2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 33rd season for the club in the National Football League . Though the team finished with a winning record ( 9 - 7 ) , they failed to defend their 2007 NFC South championship and did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing the year on a four game losing streak . Just weeks after the conclusion of the regular season , head coach Jon Gruden was fired , a move that came as a surprise both to sports writers and Gruden himself . General manager Bruce Allen was also fired . The failure of the Buccaneers to return to the Super Bowl marked the 24th consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did " not " include the team in whose region the game was being played . Offseason . Signings . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers resigned free agents Michael Bennett ( cut November 12 ) , Kevin Carter , Antoine Cash , Sammy Davis , Jerramy Stevens . On June 11 , the team settled with estranged quarterback Jake Plummer for $ 3 . 5 million . Free agent acquisitions include former team players Warrick Dunn ( Falcons ) and Brian Griese ( Bears ) . Summary . Tampa Bay ' s offseason gained attention when they expressed interest in free agent quarterback Brett Favre . After Favre signed with the Jets , tension was reported between head coach Jon Gruden and incumbent quarterback Jeff Garcia . Garcia was recovering from a preseason injury , but was still named the starter . After dropping the season opener , Garcia was benched in favor of Brian Griese . Griese helped the team to victories in the next three games . With Garcia back as the starter for week 6 , the Buccaneers went 6 - 1 over the next 7 games . At the end of November , Tampa Bay found themselves in first place in the NFC South . They tied a franchise best start of 9 - 3 , were undefeated at home ( 6 - 0 ) , and controlled their own destiny for a first - round bye in the playoffs . The month of December , however , saw the Buccaneers season collapse . A humiliating loss on " Monday Night Football " against Carolina took away their hopes of a division title . Meanwhile , longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin announced he was leaving to join his son Lane at Tennessee . The defense began to struggle mightily , especially against the run . An overtime loss at Atlanta , followed by two home losses , dropped the Bucs to 9 - 7 , and out of the playoffs . Less than three weeks later , head coach Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired . Preseason . " NOTE : Due to NBC ' s coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics , two of the Buccaneers ' pre - season games were telecast on WTVT as WFLA broadcast the Olympics . " The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Training Camp at Disney ' s Wide World of Sports Complex from July 26 through August 14 . They played four preseason games , and finished with a record of 3 - 1 . During the month of July , and into the early stages of training camp , the Buccaneers were one of the teams in the running to sign Brett Favre ( who ended his 6 - month - long retirement ) . Favre ultimately signed with the Jets . Meanwhile , starting quarterback Jeff Garcia suffered a calf injury during the first week of camp . Quarterback duties were shared among five players for the preseason , with Garcia named the starter for the regular season . On the final day of cuts , Tampa Bay finally waived quarterback Chris Simms , who had played sparsely since injuring his spleen in week 3 of 2006 . Game summaries . Week 1 : at New Orleans Saints . The Buccaneers began their 2008 campaign on the road against their NFC South foe , the New Orleans Saints . In the first quarter , Tampa Bay trailed as Saints QB Drew Brees completed a 39 - yard TD pass to WR David Patten . The Bucs would respond with CB Phillip Buchanon returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown . In the second quarter , Tampa Bay took the lead with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 37 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , New Orleans would reply with kicker Martín Gramática getting a 34 - yard field goal , yet the Buccaneers replied with Bryant nailing a 33 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Saints got their lead back with Brees completing an 84 - yard TD pass to WR Devery Henderson . In the fourth quarter , Tampa Bay would go ahead again as QB Jeff Garcia completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Ike Hilliard . However , New Orleans regained the lead after Brees completing a 42 - yard TD pass to RB Reggie Bush . Inside the final minute , Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the Saints 24 