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Back for blood

By JOHN ROMANO
Published August 1, 2005

LAKE BUENA VISTA - The gray shirt was soaked with sweat, but that was to be expected. After all, the day was hot and the work was demanding.

The gray hair was pointing in crazy directions, but that's hardly unusual for this old coot. He gets up in the morning to work, not to impress.

No, it was something else. Something out of place.

And that's when it hits you. Or maybe it dripped on you. His left hand was experiencing a significant loss of blood and he was flinging it every which direction whenever he pointed or gestured for emphasis.

"First day of pads," he grinned. "It's a contact sport."

And there you have it. Monte Kiffin is back at work.

If the blood and sweat didn't convince you, stick around and there's bound to be some tears. Kiffin, 65, wouldn't have it any other way.

This is how you remember the Buccaneers during their best days. The coach with the droopy eyelids and the maniacal energy pacing the sidelines. He is scolding, he is laughing and he is pretty darn sure he's going to win again.

Kiffin is back for his 10th fall as the Bucs defensive coordinator and, in some ways, this could be his most challenging season yet.

Tougher than 1996 when the Bucs had nowhere to go but up. Rougher than 2002 when everyone was wondering if Tampa Bay would ever make a Super Bowl.

For the first time since Kiffin helped construct one of the best defenses the NFL has ever known, there are visible signs of wear on his creation.

"It's true," Kiffin said. "We might have lost a little, we might have slipped a bit. We've got to get that back."

So Kiffin is moving. From player to player. From one end of the field to the other. From somewhere in Tampa Bay's past to a more hopeful future.

He is convincing the younger guys that they're ready. He is assuring the older guys that they're not yet done.

He is teaching schemes and formations, for sure, but he's also preaching attitude and expectation. There is a certain edge to a Bucs defense. A self-assured way of standing on the field and refusing to budge.

"If you want to be an average football player, go somewhere else. Don't plan on playing here," Kiffin said. "There are a lot of average defenses you can find, but if you're going to play here you better play hard and you better play fast and you better be ready to play together.

"We set our standards pretty high. I'll put it this way: We better be pretty darn good. We expect to be darn good, not just good."

There are numbers that back this up. Numbers that say the Bucs have finished in the top 10 in the NFL in total defense for the past eight seasons and in the top 10 in scoring defense for nine seasons.

But the numbers are not as accurate as the perception. Once, Warren Sapp was the defensive player of the year and the Bucs were dominant. Once, Derrick Brooks was the defensive player of the year and the Bucs were awesome.

Today, there are fewer people talking about Tampa Bay's defense. There is less fear among opposing offenses.

Since a Monday night collapse against Indianapolis in 2003, the defense has seemed vulnerable. Too many backs have run straight through the middle of the line. Too many quarterbacks have engineered fourth-quarter comebacks. And there have been too few sacks and turnovers that were staples of the old days.

If you are optimistic, you could blame injuries. You could say Anthony McFarland was missed last season and Brian Kelly was absent the year before. If you are looking for rationalizations, you could talk about the transition. The way Tampa Bay had to adjust to life without Sapp and John Lynch.

But if you are realistic, you have to wonder if this defense isn't slowly fading into memory. More than half the starters, including all three linebackers, are in their 30s. One starting safety was released last season by Arizona and the other has yet to prove himself. The defensive line, once a revolving door of nasty run-stoppers, is thinner than in recent years.

For too long, the Bucs have cheated on the side of offense. They traded draft picks for an offensive-minded coach. They traded picks for a receiver. They have taken two receivers, two running backs and an offensive lineman at the top of the draft. And only once in the past nine seasons have they used a first-round pick on a defensive player.

Instead, they've leaned on Kiffin to keep this thing going.

"There's no doubt people are looking at our guys and how many years they've been in the league," Kiffin said.

"I don't worry one bit about how old the guys are. When they walk on the field, the right guard isn't asking the linebacker how old he is. I don't give a damn how old you are. If you're at the point where you can't play, if you lost the desire or athletically you're not good enough, then you won't be here."

Kiffin is too proud to accept 2004 was remotely close to expectations. Yet he is too confident to doubt great moments are just a play away.

As he speaks, you can almost hear the conflict in his words. The voice, which usually sounds like a rough whisper, is rising now.

Yes, the Bucs have had some problems. But, dang it, they also have solutions. And if you stick around, Kiffin says, you'll see them. They're not old, they're seasoned. They're not losing talent, they're gaining verve.

He's starting to gesture. He's beginning to get fired up. It's hotter than sin and there's a second practice still to come.

Careful now, he could spill some more blood.

[Last modified August 1, 2005, 00:59:12]