1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 2 - 14 season . This was one of the worst seasons in franchise history . There is some sentiment that the 1986 team was even worse than the winless team of 1976 . The Buccaneers selected Bo Jackson with the top pick in the draft , but were unable to convince him to join the team . Three weeks after the draft , Jackson signed a three - year baseball contract with the Kansas City Royals . Despite holding four of the first forty selections in the draft , and the presence of a great influx of fresh talent from defunct USFL teams , the Buccaneers were unable to find any impact players in either the draft or free agency . They entered the season with a roster nearly identical to the previous season ' s 2 - 14 team . Coach Leeman Bennett treated the season as a building season , but was disappointed with the team ' s mental errors and lack of progress . Later in the season , he would begin to privately admit that the Buccaneers ' talent was much worse than he had realized . Steve DeBerg won the starting quarterback job after outplaying Steve Young in the preseason , but was benched in favor of Young after struggling in the first two games . Kevin House and Jimmie Giles were released after an October loss to the New Orleans Saints , along with ex - Dallas Cowboys fullback Ron Springs . Bennett showed up at a press conference held after the season by owner Hugh Culverhouse , unaware that the purpose of the press conference was to announce Bennett ' s firing . Giles , then with the Detroit Lions , criticized the move , saying that no coach could compensate for the Buccaneers ' lack of talent . He also claimed that administrator Phil Krueger destroyed team chemistry by demeaning players during contract negotiations , pointing to guard Sean Farrell ' s disgruntlement as an example . Offseason . Defensive end Lee Roy Selmon retired a week before the draft . He missed the entire 1985 season due to a herniated disk , and chose to retire rather than undergo surgery . Although his retirement was expected , the Buccaneers did not seek a replacement in the draft . With Mark Cotney and Steve Wilson having retired earlier in the year , Selmon was the last of the original Buccaneers on the roster . NFL Draft . The Buccaneers received additional picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Hugh Green . Their extra 6th - round pick came from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 5th - round pick in the 1987 draft . The second pick in the 12th round came from the San Francisco 49ers in return for the rights to center Jim Leonard . The Buccaneers ' 3rd - round pick was traded to the New Orleans Saints for defensive back David Greenwood . Their 6th - round pick was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for defensive end Brison Manor . Their 7th - round pick went to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for wide receiver Perry Tuttle . Their 8th - round pick went to the Rams for defensive back Ivory Sully . The Bo Jackson draft fiasco . Auburn University running back Bo Jackson was selected with the Buccaneers ' first overall pick in the draft , but refused to sign with them . Jackson was angry with the Buccaneers after accepting a private jet ride to attend a team workout caused him to lose his eligibility to play baseball at Auburn . Although NCAA rules allow a professional athlete to compete collegiately in a different sport , stricter Southeastern Conference rules disqualify a professional athlete from competing in any college sports . Jackson accused the Buccaneers of sabotaging his college baseball career , although Phil Krueger insisted that they the SEC had advised them that the flight was allowable , and that it was Jackson himself who had insisted on using a private flight . Jackson had been rated as the best running back prospect to come out of college since O . J . Simpson 17 years earlier . Jackson was said to have ridiculed Tampa Bay ' s offensive line , and shortly before the baseball draft to have told two teams that he had no intention of playing football . Most teams did not believe him , but the Kansas City Royals , although they were unsure enough that they waited until the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft to select him . Jackson vowed never to play football again and accepted an offer from the Royals worth much less than what the Buccaneers offered . The Buccaneers turned down several impressive trade offers for Jackson , including the San Francisco 49ers ' offer of Ronnie Lott , Wendell Tyler , and first - and second - round draft picks . There