1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 5–11 5th NFC Central John McKay Hugh Culverhouse NT Dave Pear DE Lee Roy Selmon LB Dewey Selmon Tampa Stadium Did not qualify Buccaneers seasons The 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League, the third playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the third under head coach John McKay. As their two 1977 victories had been in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central. The Buccaneers entered the season with new offensive talent, having selected Doug Williams with the 17th overall pick of the draft. This choice was questioned by many, as there was still an element of society who claimed that a black quarterback was not mentally capable of winning in the NFL, and prejudice is believed to have been a factor in Williams having been drafted as low as seventeenth. According to Buccaneer coach John McKay, "All things being equal, Williams would have gone higher in the draft".Marshall, Joe. "It Was the Same Old Song and Dance". Sports Illustrated. 15 May 1978 Second-year tight end Jimmie Giles, part of the trade that landed Williams, emerged as the Buccaneers’ first receiving threat and still holds several of their scoring records. Its A Man's World...: A Blast from the Past: Number 88 TE, Jimmie Giles. Accessed 27 March 2009 Offseason Offseason coaching changes led to continued accusations of disorganization, as vice-president of operations Ron Wolf resigned, citing only "personal matters"."Sports in Brief". Spokane Daily Chronicle. 23 February 1978 This renewed speculation that head coach John McKay, who replaced Wolf with two of his own longtime assistants, was trying to consolidate front-office power.Zier, Patrick. "Wolf's Resignation An Indication That All's Not Well". The Lakeland Ledger. 23 February 1978 The coaching staff was reshuffled, with Tom Bass being named defensive coordinator, and offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs hired away from the St. Louis Cardinals."Bucs name Tom Bass defensive coordinator". St. Petersburg Times. 25 February 1978Notes from the sports world". The Boca Raton News. 9 February 1978 Offensive line coach Jerry Frei left to take the same position with the Chicago Bears.UPI. "Frei to Bears". Ellensburg Daily Record. 14 March 1978 Tight end Bob Moore was traded, along with a 1979 first-round draft pick, for three-time All-Pro Bears defensive end Wally Chambers. The Buccaneers were widely considered to have given up too much in the trade, as Chambers was coming off of major knee surgery and was considered by many to be "damaged merchandise", and the Buccaneers were left with minimal experience at tight end.Martz, Ron. "Bay Bucs sign Chambers but give up Moore". St. Petersburg Times. 14 April 1978"No tearful goodbyes in Chicago". St. Petersburg Times. 14 April 1978 The trade was also criticized on the grounds that the Buccaneers did not require Chambers to undergo a team physical, despite his injury history.Martz, Ron. "Are the Bucs sure of what they're doing?" St. Petersburg Times. 14 April 1978 Council Rudolph, the only player who had started in all 28 of the Buccaneers’ games to date, was made expendable by the trade and was dealt to the Miami Dolphins for a draft pick.Zier, Patrick. "Rudolph's Trade End Of An Era". The Lakeland Ledger. 7 July 1978 Preseason speculation ran high about what would happen with the Buccaneers’ first overall choice in the draft, with Houston Oilers’ coach Bum Phillips reportedly stating that the Oilers would better any other team's offer to the Buccaneers.Times staff. "Oilers’ eyes upon Campbell". St. Petersburg Times. 4 February 1978 Unlike the previous year, when it was made clear early on that Ricky Bell was to be their choice, the Buccaneers kept quiet about who they might draft, further fueling speculation about a trade. The New York Jets were said to have offered their fourth-overall draft pick, plus any player on their roster other than Richard Todd.Martz, Ron. "Chandler is ‘secret’ No. 1 with Bucs". St. Petersburg Times. 7 April 1978 Tight end was considered to be the Buccaneers’ single greatest need, with Ken MacAfee of Notre Dame often mentioned as a likely draft target. According to Don Shula, "With John McKay's type of offense, an outstanding tight end is absolutely essential. It cannot go without one". This happened to be one of the positions hit hardest by injury in 1977. With most of their mid-round draft picks traded away, the Buccaneers were looking for a trade that would bring them several draft picks.Mizell, Hubert. "Rams, Oilers eager to trade for Bucs’ No. 1". St. Petersburg Times. 20 April 1978 With no teams willing to give up a starting quarterback as part of a deal, the Buccaneers eventually traded the pick to the Oilers, for tight end Jimmie Giles and the Oilers’ first- and second-round picks in 1978, and their third- and fifth-round picks in 1979.Wire services. "Oilers make a deal". Eugene Register-Guard. 25 April 1978 Needing a fullback, the Buccaneers shortly afterward traded Anthony Davis to the Oilers for Don Hardeman.Associated Press. "Oilers obtain Anthony Davis from Tampa". Eugene Register-Guard. 30 April 1978 NFL draft 1978 NFL draft 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 17 Doug Williams QB Grambling State from Houston yes 2 30 Johnny Davis RB Alabama yes 2 44 Brett Moritz G Nebraska from Houston yes 6 162 Elijah Marshall WR NC State from Los Angeles 8 196 John McGriff LB Miami (FL) 9 223 Willie Taylor WR Pittsburgh 10 252 Aaron Brown LB Ohio State yes 12 308 Kevin McLee RB Georgia no no Buccaneers 1978 draft at pro-football-reference.com. Accessed 20 September 2009 Draft trades The Buccaneers' first overall selection in the 1978 draft was traded to the Houston Oilers in exchange for four draft picks and tight end Jimmie Giles. The Oilers used the pick to select running back Earl Campbell. The Buccaneers’ 3rd-, 4th-, and 6th round picks were traded to the Oakland Raiders for guard Dan Medlin, tackle Jeff Winans, and linebacker Rik Bonness, respectively. Their 5th-round pick was traded to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jeris White. The Buccaneers received a 6th-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams for center Dan Ryczek. Their 7th-round pick was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in return for kicker Allan Leavitt. Their 11th-round pick, along with a second 10th-rounder obtained from the Raiders, were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in return for defensive tackle Ernie Holmes. https://web.archive.org/web/20081008010215/http://bucpower.com/1978draft.html October 8, 2008 1978 Draft at bucpower.com. Accessed 27 March 2009 Draft selections The Buccaneers had a reduced number of selections in what was considered to have been the weakest draft in a long time.Associated Press. "Dallas Brass Agree Draft Pickings Were Slim". The Lakeland Ledger. 4 May 1978 Doug Williams was considered to be the closest thing to a can't-miss quarterback prospect available in the draft. Representatives of several other teams, including Green Bay Packers coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, called the Buccaneers to congratulate them on his selection.