The
2008The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe 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 was the 33rd season for the club in the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Though the team finished with a winning record (9-7), they failed to defend their 2007
NFC SouthThe NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
championship and did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing the year on a four game losing streak. Just weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, head coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
was fired,
a move that came as a surprise both to sports writers and Gruden himself. General manager
Bruce AllenBruce Allen is the general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, Allen served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders .-Background:...
was also fired.
The failure of the Buccaneers to return to the Super Bowl marked the 24th consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played.
Headlines
- On January 23, 2008, the Buccaneers re-signed head coach Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
and general managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Bruce Allen through the 2011 season.
- Tampa Bay was rumored to lead a list of four teams possibly playing an International Series game in London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They were ultimately not chosen.
- Tampa Bay was one of the teams rumored to be involved with a trade for Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
after he was reinstated to the league from retirement. He ultimately signed with the JetsThe 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...
.
Signings
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers resigned free agents Michael Bennett (cut November 12), Kevin Carter,
Antoine CashAntoine Cash is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southern Mississippi....
,
Sammy DavisSammy James Davis, Jr. is an American football cornerback. He is a free agent, as well as a businessman and owner of the Austin Capitals, a basketball team playing in the American Basketball Association. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 30th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft...
,
Jerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
. On June 11, the team settled with estranged quarterback
Jake PlummerJason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
for $3.5 million.
Free agent acquisitions include former team players
Warrick 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...
(Falcons) and
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
(Bears).
Selected losses
- Brian Kelly
- John Wade
- Matt Lehr
Matthew Steven Lehr is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech....
- Anthony Becht
Anthony G. Becht is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets 27th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia. He has Swedish relatives, brother Francis and nephew Carl and...
- Mark Jones
- Kalvin Pearson
Kalvin Pearson is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
- Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
- Greg Spires
Gregory Tyrone Spires is an American football who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
- Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Raymond Gradkowski is an American Football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Toledo.Gradkowski has previously been a member of the Tampa...
- Ryan Nece
Ryan Clint Nece is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
- Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
- Luke Petitgout
- Anthony Davis
Summary
Tampa Bay's offseason gained attention when they expressed interest in free agent quarterback
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
. After Favre signed with the
JetsThe 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...
, tension was reported between head coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
and incumbent quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
. Garcia was recovering from a preseason injury, but was still named the starter. After dropping the season opener, Garcia was benched in favor of
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
.
Griese helped the team to victories in the next three games. With Garcia back as the starter for week 6, the Buccaneers went 6-1 over the next 7 games. At the end of November, Tampa Bay found themselves in first place in the
NFC SouthThe NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
. They tied a franchise best start of 9-3, were undefeated at home (6-0), and controlled their own destiny for a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The month of December, however, saw the Buccaneers season collapse. A humiliating loss on
Monday Night FootballMonday 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...
against
CarolinaThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
took away their hopes of a division title. Meanwhile, longtime defensive coordinator
Monte KiffinMonte Kiffin is an American football coach. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history...
announced he was leaving to join his son
LaneLane Monte Kiffin is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans college football team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers college football team, the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and the offensive coordinator for the Trojans...
at
TennesseeThe Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. The defense began to struggle mightily, especially against the run. An overtime loss at
AtlantaThe 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...
, followed by two home losses, dropped the Bucs to 9-7, and out of the playoffs. Less than three weeks later, head coach
GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
and general manager
Bruce AllenBruce Allen is the general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, Allen served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders .-Background:...
were fired.
Roster
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2008 final roster |
Quarterbacks
- 7 Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
- 8 Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
- 11 Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football quarterback for the University of San Diego Toreros. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
- 12 Luke McCown
Lucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
Running Backs
- 35 B. J. Askew
Bobby DeAngelo Askew, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He played college football as the University of Michigan. He ranks first all-time among Michigan running backs in reception yards....
FB
- 33 Jameel Cook
Jameel A. Cook is a retired NFL fullback. Hewas drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois.-External links:...
FB
- 28 Warrick Dunn
Warrick 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...
- 22 Clifton Smith
Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
KR/PR
- 24 Carnell Williams
Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
Wide Receivers
- 89 Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
- 87 Brian Clark
Brian Clark is an American football wide receiver for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
- 80 Michael Clayton
- 84 Joey Galloway
Joseph Scott Galloway is an American football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks eighth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft...
- 19 Ike Hilliard
Isaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
- 10 Dexter Jackson
Dexter Myles Jackson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a practice squad member of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
Tight Ends
- 88 John Gilmore
- 81 Alex Smith
Edwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
- 86 Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
|
|
Offensive Linemen
52 Jeff Faine Jeffrey Kalei Faine is an American football center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns 21st overall in the 2003 NFL Draft...
C
75 Davin JosephDavin Joseph is an American football guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Buccaneers 23rd overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.-Early years:Joseph played high school football at Hallandale High School...
G
77 James LeeJames Franklin Lee is a former American football defensive end that was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2003 NFL Draft. Lee played college football at College of the Redwoods James Franklin Lee (born March 12, 1980 in Salem, Oregon) is a former American football defensive end that was...
T
79 Sean MahanSean Christopher Mahan is an American football center who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
C
70 Donald PennDonald Ward Penn is an American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
T
78 Arron SearsArron Eugene Sears is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
G
65 Jeremy TruebloodJeremy Tyler Trueblood is an American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
T
76 Jeremy ZuttahJeremy Kwasi Zuttah is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers....
G
Defensive Linemen
- 90 Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
DE
- 93 Kevin Carter DE
- 94 Patrick Chukwurah
Patrick C. Chukwurah is a Nigerian defensive end of American football who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
DE/LB
- 71 Jovan Haye
Jovan Haye is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
DT
- 95 Chris Hovan
Christopher James Hovan is an American football defensive tackle for the Virginia Destroyers. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
DT
- 96 Greg Peterson
Greg Peterson is a American football defensive end for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was most recently a member of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
DT
- 98 Ryan Sims
Ryan O'Neal Sims is an American Football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. Sims' professional career began in 2002 with the Kansas City Chiefs, for whom he played through the end of the 2006 season...
DT
- 91 Stylez White DE
- 97 Jimmy Wilkerson
Jimmy Boyd Wilkerson is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
DE |
|
Linebackers
58 Quincy Black Quincy Booker Black , is a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He attended the University of New Mexico.-High school career:Black attended Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, where he played linebacker...
OLB
55 Derrick BrooksDerrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
OLB
57 Adam HaywardAdam Hayward is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early life:A linebacker at Marina High School, Adam was unnerved by the idea of playing the position of Safety for Colorado State University, He took a year off from football at Colorado to take care of some family issues...
ILB
59 Cato JuneCato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
OLB
50 Matt McCoy OLB
51 Barrett RuudBarrett James Ruud is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
ILB
56 Rod WilsonRodriques Wilson is an American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina...
OLB
Defensive Backs
- 26 Will Allen
Will Allen is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
FS
- 20 Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
CB
- 31 Phillip Buchanon
Phillip Darren Buchanon is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
CB
- 36 Tanard Jackson
Tanard Ricardo Jackson is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
FS
- 43 Elbert Mack
Elbert Mack is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished his college football career at Troy after playing his first two years of college ball at Butler...
CB
- 30 Donte Nicholson
Donte Lamar Nicholson is an American football safety who is currently a free agent, having most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
SS
- 21 Sabby Piscitelli
Sabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
SS
- 25 Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
CB
Special Teams
- 9 Josh Bidwell
Joshua John Bidwell is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
P
- 3 Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
K
- 48 Andrew Economos
Andrew John Economos is an American football long snapper for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was originally signed as and undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005.-High School Years:...
LS |
|
Reserve Lists
27 Torrie Cox Torrie Tywan Cox is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
CB (IR) 
34 Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
RB (IR)
14 Cortez HanktonCortez Hankton is an American football wide receiver for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Texas Southern. He attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, LA...
WR (IR)
54 Geno HayesEugene Antonio "Geno" Hayes is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
OLB (IR)
23 Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
SS (IR)
16 Jake PlummerJason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
QB (Did Not Report)
44 Byron StorerByron Donald Storer is an American football coach and former fullback. He is currently the assistant special teams coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
FB (IR)
85 Maurice StovallMaurice Aurilius Stovall is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early years:Stovall grew up in Philadelphia and went...
WR (IR)
Practice Squad
- 39 Kyle Arrington
Kyle Chandler Arrington is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hofstra. Arrington also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early...
