Bucs defensive guru Monte Kiffin says he's feeling great at 68

They still remember Monte Kiffin up in Minnesota, where he worked with Tony Dungy and was the Vikings defensive coordinator in 1991.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press caught up with Monte this week and got his take on the growing stardom of Vikings RB Adrian Peterson.

Also, Monte made it clear that he feels much younger than his years.

Kiffin, 68, full of life as usual, has no plans to retire.

“I’m 68 going on 48,” he said. “I don’t have any hobbies.”

Joe hopes Monte uses that good health to spend another 10 years on the Bucs sidelines leading the Tampa Bay defense, not bolting to coach with son Lane Kiffin at his next job… at Clemson?

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell was so impressed with Jeff Faine against the Chiefs, he got Campbell's game ball.

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell reviews the Bucs’ offensive line play in the Bucs win over Kansas City.

In the 1990s, Campbell was a NCAA Division I lineman and played semipro football (he likes to say he was a tackling dummy for a future NFL defenisve tackle). His analysis appears here weekly.

Looking back at the Bucs-Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium, there was some good and some bad play on the O-line.

First, the good:

The Bucs won, of course. I don’t care how you win in this league or how “ugly” it is. This isn’t college football where the mismatches are that glaring every week. The Bucs or any other NFL team shouldn’t have to apologize for any win. They all count the same.

Another positive was the pass protection that this unit is providing. Before the season, I thought this unit would be a better than average run blocking unit and struggle a bit on pass protection, specifically on the edges. But this unit has been way above average in pass protection. In 43 pass attempts, Jeff Garcia again wasn’t sacked. For the season, the Bucs have attempted 348 passes and have only been sacked 10 times. That’s good for fourth in the league in that category.

Cause for concern though, is the inability to establish a consistent running game for the third week in a row. Granted, falling behind by 14 points eight minutes into a game isn’t a good recipe for establishing the run. But the fact is, they did try to run, but the holes weren’t there. The Bucs will have to run the ball down the stretch if they want to make the playoffs and advance there.

Donald Penn, LT: Penn didn’t have much trouble with whoever the Chiefs threw at him. Defensive end Tamba Hali is a former first round draft pick, but Penn neutralized him for the most part. Penn needs to play better in the run game, though.

Jeremy Zuttah, LG: Zuttah had no trouble whatsoever with rookie Glenn Dorsey on passing plays, but it wasn’t one of Jeremy’s better days run-blocking. He didn’t get much push, and he struggled getting to the second level.

Jeff Faine, C: I feel like I haven’t given enough accolades to Faine this season. Faine has so many responsibilities that it’s sometimes hard to tell if he had a positive or a negative play. I still think it was a great signing by the Bucs’ front office.

Davin Joseph, RG: It’s hard to run the ball when both of your guards struggle, and that was the case against Kansas City. Like Zuttah, Joseph didn’t have one of his better games.

Jeremy Trueblood, RT: Another solid effort from Trueblood. He has shown tremendous improvement in pass protection this year and this game was no exception. In the run game, Trueblood looked strong once again.

Game ball: Faine. He was solid in the win over the Chiefs and gets my game ball.

Combine Clifton Smith with the Vikings rotten coverage on special teams, and the Bucs should have strong field position Sunday.

Already Joe has written that the Bucs defense should dominate the Vikings’ passing game Sunday. But that’s not the only area Joe feels the Bucs should excel.

Sure, Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte is miserable beyond words. But the Vikings’ special teams are truly pathetic. Consider, as documented by Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Vikings have given up six touchdown returns combined on their kickoff and punt coverage teams. Six! That ties an NFL record, and it’s not even December yet.

In the last nine games the Vikings have allowed four punts to be returned for a score. But it’s not just touchdowns the Vikings’ punt team hacks up. Minnesota is last in the NFL in punt return yards giving up 18.1 yards a punt. That’s the most yards an NFL team has given up on average since the 1977 Cleveland Browns.

