2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

39th season in franchise history; first with Mike Evans August 2023 March 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014 2–14 4th NFC South Lovie Smith The Glazer family Jason Licht Raymond James Stadium Did not qualify DT Gerald McCoy 200px Buccaneers seasons The 2014 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 39th in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the first season under head coach Lovie Smith, replacing Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the 2013 season, and under general manager Jason Licht, who replaced Mark Dominik after a disappointing 2013 season. It was the franchise's first season under new ownership since 1994, after longtime owner Malcolm Glazer died on May 28, 2014. Glazer's sons took over team operations. The Buccaneers tried to improve their record of 4–12 of last season, but failed after tying their number of losses when they lost to Carolina in Week 15. Following a 2–14 record, their worst since 1986, the Buccaneers finished last overall in the NFC and tied with the Tennessee Titans for the worst record of the 2014 season, but was statistically (via a tiebreaker) last overall for the 2014 NFL season, thus earning the right to the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. The Buccaneers did not win a single home game in 2014, going 0–2 during the preseason and 0–8 in the regular season at Raymond James Stadium. It was only the second time in franchise history, following their infamous 0–14 expansion team, that the Bucs did not win a home game during the season. 3 2014 draft class 2014 NFL draft 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Round Selection Player Position College 1 7 Mike Evans Wide receiver Texas A&M 2 38 Austin Seferian-Jenkins Tight end Washington 3 69 Charles Sims Running back West Virginia 4 None — see draft trades below 5 143 Kadeem Edwards Guard Tennessee State 149 Kevin Pamphile Offensive tackle Purdue 6 185 Robert Herron Wide receiver Wyoming 7 None — see draft trades below Draft trades The Buccaneers traded their fourth-round selection (No. 104 overall) along with their 2013 first-round selection (13th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for cornerback Darrelle Revis on April 21, 2013. The Buccaneers traded their seventh-round selection (No. 221 overall) and a 2015 fifth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the Bills' 2014 fifth-round selection (No. 149 overall). The Buccaneers traded their original sixth-round selection (No. 183 overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for offensive tackle Gabe Carimi on June 9, 2013. The Buccaneers later acquired a new sixth-round selection (No. 185 overall) in a trade that sent wide receiver Mike Williams to the Buffalo Bills on April 4, 2014. Season summary Offseason & preseason Immediately after being named the new head coach, Lovie Smith began overhauling personnel. The primary goal was to reinstall the Tampa 2 defensive scheme that brought the club success during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Among the key cuts were Davin Joseph,Bucs release Davin Joseph and Darrelle Revis.Bucs release CB Darrelle Revis Among the many new signings were quarterback Josh McCown, defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner. On August 26, the Buccaneers traded with New England for guard Logan Mankins.Pats trade Logan Mankins to Bucs The Buccaneers finished the preseason only 1–3, but were still picked by some media members to be much-improved, and to even be a wild card contender.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/09/03/preseason-predictions-super-bowl-xlix-mvp-awards/14973901/ USA TODAY Sports' 2014 predictions for Super Bowl, MVP and more USA Today September 4, 2014 October 1, 2014http://mmqb.si.com/2014/09/02/nfl-2014-season-preview-extravaganza-the-mmqb-predictions/ The MMQB's 2014 Predictions Extravaganza SI.com September 2, 2014 October 1, 2014 September The Buccaneers started the Lovie Smith Era off on a low note, losing on opening day to Carolina, then losing in the last minute to the Rams in week 2. In week three, the team was humiliated on a nationally televised Thursday night game, 56–14 to division rival Atlanta. Smith stated afterwards he was "embarrassed"https://www.nfl.com/news/lovie-smith-embarrassed-by-loss-that-will-leave-scar-0ap3000000397063 Lovie Smith 'embarrassed' by loss that will leave 'scar' NFL.com Kevin Patra September 19, 2014 October 1, 2014 by the performance, and said the loss was so terrible to the team, that it would "leave a scar." One week later, Mike Glennon started at quarterback, and Buccaneers bounced back in a big way. Tampa Bay defeated Pittsburgh, their first win of the season, with a last-second go-ahead touchdown pass. October Tampa Bay went winless in October, with Mike Glennon at quarterback. Two overtime losses, and one blowout loss to Baltimore dropped the Buccaneers to 1–6. November Mike Glennon was benched after losing to Cleveland, and Josh McCown was back in at quarterback. Tampa Bay managed to win against the Redskins, with help from a breakout game from Mike Evans. Despite only two wins, the Buccaneers were still mathematically alive for the division title through the end of November due to the lackluster records of the NFC South teams. December Tampa Bay ended the season on a six-game losing streak, going winless in December, to finish the season 2–14. In the final game of the season against New Orleans, the Buccaneers blew a lead in the fourth quarter, sitting some of their starters in the second half. But by virtue of the loss, the Buccaneers mathematically clinched the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, beating out the Tennessee Titans (who also went 2–14). Staff 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Owner/president – Estate of Malcolm Glazer Co-chairman – Bryan Glazer Co-chairman – Edward Glazer Co-chairman – Joel Glazer General manager – Jason Licht Director of player personnel – Jon Robinson Director of football operations – Shelton Quarles Director of pro scouting – Scott Cohen Director of football administration – Mike Greenberg Head coach – Lovie Smith Offensive coordinator – Jeff Tedford Quarterbacks – Marcus Arroyo Running backs – Tim Spencer Wide receivers – Andrew Hayes-Stoker Tight ends – Jon Embree Offensive line – George Warhop Assistant offensive line – Matt Wiegand Offensive quality control – Ben Steele Defensive coordinator – Leslie Frazier Defensive line – Joe Cullen Assistant defensive line – Mike Phair Linebackers – Hardy Nickerson Cornerbacks – Gill Byrd Safeties – Mikal Smith Defensive quality control – Dave Borgonzi Senior defensive assistant – Larry Marmie Special teams coordinator – Kevin O'Dea Assistant special teams – Carlos Polk Head strength and conditioning – Dave Kennedy Final roster 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53 11 9  8 Mike Glennon 12 Josh McCown 25 Mike James American football 22 Doug Martin running back 43 Bobby Rainey 34 Charles Sims American football y 13 Mike Evans wide receiver y 10 Robert Herron y 83 Vincent Jackson 15 Tavarres King 11 Solomon Patton y 89 Russell Shepard 84 Cameron Brate y 82 Brandon Myers 86 Evan Rodriguez 88 Luke Stocker 61 Josh Allen offensive lineman y C 73 Anthony Collins American football T 75 Oniel Cousins G 62 Evan Dietrich-Smith C 69 Demar Dotson T 72 Garrett Gilkey C 70 Logan Mankins G 66 Patrick Omameh G 64 Kevin Pamphile y T 91 Da'Quan Bowers DE 57 Larry English DE 96 T. J. Fatinikun DE 92 William Gholston DE 90 Michael Johnson defensive end DE 98 Clinton McDonald DT 77 Lawrence Sidbury DE 56 Jacquies Smith DE 97 Akeem Spence DT 58 George Uko y DT 54 Lavonte David OLB 50 Dane Fletcher MLB 59 Mason Foster MLB 51 Danny Lansanah OLB 45 Orie Lemon OLB 52 Jason Williams American football OLB 27 Johnthan Banks CB 39 Brandon Dixon American football y CB 32 Isaiah Frey CB 38 Dashon Goldson FS 29 Leonard Johnson defensive back, born 1990 CB 30 Bradley McDougald SS 37 Keith Tandy FS 21 Alterraun Verner CB 41 C. J. Wilson cornerback CB 48 Andrew DePaola LS  9 Michael Koenen P  7 Patrick Murray American football K 94 Adrian Clayborn DE IR 71 Kadeem Edwards y G IR 24 Mike Jenkins American football CB IR 46 Jorvorskie Lane FB IR 53 Brandon Magee OLB IR 93 Gerald McCoy DT IR 18 Louis Murphy WR IR 87 Austin Seferian-Jenkins y TE IR 31 Major Wright SS IR 44 Denicos Allen y LB 36 Derrius Brooks CB PS/I 35 Ka'Lial Glaud LB 49 Jeremy Grable y LB PS/I 26 Shelton Johnson American football S 85 Chandler Jones wide receiver WR  3 Mike Kafka QB 95 Matthew Masifilo DT 78 Matt Patchan y