TAMPA, Fla. -- With Super Bowl LIII just days away, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't have to look very far for ideas, particularly as they transition to a 3-4, one-gap defense under new coordinator Todd Bowles. The Los Angeles Rams made that same transition away from a 4-3 defensive scheme two years ago when Wade Phillips arrived as defensive coordinator. Phillips successfully transitioned another team -- the Denver Broncos -- from a 4-3 to a 3-4, as well.
Phillips largely has been credited for adapting his father Bum Phillips' traditional 3-4, two-gap defense into a more modern 3-4, one-gap scheme predicated on the use of quicker players and more penetration, which is closer to what the Bucs have now with their 4-3 defense.