As Joe stated Monday, if the Bucs are able to shut down Adrian Peterson, no small task, the game is in the bag. Unless Chucky decides to outsmart Brad Childress and play Son of Bob.

Joe will be making an appearance this afternoon on “Happy Hour with J.P. Peterson” at roughly 4:15 p.m. The show can be heard locally in the Tampa Bay area on WQYK-AM 1010. It also can be heard on the internet by going to the station’s website.

Joe hopes to talk about Cadillac Williams’ premature return, Chucky’s status and generally all things Bucs. By all means please tune in and remember to support J.P.’s show.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com thinks Chucky is running from the truth a little bit.

Ever since Nick Saban, then the coach of the Miami Dolphins, got caught in a fib when he catagorically declared he was not a candidate to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide — then somehow was found to be holding a press conference in Tuscaloosa about how he accepted the job — NFL coaches have every word out of their mouth about taking a college job overly examined.

On Monday, Chucky claimed he is not a candidate to take Phil Fulmer’s opening at the University of Tennessee. But for Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the denial did not shut the door.

Given that we’ve heard more unequivocal statements from guys like Saban in the past, Gruden needs to go farther than he has before we’ll believe him.

He needs to say, for example, “I will not under any circumstances be the next coach at the University of Tennessee. If they’re interested in me, I’m flattered. But their time is better spent pursuing a candidate who will take the job. I will not.”

Instead, Gruden has left plenty of wiggle room… This tells us that Gruden isn’t interested in talking right now, but if the folks in Knoxville would be willing to wait until the season is finished, he might be inclined to listen.

Joe thinks this Chucky-to-Tennessee business is misguided wishful thinking for the orangeclad Vols fans, though stranger things have happened (Lou Holtz coaching the Jets springs to mind).

As Joe has pointed out earlier, Chucky may not be on as solid ground as the Bucs coach as some may think or want you to believe. Joe has already stated if the Bucs miss the playoffs or lose another opening-round playoff game, it wouldn’t shock him if Chucky was shown the door by the Glazer Boys.

Maybe Florio is right? Maybe Chucky believes this, too, and is keeping all options open?

Fullback B.J. Askew could return to the starting backfield Sunday

Out since Week 3 with a pulled hamstring, No. 1 fullback B.J. Askew practiced in full pads Monday and may return Sunday against the Vikings, according to Pewter Report.

Joe loves Askew. Askew was a Pro Bowl alternate last year and signed a big contract in the offseason. And he accomplished all that without ever taking a handoff as a Buccaneer. He’s a ferocious blocker and a strong receiver who runs well after the catch.

Askew is a big Chucky fan, as he told the Tampa Tribune in the Spring.

I wanted to get to a team that would appreciate a player like me. When I took the visit here, Gruden broke me down and showed me everything he liked about me on film. I came away feeling like this is a place that really wants me. The day of the start of free agency, I got the phone call from him. They flew me down the next day. He sold me so good. I really felt appreciated and knew I would go to war for this guy.

Askew returning likely would be the biggest step the Bucs could take to invigorate their struggling running game. Don’t underestimate his potential impact.

Joe hopes everyone who can is enjoying Veterans Day. Joe is.

And please take a brief moment of your day to think of those who paid a price so people like Joe can have this blog without fear of being thrown in a gulag or cooler for not drinking Son of Bob Kool-Aid.

If you happen to know a vet, thank him (or her).

Joe read something last week that he plans to make an annual tradition: If you are working today, when you leave for home, or if you have a few minutes in-between running errands, stop by a local American Legion hall or a VFW post. Buy a round for the vets.

Joe can’t think of a better way to honor them. In fact, Joe just might just join a few vets in a cold one at a local watering hole.

As Joe wrote earlier, local and national media are reporting it’s a lock that Cadillac Williams will be added to the Bucs roster on Wednesday, the team’s deadline to activate him or put him on injured reserve.

