| 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Glazer family |
| General manager | Jason Licht |
| Head coach | Dirk Koetter |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 2
|
| AP All-Pros | 3
|
The 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League and the first under head coach Dirk Koetter. In week 13, the club won their seventh game, eclipsing their win total from 2015.
After winning on opening day, Tampa Bay sputtered through the rest of September. Starting running back Doug Martin was sidelined for eight weeks with a hamstring injury, necessitating back-up running backs taking his place in the lineup. After receiving adequate performances from Charles Sims and Antone Smith, both subsequently ended up on injured reserve, along with wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Cecil Shorts. A victory on Monday night against division rival Carolina saw Tampa Bay begin a streak in which they won seven out of their next nine games. Between weeks 10 and 14, the Buccaneers achieved their first five-game winning streak since their first Super Bowl championship season.
Losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints late in the season hampered the Buccaneers' playoff hopes; heading into week 17, the team was still mathematically alive for a wild card berth, but despite defeating the Carolina Panthers, the team missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Buccaneers finished tied with the Detroit Lions for the last NFC playoff spot, but lost the tiebreaker because they had a worse record against common opponents than the Lions did. Nevertheless, the Buccaneers achieved their first winning season since the 2010 campaign, when they also narrowly missed the playoffs.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Vernon Hargreaves III | CB | Florida |
| 2 | 39 | Noah Spence | DE | Eastern Kentucky University |
| 2 | 59 | Roberto Aguayo | K | Florida State |
| 4 | 108 | Ryan Smith | CB | North Carolina Central |
| 5 | 148 | Caleb Benenoch | OT | UCLA |
| 6 | 183 | Devante Bond | OLB | Oklahoma |
| 6 | 197 | Dan Vitale | TE | Northwestern |
Notes
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 9–17 | 0–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–21 | 1–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | Cleveland Browns | W 30–13 | 2–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 [upper-alpha 1] | Washington Redskins | L 13–20 | 2–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 31–24 | 1–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 7–40 | 1–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | Los Angeles Rams | L 32–37 | 1–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | Denver Broncos | L 7–27 | 1–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | at Carolina Panthers | W 17–14 | 2–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 23 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 34–17 | 3–3 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | Oakland Raiders | L 24–30 (OT) | 3–4 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | Atlanta Falcons | L 28–43 | 3–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | Chicago Bears | W 36–10 | 4–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 19–17 | 5–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | Seattle Seahawks | W 14–5 | 6–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at San Diego Chargers | W 28–21 | 7–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | New Orleans Saints | W 16–11 | 8–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 20–26 | 8–6 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at New Orleans Saints | L 24–31 | 8–7 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | Carolina Panthers | W 17–16 | 9–7 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Falcons | 10 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 24 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 281 yards and four touchdown passes, as Tampa Bay defeated Atlanta 31–24. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 31–13 lead late in the third quarter, then held off a rally by the Falcons. Atlanta got the ball back trailing by 7 with just under two minutes to go, but managed only one first down, and turned the ball over on downs to end the game.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 40 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Arizona routed Tampa Bay 40–7. Quarterback Jameis Winston threw four interceptions and lost one fumble. Running back Doug Martin left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 10 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
| Buccaneers | 6 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 32 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With Los Angeles leading 37–32 at two minute warning, the game was suspended for an hour and ten minutes due to lightning in the area. When the game resumed, the Rams faced 3rd & 11 at their own 5 yard line. Case Keenum threw an incompletion, and the Rams punted to Tampa Bay. Jameis Winston drove the Buccaneers to the Rams 15 yard line in the final minute. With 4 seconds left in regulation, Winston rolled out to his left, but with no receivers open, scrambled 10 yards downfield, and was tackled at the 5 yard line to end the game.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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For the second consecutive week, Tampa Bay endured a weather delay. Midway through the fourth quarter, the game was suspended for 90 minutes due to lightning. Denver defeated Tampa Bay 27–7. Jameis Winston ran for a touchdown, but threw two interceptions in the loss.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 17 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay snapped Carolina's six game winning streak in the series, as the two clubs met on Monday Night Football. With Cam Newton sidelined due to concussion protocol, Derek Anderson started for Carolina. Anderson threw two interceptions and lost one fumble. With the game tied 14-14, Tampa Bay drove to the Panthers 20 yard line in the final minute. After missing two attempts earlier in the game, Roberto Aguayo kicked a 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| 49ers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Jameis Winston threw for 269 yards and three touchdown passes, while Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 154 yards. After falling behind 14–0, Tampa Bay scored 27 unanswered points, and pulled away for a 34–17 victory.