Truman Tucker: A Little History of the Minnesota Vikings

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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Source:The Daily Press

When you look at teams that should’ve won championships but didn’t, I look at teams that were really the best at what they did in their league for that year. Teams that had everything on paper, the talent, the chemistry, the character, the coaching. Teams that stayed healthy and finally, but definitely not last, teams that lost their big game to a team they should’ve not only beat, but lost to a team they should’ve whipped, that’s the 1998 Minnesota Vikings.

They had the best offense in the NFL in 1998, running basically (what I call) the Spread Vertical Offense the offense that Sid Gilman invented in the 1950s with Sid Gilman with the Los Angeles Rams, with Norm Van Brocklin, Leroy Hirsch and company. That Al Davis adopted in the 1960s with the Oakland Raiders, where you have at least wide receiver if not two WR running a post-route on every play. You push the safety’s back to open up the rest of the field so you can also work passes to your slot-receivers, tight ends and even running backs. Basically forcing the defense to cover the whole field, it takes a great offensive line and quarterback to be successful in an offense like this.

You also need a great QB who can throw deep and accurately, but doesn’t get too greedy and who works the rest of the field. You need a solid running game as well to keep defenses honest. But again we are talking about the 98 Vikings here right, they had all of that. Randall Cunningham showing the world how great a QB he could be and not just a great talent. The OL with offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, center Matt Birk, tackle Corey Stringer,all Pro Bowlers, all big strong and mobile. Pro Bowler Robert Smith at RB and all-purpose RB, reminds me a little of Marcus Allen, had he not retired early would probably be in the Hall of Fame.

The 1998 Viking had really three deep threats who were all big and tall at WR that could all run. Randy Moss as a rookie Chris Carter the 2nd best WR of the 1990s behind only Jerry Rice and Jake Reed as your third WR. Moss and Reed running post-routes with Carter running the inside routes with a lot of room to run. The Vikings were a speed team playing in a dome stadium perhaps the loudest stadium in the league in the Metrodome.

The Vikings played on turf they had the perfect environment playing the two-gap cover-two defense with four pass rushers up front led by defensive tackle John Randle who’ll be in the Hall of Fame. Keeping your safety’s deep so even if you don’t get the pass rush, you prevent the big play. They didn’t have a great defense, but when you’re scoring 35 points a game and you give up 20 your defense is good enough. But it wasn’t good enough in the 1998 NFC Final to the Atlanta Falcons losing to a team that was 7-9 in 1997, they hadn’t made the playoffs since 1995 and went 9-7 that year to make the playoffs. The 98 Vikings were a team that had the total package, kinda like a fast break basketball team that would get some early stops and run you out of the building on offense.

Super Bowl 33 played in January 1999 (with the famous Ally Landry Tostitos Commercial is really the only thing I remember about that game. The best team in the AFC in the Denver Broncos that were I believe 13-3 in 1998 coached by Mike Shanahan with QB John Elway, TE Shannon Sharpe, RB Terrell Davis and company. Against a jump-start Atlanta Falcons team coached by Dan Reeves who was a big reason for their success and a lot of players that had career years and didn’t do much before or after that. With QB Chris Chandler, WR Tony Martin, TE OJ Santiago and others. When it should’ve been the Vikings and Broncos in Miami playing one of the best Super Bowls ever.

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ABC Sports: NFL 1978-MNF-Baltimore Colts @ New England Patriots: Joe Washington Highlights

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Derik Schneider

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The New Democrat

I’m posting this because as a Redskins fan who is not quite old enough to have a very good memory of the Baltimore Colts before escaped to Indianapolis in 1984, I remember Joe Washington with the Redskins in the early and mid-1980s. He was what the NFL calls now and perhaps then a hybrid on offense. Someone between a wide receiver and running back. Someone you could run out of the backfield in a traditional set, but run draws, catch screens and swing passes out of the backfield. But you also line him up in the slot position as a possession receiver, or even big play receiver.

Hybrid offensive players tend to not be big for running backs and not tall for receivers. They tend to be about 5’9-5’11 around 190-200 pounds or smaller than that. Strong enough to run the ball out of the backfield and catch the ball as a wideout and get open. But not quite big enough you want that player to be doing full-time, at least as your go to runner or receiver. The guy who really reminds me of Joe would be Eric Metcalf who played for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons in the 1990s. And played both halfback and wide receiver, as well as return kicks and punts.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1986-NFC Final-Washington Redskins @ New York Giants: 2nd Half

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Ederik Schneider
A Giant Home

A Giant Home

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat

On paper at least this was a great matchup. Two big physical very good teams on both sides of the ball. I think under normal conditions this is a one touchdown game and perhaps the New York Giants would’ve won again, but not in a shutout. Even when the Giants did beat the Redskins in this era, their victories tended to be very close even at Giants Stadium. But this obviously wasn’t normal conditions, at least for the Redskins. The Redskins are from Washington, where it doesn’t tend to get very cold until January. Winter tends to start in New York/New Jersey in November.

