1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
| 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tony Dungy |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers |
5
|
| AP All-Pros |
3
|
| Team MVP | LB Derrick Brooks |
The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League.
The bucs finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs since 1996, following their breakthrough 1997 season. It was their first season in Raymond James Stadium.
They were the only team to beat the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In Week 16, they recorded the biggest road win in their history against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The season was marked by close losses in which touchdowns had been called back due to referee error.
The Buccaneers moved out of aging Houlihan's Stadium after the 1997 season. With construction crews still putting the finishing touches on brand new Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers were forced to play all of their preseason games on the road. The team opened with a win against Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame Game, then faced Kansas City in Oklahoma, an ordeal which saw the team sit at the airport nearly all night.
After another road trip to Miami, the travel started taking a toll on the team. A cross-country trip to Oakland was followed four days later by a game at New Orleans.
Coming off their playoff season from 1997, the Buccaneers opened 1998 with high expectations. Still on the road, their first game in the new stadium would have to wait until week 3. Receiver Bert Emanuel went out with a sprained ankle, and Tampa Bay lost 31–7.
Jacques Green returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown (only his second-career return attempt) to set a franchise record for longest punt return. However, Green Bay won 23–15.
After five games on the road during the preseason, and the first two regular season games played away, the Buccaneers finally were ready for a home game. The highly anticipated first game at brand new Raymond James Stadium saw the Buccaneers host the Bears. After falling behind 15–0 at halftime, Tampa Bay scored 27 unanswered points to win 27–15. Dave Moore caught a one-handed pass for a 44-yard touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Warrick Dunn ran for a 44-yard touchdown. Raymond James Stadium was opened with a victory, and the Buccaneers improved to 1–2.
...
Wikipedia