKay, in Sports Illustrated
Coach McKay had won four national championships while coaching at USC, and he never hesitated to express his lack of awe at the NFL. He earned enemies in the league with his dismissive comments and nonchalant attitude. The league liked to promote the games as having life-or-death significance, and were undercut by a coach who would make statements such as, "You draw X's and O's on a blackboard and that's not so difficult. I can even do it with my left hand". Such statements made the Buccaneers' road more difficult, as a feeling grew around the league that McKay was a newcomer who needed to be taught a lesson. Linebacker Richard 'Batman' Wood echoed those sentiments: "It was a brand-new organization. Who cared about us? They wanted to devastate us, beat us in the ground. And with coach McKay coming from college, they wanted to maybe even play us a little harder." Examples given of opponents using McKay's comments as an excuse to run up the score included the reverse that Denver ran late in a 48-10 victory, and the timeout that Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks is a former American football coach, a head coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The offensive and defensive systems he introduced and helped develop have proven influential in the NFL....
called at the end of the Patriots game to enable Steve Grogan to break the NFL record of season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. One sports analyst had predicted that McKay's lucrative contract would encourage opposing coaches to run up the score on the Buccaneers, to be able to demonstrate to their team owners that they were deserving of similar money.
Fed up with the attitude that he had to prove himself in the NFL, McKay once drunkenly needled Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
by saying, "I think pro coaches should have to prove themselves by winning four national championships in the colleges". He later admitted to having ruffled some feathers in the NFL, but said, "it wasn't as if they didn't deserve it".
Other winless teams
Five previous teams finished with a winless and tieless season recordImperfect season
An imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
, mostly during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: the 1934 Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds (NFL)
The Cincinnati Reds were a National Football League team that played the 1933 season and the first eight games of the 1934 season. The football Reds played most of their home games at Crosley Field...
at 0–8, the 1942 Detroit Lions
1942 Detroit Lions season
The 1942 Detroit Lions season resulted in the Lions having the first winless season since Cincinnati went 0-8 in 1934. It would remain the only imperfect season for the Lions until 2008.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:***...
at 0–11, the Chicago Cardinals
1943 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1943 Chicago Cardinals season was the 24th season the team was in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 3-8, losing all ten games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 18th consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
, the Brooklyn Tigers
1944 Brooklyn Tigers season
The 1944 Brooklyn Tigers season was their 15th and final season in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 2-8, losing all ten games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season.-Schedule:...
at 0–10, and the 1944 Chicago Cardinals/Pittsburgh Steelers at 0–10 (the Cardinals and Steelers merged for the 1944 season
1944 NFL season
The 1944 NFL season was the 25th regular season of the United States National Football League. The Boston Yanks joined the league as an expansion team. Also, the Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to Brooklyn Tigers. Meanwhile, both the Cleveland Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles resumed their...
and are commonly referred to as Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt was the name for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals, during the 1944 season. The teams were forced to merge, because both had lost many players to World War II military service...
, or, derisively, as the "carpet"). The 14-game single-season losing streak was matched by the 1981 Baltimore Colts
1981 Baltimore Colts season
The 1981 Baltimore Colts season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1981 season with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, and finished tied for fourth in the AFC East division with the New England Patriots...
, who won their opener and closer, but lost every game in between. The 1982 Colts
1982 Baltimore Colts season
The 1982 Baltimore Colts season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League, and the Colts' penultimate season in Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1982 season with a record of 0 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie. They finished fifth in the AFC East...
were winless in a strike-shortened season, but did get a tie in one game. The 0–14 record has since been matched by the 1980 New Orleans Saints
1980 New Orleans Saints season
The 1980 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 14th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 8-8, winning only one game. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive season and had the dubious...
, who won their second to last game to end the season 1–15. The 1990 New England Patriots
1990 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1990 season with a record of one win and fifteen losses, and finished last in the AFC East division...
had a 1–1 record when several of the players sexually harassed a female reporter. The fallout from the scandal contributed to the team finishing 0–14 in its final games. The record was surpassed by the 2001 Carolina Panthers
2001 Carolina Panthers season
-Regular season:-References:...
, who lost their last fifteen games to eclipse the Buccaneers' record for consecutive games lost in a single season, and 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...
, the only winless team in the era of 16-game schedules. Nine NFL teams have lost 15 or more games in a season since the 1976 Buccaneers' record. The Buccaneers' 26-game losing streak from 1976 to 1977 still stands as the longest in modern NFL history.
Offseason
The Buccaneers signed their first-ever free agents in January: former Birmingham AmericansBirmingham Americans
The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League . The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in the upstart league's inaugural season in 1974...
and Nebraska guard Tom Alward, 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...
and Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
defensive end Pete Duranko
Pete Duranko
Peter Nicholas Duranko was a college and professional American football player. A defensive end, he played college football at Notre Dame, and his professional career for the Denver Broncos...
, and 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...
wide receiver Wayne Wheeler. Having not selected a quarterback in the veteran allocation draft, they addressed that need in their first-ever trade, a deal to get local favorite Steve Spurrier from the San Francisco 49ers. The former Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner was obtained for a second-round draft choice and two of the veteran draftees, Bruce Elia
Bruce Elia
Bruce Louis Elia is a former college and professional American football player. In college, Elia played on both the offensive and defensive teams for the Ohio State Buckeyes...
and Willie McGee. An earlier attempt to obtain a quarterback failed when the team sent a future draft pick to the Saints for backup quarterback Larry Cipa, only to waive him when he failed his physical. The Buccaneers also used a third-round pick to obtain defensive back Mike Washington from the Baltimore Colts.
Coaching Staff
Ron Wolf, who had been the Oakland RaidersOakland 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...
' Director of Player Personnel since 1963 and was credited with much of their success, was hired as Vice President of Operations. Los Angeles Rams general manager Don Klosterman
Don Klosterman
Donald Clement Klosterman was one of professional football's most accomplished executives, building teams in three different leagues after a serious accident ended his playing career as a quarterback and left his legs partially paralyzed...
and former Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
head coach Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
were early candidates for the job; but Klosterman withdrew, and Stram was interested in a combined coach/general manager position. Wolf was directly responsible for the drafting of 20 of the Raiders' 22 starters, and his effectiveness at scouting talent was believed to be a major reason for the Raiders' being one of the few teams not to belong to a scouting combine. The Buccaneers quickly developed a Raiders flavor, choosing to hire a scouting staff rather than rely on the computerized scouting reports that almost all other teams were using, and hiring Raiders business manager Ken LaRue to serve in the same capacity. One of Wolf's responsibilities was to assist in the hiring of a head coach. Wolf persuaded Culverhouse that it would be better for any prospect to gain a year of experience and knowledge in his present job, rather than be named at expansion time, when there was little or no advantage to having a coach in place.
