1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On April 7, in an attempt to portray a new image, the Bucs retired the "winking Bucco Bruce logo" and the orange uniforms in a ceremony aboard the HMS Bounty in St. Petersburg. Two days later, the team unveiled their new uniforms at the Tampa Convention Center. The new Bucs colors would be red, white and pewter. The primary logo would become a red pirate flag with a white scull and crossbones, which would adorn the pewter colored helmet. Team owner Malcolm Glazer proclaimed, "We think we have the perfect uniform, for a perfect team in a perfect city."

The Bucs were not exceptionally busy in the off-season free agent market, but did resign offensive lineman Paul Gruber. They also signed one-time Miami Hurricane quarterback Steve Walsh as a backup to Trent Dilfer. Walsh was an eight year NFL veteran and had played for St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas and New Orleans. After two disappointing seasons, the Bucs released wide receiver Alvin Harper prior to training camp.

The college draft again saw the Bucs with two first round picks and they went for a couple of state players to provide a spark on offensive. Florida State running back Warrick Dunn was selected with the twelfth overall pick and University of Florida wide receiver Reidel Anthony was picked up with the sixteenth overall selection. A player that many thought would be a first round pick, Wisconsin offensive tackle Jerry Wunsch, was chosen early in the second round.

The season opener was at home against San Francisco. 62,544 attended the professional head coaching debut for the 49ers Steve Mariucci. The game's very first series saw 49ers quarterback Steve Young knocked out of the game and in the second quarter Jerry Rice had a similar fate. Young suffered a concussion and would return, however, Rice was out until December with a knee injury. A couple of field goals gave San Francisco a 6-0 lead at halftime, but the Bucs came back in the scored half. In the fourth quarter, the game's only touchdown came on a Trent Dilfer (15 of 26 for 184 yards) to Dave Moore pass. The Bucs sacked the 49ers QBs seven times with Warren Sapp recording 2 1/2 of those sacks. This was the first time since 1991 that San Francisco had not scored a touchdown and had less than 100 yards passing (91 yards). The Buccaneers 13-6 victory was a team record sixth straight at home. Sapp said of the game, "I've been waiting on this one for a long time. Ain't no more ol' Bucs, baby." Derrick Brooks added "This team grew up today."

The second game of the season was against another team with a new head coach, as Bobby Ross had taken the helm for the Detroit Lions. When Trent Dilfer hit Patrick Hape for the tight end's first professional touchdown, the Bucs took a 10-0 first quarter lead. Running back Warrick Dunn was the star of the game and his first pro touchdown, a 6 yard run in the second quarter, gave Tampa Bay a 17-0 lead. Dunn rushed for 116 yards in the first half, the second most yards for a half in Buccaneers history, and finished the day with 130 yards on the ground. The Bucs defense kept Barry Sanders to 20 yards rushing and held on for a 24-17 road victory.

A trip to Minneapolis would determine the last remaining undefeated team in the NFC. The Vikings had won their last ten home openers. Warrick Dunn rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Mike Alstott added another TD on the ground. Trent Dilfer finished 15 of 20 for 192 yards and hit Jackie Harris and Horace Copeland on touchdown passes. For the second week in a row, the Bucs did not turn the ball over. After the 28-14 victory, the Buccaneers were 3-0 for the first time since the 1979 season.

The Bucs only prime time game of the season took place on a Sunday night before a team record crowd of 73,314 at the stadium in Tampa. Trent Dilfer (18 of 24 for 248 yards and an INT) threw a career high four touchdown passes against Miami. Mike Alstott caught two of those TD passes, while Reidel Anthony and Warrick Dunn had their first career TD receptions. Dunn also had his first 100 yards receiving game with six catches for 106 yards. For the second time in franchise history, the Bucs did not have to punt the football. The Buccaneers topped the Dolphins 31-21. Dilfer said of his performance, "My first couple of years, I got caught up too much in trying to be a leader. Right now, I'm just trying to be Trent Dilfer." Tony Dungy remarked, "I think we would have won a lot of money in Vegas if we said we'd be 4-0."