This was a Giants game in Giants weather at Giants Stadium where they were extremely difficult to beat. Very similar to the Green Packers at Lambeau Field when they are good. And now the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. The Giants got off to a very hot start in this game putting up seventeen points in the first half. With the weather being the way it was and with the Giants defense in 1986, that was more than enough for a shell-shocked Redskins team that weren’t prepared or didn’t seem to be able to deal with the stadium and the weather.

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NFL Network: Missing Rings- 1990 Buffalo Bills

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Rik Schneider

Missing Rings_ Buffalo Bills - Google Search (1)

Source:NFL Network– No, the Buffalo Bills didn’t throw the ball all the time. You don’t have to when Thurman Thomas is your tailback.

Source:The Daily Post

“One of the greatest teams to never win a Super Bowl…

On NOW

America’s Game: Missing Rings – 1990 Buffalo Bills.”

From NFL Network

“America’s Game Missing Rings 1990 Buffalo Bills”

Missing Rings_ Buffalo Bills - Google Search

Source:Sport Freaks Podcast– Buffalo Bills LB Darryl Talley.

From Sport Freaks Podcast

“After losing the first heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, Buffalo Bills Head Coach Marv Levy offers words of wisdom which motivate the team to being the league most resilient run in history as they continued to represent the AFC in the following three Super Bowls to come as well.”

Fight On My Men

Source:Timothy Wehrfritz– Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy.

From Timothy Wehrfritz

I believe making it to four straight Super Bowls and winning four straight conference championships (AFC or NFC) is very impressive. But let’s be real about this: the Denver Broncos of the mid and late 1980s and the Buffalo Bills of the early 1990s, dominated a weak AFC.

The AFC was a conference that lost 13 straight Super Bowls (1984-96) with nine of those losses being blowouts. If the Bills of this era were part of the NFC, they would be the 2nd or 3rd best team in the NFC East. They would’ve been a consistent playoff team in the NFC, but not expected to win the conference every year. We’re talking about a prototypical AFC team from that era: small up front on both sides of the ball, very quick, that threw the ball a lot simply because they didn’t have the size and strength up front to run a power running game and dominate defenses up front.

Having said all of this, the 1990 Bills should’ve beaten the New York Giants in Super Bowl 25. They had the better team and had more talent and plenty of opportunities to stop the Giants late in the 4th quarter and hold onto the lead that they already had and won the game by a touchdown, 19-13. But to be a great team, you have to be great when it counts the most. And the Bills in the early 1990s simply weren’t great when they had to be, which is why they never won the Super Bowl.

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Ian Ward-NFL Films: NFL 1983- The Washington Redskins Yearbook

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Erik Schneider
The Diesel Runs Through Dallas

The Diesel Runs Through Dallas

This piece was originally posted at FRS Daily Press

Even though the 1983 Redskins won the NFC Championship but lost Super Bowl 18 to the Los Angeles Raiders in a blow out I believe they are the best team the Redskins have ever had in the Super Bowl era. The only other team that I would consider would be the 1982 Redskins that did win Super Bowl 17 over the Miami Dolphins because they were better defensively but the 1983 Redskins had a dominant offense, one of the best ever scoring something like 540 points.

The 1983 Redskins blew teams away and also playing one of the toughest schedules, that any team has ever had to play just to get to the Super Bowl, in the NFC East alone, playing the Dallas Cowboys twice and the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Cardinals that were still competitive. Playing three conference finals teams in the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers, Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. Playing the Anaheim Rams (as I called them) twice in 1983 including in the NFC Playoffs, playing the Atlanta Falcons that were in the NFC Playoffs in 1982.

The Redskins played a lot of playoff teams in 1983 and still won 16 games including in the NFC Playoffs and lost 3 including the Super Bowl. They also had some close games but those games were against playoff teams, including against the Cowboys twice. The 1983 Redskins were also in a bunch of shootouts as the game against the Raiders would indicate. Because even though their run defense and pass rush were still very good the pass defense slipped a bit because they were working in people like rookie corner back Darrel Green who’s in the Hall of Fame and safety Ken Coffey. But offensively they were much more explosive.