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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In this Super Bowl XXXVII rematch, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw for 513 yards and four touchdown passes as the Raiders won in overtime. With 1:55 remaining in the overtime period, on a 4th down & 3, Carr threw a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 43 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay's only highlight came in the fourth quarter when Mike Evans made a spectacular one-handed sideline catch. However, he was hit and left the game with a concussion. He did finish on a solid note with 11 receptions along with 150 yards and two scores.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 36 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay beat Chicago in dominating fashion for their first home victory of the season. Chris Conte intercepted a Jay Cutler pass and returned the ball 20 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to start the scoring. Jameis Winston threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, including a busted play and scramble to his own endzone which resulted in a remarkable 39-yard completion to Mike Evans. Doug Martin returned to the lineup, and scored a rushing touchdown.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Tampa Bay won their second straight game, this one against a team that was highly favored to win. Jameis Winston threw for over 300 yards while Mike Evans received for over 100 yards. The offense was efficient, especially on third down where they went 11 of 15. The defense came up big as well, with safety Chris Conte getting an interception in the end zone, his second straight game with a pick. Rookie kicker Roberto Aguyao, who has struggled throughout the season, went 5/5 on kicks, making 4 field goals and 1 extra point. With this win, the Bucs got back to .500, took sole possession of second place in the NFC South, and improved their road record to 4-1.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Buccaneers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming into a game where Seattle was highly favored to win, Tampa Bay earned their third straight win in impressive fashion. After scoring two Winston to Evans touchdowns in the first quarter, the defense held up and didn't allow any offensive touchdowns. The only points scored against them were a safety after a holding call in the endzone and a Seattle field goal. The defense also held Seattle to just one 3rd down conversion on 11 attempts, with the sole conversion coming in the 4th quarter. Seattle QB Russell Wilson was sacked six times and two of his passes were intercepted, one of those interceptions coming from CB Alterraun Verner. With this upset win, the Bucs moved over .500 for the first time through 11 games since 2012, and sits a half a game behind the final wildcard spot.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 28 |
| Chargers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Bucs won their fourth consecutive game. After being down at the half 14–7, the Bucs outscored the Chargers 21–7 in the second half. The win gives the Bucs a 7–5 record (5–1 on the road) and since the Redskins (6–4–1) lost, the Bucs took over the final wildcard spot. Also since the Falcons (7–5) lost, they are now tied with them atop the NFC South. After the game, the Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys was flexed from a normal 1 p.m. kickoff to Sunday Night Football.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Buccaneers won their fifth consecutive game after another impressive showing from the defense. The defense picked off Drew Brees three times, including one to seal the win. They also held the Saints offense to zero offensive touchdowns. The win puts the Buccaneers at 8–5, and they now have a chance to finish the season with a record over .500, the first since the 2010 season.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 26 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Buccaneers five-game winning streak came to an end with this loss. After being down 17–6 at the half, the Bucs came out hot in the second half scoring two touchdowns on throws to receiver Adam Humphries and tight end Cameron Brate, taking a 20–17 lead going into the fourth quarter. After three Dallas field goals in the fourth, the Bucs had a chance to drive down the field for a last second touchdown. On 4th down with around 30 seconds remaining, Winston threw an interception to seal the game. With the loss, the Buccaneers move to 8–6 on the season.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Saints | 7 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Bucs' playoff hopes took hits after a second loss in a row, this time to the New Orleans Saints. Their defense was shaky, as they allowed 13 points in the first half of the game, and 18 points in the second half. This put the Bucs outside the playoff picture, and left them requiring victory in week 17 as well as hoping for the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers to both lose. Mark Ingram II scored two touchdowns, during the game, and Jameis Winston was picked off twice during the game, unlike the previous meeting of the two teams a couple weeks ago. [3]
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Bucs closed out the season sweeping the season series against Carolina. The game came down to the wire, with Carolina coming within one after scoring a touchdown with 17 seconds left to play. Instead of tying it up with an extra point, Carolina failed on an attempted two-point conversion. In addition to this win, the Buccaneers' playoff hopes required six other Week 17 results (including a tie between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins) to fall their way in order to secure a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Green Bay Packers for the final wild-card berth. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins. However, they finished 9–7, their first winning record since finishing 10–6 in the 2010 season, and would pick 19th overall in the upcoming NFL Draft.
