1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Encyclopedia
The 1983
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
season began with high expectations, as it was considered by some to be the Buccaneers' best squad yet. They were predicted by some to be Super Bowl
contenders,, but disappointment quickly set in as personnel changes and a rash of injuries contributed to a league-worst 2-14 record. The team was unable to agree on a contract with quarterback Doug Williams, resulting in his departure for the USFL. Jack Thompson was acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals
as what was termed "an insurance move" during Williams' negotiations, for a draft choice would turn out to be the top pick in the 1984 NFL Draft
. The team's record was somewhat deceptive; they lost numerous close games, but failed to execute at key times. According to McKay, "I think the other teams looking at us respect us. I don't think anyone is volunteering to play us". Opposing coach Bud Grant
pointed out that they were "losing games they should've won". The Buccaneers took their opponents into overtime several times during a season that included a record number of overtime games league-wide. Nine of their losses were by a touchdown or less, and six by a field goal or less. James Wilder
emerged as one of the NFL's best running backs, but was not able to finish the season due to injury. Eighteen different players spent time on the injured reserve list over the course of the season, and only three started all sixteen games. This season ended the Buccaneers' streak of having made the playoffs three of the last four seasons, and began a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons.
After the Buccaneers' first-ever undefeated preseason, the regular season began with a long losing streak. The loss of Williams was believed to be a major distraction to the team. Without Williams' strong arm and scrambling ability, the Buccaneers were forced to remake their offense as a short passing attack, with James Wilder as the primary target. Opponents were successful at shutting down that short attack, and the Buccaneers were successful at neither running the ball nor hitting Kevin House
and Jimmie Giles
with deep passes. Injuries had much to do with their troubles: every member of the offensive line suffered an early-season injury. The Buccaneers ranked last in the league in the ratio of touchdowns scored to touchdowns allowed. The linebackers and defensive backfield were also hit hard by injuries. The inconsistency of kicker Bill Capece
cost the team some games, and eventually led to McKay's famous pronouncement that "Capece is kaput". McKay blamed the team's problems on lack of effort and threatened personnel changes, though admitting that replacements would not be readily found. Attendance began to decline, with fans calling for McKay's retirement. It was pointed out that the revenue lost through unsold tickets would have more than covered the $200,000 gap between what Williams had demanded and the team had been willing to pay. Owner Hugh Culverhouse
reported an expected loss of $1.25 million due to declining ticket sales, while merchants reported a drop in merchandise sales. The team's final 2-14 record tied them with the Houston Oilers
for the league's worst mark, but the Buccaneers were awarded last place over the Oilers by virtue of their opponents' worse combined winning percentage.
renewed criticism of the performance of the Buccaneer offense. Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls
stated that the Buccaneers' game plan was very familiar, as it was exactly the same as on previous meetings. He also claimed that Doug Williams made postgame comments complaining of the offense's conservatism, although Williams said that his actual comments were misinterpreted by Walls. Coach John McKay responded by saying that he would continue to run the offense as usual, and not hire an offensive coordinator. Rumors began to fly that McKay was hoping for a good season so as to be able to retire on a winning note, with Dick Vermeil
and Wayne Fontes
mentioned as likely replacements.
were fired soon after the end of the 1982
season. Johnson was replaced by University of Miami
offensive coordinator and former Florida Gators
center Kim Helton
. McKay described Helton as an excellent teacher in Miami's pro-style offense. University of Illinois
receivers coach and former Bengal Chip Myers
took over Dowler's vacated receivers' coach spot. The changes were criticized as cosmetic moves that replaced Johnson, who had notable success building offensive lines over a 23-year career, with Helton, who had no professional experience at all. Furthermore, the Buccaneers had allowed the least sacks of any NFL team during Johnson's four-year tenure.
was waived after failing a physical due to a back injury, Randy Crowder
retired to take a coaching job at Penn State
, and Bill Kollar
was waived when he was deemed to be a medical risk if he played again. The loss of Kollar left the roster thin at defensive end, as there were only four players remaining at that position. Of these, Dave Stalls
was trying to maintain Colorado residency in order to obtain a veterinary license, and so notified the club that he would retire if not traded to the Denver Broncos
. Charley Hannah
entered a contract dispute with the team, with the result that Sean Farrell began to be trained at tackle.
The offseason was marked by disputes over player salary. Offensive tackle Charley Hannah
was unable to come to terms with the team, and was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders
for defensive end Dave Browning
and a 1984
fourth-round draft choice. Jimmie Giles held out of training camp, and attempted to use threats of leaving for the USFL as leverage to get his contract renegotiated. Giles, who was upset because the previous year's players' association contract expiration prevented a promised renegotiation from occurring, became the first Buccaneer to engage in a training camp holdout while under contract. Mark Cotney
also had difficulty reaching an agreement with the team, but was eventually able to settle a contract. Lee Roy Selmon
was awarded a new three-year contract that made him the highest-paid defensive end in the league.
McKay spoke of the need to begin replacing the aging original players, with the process already having begun at linebacker. However, the secondary featured four starters who were all at or near the age of 30, and who would all need to be replaced over the next couple of years.
backup Mike Moroski, and behind that of both Dallas backup quarterbacks and some teams' punters and kickers. Buccaneer spokesman Rick Odioso responded that Williams had refused several offers to increase his salary and extend his contract, instead preferring to play the contract through to the end. Odioso also pointed out that the reported base salaries did not reflect performance and signing bonuses, on which the Buccaneers depended more heavily than most NFL teams. Believing his worth to have been around $400,000, which was in line with what most top NFL quarterbacks were being paid, Williams had rejected the team's contract offers in previous years in an attempt to force the team to pay him fairly or trade him.
Soon after the reporting of the salary, Williams' wife Janice developed severe headaches. A brain tumor was diagnosed, and emergency surgery was performed. She died a week later. The tragedy required that Williams leave his daughter to be raised by his mother in Louisiana, leaving him with no personal ties to the Tampa area. It also delayed negotiations.
Despite rumors that he might retire or leave for the USFL, Williams expressed the desire to play the rest of his career as a Buccaneer before going into coaching, with an eventual goal of succeeding Eddie Robinson as coach of Grambling. The Buccaneers made an offer that owner Hugh Culverhouse
called "generous" and said would place Williams among the five highest-paid NFL quarterbacks. Williams' agent denied this, saying that the Buccaneers' offer was for substantially less than several quarterbacks make, was less than what his client Joe Namath
received from the New York Jets
in 1975, and that the Buccaneers should be embarrassed by it. Williams made two different salary demands during the negotiations, raising his demands when hearing about the salaries paid to Dan Fouts
and to rookies John Elway
and Tony Eason
. The team made a second offer that was described by negotiator Phil Krueger
as being comparable to that paid to Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Steve Bartkowski
. After rejecting this offer, Williams began to speak of the USFL as a definite alternative. Williams' demands were in the range of $800,000 to $900,000. When Williams rejected the Buccaneers' offer, they traded the following year's first-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals
for backup quarterback Jack Thompson. Williams interpreted the move as a message that the team was no longer interested in his services, and suggested that the team's willingness to deal first-round draft picks was a sign of their reluctance to pay for top-quality talent. It is believed that, as a traditionally low-paying team (25th lowest of the 28 teams, according to union figures), the Buccaneers' salary structure would be disrupted by meeting Williams' demands, which might result in higher salary demands from Pro Bowlers such as Lee Roy Selmon
and Jimmie Giles
.
Krueger told Williams' agent, Jimmy Walsh, that the team's $400,000 offer would be withdrawn if Williams did not report for the opening of training camp. Williams and Walsh lowered their request to $600,000, a price that the team said they would have been willing to meet before the Thompson trade. Williams charged that he would not have been treated so poorly in negotiations had he been white, and said "I hope the Bucs go 0-16 but all my friends make the Pro Bowl". On August 9, Williams called a 28th-birthday press conference to announce his signing with the USFL Oklahoma Outlaws for a sum worth substantially more than what Tampa Bay offered, ending his time as a player with the Buccaneers. Williams also reported that guard Greg Roberts, a close friend who had encouraged him to sign with Oklahoma, was also considering moving to the USFL.
. Although Reese's development was slow, the team still claimed to have no regrets over the decision. The Buccaneers did not select until the 45th pick in the draft, with offensive line, linebacker, and defensive back considered to be need areas, although the team considered themselves to be a mature team with no glaring needs. Offensive line was considered to be a deep position in the draft, but the team did not expect to find an overlooked player the way they had Sean Farrell
the previous year. Tackle Sid Abramowitz
, linebacker Darryl Talley
, and safety Dave Duerson
were highly-regarded candidates expected to be available in the mid-second round, although personnel director Ken Herock
stated that the team would pick one of the premier quarterbacks
(Williams was at that point still expected to sign) if one fell to them. The team eventually identified defensive backs Mike Richardson of Arizona State
and Darrell Green
of Texas A&I, and Baylor
center Randy Grimes
, as the three players they would most like to see available.
The Buccaneers had no 1st-round pick this year, having traded it the previous year to the Chicago Bears
for their 1982
2nd-round pick, which they used to select Booker Reese
. The extra 6th-round pick came from the San Francisco 49ers
, in return for the Buccaneers' 1984
4th-round pick.
had still been available, was to be given a look at tackle, despite never having played a position other than center. Grimes' selection was a surprise, as the Buccaneers were considered to already have a stockpile of talent at the interior line positions, but McKay felt that he was too good to pass up. Alabama
cornerback Jeremiah Castille
, who Bear Bryant
had once called "pound for pound, the best player in the SEC
", was considered short at 5'9", but was considered to have good speed and to play well against the run. Kelly Thomas and Ken Kaplan were huge offensive tackles with great upper body strength. Thomas, who McKay said would make the team unless he were to drop dead, was believed to potentially be comparable to his USC teammates Bruce Matthews and Don Mosebar
, but had been overlooked due to having been an offensive lineman for only three years. Tony Chickillo was a defensive tackle who had fought back from a crushed pelvis to become a starter for the University of Miami
. Wide receiver Rheugene Branton had been a star player at Tampa's C. Leon King High School
. Hasson Arbubakrr
was compared to a smaller version of Booker Reese. Weldon Ledbetter, Marcus Dupree
's blocking back at Oklahoma
, was considered to have slim chances against incumbent James Wilder
. Mark Witte was considered to have the same problem, behind Jimmie Giles
and Jim Obradovich
on the depth chart.
. McKay criticized the players who were holding out for more money, saying that they lack understanding of how new contracts are negotiated. He had especially hard words for Jimmie Giles, who was being fined $1,000 for each day of camp missed, and who he said was in danger of falling behind the greatly improved Jerry Bell
. Uncertainty over Giles' situation forced the team to spend a conditional draft pick on veteran Baltimore Colts
tight end Reese McCall
. Camp attendance was more important than usual, as the team added the most complicated offensive system that it had yet used. The loss of Williams was expected to be a factor in the team's attitude going into the season, as he was considered by teammates to be an exceptional athlete who could do things that few others could. The perception that management had not done everything possible to keep him was expected to create some resentment among the players. Williams pointed out that the debacle made him, and some of the team's other players, wonder whether management was committed to building a good team. The loss of Williams created resentment not only among the team, but among fans in Tampa's African-American community, where some boycotted games and hoped for a losing season. It was alleged that Culverhouse threw parties that cost more than what Williams had asked for. Some players were angered when they saw the money spent on players by USFL teams, contrasted with Culverhouse's reluctance to spend any money on players or the team.
