Tag Archives: pro football

New York Giants Powerful 1990 Champion Stronger Than 1986

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New York Giants Super Bowl XXV Ring

In NFL History, there are some stories of some of football’s champions yet some are overshadowed by more romanticized teams. Yet if it’s true that the measure of a team is in who they beat to obtain a championship, where does that put the 1990 New York Giants??

They stopped the San Francisco 49ers bid for a three-peat. Then stopped the best of the Buffalo Bills 4 straight AFC Championship teams. They weren’t given their due by the sporting press in our estimation and their Super Bowl victory hinged on Scott Norwood missing a 47 yard field goal as time expired.  We say “So what?”

Its like this: Super Bowl XXIV had the widest margin of victory in Jan. 1990, when San Francisco defeated the Denver Broncos 55-10. The following year, these New York Giants won by the closest margin defeating the Buffalo Bills in the aforementioned Silver Anniversary 25th edition 20-19. What was the difference?? Nothing.  The Giants received the same amount of money and ring expense as the 49ers the year before.

However when the 80’s Giants are remembered this team is always thought of as the weaker of their 2 championship teams during that era. There is an air of romanticism around the ’86 team becoming Super Bowl Champions, but we at Taylor Blitz Times, believe the teams defeated give a legitimate case for the ’90 version being the stronger team.

In 1986 the Chicago Bears set the record for fewest points in a season with 187. They were the #1 defense in all of pro football and the Giants were #2. In the ’85 playoffs, the Giants were shut out 21-0 by the Bears and by luck (Charles Martin slamming Jim McMahon) didn’t play them in ’86. Then for the first time ever Pete Rozelle came up with the first Monday Night series where the Bears (’85 Champions) took on the Giants (’86 Champions).

The Bears blew them out 34-19 and the Giants only scored once on offense in that game. So it’s a legitimate debate that had they played the Bears in the ’86  playoffs they would have lost. Yet the ’90 version had to march through TWO champions to get their ring. Take a look

SUPER BOWL XXV CHAMPION 1990 NEW YORK GIANTS borrowed from upcoming book: Ring of Champions

1964 NFL Champion Cleveland Browns

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64 Bowns ringDid you know that the NFL had a rotating trophy in the years before the Super Bowl? How do we know this? Well in 1995 when it was determined that Cleveland was to keep the Browns team colors, records, etc., there was no championship trophy for 1964. In fact, in more ways than one, they left it in Green Bay following a loss in the 1965 NFL Championship Game. Following the 1965 season we started the Super Bowl series where teams kept a trophy to commemorate the accomplishment…but there were rings.

Jim Brown about to collide with Lenny Lyles during the '64 NFL Title Game.

Jim Brown about to collide with Lenny Lyles during the ’64 NFL Title Game.

Yet the year before the Cleveland Browns hosted the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Title Game. With the Baltimore Colts defense keying on Jim Brown, Frank Ryan hit surprise MVP Gary Collins #86 with 3 TD passes in a 27-0 upset. Collins 3TD receptions in a title game went unmatched until Jerry Rice had 3 in Super Bowl XXIV some 26 years later. OK that isn’t entirely true since today they use the NFC Championship Game as an equivalent to the old NFL Championship Game we have to include Preston Pearson’s 3TDs in the 1975 NFC Championship Game when Dallas beat the Rams 37-7….yet I digress

This was the last championship won by the lake. So yes Jim Brown did play for an NFL Champion during his career. The team was quarterbacked by Frank Ryan who went on to be a college professor and designed the first electronic voting system for either US Congress or the House of Representatives…the memory escapes me. A uniquely forgotten team amidst the slew of Green Bay Packers championship teams throughout the decade.

Ironically, the team that bears the name of Paul Brown, won this championship without him. In a power struggle he was removed by new majority owner Art Modell. They were coached by Blanton Collier. More irony can be found in the fact that in Cleveland 4 years later, the Colts got revenge shutting out the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship Game on their way to Super Bowl III. Then the obvious irony of losing not only their last NFL Championship appearance to Baltimore, but then lost their original incarnation of the Browns to Baltimore when Art Modell moved them there following the 1995 season.

Gary Collins snares one of his three TD receptions in the '64 NFL Title Game.

Gary Collins snares one of his three TD receptions in the ’64 NFL Title Game.

However in 1964 they were league champions and went on to defend that title in 1965 against Green Bay Packers. This was also the team of the 1950s and is the only team in league history to win an NFL title in their first year in the league.

Further food for thought: What was first IRRESPONSIBLY taught to the masses as the “west coast offense” was the 1950s playbook of Paul Brown’s from Cleveland and taught to Bill Walsh in Cincinnati. In fact the most famous play in “west coast offense” history, the pass to Dwight Clark from Joe Montana in the ’81 NFC Championship Game, was an old Cleveland Brown play called Q-8 option and NOT sprint right option. It started in Ohio….NOT in San Francisco. Know your history kids… Class dismissed

The Ed Thorpe NFL Championship Trophy for 1965 as won by Green Bay as the rotating trophy the Browns took to defend their 64 Title was lost. Trophy stayed

2011 Oakland Raiders Preview

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Oakland Raiders Pre Kickoff

At some point the Oakland Raiders are going to make a few football moves that I’ll agree with although firing Tom Cable was not one of them. Many have attributed their newfound offensive success to Hue Jackson, who succeeded Cable as Head Coach. They did put the NFL on notice last year with a powerful rushing attack that kept them in games. Last year at midseason they were 5-4 and had just defeated the Chiefs, the eventual division winner, and looked to be headed to the playoffs. That stumble in Indianapolis in week 16 (31-26 loss) kept them from the postseason and they finished 8-8.

Last year the Raiders went undefeated in the AFC West, sweeping the division champion Chiefs in the process.  Can they duplicate that feat and win a few more games and get to the playoffs??  Well in football there is a saying that in order to be good you have to run the football and stop the run. They were 2nd in the NFL averaging 155 yards per game and a stout 4.9 yards per carry average. However there are two sides to that equation and where their numerator was good, their low common denominator of being 29th against the run, allowing 2,138 yards rushing was atrocious. They don’t fix this they have to watch the playoffs again.  As for Jason Campbell, pull the trigger and don’t play so overly cautious.  His team will need him to make more plays with defenses creeping up to stop the run.  So how will they fare this year?

Campbell needs to pull the trigger in 2011. Too often held the ball and took sacks or threw too quickly to his running backs.  Has to learn to let the passing windows develop to deliver the intermediate throws.