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Atlanta Falcons | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 540 | 406 | W4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 354 | 369 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 469 | 454 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 369 | 402 | L2 |
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | .471 | .440 | L1 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .480 | .452 | W4 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .441 | .425 | W1 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .508 | .453 | W6 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .486 | .455 | W1 |
| 6 [lower-alpha 1] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .475 | .392 | L3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 [lower-alpha 1] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .434 | W1 |
| 8 | Washington Redskins | East | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .516 | .430 | L1 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .492 | .457 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .463 | .366 | W2 |
| 11 [lower-alpha 2] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .523 | .393 | L1 |
| 12 [lower-alpha 2] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .559 | .518 | W2 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .518 | .354 | L2 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .504 | .500 | L7 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .396 | L4 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .504 | .250 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 3] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the third and final under head coach Raheem Morris. The team competed in the NFC South. Both of their preseason home games, and seven of their regular season home games were played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. One regular season home game was played at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the NFL International Series.
The 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first season under new head coach Greg Schiano after the former head coach Raheem Morris was fired due to the team's record of 4–12 last season. This was Ronde Barber's last season before retiring in the 2013 off-season.
The 2013 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 38th in the National Football League (NFL), and second and final under head coach Greg Schiano. It also marked the 19th and final season under the ownership of Malcolm Glazer, who died on May 28, 2014. The Buccaneers finished with a record of 4–12 and failed to improve their 7–9 record from last season, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 13. For the first time since 1996, longtime cornerback Ronde Barber was not on the roster, as he retired in May 2013.
The 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the first season under head coach Lovie Smith, replacing Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the 2013 season. It was also the first season under general manager Jason Licht, following the departure of Mark Dominik, after a disappointing 2013 season. It also marked the first season under new ownership since 1994, after longtime owner Malcolm Glazer died on May 28, 2014. Glazer's sons took over team operations.
The 2015 season was the St. Louis Rams' 78th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth under head coach Jeff Fisher, and their 21st and final season in St. Louis, Missouri, their home since the 1995 season.
The 2015 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Jay Gruden and first under general manager Scot McCloughan. Quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered a concussion during the second preseason game and consequently missed the rest of the preseason. Kirk Cousins was later named the starter for the season, and set multiple Redskins franchise records.
The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
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. The team wore a patch to commemorate the club's 40th season.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium. The previous year, the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions.
The 2016 New York Giants season was the franchise's 92nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh season playing their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the first under head coach Ben McAdoo.
The 2016 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 20th playing their home games at FedExField and the third under head coach Jay Gruden.
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
The 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 20th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and the second under head coach Dirk Koetter.
The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.
The 2018 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 53rd in the National Football League, their second playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their fourth under head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons attempted to be the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium as an expected Super Bowl contender. However, the Falcons were riddled with injuries, losing 7 starters to IR with the Falcons stumbling to a 1–4 start.
The 2018 season was the Carolina Panthers' 24th in the National Football League (NFL) and their eighth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was the team's first season without former assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason and former offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who became the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2018 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final under head coach Dirk Koetter.
The 2019 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 44th in the National Football League (NFL), their 22nd playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and their first under head coach Bruce Arians. Despite improving on their 5–11 record from 2018 with a Week 14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Buccaneers missed the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, which meant the Buccaneers were one of two teams to not qualify for the postseason in the 2010s, with the other team being the Cleveland Browns.