Super Bowl 18 against the Raiders where the Redskins lost 38-9, the score is a little misleading. I’m not saying the 1983 Raiders didn’t have a great team, because they obviously did if you look at their team, their head coach Tom Flores, where they ranked in the NFL and who they beat. But the Redskins made some key mistakes in that game, first on defense trying to cover Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame with a rookie CB Darrel Green, they should’ve double teamed Branch the whole game at least on post routes.

And on offense when the Raiders were playing 8-9 Man Fronts on defense, with the Redskins consistently trying to run and getting nowhere against those fronts they should’ve thrown the ball against them short routes worked the tight end throw Screen Passes, to both tailback Joe Washington and work TB John Riggins in the pass offense as well when they couldn’t use him in the run offense. And the late in the first half when they were trailing 14-3 deep in their territory instead of throwing that (infamous) screen pass to Joe Washington that worked for a long TD against the Raiders in the regular season they threw that same pass but it was picked off by linebacker Jack Squirek for a TD making the score 21-3. Because the Raiders defense saw that same play and remembered it and saw it coming. They should’ve tried to run out the clock instead.

I’m not saying the Redskins would’ve beaten the Raiders in Super Bowl 18 had they had a better game plan but without that INT in the first half for a TD, it’s probably 14-3 Raiders at the half. And the Redskins scored a TD to start off the 2nd half but got the extra point blocked. This should’ve been a 14-10 game Raiders leading in the 3rd quarter with the momentum with the Redskins. Their defense feeling recharged thinking they are back in it. Super Bowl 18 should’ve been one of the best Super Bowls of all time, had the Redskins had a better game plan instead of a 38-9 blowout as it was.

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Wayne Barros: NBC’s The Tonight Show- Steve Martin Interviewing Richard Pryor in 1978

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Derik Schneider

Richard Pryor
This post was originally posted at The New Democrat

Sounds to me Steve Martin was going dry trying to interview Richard Pryor on The Tonight Show. And what I mean by that for all of you who just speak English, is that Martin was struggling to think of stuff to ask Big Richard (ha ha) and was having to go off the top of his head. And apparently not having much upstairs to pick from to talk to Pryor about. With Pryor doing the best with what Martin would eventually find to talk to Pryor about. This interview to me is sort of like a blind date involving two people who basically have nothing in common. Perhaps their friends put them together as a practical joke.

Which is strange to me because Steve Martin is obviously not just a very funny man and great comedian, but a very bright guy. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to fill in for the great Johnny Carson. But this interview to me looks like a couple of complete strangers being forced together and forced to talk to each other like their life depended on it. And they basically get down to “nice weather we’re having. Yeah the weather tends to be nice around here in May. What’s you favorite color? I had a cold recently, but it wasn’t that bad”.

But being the two great professionals that they were despite Steve Martin’s lack of preparation and homework, (ha ha) I think they did pretty well together, despite the lack of and material and topics they had to work with. Because of Steve Martin not knowing what he was doing in that big chair and perhaps not understanding what the job of the comedic interviewer was. Perhaps The Tonight Show Staff didn’t give him the memo, or Steve’s dog ate his homework.

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Ian Ward: Video: NFL 1987: The Story of the Washington Redskins

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

The 1987 Redskins to me exactly goes to the brilliance of General Manager Bobby Beathard and Head Coach Joe Gibbs. A strike season where the NFL decides to play on with replacement players. That Beathard and his staff had to find for Joe Gibbs and his coaching staff. And Coach Gibbs and his crew having to determine which of these part-time NFL players can even play under these conditions and against NFL players that decided not to strike and how to use those replacements in the best way possible. Because the Redskins still had a job to do, which was to win as many games as possible in 1987.

The 1987 NFL season also goes to the depth of the Redskins with the players they lost to the players strike and the player they lost to injury. They had two starting quarterbacks in 1987, both Pro Bowl caliber quarterbacks that could start for a lot of NFL teams in Jay Schroeder and Doug Williams. They lost their starting tailback in George Rogers, another Pro Bowl running back. They had injuries on the offensive line and had to bring in new starters like Raleigh McKenzie. Gibbs was constantly having to change his lineups around on offense and defense.

The 87 Redskins perfectly exemplifies the Joe Gibbs era in Washington. As a club that just had great depth everywhere and perhaps the best depth in the NFL. They didn’t have the most talent in the NFL, but they arguably had the best players and the most good players and talent in the NFL. And when the strike was over and had they had all of their key players back, that is when the NFL got to see how really good of a team that they had. I believe especially on defense where they dominated the NFC Playoffs and Super Bowl. And on offense that could pile up points in the air and dominate on the ground.