Wolf named Tom Bass
Tom Bass (American football)
Tom Bass is a retired American football coach who spent 30 years as an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Diego Chargers. He played at San Diego State University as a lineman until a bout of polio left him unable to play football. He then served as an undergraduate...
director of player personnel. Bass had previously served as head of scouting and defensive coordinator for 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...
, the only team apart from the Buccaneers and Raiders that still maintained a human scouting staff instead of using the computerized services,, and the team on whose model the Buccaneers' expansion strategy was patterned. Bass was Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
's first coaching hire with the expansion Bengals, and previously had been an assistant under Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman
Sidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football player, coach, executive, and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in...
with 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...
, and with Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
at San Diego State
San Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
. Former McKay assistant and Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
head coach Phil Krueger
Phil Krueger (coach)
Phil Krueger was a college football coach at Fresno State, and Utah State. From 1964 to 1965, he coached at Fresno State, where he compiled a 10-10 record. From 1973 to 1975, he coached at Utah State, where he compiled a 21-12 record. His overall record stands at 31-22.-References:...
was added to the staff, joined shortly thereafter by USC assistants Wayne Fontes
Wayne Fontes
Wayne Fontes is a former American football coach and college and professional football player who was the head coach of the NFL's Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1996. His 67 wins and 71 losses are each the most for a head coach in team history.-Background and early career:Fontes was born in the...
and Willie Brown, as defensive backs and receivers coaches, respectively. Dennis Fryzel, the last University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
head coach, was added to handle special teams. Denver Broncos assistant Jerry Frei
Jerry Frei
Gerald L. "Jerry" Frei was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oregon from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 22–29–2. At Oregon, Frei coached Dan Fouts and Ahmad Rashad...
was hired as offensive line coach, becoming McKay's first assistant hired from the professional ranks, and was followed by former New York Jets defensive coordinator Dick Voris, hired initially as defensive line coach. Abe Gibron
Abe Gibron
Abraham Gibron was an American football coach and player. He is best remembered for his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Bears...
, former head coach of 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 college teammate of McKay at Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, was brought on board as a defensive assistant. The staff was completed with the addition of 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...
assistant and former Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach John Rauch as offensive coordinator. Tampa resident Harry Smith, a trainer with experience working with local college athletes such as John Matuszak
John Matuszak
John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981...
and Gary Huff
Gary Huff
Gary Earl Huff , who graduated from Leto Senior High School in Tampa, Florida and played college football and baseball at Florida State University, was a professional football quarterback. He was an All-American at FSU, where he led the nation in touchdown passes in 1971 and 1972...
, became the team's strength and conditioning coach.
Expansion Draft
The list of available players was released only 72 hours before the draft, and included many medical rejects who did not even report to training camp. McKay initially felt that the draft included a higher-than-expected level of talent, joking that "they're in their late 30s. I couldn't be happier". While the expansion draft did not include many well-known starters, it included several players who had notoriety with previous professional and college teams:- Larry BallLarry BallLarry Lavern Ball is a retired American football linebacker.Ball was drafted out of University of Louisville in the 1972 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions. During his National Football League career, he participated in 79 games...
and Doug SwiftDoug SwiftDoug Swift is a former American football linebacker who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. Swift moved into the starting lineup as a rookie and held the strongside linebacker position for the next six seasons, including the Dolphins' Super Bowl victories...
of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins1972 Miami Dolphins seasonThe 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
team. Swift was left unprotected by the Dolphins, and the Buccaneers drafted him, unaware of the previous day's newspaper report that Swift had been accepted into medical school and would be retiring from football. - Joe BlahakJoe BlahakJoseph Philip "Joe" Blahak is a former professional football player, a defensive back for several NFL teams in the mid 1970s. He played college football at Nebraska under head coach Bob Devaney, and was a member of the 1970 and 1971 undefeated national championship teams...
, who played for the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football teamThe 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1971 college football season. Nebraska was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln...
National Championship team and caught an interception in their Orange Bowl1972 Orange BowlThe 1972 Orange Bowl was played on January 1, 1972, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. In the final game of the 1971 college football season, top-ranked and defending national champion Nebraska soundly defeated the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 38–6....
win over AlabamaAlabama Crimson Tide football|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. - Former USC tailbacks Anthony Davis and Manfred MooreManfred MooreManfred Moore is a former professional American football running back and, briefly, rugby league football player of the 1970s.-Early years:...
. Davis did not report immediately, as he was still under contract to the Toronto ArgonautsToronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe 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....
. - Starting San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe 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...
guard Ira Gordon. - Howard FestHoward FestHoward Arthur Fest is a former American football offensive lineman who played in the American Football League and in the National Football League . He was an original member of the AFL Cincinnati Bengals, playing with them for 9 years. He began his career at tackle, but later moved to guard. He...
, a member of the Cincinnati Bengals 19681968 Cincinnati Bengals seasonThe 1968 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's first year in professional football.Paul Brown, who left the Cleveland Browns following the 1962 season with an NFL record of 115–49–6, seven conference titles, and three NFL championships, had the urge to get back into football. His son Mike Brown...
expansion team. - Harold Hart, the Oakland Raiders running back who had led the AFC in kick returns the previous season.
- Vince KendrickVince KendrickVincent Kendrick is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for two seasons during the 1970s...
, the former Florida GatorsFlorida Gators footballThe 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...
fullback who had been left unprotected by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe 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...
due to a knee injury. - Johnny McKay, former USC wide receiver and son of coach McKay. McKay and Anthony Davis also both played with the Southern California SunSouthern California SunThe Southern California Sun were an American football team based out of Anaheim, California that played in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975. Their records were 13-7 in 1974 and 7-5 in 1975. Their home stadium was Anaheim Stadium...
of the World Football LeagueWorld Football LeagueThe World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
before joining the NFL. - Dave PearDave PearDavid Pear is a retired American football defensive tackle. He was the first Tampa Bay Buccaneers player to be selected to the Pro Bowl and played in Super Bowl XV for the winning Oakland Raiders....
, who would become the first Buccaneer selected as an All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
. - Pat ToomayPat ToomayPatrick Jay Toomay was an American football defensive end who played 10 years in the National Football League for four different teams: the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Oakland Raiders...
, the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' defensive line MVP and former Dallas CowboyDallas CowboysThe 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...
, who he believed was placed on the expansion list as a form of blackballing due to the publication of his novel The Crunch. - Mike CurrentMike CurrentMichael Current was a college and professional offensive lineman in the 1960s and '70s.Current played left tackle for the Ohio State Buckeyes under head coach Woody Hayes. After backing up All American Jim Davidson as a sophomore, Current became a starter as junior in 1965...
and Ken Stone, who would go on to have productive careers with the Dolphins and Cardinals, respectively. - Mark CotneyMark CotneyMark Cotney , is a former professional American football player who played in 10 NFL seasons from 1975-1984 for the Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Selected by the Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft, he was a member of the original winless 1976 team and the 1979 team that played in...
and Dave ReavisDave ReavisDavid Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983....
