Tampa Bay Buccaneers

John McKay years (1976–1984)

The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The next year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons. Instead of a traditional schedule of playing each division opponent twice, the Buccaneers played every conference team once, plus the Seahawks.

Tampa Bay went 0–14 in their first season. They were outscored by an average of almost 21 points per game. Only three games ended with the Buccaneers within one possession. Until the Detroit Lions in 2008, the 1976 Buccaneers were the only Super Bowl-era team to go winless in a whole season. Their losing streak caused them to become the butt of late-night television comedians' jokes. Tampa Bay did not win their first game until the 13th week of their second season, starting with a record of 0–26 (though the Buccaneers had beaten the Atlanta Falcons, 17–3, in a 1976 pre-season game before their first regular season). The Saints' head coach, Hank Stram, was fired after losing to the Buccaneers. Their first win came on December 11, 1977, on the road against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. Tampa Bay needed one more week to get their second victory, a home win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1977 season finale. The Cardinals also fired their coach, Don Coryell, shortly afterward.

The Buccaneers improved to a 5–11 mark in 1978. The team boasted a strong defensive unit that finished seventh in points allowed. The team was competitive in numerous close games. The Buccaneers' situation improved rapidly in the 1979 season. With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams and future four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmie Giles, the first 1,000-yard rushing season from running back Ricky Bell, and a smothering, league-leading, Star Studded defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, the Buccaneers kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

With four games left in the season, the Buccaneers needed to win only one of them to make the playoffs. In the first, STP was put all over the goal posts in Tampa to prevent the goalposts from being ripped down in the event of a celebration. Four blocked kicks later, the Buccaneers wasted the oily substance, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 23–22. STP was wasted again the following week as the Buccaneers were shut out 14–0 by the Chicago Bears; and in O. J. Simpson's final home game in San Francisco, Tampa Bay lost its third straight attempt to clinch a division title against a 49ers team which came in with a 1–13 record. However, in the season finale at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was played in the worst downpour in Buccaneers history, Tampa Bay pulled out a 3–0 victory. Finishing with a 10–6 record, the Buccaneers had their first winning season in franchise history, and won the Central Division in a tiebreaker over the Bears. In an upset, the Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–17 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Because the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the other NFC playoff game, the Buccaneers hosted the NFC Championship Game the following week in Tampa. The Buccaneers lost to the Rams 9–0. In their fourth season, the Bucs seemed on the verge of fulfilling McKay's five-year plan. The Buccaneers regressed in 1980 and finished with a 5–10–1 mark.

The Buccaneers made the playoffs again by winning their division in the 1981 season. It came down to a thrilling final game at Detroit; the winner would take the Central Division crown and the loser would miss the playoffs. The Detroit Lions had not lost at home all season. Although the Buccaneers trailed early, an 84-yard touchdown bomb from quarterback Williams to wide receiver Kevin House and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by defensive tackle David Logan sealed the win for the Buccaneers. In the playoffs, the Cowboys defeated the Buccaneers, 38–0, in the divisional round. The loss remains the largest postseason shutout loss in franchise history.

The 1982 season started 0–3 for the Buccaneers, before a player's strike shut down the NFL for seven weeks. When the league resumed play, the Buccaneers were nicknamed the "Cardiac Kids" for winning five of their next six games, all in the final moments, to go 5–4 and qualify for the expanded playoff slate. In the first round, the Buccaneers once again faced the Cowboys at Dallas, losing 30–17. As it turned out, this would be the last winning regular season under Culverhouse's ownership.

Before the 1983 season, Williams bolted to the United States Football League in a salary dispute. The Buccaneers lost their first nine games of the 1983 season en route to finishing 2–14, the first of 12 consecutive seasons with at least ten losses—an NFL record. Included was the drafting of Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson with the first pick in the 1986 draft. Jackson had let it be known that he would never play a down for Hugh Culverhouse at Tampa Bay. Making good on his threat, he opted instead to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals and would later return for parts of football seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders. Along with Williams, who later was a Super Bowl champion quarterback for Washington, two other Buccaneers quarterbacks during this era led other teams to Super Bowl wins. Steve Young won with the 49ers and Trent Dilfer won with the Baltimore Ravens. In the 1984 season, the team went 6–10 in John McKay's final season.

