In a recent well-focused assessment, sports commentator Colin Cowherd compared the New York Jets’ offensive performance this season to the notoriously poor 1976–77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This comes in the wake of the Jets’ crushing 34-13 defeat against the Miami Dolphins, highlighting the ongoing struggles of their offensive lineup.
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The Jets, with playoff aspirations hanging by a thread, made a critical change by benching quarterback Zach Wilson for Tim Boyle in Week 12’s game against the Dolphins. However, the move did not yield the desired results.
Facing the league’s top-scoring team, the Jets’ offense, languishing at 30th in points per game, faltered significantly. The game’s low point came with a pick-6 on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half, emblematic of the team’s offensive woes. Boyle, stepping in for Wilson, struggled to ignite the Jets’ offense. Colin Cowherd, known for his forthright opinions, did not mince words when discussing the Jets’ offense. He tweeted:
In my lifetime the worst NFL offense I remember is the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Bucs. When you consider the offensive advancements of the sport — The Jets may not be far off.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) November 24, 2023
Through three quarters, the team managed only two first downs and failed to score until the final quarter, when the game’s outcome was already sealed. This performance mirrored the issues that have plagued the Jets all season, leading to Cowherd’s harsh critique.
The Painful Saga of the 1976–77 Buccaneers’ Offense
The 1976–77 Buccaneers are infamous in NFL history for their offensive ineptitude. After a terrible season in 1976, their woes continued for the following 12 months. The group has become a country-wide funny story, often mocked on famous platforms like “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.
Despite a promising defense, the Buccaneers’ offense had become vulnerable. In their first 12 games of the 1977 season, the Buccaneers scored just fifty-three points, with a significant portion of those coming in a match opposite Seattle.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the modern day most consecutive games lost in the #NFL In their 1976/77 seasons, they went 26 games without a win! #notwinning #FANatic
photo: @espn pic.twitter.com/IokHsBMguW— Brittney Kunder (@britkunder) November 6, 2020
At home, they fared even worse, coping with a trifling 3 points across six games. It was handiest in the final two games that they confirmed a semblance of offensive capability; however, their mere seven offensive touchdowns all season remained proof of their struggles. The Bucs offense was so anemic it failed to crack 200 total yards nine times in 14 games and was held to less than 90 yards passing in eight games.
Cowherd’s comparison of the Jets to the 1976-77 Buccaneers is not just a critique of their current performance but a reminder of how quickly things can go awry in the NFL. For the Jets, this season has become a case study in offensive difficulties, highlighting the need for substantial changes moving forward.
