2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League . On December 16 , 2007 , they cliched the NFC South division title , and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006 . On December 16 , in a game against the Atlanta Falcons , Micheal Spurlock scored the first kickoff return touchdown in franchise history , snapping a streak of 32 seasons , 497 games ( at 53 stadiums in 38 cities ) , 139 individuals , and 1 , 864 unsuccessful attempts . The play earned Spurlock the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award . Coaching staff . Head coach Jon Gruden was in his sixth year with the Buccaneers . He was joined by Offensive Coordinator Bill Muir and Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin . Offseason . The 2007 offseason proved to be productive for the Buccaneers . General manager Bruce Allen and head coach Jon Gruden had approximately $ 24 million in salary cap space with which to maneuver during free agency . They made a splash on the first day of free agency by signing two quarterbacks : unrestricted free agent Jeff Garcia ( Eagles ) and Jake Plummer ( Broncos ) in a trade for a conditional pick in the 2008 draft ( believed to be a 4th round selection if Plummer played ) . Controversy soon followed as Plummer announced his retirement on the same day , citing his health and his lack of a desire to compete for a job and learn a new system . However , he did not complete his retirement paperwork with the league . Many believed that Plummer was simply trying to retire so that he could later unretire and play for the Texans . They are led by his former coach Gary Kubiak , under whom Plummer played his best three years of football . The league reviewed the trade to make sure that Plummer had not retired before the trade ( a retired player cannot be traded ) , but he had not and his rights officially belong to the Buccaneers . Other free agent losses and signings are as follows : Signings Losses Re - signings After brief stays on the open market , the Buccaneers re - signed CBs Phillip Buchanon and Torrie Cox , the latter known as a special teams standout . They also re - signed fan favorite Mike Alstott to a one - year contract , but ultimately lost him to injured reserve after a neck injury during the preseason . 2007 NFL Draft . The 2007 NFL Draft took place in Radio City Music Hall on April 28 – 29 , 2007 . The Buccaneers were either to pick third or fourth in the draft , to be determined by a coin flip with the Cleveland Browns because the two teams had identical records and strength of schedule . Buccaneers GM Bruce Allen called heads and the coin landed tails . For the first round , the Buccaneers picked fourth . The two teams alternated picking third and fourth in each round . In addition to their given picks , Tampa Bay also holds the Colts ' second round pick , the 64th pick overall ( because of a midseason trade for Anthony McFarland ) , but also lost a sixth round pick in a trade for tight end Doug Jolley formerly of the New York Jets . They also received two compensatory picks , awarded for losses during free agency . During the draft , the Buccaneers swapped fourth - rounders with the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for their pick in the sixth round . Preseason . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Training Camp at Disney ' s Wide World of Sports Complex from July 26 through August 16 . They played four preseason games . Notes Regular season game summaries . Week 1 : at Seattle Seahawks . The Buccaneers began their 2007 campaign on the road against their fellow 1976 expansion mate , the Seattle Seahawks . In the first quarter , kicker Matt Bryant provided two field goals for Tampa Bay ( a 38 - yarder and a 32 - yarder ) to begin the game . In the second quarter , the Seahawks took the lead with kicker Josh Brown getting a 28 - yard field goal , while RB Shaun Alexander got a 1 - yard TD run . During a scoreless third quarter , injuries sidelined Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams ( ribs ) and quarterback Jeff Garcia ( head ) . Garcia , however , would return to the game . Seattle would wrap up the win with Brown kicking a 46 - yard field goal , while QB Matt Hasselbeck completed a 34 - yard TD pass to