Arizona was the next opponent to visit Tampa. Rookie linebacker Alshermond Singleton blocked a Jeff Feagles punt and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown, and Trent Dilfer hit Reidel Anthony on 8 yard TD pass, to give the Bucs a 12-0 lead in the second quarter. When Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams returned a Trent Dilfer interception 42 yards for a touchdown, Arizona had an 18-12 third quarter lead. Arizona ran 83 offensive plays and quarterback Kent Graham passed for 339 yards, even though he was sacked six times and intercepted twice. Nose tackle Brad Culpepper recorded three of those sacks. On fourth down, Dilfer hit Karl Williams on a 31 yard TD pass to put the Buccaneers ahead with 4:48 left in the game. As time expired, Arizona place kicker Kevin Butler's 47 yard field goal attempt was blown wide right. It was not pretty, but the Bucs escaped with a 19-18 victory. Tampa Bay was 5-0 for the second time in franchise history. Tony Dungy commented on the ugly victory, "Championship teams win games like this, so hopefully, that's a good omen."

If the Bucs were to break the record for the best start in team history, it would have to come at Lambeau Field against the Packers. A Michael Husted field goal gave the Bucs a 3-0 lead after one quarter, but turnovers made the difference in the second period. Green Bay defensive end Gabe Wilkins picked off a Trent Dilfer pass, jumped over the quarterback's attempted tackle, and returned the ball 77 yards for a touchdown. A fumble lead to one of two TD receptions by wide receiver Antonio Freeman, as the Packers took a 21-3 halftime advantage. Warrick Dunn lead the Bucs comeback in the second half. Dunn finished with 125 yards rushing and his fourth quarter TD run made the final score 21-16. While making a tackle, punter Tommy Barnhardt broke his collar bone and was out for the season. The Bucs signed veteran Sean Landeta, who started his career in the USFL, to handle the punting duties.

When Detroit came to Tampa, the Bucs were riding a franchise best eight game home winning streak. In the first quarter, Barry Sanders broke away on a career long 80 yard TD, only to better that mark on an 82 yard TD run in the third quarter. The Lions running back, who also scored on a pass reception, finished with 215 yards and surpassed Jim Brown to move into fourth place on the all-time rushing list. Horace Copeland had 105 yards in receiving, but Trent Dilfer had two interceptions. Of the 27-9 defeat before 72,095 fans, Tony Dungy remarked "The last three weeks, I believe we've taken a step backwards."

After the bye week, the Bucs and Vikings played a scoreless first half at Houlihan's. In the third quarter, Minnesota took a 10-0 lead on a controversial touchdown run by fullback Charles Evans. Trent Dilfer, who was sacked three times, hit Reidel Anthony on a fourth quarter TD pass for Tampa Bay's only score in a 10-6 defeat. Center Tony Mayberry started his 104th consecutive game, breaking the Buccaneers record held by nose tackle Dave Logan. Tampa Bay had lost three in a row.

When the Bucs went to Indianapolis to play the winless Colts, quarterback Jim Harbaugh was on the sidelines due to a hand injury sustained in a confrontation with sportscaster Jim Kelly. Starting in his place was Paul Justin, who went down with an injury in the first quarter. This brought former Buccaneers practice squad QB Kelly Holcomb in for his first NFL action. The Bucs had a 21-10 halftime lead, but behind Holcomb the Colts scored eighteen unanswered points to take the lead. Trent Dilfer's third touchdown pass, he hit wide receiver Karl Williams twice and tight end Dave Moore once, tied the game at 28-28. The Bucs were penalized ten times and it came down to a field goal with 8 seconds on the clock. Michael Husted's 36 yarder gave the Buccaneers a 31-28 victory.

A trip to Georgia saw Brad Culpepper record three of the Bucs five sacks of Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler. Trent Dilfer had a good afternoon (12 of 20 for 150 yards and 2 TDs), Mike Alstott ran for a touchdown, and Warrick Dunn had one TD run and one TD catch. Atlanta fumbled on two punt returns, as the Buccaneers posted their largest margin of victory on the road in a 31-10 thrashing of the Falcons.

The Bucs returned home to play the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. Errict Rhett opened scoring on 1 yard dive in the first quarter, which was his first touchdown of the year. Tampa Bay dominated the first half, holding New England to 16 total yards and no first downs, but only lead 10-0 after the first thirty minutes. Trent Dilfer went 21 of 29 for 209 yards and, for the fourth straight week, no interceptions. Dilfer threw a touchdown pass, which gave him eighteen for the season, one more than his first three seasons combined. New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe completed 13 of 25 passes for 117 yards with two interceptions. For the second straight week, the Bucs recorded five quarterback sacks. The Patriots avoided the shutout by scoring with 8 seconds left in a 27-7 Bucs rout. The victory put the Buccaneers in a three-way tie for first place with Green Bay and Minnesota, gave the franchise its first win over New England and guaranteed the first non-losing season in fourteen years. Afterwards, Tony Dungy stated "Eight wins is not our goal."