Joe doesn’t like the move, as he’s told you for months.

Here’s a list of 10 reasons Caddy should stay in the garage: (No particular order for this)

1. Cadillac doesn’t represent an insurance policy at running back. The guy hasn’t played in 14 months and is coming back from a gruesome knee injury. Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn do not have serious injuries, just typical Week- 10-in-the-NFL stuff. If Caddy returns, he can’t carry the load if needed. Also, if he’s back, who should lose carries?
2. Caddy is known for getting stronger as a game goes on and improving within a game after he’s had a dozen carries or so. If he returns, he’s not going to get that many carries.
3. Caddy has never been much of a receiver, and surely his rhythm in that aspect of the game has to be way off. He’d need major practice time to get that back. Regardless, when healthy, he’s nowhere near the receiver Graham or Dunn are.
4. Caddy is just 26 years old and surely would benefit from more rehab. If the Bucs want him in their future, why risk him now?
5. Cadillac returning likely means farewell to Michael Bennett. The Bucs won’t keep four running backs. But surely the Bucs should not discard a healthy, experienced 30-year-old RB for the stretch run. Things happen in the backfield, as the Bucs learned too well last season. They might need Bennett.
6. Jon Gruden has droned on and on this season about how players who missed training camp and significant practice time. Chucky has moaned missed time limits them in the offense and destroys their effectiveness and timing. What? Is Caddy somehow above all that?
7. Two of the Bucs next five games are on turf, in Atlanta and Detroit. How the can the Bucs seriously ask Williams to run his weak, barely-tested knee out on the dangerous carpet in midseason?

Joe was hoping for a top-10 list but ran out of gas. Got any other reasons?

The master of Bucs spin, Bruce Almighty, sat down for a chat with Eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. What would Bill O'Reilly have to say?

Eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune sat down for a chat with Bucs GM Bruce Almighty. Of course, Bruce Almighty, being the brother of former U.S. Senator George Allen, Jr. and a former employee of Al Davis is a master of spin.

But Bruce Almighty seems generally geeked with the Bucs.

I like the character of this team and the resolve of this team. There are so many things you count on when you leave training camp and our players and coaches have delivered. Our fans and our opponents know that we are going to compete hard for 60 minutes.

While Bruce Almighty may irritate Joe with his spin and sometimes flat out falsehoods, Joe admires him. Joe thinks Bruce Almighty has done a wonderful job with the salary cap and the Bucs’ drafts of late have been top-notch. The Bucs are fortunate to have Bruce Almighty.

Of course, like any good spin master, Bruce Almighty didn’t offer anything really juicy in the interview, which first appeared in Sunday’s old fashioned newspaper copy of the Tribune. Anybody out there still subscribe to a newspaper? Didn’t think so.

If one reads the tea leaves correctly, Michael Bennett may not be on the Bucs roster by the end of the week.

From various media reports, it appears that running back Cadillac Williams will be reactivated Wednesday. That means the Bucs will need to let someone loose.

Is that someone Michael Bennett?

The Bucs, namely Chucky, have terribly misused Bennett. Chucky claimed just a few weeks ago that the Bucs were short-handed in the running backs department. Maybe Chucky didn’t have his eyes checked recently and didn’t see Bennett in a Bucs roster?

Of course, Bennett hasn’t been quiet about his frustration over not being played. He was stewing in September. That may have greased the wheels for his departure, as Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune documented moments ago.

“I don’t really count myself in the equation. I really don’t,” Bennett said Monday. “For me, I have to keep working, do what I have to do, stay healthy and whenever my number is called, whether it be here or somewhere else, I just have to go play.”

Joe thinks it’s terrible how Chucky has jerked around Bennett. If he had no plans to use him, why not trade him? If Chucky didn’t want him, why keep him? Just cut him.

Joe thinks Chucky is taking a major gamble in rushing Williams back and letting Bennett walk out on the streets.

Chucky claims he's happy in Tampa Bay. The real question is, are the Glazers Boys happy?

