1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team making efforts to address the problems faced in the disastrous 1983 season . For the first time , the team renegotiated the contracts of players in their option years , which kept discontent over salaries to a minimum . An assistant coach was added to perform the functions of an offensive coordinator . A strength coach was added , which improved the players ' physical conditioning in hopes of avoiding the constant injuries that occurred in 1983 . A healthy , stable offensive lineup developed the maturity to sustain long drives in pressure situations , and head coach John McKay began to move away from his long - criticized conservative play - calling and open up the offense . This was the first time that the team ' s offense finished the season ranked higher than their defense . Their offensive output is still the third - highest in team history ( as of 2010 ) , and was not matched by another Buccaneer team until 2003 . James Wilder , who Lawrence Taylor called " the best running back I ' ve ever played against in my life " , set team and NFL records while serving as the focal point of the team ' s offense . Steve DeBerg emerged as a stable , confidence - inspiring on - field leader . Kevin House continued to perform as one of the league ' s best wide receivers , while Gerald Carter emerged as a solid complement . Hugh Green , described by Mike Ditka as " one of the best two linebackers in the game " ( with Lawrence Taylor ) , continued to dominate until sidelined by a midseason automobile accident . Dave Logan became the youngest of only four defensive linemen in NFL history to score four touchdowns , and began to be spoken of as a potential All - Pro until sore knees limited his movement later in the season . Lee Roy Selmon made the Pro Bowl in what would turn out to be his final season . However , as the team ' s best defensive players began to fall to injuries , they became prone to late - game collapses . In addition , the mental errors that had characterized the team from the outset contributed to a number of close losses . McKay experienced health problems during the season , and found the constant losing too much to bear . On November 5 , the only coach in Buccaneer history announced that he would resign at the end of the season . Offseason . Coaching Changes . When the Green Bay Packers ' failure to make the playoffs resulted in the firing of coach Bart Starr and his entire staff , the Buccaneers hired John Brunner , the offensive backfield coach of the Packers ' NFC - leading offense . McKay had stated previously that he would never hire an offensive coordinator , so Brunner was given the title " Offensive Moderator " , although his duties were those of a coordinator . Defensive coordinator Wayne Fontes was promoted to assistant head coach , the first Buccaneer coach to be given such a title . This added administrative duties to his coordinator responsibilities and increased the perception that Fontes was being groomed to succeed McKay . McKay announced that all other assistants would be retained , with the exception of special teams coach Frank Emanuel , who had left to become defensive coordinator of the USFL Jacksonville Bulls . Emanuel ' s vacated position was filled by running backs coach Jim Gruden , then by former Buccaneer defensive lineman Bill Kollar when Gruden replaced Ken Herock as director of player personnel . Herock , who had been involved with Buccaneer scouting since 1976 and had worked with the Oakland Raiders before that , was given much of the credit for the expansion Buccaneers ' quick rise to playoff contention . Nevertheless , he was rebuffed by team owner Hugh Culverhouse when he requested a pay raise , and accepted Howard Schnellenberger ' s offer to take the same position with the ill - fated USFL Washington Federals . Joe Diange was hired as a strength and conditioning coach , in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the previous season ' s rash of injuries . Personnel Changes . Star Canadian Football League quarterback Warren Moon met with the Buccaneers and was reportedly impressed with their organization , but eventually chose to sign with the Houston Oilers , where he reunited with his former Edmonton Eskimos coach Hugh Campbell . The team also attempted to sign Bobby Hebert , the Michigan Panthers quarterback who led the USFL in passing . The team was eventually able to obtain displaced Denver Broncos quarterback Steve DeBerg , who rejected a contract offer from the USFL Denver Gold . The free agent DeBerg signed with the Broncos , and was then traded to Tampa Bay for a pair of draft choices . The previous season ' s opening - day starting quarterback Jerry Golsteyn was released , then recalled and traded to the Los Angeles Raiders for defensive back Irvin Phillips . Veteran fullback Scott Dierking was acquired from the New York Jets for a 1985 fifth - round draft choice . The team refused to honor Jimmie Giles ' request to be traded , although he had reportedly been offered as trade bait at one point in the DeBerg deal . Giles ' disgruntlement dissipated when the team offered him a new contract , signing him through the 1986 season . Obed Ariri , a former Chicago Sting soccer player who had set an NCAA record of 63 field goals at Clemson , was signed to compete with Bill Capece for the placekicker spot . Neal Colzie , the 1982 team MVP , was released before the start of training camp . McKay stated that the team did not have room for two older safeties , and felt that Colzie was being outperformed by Mark Cotney . NFL Draft . The previous season ' s trade for Jack Thompson left the team without a first - round pick , in a draft which had already been