Quarterback: Face it, Jason Campbell is a serious upgrade from JaMarcus Russell.  Yet that’s not saying much when you’re replacing the biggest draft bust in NFL history. This was addition by subtraction in the team felt like it could win without seeing Russell in the lineup. Where in years past they looked defeated walking onto the field. The first thing asked of Campbell was to minimize the turnovers and he did that. However there were plays where Campbell was too apprehensive. He has to realize its his team and play with some abandon.  In 2010 he was 7-5 as a starter, completed 59% of his passes for 2,387 yds, 13 TDs, and only 8 interceptions. Statistically thats not bad yet many times he would check down to the running back without letting his downfield options develop. Then there were a few chances when Jacoby Ford broke into the open and Campbell would overthrow his target.  Maybe he’ll be more settled in his second season as the starter. They need him to make all the throws if they are to become a playoff team. Going into his 6th season its time for him to put it together and he has the tools. Will he??

Then you have his backup in scrappy Bruce Gradkowski. This guy plays from his gut and plays with a reckless abandon that Campbell should.  He passes further up the passing tree and will take a few more chances.  Some came out good and some bad.  He threw for 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with his 157 attempts last year. Naturally his completion percentage was only 52.9% yet again he took more chances and inspires his teammates when he’s in there.  If there were a way to fuse these two into a single player, the Raiders would be set at quarterback.  Its like this “Have your read, know your defense, when you see the defense take their first steps, know where you’re going with the football and let it fly Jason Campbell.” Don’t be overly cautious! Remember when the Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII? In that season Jim Plunkett threw for 20 TDs and 18 interceptions so sometimes it can go against you but you can’t win most of your games throwing sideways passes.  Silver and black is below average. Campbell has to take charge and not go through the motions.

Darren McFadden ran like a beast in 2010. Has he finally arrived or was this an aberration??

Offensive Backfield: Did you see that??  Darren McFadden finally showed up! Yeah the guy from Arkansas who was the do everything back coming out of college.  Something happened last year and McFadden played motivated and ran with authority. His 1,157 yards were a career high and he ran with power between the tackles along with Michael Bush. Bush complemented McFadden with 655 yards of his own and ran for a team high 8 TDs to 7 for McFadden.  By the time you throw in Marcel Reece, no Raider running back averaged less than 4.1 yards.  Gaudy numbers when the league average is 4.0. As for McFadden he stopped going down with the first point of contact like he had in his previous 2 seasons.  He ran like the DMC we expected out of college.  He complemented his first 1,000 yard rushing year with 47 receptions out of the backfield for another 3 TDs.  He was the driving force behind the resurgent running game and Oakland had him for 13 of a possible 16 games last year v. the 12 combined starts over 2 seasons being nagged by injuries. He runs with abandon like he did last year and a 1,400 – 1,500 yard season is not out of the question.

Something was definitely in the gatorade last year for the Raiders.  Bush was the complimentary back who had an excellent year where he ran for nearly 700 yards, he caught 18 passes for nearly 200 more.  These two were giving defenses absolutely no rest as the 210 lb.s McFadden hit them first, then the 243 lbs. Bush would help tire them further and holes opened up later in games for McFadden to hit the big one on opponents.  Was this a fluke? Absolutely not. The Raiders ran with thunder and did so all year constantly knocking opponents back. This is the best 1-2 punch next to Kansas City at running back, so this team is Super Bowl quality at running back. What remains to be seen is how 4th round draft pick Taiwan Jones fits into the equation. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/taiwan-jones?id=2495467  If he’s a special team player or comes in as a supplemental 3rd down back this team stays Super Bowl quality at running back

2010 Pro Bowl TE Zach Miller

Receivers: Well everyone chides and teases about Al Davis and his penchant for the vertical passing game yet consequently he should have it. From a football strategist standpoint, they will lure teams into 7 and 8 man fronts to stop the run opening lanes for seam routes, verticals, digs, and deep corner patterns. As soon as that SS comes up these guys have to get open.    Here is where the Raiders may need to see improvement to become a playoff team. Darius Heyward Bey and Jacoby Ford have shown flashes that they can get deep, but can they learn to set up rival cornerbacks and not telegraph what they are running? Can they sell the first half of the play action pass to get free releases into the intermediate (10-15 yard) area of the passing tree? Right now they have some more learning to do but these are young players.

Going into his 3rd year, this is where Darrius Heyward-Bey needs to have his breakout year to justify his lofty 1st round selection and 7th pick overall status. Last year he caught 25 passes for 366 yards and only 1 touchdown, yet was overthrown on multiple times when he did get deep. Campbell hits him on those and he could possibly have his first 1,000 yard season or close to it. Right now Heyward-Bey is inconsistent with his set up moves to get deep on veteran corners. Jacoby Ford actually flashed more as a rookie than his 1st round counterpart. He only started 9 games yet went on to grab 25 passes for 470 yards and 2 TDs. He’s a quicker, more explosive receiver with more of an upside because he can get in and out of routes a little quicker to get himself open. They’re going to have to trust Campbell and Campbell has to trust them by throwing catchable passes they’re way. When in doubt, Campbell has Pro Bowl TE Zach Miller who had a stellar 2010 with 60 receptions for 685 yards and 5 touchdowns.  He led the Raiders in all 3 receiving categories yet that has to change for this team to see the postseason.  At receiver the Raiders are growing but right now we have to give them a below average rating.

Offensive Line: This group was given a bum rap by many for their sack totals given up last year.  Its true they gave up 44 sacks yet Raider quarterbacks were hit on only 77 plays all told.  For every team that ranked in the bottom half of the league for sacks their quarterbacks were usually hit double or even triple the amount of times they were sacked.  Much of this can be attributed Campbell holding onto the ball to long rather than consistent poor pass blocking.  Yet the Raiders went after OLine talent in the draft, first taking Stefen Wisniewski in the second round from Penn St, then Joseph Barksdale in the 3rd from LSU.  Incumbent RT Langston Walker may have a hard time fighting off Barksdale for the starting position. Wisniewski is fighting for one of the guard spots.

Not exactly sure we agree with tinkering with this line when you dissect last year’s numbers. They’re adding this talent to a line that mashed its way to 2,494 yards and a 4.9 yards per carry average.  Both those numbers ranked second in the NFL but the Eagles (yards per carry) numbers were distorted because of Michael Vick, so the Raiders were really the league’s best ground team.  Those are some tremendous numbers for an offensive line that didn’t have 1 pro bowler on it. In fact when it came to 3rd or 4th and 2 or shorter, the Raiders gained a first down or touchdown 67 times running to the left and 79 times running right up the gut.  They weren’t that successful running right with only 25 successes. So you can see where those two draft picks will be fighting for playing time. This line is playoff caliber and with improved quarterback play could be Super Bowl caliber.