, who went on to become key starters for the Buccaneers.
NFL Draft
The 1976 NFL Draft1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
was considered to be the worst draft class in many years, with only eight high-quality prospects, as compared to the normal 27 or 28. The popularity of the wishbone offense
Wishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the ’bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense...
among college teams left the draft devoid of quarterback prospects. A drawing held the previous December gave the Buccaneers the rights to the first overall selection.
| Pick | Round | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | 1 | Lee Roy Selmon 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... |
Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
| 30 | 2 | Jimmy DuBose Jimmy DuBose Jimmy DeWayne DuBose is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for three seasons in the 1970s... |
Running Back | 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... |
| 60 | 2 | Dewey Selmon Dewey Selmon Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.... |
Linebacker | Oklahoma |
| 61 | 3 | Steve Young | Tackle | Colorado Colorado Buffaloes football The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,... |
| 91 | 3 | Steve Maughan | Linebacker | Utah State Utah State Aggies The Utah State Aggies are the athletics teams of Utah State University. The school fields men's varsity teams in basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and track and field. Women's varsity teams include basketball, cross country, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field,... |
| 121 | 4 | Richard Appleby | Wide Receiver | Georgia Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
| 124 | 4 | Everett Little | Guard | Houston Houston Cougars football The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by... |
| 125 | 5 | Michael Kelson | Defensive Back | West Texas State West Texas A&M University West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910... |
| 154 | 5 | Steve Wilson Steve Wilson (offensive lineman) Steve Wilson is a former American football center in the National Football League who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1985. He was the last original Buccaneer to retire and the only original Buc player to be a starter in each of the first 10 seasons of the franchise... |
Tackle | Georgia |
| 158 | 6 | Curtis Jordan Curtis Jordan Curtis Wayne Jordan is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins... |
Defensive Back | Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders football Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
| 183 | 7 | Parnell Dickinson Parnell Dickinson Parnell Dickinson is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for one season... |
Quarterback | Mississippi Valley State Mississippi Valley State University Mississippi Valley State University is a historically black university located in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in the United States. MVSU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.... |
| 238 | 9 | Bruce Welch | Guard | Texas A&M Texas A&M Aggies football The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18... |
| 267 | 10 | Sid Smith | Linebacker | Brigham Young Brigham Young University Cougars football The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl... |
| 292 | 11 | Melvin Washington | Defensive Back | Colorado State Colorado State Rams football The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild... |
| 321 | 12 | George Ragsdale George Ragsdale George Ragsdale is a former professional American football player who played running back for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ragsdale more commonly was called on to return kicks on special teams... |
Running Back | North Carolina A&T North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a land-grant university located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest publicly funded historically black college in the state of North Carolina.NC A&T is a constituent institution of the University of North... |
| 348 | 13 | Brad Jenkins | Tight End | Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
| 377 | 14 | Carl Roaches Carl Roaches Carl Roaches is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner in the NFL who played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints . He went to the Pro Bowl after the 1981 season.... |
Wide Receiver | Texas A&M |
| 404 | 15 | Bob Dzierzak | Defensive Tackle | Utah State |
| 433 | 16 | Tommy West Tommy West -External links:* *... |
Linebacker | Tennessee Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
| 460 | 17 | Jack Berry | Quarterback | Washington & Lee Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of... |
| = 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... er |
= Hall of Fame 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... r |
Draft Trades
As an expansion team, the Buccaneers were given two extra picks in each of the 2nd–5th rounds. Their second 2nd-round pick was traded to the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for quarterback Steve Spurrier. Their first 3rd-round pick was traded to Baltimore for cornerback Mike Washington
Mike Washington
Mike Washington , is a former American professional football player who played in 9 NFL seasons from 1976-1984 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike was selected in the in 3rd round of 1975 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts....
. Their first 4th-round pick and last 5th-round picks were traded to the Los Angeles Rams for linebacker Jim Peterson. Their 8th-round pick was traded to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for linebacker Steve Reese.
Draft Selections
With the first selection in the draft, the Buccaneers picked Lee Roy Selmon, considered to be the best defensive tackle in OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
history and described as "one of the greatest defensive linemen I have ever watched" by coach McKay. Shortly thereafter, with their second pick of the second round, they took his brother Dewey. The two, who were the two leading tacklers on the 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team
1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 1975-1976. The team was helmed by Barry Switzer in his third season as head coach. After sailing through their first eight games, Oklahoma suffered a surprising home loss to Kansas,...
, were the third pair of brothers in NFL history to go to the same team in the same draft. They became the only pair of brothers to play for the same NFL team at the same time until Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Vernon Blackwood played safety position in the National Football League and is best known for teaming alongside his brother, Glenn Blackwood with the Miami Dolphins as part of the notorious "Killer B's" defense...
joined his brother Glenn
Glenn Blackwood
Glenn Allen Blackwood was a safety who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Blackwood attended the University of Texas. His brother Lyle Blackwood also played in the NFL, and they were teammates from 1981 through 1986 with the Miami Dolphins...
on the Miami Dolphins' roster in 1981
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:...
. The move prompted brother Lucious Selmon
Lucious Selmon
-Collegiate career :Selmon came to Oklahoma from Eufaula High School in 1970, and played nose guard for the Oklahoma Sooners for both Chuck Fairbanks and Barry Switzer. He was a consensus All-American in 1973, and was named Chevrolet/ABC National Defensive Player of the Year, Big 8 Conference...
to offer to come out of retirement if Tampa Bay would obtain his NFL rights. The Buccaneers spent their first second-round pick on 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...
fullback Jimmy DuBose, and took Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
offensive tackle Steve Young in the third round. Later-round picks who made the team included defensive back Curtis Jordan
Curtis Jordan
Curtis Wayne Jordan is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins...
, quarterback Parnell Dickinson, and running back George Ragsdale
George Ragsdale
George Ragsdale is a former professional American football player who played running back for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ragsdale more commonly was called on to return kicks on special teams...
. Carl Roaches
Carl Roaches
Carl Roaches is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner in the NFL who played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints . He went to the Pro Bowl after the 1981 season....
, later a Pro Bowl return man for the Houston Oilers, and Tommy West
Tommy West
-External links:* *...
, later the head coach of the University of Memphis
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
, were selected by the Buccaneers but did not make the roster.