stripped of talent by USFL teams . The Los Angeles Express alone had signed seven players with first - round potential . Need areas were believed to include linebacker , the secondary , running backs , and the offensive line . Draft Trades . The Buccaneers ' 1st - round pick had been traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for quarterback Jack Thompson . Their 4th - round pick was traded to the San Francisco 49ers the previous year , in exchange for their 1983 6th - round pick . The first of their two 4th - round picks came from the San Diego Chargers , as part of the David Lewis trade . The second came from the Los Angeles Raiders , for Charley Hannah . A fourth 4th - round pick , obtained from San Diego for Dewey Selmon , was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for quarterback Steve DeBerg . Their 5th - round pick was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for linebacker Danny Spradlin . Draft Selections . The Buccaneers drafted USC linebacker Keith Browner with their first pick , the second pick of the second round . Brother of NFL players Ross and Joey Browner , Keith was considered to be a talented but underachieving college player who had been expected to be taken in the first round . Some observers questioned the selection of Browner , as Boomer Esiason , the only quarterback in the draft expected to have impact potential , was still available . With the secondary aging , the Buccaneers made Texas cornerback Fred Acorn the earliest - drafted defensive back in team history . Acorn was considered a project , as he started only one season for the Longhorns , but the Buccaneers ' secondary was believed to be strong enough to afford the luxury of drafting a player who would take time to develop . Acorn was drafted for his speed , with a 40 - yard dash time that had been clocked as low as 4 . 2 seconds . Micheal Gunter , the Tulsa all - time rushing leader , was taken in the fourth round . He was another player who had been projected to be drafted much higher , as high as fourth overall , according to one publication . He was very productive as a college player , but was unproven as a receiver , and lacked the ability to evade tacklers or to accelerate at the line of scrimmage . Jim Gallery became the first kicker ever drafted by the team . The team approached the draft with a goal of improving overall speed , and felt that they ' d achieved that with their selections of Acorn and the linebackers . Supplemental Draft . A special three - round draft was held on June 5 , giving NFL teams an opportunity to select players who had not been in the draft due to having previously signed with USFL or CFL teams . With the first overall selection , the Buccaneers acquired the NFL rights to Los Angeles Express quarterback Steve Young . They later selected Express running back Kevin Nelson , and New Orleans Breakers cornerback Alex Clark . The pick gave the Buccaneers the rights to Young beyond the expiration of his Express contract , set to expire in November , 1987 . Young expressed happiness at having been selected , but stated that he was committed to the Express and had no intention of leaving the team . Preseason . A number of offseason personnel moves were taken as evidence that McKay was hoping to retire on a winning note , and so had lost tolerance for talented players who did not live up to their potential . He declared potential " dead on this team " , and singled out Gene Branton and Ray Snell as players who were in danger of losing their roster spots . Longtime tight end Jim Obradovich , recently - acquired cornerback Irvin Phillips , and the previous season ' s backup quarterback Bob Hewko were cut on the first day of training camp . One - time All - Rookie guard Snell was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steve Courson , an All - Pro alternate two seasons earlier . The injury - plagued Steelers had lost patience with Courson over a knee injury that had limited him to nine games the previous season . Courson passed his physical , but immediately underwent arthroscopic surgery that caused him to miss the preseason . Versatile defensive end Brison Manor was obtained from the Denver Broncos to provide depth , as Booker Reese failed to develop as hoped . Johnny Ray Smith was placed on injured reserve to make room for Perry Tuttle , a former first - round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills . The preseason was relatively free of contract disputes . David Logan was the only training camp holdout , and threatened retirement when the negotiations became difficult . Logan was also targeted ( along with rookie Fred Acorn ) by departed personnel director Ken Herock , by then with the Miami Federals of the USFL . A contract extension was agreed to with Hugh Green , preventing any risk of his signing with the USFL Houston Gamblers , who were owned by his agent Jerry Argovitz . The Buccaneers opened the preseason with a 38 - 0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks , an AFC Championship Game contender of the previous season , in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game . The game was marked by miscues , and was the largest margin of defeat in the game ' s 22 - year history . Some players later expressed hope that the team would get " tired of losing " , while McKay called the team ' s performance " disgusting " . McKay did praise the efforts of the team ' s rookies , particularly Keith Browner , who was thrilled to be playing purely at linebacker after having been required to play at safety part - time at USC . James Wilder suffered a thigh bruise that kept him out of action for the remainder of the preseason . The team rebounded with a 30 - 17 win over the Houston