The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 10 Greatest Games on Monday Night Football

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made appearances on Monday Night Football 18 times, putting together a record of of 9-9 on the league's flagship program.

With the nation watching, some of the most memorable moments in Buccaneers history went down.

Here are the ten best games the Bucs have played on the "Monday Night Party with rockin' Hank".

Let's get it kick started:

10.  October 9th, 2000 - Minnesota 30, Tampa Bay 23

It was a classic back-and-forth battle between two NFC Central rivals as the Bucs headed into their house of horrors to face Daunte Culpepper, Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings built a 17-7 early lead but just like the 2011 version, couldn't hold it as the Bucs used Martin Gramatica field goals to crawl back into the football game.

Trailing 20-16 with 12:01 left in the game, Warren Sapp blocked a 51 yd field goal attempt by Vikings kicker Morten Anderson that was picked up by the Bucs' Donnie Abraham who raced 57 yards for a touchdown.

The lead would be short lived, as Culpepper would put the Vikes back up with a 47 yard bomb to Moss, beating Abraham and future Bucs' Hall of Famer John Lynch.

In a crucial 4th and 1 late in the ballgame, Mike Alstott's attempted half back pass fell off the finger tips of Todd Yoder and the Vikings would run down the clock and kick a field goal with 1:02 left to provide the final margin.

9. October 18th, 2004 - St. Louis 28, Tampa Bay 21

In what was another Monday Night Rams-Bucs classic, the Rams finally got the Buccaneers, pulling out a 28-21 victory.

The teams exchanged touchdowns for three quarters, heading into the final stanza tied at 21. Rams QB Marc Bulger hit Torry Holt for a 36 yard touchdown with 10:41 left in the ball game to stake the Rams to a 28-21 edge.

Brian Griese completed 28 of 40 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns but couldn't generate a tying score in the fourth quarter, dropping the Bucs to 1-5 in their lost 2004 season.

The loss prompted Bucs coach Jon Gruden to remark, "I'm fully responsible for this mess, with all these turnovers; we might be the best 1-5 team in history. We did it to ourselves."

8. November 24th, 2003 - Tampa Bay 19, NY Giants 13

The Buccaneers last victory on Monday Night Football was a hard hitting affair against the New York Giants. Defense ruled the day as only one offensive touchdown was scored in the game.

Tampa Bay took control of the contest with a Brad Johnson to Charles Lee 53 yard touchdown that staked them to a 14-3 first half lead.

The game was notable as it was the first after Keyshawn Johnson was suspended from the team. Lee played his position for this one and for at least one week made the Bucs forget about number 19.

7. September 23rd 2002 - Tampa Bay 26, St. Louis 14

The eventual Super Bowl champions announced themselves to the nation with a dominating victory over Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the St. Louis Rams.

Mike Alstott's 2 yard run push the Bucs to a 19-7 edge with 10:42 left in the game. After a Rams score and a stop of the Bucs offense, Derrick Brooks gave everyone a preview of the Super Bowl, intercepting Warner and rumbling in for a 39 yard defensive touchdown.

 

6. September 8th 2003 - Tampa Bay 17, Philadelphia 0

The Buccaneers were the last Super Bowl champion to open the season on the road. It was a special game for the Bucs who not only closed down the Vet in 2002 but opened Lincoln Financial Field with a shutout of the hometown Eagles.

The hero of the 2002 NFC Championship game Joe Jurevicius caught two touchdown passes and the Bucs defense held Philadelphia to 245 yards of total offense.

5. December 6th, 1999 - Tampa Bay 24, Minnesota 17

Shaun King threw two touchdowns and Donnie Abraham had an interception return for a touchdown as the Bucs rallied from a 14-10 half-time deficit to beat division rival Minnesota.

The rookie King was good in his first start for injured Trent Dilfer, completing 11-of-19 for 93 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 int.

4. November 26th, 2001 - Tampa Bay 24, St. Louis 17

It was a classic Bucs-Rams contest for a National audience on Monday Night Football. The Bucs and Rams traded blows throughout the contest, but Mike Alstott's first touchdown staked the Bucs to a 17-9 advantage with 8:36 left in the 3rd quarter.

Kurt Warner tossed a touchdown pass with Brandon Manumaleuna and Marshall Faulk's two point conversion tied the game at 17.

Warrick Dunn's 21 yard score would be the difference as he gave the Bucs a 24-17 lead with 11:13 left in the game and the Bucs defense would stymie the greatest show on turf the rest of the ballgame.

3. December 7th, 1998 - Tampa Bay 24, Green Bay 22

The first home Monday Night Football game in 15 years (and first at Ray Jay) saw the Bucs face the hated Green Bay Packers. The Bucs built a 17-6 lead on the strength of two 60-plus touchdown passes by Trent Dilfer. This was classic performance by the Buccaneer defense, sacking Brett Favre six times and forcing eight fumbles (six by Favre).

Still, the Packers wouldn't let their six game winning streak against the Bucs go easily as Favre rallied the Pack closing within 24-22 2:20 left in the game.

The Bucs would hold on for a big win that kept them in the playoff chase.

2. November 29th, 1982 - Tampa Bay 23, Miami 17

The 0-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers won for the first time on Monday Night Football by shocking their previously undefeated cross-state rivals.

Bill Capece kicked three field goals while Doug Williams and James Wilder scored rushing touchdowns. The Bucs led 16-3 on Williams 3 yd run but had to get one more sealing touchdown from Wilder with 9:27 left in the game that staked the Bucs to a 23-10 advantage.

 

1. December 18th, 2000 - Tampa Bay 38, St. Louis 35

One of the most unbelievable regular season games in Buccaneer history, Tampa Bay and the defending Super Bowl Champions St. Louis Rams traded blows for four quarters and after Kurt Warner connected with Torry Holt for a 72 yard touchdown, the Rams held a 35-31 edge with just 5:18 remaining.

Then magic happened. The Bucs would drive 80 yards in 13 plays and Warrick Dunn scored from a yard out to give the Bucs the lead with just 0:53 left to play. If it wasn't for an amazing play by Dunn and Shaun King early in the drive, Tampa Bay may have never had the opportunity to have a chance to win the ballgame.

With 1:48 left in the ballgame and facing 2nd and 10, Dunn took a handoff to the left but was met by Rams defenders, Dunn would lateral to King who raced 29 yards for a first down and was then hit out of bounds by a defender, tacking on another 15 yards to the run.

8 plays later, Dunn scored.

Dunn would have 198 yards of total offense and scored 3 touchdowns.

It remains one of the most exciting games in Buccaneers history.