Preseason
The Buccaneers' first training camp began on July 6, at the team's training facility near Tampa International AirportTampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
, with a crew from NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
on hand to film the proceedings. Chicago Bears quarterback and Tampa native Gary Huff showed up to taunt the receivers. McKay noted that many of the players were out of shape, and expressed surprise at players who he felt were not taking advantage of a big opportunity. Ron Wolf, after seeing the team's players in action, admitted disappointment at his own efforts in assembling the team. Defensive coordinator Abe Gibron, who promised to be honest with each player about his performance and told one that he had a chance of making the team, but that "You're built like Tarzan, but you run like Jane", assessed the defense as having the makings of a great front four. The team's smallest, and perhaps fastest, player was Carl Roaches, who at 5'6½" and 165 pounds, could run the 100-yard dash in 9.5 seconds. The team's strongest player was fitness fanatic Dave Pear, who could bench press 10 repetitions at 400 pounds. McKay was unimpressed with the candidates at backup quarterback, saying of one injured contender, "his hand is still bad, but his passing is worse". Middle linebacker soon proved to be a position for which there were no quality candidates in camp. Running back George Ragsdale impressed the coaches, but broke his wrist in training camp. Essex Johnson, the Cincinnati Bengals' all-time leading rusher and one of three remaining original Bengals, was obtained for "undisclosed considerations".
The (as McKay liked to point out, undefeated) team made their game debut against the 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,...
in an exhibition at the Los Angeles Coliseum on July 31. McKay called the players' performance "unaggressive, uninspiring, lethargic, and unacceptable", and cut 15 players one day prior to the following Tuesday's cutdown date. McKay was pleased with the following week's improved performance against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, a 10-6 loss in which a late interception of a Parnell Dickinson pass prevented a likely Buccaneer victory. After the Packers referred to them as the "Tampa Buccaneers", the Buccaneers threatened to introduce the "Green Packers" at their next meeting. The Buccaneers' first victory came in a 17-3 preseason win over the favored 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...
, in which they scored on runs by Steve Spurrier and Essex Johnson, and a Mirro Roder field goal. Although the win had no official significance, it raised optimism among fans, particularly due to the team's defensive performance. McKay himself was puzzled, unsure whether the win was due to a superior performance by Tampa Bay, or a lack of effort by the Falcons. Their home debut came in a 28-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins, in front of a crowd of 71,718, a crowd which Dolphins owner Joe Robbie said proved his longtime prediction that a Bay Area team would be a success.
The late preseason saw a wave of signings of players cut by other teams, particularly the Bengals and Colts. Signees included Isaac Hagins
Isaac Hagins
Isaac Ben Hagins is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern....
, Danny Reece
Danny Reece
Danny Reece is a retired American football cornerback.-Childhood:Danny grew up with 8 siblings -- 5 brothers and 3 sisters, most of them younger. His brothers also played football, but Danny was the only one who played professionally. His father, Lyoud Reece, served on the USS Arizona during the...
, Dave Green
Dave Green (American football)
Dave Green is a former punter and placekicker in the National Football League. He played for the Houston Oilers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, and Jack Novak, with Ira Gordon and camp standout Jim Cagle among those waived to make roster space for them. Running back Charlie Davis
Charlie Davis (running back)
Charles Douglas "Charlie" Davis is a former American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League...
was also obtained via trade. The moves left the team with nine former Bengals on their roster, a situation they expected, as they knew that Bengals owner Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
had more young talent than he would be able to keep on his team. Linebacker Richard Wood was obtained from the New York Jets for a future draft choice, with injury-plagued running back Harold Hart placed on injured reserve to make roster space for him. Wood was the final roster addition of the preseason, and became the fifth ex-USC player on the roster.
Regular season
According to Coach McKay, the team's progress was set back as they spent the preseason trying to find out which veterans would develop into regulars, but found that the younger players were better. This meant that the team started over from the beginning as the regular season began. The tone for the season seemed to be set as the team got lost in the Houston AstrodomeReliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
when leaving the locker room to take the field for their opening game. They spent 20 minutes trying to find their way out, and barely made it to the field in time for the opening kickoff. The team started out with solid defensive play, ranking in the top 10 until injuries began to set in. They began to wear out as the Buccaneers' offensive ineptitude meant that the defense spent a lot of time on the field, over 100 plays in some games. Receiver Johnny McKay pointed out the tendency of the offense to feel pressured after a three-and-out possession, with the result that they would press even harder the next time, quickly going three-and-out again. Coach McKay said early on that controlling the ball for 40 percent of the game, as they were, was not long enough to win. Placekicker Mirro Roder
Mirro Roder
Mirro Roder is a former American football placekicker who played 3 seasons in the National Football League....
was cut after missing three field goals in the first two games, in both of which the Buccaneers were shut out. Roder was not replaced, with punter Dave Green
Dave Green (American football)
Dave Green is a former punter and placekicker in the National Football League. He played for the Houston Oilers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
taking over his duties. Rick Jennings
Rick Jennings
Richard Jennings, who attended Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., was a college football player at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a professional football player for the Oakland Raiders , the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , and the San Francisco 49ers. In 1976, he was drafted by the...
spent the shortest amount of time with the club of all players that season; picked up on waivers from the Raiders on a Tuesday, he was released the same Thursday. New uniforms had to be ordered for the team when it was discovered that the fans could not tell the players apart because the numerals on the white uniforms could not be seen from the stands. Many local Miami Dolphins fans were angered when the NFL upheld the Buccaneers' demand that Dolphin games not be broadcast in the Tampa Bay area on days that the Buccaneers play at home. The timing of the decision led to the firing of Director of Administration Curt Mosher after the season.
The team failed to throw a touchdown pass in any of their first five games, three of which were shutout losses. Offensive coordinator John Rauch
John Rauch
John "Johnny" Rauch was an American football player and coach. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II in 1968.-Early life:...
walked out on the team during the week 5 game against Cincinatti, and gave 'personal differences' as the reason for his resignation. His duties were taken over by McKay, who pointed to the increased effectiveness of the team's "simpler" offense, saying that they were no longer "trying to do all the things people said you have to do in this league". On a strange NFL weekend in which O.J. Simpson was ejected from a game for fighting, the Chicago Bears lost a game due to a referee's inadvertent whistle, and 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...
receiver Sammy White
Sammy White (American football)
Sammy White is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL.After attending Grambling State University, White played all ten seasons of his professional career as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, winning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of...
fumbled away a touchdown due to starting his celebration before entering the end zone, McKay launched an obscenity-filled tirade against 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...
coach John Ralston after a blowout loss. McKay admitted that his feelings dated back to their college rivalry, when McKay coached at USC and Ralston coached at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, but pointed to specific plays such as a reverse and a last-minute punt return as evidence that Ralston was trying to run up the score
Running up the score
In North American sports, "running up the score" occurs when a team continues to play in such a way as to score additional points after the outcome of the game is no longer in question and the team is assured of winning...