Oilers , in which Warren Moon made his NFL debut . The low point of the preseason was a 52 - 21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in which McKay rested the first - team defense for the entire game . Roster decisions were complicated by a number of injuries , particularly along the offensive line , where Steve Wilson and Steve Courson both missed significant time . The preseason ended with the defense playing in fine form in a 14 - 13 win over the Miami Dolphins , although McKay voiced concern over the performance of the offensive line and the running backs . The end of the Booker Reese experiment . On May 30 , underachieving defensive end Booker Reese was arrested for approaching a plainclothes Tampa police officer and soliciting her for prostitution . The team refused to comment on the situation , which was another embarrassment for the staff that had made such a large gamble by trading their 1983 first - round draft pick for the rights to draft him two years earlier . His lack of progress forced the team to trade for Brison Manor in the preseason , while Reese was given a brief tryout at nose tackle . Young and naive , Reese was vulnerable to ill - intentioned hangers - on , and developed a cocaine problem which escalated as the pressure on him increased . He was tall , fast , and strong , but lacked the quickness to be able to get around NFL tackles , and had trouble absorbing the mental aspects of the game . He was unable to beat out John Cannon , selected later in the same draft . The team eventually cut their losses by trading Reese to the Los Angeles Rams for a low - round draft pick . Reese recorded no tackles in two games with the Rams , before being sent to a rehabilitation program after failing a urine test . Regular season . McKay continued to express confidence in the team , despite an 0 - 2 start that left the team 2 - 16 over their last 18 games . He however expressed concern over the performance of the defense , who had failed to hold a lead the previous week , and failed to tackle Saints running back Hokie Gajan several times during a 51 - yard run that set up a game - winning Saints touchdown . McKay pointed out that , despite the reputation of the Tampa Bay defense , this type of letdown had been seen in the past . The team then beat division opponents in three of their next four games , leading observers to consider them as contenders for the NFC Central title . With a healthy offensive line able to maintain a stable lineup , and DeBerg becoming better - acquainted with the receivers , the offense developed confidence and the ability to sustain long drives . While the offense was able to avoid significant injuries , the defense began to lose key players from the beginning . Mike Washington , considered by McKay to be the team ' s best defensive back , was forced to retire after an elbow to the head by Bears receiver Dennis McKinnon in his first play of the season required him to undergo spinal surgery . This required the team to use rookie Fred Acorn as a nickel back . Hugh Green suffered a broken wrist and a broken orbital bone beneath his left eye in an October car crash . The injuries were initially expected to cause him to miss two games , but after a month , the Buccaneers decided to place him on injured reserve rather than face liability should an aggravation of the wrist injury end Green ' s career . Keith Browner played poorly as Green ' s replacement , and was promptly replaced by Chris Washington . Cecil Johnson suffered on and off from injuries and was eventually forced to undergo season - ending arthroscopic surgery , forcing the team to start two rookies ( Browner and Washington ) at outside linebacker . The pair struggled , with the speedy Washington overwhelmed by opposing tight ends , and the stronger Browner having trouble lining up in the right place . The loss of Green enabled opponents to play a more diverse offense , rather than avoid run plays to the left side , where Green and Lee Roy Selmon would line up . This affected the secondary , because the loss of Green ' s play against the run required that the team play the slower Mark Cotney for run support at safety . Making matters worse , Cedric Brown suffered a season - ending knee injury in week 9 . McKay admitted that , with the absence of Brown , Green , Johnson , and Mike Washington , the Buccaneers were " not a very good defensive team " . Wayne Fontes ' effort to create a more aggressive defense through increased reliance on man - to - man coverage and blitzes backfired , with the result that the defense became much more vulnerable to touchdown passes and long pass plays . At the same time , their interception total decreased . Cedric Brown observed that it was largely a problem of execution , as many blitzes were failing due to player errors , and that the team was making more mistakes than he had seen in any of his eight years there . The pass rush was weakened by the absence of Hugh Green , which was noticeable to opposing teams . The effectiveness of the defensive line was reduced : Booker Reese failed to develop , John Cannon regressed from his previous season ' s performance , and Dave Logan began to experience knee problems that sometimes required his replacement in the lineup . The resignation of John McKay . McKay vowed during the offseason that he would retire rather than suffer another 2 - 14 season . During the season , he underwent surgery for cataracts that were making it difficult for him to read the game plans . He continued to express optimism over the season , even after a slow start and an embarrassing 44 - 9 loss to the Chicago Bears , as he felt that there was no dominant team in the division . McKay ' s wisecracking remark to a Kansas