RB Maurice Morris . With the loss , the Buccaneers began their season at 0 - 1 , their third opening day defeat in the past four seasons . Week 2 : vs New Orleans Saints . The Buccaneers played their home opener against the 2006 NFC South champion New Orleans Saints . After scoring only 6 points the week before , the Buccaneers dominated the Saints , on offense and defense , at one point taking a 28 - 0 lead . Early in the first quarter , Barrett Ruud recovered a Deuce McAllister fumble , which set up a Tampa Bay scoring drive . Carnell Williams , who was back in the lineup after injuring his ribs the week before , capped off the drive with a one - yard touchdown run . Early in the second quarter , Joey Galloway scored on a 69 - yard catch and run from quarterback Jeff Garcia . Inside the two - minute warning , Garcia and Galloway scored again , this time with a 24 - yard touchdown , to take a 21 - 0 halftime lead . Halfway through the third quarter , Cato June intercepted a pass from Drew Brees . Two plays later , Garcia and Galloway connected for yet another big play , a 41 - yard completion to the New Orleans 9 yard line . Williams capped off the drive with his second 1 - yard touchdown . New Orleans ' first score finally came with a 1 - yard touchdown run by Mike Karney , aided by a 58 - yard catch by Phillip Buchanon moments earlier . The Buccaneers improved to 1 - 1 , into a tie for the NFC South lead . New Orleans fell to 0 - 2 . Following the game , with 16 tackles , and 2 forced fumbles , middle linebacker Barrett Ruud was named the " NFC Defensive Player of the Week " on Wednesday September 19 . Week 3 : vs St . Louis Rams . The Buccaneers and St . Louis Rams renewed a rivalry that was popular from 1999 – 2004 . The early part of the game was a field position battle , with Rams running back Steven Jackson rushing effectively in the first half . All of St . Louis ' first half drives , however , came up empty on the scoreboard . Tampa Bay ' s first quarter drivers were also scoreless , with kicker Matt Bryant missing a 54 - yard field goal short after slipping in the damp grass . Just before the two - minute warning , Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins missed a 42 - yard field goal , setting up Tampa Bay ' s first score . After driving to the 17 yard line , a heavy downpour drenched the stadium . Matt Bryant connected on 27 - yard field goal for the game ' s first points and concluded the first half . Tampa Bay received the second half kickoff , and rolled into the endzone with a 7 - yard touchdown run by Carnell Williams . St . Louis drove to the Tampa Bay 10 yard line , aided by two uncharactaristic defensive penalties by Derrick Brooks ( late hit ) and Ronde Barber ( taunting ) . The threat was moot , however , as Phillip Buchanon intercepted Marc Bulger in the endzone . In the fourth quarter , Carnell Williams , aggravated his sore ribs , and fumbled the ball while Oshiomogho Atogwe recovered for St . Louis . The Rams finally got on the scoreboard with a 25 - yard field goal , narrowing the lead to 10 - 3 with 12 minutes to play . Back up running back Earnest Graham took over for Williams , and iced the game with two rushing touchdowns , the first of his career outside of the preseason . Week 4 : at Carolina Panthers . The Buccaneers and Panthers met for the first time this season , with first place in the NFC South on the line . Carolina starting quarterback Jake Delhomme sat out the game with an elbow injury , and was replaced by David Carr . The Buccaneer offense started the game with an exhausting , 11 - play , 71 - yard drive , capped off by a 3 - yard scramble by Jeff Garcia for a touchdown . With 3 minutes left in the first quarter , running back Carnell Williams blasted down the field for an 18 - yard run , but his right leg buckled , seriously injuring his knee . As he was being carted off the field , nearly the entire Buccaneers team , along with several Panthers players , huddled around Williams in support . After the injury timeout , Earnest Graham salvaged the drive with a one - yard touchdown run . Tampa Bay extended their halftime lead to 17 - 0 after a Matt Bryant field goal , meanwhile , Carolina ' s offense was sputtering , blasted by the Buccaneers defense , who