. Third-string running back Manfred Moore
Manfred Moore
Manfred Moore is a former professional American football running back and, briefly, rugby league football player of the 1970s.-Early years:...
caught a lucky break when, waived after the week 13 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, he was picked up by 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...
as an injury replacement for ex-Buccaneer Rick Jennings. He wound up going from an 0–13 team to the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
champion. Players began to meet for postgame parties at Steve Spurrier's house, in order to avoid having to show their faces in public. According to defensive end Pat Toomay
Pat Toomay
Patrick Jay Toomay was an American football defensive end who played 10 years in the National Football League for four different teams: the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Oakland Raiders...
, "By the time we got to the last game of the season, we had so many injuries that we didn't feel we had much of a chance. Everybody was so sick of the season that they showed up packed and ready to get out of town. It looked like a bunch of Okie
Okie
Okie is a term dating from as early as 1907, originally denoting a resident or native of Oklahoma. It is derived from the name of the state, similar to Texan or Tex for someone from Texas, or Arkie or Arkansawyer for a native of Arkansas....
s fleeing the dust bowl." McKay said that the week 4 game against the Baltimore 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 ....
summed up the season: "On one play I looked up and one of our guys was getting kicked out of the game, and two more were getting carried off".
The team did not score a touchdown until cornerback Danny Reece
Danny Reece
Danny Reece is a retired American football cornerback.-Childhood:Danny grew up with 8 siblings -- 5 brothers and 3 sisters, most of them younger. His brothers also played football, but Danny was the only one who played professionally. His father, Lyoud Reece, served on the USS Arizona during the...
returned a fumble 44 yards in the fourth game. Running back Louis Carter
Louis Carter
Louis Edward Carter is a former running back in the National Football League. He played for the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
threw their first touchdown pass in an "Expansion Bowl" loss to 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...
in which the two teams combined for 310 yards in penalties. They were outscored 412–125, allowed 6.7 yards per play, and allowed an average of 183 rushing yards per game. Several factors contributed to their record. One was the cheapness of owner Culverhouse, who went so far as to lease the team jet from McCullough (the chainsaw manufacturer) Airlines. He at times had to pay for fuel with his own credit card, because of McCullough's financial difficulties. The offense was able to move the ball freely at times, but had difficulty getting the ball into the end zone, and were shut out five times. McKay and Spurrier had a difficult relationship, with Spurrier at times taking public potshots at McKay. Frustrated by the lack of quality receivers, Spurrier criticized McKay for playing his own son Johnny ahead of receivers Spurrier considered more capable. Coach McKay, for his part, questioned (rightly, according to Spurrier himself) Spurrier's drive, although he publicly defended Spurrier by terming fans who booed him "idiots". Spurrier was not the only player angered over the younger McKay's retention, and Pat Toomay later alleged that Spurrier would throw passes over the middle to McKay in an attempt to get him injured, but that McKay made no effort to catch them. Injuries were a large factor. Only five Buccaneers started all 14 games, and neither of the team's projected starting running backs, Harold Hart and Vince Kendrick, ever played a regular-season down for the team. The defense, who played the equivalent of two seasons in one due to the inability of the offense to mount sustained drives, was hit particularly hard by injuries. Toward the end of the year, the roster got so thin that the team signed undersized ex-USC linebacker Jimmie "Psycho" Sims straight off the streets. With no time to learn the system, Sims was simply instructed to blitz on every down. Finally, the losing was in part by design: McKay was determined to give experience to young players who he felt could help the team in the future, rather than obtain veterans who might help the team win a few games in the short run, but who would no longer be around by the time the team would develop into a championship contender.
The 2008 NFL Network program "10 Worst Teams of All Time" (produced prior to the 2008 Detroit Lions season) recognized the 1976 Buccaneers as the worst NFL team ever, although it is disputed that their record was deceptive, as they were decimated by injuries and were a play away from victory several times. There is some opinion that the 1976 team was not even the worst in Buccaneers history, with the 2-14 1986
1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 2-14 season. This was one of the worst seasons in franchise history. There is some sentiment that the 1986 team was even worse than the winless team of 1976. The Buccaneers selected Bo Jackson with the top pick in the...
squad deserving of that distinction.
Roster
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Mike Current Michael Current was a college and professional offensive lineman in the 1960s and '70s.Current played left tackle for the Ohio State Buckeyes under head coach Woody Hayes. After backing up All American Jim Davidson as a sophomore, Current became a starter as junior in 1965... ** RT Howard Fest Howard Arthur Fest is a former American football offensive lineman who played in the American Football League and in the National Football League . He was an original member of the AFL Cincinnati Bengals, playing with them for 9 years. He began his career at tackle, but later moved to guard. He... ** LG/T Dave Reavis David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983.... ** T Dan Ryczek Daniel Stanley Ryczek is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at the University of Virginia and was drafted in the thirteenth round of the 1971 NFL... * C John Ward (American football) John Henry Ward is a former National Football League lineman who played from 1970 to 1976 for the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... ** G/C Steve Wilson (offensive lineman) Steve Wilson is a former American football center in the National Football League who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1985. He was the last original Buccaneer to retire and the only original Buc player to be a starter in each of the first 10 seasons of the franchise... * RG/C/T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Larry Ball Larry Lavern Ball is a retired American football linebacker.Ball was drafted out of University of Louisville in the 1972 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions. During his National Football League career, he participated in 79 games... Jimmy Gunn Jimmy Gunn is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Professional career:Gunn played for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers between 1970 and 1976.... ** LLB Cal Peterson Calvin Elston "Cal" Peterson is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Raiders.... ** LLB Dewey Selmon Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.... * RDT/LB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Rookies in italics * = starter ** = opening day starter |
|||||
Coaching staff
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976 coaching staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
|
|||||
Schedule
| Regular season | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | TV | Attendance | Record | |
| 1 | September 12 | Houston Oilers | L 20–0 | 2:00 | The Astrodome | NBC NFL on NBC NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS... |
42,228 | 0–1 |
| 2 | September 19 | 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... |
L 23–0 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 39,558 | 0–2 |
| 3 | September 26 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 14–9 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 44,505 | 0–3 |
| 4 | October 3 | Baltimore 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 .... |
L 42–17 | 1:00 | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road... |
NBC | 40,053 | 0–4 |
| 5 | October 10 | 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... |
L 21–0 | 1:00 | Riverfront Stadium | NBC | 40,700 | 0–5 |
| 6 | October 17 | 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... |
L 13–10 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
