2014_Tampa_Bay_Buccaneers_season
2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
NFL team season
The 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the first season under head coach Lovie Smith, replacing Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the 2013 season. It was also the first season under general manager Jason Licht, following the departure of Mark Dominik, after a disappointing 2013 season. It also marked the first season under new ownership since 1994, after longtime owner Malcolm Glazer died on May 28, 2014. Glazer's sons took over team operations.
| 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Glazer family |
| General manager | Jason Licht |
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–14 |
| Division place | 4th NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | DT Gerald McCoy |
The Buccaneers tried to improve their record of 4–12 of last season, but failed after tying their number of losses when they lost to Carolina in Week 15. Following a 2–14 record, their worst since 1986, the Buccaneers finished last overall in the NFC and tied with the Titans for the worst record of the 2014 season, but was statistically (via a tiebreaker) last overall for the 2014 NFL season, thus earning the right to the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers did not win a single home game in 2014, going 0–2 during the preseason and 0–8 in the regular season at Raymond James Stadium.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Mike Evans | Wide receiver | Texas A&M |
| 2 | 38 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | Tight end | Washington |
| 3 | 69 | Charles Sims | Running back | West Virginia |
| 4 | None — see draft trades below | |||
| 5 | 143 | Kadeem Edwards | Guard | Tennessee State |
| 149 | Kevin Pamphile | Offensive tackle | Purdue | |
| 6 | 185 | Robert Herron | Wide receiver | Wyoming |
| 7 | None — see draft trades below | |||
Draft trades
- The Buccaneers traded their fourth-round selection (No. 104 overall) along with their 2013 first-round selection (13th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for cornerback Darrelle Revis on April 21, 2013.
- The Buccaneers traded their seventh-round selection (No. 221 overall) and a 2015 fifth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the Bills' 2014 fifth-round selection (No. 149 overall).
- The Buccaneers traded their original sixth-round selection (No. 183 overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for offensive tackle Gabe Carimi on June 9, 2013. The Buccaneers later acquired a new sixth-round selection (No. 185 overall) in a trade that sent wide receiver Mike Williams to the Buffalo Bills on April 4, 2014.
Offseason & preseason
Immediately after being named the new head coach, Lovie Smith began overhauling personnel. The primary goal was to reinstall the Tampa 2 defensive scheme that brought the club success during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Among the key cuts were Davin Joseph,[1] and Darrelle Revis.[2] Among the many new signings were quarterback Josh McCown, defensive end Michael Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner.
On August 26, the Buccaneers traded with New England for guard Logan Mankins.[3] The Buccaneers finished the preseason only 1–3, but were still picked by some media members to be much-improved, and to even be a wild card contender.[4][5]
September
The Buccaneers started the Lovie Smith Era off on a low note, losing on opening day to Carolina, then losing in the last minute to the Rams in week 2. In week three, the team was humiliated on a nationally televised Thursday night game, 56–14 to division rival Atlanta. Smith stated afterwards he was "embarrassed"[6] by the performance, and said the loss was so terrible to the team, that it would "leave a scar."[6]
One week later, Mike Glennon started at quarterback, and Buccaneers bounced back in a big way. Tampa Bay defeated Pittsburgh, their first win of the season, with a last-second go-ahead touchdown pass.
October
Tampa Bay went winless in October, with Mike Glennon at quarterback. Two overtime losses, and one blowout loss to Baltimore dropped the Buccaneers to 1–6.
November
Mike Glennon was benched after losing to Cleveland, and Josh McCown was back in at quarterback. Tampa Bay managed to win against the Redskins, with help from a breakout game from Mike Evans. Despite only two wins, the Buccaneers were still mathematically alive for the division title through the end of November due to the lackluster records of the NFC South teams.
December
Tampa Bay ended the season on a six-game losing streak, going winless in December, to finish the season 2–14. In the final game of the season against New Orleans, the Buccaneers blew a lead in the fourth quarter, sitting some of their starters in the second half. But by virtue of the loss, the Buccaneers mathematically clinched the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, beating out the Tennessee Titans (who also went 2–14).