sacked Carr three times , and intercepeted him once . Carr completed only 19 of 41 pass attempts , and Carolina was facing their first shutout in five seasons . With 23 seconds left in regulation , Carolina finally got on the board with a touchdown pass to DeAngelo Williams . An onside kick was unsuccessful , and the Buccaneers won their third straight game . Through four games , the Buccaneers have not given up any points in the first quarter , and quarterback Jeff Garcia has not yet thrown a single interception . After the game , the Buccaneers announced that running back Carnell Williams ( torn patellar ligament ) and left tackle Luke Petitgout ( torn ACL ) would both face season - ending surgery . On Wednesday October 3 , linebacker Barrett Ruud was named the " NFC Defensive Player of Month " for September with a league - leading 51 tackles , three forced fumbles , two fumble recoveries , and one interception . Week 5 : at Indianapolis Colts . The Buccaneers faced former head coach Tony Dungy for the second time . The in 2003 saw the Colts erase a 21 - point deficit in the final four minutes to win the game in overtime . Both teams entered the game with players sidelined by injuries . Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai sat out for Indianapolis , while Carnell Williams and Luke Petitgout were placed on injured reserve for Tampa Bay . The Colts controlled the tempo of most of the game , with a time of possession of over 38 minutes and 400 yards of offense . The Buccaneers were held to only 177 total yards and only 17 yards rushing . The first three Buccaneers possessions were 3 - and - outs . Meanwhile , Indianapolis pulled out to a 13 - 0 lead . In the second quarter , Tanard Jackson intercepted Peyton Manning and set up the Buccaneers ' first scoring drive . During the drive , running back Michael Pittman left the game with an injured ankle . Two plays later Tampa Bay got on the board with a Jeff Garcia touchdown pass to Alex Smith , and narrowed the score to 13 - 7 . In the second half , Indianapolis continued to dominate both sides of the ball , and stretched their lead to 30 - 7 . Garcia and Smith connected for a second touchdown pass with just over 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter , and made the score 30 - 14 . Hoping to spark a comeback , Tampa Bay attempted a surprise onside kick , but it was called back by a penalty . Indianapolis then took the re - kick , and put three more points on the board with an Adam Vinatieri field goal . Bruce Gradkowski took over as quarterback for Tampa Bay , and subsequently threw an interception to seal the victory for the Colts . The following day , on Monday October 8 , the Buccaneers announced that Michael Pittman would miss 6 – 8 weeks with a cracked fibula . Week 6 : vs Tennessee Titans . The Buccaneers hosted the Titans at Raymond James Stadium , their second inter - conference matchup in two weeks . Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham was a part of the starting lineup for the first time in his career , replacing the injured Michael Pittman , who sat out the game . The first half was a defensive struggle , with neither team scoring in the first quarter . Early in the second quarter , Tennessee drove to the Buccaneers 32 yard line , but quarterback Vince Young fumbled the ball and the Buccaneers recovered . Jeff Garcia connected on a 39 - yard pass play to Michael Clayton , to help set up a 23 - yard Matt Bryant field goal , the first points of the game . Moments later , Phillip Buchanon intercepted Vince Young with 1 : 29 remaining in the half , to maintain a 3 - 0 halftime lead . Tennessee took the second half kickoff , and executed a 12 - play , 45 - yard drive which resulted in a 48 - yard field goal by Rob Bironas . On their next possession , Vince Young ran out of bounds , and suffered a strained quad . He would have to leave the game , and was replaced by Kerry Collins . On Tampa Bay ' s next drive , Garcia connected with Joey Galloway for a 69 - yard touchdown catch . On the ensuing drive Ronde Barber intercepted a pass by Kerry Collins , but it ruled incomplete after review . With less than four minutes remaining in regulation , Collins drove the Titans to the Buccaneers 23 yard line . For the second