City Star reporter to the effect that a loss to the Chiefs would result in another Sam Rutigliano ( the Cleveland Browns coach who had been fired the previous week ) led to speculation of his imminent firing , which McKay shot down at the postgame press conference . The next week , the Buccaneers lost to the Minnesota Vikings on a last - minute field goal by Jan Stenerud , a kicker who McKay had pleaded with frugal owner Hugh Culverhouse to sign before the season . The loss effectively ended their chances at catching the Bears for the division lead . Frustrated over the team ' s record and concerned over his health , McKay held a press conference announcing his resignation effective at the end of the year . The players , who learned of the news from reporters rather than directly from McKay , were saddened by the announcement . Area fans , who had long been calling for McKay ' s resignation , were generally pleased by the decision . Howard Schnellenberger was the coach most popular among fans as a possible replacement , while Wayne Fontes was the popular choice among players and coaches , although Fontes was considered to be hampered by the perception that he would not be enough of a change , due to his 13 years of assistantship to McKay . Persistent rumors placed Ray Perkins as a candidate , even claiming that a press conference had been scheduled to announce the hiring , but Perkins dismissed the rumors and denied having met with Culverhouse . The 0 - 26 franchise start had a dramatic impact on his career record . McKay finished his NFL career , spent entirely with the Buccaneers , with a record of 42 - 88 - 1 . This was fourth - worst among the 60 NFL coaches with at least five years of experience , and worst among the 34 coaches who had coached at least 100 regular - season games . He also had the fourth - longest tenure among coaches with losing records . It had long been arranged that he would move into the front office on his resignation from coaching . As team president , he expressed a desire to help the team by " finding players who can compete in the National Football League " , a shot at departed personnel director Ken Herock . McKay ' s last weeks with the team were marked by controversy . Some players expressed support for McKay , and a team meeting was held on the day following the announcement in which players resolved to play together as a team , and finish the season on a winning note . The immediate result was a victory that ended their four - game losing streak , but more losses followed . The team was criticized for their decision to bench Hugh Green for the remainder of the season , despite his having been given clearance to play by doctors . The decision had to do with liability and the risk of a career - ending reinjury , but was perceived by fans as a lack of commitment to putting the best possible team on the field . Green eventually rejoined the lineup after signing a waiver absolving the team of liability . Team disunity arose after a collapse against the Packers , with much media attention being given to several players ' complaints that McKay did not bother to address the team before , during , or after the game . McKay returned from Ricky Bell ' s funeral to find a storm of controversy over the incident , which was blamed on a lack of time due to equipment problems related to the muddy Green Bay field . Final game ' Onside Kick ' incident . The final game of the season , a 41 - 21 victory over the New York Jets , was notable for its series of onside kicks in an effort to secure the NFL record in ( combined rushing and receiving ) yards from scrimmage for running back James Wilder . With 2 , 229 yards , Wilder was 16 short of the all - time NFL record , set by Eric Dickerson earlier during the weekend . McKay ordered an onside kick to try to get the ball back . When it was called back due to a penalty , he called another . The second attempt was also penalized , and he called a third . When the Jets recovered it , the defense ( with the approval of McKay and Wayne Fontes ) allowed Johnny Hector to score , so that the Buccaneers would get the ball back . On one play , Mark Cotney could be seen grabbing his helmet with both hands after tackling Hector , as instinct had prevented him from letting Hector score . This angered the Jets , who attempted an onside kick of their own to try to prevent the Buccaneers from getting the ball back . Tampa Bay did recover the kick , but the Jets focused on Wilder and prevented him from gaining any yards . New York players heaped profanities on McKay as the teams left the field , although Mark Gastineau apologized to Wilder for tackling him on the game ' s final play . Enraged Jets coach Joe Walton said that McKay ' s actions " set football back 20 years " . Unapologetic for his decisions , McKay instead pointed to an earlier Jets onside kick attempt , and accused them of trying to slow down the game in an effort to thwart Wilder ' s pursuit of the record . He dismissed the Jets ' argument that their only hope of winning was to recover the onside kick , saying that they had not seemed concerned about winning when they had been calling running plays while behind by 27 points . Wilder finished the season in third place , behind Dickerson and O . J . Simpson , in combined yardage . The NFL later fined McKay a record $ 10 , 000 for his actions . Game summaries . Week 1 : at Chicago Bears . " Sep 2 , 1984 at Soldier Field , Chicago , Illinois " Tampa Bay put on a mistake - filled performance reminiscent of the 1983 season , with a team - record eight turnovers . Dave Logan was called offsides twice on the Bears ' first possession , which ended in a punt that Theo Bell fumbled . The team controlled the ball