Although some observers considered the Buccaneers to have their strongest lineup yet, preseason saw 10 of the team's 24 starting positions up for contention. Holdouts, injuries, and the improvement of young players were given as reasons for the turnover. McKay expected to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, as he considered the team to lack a true No. 1 quarterback. The condition of the secondary was uncertain, as Norris Thomas
was placed on the physically unable to perform list with a shoulder problem, and Cedric Brown
's status was unknown due to a broken ankle. Danny Spradlin was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys for a future draft choice, to address the lack of depth at linebacker. Former FSU
and British Columbia Lions
running back Larry Key
was signed as a free agent, with draft pick John Higginbotham waived to make room for him.
The preseason began with quarterbacks Golsteyn and Thompson relatively even, Golsteyn having a slight advantage due to his year of experience in the Tampa Bay offense. McKay described Kelly Thomas as "as good as any offensive lineman we've ever had in here", and compared his progress to that of Sean Farrell
the previous year. The run defense, among the NFC's worst the previous season, continued to be a concern. Mental errors also continued to be a problem, with mistakes such as numerous penalties and running plays with only 10 men on the field. The quarterbacks continued to run neck-and-neck through the first two preseason games, with Golsteyn directing two fourth-quarter comebacks for wins. The later part of the preseason saw the offensive line solidifying, showing a previously-unseen drive to move the ball into the end zone, rather than a contentment to let drives stall at around the 20-yard line. However, injuries became an issue, especially at linebacker, where the team was left with only three healthy veterans. A large number of offensive line injuries prompted McKay to keep an extra lineman on the roster. This meant cutting Dave Browning, for whom the team had just traded Charley Hannah. McKay remarked that Browning lacked the speed he'd shown in the past, and kept the much quicker Hasson Arbubakrr. Similarly, the team kept speedy rookie receiver Gene Branton, while cutting inconsistent longtime starter Gordon Jones
. Final cuts included offseason acquisitions Larry Key, Reese McCall, and Rick Moser. The Buccaneers finished their first undefeated preseason with a 41-21 victory over the New England Patriots
in which they scored the most points ever while setting records for yardage in a preseason game (492) and most points scored in a half (31). In preseason matchups, the Buccaneers were the NFL's highest-scoring team.
, who had thrown only one NFL pass since 1978
, and who had joined the Buccaneers the previous year while playing semi-professional football and working in an Orlando health club. Golsteyn was named the surprise starter after a strong preseason, but was demoted in favor of Jack Thompson after committing key errors in the first two games. Constant injury problems prevented the Buccaneers from establishing any consistency on offense. In addition to all offensive linemen suffering injuries, the team was left with only three healthy receivers when Kevin House pulled a muscle in the same week that Gene Branton was placed on injured reserve. The team continued the previous year's trend of needing to come back from second-half deficits, with the difference being that the team no longer had big-play potential. Observers felt that the team performed as though they had lost the confidence that they could score points when they needed to. Despite the team's offensive woes, McKay refused to blame Thompson or any of the other quarterbacks, showing a patience similar to that which he showed with Doug Williams. He continued to state that Thompson was consistent and could become "a good solid quarterback", but acknowledged that he had not performed to expectations. He stated that the team would be looking to improve their quarterback situation the following year, but that the draft was expected to be short on quarterbacks, and that the team was not likely to be able to find a better player than Thompson through trades or free agency.A rumored trade for New York Giants
quarterback Phil Simms
never developed; Simms eventually broke his thumb and went on injured reserve. For the first three weeks of the season, the team ranked 2nd in the NFC in defense, but last in offense. The defense collapsed after the third game, allowing 55, 27, and 34 points in the next three losses. McKay said that defensive players were beginning to worry about covering for other players instead of focusing on their own position, and that the defense was breaking down as a result. He also noted that the increased booing was causing the players to tighten up and play what McKay called "scared football". After McKay threatened to punch Milwaukee Sentinel reporter Bud Lea following a 55-14 loss to the Packers, a newspaper poll showed that 92% of Florida residents felt that McKay should be fired.
Several injuries to the defensive backfield required that the team play more young players than they desired to, with the result that their pass defense fell among the league's worst after having led the NFC the previous season. Injuries later hit the linebacking corps. In a game against the Cardinals, the team had no experienced outside linebackers, and started two players who had both been with the team for less than two weeks and did not even know each other's names. Curiously, the team continued to bring in linebackers unfamiliar with their system, despite the presence of a healthy, experienced Richard Wood. Their battered secondary received a boost when former Cowboys and Giants safety Beasley Reece
, disgruntled over having his roster spot taken over by Terry Kinard
, demanded a release and was claimed off waivers. Reece wound up as a starter, and became one of the league interception leaders. Two Buccaneers signed with the Denver Gold
of the USFL: Dave Stalls, who was waived immediately, and offensive lineman George Yarno
, who was to leave after finishing the season. As the season went on, an offensive strategy emerged: get the ball as much as possible to James Wilder, an all-purpose back with skills comparable to those of the Cardinals' Ottis Anderson
. This was effective in a near-victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers
, in which Wilder's 42 carries broke Franco Harris
' NFL record (Wilder's record wound up being broken three weeks later by Butch Woolfolk
of the Giants); and in their first win of the year, a victory over the Minnesota Vikings
in which Wilder ran for 219 yards. However, broken ribs suffered the following week forced Wilder to miss the rest of the season, which in turn forced McKay to abandon efforts to fashion the Buccaneers as a running team. This roughly coincided with a general return to health along the offensive line, which resulted in a level of pass protection that allowed Thompson to break through with a run of seven touchdown passes in two games. Kicker Bill Capece
wound up carrying much of the blame for the team's performance; one year after kicking several last-minute game-winning field goals that helped the team make the playoffs, he went 10-23 on field goal attempts. In the season finale, the team resorted to using George Yarno as the kicker on an extra-point attempt.
Lions defensive end William Gay recorded 5½ sacks, six tackles and two assists, while Doug English
sacked Jerry Golsteyn in the end zone for a safety. Eddie Murray
kicked field goals of 29, 48, and 38 yards. Tampa Bay drove deep into Lions territory twice, stopped on fourth-and-one in the first quarter, and forced to punt from the Lions' 30-yard line in the fourth. Dave Reavis
suffered a sprained knee early in the game. McKay later said that both quarterbacks performed well when given the time to throw. Jimmie Giles saw limited duty. Kelly Thomas left the game with heat exhaustion. The seven sacks allowed by the Buccaneers were the result of first-half injuries to three Buccaneer tackles; Reavis, Thomas, and Gene Sanders. The injuries left the team with four guards and a center, but no tackles. Mark Cotney
went on injured reserve after suffering a broken thumb that required surgery.
, Chicago, Illinois
Offensive line injuries continued, as Steve Wilson
and Randy Grimes
both injured their snapping hands, and guard Ray Snell
bruised his wrist. Despite the absence of three starting linemen, the Buccaneers held the Bears defense to two sacks. The Buccaneers missed numerous opportunities to win or tie the game, including being stopped on three consecutive plays from the one-yard line, dropping interceptions, and committing turnovers. An apparent Melvin Carver touchdown reception was nullified when he failed to keep his feet in bounds. On the following series, a faked reverse by Bears quarterback Jim McMahon
fooled cornerback John Holt, freeing Walter Payton
for a touchdown reception. A last-minute drive ended when Michael Morton fumbled at the Bears' 26-yard line. Another fourth-quarter drive ended when Jerry Golsteyn threw the ball directly to Chicago cornerback Terry Schmidt
.
New Vikings signee Benny Ricardo
kicked a 38-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, then kicked a 42-yarder to win the game. It followed a fake field goal attempt that nearly resulted in an interception of a Steve Dils
pass. Bill Capece missed two kicks, including one from 33 yards in overtime. The Buccaneers squandered two chances at victory: one the missed overtime field goal, the other a 16-13 fourth-quarter lead they lost when a mixup in coverage allowed a 31-yard reception by Terry LeCount
that set up a game-tying field goal. The Vikings took an early 10-0 lead on a LeCount touchdown catch and a Ricardo field goal, but the Buccaneers came back with touchdowns on a James Owens run and a James Wilder reception. Tommy Kramer
and Keith Nord required season-ending surgeries for torn ligaments suffered in the game. The crowd of 57,567 was the Buccaneers' smallest since 1980
.
The matchup featured two statistically-similar teams, both with 0-3 records. The Bengals entered the game with the NFL's 27th-ranked offense, but were able to move the ball easily against a Buccaneer defense that had performed well in the three previous games. Ken Anderson completed all of his first-half passes, and moved past Len Dawson
into 10th place all-time in NFL career passing, with 28,775 yards. James Wilder tied his team record of 11 receptions, and gained a career-best 126 receiving yards. Jack Thompson's 75% completion percentage against Cincinnati was a team record. Bengal Ken Riley
scored a first-quarter touchdown on his 59th career interception, the most among active players. Riley then sat out the rest of the game, having pulled his hamstring on the return. McKay criticized Thompson for giving Riley an easy interception by not throwing far enough toward the sideline on an out pattern. After falling behind 20-7, Thompson rallied the team to within six points with a 15-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Kevin House. Robert Jackson
preserved the win for the Bengals by intercepting another Thompson pass in the end zone. The win ended the Bengals' seven-game (including preseason) losing streak, dating back to the previous December.
, Green Bay, Wisconsin
The win was Green Bay's first over the Buccaneers in their last seven meetings. The Buccaneers had only 20 yards rushing. The Packers' 49 first-half points broke their old NFL record of 45 in a single half, set in 1967
. Their 55 points were the most scored by the team during Bart Starr
's 9-year tenure as head coach, and were only two less than Tampa Bay's entire season total. Jan Stenerud
's seven extra points and two field goals moved him past Jim Turner into second place all-time in NFL scoring, with 1,447 points. James Lofton
became the fifth Packers receiver with 300 receptions, and had his 20th 100-yard receiving day.
Green Bay scored first on Phil Epps
' 90-yard punt return, and then a 75-yard pass from Lynn Dickey
to Jessie Clark
. In the second quarter, they scored on a 1-yard Harlan Huckleby
run, passes to Paul Coffman
and Lofton, a 35-yard Mike Douglass
fumble return, and a 27-yard John Anderson interception return. The Buccaneers scored on a 21-yard Hugh Green interception return, and a 2-yard James Owens run. When a reporter asked about the team's ineptitude, McKay called it the most disgraceful performance he'd ever seen, and then threatened to punch the reporter. At least eight negative team records were broken, including the longest punt return and pass play by a Buccaneer opponent (Epps' 90-yard return and Dickey's 75-yard touchdown), most passing yards (363), points (55), and touchdowns (7) allowed in a game, and most points allowed in a quarter (35). James Lofton's four receptions for 112 yards made him the first wide receiver to catch for 100 yards in a single game against Tampa Bay. Dickey's three touchdown passes and Green Bay's seven touchdowns tied the records for a Tampa Bay opponent, and the final score was 1 point short of the team's biggest-ever margin of defeat.