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–16 | 0–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Miami Dolphins | L 14–20 | 0–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at Buffalo Bills | W 27–14 | 1–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | Washington Redskins | L 10–24 | 1–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | Carolina Panthers | L 14–20 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 2 | September 14 | St. Louis Rams | L 17–19 | 0–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 3 | September 18 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 14–56 | 0–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap | |
| 4 | September 28 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 27–24 | 1–3 | Heinz Field | Recap | |
| 5 | October 5 | at New Orleans Saints | L 31–37 (OT) | 1–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | |
| 6 | October 12 | Baltimore Ravens | L 17–48 | 1–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 7 | Bye | ||||||
| 8 | October 26 | Minnesota Vikings | L 13–19 (OT) | 1–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 9 | November 2 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–22 | 1–7 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap | |
| 10 | November 9 | Atlanta Falcons | L 17–27 | 1–8 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 11 | November 16 | at Washington Redskins | W 27–7 | 2–8 | FedExField | Recap | |
| 12 | November 23 | at Chicago Bears | L 13–21 | 2–9 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 13 | November 30 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 13–14 | 2–10 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 14 | December 7 | at Detroit Lions | L 17–34 | 2–11 | Ford Field | Recap | |
| 15 | December 14 | at Carolina Panthers | L 17–19 | 2–12 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap | |
| 16 | December 21 | Green Bay Packers | L 3–20 | 2–13 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | December 28 | New Orleans Saints | L 20–23 | 2–14 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 62,442
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Gamebook
The first game for new head coach Lovie Smith was against division rival Carolina. A lackluster first three quarters saw the Panthers run out to a 17–0 lead, with Derek Anderson making his first start since 2010 in place of an injured Cam Newton.[7] In the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers rallied, scoring late two touchdowns, and trimming the lead to 17–14 with 2:06 remaining. The Bucs defense forced a 3 & Out, and Carolina punted, giving the ball back to the Bucs offense with just under two minutes to go. On the first play of the drive, however, Bobby Rainey's catch was fumbled away, and Carolina recovered.
Week 2: vs. St. Louis Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: September 14
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 59,923
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
St. Louis kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked a 38-yard field goal with 42 seconds remaining to take a 19–17 lead. On the ensuing drive, Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown completed a 19-yard pass to Bobby Rainey, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 20 second left in regulation. McCown completed a 29-yard pass to Mike Evans at the St. Louis 32 yard line. As the team scurried to line up and spike the ball, A hesitant Evans was injured on the play. With no timeouts left, Tampa Bay was forced to accept a ten-second runoff penalty, and time expired.
Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Falcons | 21 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 56 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,318
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Gamebook
Atlanta throttled the Buccaneers by the score of 56–14, tied for the second-most lopsided defeat in franchise history. The Falcons jumped out to a 56–0 lead by the third quarter, including Devin Hester's NFL-record 19th return touchdown. In the first half alone, the Falcons forced three turnovers, and held Tampa Bay to 63 yards offense and only two first downs.
Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Steelers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 28
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 62,910
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Tampa Bay won their first game of the season, as well as the first win for new head coach Lovie Smith. One week after a humiliating loss at Atlanta, the Buccaneers bounced back, and upset the Steelers, the first win in franchise history at Pittsburgh. Trailing 24–20 just inside the two-minute warning, Tampa Bay drove to the Pittsburgh 14 yard line. The Steelers forced a turnover on downs, and took over at their own 14. The Tampa Bay defense held the Steelers to a 3 and out, and forced a punt with 50 seconds left in regulation. Brad Wing's punt was high and short, and was downed inside Pittsburgh territory on the 46. Two plays later Mike Glennon, connected to Louis Murphy, who broke free for a 41-yard gain all the way to the 5 yard line. With 7 seconds left, Glennon completed the game-winning touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in the left corner of the endzone.
Week 5: at New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Saints | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 37 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,004
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
Mike Glennon passed for 249 yards and two touchdown passes, as the Buccaneers led the Saints 31–20 in the fourth quarter. New Orleans rallied to tie the game and force overtime. The Saints won the coin toss in overtime, and proceeded to score a touchdown on the first possession to win the game.
Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 28 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 48 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 12
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 60,041
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer
- Recap, Gamebook
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw five touchdown passes in the first 17 minutes of regulation (setting a new NFL record), as Baltimore jumped out to a 38–0 halftime lead (also an NFL record for a road team). The Ravens handed Tampa Bay their second dominating loss of the season.
