2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

The 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 40th season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Lovie Smith. The offseason was marked by the draft selection of All-American Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.

2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
OwnerThe Glazer family
Head coachLovie Smith
General managerJason Licht
Home fieldRaymond James Stadium
Results
Record6–10
Division place4th NFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersDoug Martin, RB
Gerald McCoy, DL
Lavonte David, LB
Logan Mankins, OG
Jameis Winston, QB

The team wore a patch to commemorate the club's 40th season.[1]

By week eight, the team had already improved on their record from 2014 (2-14) by winning their third game against the Atlanta Falcons. Entering the month of December, the team found themselves mathematically in the hunt for a playoff berth with a 6-6 record. The Buccaneers lost their final four games of the season to finish 6-10 and last in the NFC South for the fifth straight year. Despite missing the playoffs, Doug Martin finished second in the league in rushing yards (just 82 yards shy of Adrian Peterson), and the franchise had their first ever season finishing in the top five in total offense.

On January 6, 2016, head coach Lovie Smith was fired after two seasons as head coach.[2]

2015 draft class
Main article: 2015 NFL draft
2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
11 Jameis WinstonQBFlorida State
234 Donovan SmithOTPenn State
61 Ali MarpetGHobart
4124 Kwon AlexanderLBLSU
5162 Kenny BellWRNebraska
6184 Kaelin ClayWRUtah
7231 Joey IosefaFBHawaii

Notes

  • The Buccaneers acquired additional selections in the fourth- and sixth-rounds (Nos. 109 and 184 overall, respectively) in a trade that sent safety Mark Barron to the St. Louis Rams.
  • The Buccaneers traded their original fourth- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 101 and 178 overall, respectively) and tight end Tim Wright to the New England Patriots in exchange for guard Logan Mankins and the Patriots' fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).
  • The Buccaneers acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 162 overall) in a trade that sent guard/center Jeremy Zuttah to the Baltimore Ravens.
  • The Buccaneers traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall), along with a 2014 seventh-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the Bills' 2014 fifth-round selection during the third day of the 2014 NFL draft.
  • The Buccaneers acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall) and in addition with defensive end George Johnson from the Detroit Lions in exchange for the fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall) that was acquired from the Patriots.

Staff
2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Final roster
2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 13 inactive, 9 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 15 at Minnesota Vikings L 16–26 0–1 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
2 August 24 Cincinnati Bengals W 25–11 1–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
3 August 29 Cleveland Browns L 7–31 1–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
4 September 3 at Miami Dolphins W 22–17 2–2 Sun Life Stadium Recap

Regular season
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 13 Tennessee Titans L 14–42 0–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
2 September 20 at New Orleans Saints W 26–19 1–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
3 September 27 at Houston Texans L 9–19 1–2 NRG Stadium Recap
4 October 4 Carolina Panthers L 23–37 1–3 Raymond James Stadium Recap
5 October 11 Jacksonville Jaguars W 38–31 2–3 Raymond James Stadium Recap
6 Bye
7 October 25 at Washington Redskins L 30–31 2–4 FedExField Recap
8 November 1 at Atlanta Falcons W 23–20 (OT) 3–4 Georgia Dome Recap
9 November 8 New York Giants L 18–32 3–5 Raymond James Stadium Recap
10 November 15 Dallas Cowboys W 10–6 4–5 Raymond James Stadium Recap
11 November 22 at Philadelphia Eagles W 45–17 5–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
12 November 29 at Indianapolis Colts L 12–25 5–6 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
13 December 6 Atlanta Falcons W 23–19 6–6 Raymond James Stadium Recap
14 December 13 New Orleans Saints L 17–24 6–7 Raymond James Stadium Recap
15 December 17 at St. Louis Rams L 23–31 6–8 Edward Jones Dome Recap
16 December 27 Chicago Bears L 21–26 6–9 Raymond James Stadium Recap
17 January 3 at Carolina Panthers L 10–38 6–10 Bank of America Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week One: Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 21 14 7042
Buccaneers 0 7 0714

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Opening day was a matchup between the No. 1 overall and the No. 2 overall selections in the 2015 NFL draft. Jameis Winston started at quarterback for Tampa Bay, and Marcus Mariota started at quarterback for Tennessee. Mariota snagged the headlines for the day, passing for 209 yards and four touchdowns as the Titans routed the Buccaneers 42–14. Winston’s Buccaneer debut was mostly forgetful, as his first pass attempt in the NFL was a "pick 6" interception.