Eight of the team's 22 starters missed the game with injuries. Several linebackers and members of the secondary were playing either out-of-position or hurt. The aftermath of the game saw several lineup changes. McKay alleged that several players were not putting forth full effort, although he admitted that better players were not available. Terdell Middleton was waived and replaced by Adger Armstrong
, without ever having gained a single yard for the Buccaneers. Cecil Johnson and Neal Colzie were placed on injured reserve.
, Irving, Texas
The Cowboys got their sixth come-from-behind victory in six games, despite being outplayed by the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay remained (with Houston) one of only two winless teams. Buccaneer defensive lapses allowed the Cowboys to move the ball when they needed to. Fourteen Buccaneer penalties for 185 yards, the most ever by a Cowboys opponent and five yards short of the Buccaneer team record, led to 13 Cowboy points. The most damaging was a running-into-the-kicker penalty against Thomas Morris that gave Rafael Septien
a second, successful chance to kick a game-winning field goal. The miscues erased the Buccaneers' best offensive performance to this point in the season. With the Buccaneers playing the same offensive line for two weeks in a row the first time all season, they were able to score the most points they ever had against the Cowboys. The secondary got a boost from the return of Mark Cotney. The linebacking corps received a blow only days after the loss of Cecil Johnson, when Andy Hawkins suffered a season-ending knee injury and was replaced by former 49ers linebacker Ed Judie, described by McKay as "a guy who just got in Thursday".
The Cardinals got only their second win of the season, after a Buccaneer rally failed to overcome a 27-6 deficit. The Cardinals had been the last remaining NFL team never to have beaten the Buccaneers. Numerous players missed starts due to injuries, including Sean Farrell and Dave Reavis. Booker Reese made his first start, in place of the injured John Cannon. Hugh Green missed the start due to a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Robert Thompson, a rookie claimed off of waivers from Houston the previous week. Jeff Davis' 18 tackles set a new Buccaneer record. Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax
passed for touchdowns to Roy Green
and Doug Marsh
in the span of 26 seconds in the third quarter, and three touchdowns in all. The Buccaneers then scored twice in 63 seconds, with a 23-yard pass from Jack Thompson to Theo Bell
and a 33-yard Hugh Green interception return, closing the score to 27-20. The Buccaneers were then held scoreless until an 11-yard pass to Jimmie Giles with one second left. Tampa Stadium fans not only booed the Buccaneers, but began to cheer for the Cardinals. When asked afterward about the Buccaneers' outlook, McKay replied, "Bleak". Some fans wore bags on their heads, one of which read, "We want Ed Biles
", referring to the recently-fired Houston Oilers coach.
Squandering an opportunity to put the game away, the Buccaneers went scoreless after taking a 21-10 lead. The Saints' offense was able to score enough points to win, despite being thwarted all day by the Tampa Bay defense. The two offenses combined for 127 passing yards and 214 interception yards. Rookie Jeremiah Castille intercepted a Ken Stabler
pass for his first career interception, and returned it 69 yards for the Buccaneers' second touchdown. James Wilder scored two touchdowns, catching nine passes for 50 yards, and rushing for a team season-high 64 yards. Jack Thompson was sacked seven times and intercepted thrice by the Saints. Racial slurs mixed in with the boos, with some fans telling Thompson (actually a native of American Samoa
) to go back to Africa. Lee Roy Selmon and Cedric Brown left the game with ankle injuries, Gene Sanders pulled a calf muscle, and center Steve Wilson
missed the game with the flu. Saints coach Bum Phillips
afterward noted that the team missed Doug Williams. McKay later expressed concern over Thompson's progress, but continued to stand behind him as the team's starting quarterback.
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Steelers
played poorly for three quarters, allowing the Buccaneers to take a 12-0 lead despite the coaching staff's admonitions not to be fooled by the Buccaneers' 0-8 record. James Wilder's 42 carries broke Franco Harris
' NFL record, Bill Capece kicked four field goals, and the defense forced seven turnovers. Newcomer Beasley Reece caught two of Cliff Stoudt
's three interceptions. The Buccaneer offense was held without a touchdown. The Steelers came to life in the fourth quarter with rookie Wayne Capers
' first NFL touchdown reception, a 57-yard punt return by Paul Skansi
that set up a 42-yard Gary Anderson field goal, and a 2-yard Frank Pollard
touchdown run. A wide-open Kevin House dropped a potentially game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. McKay's entire postgame press conference consisted of two sentences: "We did not play well enough to win. We lost our ninth straight game and that is it". McKay later blamed blown assignments and media distractions for the loss. He said that players were bothered by rumors that injured linebacker Andy Hawkins
had signed with a USFL team.
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tampa Bay upset Minnesota to leave the Houston Oilers
as the league's only winless team. Wilder's 75-yard third-quarter run gave the Buccaneers the lead for good, and was the longest run play in team history. His 219 yards broke Ricky Bell
's single-game team record of 167, and were the second most yards ever gained against the Vikings, behind Walter Payton
's NFL single-game record 275 in 1977
. David Logan
scored the first touchdown, a 54-yard return of a fumble caused by a Lee Roy Selmon sack of Steve Dils. This was Logan's third career fumble-return touchdown, one short of the NFL record. Ted Brown
left the game after injuring his shoulder while scoring the Vikings' only touchdown. Steve Dils
was hospitalized overnight after a hard hit left him disoriented. Gene Sanders, Lee Roy Selmon, Jimmie Giles, Randy Grimes, and Hugh Green all left the game with injuries. Selmon's injury was the result of an illegal chop block to the knee, one play after his sack of Dils. Some observers had predicted the upset, given the Buccaneers' performance through three quarters of the previous week's game, and the Vikings' struggles over the past several weeks.
The Browns' victory over the Buccaneers was their first shutout since 1974
. Jimmie Giles was held out of the game with an injury, while Mike Washington became the third member of the opening-day secondary to go on injured reserve. Injuries to starting defensive ends Lee Roy Selmon and John Cannon contributed to the lack of pressure on Cleveland quarterback Brian Sipe
, who had time to complete 14 of 26 passes for 174 yards and no interceptions. Rookie cornerback Jeremiah Castille had seven tackles, but was exploited by Sipe throughout the game. The Buccaneers' best scoring opportunity ended when Jerry Bell dropped a pass in the end zone. Long snapper Steve Wilson
played with a broken bone in his right hand, which contributed to Bill Capece's missed field goal attempts of 23 and 31 yards. For the second week in a row, Melvin Carver fumbled on his first play of the game. The Browns defense was able to stifle James Wilder, who was held to 62 yards on 19 carries before a blow to the chest from the helmet of linebacker Eddie Johnson
knocked him out of the game. Nevertheless, he became only the second Buccaneer (after Ricky Bell
in 1979
) to combine for over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a season. The injury, which Wilder called a "cheap shot", ended his season. McKay did not bother to show up for the postgame press conference, making reporters wait for 15 minutes but issuing only a brief written statement through a spokesperson.
Several of the previous game's starters missed the game with injuries, including James Wilder, Jack Thompson, and both starting defensive ends (Lee Roy Selmon and John Cannon). Walter Payton rushed for 106 yards despite having been held out of practice the preceding week with fluid on his knee. In the process, he also passed 1,000 yards for the season, and moved past O. J. Simpson
into third place on the NFL's all-time career rushing list with 11,257 yards. It was Payton's 53rd career 100-yard game and his seventh 1,000-yard season, which tied the record of Jim Brown
and Franco Harris, the two players ahead of him on the career list. It also left him with 315 pass receptions, third all-time among Bears players and one short of Mike Ditka
's total.
Matt Suhey
ran for 112 yards, a career best. The game was played in a heavy downpour, which contributed to the attendance of 36,816, the lowest in Buccaneer history. Jerry Golsteyn started in place of Jack Thompson, who had a bruised elbow. The Buccaneers totaled only 132 yards of offense, 42 of it on a single pass from Golsteyn to Kevin House at the end of the first half. The ineffective Golsteyn was replaced with Jeff Komlo
in the fourth quarter. Golsteyn completed 3 of 13 passes for 49 yards and an interception. The Bears' 273 yards rushing was the most the Buccaneers had ever allowed, just one week after an opponent compared the physicality of the Tampa Bay defense to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Komlo was sacked three times, and his first pass was intercepted. He moved ahead of Golsteyn on the depth chart following the game. It was the first time since 1977
, the week before their first franchise victory, that the Buccaneers had been shut out on consecutive weekends. McKay said of his defense's effort: "Based on today, none of them are going to the Hall of Fame
...then again, neither am I".
The Buccaneers won the matchup between the two teams with the league's worst records, referred to variously as the "Turkey Bowl", the "Toilet Bowl", and the "Repus Bowl". It was the first time since the AFL merger that a meeting had occurred between two teams with such poor records so late in the season. There were 20,474 no-shows for the game; some of the fans in attendance held up a banner that read "Our Wives Think We're At A Pro Football Game". The offensive line suffered no major injuries for the first time all season, with the result that Jack Thompson had time to complete four touchdown passes. The first was to fullback Adger Armstrong, who had been released by the Oilers earlier in the year. Thompson also threw two to Kevin House and one to Jim Obradovich
, and completed 17 of 29 passes for 224 yards with no interceptions. The Buccaneers got three interceptions, one by Booker Reece and two by Beasley Reece. The early Tampa Bay lead kept Earl Campbell
from becoming a factor in the game.
The 49ers were able to move the ball easily against the injury-riddled Buccaneer defense. Six defensive starters missed the game. By the end of the day, the only regular defensive starter still on the field was Ed Judie, who was not with the team at the beginning of the season. The Tampa Bay defense was able to hold Joe Montana
to no touchdowns passing, but he scored on a 12-yard run, while Roger Craig ran for three touchdowns. The 49ers had their highest rushing total since 1978
, with 227 yards. Jack Thompson threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, with Kevin House accounting for 156 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
Tampa Bay entered the game hoping to avenge their embarrassing early-season loss, by spoiling the Packers' playoff hopes. Instead, the Packers won the game to tie the Detroit Lions for the division lead. The Buccaneer defense kept Green Bay's second-ranked offense out of the end zone for the entire game. The Buccaneer offense was criticized for being overly conservative, although receiver Theo Bell
pointed out that the Packers' style of defense left better rushing opportunities, due to the defensive backs' double-coverage of the outside receivers. Jan Stenerud
's second field goal moved him past George Blanda
's record of 335 career field goals. Stenerud went on to kick two more, one to put the game into overtime, and the other to win. McKay publicly blamed Bill Capece for the loss, as did Monday Night Football
announcer Don Meredith
, after Capece missed an extra-point attempt and a potentially game-winning field goal attempt. Stenerud expressed sympathy for Capece, pointing out the difficulty of kicking when the team is constantly rotating the snapper and holder, as the Buccaneers had been doing. McKay later vowed not to attempt any field goals in the following week's game, and said, "I'm tired of being crucified by all these wonderful Florida people. God bless you and merry Christmas".
, Pontiac, Michigan
Bill Capece did not make the trip to Detroit, reportedly having walked off of the practice field during the week due to McKay's public criticism of his performance. The Buccaneers signed Dave Warnke, a rookie who had lasted with the Lions until the final roster cuts, but who had never attempted a regular-season NFL kick. When Warnke missed a field goal and an extra-point attempt, guard George Yarno became the first offensive lineman to kick an extra point in an NFL game. Observers pointed out the irony of Warnke and Capece blaming their kicking troubles on instability at the snapper and holder positions, while the USFL-bound Yarno, a lineman who had not kicked since high school, connected on his only career attempt. The missed kicks provided the margin of defeat and nullified an effective passing attack. Jack Thompson completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, the second-highest total in Buccaneer history.
