Ritik Gupta
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have progressed to Super Bowl LV, the second Super Bowl arrival in franchise history — accomplishing an NFL first for a Super Bowl team in the process. Super Bowl LV is at Raymond James Stadium — where the Buccaneers play their home games — making Tampa Bay the first team to play the Super Bowl in its home stadium in the 55 years the game has been held.
The Buccaneers moreover becomes the first team to “host” the league’s championship game since Jan. 2, 1966 — when the Green Bay Packers triumphed over the Cleveland Browns in the 1965 NFL Championship at Lambeau Field. That was the final season before the Super Bowl era.
There have been instances where teams have played in a Super Bowl hosted in their market, but not a home stadium. The Los Angeles Rams played at the Rose Bowl in Super Bowl XIV, but they played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The San Francisco 49ers played at Stanford Stadium in Super Bowl XIX, but their home games were at Candlestick Park.
The Buccaneers are the fourth wild-card team since 1990 to make the Super Bowl, entering the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants, and 2010 Green Bay Packers.
All three of those forenamed teams won the Super Bowl. They are just the fifth team seeded No. 5 or worse since the 1978 postseason extension to enter the Super Bowl — joining the 1985 New England Patriots, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants, and 2010 Green Bay Packers.