Chucky was finally confronted with the numerous rumors of him returning to the college ranks to coach the Tennesse Volunteers. He claims he’s not going anywhere, Chucky is quoted in so many words by TBO.com.

“I’ve said from the very beginning, this is the only job I’ve ever wanted,” Gruden said. “As long as the Glazers will have me, I’ll be here. Got a lot of respect for Tennessee. I grew up there, a little bit. My wife is from there. This is where I want to be. I can only make that so clear.”

Whether Chucky stays in Tampa, that remains to be seen. Let’s be frank: Since winning the Super Bowl in 2003, Chucky has a losing record with the Bucs. Both playoff appearances since the Super Bowl win have been a one-and-done.

Not to mention in his wake, Chucky has hacked off enough quality players to just about field a Pro Bowl team. Then throw in the fact the Bucs offense has woefully underachieved this season, not to mention the Offensive Boy Genius has yet to develop a quarterback, and it’s not so difficult to see Chucky may be looking for work come January.

Yeah, Chucky is signed through the 2011 season. But rarely is a coach allowed to stay in the last year of the contract and be a lame duck. Either a coach has his contract extended or he is let go.

Also, as if any Bucs fan has noticed, the Bucs are having trouble selling tickets. If the Glazer Boys think they could kick-start ticket sales and win a few playoff games, as well as pull in a few extra million dollars as a result, Chucky isn’t exactly on safe ground.

Joe believes Chucky needs to win a playoff game this year or the Glazer Boys could pull the trigger.

Peter King of SI.com thinks that just because Chucky gave the Bucs a few days off during the bye week, that the players now worship the ground he walks on. Joe disagrees.

As Joe has stated many times, NFL fans who do not read Peter King’s weekly Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com are cheating themselves. This morning King writes about how Chucky gave the Bucs the week off for the bye week.

In the time between last week’s column and this one, the Bucs did not practice. Not once. Jon Gruden didn’t give his players a bye week. He gave them a bye-bye week. Smart move. You think his players won’t come back hungry to play hard for him the last seven weeks?

Joe does think that Chucky giving the Bucs a week vacation in the middle of the season is a good thing, both physically and mentally for the team. But to suggest the coach who, per a recent poll commissioned by the NFL Players Association, is one of the most disliked coaches by NFL players will suddenly be beloved by Bucs players is a stretch.

Players who like a coach like a coach. Players who don’t like a coach don’t like a coach. Just because the coach gives the players a few extra days off doesn’t mean the players all of a sudden think of him as their best friend.

Unless Chucky — or any coach — drastically changes his demeanor, players aren’t going to change their feelings toward him over a few days away from One Buc Palace.

Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte is simply wretched and the Bucs secondary should have a field day.

As usual, Joe can be found on a Sunday on his leather couch with two TVs working and ample adult beverages nearby watching NFL Sunday Ticket. Even when the Bucs are playing, Joe usually has his secondary TV pulling in an out of market game.

(Wait a minute. You don’t have two TVs for football Sundays? And you don’t have NFL Sunday Ticket? What’s the matter with you? You call yourself a football fan?)

Anyway, Joe was watching the Saints-Falcons on his primary TV and had the Packers-Vikings on his secondary TV, mainly because the Bucs will play the Vikings this coming weekend.

This just in: Gus Frerotte is horrid! The Packers picked him off three times and damned near pulled out a win thanks to Ferrotte.

The Bucs only have to worry about Adrian Peterson. He is the read deal. But Frerotte? Joe can only imagine how Tanard Jackson, Ronde Barber and the rest of the Bucs secondary are already drooling.

Chucky discusses the Bucs second half of the season and the push to the playoffs.

Chuck sits down for a chat with Scott Smith of Buccaneers Insider to discuss the second half of the season and the playoff picture for the Bucs. Naturally, as part of the NFL, Buccaneers.com does not have embed codes so Joe can’t post the entire video.