Kelly and Shaughnessy welcoming Tim Tebow to Oakland

Defensive Line: What defensive line?? As we mentioned before, the ranking of 29th against the run and giving up over 2,100 yards on the ground starts right here. They also allowed 14 rushing touchdowns which negated the advantage the offense gave them anyway.  How bad are these numbers?? If the totals that Oakland gave up on the ground were attributed to a 33rd NFL team, they would have finished seventh in rushing. Yikes!! Tackle somebody! How did Richard Seymour make the Pro Bowl again?? Why wasn’t a draft pick spent here??

Well one thing they did do really well last year was get to the quarterback.  The Raiders tallied 47 sacks and 27.5 came from their front line. Matt Shaughnessy (who?) and Tommy Kelly led the line with 7 sacks each followed by Semour’s 5.5, and Lamar Houston’s (#99) 5 quarterback take downs. They may not want to tear up the field after the quarterback and disregard the run so much. Richard Seymour did see a ton of  double teams which freed up Shaughnessy and Kelly to garner 56 & 59 tackles respectively.  They may need to play at home more and become solid at stopping the run. However with 3 defensive linemen over 30 there is a chance they’ll wear down by the end of the season.  Again, why wasn’t there a draft pick spent here?  Defensive line is below average in the Bay Area.

McClain is the real deal!

Linebackers: Quite simply, the heart and soul of this defense. The Raiders have found their MLB for years to come in Rolando McClain out of Alabama. He didn’t disappoint in his rookie season, producing 85 tackles, half a sack and had an interception.  The years of a stopgap free agent filling this spot has ended. This kid is the real deal. He has range and at 6’3, 254 lbs arrives with thunder once he gets there.  This is Oakland’s version of Patrick Willis. Will soon be a Pro Bowler once Ray Lewis and a few veterans retire or play slacks off.

Speaking of Pro Bowls, we think Kamerion Wimbley was cheated of going to one last year.  He didn’t make a tremendous amount of splash plays but he was consistent.  He led the Raiders with 9 sacks, and tallied 57 tackles with 1 forced fumble from his outside linebacker spot. Those numbers on a higher ranked defense and he may have been in Hawai’i.  These 2 men were 3rd and 4th in tackles for the silver and black in 2010 and should be around for years to come.  Before the lockout, the Raiders re-signed Wimbley, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, to a one year deal designating him a franchise player for 2011. Expect a big year from him because he knows a multi-million dollar deal awaits with another performance like 2010.  These two are stellar yet need some help.  Teams have been able to get offensive linemen on them because of the leaks up front. Better play by the DTs up front and their numbers could go way up.  Raiders are playoff ready at linebacker.

Secondary: With the impending free agent loss of Namedi Asougmha looming, the Raiders quickly moved to pick up CB DeMarcus VanDyke and Chimdi Chekwa as possible replacements. VanDyke, from the U, is similar in build to Namedi, at 6-1, 180 lbs.  He has long arms and should prove to be disruptive in jamming receivers.  Along with special teamer Chris Johnson #37, they should have a succession in place.  Johnson started 4 games last year and had 16 tackles, defended 9 passes and had 2 interceptions. So this isn’t a stab in the dark. If the rookies aren’t ready don’t be surprised or disappointed if #37 is starting at one of the corner spots.  The other corner is Stanford Routt #26 who quietly had a good season with 54 tackles, 13 passes defensed, and 2 interceptions. They’ll be fine at the corner.

At safety they might be too beat up to pick off any passes.  SS Tyvon Branch and FS Michael Huff led the team in tackles with 101 and 84 tackles respectively.  That is far too many plays getting past the front seven.  These two were active and were effective blitzers with each tallying 4 sacks. Some have been disappointed with Huff from a fan’s perspective but he seems to make enough plays for me.  Last year he defensed 7 passes and had 3 interceptions. If the defensive front keeps opposing ball carriers from running at him full speed, he can concentrate on the pass where is numbers there will improve.  As a defensive foursome this group is going to get an above average ranking even with the loss of the aforementioned #21. They have 3 corners to replace him and Johnson is a cousin to former Raider’s running back Kenny King, so he has family ties within the organization.

Violator and the crazies in the Black Hole

Overall: The Raiders should be improved from 2010 and the next step is at quarterback. Campbell has to be told that he’s the starter so he can play without fear.  All those groans from long balls that don’t connect needs to go away for you can’t hide your quarterback.  The question is can he move from being a quarterback playing not to make a mistake, to one thats trying to win the game? Will he improve with his downfield reads and let fly? If he does this the Raiders challenge the Chiefs for the AFC West crown with 10 or 11 wins.  If he doesn’t the Raiders will know what to draft first starting the 2012 season and a 7-9 or 8-8 season awaits.  The other factor is if they use the money they didn’t pay Namedi to get some defensive line help.  They have to improve against the run for the aforementioned development of Campbell to get them to the playoffs. Can they?? Will they??

Green Bay Receives Super Bowl XLV Championship Ring

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Super Bowl XLV Packer’s Championship Ring

Well the day finally arrived and the Green Bay Packers had their Super Bowl Ring ceremony.  Each player, coach, staff assistant and player personnel members all received their rings.  Its a beautiful ring and for the 4th time Jostens was the jeweler selected to commemorate the championship with a ring design.  Its a beautiful ring and I love the 4 footballs on top signifying the 4 Super Bowl titles.  One side has the block Packers logo and a Super Bowl trophy where the other side has a nice carved out Lambeau Field and the player /coaches name under two rows of diamonds.  This design is easy on the eye and very modern and wearable.

This way the achievement itself seems to be focused on.  It was customary to have the score of the game and that of the conference championship on most rings of the past. Lets take a look at a few of the other Packers’ rings of the past.  So now Coach McCarthy,  Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews III, , company have championship hardware to go along with Holmgren, Favre, Reggie White, LeRoy Butler, Antonio Freeman of the new guard.  The old guard? Yes they get to have their names up there with Lombardi, Starr, Kramer, Hornung, Davis, Adderley, and Nitschke.  It would have been nice to see the total of NFL Championships on the ring to offset when short sighted fans talk of Sixburgh, or the 5 won by Dallas and San Francisco. That they are all holding less than half of what the Packers have won. Congrats Green Bay.

