Just a coincidence?

Rex Ryan is the new Jets coach. Monte Kiffin is the new University of Tennessee DC. The two have more than an address change in common.

After the first talk of a head coaching interview for Ryan, his defense surrendered a season high 391 yards to the Titans. The next week, after Ryan's interview, they did much better against the Steelers, but still gave up more yards and forced les turnovers than their season's average.

When it came out, 12 games into the season, that Kiffin was going to UT, the Bucs defense was giving up 279.5 yards per game, 95 of them on the ground. In their last four games the Bucs D gave up 386 ypg, including 189 rushing ypg. They went 0-4.

There are other explanations. In Ryan's case the Steelers and Titans were two of the best teams in the league, and naturally, with each successive playoff round, the competition is intensified. The Bucs' the losses can be pinned on Jeff Garcia's injury: Griese started the Atlanta game and Garcia struggled when he came back, throwing half of his season's interceptions in the final two losses.

The relationships here certainly aren't causal, but two very good defenses didn't play their best immediately after their respective coordinators were distracted by job offers. The correlation is worth noting.

-Agent Easy

Remembering Warren Sapp

While most of the sports-watching world reacted to Brett Favre's retirement, another football legend called it quits: defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

Sapp will always be known as one of the guys most responsible for turning the Bucs from perennial laughingstock (going fourteen years without a winning season) to one of the NFL's powerhouses of the late 1990s and early 2000s, culminating of course with their dominant win in Super Bowl XXXVII, which was fittingly led by their defense.

During his time in Tampa, Sapp established himself as the face of the Bucs, which was good because their previous face was this. This was due not only to his play but his antics, such as "The Skipping Incidents", in which he repeatedly ran through other teams' warmups.

Here's the man in his own words (followed by Jon Gruden)

New addition: a good discussion thread on Sapp's Hall of Fame chances