The 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 7th season in the National Football League the 7th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 7th under head coach John McKay. The Bucs were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back.Kindred, Dave. "McKay Enjoys Entrenchment and A Prickly Kind Of Contentment". The Washington Post. September 19, 1982 The team played only two games before the players' union called a labor strike, which resulted in a nine-game season. The season began with a three-game losing streak, as the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent statistically in each game, but showed a tendency for mental errors at crucial moments. The first game in which they were outgained by their opponent was their first win, a franchise-first victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.McDonald, Tim, and Michael Henry. "Bits and Pieces". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. November 30, 1982 The team made a playoff run against a difficult schedule, facing only two opponents with losing records.Janofsky, Michael. "Tampa Finally Gets To Play A Loser". The Daytona Beach Morning Journal. December 24, 1982 Their schedule included all four eventual Conference Championship participants. They overcame double-digit deficits to win on last-minute field goals in their final two games (kicker Bill Capece was the NFC's second-leading scorer),Lasswell, Doug. "Capece Has Proven He Can Handle Pressure". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. May 27, 1983 and had to survive opponents' last-minute rallies in all five of their victories. In the strike-season playoff format in which the top eight conference teams made the playoffs, the Buccaneers' seventh-place finish gave them a first-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Despite a poor performance by the offense, the Buccaneers carried a 17–16 lead into the fourth quarter, before the Cowboys rallied for a 30–17 victory following a controversial penalty call.Mizell, Hubert. "Unless big changes are made, Bucs are destined to die again". St. Petersburg Times. January 10, 1983 This was the last playoff appearance of the John McKay era, and was followed by fourteen consecutive losing seasons.
The year began with longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bass and several players leaving for San Diego. Observers questioned why Bass, who had built the defenses that had ranked at or near the top of the league statistically over the last several years, left; and further, why so many of the team's top players and former MVPs had been traded away. The team unveiled a new, Wayne Fontes-designed defensive philosophy, featuring tighter coverage to reduce the number of small gains, and increased blitzing to thwart opponents' practice of double-teaming Lee Roy Selmon."NFC Central". Sports Illustrated. September 1, 1982McDonald, Tim. "Bucs don't let rivalries stand in the way of friendships". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. September 4, 1982 The team continued to be regarded as having one of the quickest, hardest-hitting defenses in the NFL,McDonald, Tim. "Bucs kept their bruising reputation alive against Saints". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. December 7, 1982 a defense which ranked first in the NFC.Lasswell, Doug. "Buccaneers Have No. 1 Defense In Conference". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 1, 1983 In the later part of the season, the offense began to jell, taking a part in the victories more equal to that which the defense played.Lasswell, Doug. "Bucs' Offense Finally Making Some Noise". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 20, 1982 In particular, the line allowed the fewest sacks in the league, while providing an improved running game. The offense as a whole developed an ability to rally from deficits.Tierney, Mike. "Bucs will keep foot in playoff door to the end". St. Petersburg Times. December 21, 1982Lasswell, Doug. "Bucs Top 'Fewest Sacks Allowed' List". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 25, 1982 However, they continued to be criticized as overly conservative, as they scored just 9 first-quarter points in their 10 games, and opened up their passing attack only when behind late in games.Chick, Bob. "A little offensive creativity is needed". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. January 11, 1983 This became an issue in the playoff loss to Dallas, where Doug Williams was unable to recover from a bad start.McDonald, Tim. "It's exam time for Bucs". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. January 11, 1982 Following the season, the Buccaneers were represented by Jimmie Giles, Hugh Green, and Lee Roy Selmon in the Pro Bowl.Lasswell, Doug. "Bucs' Selmon, Giles, Green In Pro Bowl Starting Lineup". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 31, 1982
Offseason
An unusually active offseason saw defensive coordinator Tom Bass and several players leaving to join the San Diego Chargers. Potentially embarrassing off-field incidents were avoided when sexual assault charges against guard Greg Roberts were dropped, while an indecent exposure charge against receiver Theo Bell was dropped when the act turned out to have been committed by an imposter who merely claimed to have been Bell.Associated Press. "Rape Charges Dropped". The New York Times. March 20, 1982Wire Services. "Buccaneers' Bell Possibly Victim Of Full-Time Imposter". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. April 10, 1982 Bell later filed a libel suit against the Associated Press over their reporting of the incident.Wire Services. "Bell Files Libel Suit". The Spartanburg Herald-Journal. March 31, 1983 With the NFLPA contract about to expire, union officials became angered over the lack of progress in March meetings, and continued to raise the prospect of a strike.Wire Services. "NFLPA Says It Sees Little Hope For Settlement". The Palm Beach Post. March 11, 1982 Other offseason distractions included Hugh Green's arrest for evading police after being pulled over for a speeding ticket, and contract holdouts by Richard Wood and Jimmie Giles.Staff Writer. "Hugh Green is arrested in Tampa for speeding, eluding the police". St. Petersburg Times. June 24, 1982Tierney, Mike. "Bucs' negotiator Krueger lashes out at Giles' agent". St. Petersburg Times. June 24, 1982 Giles, who threatened retirement, received a verbal commitment to get a contract renegotiation at a later date. Wood reported to camp angry and with no guarantee that his contract would be extended beyond 1984.Tierney, Mike. "For Wood, the malady lingers on". St. Petersburg Times. July 31, 1982 The team negotiated an agreement with the Tampa Sports Authority that guaranteed their residence in Tampa Stadium through 1995.McDonald, Tim. "Bucs will be around 'til at least '95". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. June 19, 1982
