Coach Jon Gruden made an important point this morning that probably got lost in the shuffle after Sunday's game.

For all the credit we gave the Bucs defense for limiting Vikings RB Adrian Peterson to 85 yards in the win, the Bucs' offense did a yeoman's job, too.

How, you ask? By playing keep away. Frankly, the Vikings didn't have the ball long enough to do a whole lot of damage, particularly in the second half.

Minnesota ran 32 offensive plays in the first half, but in the second half, it was held to just 20 snaps. Meanwhile, the Bucs ran 39 plays in the second half, keeping the Vikings offense off the field, even if Tampa Bay couldn't convert on many of its possessions.

"I thought the offense did extremely well, limiting (Peterson's) opportunities," Gruden said. "That's the best way to shut him down: Leave him on the sideline. I thought our defense tackled, we got people to the football and it's a credit to Coach (Monte) Kiffin and the defense. It's also very much a credit to the offense for keeping them off the field, possessing the ball as long as they did."

Peterson was limited to 14 yards on six carries in the second half.