T 23 Varmah Sonie y CB 60 Jeremiah Warren C Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 8, 2014 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 10–16 0–1 EverBank Field Recap 2 August 16, 2014 Miami Dolphins L 14–20 0–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap 3 August 23, 2014 at Buffalo Bills W 27–14 1–2 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 4 August 28, 2014 Washington Redskins L 10–24 1–3 Raymond James Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 7 Carolina Panthers L 14–20 0–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap 2 September 14 St. Louis Rams L 17–19 0–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap 3 September 18 Thursday Night Football at Atlanta Falcons L 14–56 0–3 Georgia Dome Recap 4 September 28 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 27–24 1–3 Heinz Field Recap 5 October 5 at New Orleans Saints L 31–37 (OT) 1–4 Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeRecap 6 October 12 Baltimore Ravens L 17–48 1–5 Raymond James Stadium Recap 7 Bye 8 October 26 Minnesota Vikings L 13–19 (OT) 1–6 Raymond James Stadium Recap 9 November 2 at Cleveland Browns L 17–22 1–7 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap 10 November 9 Atlanta Falcons L 17–27 1–8 Raymond James Stadium Recap 11 November 16 at Washington Redskins W 27–7 2–8 FedExField Recap 12 November 23 at Chicago Bears L 13–21 2–9 Soldier Field Recap13 November 30 Cincinnati Bengals L 13–14 2–10 Raymond James Stadium Recap 14 December 7 at Detroit Lions L 17–34 2–11 Ford Field Recap 15 December 14 at Carolina Panthers L 17–19 2–12 Bank of America Stadium Recap 16 December 21 Green Bay Packers L 3–20 2–13 Raymond James Stadium Recap 17 December 28 New Orleans Saints L 20–23 2–14 Raymond James Stadium Recap Game summaries Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers Tampa Bay Buccaneers; border: 2px solid #34302B;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary September 7 4:25 p.m. EDT Panthers 0 10 0 10 Buccaneers 0 0 0 14 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 62,442 88 F C, cloudy Pete Morelli Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter CAR – Greg Olsen 5-yard pass from Derek Anderson, Graham Gano kick, 08:04 (CAR 7–0) CAR – Graham Gano 28-yard field goal, 00:05 (CAR 10–0) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 26-yard pass from Derek Anderson, Graham Gano kick, 15:00 (CAR 17–0) TB – Chris Owusu 19-yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 07:30 (CAR 17–7) TB – Bobby Rainey 6-yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 02:11 (CAR 17–14) CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 00:28 (CAR 20–14) Top passers CAR – Derek Anderson, 24/34, 230 Yds, 2 TD TB – Josh McCown, 22/35, 183 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers CAR – DeAngelo Williams, 14 Car, 72 Yds TB – Jorvorskie Lane, 1 Car, 54 Yds Top receivers CAR – Kelvin Benjamin, 6 Rec, 92 Yds TB – Brandon Myers, 6 Rec, 41 Yds Top tacklers CAR – Antoine Cason, 9 Solo TB – Lavonte David, 9 Solo, 1 Ast The first game for new head coach Lovie Smith was against division rival Carolina. A lackluster first three quarters saw the Panthers run out to a 17–0 lead, with Derek Anderson making his first start since 2010 in place of an injured Cam Newton.https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11483336/cam-newton-carolina-panthers-inactive-tampa-bay-buccaneers Panthers QB Newton out vs. Buccaneers 7 September 2014 In the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers rallied, scoring late two touchdowns, and trimming the lead to 17–14 with 2:06 remaining. The Bucs defense forced a 3 & Out, and Carolina punted, giving the ball back to the Bucs offense with just under two minutes to go. On the first play of the drive, however, Bobby Rainey's catch was fumbled away, and Carolina recovered. Week 2: vs. St. Louis Rams Tampa Bay Buccaneers; border: 2px solid #34302B;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: St. Louis Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary September 14 4:05 p.m. EDT Rams 7 3 3 6 Buccaneers 7 0 7 3 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 59,923 88 F C, cloudy Jeff Triplette Fox Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter TB – Josh McCown 5 yard run, Patrick Murray