FAB 3. What’s Not Necessary For The Bucs To Make The Playoffs

Now that we’ve examined what the Bucs need to do to end their nine-year postseason drought, let’s look at some of the things that aren’t absolute necessities given the team’s playoff history. Despite the recent stockpiling of offensive talent in the NFL Draft and in free agency over the past four years, we’ve learned that offensive performance isn’t as critical to a Bucs team’s success as the prowess of its defense.

Ex-Bucs RB Cadillac Williams – Photo by: Getty Images

A case in point is the need for a 1,000-yard rusher. It’s true that the NFL has become more of a passing league in the last decade since the Bucs last made the postseason in 2007, and the running game has been de-emphasized to a degree. But when Tampa Bay has had a 1,000-yard rusher it doesn’t mean that the team makes the playoffs.

In fact, the Bucs have had 12 1,000-yard rushers in franchise history and have only made the playoffs in three of those seasons.

Bucs’ 1000-Yard Rushers
2015 Doug Martin – 1,404 yards
2012 Doug Martin – 1,454 yards
2010 LeGarrett Blount – 1,007 yards
2005 Cadillac Williams – 1,178 yards*
2000 Warrick Dunn – 1,133 yards*
1998 Warrick Dunn – 1,026 yards
1995 Errict Rhett – 1,207 yards
1994 Errict Rhett – 1,011 yards
1992 Reggie Cobb – 1,171 yards
1985 James Wilder – 1,300 yards
1984 James Wilder – 1,544 yards
1979 Ricky Bell – 1,263 yards*

*Bucs playoff seasons

Wilder and Martin have combined for the four best rushing seasons in team history and Tampa Bay failed to produce a winning record – let alone make the postseason – in any of the years. That’s not to say that a 1,000-yard season from Martin in 2017 won’t help the Bucs’ chances of making the playoffs.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Getty Images

While Atlanta, Houston, Pittsburgh, Miami, Dallas and New England made the playoffs with a 1,000-yard rusher last year, playoff teams like Detroit, Green Bay, Seattle, Oakland, Kansas City and the New York Giants didn’t have one.

Barring injury, you can pencil in Mike Evans for another 1,000-yard season in Tampa Bay. But that hasn’t always been a requirement for the Bucs when it comes to making the playoffs in the past. Tampa Bay didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver when it made the playoffs in 1997, 1999 and 2000. In fact, the Bucs didn’t even have a receiver reach the 800-yard mark in ’99.

Jacquez Green’s 791 yards on 56 catches led the Bucs in ‘99, while Warrick Dunn’s 64 catches for 589 yards were the most receptions that year. With injuries to Trent Dilfer and Eric Zeier that year the Bucs were forced to play rookie Shaun King at quarterback and the passing game – and offense in general – suffered. In fact, Dave Moore’s five touchdowns led the Bucs that year. Tampa Bay didn’t even have a 1,000-yard rusher that year as Mike Alstott fell short of that mark with 949 yards rushing.

The Bucs’ passing game was even more primitive in ’97. Tampa Bay won 10 games that year and made the playoffs despite not having a player with at least 500 yards receiving. Karl “The Truth” Williams led the Bucs with 486 yards receiving, while Dunn had 462 yards receiving as a rookie, and Reidel Anthony chipped in 448 yards receiving in his rookie season. Anthony, Williams and Moore all had four receiving touchdowns, while Dunn and Alstott each had three.

Ex-Bucs QB Josh Freeman – Photo by: Getty Images

While Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston was one of 12 NFL quarterbacks to surpass 4,000 passing yards last year, only four made the postseason – Atlanta’s Matt Ryan (4,944), Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (4,428), Detroit’s Matthew Stafford (4,327) and Seattle’s Russell Wilson (4,219). Between Winston (two) and Josh Freeman (one) the Bucs have had three 4,000-yard passing seasons in franchise history, yet Tampa Bay has never made the playoffs with a 4,000-yard passer.

The silver lining is that the Bucs have produced two winning seasons when throwing for 4,000 yards – 2010 with Freeman and 2016 with Winston. Perhaps another 4,000-yard season from Winston in 2017 can buck that trend.