CB
- 38 Omar Cuff
Anthony Omar Cuff is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
RB
- 32 Greg Fassitt
Greg Fassitt is a free agent American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
CB
- 6 Sergey Ivanov
Sergey Ivanov is an American football safety who is an international practice squad member for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League.-External links:*...
FS Int'l
- 68 Matt Lentz
Matt Lentz is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
G/T
- 92 Dre Moore
Marchondray James "Dre" Moore is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
DT
- 82 Jason Pociask
Jason Pociask [] is a former American football fullback and tight end. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
TE
- 17 Micheal Spurlock
Michael Curtis Spurlock is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
WR
- 74 Julius Wilson
Julius Wilson is an American football offensive tackle for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at UAB.Wilson has also been a member of the St...
OT
Rookies in italics
|
2008 NFL Draft
2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Selections
| Draft order |
Player name |
Position |
Height |
Weight |
College |
| Round |
Choice |
| 1 |
20 |
Aqib Talib Aqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
|
CB A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
|
6'1" |
206 |
KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
|
| 2 |
58 |
Dexter Jackson Dexter Myles Jackson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a practice squad member of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
WR A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/KRIn American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
|
5'9" |
182 |
Appalachian StateAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
|
| 3 |
83 |
Jeremy ZuttahJeremy Kwasi Zuttah is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers....
|
OL |
6'4" |
295 |
RutgersRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
|
| 4 |
115 |
Dre Moore Marchondray James "Dre" Moore is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
DT |
6'4" |
305 |
Maryland |
| 5 |
160 |
Josh Johnson Josh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football quarterback for the University of San Diego Toreros. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
QBQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
|
6'2" |
201 |
San DiegoThe University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
|
| 6 |
175 |
Geno Hayes Eugene Antonio "Geno" Hayes is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
LBA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
|
6'1" |
226 |
Florida StateThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
|
| 7 |
238 |
Cory Boyd Cory J. Boyd is a gridiron football running back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
RB A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
|
6'1" |
218 |
South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
|
Preseason
| Week |
Day |
Date |
Kickoff |
Opponent |
Results |
Stadium |
Network |
Report |
| Score |
Record |
| 1 |
Saturday |
August 9, 2008 |
7:30 p.m. EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
at Miami DolphinsThe 2008 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 39th season in the National Football League and 43rd overall. During the regular season the Dolphins completed the greatest single-season turnaround in NFL history, going from a 1–15 regular season record in 2007 to an 11–5 record in 2008...
|
W 17-6 |
1–0 |
Dolphin StadiumSun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
|
WTVT |
Report |
| 2 |
Sunday |
August 17, 2008 |
8:00 p.m. EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
New England PatriotsThe 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
|
W 27-10 |
2–0 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
NFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
|
Report |
| 3 |
Saturday |
August 23, 2008 |
7:30 p.m. EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
Jacksonville JaguarsThe 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs, contrary to many preseason predictions.-2008 NFL Draft picks:...
|
L 17-23 |
2–1 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
WTVT |
Report |
| 4 |
Thursday |
August 28, 2008 |
8:00 p.m. EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
at Houston Texans The 2008 Houston Texans season was the 7th season for the team in the National Football League. Though the Texans lost their first four games of the season, they rallied and won five of their last six games, to finish with an 8–8 record for the second consecutive year.The 2008 season also marked...
|
W 16-6 |
3-1 |
Reliant StadiumReliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
|
WFLA WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
|
Report |
NOTE: Due to
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's coverage of the
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, two of the Buccaneers' pre-season games were telecast on WTVT as
WFLAWFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
broadcast the Olympics.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Training Camp at
Disney's Wide World of Sports ComplexESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a athletic complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort. The complex includes 9 venues and hosts numerous amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year....
from July 26 through August 14. They played four
preseason gamesThe National Football League preseason refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five weekends of...
, and finished with a record of 3-1.
During the month of July, and into the early stages of training camp, the Buccaneers were one of the teams in the running to sign
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
(who ended his 6-month-long retirement). Favre ultimately signed with the Jets. Meanwhile, starting quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
suffered a calf injury during the first week of camp. Quarterback duties were shared among five players for the preseason, with Garcia named the starter for the regular season. On the final day of cuts, Tampa Bay finally waived quarterback
Chris SimmsChristopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, who had played sparsely since injuring his spleen in week 3 of 2006.
Preseason week 1: at Miami Dolphins
- Stadium: Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
- Miami Gardens, FloridaMiami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
- Television (WFLA
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
): Chris MyersChristopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
, Charles DavisCharles Davis is a former football player for the University of Tennessee.Davis was an All-SEC defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers. He earned a master's degree in history while a student at Tennessee.-Biography:...
& Dave Reynolds (sideline reporter)
- Summary: Tampa Bay opened their preseason with a 17-6 win against in-state rivals, the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Michael Bennett rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback duties were shared amongst four players (McCownLucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
, SimmsChristopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
, and JohnsonJosh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football quarterback for the University of San Diego Toreros. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
). No injuries were reported, and the team committed zero penalties.
Preseason week 2: New England Patriots
- Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
- Tampa, FloridaTampa 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....
- Television (NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
): Fran Charles, Sterling Sharpe and Marshall Faulk
- Summary: Tampa Bay hosted New England
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 their preseason home opener. A dominating 27-10 performance saw Tampa Bay improve to 2-0 in the preseason. The Buccaneers rushed for 170 yards, led by Michael Bennett, for the second week in a row, with 57. The Buccaneer defense forced 3 turnovers, held the Patriots to only 56 yards rushing, and Sabby PiscitelliSabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
recovered and returned a Patriot fumble for a touchdown.
Preseason week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars
- Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
- Tampa, FloridaTampa 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....
- Television (WTVT): Chris Myers
Christopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
, Charles DavisCharles Davis is a former football player for the University of Tennessee.Davis was an All-SEC defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers. He earned a master's degree in history while a student at Tennessee.-Biography:...
& Dave Reynolds (sideline reporter)
- Summary: Tampa Bay fell to their in-state rival Jacksonville
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
23-17 in their final home game of the preseason. Quarterback Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
returned to the starting lineup, and played for a considerable portion of the first half. Three turnovers and a missed field goal, however, put the Buccaneers behind at halftime 10-7. Late in the game, Antoine CashAntoine Cash is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southern Mississippi....
drove head-first into the side of Marcus HamiltonMarcus Christopher David Hamilton is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, injuring both. Cash suffered a neck injury and was removed on a stretcher. In the final minute, Luke McCownLucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
drove the Buccaneers to the Jacksonville 9 yard line, hoping for a game-winning touchdown. The ball was turned over on downs, and ended with Jacksonville the victor.
Preseason week 4: at Houston Texans
- Stadium: Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
- Houston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
- Television (WFLA
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
): Chris MyersChristopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
, Charles DavisCharles Davis is a former football player for the University of Tennessee.Davis was an All-SEC defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers. He earned a master's degree in history while a student at Tennessee.-Biography:...
& Dave Reynolds (sideline reporter)
- Summary: Tampa Bay wrapped up the preseason with a win against the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
by a score of 16-6. Josh JohnsonJosh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He played college football quarterback for the University of San Diego Toreros. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Chris SimmsChristopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
shared quarterback duties and Kenneth DarbyKenneth Darby is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Darby has also been a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Alabama.-Early...
led the team in rushing (55 yards). The highlight of scoring was rookie Dexter JacksonDexter Myles Jackson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a practice squad member of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
's 83-yard punt return touchdown. The Buccaneer defense sacked Houston once, and had one interception. Kicker Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
finished up a shaky preseason kicking 3-out-of-5 field goals.