yard line . Facing 4th down & 6 , Garcia threw an interception , and the Saints clinched the victory . With the loss , the Buccaneers began their season at 0 - 1 and lost on opening day for the third straight year . Week 2 : vs . Atlanta Falcons . Tampa Bay held their home opener facing their second division game , against the Atlanta Falcons . Quarterback Jeff Garcia was inactive due to an ankle injury . However , rumors persisted during the week that the relationship between head coach Jon Gruden and Garcia had broken down after a poor performance the week before , and after preseason distractions due to a nagging injury , and the team ' s rumored interest in acquiring Brett Favre . Back - up quarterback Brian Griese , who last played at Tampa Bay in 2005 , started . Derrick Brooks , who also was nursing injury , was activated and started the game to keep his consecutive games started streak ( 209 ) alive . On the first drive of the game , Atlanta started at their own 23 . On the third play of the game , Aqib Talib intercepted Matt Ryan , and returned the ball to the 19 . Five plays later , Brian Griese connected with John Gilmore for a 5 - yard touchdown . Early in the second quarter , Tampa Bay started a 12 - play , 81 yard drive at their own 19 yard line . On first & goal at the Atlanta 8 yard line , Earnest Graham rushed for an apparent 8 - yard touchdown , but it was called back for a holding penalty . After losing ground and facing 3rd & goal at the 17 , Warrick Dunn rumbled 17 yards , breaking several tackles for a touchdown . It was Dunn ' s first score since returning to the team . After a kickoff , Atlanta started their next drive at the 22 yard line . After two incompletions , on third down , Ryan was intercepted by Sabby Piscitelli , who returned the ball to the 17 yard line . Matt Bryant capped off the turnover with a field goal , and a 17 - 0 lead . Atlanta finally got onto the scoreboard with 12 seconds remaining in the half , with a Jason Elam field goal . Early in the fourth quarter , Atlanta trailed 17 - 6 . Facing 3rd & 8 at their own 19 yard line , an unusual play occurred . Matt Ryan completed a 20 - yard pass to Roddy White . White fumbled , and it was recovered by Sabby Piscitelli of the Buccaneers . Piscitelli then ran 3 yards and attempted a lateral to Cato June . The lateral was actually an illegal forward pass , and fell incomplete to the ground . Thought to be a live ball , it was recovered once more by Atlanta , meanwhile a flag for a personal foul by Tampa Bay was also on the field . After several minutes of confusion and discussion by the officials , they awarded the ball to Atlanta at the Tampa Bay 48 yard line . Atlanta continued the drive and managed a field goal , trimming the lead to 17 - 9 . Late in the fourth quarter , Earnest Graham iced the game with a 68 - yard touchdown run , and a final score of 24 - 9 . Week 3 : at Chicago Bears . In the first quarter , both Tampa Bay and Chicago were fired up and committed several skirmishes . On the second play of the game , Brian Griese ' s pass was tipped and intercepted by Lance Briggs . The Bears capitalized on the turnover with a field goal . A field position battle saw the Bears kick another field goal , and hold a 6 - 0 lead early . After the early turnover , Brian Griese led the Buccaneers on an 8 - play , 81 - yard scoring drive . The drive was capped off by a touchdown pass to Ike Hilliard . Early in the second quarter , Griese completed a pass to Maurice Stovall , but Stovall fumbled the ball with Chicago recovering at the 38 yard line . Attempting to score quickly , Kyle Orton threw deep to the endzone on the next play . The pass was broken up in the endzone , and bounced into the hands of Barrett Ruud for an improbable interception . The teams traded possessions twice , and the Bears found themselves driving across midfield with about 6 minutes left in the half . After a sack , Orton was again pressured , and threw a screen pass which was intercepted . Gaines Adams returned the ball 45 yards to the goal line , and after review , was awarded a touchdown . The Bears regrouped and drove to their own 44 yard line . On fourth down , a well - executed fake punt resulted in a 38 - yard run by Garrett Wolfe . The Bears scored a third field goal as time expired in the half , and Tampa Bay took a 14 - 9 lead into halftime . After an interception midway through the third quarter , Chicago scored their first touchdown ( and added a two - point conversion ) for a 17 - 14 lead . With less than 7 minutes to go in the fourth quarter , hoping to put the game out of reach , a fourth field goal by Gould put the Bears up by ten points . Brian Griese drove the Buccaneers 63 yards in 12 