1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
| 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | John McKay |
| Owner | Hugh Culverhouse |
| Home field | Tampa Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 5th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | NT Dave Pear |
| AP All-Pros | DE Lee Roy Selmon |
| Team MVP | LB Dewey Selmon |
The 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the team's third in the National Football League. As their two 1977 victories had been in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central.
The Buccaneers entered the season with new offensive talent, having selected Doug Williams with the 17th overall pick of the draft. This choice was questioned by many, as there was still an element of society who claimed that a black quarterback was not mentally capable of winning in the NFL, and prejudice is believed to have been a factor in Williams having been drafted as low as seventeenth. According to Buccaneer coach John McKay, "All things being equal, Williams would have gone higher in the draft". Second-year tight end Jimmie Giles, part of the trade that landed Williams, emerged as the Buccaneers’ first receiving threat and to this day holds several of their scoring records.
Offseason coaching changes led to continued accusations of disorganization, as vice-president of operations Ron Wolf resigned, citing only "personal matters". This renewed speculation that head coach John McKay, who replaced Wolf with two of his own longtime assistants, was trying to consolidate front-office power. The coaching staff was reshuffled, with Tom Bass being named defensive coordinator, and offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs hired away from the St. Louis Cardinals. Offensive line coach Jerry Frei left to take the same position with the Chicago Bears.
Tight end Bob Moore was traded, along with a 1979 first-round draft pick, for three-time All-Pro Bears defensive end Wally Chambers. The Buccaneers were widely considered to have given up too much in the trade, as Chambers was coming off of major knee surgery and was considered by many to be "damaged merchandise", and the Buccaneers were left with minimal experience at tight end. The trade was also criticized on the grounds that the Buccaneers did not require Chambers to undergo a team physical, despite his injury history.Council Rudolph, the only player who had started in all 28 of the Buccaneers’ games to date, was made expendable by the trade and was dealt to the Miami Dolphins for a draft pick.
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