Tampa Bay rallied to defeat the New York Jets 29-27 on a Chase McLaughlin's 36-yard field goal as the clock reached 0:00.
TAMPA — Like many people, I have recurring dreams.
Unlike many people, those dreams are not about being late for an appointment or not being prepared for a final exam.
Nope, my dreams are about covering Tampa Bay Buccaneers games. Bad Bucs games. And I'm sitting in the press box not knowing what to write as the deadline clock is ticking.
So, there I was on Sunday, sitting in the press box at Raymond James Stadium and watching a Bucs team wearing the its creamsicle uniforms with Bucco Bruce on the helmets and a sea of orange throughout a half-empty stadium. The Bucs even were blowing a 17-point lead after a blocked field-goal attempt led to the New York Jets going ahead with 1:49 remaining.
But this was no dream and there was no nightmare scenario for the Bucs faithful or a former beat writer who witnessed too many blown leads and losses. Tampa Bay rallied to win the game 29-27 on a Chase McLaughlin 36-yard field goal as the clock reached 0:00.
On a day when the Bucs celebrated their 50th season - complete with former players, coaches and fans who reached into their closets for orange jerseys, t-shirts and caps - Tampa Bay was able to remain undefeated and not ruin the celebration. Even star receiver Mike Evans tweaking a hamstring in the second half and exiting the game was brushed aside afterward.
The moment was not lost on Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. "I thought it was an awesome celebration (for) the 50 seasons. It is a big deal to bring all those guys back and celebrate that and come out with a victory."
Cornerback Zyon McCollum said the players honored set the standard for today's players. "They paved the way for us."
Steve Spurrier led cheers from the stadium's pirate ship
The Bucs actually celebrated their golden anniversary last month at Tampa Theater - even Tom Brady showed up, sneaking in the back entrance. But that was a limited audience and 62,872 showed up for the first home game of the 2025 season.
The first quarterback in Bucs history, Steve Spurrier, may be struggling to get around after recent back surgery but he was able to climb aboard the pirate ship above the north end zone to lead cheers in the first quarter.
The returnees were shown on the giant video board throughout the game celebrating the occasion - whether it was Jon Gruden surrounded by Ronde Barber and Warren Sapp or the running back combo of Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn.
Dozens of former players came onto the field at halftime in the shadow of two giant Super Bowl trophies to celebrate a franchise history that too often was not good - including the infamous 0-26 start and then double-digit losing seasons from 1983 to 1995.
There was a small forum before the game with Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson and former coach Bruce Arians answering questions from the media. One message came through - the Bucs are now happy to embrace their entire history, including all those awful seasons.
They also were glad to talk about Nickerson, the free-agent linebacker, setting the stage for the turnaround by demanding more from his teammates on defense - even if he wasn't around for the first championship season.
Glad to talk about the legacy of former coach Tony Dungy, who encouraged the players to give back to the community. Dunn, whose mother, a police officer in Baton Rouge, LA, was killed while working as a security guard, has provided single mothers assistance in buying homes since 1997 with home furnishings and down-payment assistance.
Glad to talk about all the good things that have happened, including Brooks named NFL Defensive Player of the Year during their first Super Bowl season and NFL Man of the Year for his charitable work. Brooks also was voted the Bucs' top player of those 50 seasons in a poll of media and fans, edging out Lee Roy Selmon, the team's first Hall of Famer.
Malcolm Glazer paid lot of money for a losing franchise
Paul Stewart, a UK resident who started following the Bucs after a "Monday Night Football" win over the Dolphins in the early 1980s, was at the game and prepared for all sort of trivia. For instance, the Bucs were wearing the throwback uniform from 1976 for the first time since that season so a win would be a first in that uniform for a team that went 0-14. Of course, the '76 Bucs did not have a Pick-6 on defense, the way Jamel Dean went 55 yards with a Tyrod Taylor interception. And, those two 55-yard field goals? The longest for the '76 Bucs was 45.
Bucs owner Joel Glazer, whose mother still lives in Palm Beach, was walking through the press box when he stopped to chat with Stewart, who is listed as "The Buccaneer Historical Expert" in the team's media guide. A former Bucs beat writer joined the conversation and we talked about the sad state of affairs when Joel's dad, Malcolm, bought the franchise for a then-NFL-franchise-record $192 million in 1995 and people scoffed.
The Bucs are now worth $6.6 billion, according to Forbes' estimates.
An hour after the game, dozens of Bucs fans were still milling about the field, seeking to snap photos on top of the old logo on the 50-yard line that soon will go back into storage.
But the memories made on a sunny afternoon in Tampa will last forever.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bucs legends from past 50 seasons witness Tampa Bay's final-second win
Category: Football