1965 NFL Championship Ring

Lets take a look at some of the other Packers rings…How about the 1965 NFL Championship Ring.  The Packers beat the defending champion Browns in Jim Brown’s last football game and set sail on the monumental effort of winning 3 championships in a row. The field was muddy and Jim Taylor played with a heavily taped thigh for a pulled hamstring. Lambeau was a quagmire as the Packer slipped past the Browns 23-12.

In the 2 seasons before this one, the Packers had lost star halfback Paul Hornung and watched their hated rival Chicago Bears win in 1963 and the Cleveland Browns in 1964. Hornung was suspended in ’63 and was rounding into shape in ’64.  Then Lombardi started to rebuild some pieces of his defense during these years and in 1965 sicc’d them on the unsuspecting NFL.

Then you have the ring for winning the first Super Bowl. War of the Worlds. First they beat the upstart Dallas Cowboys 34-27 in one of the ’60s greatest games.  Bart Starr threw for 4 touchdown passes and the game came down to the 2 yard line in the old Cotton Bowl.  A goal line stand held the Cowboys and on third down Don Meredith rolled right. A missed block let a blitzing Dave Robinson free to hit Meredith just as he threw.  The pass was picked off by S Tom Brown in the endzone preserving the win.

Off to Los Angeles and the first Super Bowl where the Packers beat the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.  A tougher game than many anticipated until Willie Wood intercepted a Len Dawson pass and took it back 50 yards.  Packers score a few plays later to go up 21-10 and it was accademic from there. The singular diamond signfies the Packers status as number one in ALL of professional football.

Then came the game that has been etched into the minds of football fans everywhere. The Ice Bowl.  Played in -15 degree weather and a windchill at -60, the Packers beat the Cowboys 21-17 on Bart Starr’s last second touchdown plunge to give the Packers their third straight championship. This was the last time this has been accomplished.  The only other time was the Packers from 1929-1931.

The best record in football belonged to the 13-1 Oakland Raiders of the AFL but they weren’t championship ready for the  9-4-1 Packers.  Lombardi’s final champion was devoid of Paul Hornung & Jim Taylor. Chuck Mercein, Donny Anderson, and Ben Wilson were the runners during the playoff run.  The Packers carried off Lombardi after a 33-14 triumph.  This ring showcases 3 very large diamonds to commemorate their achievement winning 3 in a row. No other team has won 3 straight championships since. Its chronicled in my “Ghost of Lombardi” story the quirky, bizarre circumstances that halted 5 others trying to attempt it.

Then there was Super Bowl XXXI. Can’t you still picture Reggie White taking off with the Super Bowl trophy? One of the lasting images was the clock clicking down and that blizzard of confetti for the first time at the Super Bowl. Packer coaches and players hugging each other and you could hardly see them.  Packers 35-21 over the New England Patriots.

A close game that was threatening to be closer until Desmond Howard took the kickoff back 99 yards to demoralize the Patriots.  After that, the Minister of Defense recorded 3 sacks against a despearate Patriot’s team forced to pass. White delivered in his quest to bring Green Bay a championship after signing as a free agent in 1993. In the years prior, it was discussed that black players wouldnt want to go to Green Bay. His signing was not only a coup, don’t forget Keith Jackson, Eugene Robinson, Ron Cox, Andre Rison and Desmond Howard all came in the latter two years to dispell that notion.  Then they went on to bring home the Lombardi after a 29 year hiatus.

1962 NFL Championship Ring

For good measure lets throw in a ring from the 1962 NFL Champions and the middle of a first chance at Lombardi winning a third in a row. Alas, Hornung was suspended for gambling in 1963 and the team would have to rebuild before they put themselves in position to go for it later in the decade.

Yet this is just a tip of the iceberg for the team with the richest heritage in the NFL. THIRTEEN NFL CHAMPIONSHIPS! Most teams if you add their championships to their rivals wouldn’t come close to that staggering number.  Then the 2011 edition in most pundits expert opinion are favored to return to the Super Bowl.  Not like most defending champions being afforded lip service, I mean this team won the Super Bowl with a second string football team.  How could this team not be picked to win it all returning those 16 players on injured reserve and then a good draft?? Well we’ll have time to get into all of that. This is a celebration of their championship heritage and the latest bauble to commemorate it.

2011 Minnesota Vikings Preview

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New Head Coach Leslie Frazier

When a team reaches a championship game, in many instances the team doesn’t recognize all that transpired to propel them there.  So when they come up short you’ll hear the tried and true axioms being thrown around: “Wait ’til next year.” “We’ll learn from this lesson and come back stronger.” etc…etc That is not how the sporting landscape is shaped.  Other teams are developing specific player match-ups that may not have gone in their favor this year yet will do so in the following season.  Some teams had injuries at critical times where your team didn’t suffer such setbacks. Draft picks and free agents are signed by your divisional brethren in an attempt to tilt the player match-ups in their favor if they don’t have those talents already on the roster.  While at the same time the team that was on top tries to match what they did the season before. The teams that fall hard are those that dont’ counter opponents personnel and strategic changes and think they can beat those teams again.  Especially when they disregard age at key positions. This was the plight of the 2010 Minnesota Vikings and the failures cost Coach Childress his job at mid-season.  Where do they go from here?

Enter new Head Coach Leslie Frazier.  Frazier should realize that he has to run the football more effectively to take pressure off of an aging defensive front. He has the horses in Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart to do it and since he is a former defensive coach, seems like a good strategic start.  He brought in former teammate and 49er Head Coach Mike Singletary to aid with teaching his linebackers and to be a sounding board for gameday decisions. How do we know this? He made Singletary assistant head coach.   The first thing is the Vikings need to learn who they are where under Childress they lost their way.  Too often in the modern NFL, offensive co-ordinators who become head coaches want to take to the air to prove their genius to the sports writing pundits instead of doing what is best for their team.  Subsequently you put your team into a series of 3 and outs or interceptions and your aging, tiring defense has to be on the field 2-3 more times in a half.  Frazier needs to reverse this immediately to be successful. The first thing to watch out for.

Will Tavaris Jackson be back in ’11?

Quarterback: Alright it’s time to move on from the Brett Favre experiment.  The timing of his signing was great two years ago but the shelf life for this product ran out last year and ….wait …Who is throwing the football in Mississippi?  Nope, just kidding. Favre Watch is over and the Vikings have moved on and drafted QB Christian Ponder for their future and have Tavaris Jackson who should be the starter this year if they resign him. http://www.vikingsgab.com/2011/03/02/vikings-plan-no-tender-offer-for-tavaris-jackson/  Going into his 6th season, this should be his make or break year.  Last year, in a move that we didn’t support, the Vikings released Sage Rosenfels to keep Jackson as the number 2.  Looking back that was actually a good move because he didn’t fit what they were trying to do last year (multiple receiver sets & throwing 40 times) to one that should benefit his talents in a more run heavy attack this year.  Also the Vikings have to stand behind their young quarterback so he doesn’t feel like he’ll get yanked or too dressed down when any mistakes are made.  He is going to have to be a leader on this team and its up to the coaching staff to help him get there.

