TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New coach Greg Schiano convinced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that the sooner they adopted his way of doing things, the sooner they’d win.
It didn’t take long for a quick return on his promise.
Sunday’s season-opening 16-10 victory stopped a 10-game losing streak that prompted the firing of Raheem Morris and the hiring of Schiano, the former Rutgers coach who has spent much of his first eight months on the job changing the culture in a locker room that lacked discipline and structure.
The opening day performance was particularly sweet, not only because it came in Schiano’s debut but because two of the losses during the Bucs’ prolonged skid came to the NFC South rival Panthers by a combined score of 86-35.
Next up is a trip to New York to face the defending Super Bowl champion Giants (0-1).