Schedule
| Week |
Day |
Date |
Kickoff |
Opponent |
Results |
Stadium |
Network |
Report |
| Score |
Record |
| 1 |
Sunday |
September 7, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
at New Orleans Saints The 2008 New Orleans Saints season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League . The Saints entered the season in an attempt improve their 7-9 record from the 2007 season.-Pre-season:-Regular season:...
|
L 20—24 |
0—1 |
Louisiana SuperdomeThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 2 |
Sunday |
September 14, 2008 |
4:05 p.m. EDT |
Atlanta FalconsThe 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4-12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding...
|
W 24—9 |
1—1 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 3 |
Sunday |
September 21, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EDT |
at Chicago BearsThe 2008 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 89th regular season in the National Football League. They finished the 2008 season with a 9-7 record, improving upon their 7-9 record from the 2007 season...
|
W 27—24 OT |
2—1 |
Soldier FieldSoldier 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...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 4 |
Sunday |
September 28, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EDT |
Green Bay PackersThe 2008 Green Bay Packers season was the 88th season in the National Football League for the Packers and their 90th overall. They looked to continue success after posting a 13-3 record in 2007, but finished the season with a losing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs.- 2008 NFL Draft :The Packers...
|
W 30—21 |
3—1 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 5 |
Sunday |
October 5, 2008 |
4:05 p.m. EDT |
at Denver Broncos The 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7–9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
|
L 13—16 |
3—2 |
Invesco Field at Mile HighSports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 6 |
Sunday |
October 12, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EDT |
Carolina Panthers -Preseason:-Regular season:-Postseason:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter. John Kasay made three field goals while Philip Rivers connected with Chris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the...
|
W 27—3 |
4—2 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 7 |
Sunday |
October 19, 2008 |
8:15 p.m. EDT |
Seattle Seahawks The 2008 Seattle Seahawks season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Seahawks' streak of four consecutive NFC West divisional championships was broken, as they fell to a 4-12 record...
|
W 20—10 |
5—2 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
NBCNBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
|
Report |
| 8 |
Sunday |
October 26, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EDT |
at Dallas Cowboys The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0...
|
L 9—13 |
5—3 |
Texas StadiumTexas 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...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 9 |
Sunday |
November 2, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
at Kansas City ChiefsThe 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement." The season turned out to be the worst in the...
|
W 30—27 OT |
6—3 |
Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 10 |
Bye |
| 11 |
Sunday |
November 16, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
Minnesota Vikings The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs...
|
W 19—13 |
7—3 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 12 |
Sunday |
November 23, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
at Detroit LionsThe 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
|
W 38—20 |
8—3 |
Ford FieldFord Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 13 |
Sunday |
November 30, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
New Orleans Saints The 2008 New Orleans Saints season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League . The Saints entered the season in an attempt improve their 7-9 record from the 2007 season.-Pre-season:-Regular season:...
|
W 23—20 |
9—3 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 14 |
Monday |
December 8, 2008 |
8:30 p.m. EST |
at Carolina Panthers -Preseason:-Regular season:-Postseason:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter. John Kasay made three field goals while Philip Rivers connected with Chris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the...
|
L 23—38 |
9—4 |
Bank of America StadiumBank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
|
ESPNMonday 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...
|
Report |
| 15 |
Sunday |
December 14, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
at Atlanta FalconsThe 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4-12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding...
|
L 10—13 OT |
9—5 |
Georgia DomeThe Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
|
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
|
Report |
| 16 |
Sunday |
December 21, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
San Diego ChargersThe 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship...
|
L 24—41 |
9—6 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
CBSThe 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:...
|
Report |
| 17 |
Sunday |
December 28, 2008 |
1:00 p.m. EST |
Oakland Raiders The 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York...
|
L 24—31 |
9—7 |
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
|
CBSThe 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:...
|
Report |
- In week 16, Tampa Bay vs. San Diego was originally scheduled for 8:15 p.m., part of NBC's SNF
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
. However, under the "flex-scheduling" policy, it was moved to 1 p.m.
Week 1: at New Orleans Saints
The Buccaneers began their 2008 campaign on the road against their NFC South foe, the
New Orleans SaintsThe 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 ....
. In the first quarter, Tampa Bay trailed as Saints QB
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
completed a 39-yard TD pass to WR
David PattenDavid Patten is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. He played college football at Western Carolina....
. The Bucs would respond with CB
Phillip BuchanonPhillip Darren Buchanon is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Tampa Bay took the lead with kicker
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
getting a 37-yard field goal. In the third quarter, New Orleans would reply with kicker
Martín GramáticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
getting a 34-yard field goal, yet the Buccaneers replied with Bryant nailing a 33-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Saints got their lead back with Brees completing an 84-yard TD pass to WR
Devery Henderson-New Orleans Saints:On November 5, 2006, Devery had his best day as a professional in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught 3 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson had 158 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 76 yard touchdown, against the Atlanta Falcons on November...
. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay would go ahead again as QB
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR
Ike HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
. However, New Orleans regained the lead after Brees completing a 42-yard TD pass to RB
Reggie BushReginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
.
Inside the final minute, Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the Saints 24 yard line. Facing 4th down & 6, Garcia threw an interception, and the Saints clinched the victory. With the loss, the Buccaneers began their season at 0-1 and lost on opening day for the third straight year.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
NO |
11:27 |
39-yard TD pass from BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
to PattenDavid Patten is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. He played college football at Western Carolina....
(GramaticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
kick) |
NO 7-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
8:13 |
Buchanon Phillip Darren Buchanon is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
26-yard interception return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
7-7 |
| 2 |
TB |
0:03 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
37-yard FG |
TB 10-7 |
| 3 |
NO |
2:49 |
Gramatica Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
34-yard FG |
10-10 |
| 3 |
TB |
0:33 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
33-yard FG |
TB 13-10 |
| 3 |
NO |
0:13 |
84-yard TD pass from BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
to Henderson-New Orleans Saints:On November 5, 2006, Devery had his best day as a professional in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught 3 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson had 158 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 76 yard touchdown, against the Atlanta Falcons on November...
(GramaticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
kick) |
NO 17-13 |
| 4 |
TB |
10:38 |
2-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 20-17 |
| 4 |
NO |
7:38 |
42-yard TD pass from BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
to BushReginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
(GramaticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
kick) |
NO 24-20 |
Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay held their home opener facing their second division game, against the
Atlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
was inactive due to an ankle injury. However, rumors persisted during the week that the relationship between head coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
and Garcia had broken down after a poor performance the week before, and after preseason distractions due to a nagging injury, and the team's rumored interest in acquiring
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
. Back-up quarterback
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
, who last played at Tampa Bay in 2005, started.
Derrick BrooksDerrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
, who also was nursing injury, was activated and started the game to keep his consecutive games started streak (209) alive.
On the first drive of the game, Atlanta started at their own 23. On the third play of the game,
Aqib TalibAqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
intercepted
Matt RyanMatthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
, and returned the ball to the 19. Five plays later,
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
connected with John Gilmore for a 5-yard touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay started a 12-play, 81 yard drive at their own 19 yard line. On first & goal at the Atlanta 8 yard line,
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
rushed for an apparent 8-yard touchdown, but it was called back for a holding penalty. After losing ground and facing 3rd & goal at the 17,
Warrick 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...
rumbled 17 yards, breaking several tackles for a touchdown. It was Dunn's first score since returning to the team. After a kickoff, Atlanta started their next drive at the 22 yard line. After two incompletions, on third down, Ryan was intercepted by
Sabby PiscitelliSabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, who returned the ball to the 17 yard line.
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
capped off the turnover with a field goal, and a 17-0 lead. Atlanta finally got onto the scoreboard with 12 seconds remaining in the half, with a
Jason ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
field goal.
Early in the fourth quarter, Atlanta trailed 17-6. Facing 3rd & 8 at their own 19 yard line, an unusual play occurred.
Matt RyanMatthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
completed a 20-yard pass to
Roddy WhiteSharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...
. White fumbled, and it was recovered by
Sabby PiscitelliSabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
of the Buccaneers. Piscitelli then ran 3 yards and attempted a
lateralIn American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
to
Cato JuneCato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
. The lateral was actually an illegal forward pass, and fell incomplete to the ground. Thought to be a live ball, it was recovered once more by Atlanta, meanwhile a flag for a personal foul by Tampa Bay was also on the field. After several minutes of confusion and discussion by the officials, they awarded the ball to Atlanta at the Tampa Bay 48 yard line. Atlanta continued the drive and managed a field goal, trimming the lead to 17-9.
Late in the fourth quarter,
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
iced the game with a 68-yard touchdown run, and a final score of 24-9.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
TB |
12:37 |
5-yard TD pass from Griese Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to Gilmore (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 7-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
11:08 |
Dunn Warrick 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...
17-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 14-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
9:11 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
33-yard FG |
TB 17-0 |
| 2 |
Atl |
0:12 |
ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
32-yard FG |
TB 17-3 |
| 3 |
Atl |
1:03 |
ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
27-yard FG |
TB 17-6 |
| 4 |
Atl |
5:12 |
ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
24-yard FG |
TB 17-9 |
| 4 |
TB |
3:08 |
GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
68-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 24-9 |
Week 3: at Chicago Bears
In the first quarter, both Tampa Bay and
ChicagoThe 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...
were fired up and committed several skirmishes. On the second play of the game,
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
's pass was tipped and intercepted by
Lance BriggsLance Marell Briggs is an American football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona.-Early years:A Sacramento native, Briggs attended Elk Grove High...