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs Make History By Taking Williams". The Lakeland Ledger. 3 May 1978 John McKay, in charge of the draft for the first time, stated that with no outstanding quarterbacks expected to be in the following year's draft, the team had to have Williams. Johnny Davis was a surprise selection, as running back was considered to be one of the team's deepest positions, but Davis was drafted for his blocking ability.Martz, Ron. "Bucs use picks for offensive talent". St. Petersburg Times. 3 May 1978 McKay pointed out that many of the previous year's quarterback sacks had been the result not of offensive line breakdowns, but of failure of running backs to pick up blitzes.Martz, Ron. "Johnny Davis". St. Petersburg Times. 3 May 1978 Brett Moritz played half of the 1977 season at Nebraska, after transferring from West Point. He was projected as a backup center.Martz, Ron. "Brett Moritz". St. Petersburg Times. 3 May 1978 McKay traded a 10th- and an 11th-round pick, players who would not be expected to make the team anyway, to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Ernie Holmes, at one time an important part of the Steelers’ championship defenses. Holmes, who was once involved in a shotgun standoff with police after an incidence of acute paranoid psychosis, was traded for on the understanding that his personal problems were behind him. Steelers coach Chuck Noll called the trade "a gift".Zier, Patrick. "Buccaneers Give Little For Holmes". The Lakeland Ledger. 4 May 1978 The Buccaneers once again passed on offensive linemen, saying that the existing players would improve with more time together, and that the best linemen were all drafted early.Meyer, John. "Bucs Aren't Knocking the Deal". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 4 May 1978 The Buccaneers later traded a future draft choice to the Detroit Lions for veteran tackle Rockne Freitas.Associated Press. "Bucs Trade For Piece of 'Rock'". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 11 May 1978 Preseason Doug Williams’ first preseason pass, a 75-yard incompletion that sailed 10 yards past receiver Isaac Hagins, drew a standing ovation from the Tampa Stadium crowd. He was the first quarterback in Buccaneer history capable of throwing long passes downfield.Tierney, Mike. "30 Seasons: 1976–2005. From Sinking Ship to World-Class Cruise. St. Petersburg Times. 11 September 2005 Miami Dolphins nose tackle Randy Crowder, freshly released from federal prison, was signed as a free agent. Ernie Holmes, who was having trouble adjusting to the Buccaneers’ 3–4 defense, was waived to make room for him. A 1979 3rd-round draft pick was sent to the Dolphins as NFL-ordered compensation.Martz, Ron. "Crowder joins Buccaneers; Holmes cut to make room". St. Petersburg Times. 22 August 1978 Johnny Davis and Jimmy DuBose performed so well in the preseason that newly acquired fullback Don Hardeman was sent to the Baltimore Colts for a future draft pick. Wins in their first three preseason games, combined with the two wins at the end of the previous season, gave the Buccaneers the longest active NFL win streak going into the final preseason game.Stiff, Robert. "The Bowl Talk is Premature". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 23 August 1978 That game, a loss to the Dolphins, was the first Buccaneers game to sell out.Martz, Ron. "Midday visitor gives Bucs their first sellout". St. Petersburg Times. 22 August 1978 Regular season The Buccaneers opened the season, like the other 1976 expansion team the Seattle Seahawks, 200-to-1 longshots to win the Super Bowl;Wire reports. "200-to-1: Bay Bucs’ Super odds". St. Petersburg Times. 29 August 1978 McKay thought that a 9–7 record would be a reasonable goal for the season.Tierney, Mike. "Even McKay didn't foresee Bucs' dandy record". St. Petersburg Times. 20 November 1979. p. 6C The team's regular-season opener against the New York Giants marked the first time that Las Vegas oddsmakers favored the Buccaneers to win, with Jimmy the Greek naming them as 1-point favorites.Martz, Ron. "Bucs could be ‘upset’ by Giants". St. Petersburg Times. 29 August 1978 A pair of mistake-prone early losses left McKay threatening to release players who cause game-losing errors, a change from the earlier attitude of tolerating mistakes from players who were regarded as having potential.Ledman, Gary. "Even McKay's Patience Has Its Limit". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 12 September 1978 With the defense among the best in the league and the offense sparking behind Doug Williams’ leadership, the Buccaneers began to be respected as a competitive NFL team.Sewell, Dan. "Growing up". The Boca Raton News. 30 September 1978 Coach McKay's respect for Williams was such that he spoke of eventually letting Williams call his own plays in the huddle. McKay's insistence on calling plays from the sideline had been a source of much conflict between McKay and Steve Spurrier during the 1976 season.Zier, Patrick. "In Time, Williams Will Call Buccaneers’ Plays In Huddle". The Lakeland Ledger. 26 October 1978 Williams led the Buccaneers to a 4–4 start before suffering an injury that required his jaw to be wired shut. Even before Williams’ injury, the Buccaneers again found themselves with an injured reserve list in double digits. At midseason, the Buccaneers had 11 players on injured reserve, not counting waived quarterback Mike Boryla.Martz, Ron. "Injuries: how a team is able to cope with them can determine how successful the team is". St. Petersburg Times. 26 October 1978 McKay felt that, with a healthy offense, the team would have finished with at least a 10–6 record.Zier, Patrick. "Injuries Have Kept Buccaneers Unimpressive". The Lakeland Ledger. 2 December 1978 Despite a defense that ranked fourth overall in the NFL, the Buccaneers were only able to win one of their remaining eight games behind backup quarterback Mike Rae. McKay summed up the season with the word "frustration". The 9–7 record that he predicted the team would finish with would have been enough to win the NFC Central.Martz, Ron. "McKay's one-word summary of '78 season: frustration". St. Petersburg Times. 18 December 1978 Nose tackle Dave Pear became the first Buccaneer selected to the Pro Bowl, finishing third in voting among defensive tackles behind Randy White and Larry Brooks.Associated Press. "A First for Bucs and Pear". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 15 December 1978 Linebacker Richard Wood's 168 tackles stood for 14 years as a team record. 