was speculation that owner Hugh Culverhouse was torn between his promise to make Jackson the highest - paid rookie ever , and his status as a member of the NFL Finance Committee , which obligated him to set a reasonable fiscal precedent for the rest of the league . This resulted in an underwhelming contract offer and produced the perception that the Buccaneers were not serious about signing Jackson . Although the Buccaneers offered Jackson $ 7 million over the five years , half of it was in the form of incentives , annuities , and real estate . The actual salary averaged to over $ 700 , 000 per year , still more than twice his yearly salary from the Royals , who gave him a three - year , $ 1 million contract . Negotiator Phil Krueger said that officials from other NFL teams agreed that the Buccaneers had offered Jackson fair money . Jackson ' s Royals contract gave him the option of buying out his contract if he wanted to return to football . Jackson was eligible to be drafted again the next year if not signed by April 28 , 1987 , which turned out to be the case . Culverhouse announced the embarrassment at a news conference in which he quoted the " keep smiling , keep shining " lyrics of Dionne Warwick ' s then - current hit song " That ' s What Friends are For " . Jackson became the fourth consecutive Heisman Trophy winner ( after USFL players Herschel Walker , Mike Rozier , and Doug Flutie ) to spurn the NFL , although he was the first since Pete Dawkins in 1958 to leave football entirely . It was the first time since 1979 , when Tom Cousineau signed with the Canadian Football League instead of the Buffalo Bills , that the first overall pick chose not to play in the NFL . Other draft selections . Rod Jones was known as a hard hitter and a world - class track star , but was a controversial selection because , coming from the run - heavy Southwest Conference , his pass - coverage skills were unknown . At 5 ' 11 " , 165 lbs . , he was considered undersized for the NFL . Jones was the first defensive back selected , but was rated no better than fifth - best by most scouting services . The Buccaneers were criticized for taking linebacker Jackie Walker with their third pick , when Kevin Murphy of the national champion Oklahoma Sooners was still available . The Buccaneers did eventually draft Murphy , who they were surprised to find still available with their 40th overall selection . Murphy was believed to have fallen due to rumors of a knee injury . The Buccaneers had rated both Walker and Murphy among the top 15 players in the draft . Craig Swoope was rated as the best safety in the draft , but fell to the fourth round because of a previous charge ( and acquittal ) of conspiracy to distribute cocaine . Swoope was eventually the only Buccaneer to achieve any kind of postseason honors in 1986 , being selected to the Football Digest All - Rookie team . The team went for big offensive linemen in the later rounds . One of them was J . D . Maarleveld , the first cancer patient drafted by the NFL . Maarleveld was considered to have been a second - round talent , but fell all the way to the fifth round . Belief that Maarleveld was worth much more money than the average fifth - rounder caused his agent , Greg Marotta , to advise him to reject the Buccaneers ' offer and sign with the USFL Baltimore Stars . Maarleveld was eventually able to reach agreement with the Buccaneers . Preseason . Personnel moves . Bennett made efforts in the offseason to address the passing game , and to improve team speed . He held an extra " passing camp " before training camp for all offensive and defensive players involved in the passing game . Establishing the offense was complicated by the situation of not having enough reliable running backs to run a two - back offense . Finding enough speedy receivers to run a three - receiver set was also difficult , as was finding faster defensive backs who could play the man - to - man coverage that Bennett wanted to move to . Cutting safety David Greenwood and trading cornerback John Holt improved the speed of the secondary by opening up starting spots for rookies Jones and Swoope . Former Florida Gators cornerback Vito McKeever , a product of local Dunnellon High School who had played for the USFL Michigan Panthers under Buccaneer defensive coordinator Jim Stanley , was signed toward the end of preseason . The addition of McKeever , who took over Jeremiah Castille ' s starting spot , meant that three of the four secondary positions turned over from the previous year . The quest for speed in the secondary meant cutting safety and punt returner Mike Prior , who