Regular Season
McKay, known for accurate preseason predictions, stated that recent mediocrity in the NFC Central meant that recent high draft positions would raise the level of competition to the extent that eight or nine wins would no longer be enough to contend for a division title. He predicted that the Buccaneers would require 11 wins to defend their title, and that they would be able to. Changes were made to their defensive philosophy, with the linebackers lining up four yards deep instead of two, giving them more time to react on running plays. They were also given more responsibilities in short zone coverage, an adjustment intended to prevent the sustained drives that opponents had been successful with in the past. The 3-4 defense was deemphasized and more emphasis was placed on blitzing, especially from Hugh Green. Despite a strong preseason performance, the Buccaneers started the regular season with two mistake-filled losses.
Read more about this topic: 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season
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