time , Ronde Barber intercepted Collins , this time in the endzone , but it was again ruled incomplete after review . The drive continued , and with 1 : 24 remaining , LenDale White tied the game 10 - 10 with a touchdown run . With only one timeout , Garcia drove the Buccaneers 55 yards on seven plays . With 11 seconds remaining , Matt Bryant kicked a game - winning 43 - yard field goal . Week 8 : vs Jacksonville Jaguars . Tampa bay faced in - state rival Jacksonville Jaguars for the fourth time in the regular season . Injured Jacksonville starting quarterback David Garrard was replaced by Quinn Gray , while Jeff Garcia hoped to extend on a 217 - consecutive passing streak without an interception . In the first half , Jacksonville ' s running attack of Fred Taylor , LaBrandon Toefield and Maurice Jones - Drew rushed 15 times in their first 16 plays from scrimmage , and eventually set up a 10 - 3 lead . In the second quarter , Garcia threw his first interception of the season , which was returned for a Jacksonville score . Tampa Bay quickly responded , however , driving 81 yards in three plays , capped off with Garcia and Joey Galloway connecting for a 58 - yard touchdown . A momentum shift appeared to occur near the end of the second quarter , as Tampa Bay forced Jacksonville into a 3 - and - out . Inside the two - minute warning , Garcia drove the Buccaneers to the 4 yard line . Garcia scrambled on 3rd & 10 , colliding with Reggie Nelson , losing his helmet , but fell one yard short of the first down . Tampa Bay settled for a Matt Bryant field goal , and a 13 - 17 halftime deficit . Tampa Bay ' s defense dominated the third quarter , forcing Jacksonville a turnover on downs , a fumble in the endzone ( recovered by Gray on the 1 yard line ) , and a blocked punt . The good field position led to Michael Bennett ' s first touchdown as a Buccaneer . The fourth quarter saw Jacksonville re - take the lead with an 8 - yard touchdown pass . Despite two late drives starting with decent field position , Tampa Bay ' s effort died when Garcia ' s pass was deflected and intercepted with 19 seconds remaining , his third pick of the game . The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 4 - 4 , second place in the NFC South . Week 9 : vs Arizona Cardinals . The Buccaneers beat the visiting Arizona Cardinals , snapping a two - game losing streak , and regained first place in the NFC South . Tampa Bay dominated the game , maintaining a time of possession of over 43 minutes with running back Earnest Graham rushing for 124 yards and one touchdown . Tampa Bay ' s defense held Arizona to only 23 yards rushing , and held them to 2 of 10 third down conversions . In the first quarter , Arizona quickly drove down the field , connecting on a 47 - yard pass from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald . The drive stalled , however , and they settled for 43 - yard Neil Rackers field goal . Tampa bay answered on the ensuing drive . On 3rd and 1 , from the 42 yard line , Jeff Garcia fell , but avoided a sack , and scrambled for a first down . Two plays later he scored a 37 - yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway . On the first play of the second quarter , Tanard Jackson intercepted Warner ' s pass , and Arizona was penalized 15 yards for a facemask , setting up the Buccaneers on the Arizona 27 yard line . Tampa Bay suffered two false start penalties , and settled for a field goal and took a 10 - 3 lead into halftime . Tampa Bay took the second half kickoff and drove 64 yards in ten plays . The drive was capped off by a 2 - yard touchdown run by Earnest Graham . Late in the third quarter , the Buccaneers started a 19 - play , 86 - yard drive , lasting nearly 9 minutes . At the 8 yard line , Garcia threw to Alex Smith but the pass was incomplete in the endzone . The drive came up empty when Matt Bryant missed a 26 - yard field goal . Arizona quickly drove down the field and scored a touchdown by Edgerrin James , narrowing the margin to 17 - 10 . With 2 : 43 remaining in the game , Tampa Bay punted to Arizona . Maurice Stovall de - cleated receiver Steve Breaston at the Arizona 16 yard line , preventing a return . On the very next play , Jermaine Phillips intercepted Warner ' s pass , sealing the