went on to become a mainstay on the Green Bay Packer playoff teams of the 1990s . In an attempt to upgrade the offensive line , five - time Pro Bowl tackle Marvin Powell was brought in . While there was speculation that the New York Jets let him go because he was President of the National Football League Players Association , the Jets were concerned over quarterback Ken O ' Brien having been sacked an NFL - record 62 times the previous season , and selected two tackles in the draft . There was sentiment among some teams that , despite his Pro Bowl appearances , Powell was an overrated player who had never lived up to his reputation . Powell performed well for Tampa Bay , but was placed on injured reserve midseason after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery . Undrafted free - agent running back Nathan Wonsley emerged in the preseason as a legitimate complement to James Wilder . Tyrone Keys , a defensive end from a team loaded with pass - rushers , and David Williams , a receiver who had led the nation in catches during his junior year , were claimed off waivers from the defending world champion Chicago Bears . Regular season . Steve DeBerg won the starting quarterback job over Steve Young in the preseason , but lost it after throwing seven interceptions in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers , and another two the next week against the Minnesota Vikings . Nose tackle Dave Logan summed up the team ' s condition after the 49ers game by saying , " the teams we play do not respect us " . Players coming from winning teams to the Buccaneers , such as Marvin Powell and Tyrone Keys , found themselves shocked by the constant losing and discouraged by the team ' s easy acceptance of losses . Keys in particular thought that the Buccaneers were too used to losing , and not bothered by it . Young later criticized the team ' s will to win , saying that " if they could hide for four quarters and just go home , they would be happy " . Powell , one of the highest - paid offensive linemen in the league , was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury after only a few games . An embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints was followed by the release of Jimmie Giles and Kevin House , the top two receivers in Buccaneer history at the time , and former starting fullback Ron Springs . This upset several club veterans , and weakened an offense that already had to compensate for a defense that had allowed over 1 , 000 rushing yards in the previous four games . League perception was that the Buccaneers were replacing older veterans with younger players who were incapable of taking their places . Said an executive from another team of Giles ' replacement , " Calvin Magee runs a 5 . 2 40 . . . We wouldn ' t even bring him into camp " . Rumors , denied by Culverhouse , began to circulate that secret meetings were being held to arrange replacing Bennett with Steve Spurrier . Nathan Wonsley , the rookie free - agent running back whose play was one of the few bright spots in the season , was lost to the team after suffering dislocated neck vertebrae during a week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears . After the abnormally large number of injuries suffered during the Bears game , the Buccaneers ended their pattern of suffering fourth - quarter collapses in close games , instead losing their last seven games by an average of over 21 points . With Jerry Bell , a tight end who played a " U - back " position that was crucial to Tampa Bay ' s running game , suffering a broken ankle in the same game , the Buccaneers were forced to re - sign Ron Springs just to have enough runners in their backfield . Culverhouse , saying that he had made the decision only minutes prior , fired Bennett at a press conference on Dec . 29 . Bennett , who had spoken to Culverhouse earlier the same morning , was unaware that he was to be let go . Culverhouse met with Ray Perkins and offered him the Tampa Bay coaching job only hours after firing Bennett . The firing was criticized by some , who felt that no steps were being taken to address the front - office problems that were the real root of the Buccaneers ' woes . This criticism was echoed by safety David Greenwood , by then with the Packers , who pointed out the team ' s cheapness by recounting a 1985 incident in which he wanted to keep a football as a game ball after catching it for an interception . Executive Phil Krueger demanded that Greenwood pay $ 35 for the football . Game summaries . Week 1 : vs San Francisco 49ers . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana completed 32 of 46 passes for 356 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth quarter . The injury , similar to the one that ended Lee Roy Selmon ' s career , would require season - ending surgery and threaten Montana ' s football future . Steve DeBerg ' s 31 - yard touchdown pass to Gerald Carter in the third quarter brought the Buccaneers to within a touchdown , but they would not score again . The 49ers ' seven interceptions of DeBerg were a team record , and one short of the NFL record . DeBerg placed blame for the loss on himself , but teammates defended him , pointing out that he was under constant pressure from the 49ers ' pass rush . Opposing safety Ronnie Lott said that DeBerg was predictable as to where he would throw the ball when pressured . James Wilder rushed for 81 yards and caught five passes . Selmon ' s number 63 was retired in a halftime ceremony . Week 2 : vs Minnesota Vikings . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Early in the first quarter , James Wilder tipped a pass from Steve DeBerg into the hands of Vikings linebacker Chris Doleman , who returned it for a touchdown . Wilder took a helmet to the sternum on this play , leaving a deep bruise that caused him to miss the next two games , and reduced his effectiveness for the remainder of the season . Seventeen seconds later , Scott Studwell recovered a Wilder fumble at the Tampa Bay 18 - yard line , leading to a Viking field goal . The Buccaneers added a Donald Igwebuike field goal before the end of the quarter , but the Vikings answered it with a touchdown pass from Tommy Kramer to Mike Mularkey . DeBerg ' s 1 - yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Giles brought the Buccaneers to within a touchdown before halftime , but they were unable to score in the second half . The Buccaneers outperformed the Vikings in a number of statistical categories , but could not overcome the turnovers . Week 3 : at Detroit Lions . " at Pontiac Silverdome , Pontiac , Michigan " With running back James Wilder nursing a bruised sternum , Nathan Wonsley rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns . Wonsley became the first Buccaneer running back , other than Wilder , to rush for 100 yards since Nov . 29 , 1981 . He was the first Tampa Bay rookie to rush for 100 yards since Jerry Eckwood in 1979 . Wonsley followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers , George and Otis , both backup NFL running backs who came off the bench to have breakout games while leading their respective teams to victory against the Lions . Constant Buccaneer blitzes resulted in four sacks , two interceptions , and six forced fumbles . Although Lions quarterback Eric Hipple had a good statistical day , completing 31 passes for 318 yards , the Tampa Bay defense ' s pressure prevented him from converting his opportunities into points . The win broke Tampa Bay ' s 19 - game road losing streak . Week 4 : vs Atlanta Falcons . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Atlanta Falcons overcame a 20 - 7 halftime deficit to defeat the Buccaneers in overtime on a Mick Luckhurst field goal . The strategy of running out the clock with a conservative offense that had worked so well against the Lions the previous week backfired against the Falcons . The Buccaneers ' offensive line failed to dominate , and the Falcons wound up running 57 offensive plays in the second half , while the Buccaneers ran only 26 . Twenty of those plays were runs by Gerald Riggs , who finished the day with 127 yards rushing . The Buccaneers outgained the Falcons 255 yards to 190 in the first half , but were outgained 300 yards to 68 in the second half , in which the Buccaneers never advanced beyond midfield . The win left Atlanta undefeated at 4 - 0 . Week 5 : at Los Angeles Rams . " at Anaheim Coliseum , Anaheim , California " Eric Dickerson earned his fourth career 200 - yard rushing game with a 42 - yard touchdown run to win the game in overtime for the Los Angeles Rams . Steve Young led an 80 - yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended in a Donald Igwebuike field goal and sent the game into overtime , but the Buccaneers were unable to stop Dickerson all day . It was the second consecutive overtime loss for the Buccaneers . Nathan Wonsley rushed 18 times for 108 yards and a 59 - yard touchdown run . Young also ran for a touchdown . Bennett was again criticized after the game for conservative play - calling , although the Buccaneers ' total of 174 rushing yards was more than double the average the Rams had allowed in their previous four games . The game left Wonsley as the NFL leader in rushing average , with 5 . 