The following team records set in 1983 have since been broken:
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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...
season began with high expectations, as it was considered by some to be the Buccaneers' best squad yet. They were predicted by some to be Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
contenders,, but disappointment quickly set in as personnel changes and a rash of injuries contributed to a league-worst 2-14 record. The team was unable to agree on a contract with quarterback Doug Williams, resulting in his departure for the USFL. Jack Thompson was acquired from 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...
as what was termed "an insurance move" during Williams' negotiations, for a draft choice would turn out to be the top pick in the 1984 NFL Draft
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
. The team's record was somewhat deceptive; they lost numerous close games, but failed to execute at key times. According to McKay, "I think the other teams looking at us respect us. I don't think anyone is volunteering to play us". Opposing coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
pointed out that they were "losing games they should've won". The Buccaneers took their opponents into overtime several times during a season that included a record number of overtime games league-wide. Nine of their losses were by a touchdown or less, and six by a field goal or less. James Wilder
James Wilder
James Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...
emerged as one of the NFL's best running backs, but was not able to finish the season due to injury. Eighteen different players spent time on the injured reserve list over the course of the season, and only three started all sixteen games. This season ended the Buccaneers' streak of having made the playoffs three of the last four seasons, and began a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons.
After the Buccaneers' first-ever undefeated preseason, the regular season began with a long losing streak. The loss of Williams was believed to be a major distraction to the team. Without Williams' strong arm and scrambling ability, the Buccaneers were forced to remake their offense as a short passing attack, with James Wilder as the primary target. Opponents were successful at shutting down that short attack, and the Buccaneers were successful at neither running the ball nor hitting Kevin House
Kevin House
Kevin Nathaniel House is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 175 lbs. wide receiver from Southern Illinois University, House played in eight NFL seasons from 1980-1987 for the Buccaneers...
and Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
with deep passes. Injuries had much to do with their troubles: every member of the offensive line suffered an early-season injury. The Buccaneers ranked last in the league in the ratio of touchdowns scored to touchdowns allowed. The linebackers and defensive backfield were also hit hard by injuries. The inconsistency of kicker Bill Capece
Bill Capece
William George Capece is a former professional American football player who played placekicker for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
cost the team some games, and eventually led to McKay's famous pronouncement that "Capece is kaput". McKay blamed the team's problems on lack of effort and threatened personnel changes, though admitting that replacements would not be readily found. Attendance began to decline, with fans calling for McKay's retirement. It was pointed out that the revenue lost through unsold tickets would have more than covered the $200,000 gap between what Williams had demanded and the team had been willing to pay. Owner Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse, Sr. was the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him one of the nation's wealthiest men...
reported an expected loss of $1.25 million due to declining ticket sales, while merchants reported a drop in merchandise sales. The team's final 2-14 record tied them with the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
for the league's worst mark, but the Buccaneers were awarded last place over the Oilers by virtue of their opponents' worse combined winning percentage.
Offseason
The offense's ineffective performance in their 30-17 playoff loss to the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
renewed criticism of the performance of the Buccaneer offense. Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls is a former American football cornerback in the NFL, having played for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 seasons, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a 3-time All-Pro selection...
stated that the Buccaneers' game plan was very familiar, as it was exactly the same as on previous meetings. He also claimed that Doug Williams made postgame comments complaining of the offense's conservatism, although Williams said that his actual comments were misinterpreted by Walls. Coach John McKay responded by saying that he would continue to run the offense as usual, and not hire an offensive coordinator. Rumors began to fly that McKay was hoping for a good season so as to be able to retire on a winning note, with Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
and 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...
mentioned as likely replacements.
Coaching Changes
Offensive line coach Bill Johnson and quarterbacks coach Bill NelsenBill Nelsen
William Keith Nelsen was a former football player who played collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership ability and ability to play with pain, having endured a series of knee...
were fired soon after the end of the 1982
1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back. The team played only two games before the players' union called a...
season. Johnson was replaced by University of Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
offensive coordinator and former Florida Gators
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...
center Kim Helton
Kim Helton
Charles Kimberlin "Kim" Helton is an American college and professional football coach. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama at Birmingham football program. Helton was formerly the head football coach of the University of Houston from 1993 to 1999.-...
. McKay described Helton as an excellent teacher in Miami's pro-style offense. University of Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
receivers coach and former Bengal Chip Myers
Chip Myers
Phillip Leon "Chip" Myers was a wide receiver who played nine Pro Football seasons, for the NFL San Francisco 49ers in 1967, the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1969, and the NFL's AFC Bengals from 1970 through 1976...
took over Dowler's vacated receivers' coach spot. The changes were criticized as cosmetic moves that replaced Johnson, who had notable success building offensive lines over a 23-year career, with Helton, who had no professional experience at all. Furthermore, the Buccaneers had allowed the least sacks of any NFL team during Johnson's four-year tenure.
Player Movements
Several injured players left the Buccaneer roster in the spring. Jerry EckwoodJerry Eckwood
Jerry Eckwood is a former NFL running back. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1979–1981, and was a key member of the Buccaneers team that made the first playoff appearance in franchise history in 1979...
was waived after failing a physical due to a back injury, Randy Crowder
Randy Crowder
Randolph Channing Crowder Sr. is a former American football defensive lineman in the NFL. He played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
retired to take a coaching job at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, and Bill Kollar
Bill Kollar
William Wallace "Bill" Kollar was a National Football League defensive lineman from 1974 through 1981. He has been an NFL assistant coach for 17 years. He has coached the Defensive Line of the Rams, Falcons and Bills...
was waived when he was deemed to be a medical risk if he played again. The loss of Kollar left the roster thin at defensive end, as there were only four players remaining at that position. Of these, Dave Stalls
Dave Stalls
David Milton Stalls is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Raiders. He played college football for the University of Northern Colorado and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL...
was trying to maintain Colorado residency in order to obtain a veterinary license, and so notified the club that he would retire if not traded to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders...
entered a contract dispute with the team, with the result that Sean Farrell began to be trained at tackle.
The offseason was marked by disputes over player salary. Offensive tackle Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders...
was unable to come to terms with the team, and was traded to the Los Angeles 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...
for defensive end Dave Browning
Dave Browning
David Browning is a retired American football defensive end. He played in Super Bowl XV for the Oakland Raiders....
and a 1984
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
fourth-round draft choice. Jimmie Giles held out of training camp, and attempted to use threats of leaving for the USFL as leverage to get his contract renegotiated. Giles, who was upset because the previous year's players' association contract expiration prevented a promised renegotiation from occurring, became the first Buccaneer to engage in a training camp holdout while under contract. 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...
also had difficulty reaching an agreement with the team, but was eventually able to settle a contract. 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...
was awarded a new three-year contract that made him the highest-paid defensive end in the league.
McKay spoke of the need to begin replacing the aging original players, with the process already having begun at linebacker. However, the secondary featured four starters who were all at or near the age of 30, and who would all need to be replaced over the next couple of years.
The Doug Williams Contract Dispute
Doug Williams' original five-year contract expired at the beginning of the year. A published report of player salaries revealed that Williams, who had led the team to playoff appearances three out of the preceding four seasons, was the sixth-lowest-paid starting quarterback in the NFL. Eighteen NFL backup quarterbacks also had salaries higher than Williams'. His $120,000 salary was the same as that of Atlanta FalconsAtlanta 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...
backup Mike Moroski, and behind that of both Dallas backup quarterbacks and some teams' punters and kickers. Buccaneer spokesman Rick Odioso responded that Williams had refused several offers to increase his salary and extend his contract, instead preferring to play the contract through to the end. Odioso also pointed out that the reported base salaries did not reflect performance and signing bonuses, on which the Buccaneers depended more heavily than most NFL teams. Believing his worth to have been around $400,000, which was in line with what most top NFL quarterbacks were being paid, Williams had rejected the team's contract offers in previous years in an attempt to force the team to pay him fairly or trade him.
Soon after the reporting of the salary, Williams' wife Janice developed severe headaches. A brain tumor was diagnosed, and emergency surgery was performed. She died a week later. The tragedy required that Williams leave his daughter to be raised by his mother in Louisiana, leaving him with no personal ties to the Tampa area. It also delayed negotiations.
Despite rumors that he might retire or leave for the USFL, Williams expressed the desire to play the rest of his career as a Buccaneer before going into coaching, with an eventual goal of succeeding Eddie Robinson as coach of Grambling. The Buccaneers made an offer that owner Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse, Sr. was the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him one of the nation's wealthiest men...
called "generous" and said would place Williams among the five highest-paid NFL quarterbacks. Williams' agent denied this, saying that the Buccaneers' offer was for substantially less than several quarterbacks make, was less than what his client 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...
received from 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...
in 1975, and that the Buccaneers should be embarrassed by it. Williams made two different salary demands during the negotiations, raising his demands when hearing about the salaries paid to Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
and to rookies John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and Tony Eason
Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV is a former quarterback. He played college football for the University of Illinois and professional football for the New England Patriots and New York Jets .-Early years:Eason grew up in Walnut Grove, California, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg,...
. The team made a second offer that was described by negotiator 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:...
as being comparable to that paid to 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...
quarterback Steve Bartkowski
Steve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
. After rejecting this offer, Williams began to speak of the USFL as a definite alternative. Williams' demands were in the range of $800,000 to $900,000. When Williams rejected the Buccaneers' offer, they traded the following year's first-round draft pick to 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...
for backup quarterback Jack Thompson. Williams interpreted the move as a message that the team was no longer interested in his services, and suggested that the team's willingness to deal first-round draft picks was a sign of their reluctance to pay for top-quality talent. It is believed that, as a traditionally low-paying team (25th lowest of the 28 teams, according to union figures), the Buccaneers' salary structure would be disrupted by meeting Williams' demands, which might result in higher salary demands from Pro Bowlers such as 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...
and Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
.
Krueger told Williams' agent, Jimmy Walsh, that the team's $400,000 offer would be withdrawn if Williams did not report for the opening of training camp. Williams and Walsh lowered their request to $600,000, a price that the team said they would have been willing to meet before the Thompson trade. Williams charged that he would not have been treated so poorly in negotiations had he been white, and said "I hope the Bucs go 0-16 but all my friends make the Pro Bowl". On August 9, Williams called a 28th-birthday press conference to announce his signing with the USFL Oklahoma Outlaws for a sum worth substantially more than what Tampa Bay offered, ending his time as a player with the Buccaneers. Williams also reported that guard Greg Roberts, a close friend who had encouraged him to sign with Oklahoma, was also considering moving to the USFL.
NFL Draft
The Buccaneers found themselves without a first-round pick, due to the previous season's much-criticized trade for the rights to select defensive end Booker ReeseBooker Reese
Booker Reese is a former American Football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League...
. Although Reese's development was slow, the team still claimed to have no regrets over the decision. The Buccaneers did not select until the 45th pick in the draft, with offensive line, linebacker, and defensive back considered to be need areas, although the team considered themselves to be a mature team with no glaring needs. Offensive line was considered to be a deep position in the draft, but the team did not expect to find an overlooked player the way they had Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields....
the previous year. Tackle Sid Abramowitz
Sid Abramowitz
-References:...