victory for Tampa Bay . Week 10 : Bye week . The Buccaneers had their scheduled bye the weekend of November 11 . In week 10 action , Atlanta defeated Carolina , and St . Louis upset New Orleans , giving Tampa Bay sole possession of first place in the NFC South . Week 11 : at Atlanta Falcons . Tampa Bay faced their heated division rival for the first time this season , at the Georgia Dome . Tampa Bay dominated , and enjoyed the return of Michael Pittman from injury . Atlanta started quarterback Byron Leftwich . Atlanta suffered four turnovers , and 11 penalties for 105 yards in the loss . In the first quarter , both teams traded punts on their opening drive . On Tampa Bay ' s second drive , Pittman caught an 11 - yard pass but fumbled and it was recovered by Keith Brooking . An instant replay challenge upheld the ruling on the field . On the very next play , Byron Leftwich was hit as he released the ball , and it was intercepted by Barrett Ruud , who returned the ball to the 28 yard line . Tampa Bay drove 72 yards in three plays , as Joey Galloway caught a 44 - yard touchdown . In the second quarter , Leftwich was sacked from behind and fumbled the ball . Ronde Barber picked up the ball , and ran 41 yards for Tampa Bay ' s second touchdown . On Atlanta ' s next drive , Warrick Dunn fumbled at the 45 yard line . Atlanta challenged the ruling , and the call on the field was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass . The following play , Roddy White fumbled , and Brian Kelly recovered for Tampa Bay . He lateraled to Cato June , who then lost the ball . Despite an instant replay challenge by Tampa Bay , the ruling on the field was upheld . Atlanta , however , was unable to move down the field , and Tampa Bay took a 14 - 0 lead into halftime . In the third quarter , Tampa Bay added a field goal , then Gaines Adams chopped Leftwich ' s arm as he threw and his floating pass was intercepted by Chris Hovan " ( later in the week NFL officials revised the play to a sack & fumble recovery ) " . Tampa Bay quickly scored another touchdown catch by Alex Smith . In the fourth quarter , Earnest Graham took over the offense for Tampa Bay , rushing 102 yards total , and a touchdown score . Atlanta avoided the shutout , replacing Leftwich with Joey Harrington , and scored a touchdown with 1 : 10 to go . Week 12 : vs . Washington Redskins . Tampa Bay hosted Washington for the third time in three seasons during the month of November . Tampa Bay ' s defense dominated a good part of the game , forcing six turnovers , and despite quarterback Jeff Garcia sitting out most of the game , the Buccaneers held on for a 19 - 13 victory . On the game ' s first play , Garcia tried to scramble , but injured his back upon being tackled by Cornelius Griffin . He would last only two more plays , and was replaced by Bruce Gradkowski until early in the 4th quarter . Garcia ' s injury seemingly galvanized the Tampa Bay defense , who went on to cause 4 turnovers in the first half . Phillip Buchanon forced a fumble off the Redskins ' first pass which was recovered by Tanard Jackson who advanced it 8 yards to the Washington 19 . Three plays later , Earnest Graham scored a 1 yard touchdown run . On the third play of Washington ' s next drive , Greg White hit Clinton Portis hard , forcing a fumble which Jackson recovered at the 19 yard line . Tampa took a 10 - 0 lead after a Matt Bryant field goal . Early in the second quarter , Greg White forced yet another fumble as he sacked Jason Campbell which Kevin Carter recovered . The turnover led to another field goal . Portis fumbled again on the following drive as he took a bone - jarring hit from Jermaine Phillips and Tampa Bay capitalized with a third field goal . Before the half , Washington managed to get on the board with a field goal , then Tampa Bay kicked a fourth field goal as the half expired to lead 19 - 3 . The second half saw Washington attempt a comeback . Despite injuring his hand , Campbell stayed in the game , and threw a 39 - yard touchdown pass to Chris Cooley . Meanwhile , Gradkowski stayed in at quarterback for Tampa Bay , and continued to perform poorly . Tampa Bay managed only 9 yards of offense in the third quarter , and 0 yards passing . The Redskins drove 66 yards in 13 plays