Jackson has a strong arm and can move effortlessly with the football.  He’s a stronger, faster version of Mark Sanchez. Use the running game and get him into the game with rhythm throws from a play action standpoint. If they continue to run that stretch play to Peterson, the first counter to that is the play action boot off that motion. This will keep the opposing defensive line from tearing up the field, hold the linebackers who will check to see if Peterson has the ball, and open up gaps 10-15 yards down field to get the ball to Shiancoe, Rice, or Harvin. Another key would be to borrow an old Hank Stram ploy that the Patriots used against Julius Peppers in Super bowl XXXVIII, and roll him out often so the rush can’t tee off on him at any time. This way if he has to take off with the football he’s in motion and can accelerate from there. Or the offside linebacker(s) that is sliding with him maintaining zone discipline open up those routes to the TE and RBs. Go with a steady passing tree early in the season from 2RB, 2WR, 1TE sets, and 3 WR, 2RB sets and this would set him up for success.

These strategies would be the best to implement because if he goes down or is replaced, its an easier passing tree for a young Christian Ponder to step in and achieve some success. Another is you’ll back teams out of blitzing your quarterbacks. This is not a dumbing down of the offense. Keep in mind, passing out of traditional sets is when Tom Brady won his 3 Super Bowl rings, same with Kurt Warner in St. Louis in ’99. Its when these teams were lined up in 4 receiver sets 40% of the time is when they lost. Ask Coach Childress, who kept missing that point last year…then tried to blame Favre…yet I digress.  This is how the aforementioned Sanchez has been successful early on and the same to be said for Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan down in Atlanta. The play action pass is the best weapon in football. Defensive coaches and players know this….if Frazier holds true to form, quarterback is average for now.

Peterson putting in work

Offensive Backfield: Lets think about this for a second….really give this some introspective thought. One back holds the NFL record for rushing for 296 yards in a game and has averaged 4.8 yards per carry, while rushing for 5,782 yards and 52TDs in 4 years. The other should have won the Heisman Trophy his senior season when he ran for over 1,700 yards and last year as a rookie averaged 4.0 yards per carry spelling the first guy.  They have a new quarterback that will be under center too.  Still  thinking over here…hmmmm what should they do?

Aha!! How about running the football!! If we fused Eric Dickerson with Walter Payton you’d have Adrian Peterson.  He’s a violent runner who punishes tacklers yet can break the big one with his speed. His longest run last year was an 80 yard touchdown. The best part of the last two years is with all the passing, they saved him some wear and tear.  Even on a pass first team he ran 283 times for 1,298 yards and 12TDs in a supporting role while going to his 4th Pro Bowl. Like Dickerson he has a reputation for fumbling, yet last year he only fumbled once.  The game needs to be geared through this talent. If the Vikings knuckle up and come off the ball he could rush for 2,000 in a season. Run out of traditional sets to have more players at or among the line of scrimmage so when he breaks it, he’s gone. It was once said that if you take a TE off the field, the defense removes a LB. Remove a FB and the defense adds a dime back. This removes 17% of body mass from the line of scrimmage so when your back breaks into the open, there are defenders off the line of scrimmage to cut him off and force fumbles coming in from multiple angles. Thats how Barry Sanders was caught from behind many times and Ernest Byner had “The Fumble” in ’87.  So get the defense up near the line of scrimmage and then pop him through it.

As for Gerhart, he came into his rookie season quietly and ran tough. He is a hard nosed runner and at 234 lbs., he fell forward at the end of many of his runs in the style of a John Riggins. He ran 81 times for 322 yards and 1 TD while showing decent hands, catching 21 passes for 167 yards.  The Vikings may want to have a few drives per game that are his to punish and wear down the defense so Peterson gets strategic rests and can break the long one on a tiring defense.  It might be in their best interest to run some 2 halfback plays as well. This has to be the engine that powers the Vikings in 2011, and their so well suited to do so.  With two thumpers in the backfield, get away from the slick ’em and just get into some sic ’em!! Run right at your opponent with these guys…Super Bowl quality at the running back spot in the Twin Cities.

Receivers: The Vikings missed Sidney Rice last year.  The 11 games missed was one of the main reasons the season got away from them.  In his absence, 3rd down receiver Percy Harvin picked up the slack from a first down production standpoint. Harvin caught 71 passes for 868 yards and 5 TDs and many of the 5 yard dumpoff variety.  He would make that first guy miss and pick up the first down and did so 41 times last year. Especially once Rice was injured and defenses crept up on a team devoid of deep threats. He became more invaluable in the passing game or they may have lost even more games. Still more of a 3rd down back / slot receiver.

Before Vikings brass decided to shelve him for the season, Sidney Rice caught 17 for 280 yards and 2 TDs. It was his loss that doomed last season. The Vikings tried every stopgap measure including bringing back Randy Moss for a few weeks to offset his absence. Coming off his breakout 2009, he’s just entering his prime and could return to the 80 catch 1,200 yard club (83 for 1312 in ’09) with defenses moving more 8 in the box to stop Peterson.

To free him from double teams they need someone to emerge on the other side. Don’t think they have done enough for that.  They drafted a big possession receiver with 7th round pick Stephen Burton. Really?? This would have Harvin and TE Visante Shiancoe’s (47rec. for 530yds) intermediate routes further crowded if he’s on the field with them. This may be where a veteran like Hank Baskett could get the nod and solidify this receiving unit. Have to stretch the field a little more.  Otherwise obvious passing situations will turn into throwaways and punts. Receiver is average in Minnesota unless they get their “other” wideout downfield.

LT Bryant McKinnie from The U

Offensive Line: Did we say something about running the football before? Geez, before we get into this, think back to last year and how many Brett Favre flashbacks sandwiched between defensive linemen come to mind? Like Green Bay early last year this team was allowing too many sacks with 36 compared to the Packer’s 38. They ranked 18th and 19th respectively yet the difference between the Vikings season coming to an abrupt halt to where their rivals went on to achieve greatness is where Viking quarterbacks were hit 87 times to the Packers 67.  Those subsequent 20 hits knocked Favre into retirement, Jackson out for a few weeks and had Joe Webb thrown to the wolves in the latter part of the season. Thats terrible…you do realize that getting your quarterback hit 87 times not only ranked 24th but should get everyone fired.