kick, 8:56 (TB 7–0) STL – Zac Stacy 2 yard run, Greg Zuerlein kick, 3:07 (Tied 7–7) Second quarter STL – Greg Zuerlein 36 yard field goal, 0:39 (STL 10–7) Third quarter TB – Josh McCown 1 yard run, Patrick Murray kick, 9:18 (TB 14–10) STL – Greg Zuerlein 35 yard field goal, 2:41 (TB 14–13) Fourth quarter STL – Greg Zuerlein 46 yard field goal, 9:10 (STL 16–14) TB – Patrick Murray 36 yard field goal, 5:15 (TB 17–16) STL – Greg Zuerlein 38 yard field goal, 0:38 (STL 19–17) Top passers STL – Austin Davis, 22/29, 235 Yds TB – Josh McCown, 16/21, 179 Yds, INT Top rushers STL – Zac Stacy, 19 Car, 71 Yds, TD TB – Bobby Rainey, 22 Car, 144 Yds Top receivers STL – Brian Quick, 7 Rec, 75 Yds TB – Vincent Jackson, 4 Rec, 51 Yds Top tacklers STL – E.J. Gaines, 5 Solo TB – Dashon Goldson, 9 Solo, 2 Ast St. Louis kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked a 38-yard field goal with 42 seconds remaining to take a 19–17 lead. On the ensuing drive, Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown completed a 19-yard pass to Bobby Rainey, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 20 second left in regulation. McCown completed a 29-yard pass to Mike Evans at the St. Louis 32 yard line. As the team scurried to line up and spike the ball, A hesitant Evans was injured on the play. With no timeouts left, Tampa Bay was forced to accept a ten-second runoff penalty, and time expired. With the loss, the Buccaneers fell to 0-2. This was Tampa's last 0-2 start until 2026. Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers; border: 2px solid #34302B;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary September 18 Thursday 8:25 p.m. EDT Buccaneers 0 0 0 14 Falcons 21 14 21 0 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 70,318 Played indoors (dome stadium) Craig Wrolstad CBS/NFLN Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter ATL – Harry Douglas 3 yard pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick, 12:03 (ATL 7–0) ATL – Julio Jones 8 yard pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick, 3:03 (ATL 14–0) ATL – Kemal Ishmael 23 yard interception return, Matt Bryant kick, 3:03 (ATL 21–0) Second quarter ATL – Devin Hester 20 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 14:53 (ATL 28–0) ATL – Devin Hester 62 yard punt return, Matt Bryant kick, 7:06 (ATL 35–0) Third quarter ATL – Julio Jones 40 yard pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick, 8:23 (ATL 42–0) ATL – Steven Jackson 2 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 8:11 (ATL 49–0) ATL – Antone Smith 38 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 1:47 (ATL 56–0) Fourth quarter TB – Vincent Jackson 3 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 8:46 (ATL 56–7) TB – Danny Lansanah 27 yard interception return, Patrick Murray kick, 7:07 (ATL 56–14) Top passers TB – Mike Glennon, 17/24, 121 Yds, TD ATL – Matt Ryan, 21/24, 286 Yds, 3 TD Top rushers TB – Bobby Rainey, 11 Car, 41 Yds ATL – Steven Jackson, 11 Car, 54 Yds, TD Top receivers TB – Bobby Rainey, 7 Rec, 64 Yds ATL – Julio Jones, 9 Rec, 161 Yds, 2 TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David, 7 Solo, 1 Ast ATL – Robert McClain, 5 Solo, 2 Ast Atlanta throttled the Buccaneers by the score of 56–14, tied for the second-most lopsided defeat in franchise history. The Falcons jumped out to a 56–0 lead by the third quarter, including Devin Hester's NFL-record 19th return touchdown. In the first half alone, the Falcons forced three turnovers, and held Tampa Bay to 63 yards offense and only two first downs. This was the first NFC vs. NFC game to air on CBS since the 1993 NFL season. Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers Tampa Bay Buccaneers; border: 2px solid #34302B;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary September 28 1:00 p.m. EDT Buccaneers 10 0 7 10 Steelers 10 7 7 0 Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 62,910 74 F C, partly cloudy Walt Anderson Fox Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter TB – Mike Evans 7 yards pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 13:01 (TB 7–0) TB – Patrick Murray 50 yard field goal, 10:01 (TB 10–0) PIT – Shaun Suisham 25 yard field goal, 6:19 (TB 10–3) PIT – Antonio Brown 11 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick, 0:15 (Tied 10–10) Second