Coaching changes Bill Muir, director of pro scouting, left to become the offensive line coach of the New England Patriots."Sports in Brief". The Milwaukee Sentinel. January 26, 1982 University of Tennessee defensive line coach and original Miami Dolphin Frank Emanuel was hired, charged with the task of improving the kicking teams that occasionally lost games for the Buccaneers.Wire Services. "Bucs Hire Emanuel". Ocala Star-Banner. February 26, 1982Mizell, Hubert. "Bucs hope Emanuel is that special someone". St. Petersburg Times. July 30, 1982 Tom Bass, considered to be the chief architect of the Buccaneer defense, accepted the San Diego Chargers' defensive coordinator position that had recently been vacated by Jack Pardee.Zier, Patrick. "Bass was big fish in Buccaneers' pond". The Lakeland Ledger. March 1, 1982 Bass' duties were taken over by defensive backfield coach Wayne Fontes, who had turned down a similar offer from the Los Angeles Rams. Fontes was noted for having built a league-leading secondary out of players obtained from trades and waivers.Associated Press. "Bucs Move Fontes Up". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. March 2, 1982Associated Press. "Fontes To Coach Defense". Ocala Star-Banner. March 2, 1982 It was alleged that McKay disagreed with Bass over certain defensive philosophies, and so encouraged Fontes to remain with Tampa Bay, with the intent of giving him Bass' job. This was the first major defensive coaching change since the franchise's inception."Two new faces join Bucs' coaching staff". The Lakeland Ledger. September 3, 1982 Former Notre Dame assistant Jim Gruden was brought in as running backs coach, displacing George Chaump, who turned down an offer to remain in the organization in a different position."Bucs Name New Coach". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. March 10, 1982 Chaump later accepted a head coaching position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania."NFL Notes". The Reading Eagle. July 24, 1982 Longtime equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo unexpectedly resigned during the season, for unknown reasons that were revealed a week later, when he was arrested for selling $21,000 worth of stolen game jerseys.Jaynes, Roger. "People and Things". The Milwaukee Journal. October 14, 1982
Player trades Dave Lewis, demoted the previous season due to assorted off-field problems, was traded to the Chargers for two draft picks, the Chargers' 1984 fourth-round and 1982 third-round selections. The latter was the last pick in the round, having originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers.Gurney, Jack. "Tampa Bay Trades Lewis For Two Draft Choices". The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 2, 1982 Ricky Bell, the Buccaneers' all-time leading rusher, and Dewey Selmon, their former All-Pro linebacker, joined him shortly afterward, both traded for draft picks.Strother, Shelby. "Buccaneers trade Ricky Bell to Chargers for draft picks". St. Petersburg Times. March 10, 1982McDonald, Tim. "Another young man goes West". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. March 30, 1982 Bell played only two games for the Chargers before being diagnosed with the dermatomyositis that led to his death from cardiac arrest two years later.Associated Press. "Ricky Bell dies of heart disease". The Gainesville Sun. November 29, 1984 The undisclosed off-field problems that led to Lewis' trade allegedly involved an argument over a suspension, which McKay interpreted as a challenge to his authority.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs trade Lewis to Chargers for picks". The Lakeland Ledger. February 2, 1982 Years later, McKay and team owner Hugh Culverhouse confirmed rumors that the trades were connected to drug use that was partially responsible for the team's disappointing 1980 performance."Owner says Bucs damaged by drugs". United Press International. August 5, 1989 Selmon's status as the team's union representative led to criticism from the National Football League Players Association, who said that he should not have been traded during contract negotiations, although Selmon himself approved the trade.Associated Press. "Bucs deny that trade had union overtones." The Spokane Spokesman-Review. April 14, 1982 The issue increased the difficulty in negotiations for a new bargaining agreement, as the union pointed to this and a rumored trade of alternate representative Mark Cotney as examples of teams harassing representatives.Zier, Patrick. "Players association missing the mark". The Lakeland Ledger. April 15, 1982 Dewey's brother Lee Roy was elected to take his place as player representative.Zier, Patrick. "Bucs select Selmon new player representative". The Lakeland Ledger. May 23, 1982 Tackle Dave Reavis, a member of the 1976 expansion squad, became the first active player to retire as a Buccaneer,"The future is now for title-minded Bucs". The Lakeland Ledger. September 3, 1982 although he was reinstated and rejoined the team later in the season.Wire Services. "New Orleans Trades Manning To Houston". The Palm Beach Post. September 18, 1982
NFL draft