| 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hugh Culverhouse |
| Head coach | John McKay |
| Home field | Tampa Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Eagles) 24–17 Lost NFC Championship (vs. Rams) 0–9 |
| Pro Bowlers | DE Lee Roy Selmon |
| AP All-Pros | LB Dewey Selmon (second-team) |
| Team MVP | HB Ricky Bell |
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 4th season in the National Football League. All home games were played at Tampa Stadium. After having won just seven games in the previous three seasons combined, the 1979 Buccaneers won ten games for their first winning season. They finished as NFC Central division champions and won the first playoff game in franchise history.
The Buccaneers added offensive threats to complement their solid defense; a healthy Doug Williams played his first full season and Ricky Bell became the team's first 1,000-yard back, rushing for a career-high 1,263 yards.[1]
Tampa Bay also had the number one defense in football allowing only 237 points all season, their stingy defense gave up only 14.8 points per game.
The 1979 team not only posted their first winning record but earned a playoff spot by winning the NFC Central division title. The playoff spot was secured in the final week in a rain-sodden game against the Kansas City Chiefs, with the only score being a 19-yard field goal by Neil O'Donoghue. The Bucs recorded their first-ever playoff win by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24–17, behind Bell's 142 yards rushing. Tampa Bay hosted the 1979 NFC Championship Game the following week but lost 9–0 to the Los Angeles Rams.
- ^ Ferraro, Michael X.; Veneziano, John (2007). Numbelievable!. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0.