, linebacker Darryl Talley
Darryl Talley
Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
, and safety Dave Duerson
Dave Duerson
David Russell Duerson was an American football safety in the National Football League who played for the Chicago Bears , the New York Giants , and the Phoenix Cardinals .-Early life:...
were highly-regarded candidates expected to be available in the mid-second round, although personnel director Ken Herock
Ken Herock
Ken Herock was an American college and professional football player who played tight end. He played collegiately at West Virginia and professionally in the American Football League, where he played for the AFL Champion Oakland Raiders in the second AFL-NFL World Championship Game, held after the...
stated that the team would pick one of the premier quarterbacks
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
(Williams was at that point still expected to sign) if one fell to them. The team eventually identified defensive backs Mike Richardson of Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
and Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
of Texas A&I, and Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
center Randy Grimes
Randy Grimes
Randy Grimes was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1992.Randy played for Baylor University during the early 1980s and was a part of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Bears, which also included the likes of other NFL players Mike Singletary,...
, as the three players they would most like to see available.
| Pick | Round | Player | Position | School |
| 17 | 2 | Randy Grimes Randy Grimes Randy Grimes was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1992.Randy played for Baylor University during the early 1980s and was a part of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Bears, which also included the likes of other NFL players Mike Singletary,... |
|Center | Baylor Baylor Bears football The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:... |
| 72 | 3 | Jeremiah Castille Jeremiah Castille Jeremiah Castille is an American professional football player. A 5'10", 175-lb. defensive back from the University of Alabama, Castille was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played in six seasons in the NFL from 1983–1988 for the Buccaneers and... |
Defensive Back | 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... |
| 99 | 4 | Kelly Thomas | Tackle | USC |
| 131 | 5 | Tony Chickillo | Defensive Tackle | Miami (FL) Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
| 148 | 6 (from San Francisco) | Rheugene Branton | Wide Receiver | Texas Southern Texas Southern University Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States.... |
| 158 | 6 | Ken Kaplan | Tackle | New Hampshire New Hampshire Wildcats The New Hampshire Wildcats, or Cats, are the athletic teams of the University of New Hampshire. The wildcat is the school's official mascot, the colors are UNH Blue and white... |
| 185 | 7 | Weldon Ledbetter | Running Back | 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... |
| 212 | 8 | John Samuelson | Linebacker | Azusa Pacific Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939... |
| 238 | 9 | Hasson Arbubakrr Hasson Arbubakrr Hasson Arbubakrr is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League . He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1983 NFL Draft... |
Defensive Tackle | 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... |
| 270 | 10 | Darius Durham | Wide Receiver | 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... |
| 297 | 11 | Mark Witte | Tight End | North Texas State North Texas Mean Green football The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four... |
| 324 | 12 | John Higginbotham | Defensive Tackle | N.E. Oklahoma State Northeastern State University Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma... |
The Buccaneers had no 1st-round pick this year, having traded it the previous year to 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...
for their 1982
1982 NFL Draft
The 1982 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982...
2nd-round pick, which they used to select Booker Reese
Booker Reese
Booker Reese is a former American Football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League...
. The extra 6th-round pick came from the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, in return for the Buccaneers' 1984
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
4th-round pick.
Draft Selections
According to McKay, with the number of quality, improving young players already on the team, none of the twelve draft picks were expected to be able to unseat any of the established veteran starters. The team drafted more for future help, especially at positions such as offensive tackle and defensive back, where the incumbent starters were aging. Randy Grimes, who the team said they would have picked even if All America center Dave RimingtonDave Rimington
Dave Brian Rimington is a former American football center. He is considered by many to be the greatest center in the history of college football.-College career:...
had still been available, was to be given a look at tackle, despite never having played a position other than center. Grimes' selection was a surprise, as the Buccaneers were considered to already have a stockpile of talent at the interior line positions, but McKay felt that he was too good to pass up. 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...
cornerback Jeremiah Castille
Jeremiah Castille
Jeremiah Castille is an American professional football player. A 5'10", 175-lb. defensive back from the University of Alabama, Castille was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played in six seasons in the NFL from 1983–1988 for the Buccaneers and...
, who 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...
had once called "pound for pound, the best player in the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
", was considered short at 5'9", but was considered to have good speed and to play well against the run. Kelly Thomas and Ken Kaplan were huge offensive tackles with great upper body strength. Thomas, who McKay said would make the team unless he were to drop dead, was believed to potentially be comparable to his USC teammates Bruce Matthews and Don Mosebar
Don Mosebar
Donald Mosebar is a retired American Football Center.-College career:Mosebar was an All-American offensive lineman in 1982 at the University of Southern California and drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders....
, but had been overlooked due to having been an offensive lineman for only three years. Tony Chickillo was a defensive tackle who had fought back from a crushed pelvis to become a starter for the University of Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
. Wide receiver Rheugene Branton had been a star player at Tampa's C. Leon King High School
C. Leon King High School
C. Leon King High School, named in honor of C. Leon King a distinguished and respected member of the Hillsborough County Board of Public Instruction for 18 years opened in 1960 with 58 faculty members and 960 students. It is located at 6815 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL 33610.King High School is a...
. Hasson Arbubakrr
Hasson Arbubakrr
Hasson Arbubakrr is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League . He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1983 NFL Draft...
was compared to a smaller version of Booker Reese. Weldon Ledbetter, Marcus Dupree
Marcus Dupree
Marcus L. Dupree is a former American football player. He was one of the most highly recruited high school football players ever. He graduated with the first class in Philadelphia that was desegregated for the entire 12 years he went to school...
's blocking back at 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...
, was considered to have slim chances against incumbent James Wilder
James Wilder
James Curtis Wilder is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions.-High school career:...
. Mark Witte was considered to have the same problem, behind Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles
Jimmie Giles, Jr. ; , was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 238 lbs. tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977-1989...
and Jim Obradovich
Jim Obradovich
For the MLB player, see Jim Obradovich.----James Robert Obradovich is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
on the depth chart.
Preseason
Culverhouse led a campaign, approved unanimously by league owners, to retain the expanded 49-player roster for the 1983 season1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
. McKay criticized the players who were holding out for more money, saying that they lack understanding of how new contracts are negotiated. He had especially hard words for Jimmie Giles, who was being fined $1,000 for each day of camp missed, and who he said was in danger of falling behind the greatly improved Jerry Bell
Jerry Bell (American football)
Jerry Bell is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. Uncertainty over Giles' situation forced the team to spend a conditional draft pick on veteran 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 ....
tight end Reese McCall
Reese McCall
Reese McCall is a former American football tight end, who played eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Auburn University....
. Camp attendance was more important than usual, as the team added the most complicated offensive system that it had yet used. The loss of Williams was expected to be a factor in the team's attitude going into the season, as he was considered by teammates to be an exceptional athlete who could do things that few others could. The perception that management had not done everything possible to keep him was expected to create some resentment among the players. Williams pointed out that the debacle made him, and some of the team's other players, wonder whether management was committed to building a good team. The loss of Williams created resentment not only among the team, but among fans in Tampa's African-American community, where some boycotted games and hoped for a losing season. It was alleged that Culverhouse threw parties that cost more than what Williams had asked for. Some players were angered when they saw the money spent on players by USFL teams, contrasted with Culverhouse's reluctance to spend any money on players or the team.
Although some observers considered the Buccaneers to have their strongest lineup yet, preseason saw 10 of the team's 24 starting positions up for contention. Holdouts, injuries, and the improvement of young players were given as reasons for the turnover. McKay expected to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, as he considered the team to lack a true No. 1 quarterback. The condition of the secondary was uncertain, as Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for nine seasons for the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
was placed on the physically unable to perform list with a shoulder problem, and Cedric Brown
Cedric Brown
Cedric Brown , is a former American professional football player who played in 9 NFL seasons from 1976-1984 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Brown was a very solid and underrated free safety for the Bucs, seldom making errors but capable of big plays also....
's status was unknown due to a broken ankle. Danny Spradlin was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys for a future draft choice, to address the lack of depth at linebacker. Former FSU
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
running back Larry Key
Larry Key
Larry Key was a Canadian Football League running back for the British Columbia Lions from 1978 through 1982. He was an All-Star in 1979 and 1981....
was signed as a free agent, with draft pick John Higginbotham waived to make room for him.
The preseason began with quarterbacks Golsteyn and Thompson relatively even, Golsteyn having a slight advantage due to his year of experience in the Tampa Bay offense. McKay described Kelly Thomas as "as good as any offensive lineman we've ever had in here", and compared his progress to that of Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields....
the previous year. The run defense, among the NFC's worst the previous season, continued to be a concern. Mental errors also continued to be a problem, with mistakes such as numerous penalties and running plays with only 10 men on the field. The quarterbacks continued to run neck-and-neck through the first two preseason games, with Golsteyn directing two fourth-quarter comebacks for wins. The later part of the preseason saw the offensive line solidifying, showing a previously-unseen drive to move the ball into the end zone, rather than a contentment to let drives stall at around the 20-yard line. However, injuries became an issue, especially at linebacker, where the team was left with only three healthy veterans. A large number of offensive line injuries prompted McKay to keep an extra lineman on the roster. This meant cutting Dave Browning, for whom the team had just traded Charley Hannah. McKay remarked that Browning lacked the speed he'd shown in the past, and kept the much quicker Hasson Arbubakrr. Similarly, the team kept speedy rookie receiver Gene Branton, while cutting inconsistent longtime starter Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones (American football)
Gordon Jones is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams....
. Final cuts included offseason acquisitions Larry Key, Reese McCall, and Rick Moser. The Buccaneers finished their first undefeated preseason with a 41-21 victory over the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in which they scored the most points ever while setting records for yardage in a preseason game (492) and most points scored in a half (31). In preseason matchups, the Buccaneers were the NFL's highest-scoring team.
Regular season
The team opened the season with starting quarterback Jerry GolsteynJerry Golsteyn
Jerry Mark Golsteyn was a former professional American football player. A 12th round drafted quarterback from Northern Illinois University, Golsteyn played in 8 NFL seasons from 1977-1984 for 5 different teams...
, who had thrown only one NFL pass since 1978
1978 New York Giants season
The 1978 New York Giants season was the 54th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The Miracle at the Meadowlands is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans for a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a...
, and who had joined the Buccaneers the previous year while playing semi-professional football and working in an Orlando health club. Golsteyn was named the surprise starter after a strong preseason, but was demoted in favor of Jack Thompson after committing key errors in the first two games. Constant injury problems prevented the Buccaneers from establishing any consistency on offense. In addition to all offensive linemen suffering injuries, the team was left with only three healthy receivers when Kevin House pulled a muscle in the same week that Gene Branton was placed on injured reserve. The team continued the previous year's trend of needing to come back from second-half deficits, with the difference being that the team no longer had big-play potential. Observers felt that the team performed as though they had lost the confidence that they could score points when they needed to. Despite the team's offensive woes, McKay refused to blame Thompson or any of the other quarterbacks, showing a patience similar to that which he showed with Doug Williams. He continued to state that Thompson was consistent and could become "a good solid quarterback", but acknowledged that he had not performed to expectations. He stated that the team would be looking to improve their quarterback situation the following year, but that the draft was expected to be short on quarterbacks, and that the team was not likely to be able to find a better player than Thompson through trades or free agency.A rumored trade for New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
never developed; Simms eventually broke his thumb and went on injured reserve. For the first three weeks of the season, the team ranked 2nd in the NFC in defense, but last in offense. The defense collapsed after the third game, allowing 55, 27, and 34 points in the next three losses. McKay said that defensive players were beginning to worry about covering for other players instead of focusing on their own position, and that the defense was breaking down as a result. He also noted that the increased booing was causing the players to tighten up and play what McKay called "scared football". After McKay threatened to punch Milwaukee Sentinel reporter Bud Lea following a 55-14 loss to the Packers, a newspaper poll showed that 92% of Florida residents felt that McKay should be fired.
