Each NFL team’s out of nowhere season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: First playoff berth in 1979

Another team makes this list thanks to a season full of firsts. In 1979, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to make the playoffs for the first time in their existence after winning the NFC Central with a record of 10-6. Not only was it their first division title and postseason appearance, but it was also their first-ever winning season.

Tampa Bay was entering just its fourth season in existence and up until this year, the Buccaneers had just seven wins overall as a franchise. They topped that total, as they raced out to a 9-3 start on the season. However, they then made it hard on themselves, as the Buccaneers dropped three straight games, which made their final week a must-win to make the playoffs.

Doug Williams, who played his first full season as a starter, led his team into that game, but the offense simply wasn’t there. Tampa Bay ended up scoring only three points, but it was enough for a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Then in their first playoff game, they scored their first win by knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 24-17. Ricky Bell put up the first 100-yard playoff game on the ground for the Buccaneers, as he rumbled for 142 yards and two touchdowns. This came after he was their first player to ever go for 1,000 yards on the ground in a season.

In the NFC Championship Game, the Buccaneers again had offensive woes as they were beaten 9-0 by the Los Angeles Rams. Even with that defeat, they were able to hold their heads high. It was quite the turnaround, especially when you realize it was just a few short years prior when they went 0-14 as an expansion team in 1976.