TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting used to hosting playoff games these days.
The Bucs are scheduled for a Monday night showdown against the Dallas Cowboys at 8:15 p.m. inside Raymond James Stadium.
It will be the first time both franchises meet in the postseason since 1983, and the Bucs have an 0-2 record against the Cowboys in the playoffs. The third installment will be the first time Tampa Bay is the home team, though.
But how exactly have the Bucs performed with home-field advantage in the playoffs historically? Well, Monday night's game will be their 10th-ever home playoff game and they are 5-4 all-time — not counting Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV victory against Kansas City as the NFL considers that a neutral site game despite being played at Raymond James Stadium.
Here's how Tampa Bay did in their previous nine home playoff games.
1979 playoffs
The Bucs finished on top of the NFC Central division with a 10-6 record, meaning they earned a straight shot to the Divisional Round and hosted a game in the playoffs.
On Dec. 29, 1979, Tampa Bay defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17, marking their first-ever home playoff win. But on Jan. 6, 1980, their luck ran out as they were shutout 9-0 in the NFC Conference Championship to the Los Angeles Rams.
1997 playoffs
Tampa Bay (10-6) ranked second in the NFC Central division, but still managed to host a game in the Wild Card Round against the Detroit Lions (9-7).
The Bucs won that game on Dec. 28, 1997, by a score of 20-10. They would later head up to Green Bay where they lost 21-7 in the Divisional Round.
1999 playoffs
Tampa Bay logged an 11-5 record and first place in the NFC Central division.
The team welcomed Washington on Jan. 15, 2000, in the second round of the playoffs and came out on top in a close 14-13 victory. However, the Bucs would once again fall short of reaching the Super Bowl eight days later after traveling to the St. Louis Rams and losing 11-6 in the conference championship.
2002 playoffs
New division, no problem for the Bucs as they finished 12-4 and the best team in the NFC South, which only foreshadowed better things to come.
Quarterback Brad Johnson and Tampa Bay hosted the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 12, 2003, earning a 31-6 win in the first round of the postseason. They then went up north to Philadelphia where they beat the Eagles 27-10 and booked a ticket to their first-ever Super Bowl championship.
On Jan. 26, 2003, the Bucs recorded a landmark victory as they claimed the glorious Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXV.
2005 playoffs
Tampa Bay narrowly missed out on first place in the NFC South as they tied the Carolina Panthers with an 11-5 record, but it was enough for them to get a wild card spot and play at home.
However, the Bucs were one-and-done this time around as they lost to Washington 17-10 on Jan. 7, 2006.
2007 playoffs
After coming out on top once again in their division, the Bucs (9-7) welcomed the New York Giants (10-6) to Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay failed to make the most of home-field advantage as they lost 24-14 against Eli Manning and the Giants.
2020 playoffs
Although the Bucs triumphed over the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium in Super Bowl LV, it not was considered a home game and the league says the stadium served as a neutral site for both teams. Still, we are including this in our list as an honorable mention as Tampa Bay fans remember Brady and former tight end Rob Gronkowski stealing the show and leading the team to its second Super Bowl win in franchise history.
2021 playoffs
Tampa Bay had to wait 15 years to treat their fans with another playoff home game, but the wait may have been worth it this time around because the Bucs had the G.O.A.T Tom Brady in the pocket.
After finishing 12-5 in the NFC South, the Super Bowl LV champions hosted Philadephia in the Wild Card Round on Jan. 16, 2022, and took down the Eagles, 31-15.
Then, a week later, the Bucs suffered a heartbreaking loss when Brady and company came back after being down 27-3 in the third quarter to the Rams. Moments after running back Leonard Fournette scored a touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game to tie it 27-all, Los Angeles kicked a go-ahead field goal as time ran out to claim a 30-27 victory.
Other Bucs postseason records
- All-time playoffs: 21 games, 11-10
- Wild Card Round: 8 games, 3-5
- Divisional Round: 7 games, 4-3
- Conference Championship: 4 games, 2-2
- Super Bowl: 2 games, 2-0
For ticket information on the Bucs' upcoming playoff games against the Cowboys, click here.