Several injuries to the defensive backfield required that the team play more young players than they desired to, with the result that their pass defense fell among the league's worst after having led the NFC the previous season. Injuries later hit the linebacking corps. In a game against the Cardinals, the team had no experienced outside linebackers, and started two players who had both been with the team for less than two weeks and did not even know each other's names. Curiously, the team continued to bring in linebackers unfamiliar with their system, despite the presence of a healthy, experienced Richard Wood. Their battered secondary received a boost when former Cowboys and Giants safety Beasley Reece
Beasley Reece
Beasley Young Reece, Jr. was an American football defensive back with a nine year NFL career from 1976 to 1984...
, disgruntled over having his roster spot taken over by Terry Kinard
Terry Kinard
Alfred "Terry" Terance Kinard , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Giants in the 1st round of the 1983 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 200-lb...
, demanded a release and was claimed off waivers. Reece wound up as a starter, and became one of the league interception leaders. Two Buccaneers signed with the Denver Gold
Denver Gold
The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985...
of the USFL: Dave Stalls, who was waived immediately, and offensive lineman George Yarno
George Yarno
George Anthony Yarno is a former professional football player, a guard with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Houston Oilers. He also played two seasons with the Denver Gold of the USFL...
, who was to leave after finishing the season. As the season went on, an offensive strategy emerged: get the ball as much as possible to James Wilder, an all-purpose back with skills comparable to those of the Cardinals' Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson is a former American football running back. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants...
. This was effective in a near-victory over 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...
, in which Wilder's 42 carries broke 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...
' NFL record (Wilder's record wound up being broken three weeks later by Butch Woolfolk
Butch Woolfolk
Harold E. "Butch" Woolfolk is a former American football running back and kick returner who played in college for the University of Michigan and in the National Football League for the New York Giants , Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions . Woolfolk attended Westfield Senior High School in...
of the Giants); and in their first win of the year, a victory over the 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...
in which Wilder ran for 219 yards. However, broken ribs suffered the following week forced Wilder to miss the rest of the season, which in turn forced McKay to abandon efforts to fashion the Buccaneers as a running team. This roughly coincided with a general return to health along the offensive line, which resulted in a level of pass protection that allowed Thompson to break through with a run of seven touchdown passes in two games. Kicker Bill Capece
Bill Capece
William George Capece is a former professional American football player who played placekicker for three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
wound up carrying much of the blame for the team's performance; one year after kicking several last-minute game-winning field goals that helped the team make the playoffs, he went 10-23 on field goal attempts. In the season finale, the team resorted to using George Yarno as the kicker on an extra-point attempt.
Schedule
| Regular season | ||||||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Kickoff | Game site | TV | Attendance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4, 1983 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 11-0 | 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:... |
62,154 | 0-1 |
| 2 | September 11, 1983 | at 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... |
L 17-10 | 1:00 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
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:... |
58,156 | 0-2 |
| 3 | September 18, 1983 | 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... |
L 19-16 | 4:00 | 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:... |
57,567 | 0-3 |
| 4 | September 25, 1983 | 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 23-17 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | 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... |
56,023 | 0-4 |
| 5 | October 2, 1983 | at 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... |
L 55-14 | 1:00 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
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:... |
54,272 | 0-5 |
| 6 | October 9, 1983 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 27-24 | 4:00 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
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:... |
63,308 | 0-6 |
| 7 | October 16, 1983 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34-27 | 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:... |
48,224 | 0-7 |
| 8 | October 23, 1983 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 24-21 | 4:00 | 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:... |
48,242 | 0-8 |
| 9 | October 30, 1983 | at 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 17-12 | 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... |
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:... |
57,648 | 0-9 |
| 10 | November 6, 1983 | at 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... |
W 17-12 | 1:00 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
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:... |
59,239 | 1-9 |
| 11 | November 13, 1983 | at 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 20-0 | 1:00 | Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football... |
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:... |
56,091 | 1-10 |
| 12 | November 20, 1983 | 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... |
L 27-0 | 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:... |
36,816 | 1-11 |
| 13 | November 27, 1983 | Houston Oilers | W 33-24 | 1:00 | Tampa Stadium | 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... |
38,625 | 2-11 |
| 14 | December 4, 1983 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 35-21 | 4:00 | Candlestick Park | 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:... |
49,773 | 2-12 |
| 15 | December 12, 1983 | 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... |
L 12-9 | 9:00 | Tampa Stadium | ABC Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
50,763 | 2-13 |
| 16 | December 18, 1983 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 23-20 | 4:00 | Pontiac Silverdome Silverdome The Silverdome is an indoor sporting and entertainment venue located in Launceston, Tasmania built in 1984. The Silverdome was built at an estimated cost of A$4 million, as the Tasmanian Government "proposed a world class facility" to replace the run down velodrome in the Launceston suburb of St... |
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:... |
78,392 | 2-14 |
Standings
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Detroit Lions 1983 Detroit Lions season -References:***... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 347 | 286 |
| Green Bay Packers 1983 Green Bay Packers season The 1983 Green Bay Packers season was their 63rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8–8 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a second-place finish in the NFC Central division. The 1983 season was the last that the Packers played under Starr. The team set an NFL record... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 429 | 439 |
| Chicago Bears 1983 Chicago Bears season The 1983 Chicago Bears season was their 64th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted an 8-8 record under second year head coach Mike Ditka, but missed postseason play. Jim McMahon was the quarterback... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 311 | 301 |
| Minnesota Vikings 1983 Minnesota Vikings season 1983 was the 23nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins and eight losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Awards, records, and honors:... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 316 | 348 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 241 | 380 |
Roster
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1983 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Glenn Bujnoch Glenn David Bujnoch, . is a former National Football League offensive lineman from 1976 through 1984. He played college football at Texas A&M University.... G Sean Farrell Sean Farrell is a former American Football guard who played mainly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Farrell played college football for Penn State University, where he was named to two All-American teams. Sean starred at Westhampton Beach High School both on the football and track fields.... RG Randy Grimes Randy Grimes was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1992.Randy played for Baylor University during the early 1980s and was a part of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Bears, which also included the likes of other NFL players Mike Singletary,... LG/C Dave Reavis David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983.... LT Gene Sanders Eugene Sanders is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the eighth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M and Washington.... LT Ray Snell Ray Snell is a former guard in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most notably, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft... LG 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... C George Yarno George Anthony Yarno is a former professional football player, a guard with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Houston Oilers. He also played two seasons with the Denver Gold of the USFL... LG/RG Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
Scot Brantley Scot Eugene Brantley is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s... RILB Jeff Davis (American football) Jeff Davis is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.-College career:Davis... LILB Andy Hawkins (American football) Anthony James Hawkins is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.Hawkins brother Mike also played in the NFL for the New England... LOLB Cecil Johnson Cecil Johnson is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... LILB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics Starters in boldface |
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Coaching Staff
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1983 coaching staff | ||||||
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Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
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Week 1: vs Detroit Lions
September 4, 1983 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....
Lions defensive end William Gay recorded 5½ sacks, six tackles and two assists, while Doug English
Doug English
Lowell Douglas English is a former American football Defensive Tackle for the Detroit Lions...
sacked Jerry Golsteyn in the end zone for a safety. Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
kicked field goals of 29, 48, and 38 yards. Tampa Bay drove deep into Lions territory twice, stopped on fourth-and-one in the first quarter, and forced to punt from the Lions' 30-yard line in the fourth. Dave Reavis
Dave Reavis
David Craig Reavis was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983....
suffered a sprained knee early in the game. McKay later said that both quarterbacks performed well when given the time to throw. Jimmie Giles saw limited duty. Kelly Thomas left the game with heat exhaustion. The seven sacks allowed by the Buccaneers were the result of first-half injuries to three Buccaneer tackles; Reavis, Thomas, and Gene Sanders. The injuries left the team with four guards and a center, but no tackles. 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...
went on injured reserve after suffering a broken thumb that required surgery.
Week 2: at Chicago Bears
September 11, 1983 at Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, Chicago, Illinois
Offensive line injuries continued, as 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...
and Randy Grimes
Randy Grimes
Randy Grimes was an American football player who played center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1992.Randy played for Baylor University during the early 1980s and was a part of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Bears, which also included the likes of other NFL players Mike Singletary,...
both injured their snapping hands, and guard Ray Snell
Ray Snell
Ray Snell is a former guard in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most notably, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft...
bruised his wrist. Despite the absence of three starting linemen, the Buccaneers held the Bears defense to two sacks. The Buccaneers missed numerous opportunities to win or tie the game, including being stopped on three consecutive plays from the one-yard line, dropping interceptions, and committing turnovers. An apparent Melvin Carver touchdown reception was nullified when he failed to keep his feet in bounds. On the following series, a faked reverse by Bears quarterback Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
fooled cornerback John Holt, freeing Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
for a touchdown reception. A last-minute drive ended when Michael Morton fumbled at the Bears' 26-yard line. Another fourth-quarter drive ended when Jerry Golsteyn threw the ball directly to Chicago cornerback Terry Schmidt
Terry Schmidt
Terry Richard Schmidt was an American football cornerback in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. He played college football at Ball State University where he was an All-American....
.
Week 3: vs Minnesota Vikings
September 18, 1983 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....
New Vikings signee Benny Ricardo
Benny Ricardo
Benito Concepcion "Benny" Ricardo is a former American football placekicker in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and the San Diego Chargers...
kicked a 38-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, then kicked a 42-yarder to win the game. It followed a fake field goal attempt that nearly resulted in an interception of a Steve Dils
Steve Dils
Stephen Whitfield "Steve" Dils is a retired American football quarterback who played 10 seasons in the National Football League.-College career:...
pass. Bill Capece missed two kicks, including one from 33 yards in overtime. The Buccaneers squandered two chances at victory: one the missed overtime field goal, the other a 16-13 fourth-quarter lead they lost when a mixup in coverage allowed a 31-yard reception by Terry LeCount
Terry LeCount
Terry Jerome LeCount is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s...
that set up a game-tying field goal. The Vikings took an early 10-0 lead on a LeCount touchdown catch and a Ricardo field goal, but the Buccaneers came back with touchdowns on a James Owens run and a James Wilder reception. Tommy Kramer
Tommy Kramer
Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990...
and Keith Nord required season-ending surgeries for torn ligaments suffered in the game. The crowd of 57,567 was the Buccaneers' smallest since 1980
1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with great optimism in the wake of their surprise NFC championship appearance of the previous season. After scoring a playoff win in only their fourth year, the Buccaneers were considered such a model franchise that the NBA expansion Dallas Mavericks...
.