for less than three minutes of the first quarter . A potential touchdown pass was dropped by Jimmie Giles , and intercepted by Gary Fencik in what McKay felt was the turning point of the game . Jack Thompson completed only 4 of 17 passes and threw two interceptions . He was replaced by Steve DeBerg in the fourth quarter , as he was beginning to show signs of nervousness due to the receivers dropping so many of his passes . DeBerg threw four more interceptions , including one on the final play of the game . Thompson did find Gerald Carter for a 74 - yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter , causing McKay to comment that it was a good thing that Carter ' s contract had not been renegotiated , as the recently re - signed and highly - paid Giles and Kevin House were dropping so many passes . Original Buccaneer Mike Washington was knocked out by Dennis McKinnon on his first play of the game , and held at a hospital for observation with what was later described as a " significant " neck injury . He was placed in a cervical collar , and went on injured reserve . Washington suffered two ruptured discs that later required career - ending surgery . The Buccaneers maintained that McKinnon ' s play was illegal , as film appeared to show him jumping off the ground for extra leverage while delivering a forearm strike to Washington ' s head . Week 2 : at New Orleans Saints . " Sep 9 , 1984 at Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans , Louisiana " The New Orleans Saints defense , ranked first in the league the previous year , sacked Jack Thompson seven times and held James Wilder to 75 yards rushing , 37 of which came on a single carry . Thompson nevertheless completed 15 of 22 passes for 175 yards , and led a 10 - minute opening drive that ended in an 8 - yard pass to Adger Armstrong . He also completed four consecutive passes at the end of the fourth quarter , leading the team downfield for a comeback attempt that failed when the Saints ' defense rallied . The Buccaneers led for most of the game , but the Saints came back following a 51 - yard Hokie Gajan sideline run in the final two minutes . Several Buccaneer defenders missed opportunities to tackle him , as they expected him to try to run out of bounds to stop the clock . Gajan rushed the remaining 13 yards to the goal line in the next two plays to score the go - ahead touchdown . Obed Ariri was successful on his first two NFL field goal attempts . Tampa Bay committed no turnovers , after the previous week ' s total of eight . Week 3 : vs Detroit Lions . " Sep 16 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Promised lineup changes after the previous week ' s loss to the Saints included Steve Courson and Ron Heller moving into the starting lineup at left guard and right tackle , respectively . Steve DeBerg entered the game in the second quarter , with Jack Thompson struggling and the Buccaneers behind 14 - 0 . DeBerg led a 67 - yard scoring drive on his first series , and went on to complete 18 of 27 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns , a performance for which he was named NFC Player of the Week . He threw a 5 - yard touchdown to Jimmie Giles to score the winning points with 3 : 11 remaining . Week 4 : at New York Giants . " Sep 23 , 1984 at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey " The Buccaneers failed to account for Lawrence Taylor , who got three of the Giants ' four first - half sacks . Steve DeBerg completed 18 of 31 passes for 229 yards in his first Buccaneer start . The Buccaneers scored on runs by James Wilder and Adger Armstrong , while Phil Simms threw touchdown passes to Bobby Johnson and Zeke Mowatt for the Giants . James Owens was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury on a kick return . Cecil Johnson suffered a back injury . Keith Browner got his first career start as Johnson ' s replacement the following week . Week 5 : vs Green Bay Packers . " Sep 30 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " James Wilder rushed 43 times for 172 yards , tying Butch Woolfolk ' s year - old NFL record for single - game carries , and breaking Wilder ' s own team mark of 42 . He became the only running back in NFL history to have at least forty single - game carries on more than one occasion . His four receptions for 44 yards put him in first place in the league for total yards from scrimmage . The Buccaneers appeared to have the game put away until Lynn Dickey hit James Lofton at the Packer 16 - yard line . Although Lofton was in the grasp of Jeremiah Castille , he was able to lateral the ball to Gerry Ellis , who scored the tying touchdown with 21 seconds left . The game was marked by big plays from the Buccaneer defense . Castille intercepted a pass that bounced off of Cecil Johnson ' s helmet , one of several Buccaneer takeaways . Dave Logan broke up a fourth - quarter tie by intercepting a Lynn Dickey pass and returning it for a touchdown . Logan later assisted Jeff Davis on a tackle of Ray Crouse for a loss on fourth - and - one . This in turn influenced Packers coach Forrest Gregg ' s decision to punt on fourth - and - one in overtime , with Gregg admitting to feeling intimidated by the Tampa Bay defense . The decision seemed justified when Bucky Scribner punted the ball to the Tampa Bay 2 - yard line , but neither team was able to advance the ball on their ensuing possessions . The Buccaneers eventually drove to the Packer 17 - yard line , where McKay elected to try to gain more yardage instead of attempting an immediate field goal . This decision almost backfired due to consecutive 10 - yard penalties on Jimmie Giles and Gerald Carter , but Obed Ariri was successful on a 48 - yard game - winning field goal attempt . Ariri