1978 season at bucpower.com. Accessed 27 March 2009 Personnel Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 roster Quarterbacks 19 Gary Huff 15 Mike Rae* 12 Doug Williams* Running backs 32 Louis Carter 38 Johnny Davis* 41 Dave Farmer 23 George Ragsdale 28 Charlie White Wide receivers 83 Frank Grant 89 J. K. McKay* 87 Larry Mucker 85 Morris Owens* Tight ends 88 Jimmie Giles* 86 Jim Obradovich Offensive linemen 70 Darryl Carlton* T 74 Rocky Freitas T 64 Greg Horton* G 65 Randy Johnson G/C 68 Dan Medlin G 72 Garry Puetz* G/T 75 Dave Reavis* T 79 Steve Wilson* C Defensive linemen 60 Wally Chambers LDE 71 Randy Crowder NT 77 Bill Kollar DE 73 Charley Hannah* LDE 76 Dave Pear* NT Linebackers 53 Rik Bonness OLB 55 Aaron Brown ILB 49 Randy Gill ILB 52 Paul Harris OLB 59 Earl Inmon OLB 85 Cecil Johnson* ROLB 57 Dave Lewis* LOLB 51 Dana Nafziger OLB 58 Dewey Selmon* LILB 54 Richard Wood* RILB Defensive backs 34 Cedric Brown* FS 33 Mark Cotney* SS 25 Curtis Jordan SS 46 Danny Reece CB 40 Mike Washington* CB 45 Jeris White* CB Special teams  4 Dave Green P  6 Neil O'Donoghue K Reserve lists 31 Jerry Anderson S (IR) 7px 42 Ricky Bell* RB (IR) 7px 10 Mike Boryla QB (IR) 7px 66 Booker Brown T (IR) 7px 82 Al Darby TE (IR) 7px 44 Billy Cesare CB (IR) 7px 35 Jimmy DuBose FB (IR) 7px 84 Karl Farmer WR (IR) 7px 80 Larry Franklin WR (IR) 7px 81 Isaac Hagins* WR (IR) 7px 84 Mike Levenseller WR (IR) 7px 14 Randy Hedberg* QB (IR) 7px 67 Brett Moritz C/G (IR) 7px 78 Kurt Schumacher G (IR) 7px 63 Lee Roy Selmon* RDE (IR) 7px 62 Jeff Winans G (IR) 7px rookies in italics starter = * http://www.buccaneers.com/team-and-stats/history/all-time-roster.html Archived copy 2014-04-05 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090916002113/http://www.buccaneers.com/history/coachesroster.aspx 2009-09-16 All-time player roster on the Buccaneers’ official website. Accessed 8–27–09. Archived 2009-09-03.. pro-football-reference.com. Accessed 8–27–09. Archived 2009-09-03.. 1978 roster on bucpower.com. Accessed 8–27–09. Archived 2009-09-03. Coaching staff Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 coaching staff Front office Owner – Hugh Culverhouse General manager – John McKay Head coaches Head coach – John McKay Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/running backs – Joe Gibbs Quarterbacks – Bill Nelsen Wide receivers – Willie Brown Offensive line – Skip Husbands Defensive coaches Chief assistant/defensive line – Abe Gibron Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Tom Bass Defensive backs – Wayne Fontes Special teams – Phil Krueger Buccaneers All-Time Coaches Roster. Accessed 27 August 2009. Archived 2012-03-03. 1978 coaches roster on bucpower.com. Accessed 27 August 2009 Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 2, 1978 New York Giants L 13–19 0–1 Tampa Stadium 67,456 2 September 9, 1978 Detroit Lions L 7–15 0–2 Tampa Stadium 64,443 3 September 17 at Minnesota Vikings W 16–10 1–2 Metropolitan Stadium 46,152 4 September 24 Atlanta Falcons W 14–9 2–2 Tampa Stadium 58,073 5 October 1 Minnesota Vikings L 7–24 2–3Tampa Stadium 65,972 6 October 8 at Kansas City Chiefs W 30–13 3–3 Arrowhead Stadium 38,201 7 October 15 at New York Giants L 14–17 3–4 Giants Stadium 68,025 8 October 22 Chicago Bears W 33–19 4–4 Tampa Stadium 68,146 9 October 29 at Green Bay Packers L 7–9 4–5 Lambeau Field 55,108 10 November 5 at Los Angeles Rams L 23–26 4–6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 55,182 11 November 12 at Detroit Lions L 23–34 4–7 Pontiac Silverdome 60,320 12 November 19 Buffalo Bills W 31–10 5–7 Tampa Stadium 61,383 13 November 26 at Chicago Bears L 3–14 5–8 Soldier Field 42,373 14 December 3 Green Bay Packers L 7–17 5–9 Tampa Stadium 67,754 15 December 10 at San Francisco 49ers L 3–6 5–10 Candlestick Park 30,931 16 December 17 New Orleans Saints L 10–17 5–11 Tampa Stadium 51,207 Note: Division opponents in bold text. Standings Game summaries Week 1: vs New York Giants Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary September 2, 1978 8:00 p.m. EDT Giants 7 3 6 3 Buccaneers 7 3 0 3 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 67,456 83 F C Don Wedge Box score First quarter NYG – Terry Jackson 32-yard interception return (Joe Danelo kick). Giants 7–0. TB – Jimmy DuBose 2-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Tied 7–7. Second quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 34-yard field goal. Buccaneers 10–7. NYG – Joe Danelo 42-yard field goal. Tied 10–10. Third quarter NYG – Johnny Perkins 67-yard pass from Joe Pisarcik (kick failed). Giants 16–10. Fourth quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 26-yard field goal. Giants 16–13. NYG – Joe Danelo 23-yard field goal. Giants 19–13. Top passers NYG – Joe Pisarcik – 9/15, 156 yards, TD, INT TB – Gary Huff – 9/22, 84 yards, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Larry Csonka – 6 rushes, 28 yards TB – Rickey Bell – 13 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers NYG – Johnny Perkins – 4 receptions, 110 yards, TD TB – Jimmie Giles – 5 receptions, 57 yards The New York Giants scored ten points off of Buccaneer interceptions en route to an upset victory. The Buccaneers rushed for 165 yards, but were held to field goals on drives deep in Giants territory.Martz, Ron. "Bucs, fans are back from Cloud 9". St. Petersburg Times. 4 September 1978 Doug Williams suffered a badly bruised shoulder when tackled by Gary Jeter in the first quarter, and was replaced by Gary Huff.Martz, Ron. "Williams may miss two games". St. Petersburg Times. 4 September 1978 Terry Jackson returned Williams’ early interception, called by John McKay a "terrible blunder", for a touchdown.Holliman, Ray. "Injury and interception put a dismal end to Williams’ debut". St. Petersburg Times. 3 September 1978 Williams completed only one of six passes before leaving with the injury. The Buccaneers took the lead on a 2-yard Jimmy DuBose touchdown and a Neil O'Donoghue field goal, but Joe Pisarcik's 67-yard pass to Johnny Perkins gave the Giants the lead for good.Associated Press. "Pisarcik Stars In Opener As Giants Prevail". Toledo Blade. 3 September 1978 Week 2: vs Detroit Lions Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary September 9, 1978 8:00 p.m. EDT Lions 9 3 0 3 Buccaneers 7 0 0 0 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 64,443 83 F C Cal Lepore Box score First quarter TB – Ricky Bell 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 7–0. DET – Benny Ricardo 48-yard field goal. Buccaneers 7–3. DET – Jesse Thompson 9-yard pass from Greg Landry (kick failed). Lions 9–7. Second quarter DET – Benny Ricardo 47-yard field goal. Lions 12–7. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter DET – Benny Ricardo 27-yard field goal. Lions 15–7. Top passers DET – Greg Landry – 8/10, 55 yards, TD TB – Gary Huff – 4/9, 48 yards, INT Top rushers DET – Dexter Bussey – 21 rushes, 88 yards TB – Rickey Bell – 15 rushes, 98 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Jesse Thompson – 3 receptions, 29 yards, TD TB – Jimmie Giles – 2 receptions, 37 yards The Detroit Lions held the Buccaneers to 101 yards of total offense, 56 yards of which came on a first-quarter Ricky Bell run. Bell scored the Buccaneers’ only touchdown on a 1-yard plunge.Associated Press. "Tampa's tumbled by Detroit". The Spokesman-Review. 10 September 1978 The Buccaneers were hurt by penalties and turnovers, fumbling four times in the first quarter alone. A Lions drive late in the first half was extended twice by Buc penalties, the first when Curtis Jordan ran into punter Tom Skladany, and the second when Dave Pear's late hit on Lions quarterback Greg Landry knocked Landry out of the game. This penalty nullified a Mike Washington interception, and resulted in one of Benny Ricardo's three field goals. Buc passers were sacked seven times.LeNoir, Bob. "Anything can happen when two inept offenses tangle". St. Petersburg Times. 