7 yards per carry . Dickerson continued to lead the NFL in rushing with 657 yards , 159 ahead of his record - setting pace from 1984 . Week 6 : vs St . Louis Cardinals . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Buccaneers were once again criticized for poor tackling and conservative play - calling following a loss to a previously winless St . Louis Cardinals team . This time , complaints came from the players as the Cardinals seemed to know in advance which plays the Buccaneers would be running , and the Buccaneers waited until too late in the game to make adjustments . The Buccaneers led early , after Steve DeBerg ' s touchdown pass to Calvin Magee on a fake field goal . Steve Young ' s rushing and passing combined for 304 of the Buccaneers ' 347 yards . The Cardinals unexpectedly used a soft zone defense instead of their usual blitzing , which contributed to Tampa Bay ' s decision to avoid the passing game until the fourth quarter . The Cardinals put the game away with Stump Mitchell ' s 31 - yard fourth - quarter touchdown run , in which three Buccaneers missed tackles . Ron Holmes , Jeremiah Castille , Marvin Powell , and Gerald Carter all missed the game with injuries . Week 7 : at New Orleans Saints . " at Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans , Louisiana " Reuben Mayes rushed for 147 yards , the second - most in New Orleans Saints history , as the Saints equalled their highest - ever margin of victory . The Saints scored on their first three possessions . The Buccaneers did not score until the fourth quarter , when Steve DeBerg ran for a 1 - yard touchdown . Steve Young left the stadium on crutches , and starting defensive end Ron Holmes left the game after trying to play the first quarter with a broken fibula . Mayes was selected with a third - round draft pick that had been obtained from the Buccaneers in exchange for safety David Greenwood , who the Buccaneers had already waived . Week 8 : at Kansas City Chiefs . " at Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City , Missouri " Veteran quarterback Bill Kenney , making the start for the Kansas City Chiefs in place of the struggling Todd Blackledge , completed 15 of 29 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown . The Chiefs ' offensive line protected Kenney well , allowing only one sack and few hurries . Although the Buccaneers led at halftime on a 10 - yard pass from Steve Young to Calvin Magee and two Donald Igwebuike field goals , they were unable to hold the lead in the second half . They tied the game at 20 on a fourth - quarter touchdown run , James Wilder ' s first of the year , but immediately allowed the Chiefs to drive the length of the field for the winning touchdown . The sloppily played game included four fumbles , six sacks , two interceptions , and 17 penalties for 146 yards . Art Still contributed three of the Chiefs ' five sacks . Week 9 : vs Buffalo Bills . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Buccaneers took a 20 - 0 halftime lead over the Buffalo Bills after recovering fumbles on two kickoffs . They barely held on for victory , as a Jim Kelly pass went incomplete in the end zone with no time remaining . Afterward , Leeman Bennett declared it the " start of a new season " . Steve Young completed 14 of 24 passes for 193 yards , and ran for two touchdowns . James Wilder also contributed a 45 - yard touchdown run . The Bills attempted a comeback , with Kelly throwing three touchdowns . Kelly , who only threw twice in the first half , completed 21 of 32 for 257 yards in the second half . It was the Bills ' 31st consecutive road loss . Bills coach Hank Bullough was fired following the loss , and was replaced by Marv Levy . Week 10 : vs Chicago Bears . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Doug Flutie made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter for the Chicago Bears . The Bears took an early 14 - 0 lead after Mike Tomczak ' s 37 - yard touchdown pass to Willie Gault . The play occurred after Ervin Randle ' s recovery of a Calvin Thomas fumble was nullified due to an offsides penalty on Craig Swoope . While the Buccaneers ' defense improved later in the game , it was not enough to overcome the problems of the injury - battered offense . Nathan Wonsley suffered a broken neck while making a tackle on the opening kickoff . This was followed by injuries to Jerry Bell , Phil Freeman , Craig Swoope , and Willie Gillespie . Calvin Magee played with a prior injury , as did James Wilder and Leonard Harris , though both were forced to leave the game . With Gerald Carter left as the only