became the first Buccaneer kicker to make three field goals of over 40 yards in a single game . As all other NFC Central teams lost that weekend , the victory moved Tampa Bay into a second - place tie with the Minnesota Vikings . Wilder was later named NFL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance . Week 6 : vs Minnesota Vikings . " Oct 7 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Buccaneers gave up record amounts of yardage to the Vikings , but stayed in the game by capitalizing on Viking turnovers . The Vikings ' 543 yards and Tommy Kramer ' s 386 passing yards were the most ever gained against Tampa Bay in a regulation game . Leading 21 - 7 , Kramer gave up an interception and a fumble in quick succession , each time giving the Buccaneers the ball inside the Viking 15 - yard line and allowing them to easily tie the score . The Vikings committed 13 penalties for 101 yards . A Viking penalty for having 12 men on the field during a punt attempt gave Tampa Bay fourth - and - 2 at the Viking 31 , which led to the Buccaneers ' first touchdown . Viking guard Ron Sams , filling in at center , was overwhelmed by Dave Logan and was called for holding five times . Logan got past him for sacks two other times . Kevin House had his ninth 100 - yard game , with seven catches for 126 yards and a touchdown . Scot Brantley suffered a knee injury , while Sammy White and Darrin Nelson both pulled hamstrings . Week 7 : at Detroit Lions . " Oct 14 , 1984 at Pontiac Silverdome , Pontiac , Michigan " Gary Danielson , who had taken no snaps in practice during the week , came off the bench to lead the Lions to a come - from - behind victory . Danielson had been infuriated earlier in the week when coach Monte Clark started Eric Hipple ahead of him , saying that Danielson had a calf injury . Danielson was healthy and had one of the league ' s best passer ratings , but it was believed that the Lions expected the Buccaneers ' banged - up linebacker corps to be vulnerable to Hipple ' s scrambling . When Hipple suffered a second - quarter knee injury , Danielson tied the game with an 18 - yard run . He then threw a 37 - yard overtime pass to Leonard Thompson to win the game . The Lions ' 1 - 5 record , combined with the Detroit Tigers ' pennant contention , contributed to the Silverdome attendance of 44 , 308 that was over 10 , 000 fewer than the stadium ' s previous record low . Steve DeBerg completed 25 of 29 passes for 272 yards , including a team - record streak of 12 consecutive completions . He threw a 25 - yard first - quarter touchdown to Kevin House , and threw no interceptions . Numerous mistakes limited Tampa Bay to a single touchdown , despite their 349 yards of total offense . On one occasion , pulling guard Noah Jackson knocked the ball out of DeBerg ' s hand before he could hand it off to James Wilder , with the Lions recovering the fumble . The game went into overtime when Obed Ariri missed a potential game - winning 42 - yard field goal on the last play of the fourth quarter . An overtime scoring opportunity ended with a Wilder fumble at the Lions 39 - yard line . Week 8 : vs Chicago Bears . " Oct 21 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " A season - high crowd of 60 , 003 showed up to watch what turned out to be the Buccaneers ' worst defeat in Tampa Stadium history . Walter Payton was held short of his seventh consecutive 100 - yard - rushing game , but scored two touchdowns . Jim McMahon threw touchdowns to Dennis McKinnon , Willie Gault , and Brad Anderson . Dennis Gentry contributed a five - yard touchdown run , and Bob Thomas kicked a field goal . Gerald Carter had his first 100 - yard receiving game for the Buccaneers , catching 10 passes for 109 yards . The Buccaneers were called for 11 penalties in the first half alone , including a pass - interference call on Jeremiah Castille that set up Payton ' s second touchdown . The play - calling was criticized , particularly a failed handoff to Wilder on fourth - and - 1 in the first quarter , at the Buccaneer 45 - yard line . The early deficit forced the Buccaneers into a passing game , which negated Wilder , their best offensive threat . Several Bears attributed Tampa Bay ' s penalty - prone play to overagressiveness , possibly motivated by revenge due to McKinnon ' s career - ending hit on Mike Washington in the season opener . They also noted that the Buccaneer defense played very differently without Hugh Green . Week 9 : at Kansas City Chiefs . " Oct 28 , 1984 at Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City , Missouri " The Buccaneers lost a chance to pull out a last - minute win , as Steve DeBerg ' s last - second pass to a triple - covered Gerald Carter was tipped in the end zone . DeBerg had led the team on a 3 - minute , 82 - yard drive to the Chiefs ' 10 - yard line , only to be sacked for a 10 - yard loss when he fell after an offensive lineman stepped on his foot . DeBerg completed 29 of 54 passes for 280 yards , with two touchdowns and three interceptions . The two teams ' quarterbacks combined for 100 pass attempts , the most ever in an NFL game . DeBerg also set a club record , with his sixth - straight 200 - yard passing game . James Wilder finished the game just two yards shy of the club record in yards from scrimmage . McKay was critical of Red Cashion ' s officiating crew after three questionable calls . On one , Stephone Paige apparently fumbled after being hit by Cedric Brown and Jeremiah Castille at the 2 - yard line , but the play was ruled an incomplete pass by the official . On the next play , Brown suffered a season - ending knee injury while blitzing Bill Kenney . This play resulted in a touchdown pass to Henry Marshall . Week 10 : at Minnesota