1987 NFC Final

1987 NFC Final

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Cherie Altuaimeh: Video: Steel Curtain Tribute: The Steel Curtain Steeler Dynasty

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Rik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at FreeStateExtra on Blogger

The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers are what a great team looks like and to me the definition of what a great team looks like so to the point as their cover corner back Mell Blount saying that “the NFL changed its rules in 1978 to slow down the Steelers so they weren’t so dominant”. That they went from being a power run ball control offense in the mid-1970s to a vertical pass offense with two deep threats in wide receiver in John Stallworth. Who to me is the Michael Irvin of his generation with his size and strength, but with great speed and could get by you just by running by you. Which made QB Terry Bradshaw’s job a lot more fun because he had a big strong accurate arm that could go deep.

Bradshaw had the WRs to throw the ball to and the Steelers still had their power running game with tailback Franco Harris and tailback Rocky Blier. And they still had their Steel Curtain Two-Gap defense that could stuff the run and attack the QB just with their front four. With defensive tackle Joe Greene arguably the best defensive lineman of all-time. Defensive end LC Greenwood who should be in the Hall of Fame and DE Dwight White. And with middle linebacker Jack Lambert the best MLB of his era and Jack Ham the best outside linebacker of his era. With the Steelers front seven they could stuff the run, attack the QB and cover the whole field.

With those players and with CB Mell Blount I believe the best CB off all-time, you hated being the top WR on the other team because it meant the QB wasn’t going to throw you the ball. And with safeties Donnie Shell and Mike Wagner, you weren’t throwing the ball deep against the Steelers. You couldn’t really run the ball on the Steelers even though you really only had to block four players. Pass protection was almost impossible with the Steelers front four and even if you had time to throw, who you going to throw the ball to, no one is open.

The 1978 Steelers were so great not so good, but so great that the NFL changed the rules to slow them down. And so they were so dominant, other than the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and maybe the Miami Dolphins no one could give the Steelers a hard time before the 1978 rule changes. Which were aimed at the Steelers Steel Curtain defense. The illegal contact rule, meaning you couldn’t jam a WR after five yards. The new blocking rules aimed at Joe Greene that outlawed head slapping. But that didn’t slow the Steelers because they just adapted to the new rule changes meaning that their defense was probably not going to be as dominant anymore.

But again these are the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have Chuck Knoll as their head coach, Terry Bradshaw as their QB and Franco Harris the at TB, with John Stallworth and Lynn Swann at WR. Which meant they just needed to open up the offense and score more points. Go to the vertical pass offense to complement their power running game. The Steelers didn’t change to fit in with rest of the NFL, but they adapted and overcame and made themselves better to utilize the other talent that they had and not rely so much on their defense and power running. That’s what the 1978 Steelers were and what a great team looks like. You make a move at them they make another move and get better than they were already are.

There are a lot of teams to choose from as the best team of all-time and I’m referring to the Super Bowl era including the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. But I take the 78 Steelers because of their head coach who was also their general manager in Chuck Knoll, who was great at both jobs. And could go to the Hall of Fame in either role, who was a defensive head coach as he built the Steel Curtain defense. But understood offense well enough that he knew what type of offense he wanted the Steelers to have. And then go out and get the players to play in that offense and of course not just the talent but how well they played together and how dominant they were.

Steeler Town

Steeler Town

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Real World 51: Redskins Magic: The Story of the 1982 Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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Source:The Daily Press

Of the three Super Bowl Championships that the Washington Redskins won, the 1982 Championship is my favorite because no one other than the Redskins themselves, expected them to do anything. I believe the Redskins knew they were good. Joe Theisman knew he was a good quarterback and could play. John Riggins knew he was a good tailback who just needed an opportunity and be able to play the right position tailback not fullback. They knew they had a very good offensive line, if not the best in the NFL. They knew they had a good defense, giving up the fewest points in the league in 1982.

But no one else knew, because the Redskins were a collection of players, their main players that other teams had given up on or didn’t bother drafting. Like offensive tackle Joe Jacoby who will be in the Hall of Fame, offensive guard Russ Grimm who’s in the Hall of Fame by the way. Center Jeff Bostic was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles a big rival of the Redskins. So as a Redskin fan myself, it’s great that we took both QB Sonny Jurgenson and Jeff Bostic from the Eagles. And a lot of the other players were holdovers from the George Allen regime, the “Over the Hill Gang”.