Former Atlanta Falcons' coach Leeman Bennett was named head coach before the 1985 season. He led the team to consecutive 2–14 finishes in 1985 and 1986. Bennett was fired after the 1986 season. Ray Perkins was hired to be the head coach of the Buccaneers before the 1987 season. Perkins coached for the team for almost four seasons, getting fired during 1990 season. Under Perkins's tenure, the team won no more than five games in a single season.

Under Culverhouse, the Buccaneers were one of the NFL's more profitable teams during the 1980s; however, this was largely because he kept the payroll among the lowest in the league, hampering their ability to sign quality players. Attendance also sagged; at one point the Buccaneers went parts of three whole seasons without having a home game televised locally, and when they did it was more attributed to a strong visiting team with a large following in the area, such as the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers.

Hardy Nickerson, a future five-time Pro Bowl linebacker, signed as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers. John Lynch, a future Pro Bowl, and Hall of Fame strong safety, was drafted in 1993. In the 1995 NFL draft the Buccaneers drafted two future Hall of Famers: Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Pro Bowl Fullback, Mike Alstott, was drafted the next year in the 1996 draft.

Glazer family era (1995–present)

Despite the profitability of the Buccaneers in the 1980s, Culverhouse's death in 1994 revealed a man close to bankruptcy despite having a low payroll for his team. His son, Miami attorney Hugh Culverhouse Jr. soon sued his father's associates (Stephen Story, Jack Donlan, and Fred Cone) who had built the trust account that was meant to manage the elder Culverhouse's business (which involved a $350 million estate) after having his wife sign a post-nuptial agreement. At any rate, a settlement was soon reached that gave control of the trust to Culverhouse Jr., who sold the team for $192 million. Interested parties included New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, the latter of whom publicly declared he would move the team to Baltimore, as the city did not have an NFL franchise at that time.

However, in a last-minute surprise, real estate magnate Malcolm Glazer outbid both of them for $192 million, the highest sale price for a professional sports franchise up to that point. Glazer immediately placed his sons Bryan, Edward, and Joel in charge of the team's financial affairs. He stated that he had every intention of keeping the team in Tampa, but informed area citizens its current stadium deal would not support the record paid amount and that a new stadium would be required. The Glazers convinced Hillsborough County voters to raise sales taxes to fund the construction of what would become Raymond James Stadium.

Tony Dungy years (1996–2001)

The Glazers' deep pockets and serious commitment to fielding a winning team–in Tampa Bay–finally allowed the Buccaneers to become competitive. The team's performance dramatically improved when the Glazers hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Tony Dungy as head coach. Additionally, the team jettisoned the old uniform designs in favor of a modern look.

During Dungy's first season in 1996, the team continued to struggle, starting the season 1–8. But in the second half of the season, they finished 5–2, primarily due to the performance of a defense ranked seventh in the NFL led by Hardy Nickerson and the maturing of Sam Wyche's draftees Brooks, Lynch, and Sapp. Dungy, with his even-tempered personality, quickly brought balance and morale to the team, and his Cover 2 defensive scheme, sharpened to perfection by defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and linebackers coach Lovie Smith, became the foundation for Tampa Bay's future success. Their version of Cover 2 was so successful that it became known as the Tampa 2. It has been brought to the Chicago Bears by Smith, Detroit Lions by Rod Marinelli, Kansas City Chiefs by Herman Edwards and to the Indianapolis Colts by Dungy himself, and copied by several other teams.