Vikings . " Nov 4 , 1984 at Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome , Minneapolis , Minnesota " The Buccaneers could not defeat a struggling Vikings team , despite James Wilder ' s 146 rushing and 46 receiving yards , and a Steve DeBerg touchdown pass to Kevin House that tied the score with 1 : 03 remaining in the game . The Vikings were held to an incompletion on fourth - and - nine on their ensuing possession , but a pass - interference penalty on Chris Washington allowed the Vikings to retain possession , and set up Jan Stenerud ' s game - winning field goal with 2 seconds left . Week 11 : vs New York Giants . " Nov 11 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " The Buccaneers shocked a Giants team that had taken a share of the NFC East lead by beating the Cowboys and Redskins in the two previous weeks . Inspired by a team meeting in which the players resolved to fight to maintain their respectability as a team , the Buccaneers shut down the Giants ' deep passing game and held Lawrence Taylor in check , producing a win that only appeared close because of a last - minute Giants touchdown . James Wilder ' s 99 yards on 34 carries gave him 1 , 062 for the season , making him only the second 1 , 000 - yard rusher in Buccaneer history . Steve DeBerg threw for 238 yards , including a 10 - yard touchdown pass to Kevin House . Giants players refused to admit to having suffered a letdown , instead crediting the Buccaneers with having played a better game . Week 12 : at San Francisco 49ers . " Nov 18 , 1984 at Candlestick Park , San Francisco , California " The 49ers scored on runs by Roger Craig , Wendell Tyler , and Freddie Solomon . The Buccaneers kept pace behind Steve DeBerg ' s 316 yards passing . Gerald Carter caught nine of DeBerg ' s passes , for 166 yards . A last - minute chance to tie the score ended when San Francisco ' s Gary Johnson recovered a fumbled center snap . The 49ers became the first NFC playoff qualifiers with the win , while the loss eliminated Tampa Bay from playoff contention . James Wilder broke the team record for total yardage in a season . Week 13 : vs Los Angeles Rams . " Nov 25 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Gary Jeter blocked an extra - point attempt in the first quarter , which became the Rams ' margin of victory when they staged a fourth - quarter rally . Eric Dickerson was held to 67 yards rushing through the first three periods , but rushed for 124 yards in the final quarter , leading his team to a comeback from a 26 - 17 deficit . The game left Dickerson just 372 yards short of O . J . Simpson ' s NFL single - season rushing record of 2 , 003 yards . The Buccaneers had to settle for a field goal on their opening drive , when officials ruled a bobbled Gerald Carter end - zone reception to be incomplete . Game films later indicated that Carter did indeed catch the pass . A last - minute Buccaneer drive ended when LeRoy Irvin intercepted a pass intended for Theo Bell . While the Buccaneer offense produced 406 yards and a team - record 28 first downs , the defense allowed 299 rushing yards . This was the 200th consecutive game that Rams linebacker Jack Youngblood , an eventual inductee into the Professional Football Hall of Fame , played in . He suffered an injury to his sciatic nerve during the second quarter that ended his season , and ultimately his career . His Rams - record consecutive - game streak of 201 games , which included two playoff games played with a broken leg ( including the 1979 playoff game against Tampa Bay ) ended after a brief appearance the following week , and he would never again play in an NFL game . Week 14 : at Green Bay Packers . " Dec 2 , 1984 at Lambeau Field , Green Bay , Wisconsin " The Packers were held scoreless for the first half , but scored 27 unanswered points after a 17 - yard Paul Coffman pass reception inspired the team . It took eight Buccaneers to bring Coffman down , and the reception set up a 4 - yard Eddie Lee Ivery touchdown run . Coffman was awarded a game ball for the effort . Before that , the Packers dropped numerous passes and allowed the Buccaneers to take a 14 - 0 lead . The Buccaneers also missed scoring opportunities , with a fumble on the 6 - yard line , and a field goal attempt in which Obed Ariri slipped twice before missing the kick . James Wilder rushed for 84 first - half yards , and threw his first career pass , a touchdown to Adger Armstrong . The Green Bay crowd spent the game taunting McKay , who during the week had expressed his distaste for the city , saying that a trip to Green Bay would be the 98th prize in a contest that had 97 prizes , and that nobody should have to go there in July , let alone December . A small black No . 42 was worn on the Buccaneer helmets for the game in tribute to former running back Ricky Bell , who had passed away earlier in the week . Week 15 : vs Atlanta Falcons . " Dec 9 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " James Wilder rushed for 125 yards and caught passes for 22 yards , in so doing becoming only the seventh player in NFL history to gain 2 , 000 yards in a season . His total of 2 , 066 yards was only 177 short of O . J . Simpson ' s NFL record of 2 , 243 , with one game remaining . McKay later stated that he would incorporate new plays into the following week ' s game plan , in an effort to help Wilder break Simpson ' s record . The Falcons used a deep zone to neutralize receivers Gerald Carter and Kevin House , allowing Theo Bell to catch four passes for 80 yards . Three of Bell ' s receptions came on third downs , extending Buccaneer drives . Several other Buccaneers reached milestones : Obed Ariri set the team ' s season scoring record , Steve DeBerg reached 15 , 000 