. The Bears capitalized on the turnover with a field goal. A field position battle saw the Bears kick another field goal, and hold a 6-0 lead early. After the early turnover, Brian Griese led the Buccaneers on an 8-play, 81-yard scoring drive. The drive was capped off by a touchdown pass to
Ike HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
.
Early in the second quarter, Griese completed a pass to
Maurice StovallMaurice Aurilius Stovall is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early years:Stovall grew up in Philadelphia and went...
, but Stovall fumbled the ball with Chicago recovering at the 38 yard line. Attempting to score quickly,
Kyle OrtonKyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
threw deep to the endzone on the next play. The pass was broken up in the endzone, and bounced into the hands of
Barrett RuudBarrett James Ruud is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
for an improbable interception. The teams traded possessions twice, and the Bears found themselves driving across midfield with about 6 minutes left in the half. After a sack, Orton was again pressured, and threw a screen pass which was intercepted.
Gaines AdamsGaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
returned the ball 45 yards to the goal line, and after review, was awarded a touchdown. The Bears regrouped and drove to their own 44 yard line. On fourth down, a well-executed fake punt resulted in a 38-yard run by
Garrett WolfeGarrett Wolfe is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played his college football at Northern Illinois. He is currently a free agent.-Personal life:...
. The Bears scored a third field goal as time expired in the half, and Tampa Bay took a 14-9 lead into halftime.
After an interception midway through the third quarter, Chicago scored their first touchdown (and added a two-point conversion) for a 17-14 lead. With less than 7 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, hoping to put the game out of reach, a fourth field goal by Gould put the Bears up by ten points.
Brian Griese drove the Buccaneers 63 yards in 12 plays, and set up a 35-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The kick narrowed the deficit to 7 points. The Buccaneer defense held Chicago to a 3-and-out, and the Bears punted to Tampa Bay immediately after the two-minute warning. In just over a minute and a half, Griese drove the Buccaneers 81 yards in 11 plays.
Jerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
caught a 1-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score and force overtime.
In the overtime period, Tampa Bay won the coin toss and received. They quickly drove to the Chicago 39 yard line, but an intentional grounding penalty stalled the drive. Chicago received a punt, but was unable to cross midfield.
Brad MaynardBradley "Brad" Alan Maynard is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
punted, and pinned the Buccaneers at their own 7 yard line.
Facing 3rd & 9 at their own 8 yard line, Griese passed to
Jerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
for a short 2-yard gain. The drive, however, was given new life when a skirmish broke out and
Charles TillmanCharles "Peanut" Tillman is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the NFL. He was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
of the Bears was called for unnecessary roughness. In seven plays, Griese drove the Buccaneers to the Chicago 44 yard line. With just over 5 minutes left in the overtime period, Griese connected with
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
for a 38-yard pass, and a first & goal at the Chicago 6. Two plays later,
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
came on the field, and kicked a game-winning field goal.
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
set a franchise record for most pass attempts (67, fourth most in NFL history). His passing yards (407) was the third-most in team history.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
Chi |
12:43 |
Gould Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
40-yard FG |
Chi 3-0 |
| 1 |
Chi |
6:10 |
Gould Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
43-yard FG |
Chi 6-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
1:50 |
4-yard TD pass from Griese Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 7-6 |
| 2 |
TB |
5:26 |
Adams Gaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
45-yard interception return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 14-6 |
| 2 |
Chi |
0:00 |
Gould Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
43-yard FG |
TB 14-9 |
| 3 |
Chi |
2:54 |
6-yard TD pass from OrtonKyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to FortéMatthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
(pass successful) |
Chi 17-14 |
| 4 |
Chi |
6:38 |
19-yard TD pass from OrtonKyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to LloydBrandon Matthew Lloyd is an American football wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(GouldRobert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
kick) |
Chi 24-14 |
| 4 |
TB |
3:11 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
35-yard FG |
Chi 24-17 |
| 4 |
TB |
0:07 |
1-yard TD pass from Griese Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
24-24 |
| OT |
TB |
4:21 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
21-yard FG |
TB 27-24 |
Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers
Green BayThe 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...
took the opening drive 58 yards for a touchdown, and the first score of the game. The remainder of the Packers' drives in the first half were largely unsuccessful. On the first play of the second quarter,
Aaron RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
pass was tipped and then intercepted by
Derrick BrooksDerrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
. The turnover set the Buccaneers up on the Packers 32 yard line. Shortly thereafter,
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
connected to
Alex SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to tie the score at 7.
Later in the second quarter, Green Bay faced 4th & 15 at their own 5 yard line.
Derrick FrostDerrick E. Frost is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
punted from the back of the endzone, but the punt took a "Buccaneer bounce" and was downed at the Green Bay 41 yard line. The resulting good field position led to a
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal, and a 10-7 lead. Earlier in the week, Bryant suffered tragedy off the field, with the death of his 3-month old son Tryson. Four plays later,
RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
was intercepted again, this time by
Barrett RuudBarrett James Ruud is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. Before the end of the second quarter, Bryant kicked another field goal, and the Buccaneers led 13-7 at halftime.
Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff, and drove to the Packers 17 yard line. A play later, however,
GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
's pass was bobbled by Michael Clayton at the 5, and intercepted by
Tramon WilliamsTramon Vernell Williams is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
. After trading possessions, midway through the third quarter, Green Bay was at their own 40 yard line.
Ryan GrantRyan Brett Grant is a running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2005 but was traded to the Packers shortly before the 2007 season in exchange for a future sixth-round draft pick...
fumbled, and
Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
recovered for a 38-yard Buccaneer touchdown.
On the second play of Tampa Bay's next drive,
GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw his second interception, which was returned to the 42 yard line.
Aaron RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to
Greg JenningsGregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
to trim the score to 20-14. Rodgers, however, appeared to injure his throwing arm on the play.
Early in the fourth quarter,
GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw his second straight interception (and third overall), which was returned 62 yards by
Charles WoodsonCharles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
for a touchdown. The Packers took a 21-20 lead with just under 14 minutes to go, while rookie back-up quarterback
Matt FlynnMatthew Clayton Flynn is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.-Early years:...
took over for the next drive.
With just over 8 minutes remaining, Griese led the Buccaneers on a 10-play, 58-yard drive, capped off by
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
's third field goal, and a 23-21 lead. Green Bay started with 2:26 remaining. On the drive's second play, Rodgers was intercepted by
Gaines AdamsGaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
.
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
iced the game with a 47-yard rush, followed by a 1-yard touchdown.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
GB |
10:24 |
25-yard TD pass from RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
to JenningsGregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
(CrosbyMason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
kick) |
GB 7-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
12:09 |
9-yard TD pass from Griese Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
7-7 |
| 2 |
TB |
6:43 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
23-yard FG |
TB 10-7 |
| 2 |
TB |
1:07 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
36-yard FG |
TB 13-7 |
| 3 |
TB |
6:00 |
Phillips Jermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
38-yard fumble return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 20-7 |
| 3 |
GB |
1:46 |
48-yard TD pass from RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
to JenningsGregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
(CrosbyMason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
kick) |
TB 20-14 |
| 4 |
GB |
13:43 |
WoodsonCharles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
62-yard interception return (CrosbyMason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
kick) |
GB 21-20 |
| 4 |
TB |
2:26 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
24-yard FG |
TB 23-21 |
| 4 |
TB |
1:56 |
GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
1-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 30-21 |
Week 5: at Denver Broncos
The Buccaneers traveled to
DenverThe 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...
for the first time since 1996, and lost their second game of the 2008 season. Broncos quarterback
Jay CutlerJay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
threw for 227 yards and one touchdown.
After trading possessions twice to start the game, Tampa Bay drove 65 yards on 7 plays, taking the lead 3-0. On the next possession, Denver managed to tie the score with a 55-yard field goal.
Later in the second quarter, Denver made a 9-play drive, capped off by a field goal, and a 6-3 lead. Tampa Bay took over with 2:21 left in the half.
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
drove the Buccaneers in 11 plays to the Denver 11 yard line. As time ran out in the half,
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kicked another field goal, and the game was tied 6-6 at halftime.
Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff, but was forced to punt.
Josh BidwellJoshua John Bidwell is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
pinned the Broncos at their own 4 yard line. On the first play of the drive, however, Cutler connected with
Tony Scheffler-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
for 33 yards, and dug themselves out of the hole. The resulting good field possession allowed Denver to punt, and pin Tampa Bay at their own 11.
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
threw an incompletion, and suffered an injured shoulder on the play.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
took over at quarterback.