quarter PIT – Antonio Brown 27 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick, 4:58 (PIT 17–10) Third quarter TB – Doug Martin 3 yard rush, Patrick Murray kick, 12:27 (Tied 17–17) PIT – Heath Miller 5 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick, 7:50 (PIT 24–17) Fourth quarter TB – Patrick Murray 27 yard field goal, 11:37 (PIT 24–20) TB – Vincent Jackson 5 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 0:07 (TB 27–24) Top passers TB – Mike Glennon, 21/42, 302 Yds, 2 TD, INT PIT – Ben Roethlisberger, 29/40, 314 Yds, 3 TD Top rushers TB – Doug Martin, 13 Car, 40 Yds, TD PIT – Le'Veon Bell, 19 Car, 63 Yds Top receivers TB – Louis Murphy, 6 Rec, 99 Yds PIT – Antonio Brown, 7 Rec, 131 Yds, 2 TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David, 10 Solo, 2 Ast PIT – Lawrence Timmons, 6 Solo, 3 Ast Tampa Bay won their first game of the season, as well as the first win for new head coach Lovie Smith. One week after a humiliating loss at Atlanta, the Buccaneers bounced back, and upset the Steelers, the first win in franchise history at Pittsburgh. Trailing 24–20 just inside the two-minute warning, Tampa Bay drove to the Pittsburgh 14 yard line. The Steelers forced a turnover on downs, and took over at their own 14. The Tampa Bay defense held the Steelers to a 3 and out, and forced a punt with 50 seconds left in regulation. Brad Wing's punt was high and short, and was downed inside Pittsburgh territory on the 46. Two plays later Mike Glennon, connected to Louis Murphy, who broke free for a 41-yard gain all the way to the 5 yard line. With 7 seconds left, Glennon completed the game-winning touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in the left corner of the endzone. It was the Buccaneers' first win against the Steelers since 1998. Week 5: at New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers; border: 2px solid #34302B;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary October 5 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 0 10 14 7 0 Saints 6 7 7 11 6 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,004 Played indoors (dome stadium) Carl Cheffers Fox Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter NO – Shayne Graham 30 yard field goal, 9:46 (NO 3-0) NO – Shayne Graham 29 yard field goal, 0:21 (NO 6-0) Second quarter NO – Pierre Thomas 15 yard pass from Drew Brees, Shayne Graham kick, 10:14 (NO 13-0) TB – Patrick Murray 55 yard field goal, 1:54 (NO 13-3) TB – Louis Murphy 20 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 0:20 (NO 13-10) Third quarter TB – Bobby Rainey 9 yard rush, Patrick Murray kick, 11:59 (TB 17–13) TB – Danny Lansanah 33 yard interception return, Patrick Murray kick, 11:20 (TB 24–13) NO – Travaris Cadet 5 yard pass from Drew Brees, Shayne Graham kick, 4:57 (TB 24–20) Fourth quarter TB – Robert Herron 9 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 13:28 (TB 31–20) NO – Pierre Thomas 27 yard rush, pass failed, 9:28 (TB 31–26) NO – Safety, Mike Glennon sacked in end zone by Junior Galette, 6:44 (TB 31–28) NO – Shayne Graham 44 yard field goal, 2:30 (Tied 31–31) Overtime NO – Khiry Robinson 18 yard rush, 9:24, (NO 37-31) Top passers TB – Mike Glennon, 19/32, 249 Yds, 2 TD, INT NO – Drew Brees, 35/57, 371 Yds, 2 TD, 3 INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin, 14 Att, 45 yds NO – Khiry Robinson, 21 Att, 89 Yds, TD Top receivers TB – Vincent Jackson 8 Rec, 144 Yds NO – Pierre Thomas, 8 Rec, 77 Yds, TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David, 10 Solo, 4 Ast, 2 TFL NO – Rafael Bush, 4 Solo, 2 Ast Mike Glennon passed for 249 yards and two touchdown passes, as the Buccaneers led the Saints 31–20 in the fourth quarter. New Orleans rallied to tie the game and force overtime. The Saints won the coin toss in overtime, and proceeded to score a touchdown on the first possession to win the game. Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 12 1:00 p.m. EDT Ravens 28 10 7 3 Buccaneers 0 0 10 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 60,041 84 F C, cloudy Jerome Boger CBS Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer Recap, Gamebook First quarter BAL – Torrey Smith 15 yard pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick, 13:11 (BAL 7–0) BAL – Torrey Smith 9 yard pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick, 9:22 (BAL 14–0) BAL – Kamar Aiken 17 yard pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick, 5:00 (BAL 21–0) BAL – Michael Campanaro 19 yard pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick, 0:01 (BAL 28–0) Second quarter BAL – Steve Smith 56 yard pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick, 13:57 (BAL 35–0) BAL – Justin Tucker 46 yard field goal, 8:41 (BAL 38–0) Third quarter TB – Patrick Murray 47 yard field goal, 10:50 (BAL 38–3) TB – Mike Evans 17 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 5:46 (BAL 38–10) BAL – Bernard Pierce 4 yard rush, Justin Tucker kick, 0:07 (BAL 45–10) Fourth quarter TB – Louis Murphy 3 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 12:19 (BAL 45–17) BAL – Justin Tucker 49 yard field goal, 7:53 (BAL 48–17) Top passers BAL – Joe Flacco, 21/28, 306 Yds, 5 TD TB – Mike Glennon, 24/44, 314 Yds, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BAL – Justin Forsett, 14 Att, 111 Yds TB – Doug Martin, 11 Att, 45 Yds Top receivers BAL – Steve Smith, 5 Rec, 110 Yds, TD TB – Louis Murphy, 7 Rec, 72 Yds, TD Top tacklers BAL – C.J. Mosley, 6 Solo, 2 Ast TB – Lavonte David, 10 Solo, 4 Ast, 1 TFL Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw five touchdown passes in the first 17 minutes of regulation (setting a new NFL record), as Baltimore jumped out to a 38–0 halftime lead (also an NFL record for a road team). The Ravens handed Tampa Bay their second dominating loss of the season. Week 8: vs. Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 26 1:00 p.m. EDT Vikings 0 3 7 3 6 Buccaneers 0 0 0 13 0 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 56,577 77 F C, sunny Craig Wrolstad Fox Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter MIN – Blair Walsh 46 yard field goal, 0:00 (MIN 3–0) Third quarter MIN – Greg Jennings 17 yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater, Blair Walsh kick, 7:09 (MIN 10–0) Fourth quarter TB – Patrick Murray 54 yard field goal, 14:12 (MIN 10–3) TB – Patrick Murray 45 yard field goal, 7:19 (MIN 10–6) TB – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 7 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 2:02 (TB 13–10) MIN – Blair Walsh 39 yard field goal, 0:00 (Tied 13–13) Overtime MIN – Anthony Barr 27 yard defensive fumble return (MIN 19–13) Top passers MIN – Teddy Bridgewater, 24/42, 241 Yds, TD TB – Mike Glennon, 19/28, 171 Yds, TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Jerick McKinnon, 16 Att, 83 Yds TB – Doug Martin, 10 Att, 27 Yds Top receivers MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson, 6 Rec, 86 Yds TB – Mike Evans, 4 Rec, 78 Yds Top tacklers MIN – Chad Greenway, 6 Solo, 3 Ast TB – Lavonte David, 9 Solo, 5 Ast, 3 TFL Offensive futility plagued both teams in the first half, with Minnesota kicking a field goal as time expired in the second quarter to take a 3–0 lead into halftime. Trailing 10–6 in the fourth quarter, Mike Glennon threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Austin Seferian-Jenkins with 2:02 remaining in regulation. The Buccaneers briefly took a 13–10 lead, but the Vikings were able to tie the game at 13–13 and force overtime. In the overtime period, Tampa Bay won the coin toss and received. On the first play from scrimmage in overtime, Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught a 10-yard pass at the 27 yard line, but fumbled the ball as he was tackled. Anthony Barr scooped up the ball and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, and Minnesota won 19–13. Week 9: at Cleveland Browns Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 2 1:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 0 10 7 0 Browns 3 6 7 6 FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 67,431 42 F C, cloudy Terry McAulay Fox Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter CLE – Billy Cundiff 49 yard field goal, 5:59, (CLE 3–0) Second quarter CLE – Billy Cundiff 29 yard field goal (CLE 6–0) TB – Mike Evans 24 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray, 8:44 (TB 7–6) TB – Patrick Murray 40 yard field goal, 2:25 (TB 10–6) CLE – Billy Cundiff 43 yard field goal, 0:00 (TB 10–9) Third quarter CLE – Terrance West 2 yard pass from Brian Hoyer, Billy Cundiff kick, 9:10 (CLE 16–10) TB – Mike Evans 24 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 