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints
Week Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 7 13326
Saints 0 7 01219

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Tampa Bay rebounded after their week 1 loss, and defeated the New Orleans Saints for the first time since October 2011. Jameis Winston threw a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown, as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 23-7 lead. The Saints rallied, and had two chances for a game-tying touchdown in the final 8 seconds. Drew Brees final throw was knocked down at the endline, and the Buccaneers snapped a 7-game losing streak dating back to the 2014 season.

Week 3: at Houston Texans
Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 9 009
Texans 7 0 3919

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza missed three field goals and missed an extra point, as Tampa Bay fell at Houston by the score of 19–9. Jameis Winston threw for 261 yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception in the loss. Brindza did make a 58-yard field goal in the second quarter, which was the second-longest field goal in franchise history. Midway through the third quarter Vincent Jackson appeared to catch a 23-yard touchdown pass from Winston, but it was overturned after review, when it was determined that he did not get both feet down.

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Panthers 10 7 14637
Buccaneers 3 7 7623

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: October 4
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 74 °F (23.3 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 57,468
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Cam Newton threw for 124 yards and two touchdown passes, as Carolina beat Tampa Bay by the score of 37–23. Jameis Winston threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, but threw four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and lost a fumbled snap in the defeat. After his struggles the previous week, Buccaneers kicker Kyle Brindza missed two field goals and an extra point, and was cut by the club on Monday morning.

Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Five: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 14 10731
Buccaneers 3 17 11738

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Tampa Bay snapped an 11-game home losing streak that dated back to December 2013, defeating Jacksonville by the score of 38–31. Doug Martin rushed for 123 yards, two touchdowns, and had one receiving touchdown. Connor Barth returned to the club as kicker, going 3-for-3 on field goals, and 3-for-3 on extra points.

Week 7: at Washington Redskins
Week Seven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 10 14 0630
Redskins 0 7 141031

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: October 25
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 64 °F (17.8 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 72,912
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Tampa Bay blew a 24–0 lead to the Redskins . Kirk Cousins threw a game-winning 6-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Reed with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons
Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Buccaneers 3 10 70323
Falcons 3 0 710020

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

Atlanta turned the ball over four times, twice inside the red zone. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 17-point lead, with 20 points scored off of turnovers. However, Matt Ryan threw a game-tying touchdown pass to Julio Jones with 17 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. The Buccaneers won the coin toss in overtime, and scored a field goal on their first possession. The Tampa Bay defense held Atlanta to a turnover on downs, securing a 23–20 victory.

Week 9: vs. New York Giants
Week Nine: New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Giants 10 7 31232
Buccaneers 6 3 3618

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: November 8
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 80 °F (26.7 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 64,351
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Jameis Winston scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown run with 9:25 remaining, but the potential game-tying two point conversion attempt failed. The Giants subsequently kicked two field goals to go back up by 8 points. The Buccaneers attempted a hook and lateral play as time expired, but Trevin Wade of the Giants recovered the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown the other way.

Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Ten: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 3 006
Buccaneers 0 3 0710

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Dallas and Tampa Bay were limited to field goals for the first 59 minutes of the game. Trailing 6-3 with just over one minute left, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston scrambled for a 4-yard run to the endzone, but lost the ball as he was up-ended just short of the goal line. Dallas recovered the fumble, but was penalized for defensive holding by Jeff Heath. On the next play, Winston ran a naked bootleg for a 1-yard touchdown and a 10-6 Tampa Bay lead with 59 seconds remaining in regulation. With 28 seconds left, Matt Cassel's pass intended for Dez Bryant was intercepted by Bradley McDougald in the endzone to secure the victory. Bryant lobbied for pass interference due to contact by McDougald, but it was not called. It was Tampa Bay's first victory against Dallas since 2003, and the Cowboys' 7th straight loss (all without Tony Romo).

Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 7 21 71045
Eagles 7 7 0317

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

Doug Martin rushed for 235 yards, and Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes (tying an NFL rookie record), as Tampa Bay routed the Eagles by a score of 45–17. The combined 283 rushing yards was a franchise record for the Buccaneers, and the 521 total offensive yards was the second-highest regular season total in team history.

Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Twelve: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 9 0012
Colts 3 3 13625

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

Matt Hasselbeck threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns passes to T. Y. Hilton as the Colts defeated Tampa Bay 25-12.

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 9 3719
Buccaneers 7 0 9723

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26.1 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 58,221
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Tampa Bay swept Atlanta for the first time since 2007. Jameis Winston threw for 227 yards, one touchdown pass, and one rushing touchdown. Winston connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 1:39 remaining for the game-winning score. One play later, Lavonte David sealed the win with an interception of Matt Ryan on the first play of the Falcons' final drive.

Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Fourteen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 7 10 7024
Buccaneers 0 10 0717

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27.2 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 62,138
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Drew Brees threw for 312 yards and two touchdown passes, as New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 24-17. The Saints jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, and led 17–10 at halftime. Tampa Bay made the score 24-17 after Jameis Winston threw a touchdown pass to Adam Humphries with just under 9 minutes left in regulation. Trailing by 7, the Buccaneers got the ball back with 5:22 to go, but went 3-and-out. The Saints were then able to run out the clock to secure the win.

Week 15: at St. Louis Rams
Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 0 31723
Rams 14 7 7331

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

Game information

Case Keenum threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns for the St. Louis Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Rams jumped out to a 28–6 lead after three quarters. Jameis Winston rallied the Buccaneers with a career-high 363 yards passing, and threw two touchdown passes to trim the deficit to 31–23 with 1:34 left in regulation. An onside kick attempt failed, and the Rams ran out the clock to secure the victory. This would become the final home game for the Rams in St. Louis, as the team relocated back to Los Angeles for the 2016 season.

Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Sixteen: Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 0 13 01326
Buccaneers 7 0 7721

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Jameis Winston’s hail-mary pass touchdown to Austin-Seferian Jenkins is not enough as Tampa Bay fell to Chicago 26–21 in the Buccaneers’ final home game of the season, and Lovie Smith went 0–2 against his former Bears team that fired him at the end of the 2012 season.

Week 17: at Carolina Panthers
Week Seventeen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 0 7010
Panthers 0 24 7738

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: January 3, 2016
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12.2 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 74,169
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Carolina swept the season series, and finished with a record of 15–1. Tampa Bay finished the season losing their final four games, and slipped to 6-10.

Standings

Division
NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Carolina Panthers 15 1 0 .938 5–1 11–1 500 308 W1
Atlanta Falcons 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 339 345 L1
New Orleans Saints 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 408 476 W2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 342 417 L4

Conference
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division Leaders
1 Carolina Panthers South 15 1 0 .938 5–1 11–1 .441 .438 W1
2 Arizona Cardinals West 13 3 0 .813 4–2 10–2 .477 .457 L1
3 Minnesota Vikings North 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .504 .449 W3
4 Washington Redskins East 9 7 0 .563 4–2 8–4 .465 .403 W4
Wild Cards
5[lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .531 .450 L2
6[lower-alpha 1] Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .520 .431 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Atlanta Falcons South 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 .480 .453 L1
8[lower-alpha 2] St. Louis Rams West 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .527 .482 L1
9[lower-alpha 2] Detroit Lions North 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .535 .429 W3
10[lower-alpha 2] Philadelphia Eagles East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 .508 .473 W1
11[lower-alpha 2] New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .504 .402 W2
12[lower-alpha 3] New York Giants East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .500 .396 L3
13[lower-alpha 3] Chicago Bears North 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 .547 .469 L1
14[lower-alpha 3] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 .484 .406 L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .539 .463 W1
16 Dallas Cowboys East 4 12 0 .250 3–3 3–9 .531 .438 L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
  1. Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.
  2. St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
    Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  3. The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record.
  4. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Awards

References
  1. "Bucs will wear 40th anniversary patch". bucsnation.com. May 14, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  2. Win-now desire propels Bucs to fire Lovie Smith
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