plays , and set up a 35 - yard field goal by Matt Bryant . The kick narrowed the deficit to 7 points . The Buccaneer defense held Chicago to a 3 - and - out , and the Bears punted to Tampa Bay immediately after the two - minute warning . In just over a minute and a half , Griese drove the Buccaneers 81 yards in 11 plays . Jerramy Stevens caught a 1 - yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score and force overtime . In the overtime period , Tampa Bay won the coin toss and received . They quickly drove to the Chicago 39 yard line , but an intentional grounding penalty stalled the drive . Chicago received a punt , but was unable to cross midfield . Brad Maynard punted , and pinned the Buccaneers at their own 7 yard line . Facing 3rd & 9 at their own 8 yard line , Griese passed to Jerramy Stevens for a short 2 - yard gain . The drive , however , was given new life when a skirmish broke out and Charles Tillman of the Bears was called for unnecessary roughness . In seven plays , Griese drove the Buccaneers to the Chicago 44 yard line . With just over 5 minutes left in the overtime period , Griese connected with Antonio Bryant for a 38 - yard pass , and a first & goal at the Chicago 6 . Two plays later , Matt Bryant came on the field , and kicked a game - winning field goal . Brian Griese set a franchise record for most pass attempts ( 67 , fourth most in NFL history ) . His passing yards ( 407 ) was the third - most in team history . Week 4 : vs . Green Bay Packers . Green Bay took the opening drive 58 yards for a touchdown , and the first score of the game . The remainder of the Packers ' drives in the first half were largely unsuccessful . On the first play of the second quarter , Aaron Rodgers pass was tipped and then intercepted by Derrick Brooks . The turnover set the Buccaneers up on the Packers 32 yard line . Shortly thereafter , Brian Griese connected to Alex Smith to tie the score at 7 . Later in the second quarter , Green Bay faced 4th & 15 at their own 5 yard line . Derrick Frost punted from the back of the endzone , but the punt took a " Buccaneer bounce " and was downed at the Green Bay 41 yard line . The resulting good field position led to a Matt Bryant field goal , and a 10 - 7 lead . Earlier in the week , Bryant suffered tragedy off the field , with the death of his 3 - month old son Tryson . Four plays later , Rodgers was intercepted again , this time by Barrett Ruud . Before the end of the second quarter , Bryant kicked another field goal , and the Buccaneers led 13 - 7 at halftime . Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff , and drove to the Packers 17 yard line . A play later , however , Griese ' s pass was bobbled by Michael Clayton at the 5 , and intercepted by Tramon Williams . After trading possessions , midway through the third quarter , Green Bay was at their own 40 yard line . Ryan Grant fumbled , and Jermaine Phillips recovered for a 38 - yard Buccaneer touchdown . On the second play of Tampa Bay ' s next drive , Griese threw his second interception , which was returned to the 42 yard line . Aaron Rodgers threw a 48 - yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings to trim the score to 20 - 14 . Rodgers , however , appeared to injure his throwing arm on the play . Early in the fourth quarter , Griese threw his second straight interception ( and third overall ) , which was returned 62 yards by Charles Woodson for a touchdown . The Packers took a 21 - 20 lead with just under 14 minutes to go , while rookie back - up quarterback Matt Flynn took over for the next drive . With just over 8 minutes remaining , Griese led the Buccaneers on a 10 - play , 58 - yard drive , capped off by Matt Bryant ' s third field goal , and a 23 - 21 lead . Green Bay started with 2 : 26 remaining . On the drive ' s second play , Rodgers was intercepted by Gaines Adams . Earnest Graham iced the game with a 47 - yard rush , followed by a 1 - yard touchdown . Week 5 : at Denver Broncos . The Buccaneers traveled to Denver for the first time since 1996 , and lost their second game of the 2008 season . Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 227 yards and one touchdown . After trading possessions twice to start the game , Tampa Bay drove 65 yards on 7 plays , taking the lead 3 - 0 . On the next possession , Denver managed to tie the score with a 55 - yard field goal . Later in the second quarter , Denver made a 9 - play drive , capped off by a field goal , and a 6 - 3 lead . Tampa Bay took over with 2 : 21 left in the half . Brian Griese drove the Buccaneers in 11 plays to the Denver 11 yard line . As time ran out in the half , Matt Bryant kicked another field goal , and the game was tied 6 - 6 at halftime . Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff , but was forced to punt . Josh Bidwell pinned the Broncos at their own 4 yard line . On the first play of the drive , however , Cutler connected with Tony Scheffler for 33 yards , and dug themselves out of the hole . The resulting good field possession allowed Denver to punt , and pin Tampa Bay at their own 11 . Brian Griese threw an incompletion , and suffered an injured shoulder on the play . Jeff Garcia took over at quarterback . With a short field , Denver drove 47 yards on only five plays , and took the lead again with a 10 - yard touchdown pass by Cutler . They followed up with a field goal early in the fourth quarter , and held a 16 - 6 lead . Late in the fourth quarter , Jeff Garcia drove the Buccaneers 90 yards in 13 plays . The drive was capped off with a 7 - yard touchdown pass to Ike Hilliard . The touchdown trimmed the deficit to 16 - 13 . Rather than an onside , Tampa Bay elected to squib kick , and Denver recovered . The Broncos managed two first downs , and ran out the clock to secure the victory . Week 6 : vs . Carolina Panthers . Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Broncos , the Buccaneers went home for a Week 6 NFC South duel with the Carolina Panthers . Carolina received the opening kickoff , but their opening drive was short - lived . At their own 41 yard line , Jason Baker ' s punt was blocked , and LB Geno Hayes returned the ball 22 yards for a touchdown , which was the first time that Tampa Bay returned a blocked punt for a touchdown since December 2 , 2001 against the Bengals . Later in the first quarter , Jake Delhomme was intercepted by Tanard Jackson at the Carolina 36 . Jeff Garcia drove the Buccaneers in five plays for a touchdown , and a 14 - 0 lead . Carolina got on the board early in the second quarter , with a 20 - yard field goal . The Panthers had 1st & goal at the Tampa Bay 3 , and nearly suffered a fumble . After review , the ruling on the field ( down by contact ) was upheld , and the Pathers trimmed the deficit to 14 - 3 . On the next drive , Garcia connected deep to Michael Clayton , and a Matt Bryant field goal put the Buccaneers up 17 - 3 . After trading possessions , Carolina was pinned back at their own 6 yard line . Delhomme drove the Panthers into Tampa territory , but was intercepted in the endzone by Jermaine Phillips . The turnover came up short , however , as Bryant missed a field goal to end the half . Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff . Josh Bidwell punted , and the ball appeared to be downed at the 1 yard line , but officials ruled a touchback . After a replay challenge , the ruling was overturned , and Carolina took over inside their own 1 . The poor field position led to another Tampa Bay field goal , and a 20 - 3 lead . Carolina ' s next drive went 3 - and - out , and a poor punt set up the Buccaneers up at the 41 . Jeff Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the 1 yard line , including a 3rd down scramble at the 2 . Earnest Graham capped off the drive with a 1 - yard touchdown . All of Carolina ' s fourth quarter drives came up empty , and Tampa Bay ran out the clock to seal the victory . The win snapped a 5 - game losing streak to Carolina at Raymond James Stadium . With the win , the Buccaneers improved to 4 - 2 . Week 7 : vs . Seattle Seahawks . Tampa Bay appeared on " NBC ' s Sunday Night Football " for the first time , and hosted a primetime home game for the first time since 2003 . At halftime , festivties were scheduled honoring retired player Mike Alstott , as his # 40 jersey was retired . Seattle took the opening kickoff , but the Buccaneer defense forced a punt . Jeff Garcia led the Buccaneers to a 7 - 0 lead on their first drive after a 47 - yard touchdown pass . Seattle ' s two other first quarter drives were 3 & outs . Early in the second quarter , Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the Seattle 4 yard line . Ike Hilliard caught a pass , but was knocked out by a helmet - to - helmet hit . After a replay challenge , it was determined that Hilliard also fumbled the ball . Seattle took over possession , but the drive went 3 & out . Seattle ' s punt was received by Tampa Bay at their own 41 . Garcia quickly drove the Buccaneers to the endzone , with Earnest Graham upping the lead to 14 - 0 . Justin Forsett returned the ensuing kickoff for Seattle all the way to the Tampa Bay 31 . On the first play of the drive , however , Seneca Wallace was intercepted by Aqib Talib . The turnover led to a Matt Bryant field goal and a 17 - 0 lead . With just over 2 minutes remaining , Seneca Wallace fumbled the center exchange at the snap , and Tampa Bay recovered . As time expired in the half , Matt