| 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Head coach | Tony Dungy |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Eagles) 3–21 |
| Pro Bowlers | |
| AP All-Pros | 4 |
| Team MVP | LB Derrick Brooks |
The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Football League (NFL).
The season began with the team trying to improve on an 11–5 season from 1999. Shaun King, who took over the quarterback position as a rookie midway through the 1999 season, became the full-time starter for 2000. In April, the Buccaneers acquired wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson via a trade from the New York Jets. It was a highly publicized transaction, which made Johnson the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL,[1] and increased expectations for the club.
The team jumped out of the gate with convincing wins to start 3–0. But they stumbled over the next several weeks and slipped to 3–4. In week 9, Tampa Bay beat the then-undefeated Minnesota Vikings with an explosive game which turned the season in the right direction. They won seven out of their next eight games, and looked poised to return to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. In Week 16, the Buccaneers won one of the more notable games in the history of Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams. It was a rematch of the previous season's NFC Championship Game. However, instead of the defensive struggle of the previous meeting, it was a 38–35 shootout with the Buccaneers prevailing and clinching a wild card spot.
In the final week of the regular season, the Buccaneers faced the Green Bay Packers, with the NFC Central title on the line. With a victory at Lambeau Field, the Buccaneers were poised to win the division, and secure a first round bye for the playoffs. After a rally to tie the game in the fourth quarter, kicker Martin Gramatica missed a game-winning field goal attempt at the end of regulation. The Buccaneers lost the game in overtime, and failed to win the division. The dejected club fell to the #5 seed, and was routed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Game, 21–3.