MoonPygg wrote:
Cjfred68 wrote:
Gg Smirt...another early season lose with very little offense then I realized I played Buffalo....figure!!!
See Moon, I give advice on offense because I have zero clue on defense..consider me a Don Coriel type coach....at 63, (Im 53) you can relate to "Air Coriel".
Still think he was a snub for the Hall of Fame. Defense go to Seth or Smirt,,,,I don't pay enough attention to it.
Dan Fouts and the Chargers? Did he also coach the Cardinals? My younger days seemed to be a blur.
Yes MoonPygg....good memory!!!
I spelt his name wrong sorry...Don Coryell and I know he never won a Title but his innovations on offense especially the passing game was the precursor in the late 70s, thru mid 80s of today's pass happy offense.
He was one of the 1st coaches to pass more then he rushed with Dan Fouts establishing passing yards single season records 3 straight seasons, all over 4,000 yards.
He also reinvented the Tight End position as a vertical threat opening the door for Tony Gonzales and Travis Kelsey.
San Diego ownership was cheap and let great players walk. On defense he let Fred Dean to walk who go on to San Fransico, win 2 titles and be elected to HOF. Dean is famously quoted that he made the same as his truckdriver brother in law. Another penny pinching lose was WR John Jefferson who became the 1st WR to catch for 1,000 yards his 1st 3 seasons but left because of contract disputes. Jefferson never accomplished another 1,000 season after he left.
It's really a shame, ownership screwed him because the big criticism of Coryell was he had no defense but in 1979, they led the league in points allowed and sacks. If they had kept their roster intact which was the norm in the NFL...Who knows what history would be.
I know watching the Chargers/Raiders highlights was most see TV for me as a kid and they weren't my team, it was the Baltimore Colts and Bert Jones. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities in the NFL. My dad and I would say to each other all the time...."if they only had a little defense"
