Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense Will Hinge on Defensive End Play in 2015

August 14, 2015   ·   Jason Kanno   ·   Jump to comments

Once upon a time, the Tampa 2 defense was the calling card of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It can be again under head coach Lovie Smith, but one thing stands between the Bucs and a potential defensive renaissance: the defensive end position.
The Tampa 2 defense didn't get its name by accident. This variation of the Cover 2 zone defense rose to prominence under head coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin when they coached the Bucs in the late '90s and early '00s.
A vital element of the Bucs' success with the Tampa 2 was the personnel. Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks and defensive tackle Warren Sapp were instrumental both as playmakers and as pieces of the Tampa 2 scheme.
Today, the Bucs have some of the right players to make Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 hum. All-Pro DT Gerald McCoy and LB Lavonte David bring similar elite playmaking ability to the Bucs defense that Sapp and Brooks used to put Tampa Bay on the pro football map.
The biggest difference bet...

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