43,458 | 0–6 |
| 7 | October 24 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–20 | 4:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 61,437 | 0–7 |
| 8 | October 31 | Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
L 28–19 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 41,779 | 0–8 |
| 9 | November 7 | 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... |
L 48–13 | 4:00 | Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the... |
NBC | 61,703 | 0–9 |
| 10 | November 14 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34–0 | 1:00 | Shea Stadium Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008... |
NBC | 46,427 | 0–10 |
| 11 | November 21 | 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... |
L 24–7 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 36,930 | 0–11 |
| 12 | November 28 | 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... |
L 49–16 | 4:00 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | NBC | 49,590 | 0–12 |
| 13 | December 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 42–0 | 1:00 | Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to... |
NBC | 43,385 | 0–13 |
| 14 | December 12 | 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... |
L 31–14 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | NBC | 41,517 | 0–14 |
Standings
| 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:... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders 1976 Oakland Raiders season -Season:The Road to their first World Championship began on opening day as they faced the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In their home opener, Oakland trailed 28–14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their Comeback Classic of 1976... |
13 | 1 | 0 | .929 | 350 | 237 |
| Denver Broncos 1976 Denver Broncos season The 1976 Denver Broncos season was the team's 17th year in professional football and its seventh with the National Football League. The team finished the season with a winning record for the third time in the last four seasons. It was John Ralston's final season as the team's head... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 315 | 206 |
| San Diego Chargers 1976 San Diego Chargers season The 1976 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 2–12 record in 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*1976 NFL season... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 248 | 285 |
| Kansas City Chiefs 1976 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1976 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a third consecutive 5–9 record and no playoff berth.Buck Buchanan announced his retirement in February, while Len Dawson announced his own departure on May 1. Off the field, Jack Steadman was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf was named general... |
5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 290 | 376 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | 14 | 0 | .000 | 125 | 412 |
Week 1: at Houston Oilers
September 12, 1976 at The AstrodomeReliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
The Buccaneers, making their NFL debut against the Houston Oilers, averaged less than two yards per offensive play. They were unable to score despite being given good field position by two Oiler fumbles. Steve Spurrier completed 8 of 21 passes for 36 yards, and starting running backs Jimmy DuBose
Jimmy DuBose
Jimmy DeWayne DuBose is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for three seasons in the 1970s...
and Louis Carter rushed for 12 yards on 15 carries. Despite being outgained 169 to 8 by the second quarter, they were only behind 7–0 and missed a chance to tie the score when Lee McGriff dropped a Spurrier pass in the end zone. A later drive ended when Spurrier overthrew John McKay, Jr.
John McKay, Jr.
John Kenneth "J.K." McKay is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 16th round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC....
, instead hitting defender C.L. Whittington
C.L. Whittington
Columbus Lorenzo "C. L." Whittington is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Prairie View A&M University for one season in 2003, compiling a record of 1–10. Whittington played college football at Prairie View A&M from 1970 to 1973 and then...
. A third chance to tie the score was lost when Mark Cotney
Mark Cotney
Mark Cotney , is a former professional American football player who played in 10 NFL seasons from 1975-1984 for the Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Selected by the Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft, he was a member of the original winless 1976 team and the 1979 team that played in...
dropped an interception of a Dan Pastorini
Dan Pastorini
Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
pass with a clear path to the end zone. Whittington gave the Buccaneers the ball on the Oiler 11-yard line by fumbling a punt, but then killed the Buccaneers' scoring chances by intercepting another Spurrier pass. Ronnie Coleman ran 25 times for 142 yards for the Oilers. McKay expressed concern over the team's offense after the defeat, and responded to a reporter's taunt of "I thought you said you were going to win some games?" by saying, "Houston has been in the league 6,000 years and still hasn't won a championship. The Bucs will be heard from". It was a day with a bad beginning, middle, and ending for the Buccaneers. The day began with the Buccaneers getting lost in the maze-like Astrodome interior, and ended with the team's charter plane bouncing and rolling before righting itself on landing. In addition, starting tackle Dave Reavis
Dave Reavis
David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983....
was injured during pregame warmups and was lost for the season.
Week 2: vs San Diego Chargers
September 19, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
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...
got 16 first downs, compared to 5 for the Buccaneers. Chargers players and coaches praised the Buccaneers' defense, who held them to 9 points until the final three minutes of the game, saying that they played the equivalent of five quarters. Three Tampa Bay quarterbacks completed a combined 3 of 8 passes for −4 yards. Buccaneers receiver Bob Moore
Bob Moore (American football)
Robert Moore is a former American football tight end, who played eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Stanford University....
said, "We're at rock bottom now...but if we start pointing a finger, we'll go 0–14". The Chargers finished with 325 yards of offense to the Buccaneers' 125. Inconsistent blocking was blamed for the offensive problems, a situation that was not helped by the injury to tackle Dave Reavis. Mercury Morris
Mercury Morris
Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris , is a former American football player, nicknamed early on for his mercurial quickness when running with the ball. Morris was a running back and kick returner for 9 years, playing mostly for the Miami Dolphins...
, who had been picked up on waivers by the Chargers from the Miami Dolphins after the Buccaneers' preseason game against the Dolphins, commented that the difference in Buccaneers' offensive line protection between the two games was like watching two different teams. The Buccaneers' lack of speed was also noticeable. The loss marked the first time since 1961 that a professional football team was shut out in the first two games of the season, when 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...
were shut out by the same two teams in the same order.
Week 3: vs Buffalo Bills
September 26, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
The Buccaneers scored their first points, but were not able to score enough to win, despite statistically outperforming the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in most phases of the game. The Buccaneers had only three Dave Green field goals to show for seven possessions inside the Bills' 22-yard line. O.J. Simpson, who would rush for a season total of 1,503 yards, was held to only 39 yards on 20 carries. The Bills, the highest-scoring team in recent years, were 1 of 12 in third-down conversions, and were surpassed in yardage, first downs, rushing average, and number of total plays. Buffalo took the lead on Bob Chandler
Bob Chandler
Robert Donald Chandler was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League.-Professional career:...
's 58-yard reception of a tipped pass. The Buccaneers' 338 yards of offense, a great improvement over their previous two games, coincided with coach McKay's relenting to Steve Spurrier's demands that he be able to call his own plays. Spurrier suffered a bone chip in his throwing hand that made his status questionable for the next week's game.