With a short field, Denver drove 47 yards on only five plays, and took the lead again with a 10-yard touchdown pass by
CutlerJay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. They followed up with a field goal early in the fourth quarter, and held a 16-6 lead.
Late in the fourth quarter,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
drove the Buccaneers 90 yards in 13 plays. The drive was capped off with a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Ike HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
. The touchdown trimmed the deficit to 16-13. Rather than an
onsideIn American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
, Tampa Bay elected to squib kick, and Denver recovered. The Broncos managed two first downs, and ran out the clock to secure the victory.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
TB |
4:28 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
33-yard FG |
TB 3-0 |
| 2 |
Den |
14:56 |
Prater Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...
55-yard FG |
3-3 |
| 2 |
Den |
2:21 |
Prater Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...
40-yard FG |
Den 6-3 |
| 2 |
TB |
0:00 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
31-yard FG |
6-6 |
| 3 |
Den |
5:41 |
10-yard TD pass from CutlerJay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
to StokleyBrandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
(PraterMatt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...
kick) |
Den 13-6 |
| 4 |
Den |
12:24 |
Prater Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...
27-yard FG |
Den 16-6 |
| 4 |
TB |
2:02 |
7-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
Den 16-13 |
Week 6: vs. Carolina Panthers
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Broncos, the Buccaneers went home for a Week 6 NFC South duel with the
Carolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
.
CarolinaThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
received the opening kickoff, but their opening drive was short-lived. At their own 41 yard line,
Jason BakerJason Michael Baker is an American football punter for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.-High school years:...
's punt was blocked, and LB
Geno HayesEugene Antonio "Geno" Hayes is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
returned the ball 22 yards for a touchdown, which was the first time that Tampa Bay returned a blocked punt for a touchdown since December 2, 2001 against the Bengals. Later in the first quarter,
Jake DelhommeJake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
was intercepted by
Tanard JacksonTanard Ricardo Jackson is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
at the Carolina 36.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
drove the Buccaneers in five plays for a touchdown, and a 14-0 lead.
Carolina got on the board early in the second quarter, with a 20-yard field goal. The Panthers had 1st & goal at the Tampa Bay 3, and nearly suffered a fumble. After review, the ruling on the field (down by contact) was upheld, and the Pathers trimmed the deficit to 14-3.
On the next drive, Garcia connected deep to Michael Clayton, and a
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal put the Buccaneers up 17-3. After trading possessions, Carolina was pinned back at their own 6 yard line. Delhomme drove the Panthers into Tampa territory, but was intercepted in the endzone by
Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The turnover came up short, however, as Bryant missed a field goal to end the half.
Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff.
Josh BidwellJoshua John Bidwell is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
punted, and the ball appeared to be downed at the 1 yard line, but officials ruled a touchback. After a replay challenge, the ruling was overturned, and Carolina took over inside their own 1. The poor field position led to another Tampa Bay field goal, and a 20-3 lead. Carolina's next drive went 3-and-out, and a poor punt set up the Buccaneers up at the 41.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
drove the Buccaneers to the 1 yard line, including a 3rd down scramble at the 2.
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown.
All of Carolina's fourth quarter drives came up empty, and Tampa Bay ran out the clock to seal the victory. The win snapped a 5-game losing streak to Carolina at
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
.
With the win, the Buccaneers improved to 4-2.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
TB |
12:25 |
Hayes Eugene Antonio "Geno" Hayes is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
22-yard blocked punt return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 7-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
2:40 |
2-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 14-0 |
| 2 |
Car |
12:31 |
Kasay John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
20-yard FG |
TB 14-3 |
| 2 |
TB |
8:58 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
37-yard FG |
TB 17-3 |
| 3 |
TB |
6:03 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
49-yard FG |
TB 20-3 |
| 4 |
TB |
14:11 |
GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
1-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 27-3 |
Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay appeared on
NBC's Sunday Night FootballNBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
for the first time, and hosted a primetime home game for the first time since 2003. At halftime, festivties were scheduled honoring retired player
Mike AlstottMichael Joseph Alstott , nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue...
, as his #40 jersey was retired.
SeattleThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
took the opening kickoff, but the Buccaneer defense forced a punt.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
led the Buccaneers to a 7-0 lead on their first drive after a 47-yard touchdown pass. Seattle's two other first quarter drives were 3 & outs.
Early in the second quarter, Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 4 yard line.
Ike HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
caught a pass, but was knocked out by a helmet-to-helmet hit. After a replay challenge, it was determined that Hilliard also fumbled the ball. Seattle took over possession, but the drive went 3 & out. Seattle's punt was received by Tampa Bay at their own 41. Garcia quickly drove the Buccaneers to the endzone, with
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
upping the lead to 14-0.
Justin ForsettJustin Forsett is an American football running back and punt returner for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.-Early years:Forsett was born in Lakeland, Florida...
returned the ensuing kickoff for Seattle all the way to the Tampa Bay 31. On the first play of the drive, however,
Seneca WallaceSeneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
was intercepted by
Aqib TalibAqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
. The turnover led to a
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal and a 17-0 lead. With just over 2 minutes remaining,
Seneca WallaceSeneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
fumbled the
centerCenter is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
exchange at the snap, and Tampa Bay recovered. As time expired in the half,
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
attempted a 47-yard field goal into the wind, but it fell short.
Seattle earned good field position early in the third quarter, which led to an
Olindo MareOlindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
field goal. On their next drive,
Maurice MorrisMaurice Autora Morris is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.-Early life:Morris attended Chester High School in Chester, South...
broke for a 45-yard rush. The Buccaneer defense stiffened in the red zone, however, and Seattle missed a field goal.
Tampa Bay dominated the fourth quarter, executing a clock-eating, 16-play, 9½-minute drive, culminating with a
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal and a 20-3 lead. A late touchdown pass by Seattle trimmed the lead to 20-10, but an ensuing
onside kickIn American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
failed. Tampa Bay ran the clock down, and improved to 4-0 at home with the victory.
With the win, the Buccaneers improved to 5-2.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
TB |
9:13 |
47-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 7-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
6:32 |
GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
1-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 14-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
3:12 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
27-yard FG |
TB 17-0 |
| 3 |
Sea |
10:21 |
Mare Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
26-yard FG |
TB 17-3 |
| 4 |
TB |
4:34 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
27-yard FG |
TB 20-3 |
| 4 |
Sea |
1:55 |
2-yard TD pass from WallaceSeneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
to CarlsonJohn David "Catch" Carlson, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early years:He was born in St...
(MareOlindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
kick) |
TB 20-10 |
Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Bay traveled to
DallasThe 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...
, for what will be their final regular season game at
Texas StadiumTexas 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...
.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
passed for 227 yards and no interceptions, and the Buccaneer defense held the Cowboys to only 172 yards, but the team fell by a score of 13-9.
With
Tony RomoAntonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
on the sidelines with a broken finger, former Buccaneer
Brad JohnsonJames Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
started at quarterback for the Cowboys. Dallas' first three drives went 3-and-out, and Johnson's passing game sputtered. Meanwhile,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
twice drove the Buccaneers into the red zone, and two
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goals put Tampa Bay ahead 6-0.
Dallas got onto the scoreboard in the second quarter with a field goal. On the next drive, Tampa Bay drove 48 yards in 14 plays, but missed a 51-yard field goal. The Cowboys took the good field position, and drove into Tampa Bay territory. With 47 seconds left in the half, facing 3rd & 12 at the 49, the Cowboys' drive appeared to be halted. However,
Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
was called for a
horse-collar penaltyThe horse-collar tackle is an American football or Canadian football maneuver in which a defender tackles another player by grabbing the back-inside of an opponent's shoulder pads. The technique is most closely associated with Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams...
, and the drive continued.
JohnsonJames Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
capitalized on the penalty, and scored a touchdown pass to
Roy WilliamsRoy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
with 4 seconds left in the half.
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
fumbled away the second half kickoff for Tampa Bay, setting up a field position battle in the third quarter. Each team added another field goal, and the score stood at 13-9 late in the fourth quarter.
GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
drove the Buccaneers 56 yards in 16 plays, to the Dallas 18 yard line. Facing 4th & 5 with 19 seconds to go, Garcia's pass fell incomplete, and Dallas held on for the victory.
