Raheem Morris has coached the Bucs to their third best record ever, 10-6 last year. This year, he has coached the Bucs to tie the longest losing streak in franchise history not including the expansion years of 1976 and 1977 (14 game streak and 12 game streak respectively). With a loss next week, Morris will have the only 10 week losing streak in a non expansion era.
Raheem Morris already has a seven and nine game losing streak on his resume here, something only Leeman Bennett has accomplished in 1985 (nine) and 1986 (seven). No head coach in Bucs history has ever lost 10 straight games in non-expansion years (’76/’77) when the Bucs went 0-26.
Jon Gruden never lost more than 4 in a row.
Tony Dungy lost Five in row his rookie year.
So did Richard Williamson; 5 in a row twice in his only full season as coach, a 3-13 record in 1991.
Sam Wyche lost 6 in a row in 1994, but at the end of 1994 the Bucs finished strong, and won 4 of the last 5, including 4 in a row for the first time in 15 years! Today’s Bucs are getting worse each week. But Wyche is most famous for another kind of free fall. In 1995 the Bucs started 5-2, and he reminded the Media of it, “We are 5 dash 2” which turned to 5-5 and eventually a 7-9 season. But the Bucs never lost more than 3 in a row that year, and beat the Green Bay Packers in week 14 on national TV. ’95 also ended the Bucs double digit losses after 12 straight seasons!
The two longest losing streaks belong to the 1983 Bucs under John McKay and 1985 under Leeman Bennett. In 1983, 6 starters on defense would spend time on Injured Reserve. The Starting Offensive line play a whole :47 seconds together the whole season. Left Tackle Dave Reavis went down a couple plays into the opening game.
Doug Williams was let go, and John McKay had to field a team without its leader, with no free agency. The Bucs had to trade their No.1 draft pick to Cincinnati for backup QB Jack Thompson. But the streaks were at the BEGINNING of the season, on bad Bucs teams that never went anywhere. Only Ray Perkins did a late game Big skid…
Ray Perkins never lost 9 games in a row, his Bucs dropped 8 during his first year coaching the Bucs, which just so happened to be a strike season.
Week 1 Bucs 48 Falcons 10
Week 2 Bucs 3 Bears 20
Then the strike hit, and Perkins had to coach up his second team in the same year, a team of scab players who went 2-1 for the Bucs, giving them a 3-2 record.
Week 6- Bucs, who hadnt beaten Chicago since 1982, go up on Bears 20-0, but lose 26-27.
Week 7 Bucs 23 Packers 17
Week 8, the surprising 4-3 Bucs, who finished 2-14 the previous two seasons, played at St.Louis Cardinals. The Bucs had a 28-3 lead at the start of the 4th qtr, and were on their way to a 5-3 record. Except the Cardinals scored Four 4th Qtr TDs and won 31-28 when Bucs kicker missed a FG at the Buzzer. Bucs were then 4-4, and finished with the 8 game losing streak.
The important thing to note is this current streak is a team that was 10-6 last year, and the losses aren’t even close. Look at the scores of the losing streaks for ’83 and ’85, most games were winnable. The Bucs havnt had a shot and probably wont in week 16, and thats the damning evidence that Raheem Morris must face when the season ends.
RAY PERKINS 8 GAME STREAK RESULTS
L 17-23 @ Vikings
L 10-24 vs 49ers
L 3-35 @LA Rams
L 34-44 @Saints (Vinny Testaverde’s first game)
L 10-20 vs Detroit
L 14-31 vs St.Lous Cardinals
L 6-24 @ Indianapolis
John McKay’s 1983 9 Game losing streak results
L 0-11 vs Detroit
L 10-17 @Chicago
L 16-19 vs Minnesota
L 17-23 vs Cincinnati
L 14-55 @ Green Bay
L 24-27 @Dallas
L 27-34 vs St.Louis Cardinals
L 21-24 vs New Orleans- James Wilder given shot at Tailback 20 carries 64 yards
L 12-17 @ Pittsburgh – Wilder gets first start at Tailback 42 carries 126 yards
Then the Bucs discovered their weapon- James Wilder. Week 10 , Wilder went wild, 31 carries 219 rush yards. Bucs WIN 17-12. The next week, Wilder was lost for the season. Thats the kind of year 1983 was.
The Bucs won one of the next 6, and In the finale, Bucs new kicker Dave Warnke was so bad, Coach McKay had George Yarno, Offensive Guard, kick the extra point. In total, Bucs were shut out 3 times, lost 9 games by one score.
Leeman Bennett’s 1985 Losing streak Results
L 28-38 @ Chicago (Bucs scared SuperBowl ’85 Bears)
L 16-31 vs Minnesota
L 13-20 @New Orleans
L 9-30 @Detroit
L 19-27 vs Chicago (Another scare for ’85 Chicago Bears)
L 27-31 vs LA Rams
L 38-41 @ Miami
L 14-32 vs New England
L 20-22 @ NY Giants
All the close losses paid off in week 10, just like in 1983, the Bucs got a win. A 16-0 shutout of the Cardinals here in Tampa. How did the Bucs do after that? Worse loss in history, 62-28 loss @ NY Jets, before giving way to Steve Young to start at QB, and the Bucs upset the Lions at home 19-16 in week 12. Then the snow bowl hit week 13, a 0-21 Packer win at Green bay where you couldnt see the field, or separate the Bucs from the field because of all the snow. In all, 1 win in the last 6 games, just like 1983.
Morris’ 9 Game streak a little more bleak…
4-2
L 18-24 Vs Chicago In London
L 16-27 @ New Orleans
L 9-37 vs Houston
L 26-35 @ Green Bay (Bucs trailed by 2 after K2 drops 2 point conversion, then onside kick)
L 17-23 @ Tennessee
L 19-38 Vs Carolina
L 14-41 @ Jacksonville
L 15-31 vs Dallas
L 16-48 @ Carolina
? ?-? @ Atlanta
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