and over nine minutes to the Tampa Bay 4 yard line . Tampa Bay ' s defense held on 4th and 1 at the 4 , however , as linebacker Derrick Brooks shed several blockers to down Portis for no gain . Washington narrowed the score to 19 - 13 in the fourth quarter . With about 11 minutes to go , Jeff Garcia returned to the game , hoping to spark Tampa Bay ' s offense , and hold on for the win . He was unable to do much against the Redskins ' well - rested and fired up defense , however , and Tampa Bay ended up having to punt . Josh Bidwell pinned the Redskins at their own 9 yard line , and Campbell drove them to the Tampa Bay 32 yard line . Ronde Barber stopped the threat when he intercepted the ball at the 28 yard line . With less than a minute to go , Campbell drove the Redskins to the Tampa Bay 16 yard line , but Brian Kelly intercepted the pass in the endzone with 17 seconds remaining , to clinch the victory for the Buccaneers . Week 13 : at New Orleans Saints . Tampa Bay took on the New Orleans Saints for the second time this season , this time at the Superdome . Luke McCown started at quarterback for the Buccaneers in place of the injured Jeff Garcia . McCown would pass for 313 yards , and connectd on his first 15 consecutive passes of the game . The Buccaneers scored the first points of the game with Matt Bryant ' s 27 - yard field goal . New Orleans answered with WR Terrance Copper catching a 4 - yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees . Late in the first quarter , McCown connected with Joey Galloway for a 60 - yard catch which set Tampa Bay up on the 1 yard line . Tampa Bay retook the lead early in the second quarter with TE Anthony Becht catching a 1 - yard TD , and Matt Bryant making another field goal to increase the Tampa Bay lead to 13 - 7 . New Orleans scored a touchdown just before halftime , a 45 - yard pass to WR Devery Henderson , to make it 13 - 14 at halftime . In the second half , RB Earnest Graham scored a 25 - yard touchdown run . New Orleans had to punt on their ensuing possession , but disaster struck with 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter as miscommunications between McCown and WR Joey Galloway led to a Saints interception which was returned for a touchdown . Leading 21 - 20 with 4 minutes remaining in the game , Saints P Steve Weatherford made a successful coffin corner punt which pinned the Buccaneers at their own 2 - yard line . Two plays later , DE Will Smith sacked McCown for a safety . After the safety kick , New Orleans looked to run the clock out and seal the victory . However , in an unexpected and perhaps season - altering mistake , Reggie Bush fumbled a double reverse intended for WR Devery Henderson and Jovan Haye recovered for Tampa Bay at the New Orleans 37 - yard line . Three plays later , the Buccaneers found themselves in a predicament as they faced a 4th and 1 at the New Orleans 28 . Instead of attempting a game - tying field goal , however , coach Jon Gruden went for it on fourth down , calling a run around right tackle which Graham converted for a first down . Three plays later , McCown found TE Jerramy Stevens for a 4 - yard touchdown to win the game . With the win , Tampa Bay improved to 8 - 4 and maintained a perfect division record . Tampa Bay only needed to win one game in the final four weeks to clinch the NFC South division crown . Week 14 : at Houston Texans . Tampa Bay faced the Texans for only the second time in the regular season , and for the first time during the regular season at Reliant Stadium . With a win , or losses by New Orleans and Carolina , Tampa Bay would clinch the NFC South division title . Tampa Bay ' s postseason berth , however , would have to wait at least another night , as the Texans capitalized on a sluggish Buccaneers squad . For the second week in a row , Luke McCown started in place of injured Jeff Garcia . Meanwhile , back - up quarterback Sage Rosenfels led the Texans . Tampa Bay took the opening kickoff , and drove to the Houston 34 yard line . Coach Jon Gruden elected to go for it on 4th down and 2 , but running back Earnest Graham was tackled for no gain . Houston took over on downs , and scored a quick and convincing touchdown pass . On the ensuing kickoff , Tampa Bay ' s Micheal Spurlock returned