With the loss, the Buccaneers fell to 5-3.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
TB |
11:02 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
36-yard FG |
TB 3-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
1:14 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
36-yard FG |
TB 6-0 |
| 2 |
Dal |
9:38 |
Folk Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
38-yard FG |
TB 6-3 |
| 2 |
Dal |
0:04 |
2-yard TD pass from JohnsonJames Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
to WilliamsRoy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
kick) |
Dal 10-6 |
| 3 |
Dal |
5:18 |
Folk Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
45-yard FG |
Dal 13-6 |
| 3 |
TB |
0:39 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
41-yard FG |
Dal 13-9 |
Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs
Tampa Bay got off to a slow start as
Kansas CityThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
took the opening drive 69 yards for a touchdown. On Tampa Bay's first play from scrimmage,
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
fumbled and the Chiefs recovered. The turnover led to another Kansas City touchdown, and a 14-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay drove into the red zone, and scored a field goal. On the following drive, the Chiefs executed a
flea-flickerA flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...
play and quarterback
Tyler ThigpenTyler "Dirty Pigpen" Thigpen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for...
caught an improbable 37-yard touchdown pass. Late in the second quarter, the Chiefs added a field goal, to stretch the lead to 24-3. On the ensuing kickoff,
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
scored a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown, the second such in franchise history. The Buccaneer defense held the Chiefs to a 3-and-out, and the offense took over with 1:08 to go. As time expired in the half,
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
's second field goal trimmed the deficit to 24-13.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, and all drives ended in punts. Early in the fourth quarter,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
again drove Tampa Bay into the red zone.
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
caught a pass, but fumbled at the 13. Kansas City recovered at their own 10. On the very next play,
Jamaal CharlesJamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
fumbled away a pitch in the backfield, and Tampa Bay recovered inside the 3. In a trick play,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
handed off to
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
, who passed to
Alex SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
for a touchdown. A
two-point conversionIn American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
failed, and the score trimmed to 24-19.
With 3:34 to go, the Buccaneers drove to the Kansas City 3, and
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
appeared to be heading for a potential game-tying score. The ball was fumbled, however, and the Chiefs took over on a
touchbackIn American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
. The Buccaneer defense forced a punt, and they took over with 1:50 to go.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
quickly drove the Buccaneers to a 25-yard touchdown, and a two-point conversion catch by
Alex SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
sent the game to overtime.
In the overtime period, Tampa Bay won the coin toss. They drove to the Kansas City 15 yard line, and
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
won the game on a 34-yard field goal. The victory marked the largest comeback (from 21 points behind to win) in franchise history.
With the win, the Buccaneers went into their bye week at 6-3.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
KC |
8:23 |
7-yard TD pass from ThigpenTyler "Dirty Pigpen" Thigpen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for...
to Bowe-2007:On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.Bowe scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007.In his rookie...
(BarthConnor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
kick) |
KC 7-0 |
| 1 |
KC |
4:51 |
Smith -Kansas City Chiefs:His first career NFL start was on November 25, 2007 due to injuries to Larry Johnson and the retirement of Priest Holmes. He recorded his first career touchdown on that date against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City....
1-yard TD run (BarthConnor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
kick) |
KC 14-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
13:08 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
25-yard FG |
KC 14-3 |
| 2 |
KC |
10:19 |
37-yard TD pass from Bradley Mark Anthony Bradley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to ThigpenTyler "Dirty Pigpen" Thigpen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for...
(BarthConnor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
kick) |
KC 21-3 |
| 2 |
KC |
2:17 |
BarthConnor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
39-yard FG |
KC 24-3 |
| 2 |
TB |
2:13 |
Smith Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
97-yard kickoff return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
KC 24-10 |
| 2 |
TB |
0:04 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
43-yard FG |
KC 24-13 |
| 4 |
TB |
13:40 |
3-yard TD pass from GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
to SmithEdwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(pass failed) |
KC 24-19 |
| 4 |
KC |
7:38 |
BarthConnor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
28-yard FG |
KC 27-19 |
| 4 |
TB |
0:25 |
24-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(pass successful) |
27-27 |
| OT |
TB |
10:24 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
34-yard FG |
TB 30-27 |
Week 11: vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Tampa Bay defense sacked quarterback
Gus FrerotteGustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
five times, and kicker
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
scored four field goals, as the Buccaneers prevailed over the visiting
VikingsThe 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...
. Running back Adrian Peterson was held to only 85 yards, and the Vikings lost two fumbles.
On the second play of their first drive, running back
Earnest GrahamEarnest Graham, Jr. is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Florida....
suffered an injured ankle, and sat out the remainder of the game. Both teams traded field goals, and the first quarter was tied 3-3.
Two costly Tampa Bay penalties set the Vikings up at the Tampa Bay 12. Three plays later, a touchdown gave Minnesota a 10-3 lead. On the following drive,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
drove the Buccaneers into Vikings territory. A roughing the passer penalty on
Ray EdwardsRaymond James Edwards, Jr. is an American football defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Edwards attended Woodward High School in...
then gave the Buccaneers a 1st & goal at the 3 yard line. A field goal was the result.
Minnesota went on a long field goal drive, and improved their lead to 13-6 at the half.
Tampa Bay's defense took over in the second half. The Buccaneers took the second half kickoff, and Garcia methodically drove the offense into the red zone. At the Minnesota 17 yard line, a series of penalties disrupted the drive. A holding call on
Jerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
pushed them back 10 yards.
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
the electrified the crowd with an apparent 27-yard catch and run touchdown. The touchdown, however, was called back for holding. An offsides penalty on Minnesota set up 2nd & 25 at the 32. Garcia connected for a 31-yard pass to
StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
, and the Buccaneers ultimately tied the game at 13-13.
Minnesota's first drive of the third quarter saw them drive to their own 49 yard line. They went for it on a 4th & 1, but failed, turing the ball over on downs. Tampa Bay again drove into Minnesota territory, but
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
fumbled. The turnover came up empty, however, as the Vikings were forced to punt.
With 14:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay started a 13-play, 69-yard, drive of almost 9 minutes, capped off by a go-ahead field goal.
Maurice HicksMaurice Hicks is an American football running back for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, and Tampa Bay scored yet another field goal. Two drives in the final 4 minutes by the Vikings came up empty, a turnover on downs, and a fumble, and Tampa Bay held on to win 19-13.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
Min |
6:58 |
Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
43-yard FG |
Min 3-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
2:54 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
39-yard FG |
3-3 |
| 2 |
Min |
13:40 |
4-yard TD pass from FrerotteGustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
to WadeRobert Louis Wade, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(LongwellRyan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
kick) |
Min 10-3 |
| 2 |
TB |
7:51 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
26-yard FG |
Min 10-6 |
| 2 |
Min |
1:52 |
Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
37-yard FG |
Min 13-6 |
| 3 |
TB |
9:33 |
Askew Bobby DeAngelo Askew, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He played college football as the University of Michigan. He ranks first all-time among Michigan running backs in reception yards....
1-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
13-13 |
| 4 |
TB |
5:41 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
29-yard FG |
TB 16-13 |
| 4 |
TB |
3:34 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
26-yard FG |
TB 19-13 |
Week 12: at Detroit Lions
In the first quarter, the Buccaneers started out flat, and found themselves trailing 17-0 to the winless
Detroit LionsThe 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...
. After trading possessions to open the game, quarterback
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
led the
LionsThe 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...
on a seven-play touchdown drive to go up 7-0. On the following drive,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
ran into running back
Carnell WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and fumbled the ball.
Daniel BullocksDaniel Bullocks is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
recovered the ball and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. The Lions added a field goal late in the first quarter, and led 17-0.
Early in the second quarter, Jeff Garcia quickly moved the Buccaneers down the field for their first touchdown. The Lions went three-and-out, and the Buccaneers went on another touchdown drive to trim the deficit to 17-14. Less than two minutes later,
Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
intercepted
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
at the Detroit 24. On the very next play, Garcia connected with
Jerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
, and the Buccaneers took their first lead of the game at 21-17.
On their first possession of the second half, the Lions again went three-and-out.
Nick HarrisNicholas John Harris is an American football punter for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
punted, and
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
returned the punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Later in the third quarter,
Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
intercepted Culpepper for the second time, this time returning the ball for a touchdown. Culpepper was benched and back-up quarterback
Drew StantonDrew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans.-Early life:...
stepped in. By the end of the third quarter, the Lions trimmed the deficit to 35-20.
Warrick 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...
broke off a 40-yard run, and a roughing the passer penalty put Tampa Bay in the red zone. An unnecessary roughness penalty, along with Garcia being tripped by him own man, however, forced the Buccaneers to settle for a fourth quarter
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal.
