Deny run, deny pass; Kiffin keeps it simple

TAMPA, FLA. - When he worked for the Vikings, Monte Kiffin became known in Bloomington for showing up at his kids' games and volunteering to coach. Not to become the official coach. Just to offer helpful suggestions to anyone foolish enough to run the team without his input.

Even among the lifelong workaholics who coach football for a living, Kiffin is renowned for his obsessiveness, his innovations and his wide-eyed enthusiasm. He has never met a cocktail napkin that didn't double as a playbook.

Kiffin, defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bucs, drew up the plans that beat the Vikings 19-13 on Sunday, creating the latest piece of evidence that he belongs in a yet-to-be-created wing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for assistant coaches.

Kiffin's defense sacked Gus Frerotte five times (tied for most against the Vikings this season), held the Vikings to 138 passing yards (their lowest total since Frerotte became the starter), held Minnesota to 210 total yards (easily their lowest total of the season) and allowed Adrian Peterson just 14 yards on six second-half carries (neither of which is a typo).

After Peterson spent the first half looking like a beefier Barry Sanders, the Bucs held Minnesota to 64 second-half yards. With Peterson leading the NFL in rushing and the passing game producing big plays, defenses are supposed to pick their poison. Kiffin devised dual antidotes, blitzing often and effectively enough that Frerotte couldn't take advantage of man-to-man coverage against the Vikings' wideouts.

Asked what it's like to play for Kiffin, Chris Hovan, the former Viking who had a sack on Sunday, said, "It's a privilege. It really is a privilege coming in every day with Monte. He is so good with details.

"I'd say this to any guy who gets drafted or becomes a free agent -- if you want to get coached on defense, come to Tampa. They're going to coach the heck out of you."

Since '96, the Bucs lead the NFL in fewest yards allowed. Sunday, the Bucs defense -- featuring two aging stars in linebacker Derrick Brooks and cornerback Ronde Barber and a bunch of no-names and castoffs -- risked playing man-to-man against the Vikings' receivers, so Kiffin could commit an extra defensive back to the running game.

Peterson foiled that plan early with powerful running and whirling moves, rushing 13 times for 71 yards in the first half. "When you take that away from them," Barber said, "they're not as successful."

A Florida reporter asked Barber about Peterson's comments during the week, that he wanted the running game to "impose" its "will" against Tampa Bay. "That may work in other cities," Barber said. "But we've got too many non-will-giving-up players on this team. That's just not our nature."

Kiffin's secret? His players repeated two words -- "simplicity" and "detail."

"It's all about details," Barber said. "If everybody does what they're supposed to do on every play, and they play their heart out, we win."

Sunday afternoon, Kiffin raved about Peterson -- and his players' ability to stop the phenom. "I think I'm pretty darned excited," Kiffin said. "The whole thing is, you've got to hustle to the ball and tackle the guy with the ball before he gets to the end zone. Simple, right?"

Like a padlock.