| 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| General manager | Bruce Allen |
| Head coach | Jon Gruden |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Giants) 14–24 |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Jeff Garcia |
| Team MVP | QB Jeff Garcia |
The 2007 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 32nd in the National Football League (NFL), the 10th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the sixth under head coach Jon Gruden. On December 16, 2007, they clinched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006. However, they were defeated 24–14 in the Wildcard Round by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. The Wildcard game was Jon Gruden's final playoff appearance as head coach of the Buccaneers before being dismissed at the conclusion of the next season. This would be the last season the Buccaneers qualified for the playoffs until 2020, and the last season the Buccaneers won their division until 2021.
On December 16, in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, Micheal Spurlock scored the first kickoff return touchdown in franchise history, snapping a streak of 32 seasons, 497 games (at 53 stadiums in 38 cities), 139 individuals, and 1,864 unsuccessful attempts.[1][2] The play earned Spurlock the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.[3]
- ^ "FINALLY!". Buccaneers.com. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
- ^ "Kickoff-return TD long time coming for Buccaneers". OrlandoSentinel.com. December 17, 2007. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
- ^ "Spurlock Earns Special Teams Award". The Ledger. December 20, 2007. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2007.