The 1982 NFL season was shortened to nine games by a players' strike, and the Buccaneers were 0-2 before the work stoppage in September; in fact, the team wouldn't win its first game until November 29. Still, with a run of five victories in six weeks, 5-4 Tampa Bay made the playoffs for the third time in four seasons, in this case earning the seventh seed in the reconfigured "Super Bowl Tournament" NFC playoff field. The run began with the franchise's first-ever win on Monday Night Football, a 23-17 victory at Tampa Stadium that started a string of dramatic, last-second finishes. That included a 23-21 win over Detroit in the penultimate game and a 26-23 overtime downing of Chicago in which the home team rallied from 17 points down in the second half to win on Bill Capece's 33-yard field goal in overtime. With Pro Bowlers Hugh Green and Lee Roy Selmon leading the way, the Bucs' defense remained a top-five unit, producing 25 sacks in nine games. For the second year in a row, the Bucs' playoff run ended quickly in Dallas with a 30-17 loss.
