The season began with a three-game losing streak, as the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent statistically in each game, but showed a tendency for mental errors at crucial moments.
Despite a poor performance by the offense, the Buccaneers carried a 17–16 lead into the fourth quarter, before the Cowboys rallied for a 30–17 victory following a controversial penalty call.
The team unveiled a new, Wayne Fontes-designed defensive philosophy, featuring tighter coverage to reduce the number of small gains, and increased blitzing to thwart opponents' practice of double-teaming Lee Roy Selmon.
[18] With the NFLPA contract about to expire, union officials became angered over the lack of progress in March meetings, and continued to raise the prospect of a strike.
[19] Other offseason distractions included Hugh Green's arrest for evading police after being pulled over for a speeding ticket, and contract holdouts by Richard Wood and Jimmie Giles.
[24] University of Tennessee defensive line coach and original Miami Dolphin Frank Emanuel was hired, charged with the task of improving the kicking teams that occasionally lost games for the Buccaneers.
[27] Bass' duties were taken over by defensive backfield coach Wayne Fontes, who had turned down a similar offer from the Los Angeles Rams.
[30] Former Notre Dame assistant Jim Gruden was brought in as running backs coach, displacing George Chaump, who turned down an offer to remain in the organization in a different position.
[32] Longtime equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo unexpectedly resigned during the season, for unknown reasons that were revealed a week later, when he was arrested for selling $21,000 worth of stolen game jerseys.
[34] Ricky Bell, the Buccaneers' all-time leading rusher, and Dewey Selmon, their former All-Pro linebacker, joined him shortly afterward, both traded for draft picks.
[37] The undisclosed off-field problems that led to Lewis' trade allegedly involved an argument over a suspension, which McKay interpreted as a challenge to his authority.
[42] Tackle Dave Reavis, a member of the 1976 expansion squad, became the first active player to retire as a Buccaneer,[43] although he was reinstated and rejoined the team later in the season.
[46] The previous year's playoff loss to Dallas drew attention to the team's historical lack of a dominating offensive line, making that position a draft priority.
Second-round pick Booker Reese had ideal physical characteristics for a pass-rushing defensive end, but had to make the difficult jump from Division I-AA to professional football.
Equipment manager Pat Marcuccillo, representing the team in New York, failed to get the message to draft Reese due to a faulty speakerphone, and instead turned in the card with Farrell's name on it.
[63] The on-field preseason action began with Randy Crowder, in his first workout since a 1980 knee injury, suffering a tear of his Achilles tendon that required surgery and meant that he missed a season for the fourth time in his nine years in the NFL.
[71] A similar level of competition existed at linebacker, with Scot Brantley playing well enough to replace Richard Wood in the lineup, and rookie Jeff Davis in contention for a starting spot.
There were 14 new players on the final roster, including nine of the team's eleven draft picks, with the major portion of the turnover occurring at running back and on the defensive line.
Assistant player representative Dave Stalls stated that management was trying to test the strength of an unproven union, and that the bonus amounted to "a bribe not to cross the picket line".
Agreement was difficult, with both sides making demands vastly different from the other, and pronounced personality conflicts between union negotiator Ed Garvey and management representative Jack Donlan.
Garvey and union president Gene Upshaw termed talk of canceling the season "scare tactics", and sent a telegram stating such and reminding owners of their legal responsibility to negotiate.
[87] Shortly afterward, Stalls leveled accusations that a member of the coaching staff had made telephone calls to numerous players, asking them if they would return to camp if it was reopened, and whether they supported the union's proposed wage scale.
The Buccaneers were plagued by mistakes such as Theo Bell dropping a pass in the end zone, and Bill Capece missing a 24-yard field goal attempt.
The Elias Sports Bureau, who had been unable to conceive of a situation in which three or four defensive players reach a quarterback at the same time, was forced to credit Dave Logan, Hugh Green, and Andy Hawkins each with one third of a sack when they all tackled Woodley simultaneously.
[130] Colzie, not simply content to have played a large part in defeating the coach who had previously demoted and traded him, afterward accused Don Shula of intolerance toward outspoken black players.
McKay compared the Saints to the San Francisco 49ers, who the previous season had made the leap to Super Bowl champion after years of poor performances.
[134][135][136] The win was preserved with Dave Stalls' sack of Stabler in the final minute of play, which drove the Saints out of Morten Andersen's regular field goal range.
The Jets had to play without middle linebacker Stan Blinka, who had been suspended for delivering a forearm blow to the head of Packers receiver John Jefferson.
Following that play, a holding penalty and a Neal Colzie sack of Jim McMahon drove the Bears back to the 5-yard line, setting up the touchdown drive that brought the Buccaneers to within three points.
On the following play, third-string safety Monty Hunter made his first career interception, a pass intended for Jimmie Giles, and returned it for the go-ahead touchdown.