A History Of Football Tactics
Running GameThrough the1940s, the running game was the dominant tactic in professional football. Teams wanted to have fast running backs, and they wanted to open holes for those backs with quick and agile linemen. Once the running back could get through that hole, he could use his speed to make a long run. This was best exemplified by Red Grange, who was signed by the Chicago Bears and owner George Halas. Grange had been a dominant collegiate star at the University of Illinois. At the time, pro football was just a minor sport. Halas took his Bears on a barnstorming tour in 1925 across
cheap nfl jerseys the United States, and that anchored pro football to the fabric of American society.
Passing GameThe passing game started to grow in the 1940s and 1950s. By the time the 1950s
www.thevoyager.net/datas.html ended, it was clear that if you wanted to have a team that could score quickly and explosively, you needed to achieve this through the passing game. This was best exemplified by the sensational passing of Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas. The Colts won the 1958 NFL championship game by defeating the New York Giants 2317 in overtime. Unitas's consistent passing allowed the Colts to tie the game in the late moments of the fourth quarter and keyed the gamewinning drive in overtime.
Bombs AwayAfter the passing game took hold in the 1950s, a football revolution took place in the 1960s. The American Football
cheap nba jerseys League began to compete with the NFL and in an effort to gain a foothold, the AFL emphasized not only the passing game but also the deep passing game. Innovative coaches such as Sid Gillman of the San Diego Chargers, Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs and Weeb Ewbank of the New York Jets had their quarterbacks go deep downfield with long passes throughout the game. While this style was criticized by the NFL, the fans loved it. The AFL established itself as the more exciting football league and this led to the merger of the AFL and the NFL and the start of the Super Bowl.
West Coast OffenseThe West Coast Offense was the innovation of Bill Walsh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh had a brilliant quarterback in Joe Montana heading the 49er offense and running backs of limited ability. Instead of trying to establish the run, the 49ers' West Coast offense used the short pass to take the place of running plays. Walsh had Montana throw short passes to wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. This allowed the 49ers to build a "controlled" passing game that allowed them to hold on to the ball, eat up time on the clock and make big plays when they were available. The West Coast offense became a dominant offensive attack in the 1980s and 1990s. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web sitemany of the advertisements are served by third party advertising companies.
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