Week 4: vs Cincinnati Bengals
September 25, 1983 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 matchup featured two statistically-similar teams, both with 0-3 records. The Bengals entered the game with the NFL's 27th-ranked offense, but were able to move the ball easily against a Buccaneer defense that had performed well in the three previous games. Ken Anderson completed all of his first-half passes, and moved past Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
into 10th place all-time in NFL career passing, with 28,775 yards. James Wilder tied his team record of 11 receptions, and gained a career-best 126 receiving yards. Jack Thompson's 75% completion percentage against Cincinnati was a team record. Bengal Ken Riley
Ken Riley
Kenneth Jerome Riley is a former professional American Football defensive back who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the American Football League in 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 through 1983...
scored a first-quarter touchdown on his 59th career interception, the most among active players. Riley then sat out the rest of the game, having pulled his hamstring on the return. McKay criticized Thompson for giving Riley an easy interception by not throwing far enough toward the sideline on an out pattern. After falling behind 20-7, Thompson rallied the team to within six points with a 15-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Kevin House. Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson (safety)
Robert Jackson is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 11th round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Michigan....
preserved the win for the Bengals by intercepting another Thompson pass in the end zone. The win ended the Bengals' seven-game (including preseason) losing streak, dating back to the previous December.
Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
Oct 2 1983 at Lambeau FieldLambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
The win was Green Bay's first over the Buccaneers in their last seven meetings. The Buccaneers had only 20 yards rushing. The Packers' 49 first-half points broke their old NFL record of 45 in a single half, set in 1967
1967 Green Bay Packers season
The 1967 Green Bay Packers season was their 47th season in the NFL and resulted in a 9-4-1 record and a victory in Super Bowl II. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, a game commonly known as the "Ice Bowl," which marked the second time the Packers had won an...
. Their 55 points were the most scored by the team during Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
's 9-year tenure as head coach, and were only two less than Tampa Bay's entire season total. Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs , and the NFL's Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , and Minnesota Vikings .-Background:...
's seven extra points and two field goals moved him past Jim Turner into second place all-time in NFL scoring, with 1,447 points. James Lofton
James Lofton
James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
became the fifth Packers receiver with 300 receptions, and had his 20th 100-yard receiving day.
Green Bay scored first on Phil Epps
Phil Epps
Phillip Epps is a former American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets...
' 90-yard punt return, and then a 75-yard pass from Lynn Dickey
Lynn Dickey
Clifford Lynn Dickey is a retired National Football League quarterback, who played for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers in the 1970s and 1980s.-High school:...
to Jessie Clark
Jessie Clark
Jessie Clark is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, and Minnesota Vikings....
. In the second quarter, they scored on a 1-yard Harlan Huckleby
Harlan Huckleby
Harlan Charles Huckleby is a former professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League . Over the course of his NFL career he accumulated nearly 2500 all-purpose yards, with over half of that being return...
run, passes to Paul Coffman
Paul Coffman
Paul Randolph Coffman is a former professional American football player who played tight end for ten seasons for the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League.-Personal:...
and Lofton, a 35-yard Mike Douglass
Mike Douglass (American football)
Michael Reese Douglass is a former American football player. He played outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League. He ranks third in the lists of tackles made by a Packers player....
fumble return, and a 27-yard John Anderson interception return. The Buccaneers scored on a 21-yard Hugh Green interception return, and a 2-yard James Owens run. When a reporter asked about the team's ineptitude, McKay called it the most disgraceful performance he'd ever seen, and then threatened to punch the reporter. At least eight negative team records were broken, including the longest punt return and pass play by a Buccaneer opponent (Epps' 90-yard return and Dickey's 75-yard touchdown), most passing yards (363), points (55), and touchdowns (7) allowed in a game, and most points allowed in a quarter (35). James Lofton's four receptions for 112 yards made him the first wide receiver to catch for 100 yards in a single game against Tampa Bay. Dickey's three touchdown passes and Green Bay's seven touchdowns tied the records for a Tampa Bay opponent, and the final score was 1 point short of the team's biggest-ever margin of defeat.
Eight of the team's 22 starters missed the game with injuries. Several linebackers and members of the secondary were playing either out-of-position or hurt. The aftermath of the game saw several lineup changes. McKay alleged that several players were not putting forth full effort, although he admitted that better players were not available. Terdell Middleton was waived and replaced by Adger Armstrong
Adger Armstrong
Adger Armstrong Jr. is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Houston Oilers as an undrafted free agent in 1980. He played college football at Texas A&M....
, without ever having gained a single yard for the Buccaneers. Cecil Johnson and Neal Colzie were placed on injured reserve.
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
October 9, 1983 at Texas StadiumTexas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
The Cowboys got their sixth come-from-behind victory in six games, despite being outplayed by the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay remained (with Houston) one of only two winless teams. Buccaneer defensive lapses allowed the Cowboys to move the ball when they needed to. Fourteen Buccaneer penalties for 185 yards, the most ever by a Cowboys opponent and five yards short of the Buccaneer team record, led to 13 Cowboy points. The most damaging was a running-into-the-kicker penalty against Thomas Morris that gave Rafael Septien
Rafael Septien
Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
a second, successful chance to kick a game-winning field goal. The miscues erased the Buccaneers' best offensive performance to this point in the season. With the Buccaneers playing the same offensive line for two weeks in a row the first time all season, they were able to score the most points they ever had against the Cowboys. The secondary got a boost from the return of Mark Cotney. The linebacking corps received a blow only days after the loss of Cecil Johnson, when Andy Hawkins suffered a season-ending knee injury and was replaced by former 49ers linebacker Ed Judie, described by McKay as "a guy who just got in Thursday".
Week 7: vs St. Louis Cardinals
October 16, 1983 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 Cardinals got only their second win of the season, after a Buccaneer rally failed to overcome a 27-6 deficit. The Cardinals had been the last remaining NFL team never to have beaten the Buccaneers. Numerous players missed starts due to injuries, including Sean Farrell and Dave Reavis. Booker Reese made his first start, in place of the injured John Cannon. Hugh Green missed the start due to a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Robert Thompson, a rookie claimed off of waivers from Houston the previous week. Jeff Davis' 18 tackles set a new Buccaneer record. Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax
Neil Lomax
Neil Vincent Lomax is a former American football quarterback.-College career:Lomax was a standout college player at Portland State University, going from fifth-string freshman quarterback on partial scholarship to emergency starter to NCAA legend...
passed for touchdowns to Roy Green
Roy Green
Roy Calvin Green is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Phoenix Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles ....
and Doug Marsh
Doug Marsh
Doug Marsh is a former professional American football player who played tight end for seven seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals.-See also:*Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders...
in the span of 26 seconds in the third quarter, and three touchdowns in all. The Buccaneers then scored twice in 63 seconds, with a 23-yard pass from Jack Thompson to Theo Bell
Theo Bell
Theopolis Bell, Jr. was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
and a 33-yard Hugh Green interception return, closing the score to 27-20. The Buccaneers were then held scoreless until an 11-yard pass to Jimmie Giles with one second left. Tampa Stadium fans not only booed the Buccaneers, but began to cheer for the Cardinals. When asked afterward about the Buccaneers' outlook, McKay replied, "Bleak". Some fans wore bags on their heads, one of which read, "We want Ed Biles
Ed Biles
Ed Biles is a former American football coach whose most prominent position was as head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers from 1981 to 1983....
", referring to the recently-fired Houston Oilers coach.
Week 8: vs New Orleans Saints
October 23, 1983 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....
Squandering an opportunity to put the game away, the Buccaneers went scoreless after taking a 21-10 lead. The Saints' offense was able to score enough points to win, despite being thwarted all day by the Tampa Bay defense. The two offenses combined for 127 passing yards and 214 interception yards. Rookie Jeremiah Castille intercepted a 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...
pass for his first career interception, and returned it 69 yards for the Buccaneers' second touchdown. James Wilder scored two touchdowns, catching nine passes for 50 yards, and rushing for a team season-high 64 yards. Jack Thompson was sacked seven times and intercepted thrice by the Saints. Racial slurs mixed in with the boos, with some fans telling Thompson (actually a native of American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
) to go back to Africa. Lee Roy Selmon and Cedric Brown left the game with ankle injuries, Gene Sanders pulled a calf muscle, and center 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...
missed the game with the flu. Saints coach Bum Phillips
Bum Phillips
Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...
afterward noted that the team missed Doug Williams. McKay later expressed concern over Thompson's progress, but continued to stand behind him as the team's starting quarterback.
Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
October 30, 1983 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...
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...
played poorly for three quarters, allowing the Buccaneers to take a 12-0 lead despite the coaching staff's admonitions not to be fooled by the Buccaneers' 0-8 record. James Wilder's 42 carries broke 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...
' NFL record, Bill Capece kicked four field goals, and the defense forced seven turnovers. Newcomer Beasley Reece caught two of Cliff Stoudt
Cliff Stoudt
Clifford Lewis Stoudt is a former American football quarterback for Youngstown State University and the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers...
's three interceptions. The Buccaneer offense was held without a touchdown. The Steelers came to life in the fourth quarter with rookie Wayne Capers
Wayne Capers
Wayne Capers is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts....
' first NFL touchdown reception, a 57-yard punt return by Paul Skansi
Paul Skansi
Paul Anthony Skansi is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for ten seasons Paul Anthony Skansi (born January 11, 1961, in Tacoma, Washington) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for ten seasons Paul Anthony Skansi (born...
that set up a 42-yard Gary Anderson field goal, and a 2-yard Frank Pollard
Frank Pollard
Frank Pollard is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers....
touchdown run. A wide-open Kevin House dropped a potentially game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. McKay's entire postgame press conference consisted of two sentences: "We did not play well enough to win. We lost our ninth straight game and that is it". McKay later blamed blown assignments and media distractions for the loss. He said that players were bothered by rumors that injured linebacker Andy Hawkins
Andy Hawkins (American football)
Anthony James Hawkins is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.Hawkins brother Mike also played in the NFL for the New England...
had signed with a USFL team.
Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings
November 6, 1983 at Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
Tampa Bay upset Minnesota to leave the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
as the league's only winless team. Wilder's 75-yard third-quarter run gave the Buccaneers the lead for good, and was the longest run play in team history. His 219 yards broke 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...
's single-game team record of 167, and were the second most yards ever gained against the Vikings, behind Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
's NFL single-game record 275 in 1977
1977 Chicago Bears season
The 1977 Chicago Bears season was their 58th regular season and 13th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9-5 record earning them a wild card spot against the Dallas Cowboys, who eventually beat the Bears en route to a Super Bowl victory.Walter Payton was the star...
. David Logan
David Logan (American football)
David Logan was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
scored the first touchdown, a 54-yard return of a fumble caused by a Lee Roy Selmon sack of Steve Dils. This was Logan's third career fumble-return touchdown, one short of the NFL record. Ted Brown
Ted Brown
Ted Brown is an American and former collegiate and professional football player. He attended High Point high school, before attending North Carolina State University.-Football career:...
left the game after injuring his shoulder while scoring the Vikings' only touchdown. Steve Dils
Steve Dils
Stephen Whitfield "Steve" Dils is a retired American football quarterback who played 10 seasons in the National Football League.-College career:...
was hospitalized overnight after a hard hit left him disoriented. Gene Sanders, Lee Roy Selmon, Jimmie Giles, Randy Grimes, and Hugh Green all left the game with injuries. Selmon's injury was the result of an illegal chop block to the knee, one play after his sack of Dils. Some observers had predicted the upset, given the Buccaneers' performance through three quarters of the previous week's game, and the Vikings' struggles over the past several weeks.
