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It could be worse: biggest collapses in Bucs franchise history

Sunday’s loss to the Giants wasn’t the first time the Buccaneers blew a big second-half lead.
 
Published Sept. 24, 2019|Updated Sept. 25, 2019

The Bucs held an 18-point, second-half lead against an 0-2 team that had just benched its franchise quarterback.

Eli Manning’s replacement, Daniel Jones, was making his first NFL start.

The Giants’ best offensive player, running back Saquon Barkley, was on crutches, his injured ankle in a walking boot.

New York’s best defensive player, linebacker Alec Ogletree, also was sidelined, nursing a hamstring injury.

Despite falling behind late in the fourth quarter, the Bucs put themselves in position to win, needing only a short field goal in the closing seconds.

And yet, they lost, 32-31, Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

But take heart, Bucs fans. You’ve been through worse.

Here are five times the Bucs blew even bigger leads:

2013: Seahawks 27, Bucs 24 (OT)

Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks (27) gets up from the turf as the Seattle Seahawks' Jon Ryan (9) celebrates a 27-yard field goal by kicker Steven Hauschka (4) to beat the Bucs in overtime. [Times (2013)] [ WALLACE, DANIEL ]

Somehow, the Bucs managed to turn a game they weren’t even supposed to win into a disappointment.

Entering the game as 15-1/2-point underdogs to the NFC’s top team, the Bucs rushed to a 21-0, second-quarter lead.

Mike Glennon threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to Tim Wright and 20 yards to Tiquan Underwood.

A dominant performance by the offensive line paved the way for Mike James to rush for 158 yards in only his second NFL start. James also threw a 2-yard jump pass to tight end Tom Crabtree for a touchdown.

And the defense forced three turnovers.

Though they continued to lead, 24-7 in the third quarter and 24-17 in the fourth, the game rapidly slipped out of the Bucs’ hands.

And the offense that had been so efficient earlier in the game sputtered to a halt, its final five possessions ending in punts.

Meanwhile, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went 15-of-18 for 189 yards in the second half, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another.

Golden Tate’s 71-yard punt return late in the third quarter changed the momentum, and Wilson found Doug Baldwin for a 10-yard touchdown with 1:56 remaining to tie the game.

Steven Hauschka’s 27-yard field goal in overtime capped the biggest comeback win in Seahawks’ history and sent the Bucs to their 13th loss in 14 games dating to the previous season.

2003: Colts 38, Bucs 35 (OT)

Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt gets a hug from holder (17) Hunter Smith after hitting the game-winning field goal in overtime. [Times (2003)]

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For more than three quarters, it seemed further proof that the Bucs had made the right decision by firing Tony Dungy in 2002 and hiring Jon Gruden as his replacement.

Just over eight months after winning the Super Bowl, the Bucs were toying with Dungy’s Colts squad on Monday Night Football, racing to a 28-7, third-quarter lead behind the NFL’s No. 1 defense.

Kennan McCardell seemed to be involved in every big play, catching two of Brad Johnson’s three touchdown passes and returning a fumble 57 yards for another score.

Ronde Barber’s interception return for a touchdown gave the Bucs a seemingly insurmountable 35-14 lead with 6:42 to play.

Then, in a span of five minutes, it all unraveled.

The Colts, aided by Brad Pyatt’s 90-yard kickoff return and Idrees Bashir’s recovery of an onside kick, stormed back to score three touchdowns, sending the game into overtime on Ricky Williams’ 1-yard run with 39 seconds left in regulation.

Mike Vanderjagt missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt in overtime but was awarded a second chance when Bucs defensive end Simeon Rice was penalized for leaping.

Vanderjagt converted from 29 yards, the ball deflecting off the right upright, to give the Colts a 38-35 victory.

And Dungy — who would go on to win a Super Bowl of his own with the Colts three seasons later — gained a measure of revenge against his former team, which he had taken to four playoff appearances in six seasons.

“When you fight against guys you’ve gone to war with," Dungy said after the game, “it’s a tough situation."