Week 4: at Baltimore Colts
October 3, 1976 at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
, Baltimore, Maryland
After taking a 3–0 lead against one of the league's better teams on a Dave Green field goal, the Buccaneers were overwhelmed by the Baltimore Colts in a disastrous second quarter. A Danny Reece interception of a Bert Jones
Bert Jones
Bertram Hays "Bert" Jones is a former LSU and NFL quarterback who played for the then Baltimore Colts and, briefly, the Los Angeles Rams. At Ruston High School, he was given the nickname, "The Ruston Rifle"...
pass was called back due to a roughing-the-passer penalty, and another was dropped by Richard Wood. Cornerback Mike Washington
Mike Washington
Mike Washington , is a former American professional football player who played in 9 NFL seasons from 1976-1984 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike was selected in the in 3rd round of 1975 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts....
was thrown out of the game for fighting. Cal Peterson
Cal Peterson
Calvin Elston "Cal" Peterson is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Raiders....
and Lee Roy Selmon went out with knee injuries. Film of the game appeared to indicate that the injury to Selmon was intentional. The Colts followed with 9 points in each of the next two quarters. The Buccaneers finally scored their first two touchdowns of the year, a fumble return by Danny Reece and a 1-yard Charlie Davis
Charlie Davis (running back)
Charles Douglas "Charlie" Davis is a former American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League...
run. The Colts set team records with eight sacks, and with 124 penalty yards. They outgained Tampa Bay 458 yards to 89 and 31 first downs to 6. The Buccaneers were only able to complete four passes; wide receiver Lee McGriff was their leading passer with a 39-yard completion. Said McKay afterward, "Field position hurt us badly, dropped passes hurt us badly, no blocking hurt us badly, injuries hurt us badly, and penalties hurt us badly. Otherwise, it was a perfect afternoon."
Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals
October 10, 1976 at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
With four defensive starters out with injuries, the Buccaneers spotted 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...
a 14–0 first-quarter lead. The defense came together for the last three quarters, with the only points coming from Tommy Casanova
Tommy Casanova
Thomas Henry "Tommy" Casanova, III is an ophthalmologist in Crowley, Louisiana, and a former American football player and politician. He played football for the LSU Tigers and the Cincinnati Bengals...
's 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Ken Anderson, the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
's leading passer, was held to 98 yards passing. Lacking healthy linebackers, the Buccaneers abandoned their 3–4 defense in favor of a 4–3. The Buccaneers held a 191–174 yardage advantage over the AFC Central-leading Bengals in the final 45 minutes. The Bengals declined to hand out game balls to any of their players after the win.
Week 6: vs Seattle Seahawks
October 17, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mike Curtis
Mike Curtis (American football)
James Michael "Mike" Curtis is a former professional American football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was...
blocked a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime, guaranteeing a Seahawk victory in what was billed as the "expansion bowl" meeting between two winless, first-year teams. The Buccaneers outgained the Seahawks, 285 yards to 253, but the officials outgained both, with 310 yards in penalties. The 35 penalties (accepted, 41 were thrown by the officials) were two short of the 25-year-old league record. Each team was penalized for holding eight times. Defensive tackle Pat Toomay complained that "the officials made us look like a bunch of idiots". Dan Ryczek
Dan Ryczek
Daniel Stanley Ryczek is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at the University of Virginia and was drafted in the thirteenth round of the 1971 NFL...
was the only Buccaneer lineman not to be called for holding. Tampa Bay running back Louis Carter, stuffed at the goal line, threw the ball to Morris Owens
Morris Owens
Morris Owens , is a former professional American football player who was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading receiver in 1976, their first season in the National Football League. He is also Hilly Hicks' uncle....
, who dove into the end zone for the first Buccaneer passing touchdown. A tackle by Seahawk punter Rick Engles
Rick Engles
Rick B. Engles was a former professional American football player who played in three NFL seasons from 1976-1978 for the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles....
prevented a touchdown return by Danny Reece that would have won the game for the Buccaneers. An earlier field goal try was blocked by Lyle Blackwood. The game ended with Dave Brown being helped from the field after being hit in the eye by the final penalty flag.
Week 7: vs Miami Dolphins
October 24, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
A blocked field goal and extra-point attempt provided the margin of victory for the Miami Dolphins. Ex-Dolphin receiver Morris Owens came back to haunt his old team with three touchdown catches. Starting quarterback Parnell Dickinson
Parnell Dickinson
Parnell Dickinson is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for one season...
threw the first, then was replaced by recently-acquired quarterback Terry Hanratty
Terry Hanratty
Terrence Hugh "Terry" Hanratty was a former professional American football quarterback in the NFL during the 1960s and 1970s, he earned two Super Bowl rings as the backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, his hometown team....
after injuring his ankle. When Hanratty proved ineffective, Steve Spurrier, who had not practiced during the week due to a swollen knee, came off the bench to throw the final two touchdowns. It took a final-minute, 55-yard Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
field goal to clinch the game for the Dolphins, whose pass defense had been decimated by injuries. 192 of the Buccaneers' 334 total yards came through the air. John McKay would later point to this game as the high point of the Buccaneers' season. Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti
Nick Buoniconti
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti is a former American Football League and NFL Hall of Fame middle linebacker, who played for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins....
saw it differently, calling the narrow victory "a disgrace" and "the low point in Miami Dolphins' history".
Week 8: vs Kansas City Chiefs
October 30, 1976 at Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
The Kansas City Chiefs credited their defense with the win after holding the Buccaneers to 14 yards rushing. The Buccaneers managed only 2 first downs and 34 yards of total offense before exploding for three touchdowns in the final ten minutes. The Buccaneers were mistake-prone and ineffective throughout the first three quarters. Ken Stone was penalized for roughing on a missed field goal in the first quarter, with the result that the Chiefs got a second chance to kick it. The special teams allowed Henry Marshall
Henry Marshall
Henry H. Marshall , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 3rd round of the 1976 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 212-lb...
to return a punt 59 yards, setting up the Chiefs' second touchdown. They got 14 first downs and 162 yards in the final 15 minutes, scoring on an Essex Johnson run and passes from Steve Spurrier to Johnny McKay and Jack Novak
Jack Novak
Jack Novak was a player in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1975 to 1977 as a tight end. Novak was drafted by the Bengals in the twelfth round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Bengals...
. Coach McKay felt that the difference was that the team did not begin giving effort until the fourth quarter. McKay also felt that the Chiefs left themselves vulnerable by trying to run up the score
Running up the score
In North American sports, "running up the score" occurs when a team continues to play in such a way as to score additional points after the outcome of the game is no longer in question and the team is assured of winning...
. Bert Cooper, filling in at linebacker for an injured Steve Reese, was consistently exploited in the passing game. McKay later threated to fire players who he felt were giving a slack effort, specifically referring to a Chiefs kickoff that rolled all the way to the 4-yard line, with no Buccaneers trying to recover it. Spectators booed the team, and one threw a dead bird at Spurrier as he returned to the locker room after the game. Buccaneer defenders found some consolation in having held the AFC's top offensive team to only 13 points. Defensive end Council Rudolph
Council Rudolph
Council Rudolph, Jr. is a former professional American football player.-Career:Rudolph played defensive end for six seasons for the Houston Oilers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Council attended Kentucky State University, where he is in the Hall of Fame...
played, despite the death of his father the previous evening.
