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The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League (NFL) team in the 1990s-early 2000s. The term rose to popularity due to the installation and excellent execution of this defensive scheme by then-head coach Tony Dungy, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and then-linebackers coach Lovie Smith.

The roots of the Tampa 2 system actually are in the Steel Curtain days of Pittsburgh football. Tony Dungy has been quoted to say "My philosophy is really out of the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers playbook," said Dungy during media interviews while at Super Bowl XLI. "That is why I have to laugh when I hear 'Tampa 2'. Chuck Noll and Bud Carson - that is where it came from, I changed very little." [1]

After Dungy became head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Smith became head coach to the Chicago Bears, they installed the Tampa 2 in their respective teams. During the 2005 NFL season, The Buccaneers, still under defensive coordinator Kiffin, ranked first in the league in total yards allowed, Smith's Bears ranked number two, and Dungy's Colts ranked eleventh. In the 2006-2007 season, the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions adopted the defense.

The Tampa 2 typically consists of 4 linemen, 3 linebackers, 2 cornerbacks, and 2 safeties. The scheme is known for its simple format, speed, and the aggressive mentality of its players. Although it lacks the complexity of other defenses, it instead relies heavily on the attitudes of its players and tremendous team speed. Tampa 2 teams are known as gang tacklers and practice to always run to the ball. It also requires hard hitting secondary to cause turnovers.

Contents 1 Pass Defense 2 Run defense 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

The Tampa 2 is a variation of the Cover 2 formation in which all pass responsibilities are zone coverage (instead of Man-to-man). Zone coverage is where players are assigned an area on the field which they are to cover:

• The safeties and middle linebacker cover the deep third: areas of the field usually extending from about 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage to the endzone, divided into thirds by the middle of the field). The middle linebacker drops into deep coverage, making what first looks like a Cover 2 into a Cover 3.

• The cornerbacks cover the flats: the area of the field extending about 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, and from the last man on the offensive line to the sideline.

• Outside linebackers cover the box: the two outside linebackers split the middle of the field consisting of the area within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage and in between the two flats into halves.

To defend running plays, the Tampa 2 is a single gap defense where each player is responsible to defend his own gap. The assigned gap changes with game conditions and personnel.

Typically this style of defense utilizes smaller but faster linemen and linebackers with above average speed. Also the defensive backs must be above average hitters as well.

• American football strategy

• 'Simple' scheme nets big gains for trio of defenses by Michael Smith, ESPN.com, December 28, 2005 (Last accessed January 3, 2006)

• Tony Dungy on the Tampa 2 system