Bryant attempted a 47 - yard field goal into the wind , but it fell short . Seattle earned good field position early in the third quarter , which led to an Olindo Mare field goal . On their next drive , Maurice Morris broke for a 45 - yard rush . The Buccaneer defense stiffened in the red zone , however , and Seattle missed a field goal . Tampa Bay dominated the fourth quarter , executing a clock - eating , 16 - play , 9½ - minute drive , culminating with a Matt Bryant field goal and a 20 - 3 lead . A late touchdown pass by Seattle trimmed the lead to 20 - 10 , but an ensuing onside kick failed . Tampa Bay ran the clock down , and improved to 4 - 0 at home with the victory . With the win , the Buccaneers improved to 5 - 2 . Week 8 : at Dallas Cowboys . Tampa Bay traveled to Dallas , for what will be their final regular season game at Texas Stadium . Jeff Garcia passed for 227 yards and no interceptions , and the Buccaneer defense held the Cowboys to only 172 yards , but the team fell by a score of 13 - 9 . With Tony Romo on the sidelines with a broken finger , former Buccaneer Brad Johnson started at quarterback for the Cowboys . Dallas ' first three drives went 3 - and - out , and Johnson ' s passing game sputtered . Meanwhile , Jeff Garcia twice drove the Buccaneers into the red zone , and two Matt Bryant field goals put Tampa Bay ahead 6 - 0 . Dallas got onto the scoreboard in the second quarter with a field goal . On the next drive , Tampa Bay drove 48 yards in 14 plays , but missed a 51 - yard field goal . The Cowboys took the good field position , and drove into Tampa Bay territory . With 47 seconds left in the half , facing 3rd & 12 at the 49 , the Cowboys ' drive appeared to be halted . However , Ronde Barber was called for a horse - collar penalty , and the drive continued . Johnson capitalized on the penalty , and scored a touchdown pass to Roy Williams with 4 seconds left in the half . Clifton Smith fumbled away the second half kickoff for Tampa Bay , setting up a field position battle in the third quarter . Each team added another field goal , and the score stood at 13 - 9 late in the fourth quarter . Garcia drove the Buccaneers 56 yards in 16 plays , to the Dallas 18 yard line . Facing 4th & 5 with 19 seconds to go , Garcia ' s pass fell incomplete , and Dallas held on for the victory . With the loss , the Buccaneers fell to 5 - 3 . Week 9 : at Kansas City Chiefs . Tampa Bay got off to a slow start as Kansas City took the opening drive 69 yards for a touchdown . On Tampa Bay ' s first play from scrimmage , Earnest Graham fumbled and the Chiefs recovered . The turnover led to another Kansas City touchdown , and a 14 - 0 lead . Early in the second quarter , Tampa Bay drove into the red zone , and scored a field goal . On the following drive , the Chiefs executed a flea - flicker play and quarterback Tyler Thigpen caught an improbable 37 - yard touchdown pass . Late in the second quarter , the Chiefs added a field goal , to stretch the lead to 24 - 3 . On the ensuing kickoff , Clifton Smith scored a 97 - yard kickoff return touchdown , the second such in franchise history . The Buccaneer defense held the Chiefs to a 3 - and - out , and the offense took over with 1 : 08 to go . As time expired in the half , Matt Bryant ' s second field goal trimmed the deficit to 24 - 13 . Neither team scored in the third quarter , and all drives ended in punts . Early in the fourth quarter , Jeff Garcia again drove Tampa Bay into the red zone . Clifton Smith caught a pass , but fumbled at the 13 . Kansas City recovered at their own 10 . On the very next play , Jamaal Charles fumbled away a pitch in the backfield , and Tampa Bay recovered inside the 3 . In a trick play , Jeff Garcia handed off to Earnest Graham , who passed to Alex Smith for a touchdown . A two - point conversion failed , and the score trimmed to 24 - 19 . With 3 : 34 to go , the Buccaneers drove to the Kansas City 3 , and Earnest Graham appeared to be heading for a potential game - tying score . The ball was fumbled , however , and the Chiefs took over on a touchback . The Buccaneer defense forced a punt , and they took over with 1 : 50 to go . Jeff Garcia quickly drove the Buccaneers to a 25 - yard touchdown , and a two - point conversion catch by Alex Smith sent the game to overtime . In the overtime period , Tampa Bay won the coin toss . They drove to the Kansas City 15 yard line , and Matt Bryant won the game on a 34 - yard field goal . The victory marked the largest comeback ( from 21 points behind to win ) in franchise history . With the win , the Buccaneers went into their bye week at 6 - 3 . Week 11 : vs . Minnesota Vikings . The Tampa Bay defense sacked quarterback Gus Frerotte five times , and