Week 9: at Denver Broncos
November 7, 1976 at Mile High StadiumMile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...
, Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
With the score tied 10–10, Buccaneer linebacker Cal Peterson suffered a career-ending injury untouched when his knee gave out while running in an interception for what would have been a touchdown. Lee Roy Selmon also suffered a season-ending knee injury. After taking a 13–10 lead on a Dave Green field goal, the injury-riddled Buccaneers were doomed by an 8½ minute span in which the Broncos scored 38 points. Coach McKay accused Broncos coach John Ralston of running up the score and stormed off of the field, refusing to shake hands with him after the game. He later referred to Ralston as a "horse's ass" and said, "I don't like any part of him. His day is coming". Ralston responded by pointing out that most of the Broncos points came on fumble recoveries and interceptions. McKay later revealed his thoughts on the team's likely high draft position, saying "This team needs a catalyst. 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...
can run through a wall".
Week 10: at New York Jets
November 14, 1976 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park, Flushing Meadows Park or Flushing Meadows, is a public park in New York City. It contains the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the U.S...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
In what was according to coach Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
a prearranged move, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
rookie quarterback Richard Todd was replaced by Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
late in the first quarter. Namath responded with a passing display that gave the Jets a 24–0 halftime lead. Saying that his players were "polite" to Namath, coach McKay compared the Buccaneers to a junior-high team, and said that the only thing they did better than the Jets was to be the first team on the field after halftime. Clark Gaines
Clark Gaines
Clark Daniel Gaines is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs over the course of his 7 year career.-Early years:...
rushed for 103 yards for the Jets. The Buccaneers' three quarterbacks combined for 171 yards passing, more than the Jets' quarterbacks, but the Buccaneers failed to score for the fourth time in the season. As the score rose, the press box announcer began calling out records set during the game, which included the Jets' first shutout in Shea Stadium. This was considered to be the Buccaneers' last good chance to win a game, with the next four opponents all in playoff contention. The Jets' 34 points were nearly a third of their season total to that point.
Week 11: vs Cleveland Browns
November 21, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Strong first-half play left the Buccaneers tied 7–7 with 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...
at halftime, but they failed to maintain the intensity for the second half of the game. A screen pass from Steve Spurrier to Essex Johnson
Essex Johnson
Essex L. Johnson is a former professional American football running back for eight seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and one season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
caught the blitzing Cleveland linebackers out of position for a 13-yard touchdown. The solid blocking of the first half gave way to the Cleveland rush in the second half, and Spurrier was replaced with Parnell Dickinson in the fourth quarter. Dickinson wound up leaving the game with a season-ending knee injury on a play in which he threw an interception to Terry Brown. Two Browns players were ejected for fighting, in a game in which several Buccaneers complained of cheap shots being taken. Dave Pear
Dave Pear
David Pear is a retired American football defensive tackle. He was the first Tampa Bay Buccaneers player to be selected to the Pro Bowl and played in Super Bowl XV for the winning Oakland Raiders....
said, "If I had a gun, I would have shot them both in the head", of two Cleveland players who tried to take out his knees.
Week 12: at Oakland Raiders
November 28, 1976 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
The Oakland Raiders, with an NFL-best 11–1 record, scored three touchdowns before the Buccaneers got their third first down. Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen ,is an American football player, who played ten years in the National Football League, including making two Super Bowl appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders and for two seasons, the New England Patriots...
scored on two 1-yard runs. A 2-yard Ed Williams touchdown run tied the score at 7–7 after the Buccaneers recovered a fumble at the Oakland 14-yard line in the first quarter. A Dave Green field goal made the score 21–10 at halftime, but Ken Stabler
Ken Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
threw for two third-quarter touchdowns for the Raiders. Steve Spurrier finished the Buccaneers' scoring with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Morris Owens. Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League....
suffered a serious knee injury, the Buccaneers' 14th of the season, on the first play of the game.
Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers
December 5, 1976 at Three Rivers StadiumThree Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
John McKay gave ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Hanratty the start against his former team, saying that Hanratty's familiarity with the Steelers' schemes made him the best choice. "I don't know if I'm doing him a favor or not", said McKay, who compared the game to Custer's last stand
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
. Hanratty was pulled in favor of Steve Spurrier in the second half. McKay later told reporters critical of Hanratty's performance, "You guys should take a Sunday off and play behind our offensive line. They just poured in on us." Rocky Bleier ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns, and Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
completed two touchdown passes to Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
. Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
, with 55 yards rushing, became the fourth player both to rush for 5,000 yards in four seasons, and to gain 1,000 yards four or more times. The Steelers jumped out to a quick 21–0 lead, helped by two early Tampa Bay turnovers deep in their own territory. Pittsburgh players, some of whom could still remember having gone 1–13, described the game as "strange", but declined to comment on the Buccaneers' play. The Buccaneers managed only 85 yards of offense against a Steeler team that needed the win to maintain their playoff chances.
Week 14: vs New England Patriots
December 12, 1976 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Two fumbles deep in 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...
territory overcame a stubborn Buccaneer effort. The Patriots' 260 rushing yards stood for years as the most allowed in a game by the Buccaneers, while their total of four pass completions remains the least by a Tampa Bay opponent. New England came from behind twice on Andy Johnson
Andy Johnson (American football)
Andy Johnson , is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League during the 1970s.-Education:...
touchdown runs, and took the lead for good on Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt (American football)
Sam Hunt is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 15th round of the 1974 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stephen F. Austin State University.Hunt also played for the Green Bay Packers...
's 58-yard return of a Steve Spurrier interception. Johnson's first touchdown run was a 69-yarder that set a club record. Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
set an NFL record with four seconds left, rushing for his 12th touchdown of the year. The Buccaneers also set an NFL record, by becoming the only team to go winless in a 14-game season.
Scores by quarter
Awards and Records
- Steve SpurrierSteve SpurrierStephen 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...
and Pat ToomayPat ToomayPatrick Jay Toomay was an American football defensive end who played 10 years in the National Football League for four different teams: the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Oakland Raiders...
were named offensive and defensive MVPs, respectively. - Dave PearDave PearDavid Pear is a retired American football defensive tackle. He was the first Tampa Bay Buccaneers player to be selected to the Pro Bowl and played in Super Bowl XV for the winning Oakland Raiders....
was named team MVP by area sportwriters - Morris Owens' three touchdowns against Miami on Oct. 24 stood for 9 years as the team record, and is still second-place all-time (both for touchdowns and points scored in a single game).
- The defense allowed 933 plays, the lowest until the 1998 team allowed 925.
- The 321 passing attempts and 180 completions are both the least ever allowed by the Buccaneers.