1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Finally Good Football

1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Finally Good Football

The very beginnings of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise in the National Football League were not only humble but also far from anything pretty as they were easily the worst team in the NFL. The quality of play on the football field was so terrible on the part of the Buccaneers that they had gone winless in their first 26 games, spanning through 2 seasons. From 1976 to 1978 the Buccaneers were afterthoughts in the league, but finally good football would emerge in Tampa Bay.

In 1979 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 10-6, finishing in a tie with the Chicago Bears for 1st place in the NFC Central Division. By way of tiebreaker the Buccaneers would become the NFC Central Division Champions for the first time in franchise history. The Buccaneers went 6-2 in divisional play and 8-6 in conference play. The Buccaneers went 5-3 both at their home stadium of Tampa Stadium and on the road.

Quarterback Doug Williams got his start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he would be drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 1st Round of the 1978 NFL Draft. Only Buccaneers offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs visited Williams at Grambling University to see him work out. While his 1978 rookie season was incomplete because of injuries, Williams made the most of it in his 2nd season. Williams completed 166 of 397 pass attempts for 2,448 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing 24 interceptions. Williams also had 35 rushing attempts for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Fullback Ricky Bell would be voted Team Most Valuable Player for his solid production on the field. Bell had 283 rushing attempts for 1,263 yards and 7 touchdowns while also having 25 receptions for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Jerry Eckwood had 194 rushing attempts for 690 yards and 2 touchdowns while also having 22 receptions for 268 yards. Running back Johnny Davis had 59 rushing attempts for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Wide receiver Isaac Hagins had 39 receptions for 692 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Jimmy Giles had 40 receptions for 579 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wide receiver Morris Owens had 20 receptions for 377 yards. Wide receiver Larry Mucker had 14 receptions for 268 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Special teams production was enough to keep Tampa Bay in plenty of games. Running back and wide receiver George Ragsdale had 34 kick returns for 675 yards. Defensive back Danny Reece had 70 punt returns for 431 yards.

Defense was the key to Tampa Bay’s remarkable turnaround as the Buccaneers found ways to take the football away from opposing offenses. Free safety Cedric Brown had 3 interceptions for 79 yards and 1 fumble recovery. Left cornerback Jeris White had 3 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery. Right cornerback Mike Washington had 3 interceptions for 64 yards and 1 touchdown.

Right outside linebacker Cecil Johnson and nose tackle Bill Kollar both had 4 fumble recoveries. Strong safety Mike Cotney had 1 interception. Linebacker Dewey Selmon would be named to the Associated Press Second Team All-NFL.

Left outside linebacker Dave Lewis had 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries for 39 yards and 1 touchdown. Right inside linebacker Richard Wood had 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. Lewis would be a First Team All-NFC selection for the United Press International and a Second Team All-NFL selection.

Right defensive end Lee Roy Selmon became the standout performer on Tampa Bay’s defense as he had 2 fumble recoveries for 29 yards and 1 touchdown. Selmon would be given numerous honors for his great play on the field in 1979 as he would win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and the NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year Award. Selmon was also named to the Pro Bowl and made the All-Pro First Team in the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, Newspaper Enterprise Association and Pro Football Writers Association.

Catching the rest of the NFL completely off guard, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumped out to a perfect 5-0 start in the regular season. This 5-game winning streak began in Week 1 on September 1 with a 31-16 win over the Detroit Lions, and it ended in Week 5 on September 30 with a close 17-13 win over the Chicago Bears.

The closest victory the Buccaneers had in 1979 was a margin of just 2 points as they beat the Minnesota Vikings 12-10 at Metropolitan Stadium in Week 9 on October 28. Doug Williams completed 12 of 25 passes for 267 yards. In the 1st quarter Buccaneers kicker Neil O’Donoghue booted a 22-yard field goal. In the 2nd quarter Minnesota kicker Rick Danmeier booted a 28-yard field goal. Minnesota followed that up with a 2-yard touchdown reception by tight end Stu Voigt to put the Vikings up 10-3. In the 3rd quarter O’Donoghue kicked a 44-yard field goal to make the game 10-6, and then in the 4th quarter Ricky Bell came through for Tampa Bay by punching in a 2-yard touchdown.

The most convincing victory of the regular season for the Buccaneers came in Week 12 on November 18 when they crushed the New York Giants 31-3. Doug Williams completed 12 of 24 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ricky Bell had 22 rushing attempts for 152 yards. In the 2nd quarter Larry Mucker had a 10-yard touchdown reception. Dave Lewis then helped out by returning a fumble recovery 39 yards for a touchdown. The Giants got their only score in the 3rd quarter with a 21-yard field goal booted by kicker Joe Danelo. From there the Buccaneers kept control of the game as Mucker had a 42-yard touchdown reception, O’Donoghue kicked a 40-yard field goal, and then in the 4th quarter Johnny Davis had a 4-yard touchdown run.

The Buccaneers clinched a playoff spot in the most unusual way imaginable as they won in Week 16 on December 16. However, Tampa Stadium would be drenched with ongoing rainfall, which was so bad that this game would be nicknamed the “Rain Bowl”. The Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 3-0. It only took a 19-yard field goal kicked by O’Donoghue to send Tampa Bay to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The Divisional Round was a good first step in legitimizing the Buccaneers as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17 on December 29. Ricky Bell had a great game running as he had 38 rushing attempts for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bell opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter. O’Donoghue then kicked a 40-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. Bell came back to punch in a 1-yard touchdown run. Philadelphia woke up with an 11-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Charlie Smith. Eagles kicker Tony Franklin then booted a 42-yard field goal. In the 4th quarter Jimmy Giles had a 9-yard touchdown reception. Wide receiver and tight end Harold Carmichael had a 37-yard touchdown reception for the Eagles, but Philadelphia fell 1 touchdown short.

The NFC Championship Game was the last stop for the Buccaneers as they were shut out 9-0 by the Los Angeles Rams. Despite this result, the Buccaneers had succeeded in exceeding any football critic’s expectations of the team. Head Coach John McKay would be recognized for his help in turning around the team as he would be named the Football News Coach of the Year. Leading the NFL in surrendering the fewest sacks in the league with 12, the entire offensive line of the Buccaneers would be honored by the NFL Players Association as a symbol of unity and strength. The next few years saw the Buccaneers go up and down like a roller coaster, from a losing team to a decent team.