People like OT George Starke, defensive tackle Dave Butz, kicker Mark Mosely who was the NFL MVP in 1982. But some of the Redskins key players were drafted after Bobby Beatherd became general manager in 1978 replacing George Allen and drafted some of the players, so the Redskins were starting to regroup in the late 1970s. With players like tight end Don Warren, linebacker Monte Coleman, LB Mell Kauffman, LB Rich Milot, LB Neal Olkewitz who the rest of the NFL probably thought was too small. But started for two Super Bowl Champions in Olkewitz’s case.

The 1982 Redskins were a collection of holdovers, free agents that no one else wanted or drafted and a group of players that were drafted before the Joe Gibbs era. And Joe Gibbs knew that he had a good team with the Hogs on the OL, QB Joe Theisman, TB John Riggins, WR Art Monk, WR Charlie Brown, one of the best defenses in the NFL. Not one of the most talented, but one of the best and that’s different. With defensive end Dexter Manley, DT Darryl Grant, DT Dave Butz, the LBs that I just mentioned. Vernon Dean and hard-hitting Mark Murphy in the secondary.

But the rest of the NFL didn’t know that the Redskins were a good team and nobody else respected them as NFC East Champions or the number one seed in the NFC. Which was perfect because the best time to strike is when your opponents aren’t ready for you. And the way to earn your respect is by winning, winning playoff games and winning championships. Which is exactly what the Redskins did in 1982, take out their disrespect against their opponents.

That’s what made the 1982 Redskins so special and I believe are still the best Redskins Super Bowl Champion. They were a collection of very good players that most people never heard of, all put into one championship package. Led by Joe Gibbs and his coaching staff the 1982 Redskins were so good that they could take it to the best defense in the NFL if you look at their talent in the Dallas Cowboys with their Doomsday Flex Defense. That probably had the best defensive line in the NFL with DE Ed Jones, the best DT in the NFL in Randy White, arguably the best DT of all-time, and DE Harvey Martin.

The Redskins ran the ball down the Cowboys Flex Defense throat with John Riggins and the Hogs and they ran it down Randy White’s throat with OG Russ Grimm smashing and blowing Randy White out-of-the-way play after play and it was great. That’s how good the 1982 Redskins were and I’m not sure a lot of people understand that.

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Real Time With Bill Maher: Tells American Socialists to Come Out of the Closet

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Derik Schneider

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The New Democrat

Forget about me saying at risk of slapping myself on the back, because I’m just going to slap myself on the back so much, you would think I was being whipped with a belt by a gay lover. Because I’ve made at least part of the point over and over of what Bill Maher is saying here. We not only still have closet gays in America, but we have closet Socialists as well. We have Americans who say “I hate socialism, oh by the way, you even think about touching my damn Medicare, I’ll kill you”. And that is the nice version, but who do you think runs Medicare, Jesus Christ? Medicare is a socialist centralized federal government-run program that is financed through taxes that we the people pay.

But there’s even more, because we also have Americans who say they aren’t Socialists. They just speak highly of socialism and defend socialism, as if their lives or Unemployment Insurance depended on it. Sort of like the Christian fundamentalist preacher who says he hates homosexuality and that it is a sin. While at the same time he’s having affairs with men that his wife and ten kids don’t know about of course. But the difference being the closet Socialist on the Left, doesn’t have the balls to admit they are a Socialist. The person on the Right doesn’t support socialism broadly. So I’ll cut them some slack.

But the closet Socialist on the Left is a Socialist, perhaps knows they are a Socialist and just doesn’t want to admit it. Because admitting to being a Socialist in America or admiring it, is liking a man admitting he likes boys, or admitting to being a rapist or something. It is not socialism that Americans hate, but the word itself because it gets linked to communism and other leftist authoritarian ideologies. It is not that we don’t have Socialists or gay lovers of gay socialism in America. It is that we have Socialists who don’t have the balls to admit to what they are. And Americans who do not understand what socialism actually and look down at and people who actually admit they are Socialists.

Whether you want to call the lets say hard-core Left in America especially in the Democratic Party McGovernites, which is how they were labeled in the 1970s and 80s, or Progressive Caucus in the 1990s and even today, or the modern label Occupy Wall Street, these are the stuck in the closet with the door bolted down that an Army tank couldn’t knock the closet door down Socialists in America. The Bernie Sanders of this movement actually has the balls to admit he’s a Socialist and damn proud of it. But a lot of his followers don’t and go by Progressive, or what makes me want to try to ram a brick wall down with a head, I hate saying this but they some call themselves Liberals.

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