Week 11: at Cleveland Browns
November 13, 1983 at Riverfront Stadium, Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
The Browns' victory over the Buccaneers was their first shutout since 1974
1974 Cleveland Browns season
The 1974 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 25th season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Standings:-References:...
. Jimmie Giles was held out of the game with an injury, while Mike Washington became the third member of the opening-day secondary to go on injured reserve. Injuries to starting defensive ends Lee Roy Selmon and John Cannon contributed to the lack of pressure on Cleveland quarterback Brian Sipe
Brian Sipe
Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985....
, who had time to complete 14 of 26 passes for 174 yards and no interceptions. Rookie cornerback Jeremiah Castille had seven tackles, but was exploited by Sipe throughout the game. The Buccaneers' best scoring opportunity ended when Jerry Bell dropped a pass in the end zone. Long snapper 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...
played with a broken bone in his right hand, which contributed to Bill Capece's missed field goal attempts of 23 and 31 yards. For the second week in a row, Melvin Carver fumbled on his first play of the game. The Browns defense was able to stifle James Wilder, who was held to 62 yards on 19 carries before a blow to the chest from the helmet of linebacker Eddie Johnson
Eddie Johnson (linebacker)
Eddie Johnson is a former American football linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He wore number 51 during his time with the Browns and his nickname was "The Assassin". He was known for his fierce tackling style. He died in 2003 after a...
knocked him out of the game. Nevertheless, he became only the second Buccaneer (after 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...
in 1979
1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season saw the team make a dramatic leap from being a winless expansion franchise, perceived as mistake-prone and ridiculed by the rest of the league, to becoming a serious contender for the National Football League championship...
) to combine for over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a season. The injury, which Wilder called a "cheap shot", ended his season. McKay did not bother to show up for the postgame press conference, making reporters wait for 15 minutes but issuing only a brief written statement through a spokesperson.
Week 12: vs Chicago Bears
November 20, 1983 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....
Several of the previous game's starters missed the game with injuries, including James Wilder, Jack Thompson, and both starting defensive ends (Lee Roy Selmon and John Cannon). Walter Payton rushed for 106 yards despite having been held out of practice the preceding week with fluid on his knee. In the process, he also passed 1,000 yards for the season, and moved past O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
into third place on the NFL's all-time career rushing list with 11,257 yards. It was Payton's 53rd career 100-yard game and his seventh 1,000-yard season, which tied the record of Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
and Franco Harris, the two players ahead of him on the career list. It also left him with 315 pass receptions, third all-time among Bears players and one short of Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
's total.
Matt Suhey
Matt Suhey
Matthew Jerome Suhey is a former professional American football player, playing fullback/running back for ten seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears...
ran for 112 yards, a career best. The game was played in a heavy downpour, which contributed to the attendance of 36,816, the lowest in Buccaneer history. Jerry Golsteyn started in place of Jack Thompson, who had a bruised elbow. The Buccaneers totaled only 132 yards of offense, 42 of it on a single pass from Golsteyn to Kevin House at the end of the first half. The ineffective Golsteyn was replaced with Jeff Komlo
Jeff Komlo
William Jeffrey "Jeff" Komlo was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was born in Cheverly, Maryland.-Football career:...
in the fourth quarter. Golsteyn completed 3 of 13 passes for 49 yards and an interception. The Bears' 273 yards rushing was the most the Buccaneers had ever allowed, just one week after an opponent compared the physicality of the Tampa Bay defense to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Komlo was sacked three times, and his first pass was intercepted. He moved ahead of Golsteyn on the depth chart following the game. It was the first time since 1977
1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, which as of remains a record in the modern National Football League. Fear of becoming the Buccaneers' first victim provided motivation to opposing teams...
, the week before their first franchise victory, that the Buccaneers had been shut out on consecutive weekends. McKay said of his defense's effort: "Based on today, none of them are going to the 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...
...then again, neither am I".
Week 13: vs Houston Oilers
November 27, 1983 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 won the matchup between the two teams with the league's worst records, referred to variously as the "Turkey Bowl", the "Toilet Bowl", and the "Repus Bowl". It was the first time since the AFL merger that a meeting had occurred between two teams with such poor records so late in the season. There were 20,474 no-shows for the game; some of the fans in attendance held up a banner that read "Our Wives Think We're At A Pro Football Game". The offensive line suffered no major injuries for the first time all season, with the result that Jack Thompson had time to complete four touchdown passes. The first was to fullback Adger Armstrong, who had been released by the Oilers earlier in the year. Thompson also threw two to Kevin House and one to Jim Obradovich
Jim Obradovich
For the MLB player, see Jim Obradovich.----James Robert Obradovich is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, and completed 17 of 29 passes for 224 yards with no interceptions. The Buccaneers got three interceptions, one by Booker Reece and two by Beasley Reece. The early Tampa Bay lead kept Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
from becoming a factor in the game.
Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers
December 4, 1983 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
The 49ers were able to move the ball easily against the injury-riddled Buccaneer defense. Six defensive starters missed the game. By the end of the day, the only regular defensive starter still on the field was Ed Judie, who was not with the team at the beginning of the season. The Tampa Bay defense was able to hold Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
to no touchdowns passing, but he scored on a 12-yard run, while Roger Craig ran for three touchdowns. The 49ers had their highest rushing total since 1978
1978 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1978 San Francisco 49ers season was their 29th season in the National Football League. The team began the season hoping to improve upon their previous output of 5-9, however, they instead started the season 0-4 for the second straight year, and this season also featured a nine game losing...
, with 227 yards. Jack Thompson threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, with Kevin House accounting for 156 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
Week 15: vs Green Bay Packers
December 12, 1983 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....
Tampa Bay entered the game hoping to avenge their embarrassing early-season loss, by spoiling the Packers' playoff hopes. Instead, the Packers won the game to tie the Detroit Lions for the division lead. The Buccaneer defense kept Green Bay's second-ranked offense out of the end zone for the entire game. The Buccaneer offense was criticized for being overly conservative, although receiver Theo Bell
Theo Bell
Theopolis Bell, Jr. was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
pointed out that the Packers' style of defense left better rushing opportunities, due to the defensive backs' double-coverage of the outside receivers. Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs , and the NFL's Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , and Minnesota Vikings .-Background:...
's second field goal moved him past George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
's record of 335 career field goals. Stenerud went on to kick two more, one to put the game into overtime, and the other to win. McKay publicly blamed Bill Capece for the loss, as did Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
announcer Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
, after Capece missed an extra-point attempt and a potentially game-winning field goal attempt. Stenerud expressed sympathy for Capece, pointing out the difficulty of kicking when the team is constantly rotating the snapper and holder, as the Buccaneers had been doing. McKay later vowed not to attempt any field goals in the following week's game, and said, "I'm tired of being crucified by all these wonderful Florida people. God bless you and merry Christmas".
Week 16: at Detroit Lions
December 18, 1983 at Pontiac SilverdomePontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
Bill Capece did not make the trip to Detroit, reportedly having walked off of the practice field during the week due to McKay's public criticism of his performance. The Buccaneers signed Dave Warnke, a rookie who had lasted with the Lions until the final roster cuts, but who had never attempted a regular-season NFL kick. When Warnke missed a field goal and an extra-point attempt, guard George Yarno became the first offensive lineman to kick an extra point in an NFL game. Observers pointed out the irony of Warnke and Capece blaming their kicking troubles on instability at the snapper and holder positions, while the USFL-bound Yarno, a lineman who had not kicked since high school, connected on his only career attempt. The missed kicks provided the margin of defeat and nullified an effective passing attack. Jack Thompson completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, the second-highest total in Buccaneer history.
Team and Individual Records
The following team records set in 1983 still stand:- Most single-game rushing yards (219, by James Wilder at Minnesota on 11/6)
- Most total single-game yards (239, James Wilder at Minnesota)
- Most team fumbles in a season (39)
- Most single-game fumbles recovered (4 vs. Pittsburgh on 10/30, since tied twice)
- Most points scored by an opponent in a single half (49 by Green Bay on 10/2)
- Most points scored by an opponent in a single quarter (35, Green Bay)
- Most single-game return touchdowns by an opponent (3 by Green Bay, tied with two others)
- Most rushing touchdowns by an opponent (5 by San Francisco on 12/4)
- Most rushing first downs by an opponent (18, also San Francisco)
The following team records set in 1983 have since been broken:
- Most single-game rushing attempts (James Wilder, 42 vs. Pittsburgh on 10/30; broken by Wilder vs. Green Bay on 9/30/84.) Wilder's 42 attempts remain the record for a regulation game, as he had 5 overtime carries in the 1984 game. The 42 carries also set an NFL record, which was broken by Butch Woolfolk of the New York Giants on 11/20/83.
- Longest rushing play (75 yards, James Wilder at Minnesota on 11/6, broken by Warrick DunnWarrick DunnWarrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
vs. Chicago on 12/21/97)
- Most sacks allowed (42, broken in 19991999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasonThe 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 8-8 season. Rookie Shaun King replaced the injured and inconsistent Trent Dilfer late in the season...
)
- Longest pass by an opponent (80 yards by Danny White of Dallas on 10/9, broken by Jim HarbaughJim HarbaughJames Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
of Chicago on 10/18/1992)
- Most punt return yards by an opposing player (Phil EppsPhil EppsPhillip Epps is a former American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets...
of Green Bay on 10/2, broken by Vai SikahemaVai SikahemaVai S. Sikahema is a Tongan former American football player. The first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League , he played running back and kickoff returner in the league for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993. He played college football for the Brigham Young University Cougars, and was...
of St. Louis with 145 on 12/21/1986)
- Longest punt return by an opposing player (90 by Epps in the same game, broken by Glyn MilburnGlyn MilburnGlyn Curt Milburn is a former American football player. He was the General Manager and the Director of Player Personnel for the Austin Wranglers in the Arena Football League...
of Chicago on 9/20/1998)
- Most rushing yards by an opponent (273, Chicago on 11/20, broken by the L. A. Rams on 11/25/1984)
- Hugh Green tied Richard Wood's and Cedric Brown's record of two defensive touchdowns for the season, broken by Wayne HaddixWayne HaddixSamuel LaWayne Haddix is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , and Cincinnati Bengals . Haddix was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1990 after intercepting his only seven interceptions of his career...
in 19901990 Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasonThe 1990 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an embarrassing 5-11 season. Bucs fans were getting tired of head coach Ray Perkins and Bucs players were getting fed up with his 3 a day training camp practices...
.
- Jack Thompson's 373 passing yards against Detroit on 12/19 were the second best in franchise history (behind Doug Williams' 486 on 11/16/1980), and are currently sixth-best in franchise history
- 43 fumbles forced is second all-time, after the 19791979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasonThe 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season saw the team make a dramatic leap from being a winless expansion franchise, perceived as mistake-prone and ridiculed by the rest of the league, to becoming a serious contender for the National Football League championship...
team
- 96 punts is second all-time, after the 19781978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasonThe 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 2-12 season. Since their two 1977 victories came in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central. The Buccaneers entered the season with new...
team
- 377 single-game passing yards allowed was second all-time (behind Lynn Dickey of Green Bay on 10/12/1980, both were overtime games)
- Green Bay's 519 total yards and 355 passing yards were the second highest (highest in a regulation game) until 10/7/1984