The team started the 1997 season 5–0, picking up where they left off the previous year, and this quick start once again landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. The Buccaneers went 10–6 for their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982, as a wild-card team. In the Buccaneers' final home game at Houlihan's Stadium (formerly Tampa Stadium), the team defeated the Lions 20–10. They lost at Lambeau Field to the eventual NFC champion Packers 21–7 in the Divisional Round. Still, there was reason for optimism, and the expectations were high for the following season.

The 1998 season, the first to be played in the newly constructed Raymond James Stadium, saw the Buccaneers lose several close games en route to a disappointing 8–8 record. The Buccaneers had to play the first six football games of the year (including preseason) on the road, as the new stadium was not quite finished.

The 1999 season brought much better fortune. On the strength of the NFL's number 3 overall defense and a performance by rookie quarterback Shaun King, the Buccaneers finished the season with an 11–5 record and won their third NFC Central Division Championship. They beat the Washington Redskins 14–13 in the Divisional round, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams in a low-scoring NFC Championship Game, 11–6. The Buccaneers' loss was controversial, highlighted by the reversal of a pass from King to wide receiver Bert Emanuel, which ended the Buccaneers' chances at continuing their last-minute drive. In league meetings after the season, the NFL changed the rules regarding what constituted an incomplete pass.

While the Buccaneers played well in 2000 and 2001 and made the playoffs in each season, they were unable to fulfill their primary goal of a Super Bowl victory. The wild card spots that Tampa Bay earned forced them to go on the road for their postseason opener in each year, and both road games took them into frigid Philadelphia to play the Eagles. The Buccaneers historically have struggled in games played with a temperature of less than 32 °F (0 °C) (as late as 1999, they had never won a game with a temperature played under 40 degrees) and the latter loss to the Eagles was the sixth time that Tampa Bay had lost a postseason game on the road (out of six played).

Jon Gruden years (2002–2008)

Dungy was fired by the Buccaneers after a 31–9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Round of 2001 and soon thereafter hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, while the Buccaneers mounted a search for his replacement that would include numerous names and rejections. Several potential candidates were offered the job, including University of Florida head coach (and former Buccaneers quarterback) Steve Spurrier, former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells, and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Spurrier jumped to the Redskins when he was offered the most lucrative salary package ever offered to an NFL head coach, and Parcells eventually passed on the Buccaneers' offer—the second time he had done so in the history of the franchise. Buccaneers' general manager Rich McKay threw his support behind Lewis. The Glazer brothers were so displeased with the selection of yet another defensive-minded coach that they overruled McKay and took control of the candidate search themselves. They made it clear that their top choice was Jon Gruden; however, he was still under contract with the Oakland Raiders.

While talks with the Raiders were secretly underway, the Glazers publicly pursued another respected offensive mind, San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci. Just when initial reports indicated that Mariucci had agreed to become both the Buccaneers' head coach and their general manager, Raiders owner Al Davis agreed to release Gruden to Tampa Bay.

The Glazers' shrewd move eventually paid off in acquiring Gruden, but it was costly. The team hired Gruden away from the Raiders on February 20, 2002, but the price was four draft picks, including the Buccaneers' first and second-round picks in 2002, their first-round pick in 2003, and their second-round selection in 2004, along with $8 million in cash. (The league as a result prohibited any further trading of draft picks for coaches.) Gruden was frustrated by the limitation of his coaching authority by Davis and was more than pleased to return to Tampa Bay. His parents lived in Carrollwood, and he had spent part of his childhood in Tampa in the early 1980s when his father was a running backs coach and later a scout for the Buccaneers.