10 September 1978 Mike Boryla started the game for the Buccaneers, but was replaced by Gary Huff. Coming off of the previous season's knee injury, Boryla declared his recovering knee too sore to play on, and went back on injured reserve after the game.Wire services. "People in Sports". Eugene Register-Guard. 12 September 1978 Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 17 2:00 p.m. EDT / 1:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 3 6 7 0 Vikings 7 0 0 3 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 46,152 59 F C Ben Dreith Box score First quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 42-yard field goal. Buccaneers 3–0. MIN – Ahmad Rashad 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 7–3. Second quarter TB – Ricky Bell 2-yard run (kick failed). Buccaneers 9–7. Third quarter TB – Morris Owens 5-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 16–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Rick Danmeier 47-yard field goal. Buccaneers 16–10. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 5/19, 63 yards, TD MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 23/31, 180 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Ricky Bell – 21 rushes, 59 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 12 rushes, 25 yards Top receivers TB – Morris Owens – 4 receptions, 42 yards, TD MIN – Sammy White – 4 receptions, 62 yards The Buccaneers took advantage of Minnesota Vikings mistakes to get an upset and their first win of the season. The Buccaneers scored on a 5-yard pass from Doug Williams to Morris Owens, after a live ball that had hit a Viking on a punt return was recovered by Billy Cesare on the Vikings’ 5-yard line. Vikings coach Bud Grant later claimed that returner Kevin Miller never touched the ball, and blamed the loss on the officials.Associated Press. "Fumbling Officiating Cost Us Game – Grant". Victoria Advocate. 20 September 1978 Fran Tarkenton completed 23 of 31 passes for 180 yards, but threw two interceptions and was replaced by Tommy Kramer in the final two minutes. Kramer promptly threw an interception to Cecil Johnson.Associated Press. "Tampa Bay Stuns Minnesota". The Victoria Advocate. 18 September 1978 Tarkenton also hit Ahmad Rashad for a 4-yard touchdown to finish a 63-yard first-quarter drive. Later, Jeris White's interception of a Tarkenton pass would lead to a 2-yard Ricky Bell touchdown run. The Buccaneers’ defense, still steamed over Tarkenton's comments two years earlier that the Buccaneers would be his preferred AFC opponent in the Super Bowl, held the Vikings to 73 yards rushing and sacked Tarkenton four times.Martz, Ron. "This win was especially sweet for 'bread and butter’ defense". St. Petersburg Times. 18 September 1978 They also came through big by holding the Vikings to a field goal, following a bizarre play in which the Vikings recovered a live ball on a failed field goal attempt and returned it for 80 yards.Martz, Ron. "Bizarre plays? Bucs lead the league". St. Petersburg Times. 18 September 1978 Grant called the game a defensive contest, saying that there were no good offensive plays in the entire match. John McKay said that "when we shut off their running game, we knew we were in the game and could get 'em", and that the Buccaneers should have a 3–0 record. The game left the two teams tied with 1–2 records.Wire reports. "Bucs make Vikings walk plank, 16–10". The Eugene Register-Guard. 18 September 1978 Week 4: vs Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary September 24 4:00 p.m. EDT Falcons 2 0 7 0 Buccaneers 7 0 0 7 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 58,073 78 F C Gordon McCarter Box score First quarter ATL – Punt blocked out of end zone. Falcons 2–0. TB – Mike Washington 79-yard blocked field goal return (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 7–2. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter ATL – Alfred Jackson 5-yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Fred Steinfort kick). Falcons 9–7. Fourth quarter TB – Jim Obradovich 15-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 14–9. Top passers ATL – Steve Bartkowski – 12/24, 81 yards, TD, 3 INT TB – Doug Williams – 6/23, 74 yards, TD Top rushers ATL – Haskel Stanback – 23 rushes, 112 yards TB – Jimmy DuBose – 11 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers ATL – Bubba Bean – 4 receptions, 23 yards TB – Isaac Hagins – 4 receptions, 45 yards The Atlanta Falcons, who in 1977 had set an NFL record for fewest points allowed, held the Buccaneers to no first downs and one pass completion in the first half. The Falcons were caught sitting on a 2-point lead when the Buccaneers put together a 57-yard fourth-quarter drive, capped by a touchdown pass from Doug Williams to Jim Obradovich, to win the game.Chick, Bob. "Sneak Attack". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 25 September 1978 Mike Washington scored early on a 79-yard return of a blocked field goal, still (as of 2009) a Tampa Bay record.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Public Relations Department. 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Media Guide The Buccaneers missed two later touchdown opportunities on dropped passes by Isaac Hagins. Jimmy DuBose carried four times for 21 yards on the game-winning drive. Mike Washington scored on a blocked field goal, and a Ricky Bell fumble led to Steve Bartkowski's 5-yard pass to Al Jackson.Ledman, Gary. "Woe Be Gone, Wow Begins". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 25 September 1978 The Buccaneers ran out the clock by holding the ball for the final five minutes of the game, something coach McKay didn't think the team would be able to do against the Atlanta defense. The entire game was played in a driving rainstorm, with wind gusts of up to 40 mph km/h knots.Martz, Ron. Hail, hail to Bucs- two in row". St. Petersburg Times. 26 September 1978 Hagins later underwent x-rays that revealed that he suffered a fractured vertebra during the game. He was placed on injured reserve, and Larry Franklin was signed to fill his roster spot.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs Don't Believe Underdog Status". The Lakeland Ledger. 27 September 1978 Week 5: vs Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 1 1:00 p.m. EDT Vikings 7 10 0 7 Buccaneers 0 7 0 0 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 65,972 78 F C Dick Jorgensen Box score First quarter MIN – Robert Miller 1-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 7–0. Second quarter MIN – Rick Danmeier 36-yard field goal. Vikings 10–0. TB – Morris Owens 56-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Vikings 10–7. MIN – Sammy White 21-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 17–7. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter MIN – Fred McNeill 16-yard blocked punt return (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 24–7. Top passers MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 20/31, 213 yards, TD, INT TB – Doug Williams – 16/35, 311 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers MIN – Robert Miller – 13 rushes, 38 yards, TD TB – Jimmy DuBose – 10 rushes, 35 yards Top receivers MIN – Ahmad Rashad – 5 receptions, 60 yards TB – Morris Owens – 5 receptions, 132 yards, TD Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton completed 20 of 31 passes for 213 yards. He passed for a touchdown to Sammy White, and set up a rushing touchdown by Robert Miller. Doug Williams completed a Buccaneer-record 16 of 35 passes for 311 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown to Morris Owens.Martz, Ron. "Vikes thrash Bucs 24–7". St. Petersburg Times. 