# 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

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.

## 2014 draft class

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 | None — see draft trades below | None — see draft trades below | None — see draft trades below |
| 5 | 143 | Kadeem Edwards | Guard | Tennessee State |
| 5 | 149 | Kevin Pamphile | Offensive tackle | Purdue |
| 6 | 185 | Robert Herron | Wide receiver | Wyoming |
| 7 | None — see draft trades below | None — see draft trades below | None — see draft trades below | 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, and 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. 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.

### 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" 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).

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–16 | 0–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Miami Dolphins | L 14–20 | 0–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at Buffalo Bills | W 27–14 | 1–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | 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 | 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 Superdome | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | Baltimore Ravens | L 17–48 | 1–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | 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 | Recap |
| 13 | 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,442
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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. 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 59,923
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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.

#### Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Falcons | 21 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 56 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,318
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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.

#### Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Steelers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,910
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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.

#### Week 5: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Saints | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 37 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,004
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 28 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 48 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 60,041
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 56,577
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 22 |
at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 67,431
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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 down & 11, Glennon's pass was incomplete, and the Browns defeated Tampa Bay for the first time since 1995.

#### Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 57,751
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,442
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 61,109
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 56,340
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,489
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
TB –
DET –
Top rushers
TB –
DET –
Top receivers
TB –
DET –
Top tacklers
TB –
DET – :
With the loss, the Buccaneers were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

#### Week 15: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Panthers | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 72,842
* Referee: Ron Torbert
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 64,247
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
GB –
TB –
Top rushers
GB –
TB –
Top receivers
GB –
TB –
Top tacklers
GB –
TB – :
Green Bay won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium since 2003, and for only the second time ever.

#### Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 59,952
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
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. The Bucs had also finished 0–8 at home. Finishing winless at home for the first time since 1976 and lost their 9th straight home game.

## Standings
### Division

NFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Carolina Panthers | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 339 | 374 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 401 | 424 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | 381 | 417 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | 277 | 410 | L6 |

### Conference

NFCviewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
| 2 | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
| 10 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
| 13 | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record. 1 2 Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6). 1 2 New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9). 1 2 3 The NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis based on conference record. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||