Английская Википедия:1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

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Файл:Mile High Stadium during a Broncos game on September 15, 1996.jpg

Tampa Bay kicks off while visiting the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium, September 15, 1996

The 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the team's 21st in the National Football League (NFL). The Buccaneers failed to improve on their 7–9 season in 1995, finishing 6–10. It was the first season under head coach Tony Dungy. The 1996 season marked the final year that the Buccaneers wore their trademark orange, red, and white "creamsicle" uniforms. Until 2010, it was the last time that the Buccaneers failed to sell out any of its home games. Despite Tampa finishing with a losing record, Dungy had restored the competitive spirit in the organization. Five of the 10 losses was only by a touchdown or less.

The Buccaneers would not have another losing season until 2003.

Offseason

Prior to the season the Buccaneers were still unsure if the team would remain in Tampa Bay or if it would be moved by new ownership family led by Malcolm Glazer and sons, either to Cleveland, Los Angeles, or the nearby city of Orlando. Eventually, the team's future was determined by a local referendum, which approved funding for a new stadium for the Шаблон:Nfly season.

Rule changes earlier in the decade brought about a salary cap, and a minimum spending cap forced Bucs to spend more on players. With the new ownership, tax disclosures showed the old Culverhouse regime was running a "for-profit" business in which players who were getting good were released before their contracts could get big, all the while claiming poor and trying to get some home games played in Orlando.

NFL Draft

Prior to the 1996 season the team drafted fullback Mike Alstott, who became one of the most popular players in the team's history, as well as cornerback Donnie Abraham. Although Alstott would become one of the Buccaneers’ most popular players of all time, the organization did not target him in the draft: the team had originally wanted tailback Leeland McElroy, who would be taken before the Bucs drafted.

= Pro Bowler

style="Шаблон:NFLTertiaryColorRaw;" | Pick	style="Шаблон:NFLTertiaryColorRaw;" | Round	style="Шаблон:NFLTertiaryColorRaw;" | Player	style="Шаблон:NFLTertiaryColorRaw;" | Position	style="Шаблон:NFLTertiaryColorRaw;" | School
12	1	Regan Upshaw	Defensive End	California
22	1	Marcus Jones	Defensive End	North Carolina
35	2	Mike Alstott	Fullback	Purdue
71	3	Donnie Abraham	Cornerback	ETSU
96	4	Jason Odom	Offensive Tackle	Florida
104	4	Eric Austin	Strong Safety	Jackson State
140	5	Jason Maniecki	Defensive Tackle	Wisconsin
180	6	Nilo Silvan	Wide Receiver	Tennessee
221	7	Reggie Rusk	Cornerback	Kentucky

Undrafted free agents

1996 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Scott Milanovich	Quarterback	Maryland

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 historically had trouble winning. Playing an interconference game at San Diego, Tampa Bay quickly found themselves down 14–0. The morning of the game, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks were in their hotel room watching ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. Chris Berman referred to the game as the "Superchargers" versus the "Yucs" – a derogatory nickname that had stemmed from the Bucs' many years of futility. Sapp and Brooks finally took exception to the ridicule they were being subjected to. Tampa Bay would rally in the game with a 25–3 run and won by the score of 25–17. Tampa Bay would win two of the next three, including an emotional win over Chicago 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.

Personnel

Staff

colspan="7" style="Шаблон:NFLPrimaryStyle; text-align:center;"|1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff
Front office Owner/president – Malcolm Glazer General manager – Rich McKay Director of player personnel – Jerry Angelo Director of college scouting – Tim Ruskell Head coaches Head coach – Tony Dungy Assistant head coach/defensive backs – Herman Edwards Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Mike Shula Running backs – Tony Nathan Wide receivers – Charlie Williams Tight ends – Clyde Christensen Offensive line – Chris Foerster Offensive assistant – Ricky Porter			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Monte Kiffin Defensive line – Rod Marinelli Linebackers – Lovie Smith Defensive assistant – Kevin O'Dea Special teams coaches Special teams – Joe Marciano Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mark Asanovich Strength and conditioning assistant – Aaron Komarek

Regular season

Schedule

Regular season
Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Game site	Attendance	Record
1	September 1	Green Bay Packers	L 3–34	Houlihan's Stadium	54,102*	0–1
2	September 8	at Detroit Lions	L 6–21	Pontiac Silverdome	54,229	0–2
3	September 15	at Denver Broncos	L 23–27	Mile High Stadium	71,535	0–3
4	September 22	Seattle Seahawks	L 13–17	Houlihan's Stadium	30,212*	0–4
5	September 29	Detroit Lions	L 0–27	Houlihan's Stadium	34,961*	0–5
6	Bye
7	October 13	Minnesota Vikings	W 24–13	Houlihan's Stadium	32,175*	1–5
8	October 20	at Arizona Cardinals	L 9–13	Sun Devil Stadium	27,738	1–6
9	October 27	at Green Bay Packers	L 7–13	Lambeau Field	60,627	1–7
10	November 3	at Chicago Bears	L 10–13	Soldier Field	58,727	1–8
11	November 10	Oakland Raiders	W 20–17(OT)	Houlihan's Stadium	45,392*	2–8
12	November 17	at San Diego Chargers	W 25–17	Jack Murphy Stadium	57,526	3–8
13	November 24	New Orleans Saints	W 13–7	Houlihan's Stadium	40,203*	4–8
14	December 1	at Carolina Panthers	L 0–24	Ericsson Stadium	57,623	4–9
15	December 8	Washington Redskins	W 24–10	Houlihan's Stadium	44,723*	5–9
16	December 15	at Minnesota Vikings	L 10–21	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	49,302	5–10
17	December 22	Chicago Bears	W 34–19	Houlihan's Stadium	51,572*	6–10

Шаблон:Refbegin Notes:

Division opponents in bold text

* = blacked out locally Шаблон:Refend