With 8 minutes remaining, the Lions received a punt and
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
returned to the game. Culpepper's pass was complete to
John StandefordJohn William Standeford is an American football wide receiver for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, but he fumbled and Tampa Bay recovered. They did not surrender the ball again, and ran out the clock to seal the victory.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
Det |
6:12 |
15-yard TD pass from Culpepper Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
to JohnsonCalvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
(HansonJason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
kick) |
Det 7-0 |
| 1 |
Det |
4:49 |
Bullocks Daniel Bullocks is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
44-yard fumble return (HansonJason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
kick) |
Det 14-0 |
| 1 |
Det |
0:15 |
Hanson Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
38-yard FG |
Det 17-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
11:25 |
Dunn Warrick 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...
13-yard TD run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
Det 17-7 |
| 2 |
TB |
4:48 |
36-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to HilliardIsaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
Det 17-14 |
| 2 |
TB |
3:05 |
24-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 21-17 |
| 3 |
TB |
11:49 |
Smith Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
70-yard punt return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 28-17 |
| 3 |
TB |
9:14 |
BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
65-yard interception return (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 35-17 |
| 3 |
Det |
2:47 |
Hanson Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
40-yard FG |
TB 35-20 |
| 4 |
TB |
12:54 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
48-yard FG |
TB 38-20 |
Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints
New OrleansThe 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 ....
took the opening kickoff, and quarterback
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
drove the Saints to the Tampa Bay 30 yard line. On a 4th down and 1, however, they were stopped and turned the ball over on downs. At their own 41 yard line, Buccaneers quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
threw an apparent completion, but was intercepted by
Jonathan Vilma. The turnover led to a Saints field goal. Midway through the first quarter, heavy rain began to fall.
Tampa Bay took their next possession to the New Orleans 21, and tied the score at 3-3. Late in the second quarter,
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
returned a New Orleans punt 42 yards to the 39 yard line. The good field position led to a second
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal.
BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
took over with just over two minutes left in the half. He quickly led the Saints on a six-play touchdown drive, and took a 10–6 lead into halftime.
Tampa Bay's opening drive of the third quarter was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run by
Carnell "Cadillac" WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, his first touchdown since returning to play a week earlier. New Orleans went three-and-out on their next drive, while Tampa Bay stretched their lead moments later with a 39-yard touchdown pass to
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Looking to answer,
BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
was intercepted in the endzone by
Cato JuneCato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
.
Early in the fourth quarter, Brees again drove deep into Tampa Bay territory. An apparent interception in the endzone was negated by a penalty, and the drive continued. With new life, Brees connected to
Pierre ThomasCharles Pierre Thomas Jr. is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.- Early years :...
, and trimmed the deficit to 20–17.
After Tampa Bay was held to two three-and-outs,
Josh BidwellJoshua John Bidwell is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
shanked a punt, setting New Orleans up at the Tampa Bay 49 yard line. A field goal tied the score at 20–20 with less than six minutes remaining. With 2:33 to go,
Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
intercepted
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, and returned the ball to the New Orleans 17.
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kicked the go-ahead field goal at the two-minute warning. With 1:45 left, Brees was intercepted by
Phillip BuchanonPhillip Darren Buchanon is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
to ice the victory.
The win marked head coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
's 100th career NFL victory.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
NO |
5:44 |
Hartley Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
47-yard FG |
NO 3-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
14:54 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
38-yard FG |
3-3 |
| 2 |
TB |
2:38 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
23-yard FG |
TB 6-3 |
| 2 |
NO |
0:40 |
13-yard TD pass from BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
to MooreLance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
(HartleyGarrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
kick) |
NO 10-6 |
| 3 |
TB |
10:24 |
WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
8-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 13-10 |
| 3 |
TB |
8:45 |
39-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 20-10 |
| 4 |
NO |
12:18 |
20-yard TD pass from BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
to Pierre ThomasCharles Pierre Thomas Jr. is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.- Early years :...
(HartleyGarrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
kick) |
TB 20-17 |
| 4 |
NO |
5:38 |
Hartley Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
43-yard FG |
20-20 |
| 4 |
TB |
2:00 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
37-yard FG |
TB 23–20 |
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay visited division foe
CarolinaThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
on
Monday Night FootballMonday 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...
with first place in the NFC South on the line. The Buccaneers went 3-and-out on their first drive, while Carolina scored a field goal for the first points of the game. Late in the first quarter, Tampa Bay drove to the Carolina 22, but
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
's field goal bounced off the upright no good.
In the second quarter,
Jake DelhommeJake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
drove the Panthers into Tampa Bay territory. At the 19 yard line,
Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
intercepted. The Buccaneers then drove to the Carolina 1 yard line, but their red zone woes continued. They failed to score a touchdown, and
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
instead tied the game at 3-3.
DeAngelo WilliamsDeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
rushed for a 40-yard gain late in the second quarter, setting up a
Jonathan StewartJonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...
touchdown run at the two-minute warning. Carolina took the lead into halftime 10-3.
A penalty on the second half kickoff set Carolina up at their own 7.
DeAngelo WilliamsDeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
again broke another long rush (28 yards), and Carolina crossed midfield.
Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
made a "circus catch" interception, and the Buccaneers took over at the 47. Two plays later,
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
connected to
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
for a 50-yard touchdown bomb, tying the score at 10-10. After back-to-back "shootout" touchdowns, the score was tied 17-17 after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the rushing duo of
DeAngelo WilliamsDeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
and
Jonathan StewartJonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...
steamrolled a weary Buccaneers defense. Two touchdowns early in the fourth put the Panthers up 31-17.
GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
attempted to mount a comeback, and led the Buccaneers on an 82-yard touchdown drive. After a blocked extra point, and a failed
onside kickIn American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
, Carolina took over with 2:28 remaining. Facing 3rd down & 4,
DeAngelo WilliamsDeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
stymied the Buccaneers with a breakaway 36-yard touchdown run.
Carolina racked up 299 yards rushing, and took over sole possession of first place in the NFC South division.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
Car |
8:53 |
Kasay John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
33-yard FG |
Car 3-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
6:37 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
20-yard FG |
3-3 |
| 2 |
Car |
1:59 |
Stewart Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...
2-yard run (KasayJohn David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
kick) |
Car 10-3 |
| 3 |
TB |
11:34 |
50-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
10-10 |
| 3 |
Car |
8:28 |
38-yard TD pass from DelhommeJake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
to Smith (KasayJohn David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
kick) |
Car 17-10 |
| 3 |
TB |
3:37 |
WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
4-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
17-17 |
| 4 |
Car |
13:27 |
Stewart Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...
4-yard run (KasayJohn David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
kick) |
Car 24-17 |
| 4 |
Car |
8:38 |
Williams DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
16-yard run (KasayJohn David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
kick) |
Car 31-17 |
| 4 |
TB |
2:36 |
15-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(kick blocked) |
Car 31-23 |
| 4 |
Car |
2:17 |
Williams DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
36-yard run (KasayJohn David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
kick) |
Car 38-23 |
Week 15: at Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
, as well as
Cato JuneCato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
, sat out of the game with injuries, and
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
started for the Buccaneers. Penalties and defense dominated the game, a key matchup in the
NFC SouthThe NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
playoff race.
Leading 10-0 in the second quarter,
Matt RyanMatthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
threw deep to the endzone, but was intercepted by
Aqib TalibAqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
. On Atlanta's nxt drive,
Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
intercepted Ryan, setting the Buccaneers up at the 33 yard line. With 15 seconds remaining in the half,
Brian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
connected for a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
.
Midway through the third quarter,
Matt RyanMatthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
completed a pass to
Jason RaderJason Rader is an American football tight end who is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Marshall....
, who ran for the endzone. Before he crossed the goal line, however,
Jermaine PhillipsJermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
punched the ball from his grasp, and it was recovered in the endzone by Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers' ensuing possession, however, came up empty, as Griese himself was intercepted past midfield.
The next five possessions by both teams resulted in punts. In an attempt to tie the score with 3:43 remaining,
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
's field goal sailed wide left. The Falcons were held to a 3-and-out, and lined up for a punt with 2:37 to go.
Michael KoenenMichael J. Koenen is an American football punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Western Washington....
's punt was blocked, and
Sabby PiscitelliSabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
returned it to the 22. After driving to the 9 yard line, the Buccaneers settled for a game-tying field goal, and forced overtime.
In overtime, the Buccaneers won the toss, but were forced to punt. With just over 4 minutes remaining in the overtime period,
Jason ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
kicked a game-winning field goal for the Falcons.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
Atl |
6:53 |
ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
26-yard FG |
Atl 3-0 |
| 1 |
Atl |
3:46 |
Turner 1-yard TD run (ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
kick) |
Atl 10-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
0:15 |
20-yard TD pass from Griese Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
Atl 10-7 |
| 4 |
TB |
0:48 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
38-yard FG |
10-10 |
| OT |
Atl |
4:08 |
ElamJason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
34-yard FG |
stadium=l 13-10 |
Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers
Tampa Bay hosted
San DiegoThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, with both teams alive for playoff contention. With quarterback
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
back in the lineup, the Buccaneers drove into San Diego territory early in the first quarter. At the 36 yard line, an
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
fumble was recovered by San Diego.
