In John McKay's ninth and final season as the team's head coach, the Buccaneers started out 3-3 but then lost seven of their next eight on the way to a 6-10 finish. This was also future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon's final season, as he tacked on another 8.0 sacks before a back injury in the Pro Bowl ended his career. While the team's once fierce defense continued to decline, the offense emerged as the best in team history, led by Pro Bowl running back James Wilder. Wilder set a still-standing team record with 1,544 rushing yards and also paced the team with 85 catches, as he set a then-NFL record with 407 carries. Veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg arrived to throw for 3,554 yards and 19 touchdowns and had a productive receiving duo in Kevin House and Gerald Carter, who combined for nearly 2,000 yards. The Buccaneers won their last two games under McKay, though a 41-21 sendoff against the Jets was marred by controversy as the long-standing coach repeatedly tried to get Wilder the NFL record for yards from scrimmage.