Joe is convinced that Roger Goodell is anti-internet because such Satanic sites like YouTube have exposed to the pubic that his cute wife has a naughty mind.

Since the Bucs have the day off, Joe thought he’d take a quick look at games involving the other three NFC South teams.

Currently all four NFC South teams are separated by two games. The Bucs are tied for first at 6-3 with Carolina. The Dixie Chicks are in second place with a 5-3 record and the Saints are 4-4.

New Orleans (4-4) at Atlanta (5-3)
TV: Channel 13, 1 p.m.
Outlook: The Dixie Chicks are one of the surprise teams this year, thanks to the emergence of budding NFL superstar, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. Part of the reason Ryan is good is that Atlanta has a solid running game with Michael Turner.
For that reason alone, Joe thinks the Dixie Chicks will win. They will control the ball against an average Saints defense. The way Drew Brees can light up a scoreboard, the best way to stop him is to keep the ball out of his hands.
Bodog.com pick: Atlanta -1.

Carolina (6-2) at Oakland (2-6)
TV: DirecTV Channel 712, 4 p.m.
Outlook: It’s naive to think that the Panthers will lose this game. Not only do the Raiders smell worse than a can of tuna left on the countertop overnight (remember those college days?), but they are hurt.
Jamarcus Russell is has a hurt knee. Darren McFadden has a bum toe. And that’s the two best offensive weapons the Raiders have.
If Oakland scores more than two touchdowns, there will be a near riot in Vegas.
Bodog.com pick: Carolina -10.

NFL Films showcases Jeff Garcia's prowess late in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs

If your aching for Bucs football this weekend, Joe has a bye-week fix for you. It can’t replace the euphoria of an ice cold brew and a Bucs kickoff on a 42-inch LCD, but it’ll do. 

NFL FIlms and NFL.com have rolled out an Anatomy of the Game video breaking down the Bucs game-tying touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant and the 2-point conversion to Alex Smith. (Yes, the NFL still holds back embed codes so you have to go to their site for the video).

The video is further proof that Jeff Garcia can truly perform at a Pro Bowl level.

Via the same link, NFL Films also looks at Earnest Graham’s touchdown pass. Enjoy.

Jeff Garcia will use the bye week to sleep off late nights caring for his infant daugher and helping his wife through morning sickness, reports dad Bob Garcia

Regular visitors here know Joe’s favorite Bucs analyst is Bob Garcia, father of Jeff Garcia and a high school and small college coaching legend in Gilroy, Calif.

Upset after the Chiefs game, the senior Garcia didn’t hold back in his weekly blog for the Gilroy Dispatch.

Sheesh, I tell you what, I nearly had a heart attack. Matter of fact, when Jeff called after the game he goes, ‘Hey, dad, did you almost have a heart attack?’
I said, ‘Heart attack? I was pissed (the whole game). What did you guys think you were gonna do, show up and they’d roll over and play dead.’ I said you guys looked like crap because the whole game defensively — breakdowns — and offensively — couldn’t get nothing going. … You got go out there and punch ’em in the damn mouth and say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna rip their damn — hey, I don’t care what their record is.’ You gotta have that attitude. We’re at the point now where every game is important.

Bob Garcia went on to say that Jeff is feeling a lot of stress at home from getting up in the middle of the night with his infant daughter. It seems the bye week will really help freshen Garcia up for the stretch run.

Joe hasn’t forgotten you Bucs fans. The power rankings are in and Joe has them.

We lead off with Jason McIntyre, the creator of TheBigLead.com. He has the Bucs at No. 10.

Three losses by 11 points. Just sayin’ …

Up next is Vic Carucci of NFL.com. He lists the Bucs at No. 7.

Ultimately, they did what they were supposed to do vs. the Chiefs, giving them a chance to have a relaxing bye — at least as relaxing as a Jon Gruden team’s bye can be.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com suggests the Bucs are slightly better. He has them at No. 6.

