Sunday night marks Monte Kiffin's return to the NFL. After four years in college football, the new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator is preparing for the season opener against the New York Giants.
The Giants, meanwhile, are checking out Kiffin's USC tape.
"Their scheme will be very sound and let their athletes run," quarterback Eli Manning said Monday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We've got to go back and look at some old film, some old Tampa stuff, some USC stuff. We have a lot of different film to look at."
That USC tape will show a lot of coverage breakdowns. Kiffin never was able to translate his NFL success at the college level. And it's easy to forget his Buccaneers defenses weren't as effective late in his tenure with Tampa.
Kiffin's transition back to the NFL is one of the stories to watch early this season. There is plenty of talent in Dallas with DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and a highly paid group of cornerbacks. At a time when Kiffin's famed Tampa 2 defense has gone out of vogue, Kiffin has to prove that the game hasn't passed him by.
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