Until you realize what this group could do going forward. This unit pushed other teams off the ball to the tune of 1,942 yards, a lofty 4.4 yards per carry average and 16TDs. These are NFL rankings of 10th, 8th, and 7th respectively and you wonder why we are imploring the Vikings to run the football. This was with LG Steve Hutchinson missing 5 games last year. Those numbers could go up to top five in all categories with a commitment to running the football behind these guys.  Bryant McKinney (The U) is his running mate at tackle on the left side. However the Vikings did take two 6th round OL picks to help solidify the RG spot that was manned by Anthony Herrera and Ryan Cook last year.  Its the same for young offensive linemen as it is for young running backs, just run right at your opponent and you don’t have to overthink.  Offensive line is average because of their inability to keep the heat off their quarterback. If they keep Jackson and utilize his mobility this ranking will be much higher.

Pat and Kevin Williams make up over 700lbs of defensive tackle for the Vikes.

Defensive Line: For several years its been “The Williams Show” upfront with Pat and Kevin manning the defensive tackle spots. However age is catching up to 38 year old Pat Williams and soon the Vikings may need to find Kevin a new running mate.  These guys eat up blockers and allow the linebackers to make tackles and Ends Jared Allen and Ray Edwards to chalk up sacks with 11 and 8 respectively.  The pass rush would be able to pin their ears back if they could play with a few more leads.  However this line was the impetus to the NFL’s 8th best defense.  Even though the defense is giving a little more ground the Vikings ranked 9th against the run and 10th against the pass.

They drafted a defensive tackle Christian Ballard, from the Iowa Hawkeyes with their 4th round selection. This should help with in keeping each Williams fresh throughout the season since they have a median age of 34 between them. At DE they are a little bit fresher and younger.  The Chiefs should still be kicking themselves for letting RDE Jared Allen get away. Last year was the first time in 4 years that Allen was not an All Pro or Pro Bowl performer. His sack total of 11 is 4 shy of the 15 sacks he’d been averaging over those same 4 years. His effectiveness will increase if he’s able to play with a lead.  After a second season of 8 or more sacks by Ray Edwards, this team is primed to have their bests sack totals since the  ’89 Vikings of Keith Millard & Chris Doleman fame. With both DEs under 30 years of age there is a lot of life left among this front four.  This defensive line is Super Bowl quality if this team plays to its strengths.  If they do as they did last year this is a playoff grade at least.

E.J. Henderson

Linebackers: In any 4-3 defense, its the defensive line’s job to keep blockers off of the linebackers and they did so to the tune of Chad Greenway leading the team with 144 tackles. Job well done to the Williams’ boys. Pro Bowl MLB E.J. Henderson was 2nd on the team with 100 tackles yet displayed more range producing 3 interceptions and forced 1 fumble. Going into his ninth season, Henderson is finally getting recognition for being one of the best at his position and can also supplement the front four with an occasional blitz. He had one sack last year but tallied as many as 4.5 back in 2007.

Ben Leber rounds out this linebacking corps that really doesn’t have a weakness. The one thing they could do more of is force turnovers but upon further review, this group combined to force 4 fumbles, gathered in 4 interceptions, and recording 3 fumble recoveries betwen them.  This group is active and instinctive. Leber’s 45 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and an interception seem to be decent numbers until you realize that he missed all of six games. Yikes!!  Greenway has really come into his own as a former 7th round selection and the Vikings hope to strike gold like that again in drafting Ross Homan in the 6th round from Ohio St. With Henderson and Leber’s ages starting to creep up on them, a developing linebacker within the team is a sound move. Linebackers are playoff quality.

Antoine Winfield from Ohio St.

Secondary:  This defense is starting to age and show some wear and tear.  The tear came in the form of CB Cedric Griffin’s knee during the 4th quarter of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.  He was slow to recover and only appeared in 2 games during 2010 and had 7 tackles. Hopefully he can return with full range of his knee in 2012 and reclaim his starting role.  He should have one to empathize with him in Head Coach Leslie Frazier. Frazier’s CB career came to an end with a knee injury running a punt return reverse in Super Bowl XX. The wear has come in the form of Pro Bowl CB Antoine Winfield who was dinged up toward the end of the year.  He did record 89 tackles, 2 sacks, and nabbed 2 interceptions. However various injuries have started to mount on his 34 year old body and the Vikings may need to look at replacing him within a year.  His style is physical and it would be hard for him to change that.

Asher Allen filled in at one of the cornerback spots and had a solid year.  He had 53 tackles, 2 interceptions and defensed 7 passes.  However he’s not the most physical cornerback and he is better suited to be a nickel back just like reserve CB Lito Sheppard. However help is on the way in the form of Brad Burton out of Utah with the Vikings 5th round pick and  Mistral Raymond in the 6th. These youngsters should be able to bolster the special teams in the least yet if one proves to be a more solid player who can crash the roster like a Chad Greenway? Hmmm.

At safety the pairing of Williams and Abdullah was a solid one from a tackling standpoint with their ranking 4th and 5th on the team in tackles with 74 and 71. Great they want to tackle but 1 interception and only 2 passes defensed for your FS in Williams is a weak count no matter how you slice it. That’s playing too much predictable cover 2 and they have to take chances from time to time and force more turnovers. He was only in on 3 passing plays over the season? I almost did that from the couch. SS was a little more active with 7 passes defensed and 3 interceptions by Abdullah.  Without question I would start a game against the Vikings in a double slot formation and run double posts on Madieu Williams 5 times and I bet we’d score on 3 of them. This is the Vikings weakest link and he has to respond to the ball better than that.  He has a good pass rush in front of him. What is he waiting for?  Secondary is above average with a mark against the free safety

Overall: This team has obvious strengths to play to and why they didn’t you can easily see how Childress was let go last year.  Most offensive co-ordinators turned head coach can’t wait to be called genius by virtue of their play calling.  Once Favre was in tow, the Vikings forgot to look at the rest of their personnel and see what they were built for. Jared Allen is a beast when you’re up 10 and he can rush the passer, not so when you’re down 10 and the opponent is running the ball at him. Catch our drift?  Can this team get back to the playoffs in 2010? They have to have several things bounce their way including injuries to catch Green Bay or Chicago in the division. Deficiencies at quarterback could be their ultimate downfall, if they throw in rookie QB Ponder in the season will be one of growing pains and 6 wins is all they can get.  With a Tavaris Jackson in there they can get that total up to 9. So this team should miss the playoffs but if they get a few lucky bounces…

Death Becomes the Run & Shoot on a Monday Night

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Single outside receiver site adjustments from the Run and Shoot

Whatever happened to the Run & Shoot as a pro offense?? You remember in the early 90s, when several downtrodden franchises looked to this offense to gain a tactical advantage on the competition.  Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Seattle deployed 4 receivers who ran their routes according to how defenses were playing them.  Borrowing on a concept from Bill Walsh’s offense, it was up to both the receiver and quarterback to read the defense, then adjust the route accordingly.

