Ranking the Green Bay Packers' 10 Best Wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers renew hostilities this Sunday in Tampa, Florida. Some fans may not recall that these two teams were actually division rivals from 1977 to 2001. Here is a look back at the Packers' 10 best wins over the Buccaneers.
For a while in the late 1990s, this rivalry featured two all-time greats who respected each other but were fierce competitors: future Hall of Famer Brett Favre and Bucs' Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp.
Games on this list are ranked according to the excitement of the game, how important the win was for the Packers and historical performances made during the game by the team or any player.
Feel free to comment on any game on this list or to mention a game you feel belongs but was omitted. As always, please indicate why you feel the way you do.
Honorable Mentions
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October 23, 1977: Packers 13, Buccaneers 0
The Packers entered their first-ever meeting with the Buccaneers with a 1-4 record and were fearful that they may become the first team ever to lose to the Bucs in a regular-season game. John McKay's club was 0-19 since it joined the NFL the previous season.
The Packers manage to avoid the potential embarrassment and emerged with a 13-0 win. Chester Marcol kicked two field goals in the second quarter, while Eric Torkelson scored the game's only touchdown in the third quarter, which was set up by a blocked punt by backup linebacker Jim Gueno.
Torkelson led the rushing attack with 73 yards on 22 carries and also caught three passes for another 23 yards.
The Green Bay defense forced three turnovers and limited the Tampa Bay offense to 188 total yards for the game.
December 24, 2000: Packers 17, Buccaneers 14 (OT)
Ryan Longwell kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime to clinch a 17-14 win for the Packers and guarantee Green Bay a winning season in Mike Sherman's first year as coach.
Ahman Green ran for a pair of scores to give the Pack a 14-0 lead, but the Buccaneers tied it midway through the fourth quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica.
Green was forced to leave the game due to an injured ankle, and backup De'Mond Parker broke off a 21-yard run to set up the winning kick in overtime.
Brett Favre struggled against the tough Tampa Bay defense, completing only 20 of his 42 passes for 196 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown and was picked off twice.
The Pack entered their season finale with slim playoff hopes, but they were dashed before the game even ended.
November 16, 2003: Packers 21, Buccaneers 13
Brett Favre had a broken thumb, but it didn't stop him from extending his consecutive games streak. This game was mostly a defensive struggle with the two teams combining for just 25 first downs.
Favre threw for only 92 yards and one touchdown, but it was enough to lead his team to a win. Green led the Green Bay rushing attack with 109 yards and a touchdown. His score was the only points by either team in the fourth quarter and broke a 13-13 tie.
The Bucs failed to sack Favre in this game, snapping a streak of 69 straight games that the vaunted Tampa Bay defense had at least one sack.
10. November 20, 2011: Packers 35, Buccaneers 26
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Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers improved their season record to a perfect 10-0.
The Packers scored first on a one-yard touchdown run by defensive tackle B.J. Raji. A five-yard touchdown pass to Tom Crabtree gave the Packers an early 14-0 lead.
The Pack never trailed, but the game wasn't out of reach until Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 2:55 left to go. It was Nelson's second touchdown catch of the game.
Tramon Williams had a pair of interceptions for the Packers, who allowed Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman to pass for 342 yards and two scores.
With the 10-0 start, the 2011 team tied the 1962 Packers for the best start to a season in franchise history. The Pack had also extended their winning streak to 16 games dating to the end of the previous season.
9. December 12, 1983: Packers 12, Buccaneers 9 (OT)
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This game may not have been pretty to watch, but it was full of history on and off the field and kept the Packers' playoff hopes alive at the time.
Jan Stenerud kicked the winning field goal 5:07 into overtime to improve the Packers' record to 8-7-0 and place them in a tie with the Detroit Lions for first place in the NFC Central. Stenerud kicked four field goals in the game to provide the Packers with all of their points.
In this game, he passed George Blanda for first place in NFL history with 338 career field goals.
None of Stenerud's heroics would have been possible if not for the poor kicking of his counterpart, Tampa Bay's Bill Capece. He missed an extra point and a 35-yard field goal. Had he made either of them, Tampa Bay would have won the game in regulation. Capece never kicked in another NFL regular-season game again.
The win was also Bart Starr's last as head coach of the Packers. One week later, the Packers lost to the Chicago Bears in their season finale and missed the playoffs. Starr was fired shortly after the game.
Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey also made history during this game by passing the 4,000-yard mark for the season. That had only been done four times previously in NFL history (Joe Namath, Dan Fouts twice and Brian Sipe were the others). Dickey finished the season with a career-high 4,458 yards passing.
For trivia buffs, this was also the last game Howard Cosell announced on Monday Night Football. He had been with the show since it started in 1970.
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8. December 3, 1989: Packers 17, Buccaneers 16
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The 1989 Packers earned the nickname "The Cardiac Pack" for their penchant for pulling out close games in the final seconds. This 17-16 win over the Bucs in Tampa was a prime example. Chris Jacke booted a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Pack their eighth win of the season.
Don Majkowski threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Green Bay offense. His favorite target, Sterling Sharpe, caught eight passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
The Packers defense also made several big plays including five interceptions of Vinny Testaverde.
Tampa Bay took the lead with just 1:35 remaining in the game on a 36-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike, but Majkowski led the Packers on one last drive. The key play was a 17-yard completion to Carl Bland that put the ball at the Tampa Bay 30 and set up the winning kick.
7. September 1, 1996: Packers 34, Buccaneers 3
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Most football analysts predicted the Green Bay Packers would be a dominant team in 1996 after reaching the NFC Championship Game the previous season. The Pack proved the experts right on opening day as they dominated the Bucs in Tampa and spoiled the debut of new Tampa Bay head coach Tony Dungy.
Brett Favre proved he was ready for the new season after spending time in rehab over the summer due to an addiction to painkillers. The reigning league MVP threw for 247 yards and four touchdown passes as Green Bay cruised to a 34-3 road win.
Tight end Keith Jackson caught three scoring passes including a 51-yard scoring pass in the second quarter that gave the Pack a 24-3 halftime lead.
The Packers defense forced six turnovers including four interceptions of Trent Dilfer.
Green Bay finished the season with a 13-3-0 mark and went on to win its first championship since Super Bowl II.
6. October 5, 1997: Packers 21, Buccaneers 16
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The defending Super Bowl-champion Packers showed division rival Tampa Bay they were still the team to beat in the NFC Central. The Pack handed the Buccaneers their first loss of the season, 21-16, at Lambeau Field. Green Bay improved its record to 4-2-0 on the season, while Tampa Bay dropped to 5-1-0.
The Packers led 21-3 at the half. The Pack sandwiched a pair of touchdown passes from Brett Favre to Antonio Freeman around a 77-yard interception return by big defensive lineman Gabe Wilkins.
Green Bay seemed poised to add to its lead in the third quarter, but Hardy Nickerson blocked a 47-yard field goal try by Ryan Longwell, and that changed the momentum of the game.
Rushing touchdowns by Michael Alstott in the third quarter and Warrick Dunn in the fourth pulled the Bucs to within 21-16, but Trent Dilfer's final drive stalled at the Tampa Bay 46. The Packers held on for a vital victory.
5. October 29, 1978: Packers 9, Buccaneers 7
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It wasn't a pretty effort, but the Packers found a way to eke out a 9-7 win against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field.
The Packers offense had trouble moving the ball for most of this contest. Green Bay's offense also turned the ball over four times, which derailed most of the drives it did put together.
The Pack got off to a good start and led 6-0 early on a two-yard run by Terdell Middleton. The extra point was no good because of a bobbled snap.
Green Bay's defense was dominant, holding Tampa Bay to just seven first downs and 170 total yards for the entire game. Tampa Bay quarterback Doug Williams completed only five passes.
The Bucs took the lead in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Ricky Bell. He finished with only 30 yards on 20 carries for the game.
David Whitehurst started the Packers' final drive with 2:18 left in the game. Key plays included a 21-yard pass to rookie wide receiver James Lofton and a 12-yard toss to Aundra Thompson.
The Packers were down to their final chance, facing 4th-and-10 at the Tampa Bay 47 with 1:20 left on the clock when Whitehurst came through with a desperation 18-yard pass to Steve Odom to keep the drive alive.
That set up kicker Chester Marcol for a 48-yard field goal try for the win with just 41 seconds left. He was aided by a 17-mph wind. His kick was good, and the Packers improved their record to 7-2-0.
4. November 4, 2001: Packers 21, Buccaneers 20
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The Packers overcame a 17-7 deficit and edged the Buccaneers 21-20 in the last meeting between these two teams as division rivals.