2:49 (TB 17–16) Fourth quarter CLE – Taylor Gabriel 34 yard pass from Brian Hoyer, pass failed, 8:59 (CLE 22–17) Top passers TB – Mike Glennon, 17/33, 260 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT CLE – Brian Hoyer, 21/34, 330 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Bobby Rainey, 19 Att, 87 Yds CLE – Terrance West, 15 Att, 48 Yds Top receivers TB – Mike Evans, 7 Rec, 124 Yds, 2 TD CLE – Taylor Gabriel, 5 Rec, 87 Yds, TD Top tacklers TB – Major Wright, 7 Solo, 6 Ast, TFL CLE – Buster Skrine, 7 Solo, 2 Ast Mike Evans caught two touchdown passes from Mike Glennon, as Tampa Bay led 17–16 in the fourth quarter. Cleveland scored with 8:59 remaining in regulation, and won the game by the score of 22–17. In the final two minutes, Tampa Bay drove to the Cleveland 28 yard line, but an offensive pass interference penalty pushed them back to the 47. Facing 4th & 11, Glennon's pass was incomplete, and the Browns defeated Tampa Bay for the first time since 1995. Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary November 9 1:00 p.m. EST Falcons 7 6 3 11 Buccaneers 3 7 0 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 57,751 64 F C, cloudy Clete Blakeman Fox Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter TB – Patrick Murray 51 yard field goal, 6:24 (TB 3–0) ATL – Steven Jackson 1 yard rush, Matt Bryant kick, 0:51 (ATL 7–3) Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 37 yard field goal, 7:09 (ATL 10–3) TB – Mike Evans 22 yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 0:46 (Tied 10–10) ATL – Matt Bryant 43 yard field goal, 0:00 (ATL 13–10) Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 44 yard field goal, 10:23 (ATL 16–10) Fourth quarter TB Austin Seferian-Jenkins 1 yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 14:18 (TB 17–16) ATL – Roddy White 5 yard pass from Matt Ryan, Harry Douglas pass from Matt Ryan, 9:18 (ATL 24–17) ATL – Matt Bryant 33 yard field goal, 4:10 (ATL 27–17) Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan, 20/31, 219 Yds, TD TB – Josh McCown, 27/43, 301 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson, 16 Att, 81 Yds, TD TB – Josh McCown, 5 Att, 39 Yds Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones, 8 Rec, 119 Yds TB – Mike Evans, 7 Rec, 125 Yds, TD Top tacklers ATL – Paul Worrilow,8 Solo, 2 Ast TB – Lavonte David, 10 Solo, 4 Ast Josh McCown returned as the starting quarterback for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers led 17–16, but Atlanta scored a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter and held on for the win. In the final two minutes, Tampa Bay drove to the Atlanta 4 yard line, but McCown's pass to Vincent Jackson was tipped and intercepted in the endzone, sealing the game for Atlanta. Week 11: at Washington Redskins Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins – Game summary November 16 1:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 10 3 7 7 Redskins 0 7 0 0 FedExField, Landover, Maryland 77,442 45 F C, cloudy Bill Vinovich Fox Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter TB – Patrick Murray 32 yard field goal, 11:10 (TB 3–0) TB – Johnthan Banks 19 yard interception return, Patrick Murray kick, 3:56 (TB 10–0) Second quarter TB – Patrick Murray 38 yard field goal, 7:39 (TB 13–0) WAS – Roy Helu 30 yard pass from Robert Griffin III, Kai Forbath kick, 0:11 (TB 13–7) Third quarter TB – Mike Evans 36 yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 4:36 (TB 20–7) Fourth quarter TB – Mike Evans 56 yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray, 14:07 (TB 27–7) Top passers TB – Josh McCown, 15/23, 288 Yds, 2 TD WAS – Robert Griffin III, 23/32, 207 Yds, TD, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Charles Sims, 13 Att, 36 Yds WAS – Alfred Morris, 20 Att, 96 Yds Top receivers TB – Mike Evans, 7 Rec, 209 Yds, 2 TD WAS – Roy Helu, 6 Rec, 57 Yds, TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David, 8 Solo, 5 Ast WAS – David Amerson, 3 Solo, 2 Ast Mike Evans had a breakout game, catching 7 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns (36 yards and 56 yards, respectively). Tampa Bay won their second game of the season. Week 12: at Chicago Bears Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 23 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Buccaneers 