kicker Matt Bryant scored four field goals , as the Buccaneers prevailed over the visiting Vikings . Running back Adrian Peterson was held to only 85 yards , and the Vikings lost two fumbles . On the second play of their first drive , running back Earnest Graham suffered an injured ankle , and sat out the remainder of the game . Both teams traded field goals , and the first quarter was tied 3 - 3 . Two costly Tampa Bay penalties set the Vikings up at the Tampa Bay 12 . Three plays later , a touchdown gave Minnesota a 10 - 3 lead . On the following drive , Jeff Garcia drove the Buccaneers into Vikings territory . A roughing the passer penalty on Ray Edwards then gave the Buccaneers a 1st & goal at the 3 yard line . A field goal was the result . Minnesota went on a long field goal drive , and improved their lead to 13 - 6 at the half . Tampa Bay ' s defense took over in the second half . The Buccaneers took the second half kickoff , and Garcia methodically drove the offense into the red zone . At the Minnesota 17 yard line , a series of penalties disrupted the drive . A holding call on Jerramy Stevens pushed them back 10 yards . Antonio Bryant the electrified the crowd with an apparent 27 - yard catch and run touchdown . The touchdown , however , was called back for holding . An offsides penalty on Minnesota set up 2nd & 25 at the 32 . Garcia connected for a 31 - yard pass to Stevens , and the Buccaneers ultimately tied the game at 13 - 13 . Minnesota ' s first drive of the third quarter saw them drive to their own 49 yard line . They went for it on a 4th & 1 , but failed , turing the ball over on downs . Tampa Bay again drove into Minnesota territory , but Clifton Smith fumbled . The turnover came up empty , however , as the Vikings were forced to punt . With 14 : 28 remaining in the fourth quarter , Tampa Bay started a 13 - play , 69 - yard , drive of almost 9 minutes , capped off by a go - ahead field goal . Maurice Hicks fumbled away the ensuing kickoff , and Tampa Bay scored yet another field goal . Two drives in the final 4 minutes by the Vikings came up empty , a turnover on downs , and a fumble , and Tampa Bay held on to win 19 - 13 . Week 12 : at Detroit Lions . In the first quarter , the Buccaneers started out flat , and found themselves trailing 17 - 0 to the winless Detroit Lions . After trading possessions to open the game , quarterback Daunte Culpepper led the Lions on a seven - play touchdown drive to go up 7 - 0 . On the following drive , Jeff Garcia ran into running back Carnell Williams and fumbled the ball . Daniel Bullocks recovered the ball and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown . The Lions added a field goal late in the first quarter , and led 17 - 0 . Early in the second quarter , Jeff Garcia quickly moved the Buccaneers down the field for their first touchdown . The Lions went three - and - out , and the Buccaneers went on another touchdown drive to trim the deficit to 17 - 14 . Less than two minutes later , Ronde Barber intercepted Daunte Culpepper at the Detroit 24 . On the very next play , Garcia connected with Jerramy Stevens , and the Buccaneers took their first lead of the game at 21 - 17 . On their first possession of the second half , the Lions again went three - and - out . Nick Harris punted , and Clifton Smith returned the punt 70 yards for a touchdown . Later in the third quarter , Ronde Barber intercepted Culpepper for the second time , this time returning the ball for a touchdown . Culpepper was benched and back - up quarterback Drew Stanton stepped in . By the end of the third quarter , the Lions trimmed the deficit to 35 - 20 . Warrick Dunn broke off a 40 - yard run , and a roughing the passer penalty put Tampa Bay in the red zone . An unnecessary roughness penalty , along with Garcia being tripped by him own man , however , forced the Buccaneers to settle for a fourth quarter Matt Bryant field goal . With 8 minutes remaining , the Lions received a punt and Daunte Culpepper returned to the game . Culpepper ' s pass was complete to John Standeford , but he fumbled and Tampa Bay recovered . They did not surrender the ball again , and ran out the clock to seal the victory . Week 13 : vs . New Orleans Saints . New Orleans took the opening kickoff , and quarterback Drew Brees drove the Saints to the Tampa Bay 30 yard line . On a 4th down and 1 , however , they were stopped and turned the ball over on downs . At their own 41 yard line , Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia threw an apparent completion , but was intercepted by Jonathan Vilma . The turnover led to a Saints field goal . Midway through the first quarter , heavy rain began to fall . Tampa Bay took their next possession to the