Week 8: vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 26
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 56,577
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Offensive futility plagued both teams in the first half, with Minnesota kicking a field goal as time expired in the second quarter to take a 3–0 lead into halftime. Trailing 10–6 in the fourth quarter, Mike Glennon threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Austin Seferian-Jenkins with 2:02 remaining in regulation. The Buccaneers briefly took a 13–10 lead, but the Vikings were able to tie the game at 13–13 and force overtime.
In the overtime period, Tampa Bay won the coin toss and received. On the first play from scrimmage in overtime, Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught a 10-yard pass at the 27 yard line, but fumbled the ball as he was tackled. Anthony Barr scooped up the ball and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, and Minnesota won 19–13.
Week 9: at Cleveland Browns
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 22 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: November 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 67,431
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Mike Evans caught two touchdown passes from Mike Glennon, as Tampa Bay led 17–16 in the fourth quarter. Cleveland scored with 8:59 remaining in regulation, and won the game by the score of 22–17. In the final two minutes, Tampa Bay drove to the Cleveland 28 yard line, but an offensive pass interference penalty pushed them back to the 47. Facing 4th down & 11, Glennon's pass was incomplete, and the Browns defeated Tampa Bay for the first time since 1995.
Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 57,751
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Josh McCown returned as the starting quarterback for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers led 17–16, but Atlanta scored a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter and held on for the win. In the final two minutes, Tampa Bay drove to the Atlanta 4 yard line, but McCown's pass to Vincent Jackson was tipped and intercepted in the endzone, sealing the game for Atlanta.
Week 11: at Washington Redskins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: November 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 77,442
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
Mike Evans had a breakout game, catching 7 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns (36 yards and 56 yards, respectively). Tampa Bay won their second game of the season.
Week 12: at Chicago Bears
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 61,109
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
The Buccaneers blew a 10–0 halftime lead with three turnovers in the third quarter. The Bears scored two touchdowns off of turnovers, and a total of 21 points in the third quarter to take the lead and the win. This was head coach Lovie Smith's first return to Chicago since the Bears fired him following the 2012 season.
Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 56,340
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Chris Fischer
- Recap, Gamebook
Trailing 14–13 in the closing seconds, Tampa Bay completed a 21-yard pass to the Bengals 20 yard line, but a replay showed they had 12 men on the field for the play. The penalty took the Buccaneers out of field goal range.
Week 14: at Detroit Lions
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: December 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 61,489
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Buccaneers were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Week 15: at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Panthers | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 72,842
- Referee: Ron Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
Like the meeting in week 1, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was on the sidelines, this time due to injuries suffered in a car accident. Carolina swept the Buccaneers, using backup quarterbacks in both games.
Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Green Bay won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium since 2003, and for only the second time ever.
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: December 28
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 59,952
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
Tampa Bay took a 20–7 lead into halftime, but New Orleans rallied for the victory. Drew Brees threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston with 1:57 remaining. On the ensuing drive, the Saints defense sacked Josh McCown for a safety, and secured a 23–20 victory. The Saints swept Tampa Bay for the third straight season, and won their seventh overall in the rivalry. The Buccaneers, finishing 2–14, clinched the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Bucs had also finished 0–8 at home. Finishing winless at home for the first time since 1976 and lost their 9th straight home game.
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Carolina Panthers | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 339 | 374 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 401 | 424 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | 381 | 417 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | 277 | 410 | L6 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[lower-alpha 1] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
| 2[lower-alpha 1] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
| 3[lower-alpha 1] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5[lower-alpha 2] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
| 6[lower-alpha 2] | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
| 9[lower-alpha 3] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
| 10[lower-alpha 3] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
| 11[lower-alpha 4] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
| 12[lower-alpha 4] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
| 13[lower-alpha 4] | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
| Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||||||
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- "USA TODAY Sports' 2014 predictions for Super Bowl, MVP and more". USA Today. September 4, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- "The MMQB's 2014 Predictions Extravaganza". SI.com. September 2, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- Patra, Kevin (September 19, 2014). "Lovie Smith 'embarrassed' by loss that will leave 'scar'". NFL.com. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- "Panthers QB Newton out vs. Buccaneers". September 7, 2014.
- "2014 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.