The Bucs then went to Chicago, where it was 29 degrees with a wind chill factor of six degrees, to play the 1-10 Bears. Tampa Bay fumbled the ball away on its first two possessions and Chicago had a quick 10-0 lead. The Bears defense stacked the line, contained Mike Alstott (18 yards on the ground) and Warrick Dunn (4 yards), and held the Bucs to 35 yards net rushing. Bears running back Raymont Harris rushed for 116 yards, on a career high 33 carries, and ran for a touchdown. Trent Dilfer (19 of 33 for 247 yards) hit Reidel Anthony on a second half TD pass, but the Buccaneers fell short. Hardy Nickerson set a team record with 22 tackles, while Michael Husted missed two field goals in a 13-7 Chicago victory.

When the Bucs went to Giants Stadium, it was a rainy, mid-40 degree day. The game was sloppy at times with nineteen penalties, ten on the Bucs and nine on the Giants, for a total of 200 yards. The quarterbacks also wanted to give the ball away, Trent Dilfer was intercepted three times and Giants QB Danny Kanell intercepted twice. Dilfer (12 of 22 for 152 yards and a touchdown) had thrown 152 passes without an interception, which broke the team record he set last season. Dilfer did tie the Bucs record for most TD passes in a year with twenty, when he hit Mike Alstott on a 1 yard pass in the first quarter. Alstott also ran for a score, as did Errict Rhett, and Warrick Dunn finished with 120 yards rushing. The 20-8 victory was the Bucs first at Giants Stadium and their 9-4 record guaranteed the first winning season since 1982.

When Green Bay came to town, a Packers victory would clinch their third straight Central Division title and a Bucs victory would clinch the team's first playoff spot since 1982. Another record crowd, 73,523, would witness the contest. Green Bay fumbled on its first possession and the Bucs had a quick 3- 0 lead. The Packers turned the ball over three times in the first half, but lead 7-6 going into the locker room. Late in the second quarter, Reggie White sacked Trent Dilfer and the Bucs QB sustained a sprained ankle. Dilfer (6 of 17 for 67 yards) tried to play in the second half, but had to give way to Steve Walsh. Brett Favre (25 of 33 for 280 yards with an interception) tossed two touchdown passes and the Packers had four quarterback sacks in a 17-6 victory. After the game, Trent Dilfer remarked, "They're the best team in football. On defense and special teams we're there, but we're behind on offense."

On a blustery 42 degree day at Giants Stadium, Jets defensive back Otis Smith returned two Trent Dilfer (2 of 15 for 38 yards) interceptions for second quarter touchdowns and a 17-0 lead at the half. Any thought of a comeback died, when Leon Johnson returned the second half kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. The Bucs could manage just 21 net yards on three pass completions and punted ten times. Sean Landeta, the one time Giants punter, booted a wind aided Bucs record 74 yard punt in the 31-0 loss. Now 9-6, Tampa Bay had lost three of their last four, but backed into the playoffs. After the blowout loss, there were mixed emotions on the Buccaneers clinching the team's first postseason berth since 1982. Tony Dungy said, "We'll take it, but that is certainly not the way you want to get in."

With a playoff spot secure, the Buccaneers could guarantee a home playoff game with a win over the Bears. 70,930 came out for the last regular season game at Tampa/Houlihan's Stadium. Trent Dilfer opened the scoring on a 7 yard run in the first quarter and later connected with Karl Williams for his team record 21st touchdown pass of the season. Williams returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown and had a Bucs record 116 yards in punt return yardage. Warrick Dunn rushed for 119 yards, including a team record 76 yard run. Dilfer said of the 31-15 victory, "I think this is the day I'll remember my entire career. I'm proud to be a Buccaneer."

