Season Summary
Despite having been 7-7 toward the end of 1995, the 1996 team went 0-5 before getting their first win over Tony Dungy’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings. The 24-13 win over Minnesota started another streak few noted at the time, in which the team held opponents to 13 points or less in four consecutive games. Despite this, the Oakland Raiders came to Tampa Bay in Week Eleven facing a 1-8 Buccaneers team. Tampa Bay defeated Oakland 20-17 in overtime, which was the first of five wins over the next seven games.
The following week, Tampa Bay traveled to the West Coast, where they had had trouble winning. Playing an interconference game at San Diego, Tampa Bay found themselves down 14-0. However, Tampa Bay would go on a 25-3 run and win 25-17. Tampa would win two of the next three, including an emotional win over the Chicago Bears 34-19 in which the Bucs returned a punt for a touchdown.
Many fans took encouragement from the team going 5-2 in the final seven games, as well as the emergence of defensive tackle Warren Sapp who had nine sacks on the season, linebacker Derrick Brooks, and fullback Mike Alstott, who along with safety John Lynch and linebacker Hardy Nickerson, were forming the core of what would prove to be a dominant defense.
The offense struggled all season, and was not helped by an ill-advised holdout by running back Errict Rhett, who would have far fewer carries the following year.
Read more about this topic: 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season
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