experienced receiver , the Bears keyed on him , and with Bell , Wonsley and Wilder out , the Buccaneers could not run . Week 11 : at Green Bay Packers . " at Lambeau Field , Green Bay , Wisconsin " With James Wilder leaving the game after aggravating his rib injury , the Buccaneers were unable to take advantage of Green Bay Packers quarterback Randy Wright ' s three interceptions . Wright completed 18 of 29 passes for 238 yards , with a career - best three first - half touchdowns . The win was only the Packers ' second of the season . The loss left the Buccaneers ' defense in last place in the league , despite their having spent four of their first five draft picks on defensive players . Week 12 : vs Detroit Lions . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Three first - half possessions deep in Detroit Lions territory led to zero Buccaneer points en route to another blowout loss . Lions receiver Jeff Chadwick took a 73 - yard reception to the Buccaneers ' 1 - yard line when Rod Jones fell down while covering him . Jones also got beaten by Leonard Thompson on a jump ball in the end zone . Vito McKeever was outrun by Chadwick on the Lions ' third score . James Wilder had 130 yards rushing and 71 yards receiving for the Buccaneers . Week 13 : at Minnesota Vikings . " at Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome , Minneapolis , Minnesota " With Tommy Kramer injured , Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson threw for a career - best 339 yards and three touchdowns . With Tampa Bay down by 45 - 6 , Steve DeBerg ' s 45 - yard pass to Calvin Magee set up a 1 - yard touchdown pass to Ron Heller on a tackle - eligible play . The Buccaneers ' only other offense came on two Donald Igwebuike field goals . Week 14 : at Chicago Bears . " at Soldier Field , Chicago , Illinois " The Buccaneers almost exceeded their worst - ever loss , a 42 - 0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers , on its 10th anniversary . They were shut out until the fourth quarter , and only scored when Chicago Bears safety Todd Bell intercepted a Steve Young pass and lateraled it to Mike Richardson , who attempted to lateral it to Shaun Gayle , only to have Tampa Bay receiver Vince Heflin intercept the lateral and run it in for a score . Mike Tomczak ran for the Bears ' first score . Later , a Walter Payton touchdown was called back on a holding penalty . The Buccaneers stopped the Bears on fourth - and - 1 , but an offside penalty on Craig Swoope gave the Bears another chance . Tomczak fumbled , however , causing him to be benched in favor of Doug Flutie . Flutie scored two touchdowns , one passing and one running , before Tomczak returned in the second half . Tampa Bay scored a second time on Young ' s 14 - yard pass to Calvin Magee , but Lew Barnes returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown . Magee ' s 143 receiving yards remain ( as of 2009 ) the Buccaneers ' single - game record for a tight end . Week 15 : vs Green Bay Packers . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Green Bay Packers had seven different players each contribute a sack , and Randy Wright ' s 190 yards passing made him the second player in Packers history to throw for 3 , 000 yards in a season . The crowd cheered the news that an Indianapolis Colts win moved the Buccaneers into first place for the rights to the first overall draft pick , and pelted Buccaneer players with lemons . Ron Holmes ' s sack of Wright was the Buccaneers ' first since Oct . 12 , and Ivory Sully recorded the first blocked punt in Buccaneers ( regular - season ) history . Both teams went to their second - string quarterbacks in the second half , but Steve Young returned to the game after Steve DeBerg suffered a concussion , and Wright was reinserted after the Buccaneers threatened to start a comeback . Week 16 : at St . Louis Cardinals . " at Busch Stadium , St . Louis , Missouri " St . Louis Cardinals Pro Bowl rookie Vai Sikahema tied an NFL record by returning two punts for touchdowns as the Buccaneers clinched the NFL ' s worst record for the second consecutive year . Frank Garcia , playing with a back injury , had a third punt blocked for a net gain of 1 yard . The Buccaneers scored first , on a 1 - yard Bobby Howard run , but the Cardinals ' 21 unanswered points gave them the lead for good before halftime . A 33 - yard touchdown pass from Steve Young to Phil Freeman brought the Buccaneers to within 4 points in the third quarter . The game not only ended a futile season for the Buccaneers , but also concluded the Cardinals ' worst season since moving to St . Louis 27 years earlier .