A crowd of 73,361 was on hand for the NFC Wild Card Playoff, the last pro football game at the stadium in Tampa. The Bucs were two point favorites over Detroit, which was the first time the team was favored in the postseason. Detroit's Barry Sanders had rushed for 2,053 yards, was on an NFL record fourteen game streak of at least 100 yards rushing and was named league co-MVP. On a soggy field, the Bucs contained Sanders and he finished with 65 yards on eighteen carries. On a seventeen play, 89 yard drive, Trent Dilfer (13 of 26 for 181 yards with an INT) found Horace Copeland in the back of the end zone for a 9 yard touchdown pass and a 10-0 lead early in second quarter. Michael Husted became the first Buccaneer to kick two field goals in a playoff game and his team postseason record 42 yarder gave the Bucs a 13-0 halftime advantage. Mike Alstott broke through the line and rumbled 31 yards to stretch the lead to 20-0. Late in the third quarter, Scott Mitchell (10 of 25 for 78 yards with an interception) left the game with a concussion and Frank Reich came in at quarterback. Reich (11 of 15 for 129 yards and an INT) brought the Lions to within 20-10, halfway through the fourth quarter, but that was the way it ended. On the victory, Derrick Brooks said "I have chills right now. A win like this will put chills in you." Warren Sapp talked of the defense, "We had eleven guys on a mission." Tony Dungy said of the playoff win, "It's a special feeling. I know they've been waiting eighteen years for it and it doesn't get much better than this." When asked about going to Green Bay in January, Dungy joked "We're going to be looking at the weather chart, and if it's going to be below 40, we'll probably forfeit."

It was 29 degrees, with a single-digit wind chill factor, when the Bucs took to Lambeau Field for the NFC Divisional Playoff game. In the first half, Tampa Bay had a field goal attempt blocked, came up short on a fake field goal and saw the snap sail over the holder's head on a third field goal try. NFL co-MVP Brett Favre (15 of 28 for 190 yards) tossed a first quarter TD pass and Green Bay lead 13-0 at the half. The Buc defense keep them in the game. Warren Sapp had three of the Bucs four quarterback sacks and recovered one of his two forced fumbles, while cornerback Donnie Abraham intercepted Favre twice. In the third quarter, Mike Alstott scored on a 6 yard run to pull the Bucs within 13-7. Trent Dilfer (11 of 36 for 200 yards with 2 interceptions) set Bucs postseason records for passing yardage and attempts, but the team produced just one score on five trips inside the Packers 30 yard line. Running back Dorsey Levens, who rushed for a Green Bay playoff record 112 yards, scored on a fourth quarter run to provide the final margin of 21-7. The victory gave Green Bay 27 straight at home and a perfect 10-0 postseason record at Lambeau Field. When it was over, Trent Dilfer said "It's not the end of the season, it's the beginning of some really special stuff that's going to happen in Tampa." Safety John Lynch added, "I can't wait to get out there again."

After fourteen losing seasons, dating back to 1982, the Bucs posted a winning record. The 10-6 record, along with going 5-3 on the road, equalled the team best and placed the Buccaneers second to Green Bay in the division. With the exception of Chicago, the entire Central Division made the playoffs. The defense lead the way with a team record 44 sacks. Teams were held to a Bucs record low 1,286 yards rushing and an average of 80.4 yards a game. Warrick Dunn, who five times ran for at least 100 yards, set a Bucs rookie record with 1,430 combined yards. Dunn, who also lead the team with 39 receptions, was named NFC offensive rookie of the year. The team record for lowest number of interceptions thrown was set with 12 picks. On special teams, Karl Williams set a team record with 597 punt return yards. The Bucs were penalized 77 times, which tied the team record for fewest in a season. Winning brought the fans out for the last year at the old Sombrero. The 69,071 average fell just short of the record set by the 1979 team.

The Bucs received plenty of publicity for the turn-a-round and it paid off in the way of Pro Bowl selections. In Bucs history, nine different Buccaneers, including Hardy Nickerson, were previously named to the Pro Bowl with no more than three in any one year. This year, Nickerson had company in Honolulu. Seven Bucs were named to the Pro Bowl, the most of any team in the league. On defense, linebacker Derrick Brooks and tackle Warren Sapp were selected all- pro. Center Tony Mayberry became the first Bucs offensive lineman, Trent Dilfer became the first Bucs quarterback and Warrick Dunn became the first Bucs rookie named to the Pro Bowl. Fullback Mike Alstott's selection gave the Bucs an all-pro backfield. When strong safety John Lynch, a Pro Bowl alternate, was added due to an injury to another player, eight Bucs were on the NFC squad. Nickerson and Alstott were also voted All-Pro by the Associated Press, the first time two Buccaneers received that distinction. Dilfer was named the team MVP by the local media.

Related Links

1997 Buccaneers Results

1997 NFC Central Division Standings

1997 Buccaneers Draft

1997 Buccaneers Statistics

Back to Tampa Bay Buccaneers History Page

Back to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Main Menu

Back to Home Page