New Orleans 21 , and tied the score at 3 - 3 . Late in the second quarter , Clifton Smith returned a New Orleans punt 42 yards to the 39 yard line . The good field position led to a second Matt Bryant field goal . Brees took over with just over two minutes left in the half . He quickly led the Saints on a six - play touchdown drive , and took a 10 – 6 lead into halftime . Tampa Bay ' s opening drive of the third quarter was capped off by an 8 - yard touchdown run by Carnell " Cadillac " Williams , his first touchdown since returning to play a week earlier . New Orleans went three - and - out on their next drive , while Tampa Bay stretched their lead moments later with a 39 - yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant . Looking to answer , Brees was intercepted in the endzone by Cato June . Early in the fourth quarter , Brees again drove deep into Tampa Bay territory . An apparent interception in the endzone was negated by a penalty , and the drive continued . With new life , Brees connected to Pierre Thomas , and trimmed the deficit to 20 – 17 . After Tampa Bay was held to two three - and - outs , Josh Bidwell shanked a punt , setting New Orleans up at the Tampa Bay 49 yard line . A field goal tied the score at 20 – 20 with less than six minutes remaining . With 2 : 33 to go , Jermaine Phillips intercepted Drew Brees , and returned the ball to the New Orleans 17 . Matt Bryant kicked the go - ahead field goal at the two - minute warning . With 1 : 45 left , Brees was intercepted by Phillip Buchanon to ice the victory . The win marked head coach Jon Gruden ' s 100th career NFL victory . Week 14 : at Carolina Panthers . Tampa Bay visited division foe Carolina on " Monday Night Football " with first place in the NFC South on the line . The Buccaneers went 3 - and - out on their first drive , while Carolina scored a field goal for the first points of the game . Late in the first quarter , Tampa Bay drove to the Carolina 22 , but Matt Bryant ' s field goal bounced off the upright no good . In the second quarter , Jake Delhomme drove the Panthers into Tampa Bay territory . At the 19 yard line , Ronde Barber intercepted . The Buccaneers then drove to the Carolina 1 yard line , but their red zone woes continued . They failed to score a touchdown , and Matt Bryant instead tied the game at 3 - 3 . DeAngelo Williams rushed for a 40 - yard gain late in the second quarter , setting up a Jonathan Stewart touchdown run at the two - minute warning . Carolina took the lead into halftime 10 - 3 . A penalty on the second half kickoff set Carolina up at their own 7 . DeAngelo Williams again broke another long rush ( 28 yards ) , and Carolina crossed midfield . Jermaine Phillips made a " circus catch " interception , and the Buccaneers took over at the 47 . Two plays later , Jeff Garcia connected to Antonio Bryant for a 50 - yard touchdown bomb , tying the score at 10 - 10 . After back - to - back " shootout " touchdowns , the score was tied 17 - 17 after three quarters . In the fourth quarter , the rushing duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart steamrolled a weary Buccaneers defense . Two touchdowns early in the fourth put the Panthers up 31 - 17 . Garcia attempted to mount a comeback , and led the Buccaneers on an 82 - yard touchdown drive . After a blocked extra point , and a failed onside kick , Carolina took over with 2 : 28 remaining . Facing 3rd down & 4 , DeAngelo Williams stymied the Buccaneers with a breakaway 36 - yard touchdown run . Carolina racked up 299 yards rushing , and took over sole possession of first place in the NFC South division . Week 15 : at Atlanta Falcons . Quarterback Jeff Garcia , as well as Cato June , sat out of the game with injuries , and Brian Griese started for the Buccaneers . Penalties and defense dominated the game , a key matchup in the NFC South playoff race . Leading 10 - 0 in the second quarter , Matt Ryan threw deep to the endzone , but was intercepted by Aqib Talib . On Atlanta ' s nxt drive , Ronde Barber intercepted Ryan , setting the Buccaneers up at the 33 yard line . With 15 seconds remaining in the half , Brian Griese connected for a 20 - yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant . Midway through the third quarter , Matt Ryan completed a pass to Jason Rader , who ran for the endzone . Before he crossed the goal line , however , Jermaine Phillips punched the ball from his grasp , and it was recovered in the endzone by Tampa Bay . The Buccaneers ' ensuing possession , however , came up empty , as Griese himself was intercepted past midfield . The next five possessions by both teams resulted in punts . In an attempt to tie the score with 3 : 43 remaining , Matt Bryant ' s field goal