the ball 45 yards to the Houston 47 . Even though the drive ended in a punt , the good field position helped pin the Texans deep on their next drive . Greg White sacked Rosenfels and forced a fumble , which was recovered by Jovan Haye the Houston 25 . Five plays later , Earnest Graham scored his first rushing touchdown to tie the score 7 - 7 . Later in the second quarter , Ike Hilliard caught a pass for a first down at the Houston 28 , but Will Demps hit Hillard in an apparent helmet - to - helmet and forced a fumble , but did not draw a penalty . Houston recovered , and soon scored a second touchdown to lead 14 - 7 at halftime . Houston received the second half kickoff , which Andre Davis returned 97 yards for a touchdown . Just over two minutes later , Tampa Bay responded with a 4 - play , 69 - yard drive , capped off by Graham ' s second rushing touchdown . Tampa Bay , however , would not score again . Houston added another score early in the fourth quarter , and held on for a 28 - 14 victory . Tampa Bay fell to 8 - 5 , but still controls their own destiny for the division championship and overall playoff picture . A single victory in the final three weeks will clinch the NFC South championship . In other week 14 action , Carolina lost to Jacksonville , eliminating them from the division race , and New Orleans defeated Atlanta , keeping themselves mathematically alive for the division title . Week 15 : vs . Atlanta Falcons . The Buccaneers stayed home this week for a rematch against their division rivals the Atlanta Falcons . With the convincing victory , Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South division title , maintained a perfect 5 - 0 division record , and scored their first kickoff return touchdown in franchise history . Tampa Bay ' s defense recorded the first points of the game , as Ronde Barber intercepted Chris Redman ' s pass on the third play of the game and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown . Atlanta got on the board next with kicker Morten Andersen making a 33 - yard field goal . On the ensuing kickoff , Micheal Spurlock made team history by becoming the first Buccaneer player to return a kickoff for a touchdown . It was the first kickoff return touchdown for Tampa Bay in 32 seasons , 498 games , and 1 , 865 attempts . After the Buccaneer defense forced a Falcons punt , Jeff Garcia commandeered a long , clock - eating 10 - minute drive ending in a 33 - yard field goal by Matt Bryant to make the score 17 - 3 . With just over five minutes remaining in the first half , Tampa bay recovered an Atlanta fumble , and Earnest Graham scored a 1 - yard TD run . Graham became the first player in club history to score a touchdown in six consecutive games . With a 24 - 3 lead , Tampa Bay performed a pooch kickoff , and Atlanta muffed the return , while Kalvin Pearson recovered . Tampa Bay drove to the 24 yard line , but DeAngelo Hall intercepted a pass intended for Joey Galloway at the Atlanta 11 - yard line . The Buccaneers would immediately regain possession as Greg White forced and recovered a fumble on the next play . Matt Bryant then easily converted a 28 - yard field goal to take a 27 - 3 lead into halftime . Tampa Bay would receive the second half ' s opening kickoff , but was forced to punt after a 7 - minute drive . On Atlanta ' s third play , Jermaine Phillips intercepted a pass intended for Jerious Norwood which set Tampa Bay up at the Atlanta 23 - yard line . Matt Bryant then scored the half ' s first points with a 34 - yard field goal to make the score 30 - 3 . In the fourth quarter , punter Josh Bidwell successfully pinned Atlanta at their own 6 yard line . The resulting poor field position eventually led to Tampa Bay taking over near midfield . Michael Bennett carried six times all the way to the Atlanta 1 - yard line , from which Anthony Becht scored the game ' s final points off a 1 - yard TD catch . Statistically , Tampa Bay ' s defense dominated Atlanta . The Falcons managed only 133 yards of total offense , committed five turnovers , and were 0 - for - 9 on third down conversions . The Falcons crossed midfield only once , and Tampa Bay ' s time of possession was 43 minutes . On the following Wednesday , the kickoff return touchdown earned Spurlock the " NFC Special Teams Player of the Week " award . Week 16 : at San Francisco 49ers . Tampa Bay traveled west to San Francisco for the third time in five seasons . Tampa Bay lost their eight consecutive meeting at Monster Park , dating to 1980 . This game was originally scheduled for 8 : 15 p . m . on NBC ' s Sunday Night Football , but on December 10 , in accordance with flex - scheduling , the game was moved to the afternoon . Having already clinched a playoff berth , Tampa Bay rested most of their starters in the second half . Despite a late rally , the Buccaneers fell two points short of victory . Tampa Bay controlled most of the first half , capping off their first two drives of the first quarter with field goals by Matt Bryant . On the first play of the second quarter , Shaun Hill connected with Darrell Jackson on a 21 - yard touchdown . San Francisco punted on their next drive , and Micheal Spurlock fielded the ball at the 19 yard line . He was tackled and fumbled , while the 49ers recovered . After an instant replay challenge , it was determined that Spurlock was down by contact , and Tampa Bay maintained possession . The drive fizzled though , and ended with a punt . Late in the fourth quarter , Barrett Ruud recovered a 49ers fumble , setting the Buccaneers up on the San Francisco 36 yard line . Four plays later , Jerramy Stevens caught a touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia . Tampa Bay took a 13 - 7 lead into halftime . On the second - half kickoff , San Francisco recovered a surprise onside kick . The drive came up empty , as they were forced to punt . On Tampa Bay ' s next possession , however , Luke McCown ( who had taken over for the benched Garcia ) fumbled and the 49ers recovered at the 14 yard line . In four plays , San Francisco scored a touchdown . Early in the fourth quarter , Nate Clements intercepted a McCown pass , and led to another 49ers touchdown . The 49ers led 21 - 13 , but Tampa Bay still kept hopes alive for a rally . With less than six minutes left in the game , the Buccaneers drove to the 49ers 25 yard line . On 4th down and 6 , McCown threw to Michael Clayton for an apparent one - handed touchdown catch , but the ball fell incomplete , and the drive turned over on downs . Tampa Bay managed one final chance to tie the score . Inside the two - minute warning , Tampa Bay drove to the 49ers 24 yard line . McCown rolled out wide to his right , and connected with Stevens for a 24 - yard touchdown . McCown then attempted a game - tying two - point conversion . Michael Clayton caught the pass , but one of his feet touched out - of - bounds in the back of the endzone , sealing the game for San Francisco . Week 17 : vs . Carolina Panthers . Tampa Bay concluded the regular season at home against the Panthers . They dropped the season finale , and their second - straight game , but rested most of their starters ( including Garcia , Graham , Galloway and Ruud ) . Luke McCown started at quarterback . On their opening drive , McCown drove the Buccaneers for the game ' s first score , a touchdown pass to Jerramy Stevens . The drive included a 52 - yard catch by Chad Lucas . Carolina responded by driving to the Tampa Bay 4 yard line . A field goal kick was good , but a holding penalty by Derrick Brooks gave the Panthers a first down . They capitalized by scoring a touchdown . In the second quarter , an interception by Phillip Buchanon led to a Tampa Bay field goal . Late in the second quarter , Josh Bidwell punted to Carolina , but a fumble on the return was recovered by the Buccaneers . Tampa Bay tacked on another field goal before halftime , and trailed 14 - 13 at the half . Midway through the third quarter , Carolina punted and pinned the Buccaneers on their own 2 yard line . McCown then led the Buccaneers on a 10 - play , 98 - yard touchdown drive , the longest such scoring drive in franchise history . Carolina kept themselves in the game , however , quickly following up with a 46 - yard reception to Drew Carter , and then a 1 - yard touchdown run . Trailing 31 - 23 late in the fourth quarter , McCown drove the Buccaneers to the Carolina 36 yard line , but was intercepted by Richard Marshall . The Buccaneers finished the regular season 9 - 7 ( 5 - 1 division , 6 - 2 home ) .