1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
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| 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | John McKay |
| Home Field | Tampa Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10-6 |
| Place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff Finish | L NFC championship game against Los Angeles Rams |
| Timeline | |
| Previous Season | Next Season |
| 1978 | 1980 |
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 5-11 season. The team made the playoffs for the first time. The playoff spot was secured in week 16 in a rain-sodden game against the Kansas City Chiefs with the only score being a 19-yard field goal by Neil O'Donoghue. They then recorded their first ever playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles thanks to 142 yards rushing by Ricky Bell. It is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. The following week they hosted the NFC championship game but lost 9-0 to Los Angeles.
Contents |
[edit] Offseason
[edit] NFL Draft
| Pick # | NFL Team | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Greg Roberts | Guard | University of Oklahoma |
[edit] Regular Season
The Bucs' situation improved rapidly in 1979. With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams, the first 1,000-yard (910 m) rushing season from running back Ricky Bell, and a smothering, league-leading defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, the Bucs kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a stunning performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[1]
[edit] Season Schedule
[edit] Season Standings
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 273 | 237 |
| Chicago Bears | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 306 | 249 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 259 | 337 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 246 | 316 |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 219 | 365 |
[edit] 1979 Roster
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1979 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics |
|||||
[edit] Playoffs
[edit] NFC Divisional Playoff
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- TV: CBS
The Buccaneers won their first playoff game in team history by holding the Eagles to 48 rushing yards, while running back Ricky Bell recorded 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
[edit] NFC Championship Game
- Los Angeles Rams 9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
[edit] Awards and honors
- Lee Roy Selmon, National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award
- Lee Roy Selmon, NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year
- Lee Roy Selmon, Pro Bowl selection
- Lee Roy Selmon, All-Pro selection
[edit] References
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| AFC | East | Central | West | NFC | East | Central | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Cincinnati | Denver | Dallas | Chicago | Atlanta | ||
| Buffalo | Cleveland | Kansas City | NY Giants | Detroit | Los Angeles | ||
| Miami | Houston | Oakland | Philadelphia | Green Bay | New Orleans | ||
| New England | Pittsburgh | San Diego | St. Louis | Minnesota | San Francisco | ||
| NY Jets | Seattle | Washington | Tampa Bay | ||||
| 1979 NFL Draft • NFL Playoffs • Pro Bowl • Super Bowl XIV | |||||||