0 10 0 3 Bears 0 0 21 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 61,109 54 F C, cloudy Walt Coleman Fox Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook First quarter No Scoring Second quarter TB – Mike Evans 19 yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 13:24 (TB 7–0) TB – Patrick Murray 32 yard field goal, 0:04 (TB 10–0) Third quarter CHI – Alshon Jeffery 2 yard pass from Jay Cutler, Robbie Gould kick, 10:33 (TB 10–7) CHI – Matt Forte 13 yard rush, Robbie Gould kick, 4:51 (CHI 14–10) CHI – Matt Forte 1 yard rush, Robbie Gould kick, 3:02 (CHI 21–10) Fourth quarter TB – Patrick Murray 39 yard field goal, 4:56 (CHI 21–13) Top passers TB – Josh McCown, 25/38, 341 Yds, TD, 2 INT CHI – Jay Cutler, 17/27, 130 Yds, TD Top rushers TB – Doug Martin, 11 Att, 27 Yds CHI – Matt Forte, 23 Att, 89 Yds, 2 TD Top receivers TB – Vincent Jackson, 5 Rec, 117 Yds CHI – Martellus Bennett, 4 Rec, 37 Yds Top tacklers TB – Mason Foster, 7 Solo, Ast CHI – Ryan Mundy, 6 Solo, 2 Ast The Buccaneers blew a 10–0 halftime lead with three turnovers in the third quarter. The Bears scored two touchdowns off of turnovers, and a total of 21 points in the third quarter to take the lead and the win. This was head coach Lovie Smith's first return to Chicago since the Bears fired him following the 2012 season. Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary November 30 1:00 p.m. EST Bengals 0 7 7 0 Buccaneers 3 7 0 3 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 56,340 77 F C, sunny Bill Leavy CBS Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CIN – TB – Top rushers CIN – TB – Top receivers CIN – TB – Top tacklers CIN – TB – Trailing 14–13 in the closing seconds, Tampa Bay completed a 21-yard pass to the Bengals 20 yard line, but a replay showed they had 12 men on the field for the play. The penalty took the Buccaneers out of field goal range. Week 14: at Detroit Lions Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 7 1:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 0 10 0 7 Lions 7 10 10 7 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,489 Played indoors (dome stadium) Jeff Triplette Fox Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers TB – DET – Top rushers TB – DET – Top receivers TB – DET – Top tacklers TB – DET – Week 15: at Carolina Panthers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary December 14 1:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 7 3 0 7 Panthers 6 3 7 3 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 72,842 60 F C, sunny Ron Torbert Fox Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers TB – CAR – Top rushers TB – CAR – Top receivers TB – CAR – Top tacklers TB – CAR – Like the meeting in week 1, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was on the sidelines, this time due to injuries suffered in a car accident. Carolina swept the Buccaneers, using backup quarterbacks in both games. Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary December 21 1:00 p.m. EST Packers 7 3 0 10 Buccaneers 0 3 0 0 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 64,247 75 F C, cloudy Terry McAulay Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers GB – TB – Top rushers GB – TB – Top receivers GB – TB – Top tacklers GB – TB – Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary December 28 1:00 p.m. EST Saints 0 7 0 16 Buccaneers 3 17 0 0 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 59,952 79 F C, cloudy Brad Allen Fox Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – TB – Top rushers NO – TB – Top receivers NO – TB – Top tacklers NO – TB – Tampa Bay took a 20–7 lead into halftime, but New Orleans rallied for the victory. Drew Brees threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston with 1:57 remaining. On the ensuing drive, the Saints defense sacked Josh McCown for a safety, and secured a 23–20 victory. The Saints swept Tampa Bay for the third straight season, and won their seventh overall in the rivalry. The Buccaneers, finishing 2–14, clinched the first pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Standings Division TB Conference TB Notes References External links http://www.buccaneers.com Tampa Bay Buccaneers season Tampa Bay Buccaneers Category:2010s in Tampa, Florida Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers seasons