/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/B6ZHSOGJL4I6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.jpg "Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is seen during an \"open OTA practice\" at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, June 1, 2017. LOREN ELLIOTT | Times ")
Sustained improvement isn't easy in the NFL — the Bucs have a chance to improve their win total for the third year straight season, something that's happened once in the franchise's 41-year history. The Bucs were winless in 1976, won two in 1977, five in 1978 and 10 (and a playoff appearance) in 1979.
In the NFL, it's happened less than once a year in the last decade, and such a climb often coincides with a team getting a quarterback in the first round after a difficult first season. Here are the seven times in the past decade an NFL team has improved its win total three years in a row:
| Team (Years) | Wins Year 1 | Wins Year 2 | Wins Year 3 | Wins Year 4 | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons (2013-16) | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 | Dirk Koetter there for first 2 years |
| Cardinals (2012-15) | 5 | 10 | 11 | 13 | Added Carson Palmer in 2013 |
| Bengals (2010-13) | 4 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Drafted Andy Dalton in 2011 |
| Panthers (2010-13) | 2 | 6 | 7 | 12 | Drafted Cam Newton in 2011 |
| Lions (2008-11) | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | Drafted Matt Stafford in 2009 |
| Vikings (2006-09) | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Four different QBs, ending with Brett Favre |
| Titans (2005-08) | 4 | 8 | 10 | 13 | Drafted Vince Young in 2006 |
The Bucs — 2 wins in 2014, 6 in 2015, 9 in 2016 -- could join this group with Jameis Winston joining in Year 2 of that ascent, much like the Titans (2, 3, 9 wins) with Marcus Mariota and the Raiders (3, 7, 12) in three years with Derek Carr.
Greg Auman, Times staff writer
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