The truth of the matter is for each team with 4 receivers; the 3rd and 4th receivers were better than the opposing 3rd and 4th defensive backs that were normally platooned to cover them.  These teams started racking up yards by the bushel and along with Buffalo’s “K Gun offense”, the zenith of the Run & Shoot was 1991 when each team, except Seattle. who abandoned the offense in 1990, made the playoffs.  The Bills set offensive records for TDs scored and 33TD passes in a season by Jim Kelly.  In fact Thurman Thomas was NFL MVP with over 2,100 combined yards from scrimmage.

Everyone thought of the Bills “No Huddle” offense as an offshoot of the Run & Shoot because of option routes run by Andre Reed in the slot and Thurman Thomas out of the backfield.  Teams had a hard time adjusting and no matter how your corner played any of these receivers, the receiver would change his route and use the corner’s position against him.

For instance if the corner played outside position in a cover 3 zone, the adjustment would be a seam route by the slot receiver, or a skinny post for the outside receiver.  That same corner came up in press one on one, the receiver would try for an outside release and run a fly pattern.   In a cover 2 where the corner was off, he would adjust and run a hook with the underneath receiver running a down and out underneath his pattern, as the outside receiver occupied the corner.  What could a defense do to combat an offense that used your very choices against you?

Enter the NFC East.  This was the division that each team fielded twin 200 lbs. safeties receivers were funneled to. Whether it was Myron Guyton / Greg Williams with the New York Giants, Danny Copeland / Brad Edwards of the Washington Redskins, or the more punishing Andre Waters / Wes Hopkins duo that was on patrol in Philadelphia’s Veteran Stadium.

Where most teams were employing mainly dime defenses that were off the receiver, these teams started fielding nickel and dime defenses with cover two over the top and bludgeoned smaller  run and shoot receivers.  Many pundits look back to the Giants 1990 Super Bowl XXV defeat of the Buffalo Bills and their use of a 2 man line nickle and dime variations to slow down Buffalo’s no huddle / run and shoot tactics.

However thats misleading…the Giants conceded the run to the Bills (see Thurman Thomas’ 135 yards rushing) to set the tone punishing receivers with hits from the linebackers and safeties.  It was more of a victory based on the strong time of possession difference from the methodical Giants offense more than defensive tactics. A 40:31 to 19:29 possession time difference as a matter of fact.  Although Super Bowl XXV, at the end of the 1990 season, did set the blueprint for playing physical defense against this speed type offense.  So when and where was the run and shoot conquered as an offense??

The signature game that signaled the death of the Run & Shoot as an offense, came in week 14 of the 1991 season.  A Monday night matchup where the Houston Oilers hosted the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Eagles as a defense had come to full fruition as a unit originally put together by Buddy Ryan and now run by defensive coordinator Bud Carson.  They had high hopes that 1991 would be their year: they returned ’90 NFL MVP Randall Cunningham and an improving defense, yet torn ligaments to Cunningham’s knee courtesy of Bryce Paup in the season opener, sent the Eagles season spiraling.  Not quite…

A defense that ranked near the bottom in ’88, Buddy Ryan helped their esprit de corp when he drafted only four players in 1989 citing he liked his guys.  The team grew defensively into a giant by 1991 although Ryan was no longer with them.  The defense kept them in games week after week and they came into this matchup 7-5.  Could they best the #1 passing offense in the league? Could they do it on the road?

The Houston Oilers were the vanguard of the run n shoot teams and with Warren Moon had put up the most prolific numbers. In 1990 Moon passed the Oilers to the playoffs with 4,689 yards and 33 TDs.  The most since Dan Marino’s record setting 1984 and he missed 1 full game and time in 2 others.  Along the way he passed for 514 yards against the playoff bound Chief’s #6 ranked defense. Coming within 41 yards of Norm Van Brocklin’s 50 year old record of 554. Alas Moon suffered a broken thumb and missed the Oiler’s playoff loss to Cincinnati.

Going into 1991, Moon was on a near record setting pace again and some thought this, and not Buffalo was the strongest AFC team.  The Redskins were 8-0 and the Oilers 7-1 when they met in a week 8 slugfest with the eventual world champion Redskins. The game was won  by Washington 20-17 in RFK, yet they showed they indeed were ready to stand toe to toe with the best the NFC offered. Going into the Monday Night tilt against the beat up Philadelphia Eagles at home, many thought the Oilers juggernaut offense would roll in this game too.

What took place over the next three hours was one defensive masterpiece that many defensive affecionados remember reverently to this day. The Eagles employed a 4-2-5 nickel variation with OLB Seth Joyner and MLB Byron Evans, who was lanky for a middle backer yet had great range, for most of the night.

Occasionally they’d bring in the dime defense (6 defensive backs) yet what they did differently was press the receivers and blitz off short corners. The hitting was vicious with Wes Hopkins and Andre Waters leading the way.  They knocked out both Ernest Givins and Drew Hill out of the game twice each. The first vicious shot was a dirty elbow from Wes Hopkins that broke Givins nose, yet set the tone for the night.

Joyner played his way to the Pro Bowl and almost the Hall of Fame that night with 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to keep the game close.  Reggie White, Jerome Brown (The U), Mike Golic, and Clyde Simmons swallowed Allen Pinkett’s attempts to run holding the Oilers to a paltry 21 yards rushing for the game.  They also provided a serious rush that they supplemented with the occasional blitz that beat Houston into total submission before a stunned audience of millions. When dime back Otis Smith’s thunderous hit on Drew Hill, on an outside swirl route, forced Houston’s fifth fumble of the night. The rest of the league were on their second tablet from taking notes. The Eagles won 13-6 in front of a shocked audience.

Early 90s pic of Eagles L-R: Clyde Simmons, Eric Allen, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, and Reggie White

The beating was so decisive it ruined the Oilers season and this game was the complete blueprint on how to stop the run and shoot. Going into the game the Oilers were averaging 307 yards passing, just off pace needed to break Marino’s passing record, yet staggered away from this game only averaging 232 the rest of the season. The 226 they gained through the air against the Eagles was their season low.