Philip RiversPhilip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
quickly led San Diego down the field for their first score. On the ensuing kickoff,
Clifton SmithClifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
returned the ball 72 yards to the San Diego 11 yard line. Four plays later,
B. J. AskewBobby DeAngelo Askew, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He played college football as the University of Michigan. He ranks first all-time among Michigan running backs in reception yards....
tied the score at 7-7.
Trailing 17-7 late in the second quarter, Tampa Bay drove to the San Diego 31, where
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kicked a field goal with 22 second left in the half. A quick 25-yard pass by Rivers, however, allowed
Nate KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
to kick a 57-yard field goal, and take a 20-10 lead into halftime.
Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff, and Garcia led the Buccaneers on a long scoring drive. After a scramble to the 7, Garcia scrambled once more for a 7-yard touchdown run. On their next possession, Garcia connected deep to a wide-open
Antonio BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
for a 71-yard touchdown. The third quarter ended with Tampa Bay leading 24-20.
The fourth quarter saw Tampa Bay's hope fizzle. Two touchdowns by the Chargers, and a Garcia interception saw the Buccaneers trailing 34-24 with time running out. With less than 7 minutes to go,
GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
found himself scrambling again, this time for a 7-yard first down run.
Quentin JammerQuentin Tremaine Jammer is an American football player who currently plays cornerback for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.- Early years :...
slammed into Garcia's helmet, and Garcia began to bleed visibly from him nose and forehead. Driving across midfield with just over 3 minutes to go, Garcia was intercepted by
Antoine Cason-San Diego Chargers:2008 seasonCason played in all 16 regular season games and both playoff games at cornerback and on special teams as a rookie for the 2008 AFC Western Division champion San Diego Chargers. His first NFL interception came on September 14, 2008, against the Denver Broncos, picking...
, who returned the ball 59 yards for the game-icing touchdown.
With the loss, their first home defeat of the season, the Buccaneers failed to secure a playoff berth. A win in week 17 against the Raiders, coupled with a loss by Dallas, would have been required for Tampa Bay to qualify for the playoffs.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 1 |
SD |
5:14 |
11-yard TD pass from Rivers to Manumaleuna -St. Louis Rams:Manumaleuna was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He signed with the team on June 21, 2001. He agreed to a three-year $1.15 million contract including a $255,000 signing bonus. In 2001, Manumaleuna only had one reception on the season...
(KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) |
SD 7-0 |
| 1 |
TB |
2:44 |
Askew Bobby DeAngelo Askew, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He played college football as the University of Michigan. He ranks first all-time among Michigan running backs in reception yards....
1-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
7-7 |
| 2 |
SD |
13:37 |
15-yard TD pass from Rivers to Gates Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
(KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) |
SD 14-7 |
| 2 |
SD |
5:37 |
KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
28-yard FG |
SD 17-7 |
| 2 |
TB |
0:22 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
49-yard FG |
SD 17-10 |
| 2 |
SD |
0:04 |
KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
57-yard FG |
SD 20-10 |
| 3 |
TB |
7:47 |
GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
7-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
SD 20-17 |
| 3 |
TB |
5:19 |
71-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to BryantAntonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 24-20 |
| 4 |
SD |
14:53 |
5-yard TD pass from Rivers to Gates Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
(KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) |
SD 27-24 |
| 4 |
SD |
7:29 |
32-yard TD pass from Rivers to Sproles Darren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) |
SD 34-24 |
| 4 |
SD |
3:13 |
Cason -San Diego Chargers:2008 seasonCason played in all 16 regular season games and both playoff games at cornerback and on special teams as a rookie for the 2008 AFC Western Division champion San Diego Chargers. His first NFL interception came on September 14, 2008, against the Denver Broncos, picking...
59-yard inteception return (KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) |
SD 41-24 |
Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders
Tampa Bay concluded the 2008 regular season against the
Oakland RaidersThe 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...
, coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
's former team, and the team they beat in
Super Bowl XXXVIISuper Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
. Tampa Bay needed a victory, and a loss by
DallasThe 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...
to clinch a wild card playoff berth.
The first quarter was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to cross midfield. Early in the second quarter,
Johnnie Lee HigginsJohnnie Lee Higgins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round out of the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2007 NFL Draft.Higgins has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles...
returned a punt for Oakland to the Tampa Bay 40.
Michael BushMichael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
scored a touchdown run, the first rushing touchdown given up by the Buccaneers at home, to give Oakland a 7-0 lead.
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
followed up with a 10-play, 80-yard drive, including a 29-yard pass to Michael Clayton.
Both teams started the third quarter with 3-and-out drives. Ont the next drive
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
connected for a 25-yard pass to
Carnell "Cadillac" WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, then a 58-yard bomb to Clayton for a touchdown. Nearing the end of the third quarter, Tampa Bay again went on a long scoring drive, capping it off with a
Matt BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
field goal, and a 17-14 lead.
With 12:25 remaining,
JaMarcus RussellJaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
was intercepted by
Sabby PiscitelliSabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
at the 5 yard line. Piscitelli returned the ball 84 yards to the Oakland 11. Two plays later
"Cadillac" WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
was in the endzone for his second touchdown of the day.
A pass interference call on
Will AllenWill Allen is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
moved Oakland to the Tampa Bay 12 yard line, and led to a Raiders touchdown. Leading 24-21 with just under 10 minutes to go, Tampa Bay looked to run the clock out.
"Cadillac" WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
rumbled for 28 yards, but fell with an apparent serious knee injury, the second of his career. Tampa Bay ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Oakland 33. On the very next play,
Michael BushMichael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
busted through the Buccaneer defense to score a go-ahead, 64-yard touchdown run. After a
Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
interception, and a late Oakland field goal, the Buccaneers fell to the Raiders 31-24, and thus once again the home team hosting the Super Bowl will not play in it, having failed to even make the post-season.
With a disappointing finish, Tampa Bay's season ended at 9-7. Head coach
Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
and General manager
Bruce AllenBruce Allen is the general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, Allen served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders .-Background:...
were fired January 16, 2009.
| Scoring summary |
| Q |
Team |
Time |
Scoring play |
Score |
| 2 |
Oak |
10:44 |
Bush Michael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
4-yard run (JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
kick) |
Oak 7-0 |
| 2 |
TB |
5:45 |
WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
9-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
7-7 |
| 2 |
Oak |
0:35 |
3-yard TD pass from Russell JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
to SchilensChazeray "Chaz" Schilens is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
(JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
kick) |
Oak 14-7 |
| 3 |
TB |
10:14 |
58-yard TD pass from GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
to Clayton (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
14-14 |
| 4 |
TB |
14:56 |
Bryant Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
29-yard FG |
TB 17-14 |
| 4 |
TB |
11:35 |
WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
8-yard run (BryantSteven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
kick) |
TB 24-14 |
| 4 |
Oak |
10:00 |
12-yard TD pass from Russell JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
to HigginsJohnnie Lee Higgins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round out of the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2007 NFL Draft.Higgins has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles...
(JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
kick) |
TB 24-21 |
| 4 |
Oak |
7:16 |
Bush Michael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
64-yard run (JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
kick) |
Oak 28-24 |
| 4 |
Oak |
1:13 |
JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
25-yard FG |
Oak 31-24 |
Awards & achievements
- Week 4: NFC Defensive Player of the Week — Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
- Week 4: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week — Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
- Week 6: NFC Rookie of the Week- Geno Hayes
Eugene Antonio "Geno" Hayes is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
- Week 7: SNF
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
"Horse Trailer" Player of the Game — Jeff GarciaJeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
- Week 9: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week — Clifton Smith
Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
- Week 12: NFC Defensive Player of the Week — Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November) — Clifton Smith
Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
- 2009 Bart Starr Award
The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award is given annually to an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. Nominees are gathered from the Public Relations Directors of each NFL team, the past winners of the Bart Starr Award,...
— Warrick 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...
Pro Bowl selections
- Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
- Clifton Smith
Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
- Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
(added January 13 as a first alternate)
- Davin Joseph
Davin Joseph is an American football guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Buccaneers 23rd overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.-Early years:Joseph played high school football at Hallandale High School...
(added January 13 as a first alternate)
External links