1992: Rams 31, Bucs 27

Vinny Testaverde, pictured earlier in the 1992 season, passed for two touchdowns in the Bucs' loss to the Rams. [ Jonathan Daniel/ALLSPORT ]

Rams quarterback Jim Everett, benched one week earlier in a loss to the Vikings, threw three touchdown passes as Los Angeles scored 28 consecutive second-half points to rally from a 24-point deficit in an ESPN Sunday night game.

At the time, it was the greatest comeback in Rams’ history and the third-biggest in league annals. It also was the worst collapse by the Bucs since they gave away a 25-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 1987 game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Bucs built a 27-3 lead behind two Vinny Testaverde touchdown passes and a Roger Jones fumble return for a touchdown.

However, aided by several Bucs turnovers, the Rams scored 21 third-quarter points to narrow their deficit to a field goal.

Less than two minutes into the second half, Everett threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Willie Anderson.

Then, after an Anthony McDowell fumble gave Los Angeles the ball back at the Tampa Bay 42, Everett hit Jeff Chadwick with a 27-yard touchdown pass.

On the Bucs’ next possession, Testaverde’s pass bounced off Mark Carrier and was intercepted by Todd Lyght, who returned the ball 39 yards to the Tampa Bay 13.

Three plays later, David Lang scored on a 1-yard run, making the score 27-24.

The Rams scored the winning touchdown with 5:40 remaining in the game, Everett connecting with Pat Carter over the middle for an 8-yard score.

The loss spoiled a big night for Bucs running back Reggie Cobb, who finished with 100 yards to go over 1,000 for the season.

2015: Washington 31, Bucs 30

Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) trots out of the end zone after scoring a touchdown as Bucs strong safety Chris Conte (23) walks by. [OCTAVIO JONES | Times]

It was one of the most complete offensive performances in Bucs history.

Quarterback Jameis Winston passed for nearly 300 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Wide receiver Mike Evans caught eight passes for 167 yards, including a 40-yard score. Running back Doug Martin rushed for 136 yards.

The 479 total yards were fifth-most in a game in franchise history.

Which only made the outcome even more difficult to accept.

The Bucs blew all of a 24-0 lead, matching the second-biggest collapse in club history.

Kirk Cousins’ 6-yard toss to tight end Jordan Reed with 24 seconds left completed the largest comeback in the Washington franchise’s history.

“You like that! You like that!” Cousins yelled to reporters as he walked to the locker room following the game.

The Bucs largely did themselves in, being penalized 16 times for 142 yards. They also were caught by surprise by an onside kick, recovered by Trenton Robinson. Cousins connected with Reed on the ensuing drive, bringing Washington back to 24-21.

For all of its prodigiousness on the stat sheet, the Bucs offense managed just a pair of field goals in the second half.

The Bucs had a chance to put the game away late in the fourth quarter after driving 91 yards to the Washington 5. But three plays failed to result in a touchdown, and they had to settle for a field goal.

“This is one of those losses you get a permanent scar from,” Bucs linebacker Lavonte David said afterward.

1987: Cardinals 31, Bucs 28

St. Louis Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax passes against the Bucs in 1987. [Times (1987)]

After Donald Igwebuike’s kick in the closing seconds hit the crossbar and bounced back onto the field of play, Bucs defensive end Kevin Kellin picked up the ball and briefly considered running into the end zone with it.

For all the good it would have done.

The game, which the Bucs once led by 25 points, was lost.

“We should have won this game," Kellin said afterward. "We should have beaten this team.”

Up to that point, every other NFL team in their position had.

No team had ever led by as many points in the fourth quarter and lost. It remains the biggest blown lead in Bucs history.

Quarterback Steve DeBerg led the early onslaught, throwing three touchdown passes. One went to running back Jeff Smith, whose 3-yard run with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter staked the Bucs to a commanding 28-3 lead.

But the Cardinals scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, capped by a 17-yard pass from Neil Lomax to J.T. Smith — Lomax’s third scoring pass of the quarter — with 2:01 remaining to take a 31-28 lead.

The Bucs had one last chance, driving to the Cardinals 36 with five seconds remaining. Their hopes rested with Igwebuike, who was attempting 53-yard field goal, two yards shy of his career long.

After a seemingly interminable wait in the air, Igwebuike’s kick collided with the crossbar and bounced the wrong way.

The rest is (Bucs) history.

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