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Tony Dungy addresses Bucs and tells them the devil is in the details

The Hall of Fame coach, whose teams were known for not beating themselves, gave examples of how the best Bucs and Colts teams won by playing smart
 
Tony Dungy watches drills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp on August 14, 2018 at One Buc Place in Tampa, Fla. (MONICA HERNDON | Times)
Tony Dungy watches drills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp on August 14, 2018 at One Buc Place in Tampa, Fla. (MONICA HERNDON | Times)
Published Aug. 14, 2018|Updated Aug. 14, 2018

Tony Dungy's team's were known for being disciplined and not beating themselves with penalties and blown assignments. But the ones that reached the postseason or went deep into the playoffs always played the game the right way.

When Dungy addressed Bucs players in a team meeting Tuesday morning, he gave them examples of how talent alone doesn't win in the NFL.

In 1996, his first year in Tampa Bay, the Bucs went 1-8 before winning five of the last seven. The next season under Dungy, the Bucs finished 10-6 and beat Detroit in the NFC wildcard game before losing to Green Bay in the divisional playoff.

Dungy's most talented Colts team may have been in '05. They won 13 straight games to start the season before losing three of the next four, including to the Steelers in the AFC divisional playoff game.

"I talked about what makes a championship team," Dungy said, referring to his talk with the Bucs Tuesday morning. "I know coach (Dirk Koetter's) buzzword has been "discipline," and we talked about the differences in championship teams and the 0-16 Cleveland Browns, talent-wise, is not very much. It's the little details. We talked about the difference between '96 (Bucs) and '97. Between '05 (Colts) and '06. I kind of ended with that.

"In '05, we had a team that played 13 games and didn't have a one score game. But we weren't as discipline or sharp as we needed to be and we got into the playoffs and lost. The next year's (Colts) team wasn't as talented but did things right. Hopefully, it rubs off."