The Pack didn't grab the lead until a 55-yard punt return by Allen Rossum with three minutes left in the game. The defense kept the Bucs at bay for the rest of the game to preserve the win.
Ahman Green ran for 169 yards including a 63-yard touchdown run that got Green Bay back in the game at 17-14 late in the third quarter. He also caught six passes for 49 more yards.
The Pack won despite losing the turnover battle 3-0. That included one fumble lost and two interceptions thrown by Brett Favre.
The win improved Green Bay's record to 5-2, while the Bucs dropped to 3-4.
3. October 10, 1999: Packers 26, Buccaneers 23
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Things looked bleak for the Packers after Mike Alstott scored on a 22-yard run with just 1:45 left in the game to put Tampa Bay up 23-19 at Lambeau Field.
But Brett Favre responded quickly and led the Packers back down the field. Starting at his own 27, he picked apart the Tampa Bay defense in just six plays. The veteran quarterback capped off the 40-second drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman that provided the winning points in a 26-23 Green Bay victory.
Favre finished the game with 390 yards passing and two touchdown tosses to Freeman. Both Freeman (152) and Bill Schroeder (158) made seven catches and went over 100 yards receiving for the game. Running back Dorsey Levens rushed for 99 yards on 22 carries for the Pack.
Favre found the perfect way to celebrate his 30th birthday. It was the third time during the 1999 season that the Kiln, Mississippi, native led the Packers to a comeback victory in the final two minutes of a game. The win improved Green Bay's record to 3-1-0.
2. October 2, 1983: Packers 55, Buccaneers 14
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The Green Bay Packers routed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 55-14 at Lambeau Field in a game full of big plays on both sides of the ball. Green Bay scored 49 points in the first half, a then-NFL record.
The Packers scored on offense, defense and special teams in this game. Phillip Epps got things started with a 90-yard punt return. Then, running back Jessie Clark scored on a 75-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to give the Packers a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.
The Pack added 35 points in the second quarter, which included a 35-yard fumble return by linebacker Mike "Mad Dog" Douglas and a 27-yard interception return by linebacker John Anderson. Dickey also threw two more touchdowns in the second quarter including a 57-yard bomb to James Lofton.
Dickey only attempted 15 passes in the game before giving way to backup David Whitehurst in the second half. Lofton had four catches for 112 yards, which gave him more than 300 receptions for his career.
Future Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud kicked seven extra points and two field goals, which gave him 1,446 career points and put him ahead of Jim Turner for second place on the NFL's all-time list. Only George Blanda had more.
After the game, Bucs head coach John McKay called out his team to the media. McKay told Tom Verducci of Newsday, "This is the worst performance of any team I’ve ever seen or been associated with. I’ve never seen a game like that."
Verducci also reported that McKay told another reporter, "Get the hell away from me before I punch you in the mouth."
The win improved Green Bay's record to 3-2-0, while Tampa Bay fell to 0-5-0.
Quotes taken from microfilm; no links available.
1. January 4, 1998: Packers 21, Buccaneers 7 (NFL Divisional Playoffs)
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Despite being conference rivals since 1977 and division rivals for 25 years, the Packers and Buccaneers have only met one time in the playoffs. That came in January of 1998 when the Packers began their Super Bowl defense with a 21-7 win over the Bucs at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay enjoyed an edge in playoff experience, and it showed early. The Pack jumped out to a 13-0 lead at halftime on a three-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre to tight end Mark Chmura and a pair of short field goals by Ryan Longwell.
The Packers seemed to take a commanding lead when Antonio Freeman returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, but a penalty wiped out the big play. Favre drove the Pack down the field on the ensuing drive, only to throw an interception at the Tampa Bay 6.
The Bucs gained momentum from the turnover and drove 94 yards on eight plays to get back in the game. Mike Alstott finished off the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to cut the Green Bay lead to 13-7.
The game remained a close one until Dorsey Levens capped a nine-play, 54-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Favre ran the ball in for the two-point conversion, and Green Bay led 21-7. The veteran quarterback was so excited he tried to "dunk" the ball over the goal posts. He failed, but Green Bay had opened up a commanding 14-point lead.
The Packers kept control of the game by running the football. Levens finished with 112 yards on 25 carries, with many of them coming late in the game when the Pack were trying to run out the clock.
With the win, the Packers completed a three-game series sweep against Tampa Bay that season. The Pack also advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third straight year.
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