The average was also down for the Falcons and Lions over the last 4 weeks of the season as well. The Oilers went down in the divisional round of the ’91 playoffs 26-24 to Denver, and the lone run n shoot playoff winner was Detroit who went on to whip Dallas 38-6. In fact the Cowboys had lost 4 games to run n shoot teams in 1991. The next year the Cowboys drafted a rangy MLB Robert Jones, in a Byron Evans mold, and brought in CB Kevin Smith, SS and former rangy college linebacker Darren Woodson, to stop those offenses the next year. The first of their 3 Super Bowl wins in the 90s and it started with that 1992 draft to mimick what the Eagles fielded in 1991.

As for the run n shoot, its effectiveness was diminished and the race for the record book was over.  In 1991 Houston passed for 4,621 yards where in 1992 that number dropped to 4,029. In ’92 neither the Lions or the Falcons came within 3 games of the playoffs and the Lions and Bills started to alter their offensive approach. The Oilers along with the Falcons ran the offense until 1993, yet the Falcons never returned to the playoffs…and the Oilers?? Well they went into the 1992 wildcard and took a 28-3 halftime lead on Buffalo who was playing with 6 & 7 DBs on the field.  Warren Moon at the half was 19 of 22 for almost 300 yards and 4 TDs and ballooned the lead to 35-3.

In the 3rd quarter, the Bills decided to play it the same way the Eagles had in ’91 inserting rangy MLB Carlton Bailey #54 and Darryl Talley #56 and they shut Houston down in the second half enroute to the greatest comeback in NFL history winning 41-38 in OT. Couple these landmark events with the system’s inability to score in the red zone and the run n shoot’s fate was sealed.  Even now the run n shoot receiving principles of WR route running based on options lives on in playbooks, just not in a 4 receiver set, nor as an entire offensive approach.

As for the Philadelphia Eagles defense that was the architect of the run n shoot’s demise? They went on to become the last great defense to finish #1 against the run, #1 against the pass, and #1 overall.  A distinction the ’85 Bears, ’86 Giants, ’76 Steelers, ’78 Steelers, ’08 Steelers, nor ’00 Ravens could match.  They finished the season winning 7 of 8 games and finished 10-6 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

The combined quarterback rating for their final 6 QBs was less than 40.0, and their principle line rushers R. White, Jerome Brown(The U), and Clyde Simmons combined for 37 sacks (which if they played last year would rank 11th in the NFL by themselves), and all 3 were Pro Bowlers and 1st team All Pro. Seth Joyner and Eric Allen earned Pro Bowl distinctions in 1991 as well.  They don’t receive the recognition of those other great defenses because they didn’t win the Super Bowl. Who would have operating with 5 different starting quarterbacks? They were one of the best defenses in NFL History.  Had Randall Cunningham not been injured…

Prologue: The impact of the players of this era in Eagle history were felt throughout the decade…

Reggie White-Became the main prize in 1993’s free agent derby, signed with Green Bay and went on to become the NFL’s all time sack leader. Recorded 3 sacks in Super Bowl XXXI when he became a champion with Green Bay along with former Eagle TE Keith Jackson. They bested the New England Patriots who had former Eagle RB Keith Byars and CB Otis Smith on the team. White passed on the week of Christmas 2004 which cast a pall over the playoffs that year. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumosly in 2006. RIP Reggie White.

Commemorative patch worn by the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles in Jerome Brown’s memory.

Jerome Brown– An all pro talent who passed away the following June. He’s still one of the most beloved Miami Hurricanes and missed by Hurricane fans everywhere. The 1992 Eagles dedicated their season to his memory and wore this commemorative patch on their jerseys the entire season. They also kept an equipped locker for him throughout the season and set it up on road trips also. His locker was with the ’92 Eagles in the Superdome as they won their first playoff game in 15 years.

Brown was the predecessor to fellow Hurricanes DTs Cortez Kennedy Russell Maryland, and Warren Sapp. Kennedy, who changed his number to 99 in honor of Jerome and went on to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his honor in 1992 while playing for the Seahawks. Every Hurricane playing in the NFL during 1992 wore a black #98 on their helmet that year including several that played for the Dallas Cowboys. The next time you watch Super Bowl XXVII where Dallas beats Buffalo you’ll see the black #98 on the back of many helmets. Jerome was alos the inspiration and reason former Hurricane Warren Sapp wore #99 during his entire NFL career. R.I.P Jerome Brown

Seth Joyner & Clyde Simmons– Were twin free agent prizes that signed with Buddy Ryan and the Cardinals in 1994. I wrote the Buffalo Bills organization and suggested we grab Simmons and Joyner to join Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett to fortify our defense to get to our fifth Super Bowl…yet I digress Joyner went on to join White with the Packers (1997) in their bid to repeat as champions yet they lost to Denver in Super Bowl XXXII.

Well if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, and when Denver (1998) went on to become back to back champions a year later. Seth Joyner was a Bronco and guess what number he wore?? Number 99. He is a motivational speaker in Arizona now http://sethjoyner.com/ runs youth football clinics and is a coach himself. Just launched his show and podcast “The Seth Joyner Show” where you can hear his commentary along with a host of former Eagles.

 

Eric Allen– Played on through the 2001 season finishing with the Raiders. A popular notion is he should have been 1993’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year for his 64 tackles 6 interception performance in which returned 4 of them for touchdowns.  The most famous being a 91 yard interception against the Jets. After weaving his way into the endzone, he handed the ball to teammate Randall Cunningham who was on crutches having been injured earlier in the game. His last game as a player was the famous “Tuck Game” in New England in the 2001 playoffs. Former teammate Otis Smith was a Patriot CB. He’s currently an ESPN analyst.

Byron Evans-Played 8 years with the Eagles through the ’94 season and was an underrated talent. Has an internet radio show he does with former teammate CB Mark McMillan on the Voice of America Network. http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1475/hard-hittin-radio

Andre Waters– The hard hitting safety went on to join Simmons and Joyner in Arizona for the ’94 and ’95 seasons. He had gone into coaching yet passed away in 2006 R.I.P. Andre Waters

Otis Smith-Was an Eagle dimeback in ’91. He went on to be the wily CB for a veteran laden Patriot team that lost Super Bowl XXXI to Green Bay. Yet was a Patriot 5 years later man handling Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce to stop the Greatest Show on Turf as he became a champion in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Mike Golic– finished his career with Miami and is half of the popular duo Mike and Mike on ESPN television and radio in the morning.

Taylor Blitz Times new logo!!

Taylor Blitz Times new logo!!