Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 26-yard pass from Derek Anderson, Graham Gano kick, 15:00 (CAR 17–0)
- TB – Chris Owusu 19-yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 07:30 (CAR 17–7)
- TB – Bobby Rainey 6-yard pass from Josh McCown, Patrick Murray kick, 02:11 (CAR 17–14)
- CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 00:28 (CAR 20–14)
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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
Week Two: St. Louis Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Rams |
7 |
3 |
3 | 6 | 19 |
Buccaneers |
7 |
0 |
7 | 3 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- STL - Greg Zuerlein 36 yard field goal, 0:39 (STL 10-7)
Third quarter
- TB - Josh McCown 1 yard run, Patrick Murray kick, 9:18 (TB 14-10)
- STL - Greg Zuerlein 35 yard field goal, 2:41 (TB 14-13)
Fourth quarter
- STL - Greg Zuerlein 46 yard field goal, 9:10 (STL 16-14)
- TB - Patrick Murray 36 yard field goal, 5:15 (TB 17-16)
- STL - Greg Zuerlein 38 yard field goal, 0:38 (STL 19-17)
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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
Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
0 |
0 |
0 | 14 | 14 |
Falcons |
21 |
14 |
21 | 0 | 56 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- ATL - Devin Hester 20 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 14:53 (ATL 28-0)
- ATL - Devin Hester 62 yard punt return, Matt Bryant kick, 7:06 (ATL 35-0)
Third quarter
- ATL - Julio Jones 40 yard pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick, 8:23 (ATL 42-0)
- ATL - Steven Jackson 2 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 8:11 (ATL 49-0)
- ATL - Antone Smith 38 yard run, Matt Bryant kick, 1:47 (ATL 56-0)
Fourth quarter
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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
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- PIT - Antonio Brown 27 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick, 4:58 (PIT 17-10)
Third quarter
- TB - Doug Martin 3 yard rush, Patrick Murray kick, 12:27 (Tied 17-17)
- PIT - Heath Miller 5 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick, 7:50 (PIT 24-17)
Fourth quarter
- TB - Patrick Murray 27 yard field goal, 11:37 (PIT 24-20)
- TB - Vincent Jackson 5 yard pass from Mike Glennon, Patrick Murray kick, 0:07 (TB 27-24)
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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
Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | OT | Total |
Buccaneers |
0 |
10 |
14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Saints |
6 |
7 |
7 | 11 | 6 | 37 |
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
Game information |
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Fourth quarter
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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
Week Six: Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Ravens |
28 |
10 |
7 | 3 | 48 |
Buccaneers |
0 |
0 |
10 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
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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
Week Eight: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | OT | Total |
Vikings |
0 |
3 |
7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
Buccaneers |
0 |
0 |
0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
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
Game information |
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Fourth quarter
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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
Week Nine: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
0 |
10 |
7 | 0 | 17 |
Browns |
3 |
6 |
7 | 6 | 22 |
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
Game information |
First quarter
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Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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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
Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
7 |
6 |
3 | 11 | 27 |
Buccaneers |
3 |
7 |
0 | 7 | 17 |
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
Game information |
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Fourth quarter
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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
Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
10 |
3 |
7 | 7 | 27 |
Redskins |
0 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
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
Game information |
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Fourth quarter
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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
Week Twelve: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
0 |
10 |
0 | 3 | 13 |
Bears |
0 |
0 |
21 | 0 | 21 |
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
Game information |
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Fourth quarter
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Lovie Smith's return to Chicago ended with a Tampa Bay loss. 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.
Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Bengals |
0 |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
Buccaneers |
3 |
7 |
0 | 3 | 13 |
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
Game information |
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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
Week Fourteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
0 |
10 |
0 | 7 | 17 |
Lions |
7 |
10 |
10 | 7 | 34 |
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
Game information |
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With the loss, the Buccaneers were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Week 15: at Carolina Panthers
Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Buccaneers |
7 |
3 |
0 | 7 | 17 |
Panthers |
6 |
3 |
7 | 3 | 19 |
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
Game information |
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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
Week Sixteen: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Packers |
7 |
3 |
0 | 10 | 20 |
Buccaneers |
0 |
3 |
0 | 0 | 3 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 64,247
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information |
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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
Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Saints |
0 |
7 |
0 | 16 | 23 |
Buccaneers |
3 |
17 |
0 | 0 | 20 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
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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.