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Monte Kiffin, architect of ‘Tampa 2’ Super Bowl-winning defense, dies at 84

Thu Jul 11 8:51pm ET
Field Level Media

Super Bowl champion Monte Kiffin, 84, has died, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Ole Miss Football announced on Thursday.

He passed in Oxford, Miss., surrounded by family and friends.

Kiffin was the defensive coordinator and architect of the Buccaneers' famed "Tampa 2" defense that gained popularity at all levels of football following its success in Tampa over a 13-year run under head coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden that resulted in the franchise's first NFL championship in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.

He coordinated Hall of Fame defenders Warren Sapp, Darrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber over that run.

Kiffin was inducted into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor in 2021.

In a statement issued by the Buccaneers, team ownership said:

"Monte Kiffin was a beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family, and our entire organization mourns his loss today. As a coach, Monte was a true innovator who got the best out of his players and helped create one of the signature defenses of the early 2000s. His passionate and energetic leadership style resonated with all his players, and he was instrumental in our first Super Bowl win and the success of Hall of Famers such as Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber. Off the field, Monte was kind, genuine, gracious and always had a positive attitude. He was very special to the Buccaneers organization and our family. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Robin, son, Lane, daughter, Heidi, and the entire Kiffin family."

Kiffin's tenure in Tampa Bay ended when he departed to coach under his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee in 2009. The pair moved to the University of Southern California the following year.

The elder Kiffin eventually returned to the NFL for stints with the Cowboys and Jaguars before once again joining his son at Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss in assistant/analyst roles.

A Nebraska collegian and professional football player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Rifles, Kiffin quickly transitioned to coaching, taking a grad assistant job with his alma mater in 1966. He was eventually elevated to defensive coordinator and then left for the same job at Arkansas before being hired as the head coach at North Carolina State in 1980.

That position lasted just three years. He caught on with the Green Bay Packers as an assistant in 1983 and his career took off from there.

Stints with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints led him to Tampa Bay, where he would enjoy his greatest successes.

"I love that man and am so indebted to him," Lynch told the Tampa Bay Times. "Monte had a unique enthusiasm for life, football and family. He also had a passion for coaching -- and helping people like myself become the best version of themselves."

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D.K. Metcalf

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had a poor game on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Metcalf finished the game with three receptions for 48 yards. Metcalf had been cruising this season and entered the game as the WR11 in fantasy. However, the 49ers more or less dominated the Seahawks and limited Metcalf's upside. Metcalf also had a couple of near-miss touchdowns in this game. Unfortunately, Metcalf's performance will set fantasy managers back heading into the weekend. However, there should be no panic or concern over his performance. Quarterback Geno Smith still threw for over 300 yards and Metcalf earned eleven targets. His catch rate was abysmal, but that kind of volume is sure to continue to translate to fantasy points. Metcalf will look to get back on track in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Brandon Aubrey Oct 11 10:20am CT
Brandon Aubrey

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Noah Fant Oct 11 10:20am CT
Noah Fant

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant matched his season-high catch total of six on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. He also set a new season-high in receiving yards with 63. Fant has been a useless fantasy asset all season but if you happened to stream him this week then you were likely pleasantly surprised by the outcome. The Seahawks wound up throwing the ball 52 times, so it is no surprise that so many pass catchers were able to receive solid volume in this game. Even with a nice game from Fant, he is still too inconsistent to trust in fantasy football. However, if this trend continues then he would be worth an add off waivers.

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Kenneth Walker III Oct 11 10:20am CT
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Geno Smith Oct 11 10:20am CT
Geno Smith

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Oct 11 10:20am CT
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

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Tyler Lockett Oct 11 10:20am CT
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Jake Ferguson Oct 11 10:10am CT
Jake Ferguson

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Micah Parsons Oct 11 10:10am CT
Micah Parsons

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CeeDee Lamb Oct 11 10:00am CT
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Jalen Tolbert Oct 11 10:00am CT
Jalen Tolbert

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Dak Prescott Oct 11 9:50am CT
Dak Prescott

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Rico Dowdle Oct 11 9:50am CT
Rico Dowdle

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Ezekiel Elliott Oct 11 9:50am CT
Ezekiel Elliott

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Andy Dalton Oct 11 8:50am CT
Andy Dalton

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Jonathan Owens Oct 11 8:40am CT
Jonathan Owens

Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) has officially been ruled out for the team's Week 6 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Brisker has been one of the leaders of a very good defensive unit that has kept the Bears in striking distance every game. They enter this week as a top-four unit in terms of fantasy points scored so far this season. Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens are the next two safeties on the depth chart and Hicks will likely be the one to take over for Brisker in this game. The Jaguars finally bounced back with a win in Week 5, but Trevor Lawrence has proven to slip up more often than not, so this defense has serious potential.

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Chuba Hubbard Oct 11 8:20am CT
Chuba Hubbard

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has enjoyed some big fantasy success over the last few weeks since Andy Dalton took over as the starting quarterback. He's registered finishes of RB7, RB7, and RB5 in half-PPR formats across those weeks. After a brief offensive improvement to win their first game, the offense has slowly returned to the not-so-great version we've seen before. Now, Hubbard goes up against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 who are the fifth-toughest defense against opposing running backs. They're only allowing an average of 15.9 fantasy points per game to backfields. Hubbard remains the best starting option from the Panthers' offense, but his upside is limited if the Falcons can get out to an early lead.

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Zamir White Oct 11 8:00am CT
Zamir White

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Russell Wilson Oct 11 8:00am CT
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) technically won the starting job in training camp, but hasn't been able to take the field due to a calf injury. In fact, the Steelers were ready to trot him out as the starter in Week 1 until the calf flared up a few days before kickoff, allowing Justin Fields to step in earlier than expected. Since then, Wilson has dressed as the emergency QB and has slowly worked his way to taking second-team reps. Head coach Mike Tomlin didn't explicitly say that Wilson would eventually take his spot back, but he said that "the door is ajar" in terms of a potential QB swap. While Fields has looked much improved from his days with the Chicago Bears, the passing game leaves a lot to be desired. Wilson may get the chance to see if he can breathe new life into it.

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Jakobi Meyers Oct 11 7:50am CT
Jakobi Meyers

Las Vegas Raiders wide receivers Davante Adams (hamstring) and Jakobi Meyers (ankle) both registered DNPs for Thursday's injury report. Reports last week suggested that Adams would be healthy by this week, but as the week has progressed, he's increasingly been unlikely to play in Week 6's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is all while the team is looking for trade partners for the superstar receiver even though the trade market looks like it's going cold due to their asking price. Meyers, on the other hand, reportedly "seemed fine" and missing practice was more to make sure he's healthy by game time. Fantasy managers should still monitor his status leading up to the mid-afternoon kickoff on Sunday.

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