The 1985 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began on a hopeful note, with the hiring of Leeman Bennett as the team's head coach. A massive turnover of personnel occurred, which included the offseason career-ending injury of Lee Roy Selmon, the trade of Hugh Green, and the early-season signing of Steve Young. The numerous roster changes produced a team which, while talented, struggled in their new system. Mistake-prone play combined with a difficult early-season schedule helped the team to lose their first nine games, which eliminated them from title contention before the end of October.
Despite their poor record, the Buccaneers were repeatedly competitive in games, even against the league's top teams. The season saw the resurgence of tight end Jimmie Giles, who returned to Pro Bowl form after having spent the previous two seasons in disfavor with John McKay and his staff. Giles set several Buccaneer records in an October matchup with the Miami Dolphins that Miami coach Don Shula described as having "more thrills than any I can remember". James Wilder led the NFL in rushing for the first several games while handling the ball on over 50% of the offense's plays, until the team began to diversify their offense more. Rookie kicker Donald Igwebuike set team records for field goals and points scored. Patches were worn on the jerseys to commemorate their 10th season.
Read more about 1985 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season: Regular Season
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