Upon his arrival in Tampa, Gruden immediately went to work, retooling a sluggish offense, changing over 50% of the starting offense. With a new Tailback, Wide Receiver, Two Tight Ends, Left Tackle, and Left Guard, Gruden put his stamp on the teams offense to remove the "Dungy's Team" label. The league's sweeping realignment sent the Buccaneers to the new NFC South Division, along with the Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

Super Bowl XXXVII champions (2002)

Led by the league's top defense, the 2002 season was the Buccaneers' most successful to date. Linebacker Derrick Brooks was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year with a tendency to make big plays. They won the NFC South title with the team's best ever record, 12–4, and scored more points in two playoff wins over the 49ers and Eagles than in Buccaneers playoff history combined. The Philadelphia Eagles were a thorn in Tampa Bay's side, having eliminated the Buccaneers in each of the last two seasons' wild card games. Tampa Bay entered the game as heavy underdogs and fell behind early. However, the Buccaneers persevered and took a ten-point lead into the fourth quarter. Ronde Barber sealed the win in dramatic fashion with a late interception return for a touchdown, and a 27–10 victory. The Buccaneers then went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Raiders, who had the league's number one offense, by a score of 48–21 in Super Bowl XXXVII, nicknamed 'The Pirate Bowl'.

Soon after the Super Bowl victory, a growing number of press reports indicated Gruden's lack of patience with general manager McKay, a major architect of the Buccaneers' rebuilding effort over the previous ten years. McKay, like Gruden, had long-established ties to the Tampa Bay area. However, during the 2003 season, the Gruden-McKay relationship deteriorated as the Buccaneers struggled on the field. In November, Keyshawn Johnson was deactivated by the team ten games into the season for his conduct, which included sideline arguments with Buccaneers coaches and players. Johnson was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway, who later in his career played for the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Redskins.

In December, the Glazers allowed McKay to leave the Bucs before the end of the regular season, and he promptly joined the Falcons as president and general manager. Thus, McKay watched his first game as a Falcons executive sitting next to owner Arthur Blank in a Raymond James Stadium skybox. The Falcons defeated the Buccaneers 30–28. The Buccaneers suffered a sluggish start and finished the season 7–9. With the Raiders' dismal 4–12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached the playoffs that year.

For 2004, Bruce Allen was hired as general manager. After Allen's arrival, both John Lynch and Warren Sapp were released, stunning many Buccaneers fans. The distracted Buccaneers began the 2004 season with a 1–5 record, their worst start under Gruden. The fading accuracy of kicker Martín Gramática did not help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to a 5–11 record.

In the 2005 season, the Buccaneers celebrated their 30th season in the league, and returned to their winning ways. The Buccaneers selected Carnell "Cadillac" Williams in the first round of the 2005 draft, and the rookie would provide a running game the Buccaneers had not possessed since the days of James Wilder Sr. in the 1980s. Williams would later go on to receive the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. After starting 5–1, the team entered a midseason slump hampered by a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Brian Griese. Replacement starter Chris Simms struggled early, but came into his own, leading the team to a last-minute win over the Redskins. The Buccaneers won the NFC South Division finishing 11–5. The season ended abruptly, however, with a 17–10 loss in the Wild Card round, in a rematch with Washington that saw receiver Edell Shepherd drop the potential game-winning catch in the endzone.

After winning the division in 2005, the Buccaneers suffered through an abysmal 2006 season. The season was plagued by injuries, with starters such as guard Dan Buenning, wide receiver Michael Clayton, running back Cadillac Williams, defensive end Simeon Rice, cornerback Brian Kelly, and quarterback Chris Simms all being placed on injured reserve at some point in the season. The season also saw a lot of rookies starting for the Buccaneers, such as quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, tackle Jeremy Trueblood, and guard Davin Joseph.

The Buccaneers started off the season 0–3, with Simms throwing one touchdown to seven interceptions. In the third game of the season, a last-minute loss to the Panthers, Simms's spleen was ruptured, and he was placed on injured reserve for the balance of the season. After their bye week, the Buccaneers elected to start Gradkowski, a sixth-round pick from Toledo. After nearly beating the Saints, Gradkowski led the team to last-minute wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. The success was short-lived, however, and the Buccaneers lost five of the next six games. Tim Rattay replaced Gradkowski as quarterback late in the season, and the team finished 4–12. The aged defense, with five starters who had played there for a decade or more, was ranked 17th overall, the first time a Tampa Bay defense was not ranked in the top ten since 1996.