The 2010 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 35th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Raheem Morris.
The Buccaneers entered the season attempting to improve on their 3–13 record and last place finish in the NFC South in 2009, a feat they accomplished after only six games.
John McKay, the team's first head coach, became the second inductee into the Ring of Honor on December 5 during a game against Atlanta.
McKay's son Rich, a former Buccaneers general manager, and current president of the Falcons, accepted the award for his late father.
[1][2] Despite finishing the season with a 10–6 record (a seven-game improvement from the year before), the team failed to sell out any of its home games at Raymond James Stadium, and narrowly missed the playoffs.
These undrafted free agents have a long shot of making the team for the start of the regular season but there have been some notable recent Buccaneer success stories such as Clifton Smith and Elbert Mack.
One the first play of the second quarter, Cody Grimm intercepted Palmer, and returned the ball 11 yards for a touchdown for a 7–7 tie.
Palmer found Jermaine Gresham for a 1-yard touchdown pass (along with a successful Cedric Benson 2-point conversion run) to take a 21–14 lead.
Tampa Bay scored in the fourth quarter with Josh Freeman completing 2-yard touchdown pass to Micheal Spurlock, and avoided a shutout.
Josh Freeman led the team on a 16-play, 81-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to "Cadillac" Williams with 10 seconds left in the game.
The Buccaneers won their fifth straight road game (dating back to the previous season) with a shootout win against the Cardinals.
Early in the second quarter, Buccaneers returner Sammie Stroughter muffed a punt and the ball was recovered by the Cardinals at the Tampa Bay 16-yard line.
On the ensuing drive, Josh Freeman drove the Buccaneers 80 yards in only three plays, completing a 47-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams and a 14–14 tie.
Tampa Bay drove 94 yards in the final three minutes, and Connor Barth kicked a field goal as the half expired.
Michael Turner rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns, as the Falcons held off the Buccaneers 27–21 in an NFC South division rivalry game.
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Falcons the Buccaneers played on home ground for an NFC South rivalry match against the Panthers.
In the 1st quarter the Buccaneers took the lead as QB Josh Freeman made an 8-yard TD pass to WR Arrelious Benn.
Tampa Bay sacked Troy Smith six times, forced two turnovers, and held the 49ers to only 189 total yards of offense, in a shutout win by the score of 21–0.
Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay drove 80 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a 6-yard touchdown run by Cadillac Williams.
With 3:36 remaining in the third quarter, Josh Freeman completed a pass 33 yards to Mike Williams to the San Francisco 33-yard line.
The Tampa Bay defense forced a turnover on downs, and on San Francisco's next possession, Ronde Barber intercepted Troy Smith.
Tied 7–7 in the second quarter, Matt Ryan completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ovie Mughelli and a 14–7 Atlanta lead.
On the next play, Josh Freeman completed a 64-yard pass to Arrelious Benn, which led to a field goal, and the game went to halftime with Washington leading 10–3.
With less than 4 minutes left, Tampa Bay took the lead 17–10 when Freeman threw a touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow II, then rushed in himself for the two-point conversion.
On the extra point try, the snap sailed over the head of holder Hunter Smith, and the attempt failed, giving the Buccaneers the victory by a score of 17–16.
Had the Buccaneers won (or tied) this game, they would have qualified for the playoffs and denied the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers a postseason berth.
Micheal Spurlock returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards to the Seattle 17-yard line, setting up a Connor Barth field goal.
Tampa Bay scored 31 unanswered points, including two touchdown passes apiece from Freeman to Kellen Winslow and Mike Williams.
Trailing 3–7 in the second quarter, the Buccaneers took the lead with Josh Freeman completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe.
Despite their improvement and being in the playoff hunt, Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first NFL team of the 2010 season to not sell out a single home game.