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The NFL has been around for over 100 years and by that time no team had ever done what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did on Sunday. In the Buccaneers’ 38-3 loss to the Saints, Tampa Bay managed just five rushed attempts, which set the NFL record for the fewest rushed attempts in a game.
To say that Tampa Bay dropped out of the race would definitely be an understatement as it was worse than that, it was almost like they had forgotten the race existed. After calling two runs in the first quarter, the Buccaneers would only call two for the remainder of the game. The crazy thing is that Tampa Bay was on track to finish the game with just four rushed attempts, but they ended up reaching five because Blaine Gabbert’s kneeling on the last play of the game counted as a hasty attempt.
Here’s what the Bucs’ box score looked like at the end of the game:
Ronald Jones: Three door for nine meters.
Léonard Fournette: A carryover for zero meters.
Blaine Gabbert: A carryforward for a negative meter.
If you score at home, that’s five carries for eight yards. Before Sunday, the NFL record for the fewest runs in a game was six and it had been done four times. In a twist of fate, Tom Brady was also involved in one of these games.
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Here’s a look at the four games that previously held the record. The Chicago Cardinals first set the record in 1933 and then it lasted 87 years.
- Chicago Cardinals v Boston Redskins, October 22, 1933: The Cardinals couldn’t get anything in this game as they totaled just six races in a 10-0 loss to Boston. Final score: Boston 10-0 over Chicago.
- New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers October 31, 2004: The Patriots had to retire early in this game after falling behind 24-3 in the first half. Brady ended up throwing 43 passes in a game where the Patriots rushed six times for five yards. The Patriots were 6-0 in that game, but fell to 6-1 after losing to the Steelers. The Patriots lead runner was Kevin Faulk, who had five carries for four yards. Final score: Steelers 34-20 over the Patriots.
- Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings, November 26, 2006: Letting Matt Leinart throw the ball 51 times is never a good idea, but that’s exactly what the Cardinals did in this game. Unlike the other three games, the Cardinals actually kept this game tight for the most part, they just didn’t want to run the ball. Their main defender was Edgerrin James, who carried the ball four times over 15 yards. As a team, the Cards rushed six times for 17 yards. Final score: Vikings 31-26 over the Cardinals.
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills, September 23, 2018: It ended up being one of the biggest upheavals in NFL history as the 16.5-point underdog bills would shock the Vikings. In that game, Minnesota retired from the race after Buffalo took a 27-0 first-half lead. The Vikings’ lead point in that game was Mike Boone, who carried the ball twice for 11 yards. As a team, the Vikings finished with six carries for 14 yards. Final score: Vikings 31-26 over the Cardinals.
Like the Buccaneers, these four teams lost. When it comes to rushed attempts, the magic number appears to be nine. If you don’t reach that number, you have no chance of winning in the NFL. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, there have been 20 games where a team had eight races or less and those 20 teams have gone 0-20.
The Buccaneers game got so ugly that Tampa Bay called only one run for the entire second half. For a rundown of everything that happened during the Tampa Bay blowout defeat, be sure to click here.
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