| Wilder's coming out party The Metrodome 6 November 1983 The background At 0-9, the 1983 Bucs were having a bad time of it by the time they arrived in Minnesota but they had discovered a running back they could hang their offense on. 42 carries the previous week for an NFL record and now James Wilder was about to hit the record books again. This 75-yard TD run was part of a 219-yard day on the ground, and this remains the most ever by a Buccaneer back. And naturally Wilder gave all the credit to his offensive line and his loyal full back, Adger "Lead Dog" Armstrong. Wilder would spend the next three years as one of the best in the NFL before becoming worn down by over-use as the Bucs' only real weapon. The game situation The Bucs were trailing 9-7 in the Metrodome and faced 2nd and 5 from their own 25-yard line. Jack Thompson handed left to Wilder who followed the blocking of Armstrong and burst clear down the sideline for the longest rushing TD in Buc history at that time. Click here for all the game details |
| The 100 Greatest Plays in Buccaneer history Welcome to the next and best countdown that we have ever run on BUCPOWER.COM. Featuring every one of the 32 years that the Bucs have played NFL football, we have clips of memorable touchdowns, bloopers, decisive moments and trick plays. From the ridiculous to the sublime, this is a countdown to bring back a lot of memories for Buccaneer fans of all ages around the world. Whereas the top 20-30 plays do stand out and are able to be ranked subjectively (and have been by some of the Tampa media), the early plays are generally spread out across the years and can only be placed approximately in terms of their importance. |
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