career passing yards , and Fred Acorn caught his first interception . Atlanta ' s Gerald Riggs , the third - leading rusher in the NFL , was held to 53 yards on 15 carries . Mike Moroski started at quarterback for the Falcons in place of the injured Steve Bartkowski . The Buccaneer defense played well enough to stifle any comeback attempts by the Falcons , who had not won a game since a season - ending injury to Billy " White Shoes " Johnson eight weeks earlier . The game was played in front of a record - low Tampa Stadium crowd of 33 , 808 . Week 16 : vs New York Jets . " Dec 16 , 1984 at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " In Tampa Bay ' s final game with John McKay as coach , the team broke numerous team and individual offensive records en route to a victory over the New York Jets . The victory was considered tainted , due to a controversial decision to permit the Jets to score a fourth - quarter touchdown in order that the Buccaneers could get the ball back in an attempt to help James Wilder break the NFL record in yards from scrimmage . The team ' s 41 points were their most ever , while they broke season records for points , yards , passing yards , passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns . Kevin House became the only Buccaneer with two 1 , 000 - yard receiving seasons , while four different receivers broke the team record of 57 receptions . Steve DeBerg set several quarterback records , and Obed Ariri set a team mark with his 19th field goal . House and Gerald Carter ' s combined 176 catches was the most by any NFL receiving duo , although Mark Clayton and Mark Duper had an opportunity to pass them , with one game yet to play . Awards and records . Postseason Honors . James Wilder , Pro Bowl selection Lee Roy Selmon , Pro Bowl selection Dave Logan , Pro Bowl first alternate Sean Farrell , Pro Bowl second alternate Kevin House , Pro Bowl second alternate Hugh Green , Pro Bowl second alternate Gerald Carter , Pro Bowl third alternate James Wilder , team MVP Ron Heller , UPI All - Rookie Team Keith Browner , UPI All - Rookie Team Team and Individual Records . The 1984 offense was one of the highest - performing in franchise history , and set numerous team records , many of which still ( as of 2010 ) stand : James Wilder , most NFL season rushing attempts ( 407 , surpassed Eric Dickerson ' s NFL - record 390 set in 1983 ) James Wilder , most NFL single - game rushing attempts ( 43 , tied Butch Woolfolk ' s NFL record set in 1983 ) James Wilder , most team season rushing yards ( 1 , 544 ) James Wilder , most team total yards , rushing and receiving ( 2 , 229 ; 1 , 544 rushing , 685 receiving ) James Wilder , most team season rushing touchdowns ( 13 ) James Wilder , most team 100 - yard rushing games ( 5 , broken by Carnell Williams in 2005 ) . This was a regular - season record , as it had previously been achieved by Ricky Bell in the 1979 playoffs . Steve DeBerg , most team passes completed ( 308 , broken by Brad Johnson in 2001 ) Steve DeBerg , highest team season passer rating ( 79 . 3 , since broken by several others ) Steve DeBerg , highest team single - game completion percentage ( 86 . 2 % vs . Detroit on 10 / 14 , broken by Vinny Testaverde on 9 / 13 / 92 ) Steve DeBerg , highest team season completion percentage ( 60 . 5 % , since broken several times ) James Wilder , most team pass receptions ( 85 , broken by Mark Carrier in 1989 ) James Wilder , most receptions , running back ( 85 ) James Wilder , most receiving yards , running back ( 685 ) Team , most season points scored ( 335 , broken in 2000 ) Team , most single - game points scored ( 41 vs . N . Y . Jets on 12 / 16 , broken on 9 / 13 / 87 vs . Atlanta ) Team , most touchdowns ( 40 , broken in 2000 ) Team , most season passing touchdowns ( 22 , broken in 1989 ) Team , most total yards , offense ( 5 , 321 , broken in 2003 ) Team , most offensive plays ( 1 , 091 ) Team , most single - game offensive plays ( 91 vs . Green Bay on 9 / 30 . 79 of these were in regulation ) Team , most single - game offensive plays during regulation ( 87 vs . Kansas City on 10 / 28 ) Team , most first downs ( 344 ) Team , most season rushing first downs ( 114 ) Team , most single - game rushing first downs ( 16 , vs . Detroit on 9 / 16 , since matched twice ) Team , most passing first downs ( 209 ) Team , best third down efficiency ( 42 . 9 % ) Team , most passes attempted ( 563 , broken in 1989 ) Team , best single - game passing completion percentage ( 86 . 2 % at Detroit on 10 / 14 ) Team , most net yards passing ( 3 , 545 , broken in 2003 ) Team , most single - game yards passing in a regulation game ( 374 vs . Minnesota on 10 / 7 , broken vs . N . Y . Jets on 11 / 17 / 85 ) Team , most single - game penalties ( 16 , vs . Chicago on 10 / 21 ) Both teams , most single - game pass attempts ( 100 , with Kansas City on 10 / 28 at the time an NFL record ; broken vs . Chicago on 9 / 21 / 08 ) Most opponent penalties ( 136 ) Most single - game opponent penalties ( 16 , vs . Chicago on 10 / 21 ) Most opponent penalty yards ( 1 , 078 ) Fewest punts ( 68 ) Best opponent passing completion percentage ( 82 . 6 % by Joe Montana of San Francisco on 11 / 18 , broken by Randall Cunningham of Minnesota on 11 / 1 / 98 ) Most opponent rushing yards ( 299 by L . A . Rams on 11 / 25 , broken by Atlanta on 9 / 17 / 06 ) Longest game ( 4 : 02 vs . Green Bay on 9 / 30 ) Longest touchdown drive ( 19 plays in 10 : 26 at New Orleans on 9 / 9 ) Steve DeBerg ' s 3 , 554 yards passing and James Wilder ' s 85 receptions are currently the third - highest in team history . Kevin House ' s 76 receptions are ninth - most in team history . Obed Ariri ' s 95 points and Steve DeBerg ' s passer rating of 79 . 3 rank tenth .