WR Jacquez Green hopes to become the newest member of the Bucs' 2,000 club today
If you're a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, you're probably immune to the frights of Halloween. By the time the end of October rolls around, you've spent a month in increasing fear about your team's playoff chances.
For some reason, October is a ghoulish month for the Buccaneers franchise. And while that has been notably true for even the very good teams under Head Coach Tony Dungy, it's a trend that started before Dungy's 1996 arrival. Take a look at the Bucs' month-by-month winning percentages during the regular season, updated through last week's September 30 game:
| Month | Win | Loss | Tie | Pct. |
| August | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| September | 38 | 58 | 0 | .396 |
| October | 25 | 72 | 1 | .260 |
| November | 40 | 64 | 0 | .385 |
| December | 34 | 54 | 0 | .386 |
| January | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 |
The Bucs' winning percentage for each month is somewhat unimpressive, thanks to more than a decade of futility before the team was bought by Malcolm Glazer in 1995. Even amid those depressed numbers, however, October stands out. There doesn't seem to be any sound theory as to why this month has been so troublesome, but the Bucs believe they will buck that trend in 2001. The test starts today.
Here are some other things to look for as the Bucs prepare for their season home opener:
