The 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the team's 21st in the National Football League (NFL). The Buccaneers failed to improve on their 7–9 season in 1995, finishing 6–10. It was the first season under head coach Tony Dungy. The 1996 season marked the final year that the Buccaneers wore their trademark orange, red, and white "creamsicle" uniforms. Until 2010, it was the last time that the Buccaneers failed to sell out any of its home games. Despite Tampa finishing with a losing record, Dungy had restored the competitive spirit in the organization. Five of the 10 losses was only by a touchdown or less.
| 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Head coach | Tony Dungy |
| Home field | Houlihan's Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 4th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 3
|
| AP All-Pros | FB Mike Alstott, MLB Hardy Nickerson |
| Team MVP | MLB Hardy Nickerson |
The Buccaneers would not have another losing season until 2003.
Offseason
editPrior to the season the Buccaneers were still unsure if the team would remain in Tampa Bay or if it would be moved by new ownership family led by Malcolm Glazer and sons, either to Cleveland,[1][2] Los Angeles,[3][4] or the nearby city of Orlando.[5] Eventually, the team's future was determined by a local referendum, which approved funding for a new stadium for the 1998 season.
Rule changes earlier in the decade brought about a salary cap, and a minimum spending cap forced Bucs to spend more on players. With the new ownership, tax disclosures showed the old Culverhouse regime was running a "for-profit" business in which players who were getting good were released before their contracts could get big, all the while claiming poor and trying to get some home games played in Orlando.
NFL draft
editPrior to the 1996 season the team drafted fullback Mike Alstott, who became one of the most popular players in the team's history, as well as cornerback Donnie Abraham. Although Alstott would become one of the Buccaneers’ most popular players of all time, the organization did not target him in the draft: the team had originally wanted tailback Leeland McElroy, who would be taken before the Bucs drafted.
| = Pro Bowler[a] |
| Pick | Round | Player | Position | School |
| 12 | 1 | Regan Upshaw | Defensive End | California |
| 22 | 1 | Marcus Jones | Defensive End | North Carolina |
| 35 | 2 | Mike Alstott | Fullback | Purdue |
| 71 | 3 | Donnie Abraham | Cornerback | East Tennessee State University |
| 96 | 4 | Jason Odom | Offensive Tackle | Florida |
| 104 | 4 | Eric Austin | Strong Safety | Jackson State |
| 140 | 5 | Jason Maniecki | Defensive Tackle | Wisconsin |
| 180 | 6 | Nilo Silvan | Wide Receiver | Tennessee |
| 221 | 7 | Reggie Rusk | Cornerback | Kentucky |
Undrafted free agents
edit| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Milanovich | Quarterback | Maryland |
Season summary
editDespite having been 7–7 toward the end of 1995, the 1996 team went 0–5 before getting their first win over Tony Dungy's former team, the Minnesota Vikings. The 24–13 win over Minnesota started another streak few noted at the time, in which the team held opponents to 13 points or less in four consecutive games. Despite this, the Oakland Raiders came to Tampa Bay in Week Eleven facing a 1–8 Buccaneers team. Tampa Bay defeated Oakland 20–17 in overtime, which was the first of five wins over the next seven games.
The following week, Tampa Bay traveled to the west coast, where they historically had trouble winning. Playing an interconference game at San Diego, Tampa Bay quickly found themselves down 14–0. The morning of the game, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks were in their hotel room watching ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. Chris Berman referred to the game as the "Superchargers" versus the "Yucs"[6][7] – a derogatory nickname that had stemmed from the Bucs' many years of futility. Sapp and Brooks finally took exception to the ridicule they were being subjected to. Tampa Bay would rally in the game with a 25–3 run and won by the score of 25–17. Tampa Bay would win two of the next three, including an emotional win over Chicago 34–19 in which the Bucs returned a punt for a touchdown.
Many fans took encouragement from the team going 5–2 in the final seven games, as well as the emergence of defensive tackle Warren Sapp who had nine sacks on the season, linebacker Derrick Brooks, and fullback Mike Alstott, who along with safety John Lynch and linebacker Hardy Nickerson, were forming the core of what would prove to be a dominant defense.
The offense struggled all season, and was not helped by an ill-advised holdout by running back Errict Rhett, who would have far fewer carries the following year.[b][c]
Personnel
editStaff
edit| 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
edit
Regular season
editSchedule
edit| Regular season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Attendance | Record |
| 1 | September 1 | Green Bay Packers | L 3–34 | Houlihan's Stadium | 54,102[d] | 0–1 |
| 2 | September 8 | at Detroit Lions | L 6–21 | Pontiac Silverdome | 54,229 | 0–2 |
| 3 | September 15 | at Denver Broncos | L 23–27 | Mile High Stadium | 71,535 | 0–3 |
| 4 | September 22 | Seattle Seahawks | L 13–17 | Houlihan's Stadium | 30,212[d] | 0–4 |
| 5 | September 29 | Detroit Lions | L 0–27 | Houlihan's Stadium | 34,961[d] | 0–5 |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 13 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–13 | Houlihan's Stadium | 32,175[d] | 1–5 |
| 8 | October 20 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 9–13 | Sun Devil Stadium | 27,738 | 1–6 |
| 9 | October 27 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7–13 | Lambeau Field | 60,627 | 1–7 |
| 10 | November 3 | at Chicago Bears | L 10–13 | Soldier Field | 58,727 | 1–8 |
| 11 | November 10 | Oakland Raiders | W 20–17(OT) | Houlihan's Stadium | 45,392[d] | 2–8 |
| 12 | November 17 | at San Diego Chargers | W 25–17 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 57,526 | 3–8 |
| 13 | November 24 | New Orleans Saints | W 13–7 | Houlihan's Stadium | 40,203[d] | 4–8 |
| 14 | December 1 | at Carolina Panthers | L 0–24 | Ericsson Stadium | 57,623 | 4–9 |
| 15 | December 8 | Washington Redskins | W 24–10 | Houlihan's Stadium | 44,723[d] | 5–9 |
| 16 | December 15 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 10–21 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 49,302 | 5–10 |
| 17 | December 22 | Chicago Bears | W 34–19 | Houlihan's Stadium | 51,572[d] | 6–10 |
| Notes: Division opponents in bold text | ||||||
Standings
edit| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Green Bay Packers | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 456 | 210 | W5 |
| (6) Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 298 | 315 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 283 | 305 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 221 | 293 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 302 | 368 | L5 |
Notes
edit- ^ Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
- ^ The bulk of Tampa Bay's carries in 1997 would be handled by Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn.
- ^ Rhett would have only 31 carries for 96 yards for Tampa in 1997.[8]
- ^ a b c d e f g h blacked out locally
References
edit- ^ "NFL teams shift into move groove: Owners to vote Feb. 8–9 on Browns". The Washington Times. January 19, 1996.
- ^ “Pro Football: Vote Is Delayed on Browns’ Relocation”; in The New York Times; January 18, 1996
- ^ "NFL's Games of Musical Chairs Making Football Fans Fell Dizzy". Ocala Star-Banner. July 1, 1995. pp. 1D.
- ^ "NFL Owners Spared Tough Agenda Today". The Charlotte Observer. May 21, 1996.
- ^ "No. 1 NFL Rule on Relocation Is That There Are No Rules". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 12, 1995. p. 03F.
- ^ Bianchi, Mike (March 22, 2004). "Sapp Earned Tampa Fans' Shrugs". Daily Press. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "Relentless: the Road to Canton – Warren Sapp": NFL Network
- ^ "Errict Rhett". Pro Football Reference.com.
- ^ 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Media Guide. pp. 44–46. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2009.