1985 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season - Regular Season

Regular Season

Bennett said that, given the Buccaneers' record over the past two seasons, it was "automatically a rebuilding year". The squad began play as a young team, with 17 players who had not been there the previous year, and ten of the previous year's opening-day starters out of the starting lineup. The season began with a second-half collapse in a loss to the Chicago Bears, in which Bennett noted a lack of concentration and attention to detail. He admitted to being unable to explain the reason for the large number of errors, which in the first two games alone included 20 penalties, 4 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 3 fumbles, 2 blocked punts (one returned for a touchdown), and a missed extra-point and field goal attempt. Special teams coach Howard Tippett pointed out that the Buccaneers weren't making any mistakes that other teams didn't, but that the Buccaneer mistakes tended to get magnified and repeated. Linebacker Chris Washington attributed the defense's problems to a young, inexperienced team trying to learn a new system. Even as the losses mounted, opponents reported surprise, both from studying game films and playing the team on the field, at the Buccaneers' record. The Buccaneers frequently held halftime leads and lost by a touchdown or less; through the first 9 games, they were outscored 77-17 in the third quarter. In one game, Jimmie Giles was congratulated despite having turned over the ball by fumbling, because the 44-yard reception that preceded the fumble was a rare example of a player making something happen in the third quarter.