2 October 1978 Alan Page blocked a Dave Green punt that was returned for the final touchdown. The Vikings also blocked an earlier field goal attempt, described by John McKay as looking like "The ball was snapped like a dying quail and about 25 men came through to block it".Staff writers. "Locker Room Q & A". St. Petersburg Times. 2 October 1978 As opposed to the previous meeting, the Vikings played error-free football.LeNoir, Bob. "Vikes give Bucs energy conservation lesson". St. Petersburg Times. 2 October 1978 Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 8 2:00 p.m. EDT / 1:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 0 10 0 20 Chiefs 3 0 0 10 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 38,201 54 F C Gene Barth CBS Jim Thacker and Roman Gabriel Box score First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal. Chiefs 3–0. Second quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 22-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. TB – Morris Owens 10-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 10–3. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 30-yard field goal. Buccaneers 10–6. TB – Jimmy DuBose 1-yard run (kick failed). Buccaneers 16–6. TB – Louis Carter 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 23–6. KC – Henry Marshall 26-yard pass from Tony Adams (Jan Stenerud kick). Buccaneers 23–13. TB – Jimmy DuBose 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 30–13. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 14/23, 226 yards, TD KC – Tony Adams – 15/28, 136 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Jimmy DuBose – 21 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD KC – Tony Reed – 12 rushes, 42 yards 'Top receivers TB – Larry Mucker – 3 receptions, 81 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD The Buccaneers, playing with the goal of keeping the Kansas City Chiefs’ Wing-T offense on the bench as much as possible, held them to little more than half of their regular rushing average. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers’ offense had their most productive day ever, setting a team record with three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Jimmy DuBose ran for two touchdowns and Louis Carter for one, and Doug Williams threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Morris Owens. Kansas City was held to a pair of Jan Stenerud field goals for most of the game. A fourth-quarter Tony Adams pass was ruled a touchdown, although replays showed that receiver Henry Marshall failed to keep both of his feet inbounds.Martz, Ron. "Bucs humiliate Chiefs 30–13". St. Petersburg Times. 9 October 1978 Richard Wood was given much of the credit for stifling the Chiefs’ league-leading rushing attack. Wood correctly expected that Chiefs offensive coordinator Tom Pagna would run the offense straight at him, as he did when Wood played at USC and Pagna coached at Notre Dame. Pagna assumed incorrectly that the undersized Wood would be overpowered, but Wood instead responded by making 12 tackles.Martz, Ron. "Beware, Gotham: Bucs’ Batman is back in town". St. Petersburg Times. 14 October 1978 This was the Buccaneers’ third consecutive road win, and came one day after the Kansas City Royals were eliminated from the American League pennant race.Mizell, Hubert. "Grambling Gun drills the Chiefs". St. Petersburg Times. 9 October 1978 Week 7: at New York Giants Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants – Game summary October 15 1:00 p.m. EDT Buccaneers 0 14 0 0 Giants 3 0 0 14 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 68,025 49 F C Jerry Markbreit Box score First quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 22-yard field goal. Giants 3–0. Second quarter TB – Johnny Davis 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 7–3. TN – Jimmy DuBose 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 14–3. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter NYG – Larry Csonka 7-yard run (Joe Danelo kick). Buccaneers 14–10. NYG – Larry Csonka 1-yard run (Joe Danelo kick). Giants 17–14. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 7/27, 100 yards, 2 INT NYG – Joe Pisarcik – 4/13, 45 yards, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Jimmy DuBose – 24 rushes, 109 yards, TD NYG – Bobby Hammond – 15 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers TB – Jim Obradovich – 3 receptions, 45 yards NYG – James Thompson – 2 receptions, 32 yards The New York Giants capitalized on two late turnovers to come from behind for the win. Giants linebacker Harry Carson intercepted a Doug Williams pass, then recovered a Louis Carter fumble. Both turnovers led to touchdown runs by Larry Csonka.Chick, Bob. "Ironing Out His Problems". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 16 October 1978 Neil O'Donoghue missed on a last-minute 42-yard field goal attempt into strong winds.Chick, Bob. "The Answer Was Blowin’ In The Wind". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 16 October 1978 Doug Williams was 7-for-27 passing, with two interceptions. The second of these interceptions proved very costly, as Jimmy DuBose suffered what turned out to be a career-ending knee injury while trying to make a tackle on the return. This occurred only four plays after DuBose's 109 yards rushing made him the first Buccaneer rusher to pass the 100-yard mark in a game.Martz, Ron. "DuBose out for season; Bay Bucs sign Maxson". St. Petersburg Times. 18 October 1978 Jerry Golsteyn replaced Joe Pisarcik at quarterback for the Giants, and led both of the fourth-quarter winning drives.Chick, Bob. "A Psyche Job". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 16 October 1978 Week 8: vs Chicago Bears Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 22 1:00 p.m. EDT Bears 0 10 6 3 Buccaneers 6 7 6 14 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 68,146 74 F C Fred Wyant Box score First quarter TB – Ricky Bell 1-yard run (kick failed). Buccaneers 6–0. Second quarter CHI – James Scott 34-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick). Bears 7–6. TB – Jim Obradovich 28-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 13–7. CHI – Bob Thomas 21-yard field goal. Buccaneers 13–10. Third quarter CHI – Roland Harper 2-yard run (kick failed). Bears 16–13. TB – Doug Williams 1-yard run (kick failed). Buccaneers 19–16. Fourth quarter TB – Morris Owens 40-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 26–16. CHI – Bob Thomas 27-yard field goal. Buccaneers 26–19. TB – Johnny Davis 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 33–19. Top passers CHI – Bob Avellini – 15/29, 218 yards, TD, 3 INT TB – Doug Williams – 11/19, 180 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CHI – Roland Harper – 10 rushes, 65 yards, TD TB – Ricky Bell – 27 rushes, 95 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – James Scott – 5 receptions, 105 yards, TD TB – Morris Owens – 4 receptions, 82 yards, TD The Chicago Bears expected to face the mistake-prone Buccaneer team they had seen in game films, but were instead confronted with an efficient team that controlled the ball and took advantage of Bears mistakes.Chick, Bob. "They Waited, But The Bucs Didn't Stop". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 23 October 1978 Doug Williams threw touchdown passes to Jim Obradovich and Morris Owens, and unexpectedly ran for some key first downs. Gary Fencik intercepted him at the goal line on one drive, but the Bears failed to gain a first down on the ensuing possession.Ledman, Gary. "Doug Dashed Past Chicago". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 23 October 1978 Ricky Bell, until recently seeing primary duty blocking for Jimmy DuBose, returned to his lead runner spot and gained 95 yards on 28 carries. He was awarded a game ball for his effort.Ledman, Gary. "His Running Wasn't Sickly". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 23 October 1978 Dave Lewis intercepted Bob Avellini twice in the final two minutes, and the Buccaneers’ defense held Walter Payton to a season-low 34 yards rushing in the Bears’ fifth consecutive loss.Chick, Bob. "They Can't Bear To Talk About It". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 23 October 1978 The Buccaneers made several changes in starting lineup going into the game: Wally Chambers made his first start of the year, Johnny Davis replaced the injured DuBose at fullback, and recently acquired Frank Grant got the start at wide receiver.Martz, Ron. "New look for Bucs: Chambers, Grant are starters against Bears". St. Petersburg Times. 21 October 1978 Week 9: at Green Bay Packers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers – Game summary October 29 2:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. CST Buccaneers 0 0 7 0 Packers 6 0 0 3 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 55,108 40 F C Fred Silva Box score First quarter GB – Terdell Middleton 2-yard run (kick failed). Packers 6–0. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter TB – Ricky Bell 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 7–6. Fourth quarter GB – Chester Marcol 48-yard field goal. Packers 9–7. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 5/17, 98 yards, INT GB – David Whitehurst – 16/31, 173 yards, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Ricky Bell – 20 rushes, 30 yards, TD GB – Terdell Middleton – 20 rushes, 37 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Morris Owens – 1 reception, 53 yards GB – Aundra Thompson – 3 receptions, 47 yards The Green Bay Packers held the Buccaneers without a first down or completed pass for the first 37 minutes of the game. The Buccaneers took the lead on a 2-yard Ricky Bell run that was set up by a Morris Owens reception of a 53-yard Doug Williams pass. Chester Marcol kicked the game-winning field goal. Neil O'Donoghue missed two field goals in the contest.Associated Press. "Field Goal Lifts Pack in Battle of the Bays". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 30 October 1978 Williams’ final pass was intercepted by Willie Buchanon. The Buccaneers shut down running back Terdell Middleton and knocked quarterback David Whitehurst dizzy, but Whitehurst returned to lead the game-winning 50-yard drive.Lea, Bud. "Dame Fortune Can Visit In Green Bay Any Day". The Milwaukee Sentinel. 30 October 1978 Tampa Bay's uncharacteristic move to a man-to-man defense left Steve Odom open to catch Whitehurst's 18-yard pass on a fourth down during that drive.Ledman, Gary. "Bucs Unwittingly Outwit Themselves". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. Week 10: at Los Angeles Rams Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary November 5 4:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. PST Buccaneers 0 6 3 14 Rams 3 14 3 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 55,182 64 F C Jim Tunney Box score First quarter LA – Frank Corral 29-yard field goal. Rams 3–0. Second quarter LA – Nolan Cromwell 16-yard run (Frank Corral kick). Rams 10–0. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 42-yard field goal. Rams 10–3. LA – Billy Waddy 68-yard pass from Pat Haden (Frank Corral kick). Rams 17–3. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 25-yard field goal. Rams 17–6. Third quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 30-yard field goal. Rams 17–9. LA – Frank Corral 27-yard field goal. Rams 20–9. Fourth quarter TB – Ricky Bell 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Rams 20–16. LA – Frank Corral 32-yard field goal. Rams 23–16. TB – J. K. McKay 23-yard pass from Mike Rae (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Tied 23–23. LA – Frank Corral 27-yard field goal. Rams 26–23. Top passers TB – Mike Rae – 9/17, 123 yards, TD, 3 INT LA – Pat Haden – 15/27, 233 yards, TD Top rushers TB – Ricky Bell – 21 rushes, 104 yards, TD LA – John Cappelletti – 9 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers TB – Morris Owens – 1 reception, 66 yards LA – Willie Miller – 6 receptions, 105 yards Three Buccaneer starters went out with injuries, most significantly Doug Williams, who suffered a broken jaw on a Jack Youngblood blitz. Darryl Carlton separated a shoulder, and Dewey Selmon broke his wrist. Mike Rae played in relief of Williams, completing 9 of 17 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. The Rams double-covered both Buccaneer receivers, leaving no coverage to prevent Rae from rushing for 95 yards on four carries. Ricky Bell had his first 100-yard rushing day, with 21 carries for 104 yards.Cobb, Mike. "McKay Isn't Too Worried About Injuries". The Lakeland Ledger. 7 November 1978 The Buccaneers set several team records in this game: 209 yards was their highest rushing total yet, Bell's 555 yards were a Buccaneer single-season rushing record, and Neil O'Donoghue's 38 points were a new season scoring record.Staff writers. "Despite setback, Buc records fall". St. Petersburg Times. 7 November 1978 Although the Rams were not on McKay's list of 18 teams that he felt the Buccaneers were competitive with,Zier, Patrick. "Rams Aren't Among the 18 Bucs Can Beat". The Lakeland Ledger. 5 November 1978 Tampa Bay rallied to a 23–23 fourth-quarter tie before losing on a late Frank Corral field goal. It was the Buccaneers’ third fourth-quarter collapse in four weeks.Martz, Ron. "Unpredictable Bucs frighten Rams, but falter – of course – 26–23". St. Petersburg Times. 6 November 1978 The Buccaneers’ performance drew cheers from the Los Angeles crowd, among whom McKay was still a popular figure.Mizell, Hubert. "A miracle fades into L.A. smog". St. Petersburg Times. 6 November 1978 Week 11: at Detroit Lions Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions – Game summary November 12 2:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 0 13 0 10 Lions 7 14 7 6 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan 60,320 None (played indoors) Gordon McCarter Box score First quarter DET – David Hill 2-yard pass from Gary Danielson (Benny Ricardo kick). Lions 7–0. Second quarter TB – Jim Obradovich 12-yard pass from Mike Rae (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Tied 7–7. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 27-yard field goal. Buccaneers 10–7. DET – Horace King 75-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick). Lions 14–10. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 45-yard field goal. Lions 14–13. DET – David Hill 14-yard pass from Gary Danielson (Benny Ricardo kick). Lions 21–13. Third quarter DET – Dexter Bussey 1-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick). Lions 28–13. Fourth quarter DET – Benny Ricardo 38-yard field goal. Lions 31–13. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 28-yard field goal. Lions 31–16. DET – Benny Ricardo 28-yard field goal. Lions 34–16. TB – George Ragsdale 31-yard pass from Gary Huff (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Lions 34–23. Top passers TB – Mike Rae – 10/17, 89 yards, TD DET – Gary Danielson – 15/24, 206 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers TB – Ricky Bell – 18 rushes, 70 yards DET – Horace King – 12 rushes, 104 yards, TD Top receivers TB – George Ragsdale – 1 reception, 31 yards, TD DET – David Hill – 7 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD The Detroit Lions gained 404 yards in the Buccaneers’ worst defensive performance since 1976. Horace King became only the third running back in two seasons to gain 100 yards against the Buccaneers. Three defenders missed tackles on his 75-yard touchdown run. Gary Danielson completed 15 of 24 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, both to David Hill. John McKay blamed the poor performance on mental errors, such as three defenders covering one receiver while the other remained open. The Lions also took advantage of the inexperience of middle linebacker Rik Bonness, who was playing at the unfamiliar outside linebacker position due to injuries to Cecil Johnson and Dana Nafziger.Martz, Ron. "Bucs’ goal now: not contention, but survival". St. Petersburg Times. 14 November 1978 The depletion of the linebacker corps required a shift to a 4–3 defense, which the players had difficulty adjusting to.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs Able To Defense The Bills". The Lakeland Ledger. 20 November 1978 McKay said, "If I had a gun, I would have shot our guys", of all the receivers left open. Buccaneers quarterbacks were sacked eight times, five times by Bubba Baker. The Buccaneers scored on touchdown passes from Mike Rae to Jim Obradovich and from Gary Huff to George Ragsdale. Neil O'Donoghue kicked three field goals, including a club-record 49-yarder.Martz, Ron. "Bucs find losing key, fall 34–23". St. Petersburg Times. 13 October 1978 The loss left the Buccaneers and Lions tied for last place in the NFC Central.Associated Press. "McKay Out Looking For Bucs’ Defense". The Ocala Star-Banner. 13 November 1978Associated Press. "‘Sack Time’ Has Appeal To Rookie". Ludington Daily News. 14 November 1978 Week 12: vs Buffalo Bills Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary November 19 1:00 p.m. EST Bills 0 0 3 7 Buccaneers 7 3 7 14 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 61,383 72 F C Jerry Markbreit Box score First quarter TB – Ricky Bell 12-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 7–0. Second quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 28-yard field goal. Buccaneers 10–0. Third quarter TB – Morris Owens 22-yard pass from Mike Rae (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 17–0. BUF – Tom Dempsey 37-yard field goal. Buccaneers 17–3. Fourth quarter TB – Jimmie Giles 33-yard pass from Mike Rae (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 24–3. TB – Johnny Davis 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Buccaneers 31–3. BUF – Bob Chandler 9-yard pass from Bill Munson (Tom Dempsey kick). Buccaneers 31–10. Top passers BUF – Bill Munson – 12/22, 112 yards, TD, 2 INT TB – Mike Rae – 7/14, 121 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BUF – Curtis Brown – 14 rushes, 44 yards TB – Johnny Davis – 18 rushes, 73 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Bob Chandler – 6 receptions, 60 yards, TD TB – Morris Owens – 3 receptions, 50 yards, TD Following two subpar defensive performances, the Buccaneers held the Bills without a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when the Buccaneers already had a 31–3 lead. Buc defenders cheered a return to their regular 3–4 alignment.Mizell, Hubert. "Bay Bucs’ defense roars back". St. Petersburg Times. 20 November 1978 Johnny Davis gained 78 yards on 18 carries after a Bills player fell on Ricky Bell's knee. The injury to Bell, combined with the earlier injuries to Doug Williams and Jimmy DuBose, left the Buccaneers without their entire starting backfield. Buccaneers running backs nevertheless combined for 204 yards.Martz, Ron. "Bucs’ Bell sidelined indefinitely". St. Petersburg Times. 21 November 1978 Bell and Davis ran for a touchdown each. Mike Rae threw two touchdown passes; one to Morris Owens, and another to Jimmie Giles for the first of Giles’ career. Week 13: at Chicago Bears Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 26 2:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. CST Buccaneers 0 3 0 0 Bears 0 0 7 7 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 42,373 35 F C Don Wedge Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 44-yard field goal. Buccaneers 3–0. Third quarter CHI – Walter Payton 3-yard run (Bob Thomas kick). Bears 7–3. Fourth quarter CHI – Bob Avellini 3-yard run (Bob Thomas kick). Bears 14–3. Top passers TB – Mike Rae – 4/12, 54 yards CHI – Bob Avellini – 4/6, 62 yards, INT Top rushers TB – Louis Carter – 12 rushes, 56 yards CHI – Roland Harper – 25 rushes, 144 yards Top receivers TB – Frank Grant – 1 reception, 19 yards CHI – Walter Payton – 2 receptions, 26 yards The Bears held the Buccaneers to a season-low 92 yards of total offense. Tampa Bay repeatedly failed to score, despite getting the ball with good field position.Zier, Patrick. "Rae Says Bucs Had Bad Plan". The Lakeland Ledger. 27 November 1978 Mike Rae was sacked seven times in his first 11 pass attempts. The Bears controlled the ball for 22:26 of the second half, consistently breaking Walter Payton and Roland Harper for short gains. Payton finished the day with 105 yards rushing and Harper 144, the first time the Buccaneers had allowed two 100-yard rushers in a single game. It was only the second time in history that the Bears had two backs each rush for 100 yards.Zier, Patrick. "Victory Slips From Buccaneers’ Grasp". The Lakeland Ledger. 27 November 1978Zier, Patrick. "Nothing Stopped The Bears’ Backs". The Lakeland Ledger. 27 November 1978 McKay declined to give the Bears much credit, saying that "they had a lot of success running and holding at the same time". Week 14: vs Green Bay Packers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary December 3 1:00 p.m. EST Packers 10 7 0 0 Buccaneers 0 7 0 0 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 67,754 76 F C Chuck Heberling Box score First quarter GB – James Lofton 10-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 7–0. GB – Chester Marcol 27-yard field goal. Packers 10–0. Second quarter TB – George Ragsdale 14-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Packers 10–7. GB – Barty Smith 1-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 17–7. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers GB – David Whitehurst – 13/19, 113 yards, TD, INT TB – Mike Rae – 14/31, 178 yards, 2 INT Top rushers GB – Terdell Middleton – 12 rushes, 30 yards TB – George Ragsdale – 12 rushes, 70 yards, TD Top receivers GB – James Lofton – 3 receptions, 39 yards, TD TB – Morris Owens – 3 receptions, 38 yards Again playing without their entire starting backfield, the Buccaneers outgained Green Bay in several major offensive statistics, including a 321–173 yardage advantage, but were outscored by the Packers. A knee injury to Lee Roy Selmon meant that all three of their players selected with first-round draft picks were out with injuries. George Ragsdale, Johnny Davis, Jim Obradovich, Neil O'Donoghue, and Danny Reece were also injured during the game, which left the Buccaneers with only three running backs on the roster.Mizell, Hubert. "Bucs deserve red badge of courage". St. Petersburg Times. 4 December 1978 The Buccaneers finished the game with only 37 healthy players, eight under the NFL roster limit. The 173 yards allowed was one of several team records set during the game, and the season total to date of 228 points equaled the team's total scoring of the first two seasons combined. Ragsdale's 14-yard touchdown run was their longest touchdown run of the year. Ragsdale, having been knocked cold, was unable to hear the crowd's applause.Martz, Ron. "Packers pound Bucs". St. Petersburg Times. 4 December 1978 The Packers scored on a 10-yard David Whitehurst pass to James Lofton, a 27-yard Chester Marcol field goal, and a 1-yard Barty Smith run. The win broke the Packers’ four-game losing streak.Hofmann, Dale. "Packers Keep Tampa at Bay". The Milwaukee Sentinel. 4 December 1978 Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary December 10 4:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. PST Buccaneers 0 3 0 0 49ers 0 3 0 3 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 30,931 44 F C Bob Frederic Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SF – Ray Wersching 28-yard field goal. 49ers 3–0. TB – Dave Green 35-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter SF – Ray Wersching 30-yard field goal. 49ers 6–3. Top passers TB – Mike Rae – 13/27, 140 yards, INT SF – Scott Bull – 10/17, 98 yards, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Louis Carter – 15 rushes, 60 yards SF – Paul Hofer – 17 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers TB – Frank Grant – 3 receptions, 47 yards SF – Kenny Harrison – 6 receptions, 78 yards In a meeting between the NFL's two worst offenses, the San Francisco 49ers’ Ray Wersching kicked a fourth-quarter field goal to win the first game in which the Buccaneer defense held their opposition without a touchdown.Mizell, Hubert. "Bucs’ defense deserved better". St. Petersburg Times. 11 December 1978 The Buccaneers committed ten fumbles, were intercepted five times, allowed eleven sacks, and scored no touchdowns. McKay was so upset that he cancelled his regular press conference the Monday following the game, and indicated that he would not be present at his Friday press conference.Martz, Ron. Sh-h-h-h: McKay left speechless by Sunday's debacle". St. Petersburg Times. 12 December 1978 The 49ers fumbled six times, were intercepted twice, and allowed five sacks. Mark Cotney's 28-yard interception return set up Tampa Bay's only score, a 35-yard Dave Green field goal. The previous week's injury to Neil O'Donoghue became an issue, as Green's limited range prevented the Buccaneers from attempting potential game-winning or -tying field goals.Martz, Ron. "Buccaneers outblunder 49ers 6–3". St. Petersburg Times. 11 December 1978 Bill Kollar started and led the team in tackles for the second week in a row. The boredom of the game was such that one of the coaches spoke of setting himself on fire on the sideline, prompting a Buccaneer publicist to request that the team band be ready to play "You Light Up My Life".Ledman, Gary. "It's a Matter of Time Past, Present, Future". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 12 December 1978 Week 16: vs New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary December 17 1:00 p.m. EST Saints 3 0 7 7 Buccaneers 3 0 0 7 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 51,207 65 F C Gordon McCarter Box score First quarter NO – Steve Mike-Mayer 32-yard field goal. Saints 3–0. TB – Neil O'Donoghue 47-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter NO – Chuck Muncie 21-yard run (Steve Mike-Mayer kick). Saints 10–3. Fourth quarter TB – Jimmie Giles 2-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Tied 10–10. NO – Henry Childs 1-yard pass from Archie Manning (Steve Mike-Mayer kick). Saints 17–10. Top passers NO – Archie Manning – 25/36, 250 yards, TD, 2 INT TB – Doug Williams – 7/22, 96 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Chuck Muncie – 11 rushes, 68 yards, TD TB – Johnny Davis – 9 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers NO – Henry Childs – 6 receptions, 80 yards, TD TB – Larry Mucker – 2 receptions, 56 yards New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning completed 25 of 36 passes for 250 yards, the most passing yards yet allowed by the Buccaneers, and a touchdown to Henry Childs.Associated Press. "Eagles attain goal, secure playoff berth". The Boca Raton News. 18 December 1978 Chuck Muncie broke four tackles while scoring on a 21-yard run. The Buccaneer defense played uncharacteristically poorly, allowing 421 yards of offense. Special teams also broke down on several occasions. McKay called it the worst game the team had yet played, and promised that changes would be made.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs’ 17–10 Loss Irritates McKay". The Lakeland Ledger. 18 December 1978 Buccaneer receivers blamed lack of concentration for missed routes and dropped balls.Ledman, Gary. "Bottomed Out And Out Of Work". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 18 December 1978 Doug Williams returned to the starting lineup, but Tampa Bay was able to control the ball for only 19 of the game's 60 minutes.Zier, Patrick. "Tampa Bay's Hannah Anxious For Return To Offensive Duties". The Lakeland Ledger. 18 December 1978 Williams, playing with his jaw still wired shut, threw a 2-yard fourth-down pass to Jimmie Giles for the Buccaneers’ only touchdown.Associated Press. "Wild Cards Deter Falcons". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 18 December 1978 Awards and records Lee Roy Selmon, Second Team Associated Press and Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro selection Dave Pear, Pro Bowl Doug Williams, UPI All-Rookie QuarterbackUPI. "Bucs’ Williams All-Rookie QB". St. Petersburg Times. 8 December 1978 The 1,895 passing yards allowed are the lowest in team history. The 337 passing attempts and 190 completions allowed are the second-lowest. Dave Green's 100 punts are the most in team history. The defense forced 43 turnovers, surpassed only by the 1981 team's 46. Their 29 interceptions was also surpassed in 1981, but remains their third-best total. References 30em Buccaneers on Pro Football Reference Tampa Bay Buccaneers season Tampa Bay Buccaneers Category:20th century in Tampa, Florida Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasons