The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by (and thus named after) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League (NFL) team in the mid-1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties. The defense is similar to a Cover 2 defense, except the middle linebacker drops into a deep middle coverage for a Cover 3 when he reads a pass play.