sailed wide left . The Falcons were held to a 3 - and - out , and lined up for a punt with 2 : 37 to go . Michael Koenen ' s punt was blocked , and Sabby Piscitelli returned it to the 22 . After driving to the 9 yard line , the Buccaneers settled for a game - tying field goal , and forced overtime . In overtime , the Buccaneers won the toss , but were forced to punt . With just over 4 minutes remaining in the overtime period , Jason Elam kicked a game - winning field goal for the Falcons . Week 16 : vs . San Diego Chargers . Tampa Bay hosted San Diego , with both teams alive for playoff contention . With quarterback Jeff Garcia back in the lineup , the Buccaneers drove into San Diego territory early in the first quarter . At the 36 yard line , an Antonio Bryant fumble was recovered by San Diego . Philip Rivers quickly led San Diego down the field for their first score . On the ensuing kickoff , Clifton Smith returned the ball 72 yards to the San Diego 11 yard line . Four plays later , B . J . Askew tied the score at 7 - 7 . Trailing 17 - 7 late in the second quarter , Tampa Bay drove to the San Diego 31 , where Matt Bryant kicked a field goal with 22 second left in the half . A quick 25 - yard pass by Rivers , however , allowed Nate Kaeding to kick a 57 - yard field goal , and take a 20 - 10 lead into halftime . Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff , and Garcia led the Buccaneers on a long scoring drive . After a scramble to the 7 , Garcia scrambled once more for a 7 - yard touchdown run . On their next possession , Garcia connected deep to a wide - open Antonio Bryant for a 71 - yard touchdown . The third quarter ended with Tampa Bay leading 24 - 20 . The fourth quarter saw Tampa Bay ' s hope fizzle . Two touchdowns by the Chargers , and a Garcia interception saw the Buccaneers trailing 34 - 24 with time running out . With less than 7 minutes to go , Garcia found himself scrambling again , this time for a 7 - yard first down run . Quentin Jammer slammed into Garcia ' s helmet , and Garcia began to bleed visibly from him nose and forehead . Driving across midfield with just over 3 minutes to go , Garcia was intercepted by Antoine Cason , who returned the ball 59 yards for the game - icing touchdown . With the loss , their first home defeat of the season , the Buccaneers failed to secure a playoff berth . A win in week 17 against the Raiders , coupled with a loss by Dallas , would have been required for Tampa Bay to qualify for the playoffs . Week 17 : vs . Oakland Raiders . Tampa Bay concluded the 2008 regular season against the Oakland Raiders , coach Jon Gruden ' s former team , and the team they beat in Super Bowl XXXVII . Tampa Bay needed a victory , and a loss by Dallas to clinch a wild card playoff berth . The first quarter was a defensive battle , with both teams struggling to cross midfield . Early in the second quarter , Johnnie Lee Higgins returned a punt for Oakland to the Tampa Bay 40 . Michael Bush scored a touchdown run , the first rushing touchdown given up by the Buccaneers at home , to give Oakland a 7 - 0 lead . Jeff Garcia followed up with a 10 - play , 80 - yard drive , including a 29 - yard pass to Michael Clayton . Both teams started the third quarter with 3 - and - out drives . Ont the next drive Jeff Garcia connected for a 25 - yard pass to Carnell " Cadillac " Williams , then a 58 - yard bomb to Clayton for a touchdown . Nearing the end of the third quarter , Tampa Bay again went on a long scoring drive , capping it off with a Matt Bryant field goal , and a 17 - 14 lead . With 12 : 25 remaining , JaMarcus Russell was intercepted by Sabby Piscitelli at the 5 yard line . Piscitelli returned the ball 84 yards to the Oakland 11 . Two plays later " Cadillac " Williams was in the endzone for his second touchdown of the day . A pass interference call on Will Allen moved Oakland to the Tampa Bay 12 yard line , and led to a Raiders touchdown . Leading 24 - 21 with just under 10 minutes to go , Tampa Bay looked to run the clock out . " Cadillac " Williams rumbled for 28 yards , but fell with an apparent serious knee injury , the second of his career . Tampa Bay ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Oakland 33 . On the very next play , Michael Bush busted through the Buccaneer defense to score a go - ahead , 64 - yard touchdown run . After a Jeff Garcia interception , and a late Oakland field goal , the Buccaneers fell to the Raiders 31 - 24 , and thus once again the home team hosting the Super Bowl will not play in it , having failed to even make the post - season . With a disappointing finish , Tampa Bay ' s season ended at 9 - 7 . Head coach Jon Gruden and General manager Bruce Allen were fired January 16 , 2009 .