That was an impressive comeback against Kansas City. They head to their bye at 6-3 and have to feel pretty good about it.

Vacation Man of BSPN.com apparently surmised through the highlights that the Bucs are No. 7 as well.

Avoided disaster in Kansas City. They get a bye week to try to find their offense.

And lastly, Joe brings you the notorious Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman of SI.com. He too ranks the Bucs at No. 6.

The comeback from 24-3 down, to Kansas City, was the greatest in their history, they say. Short history, huh? Still, Gruden almost blew it when he went for a two-pointer early in the fourth quarter — too early — and had to hole the pressurized deuce putt later on to stay in it.

Brett Favre completed 19 passes this week against Buffalo.

As he does every week, Joe looks at what near-Bucs quarterback Brett Favre did in comparison to Carmella’s husband, Jeff Garcia.

To pullthe Jets within a tie with Buffalo for the AFC East lead, Favre completed 19 of 28 passes for 201 yards against the Bills without a touchdown. Favre threw one pick.

Garcia connected on 31 of 43 passes for 339 yards with a touchdown and a pick in the Bucs 30-27 overtime win at lowly Kansas City.

Joe gives a slight edge to Garcia, despite performing against the Chiefs’ poor defense. So this week, the Bucs were better off without Brett Favre.

There's no other way to describe it: Son of Bob is thieving millions from the Glazer Boys.

Joe recently stumbled upon a database on USA Today’s website that breaks down the salaries of each player in the NFL. To Joe’s surprise, the highest paid Buc is an offensive lineman.

Center Jeff Faine.

Faine clocks in with an annual salary of 13,105,760, nearly three times as much as the second-highest paid player on the Bucs roster, Jeff Garcia ($5,255,280).

(It seems this database is averaging signing bonus money and salary over the life of the contract)

Arguably the Bucs best bargain is safety Tanard Jackson who is the fourth-lowest paid Buc at $371,920. The biggest scam/travesty is Son of Bob who is the fourth-highest-paid at $4,250,000.

Quick, someone call the FBI! This isn’t highway robbery, this is felony interstate larcency.

Son of Bob shouldn’t even be on the team much less making $10. And he’s collecting a check of over $4 million! This is a moral outrage for any Bucs season ticket holder. The gall! Exactly what type of narcotics was Bruce Almighty on to sign off on this? How did Chucky con him into agreeing to such an insane, Satanic pact??

If I was one of the Glazer Boys, I’d have Chucky and Bruce Almighty cleaning the toilets and urinals and mopping up the puke from the drunks after home games to make up for the hard-earned cash of theirs that has been flushed away by Son of Bob.

Bucs wide receiver Michael Clayton (80) seems to be enjoying himself more now that hes catching more passes and is a businessman.

Easy Bucs fans. The Glazer Boys aren’t retiring Michael Clayton’s number.

His old high school in Louisiana is, so reports Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.

It seems Clayton will be a bit busy during his bye week. He’ll be at the Alabama-LSU game for the coin flip at his alma mater and then he’s opening up his own haberdashery, “80 Stitches.”

Joe’s not so sure the bye week will be good for Clayton in the long run. Finally he seems to be getting out of a slump that has stretched from his second season in the NFL which damned near had him cut from the Bucs roster. Clayton still has a bad habit of dropping key passes, though he seems to be catching more key passes in recent games.

“It’s about confidence,” Clayton said. “I had to go through a lot to earn Coach Gruden’s confidence in me again. I had to go through a lot to earn Jeff (Garcia’s) confidence in me. It’s about taking advantage of the opportunity and playing well. All that plays a part in how you feel out there on the field.

“When you get the feeling, it’s like you’re in a zone. You catch everything, you see more, you get more opportunities. You can really start to make stuff happen when you get the ball in your hands more. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to get that feeling.”

Joe hopes Clayton continues his hot streak. Sadly, for Clayton, the bye week couldn’t have come at a worse time.