Editing Tampa Bay Buccaneers (section)

==== Tony Dungy years (1996–2001) ====
The Glazers' deep pockets and serious commitment to fielding a winning team–in Tampa Bay–finally allowed the Bucs to become competitive. The team's performance dramatically improved when the Glazers hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator [[Tony Dungy]] as head coach.<ref name="c422">{{cite web | title=PRO FOOTBALL;Dungy Named Coach For Bucs | website=The New York Times | date=1996-01-23 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/23/sports/pro-football-dungy-named-coach-for-bucs.html | access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> Additionally, the team jettisoned the old uniform designs in favor of a modern look.

During [[1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Dungy's first season in 1996]], the team continued to struggle, starting the season 1–8. But in the second half of the season, they finished 5–2, primarily due to the performance of a defense ranked seventh in the NFL led by Hardy Nickerson and the maturing of Sam Wyche's draftees Brooks, Lynch, and Sapp.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1996.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Dungy, with his even-tempered personality, quickly brought balance and morale to the team, and his [[Football coverage shells#Cover 2|Cover 2]] defensive scheme, sharpened to perfection by [[defensive coordinator]] [[Monte Kiffin]] and linebackers coach [[Lovie Smith]], became the foundation for Tampa Bay's future success.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Dungy to Join Buccaneers Ring of Honor|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/tony-dungy-to-join-buccaneers-ring-of-honor-20639092|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=Buccaneers.com|date=February 4, 2019|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509145609/https://www.buccaneers.com/news/tony-dungy-to-join-buccaneers-ring-of-honor-20639092|url-status=live}}</ref> Their version of Cover 2 was so successful that it became known as the [[Tampa 2]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Varley|first=Teresa|title=Tony Dungy credits Chuck Noll with his defensive philosophy|url=http://news.steelers.com/article/73586/|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=Steelers.com|date=January 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209171311/http://news.steelers.com/article/73586/|archive-date=February 9, 2007|access-date=June 30, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has been brought to the [[Chicago Bears]] by Smith, Detroit Lions by Rod Marinelli, Kansas City Chiefs by [[Herman Edwards]] and to the [[Indianapolis Colts]] by Dungy himself, and copied by several other teams.

The team started the [[1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|1997 season]] 5–0, picking up where they left off the previous year, and this quick start once again landed them on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' twice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1997/0908.html|title=SI.com – Sports Illustrated Covers – September 8, 1997|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212122458/http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1997/0908.html|archive-date=February 12, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1997/0929.html|title=SI.com – September 29, 1997|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212122508/http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1997/0929.html|archive-date=February 12, 2007}}</ref>  The Bucs went 10–6 for their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982, as a wild-card team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1997.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In the Bucs' final home game at [[Houlihan's Stadium]] (formerly Tampa Stadium), the team defeated the Lions 20–10. They lost at [[Lambeau Field]] to the eventual NFC champion Packers 21–7 in the Divisional Round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers - January 4th, 1998 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199801040gnb.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Still, there was reason for optimism, and the expectations were high for the following season.

The [[1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|1998 season]], the first to be played in the newly constructed Raymond James Stadium,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://raymondjamesstadium.com/stadium-history/|title=Stadium History – Raymond James Stadium|website=raymondjamesstadium.com|access-date=February 4, 2019|archive-date=April 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408011802/http://raymondjamesstadium.com/stadium-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> saw the Bucs lose several close games en route to a disappointing 8–8 record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1998.htm |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Bucs had to play the first six football games of the year (including preseason) on the road, as the new stadium was not quite finished.

The [[1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|1999 season]] brought much better fortune. On the strength of the NFL's number 3 overall defense and a performance by rookie quarterback [[Shaun King (American football)|Shaun King]], the Bucs finished the season with an 11–5 record and won their third NFC Central Division Championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1999.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> They beat the [[Washington Redskins]] 14–13 in the Divisional round, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams in a low-scoring NFC Championship Game, 11–6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - January 15th, 2000 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200001150tam.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NFC Championship - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at St. Louis Rams - January 23rd, 2000 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200001230ram.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Bucs' loss was controversial, highlighted by the reversal of a pass from King to wide receiver [[Bert Emanuel]], which ended the Bucs' chances at continuing their last-minute drive. In league meetings following the season, the NFL changed the rules regarding what constituted an [[incomplete pass]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/03/28/meetings_celebrations_ap/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731052158/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/03/28/meetings_celebrations_ap/|url-status=dead|title=CNNSI.com – NFL Football – NFL competition committee advises reducing…|date=July 31, 2012|archive-date=July 31, 2012|website=archive.is|access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref>

While the Bucs played well in [[2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|2000]] and [[2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|2001]] and made the playoffs in each season, they were unable to fulfill their primary goal of a Super Bowl victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/2000.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/2001.htm |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The wild card spots that Tampa Bay earned forced them to go on the road for their postseason opener in each year, and both road games took them into frigid Philadelphia to play the Eagles. The Buccaneers historically have struggled in games played with a temperature of less than {{convert|32|F|C}} (as late as 1999, they had never won a game with a temperature played under 40 degrees<ref name="Cold Snap">{{Cite web|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/cold-snap-2180655|title = Cold Snap}}</ref>) and the latter loss to the Eagles was the sixth time that Tampa Bay had lost a postseason game on the road (out of six played).<ref name="x813">{{cite web | title=Postseason history proves Bucs can flourish in frigid weather |author-last=Knight|author-first=Joey| website=Tampa Bay Times | date=2021-01-19 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2021/01/19/postseason-history-proves-bucs-can-flourish-in-frigid-weather/ | access-date=2024-08-15}}</ref><ref name="o437">{{cite web | last=Auman| first=Greg| title=In Green Bay, in December? More on the Bucs in cold weather | website=Tampa Bay Times | date=2017-04-21 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/in-green-bay-in-december-more-on-the-bucs-in-cold-weather/2321129/ | access-date=2024-08-15}}</ref><ref name="Cold Snap"/>