This could be the most defensive Super Bowl since Miami’s No-Name Defense beat Washington’s Over-the-Hill Gang 14-7 after the 1972 season. That was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl.
More Top Picks Best Induction Compatible Cookware Sets
New England’s Bill Belichick and Carolina’s John Fox not only come strictly from the defensive side of the ball, their teams lean heavily toward defense. They would love a 3-2 game, although that probably would spur another round of rules changes favoring offense.
Until then, it’s easy to predict this could be the most knock-down, drag-out Super Bowl game ever, and it’s almost sure to be low-scoring. It’s a story line that shouldn’t be difficult to sell, although CBS would much prefer high-scoring offenses from bigger markets.
This is the first time since the term “defensive coordinator” became popular that two former NFL defensive coordinators have squared off. Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll and Dallas’ Tom Landry both worked as NFL defensive assistants, but the Steelers and Cowboys also fielded more potent offenses than the Patriots or Panthers. Same with the teams of Miami’s Don Shula and Minnesota’s Bud Grant.
In recent years, offensive coaches and offensive teams have shared, at least, every Super Bowl spotlight.
Belichick is the only defensive coach with a defensive team to win a Super Bowl (2001) since he helped Bill Parcells’ New York Giants win one after the 1990 season.
Baltimore’s Brian Billick is a former offensive coordinator who won with a defensive team in 2000. San Francisco’s George Seifert is a former defensive coordinator who coached Steve Young and Jerry Rice to 49 points in Super Bowl XXIX. Jimmy Johnson was a defensive-oriented college coach whose Cowboys scored 52 and 30 points with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in back-to-back Super Bowls.
No matter what happens next week, Belichick and Fox are going to prove again that “defense wins championships.”
Maybe that’s why Bears general manager Jerry Angelo switched from pursuing an offensive coach to former defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Maybe the Bears are ahead of the curve as the pendulum swings back to defense.
Raring to go: Two defensive coaches who wanted to hear from the Bears about the coordinator’s job are Buddy Ryan’s twin sons, Rob and Rex.
Rob is outside linebackers coach of the Patriots. Rex is defensive line coach of the Baltimore Ravens. They have coached in three of the last four Super Bowls, matching their father’s three-time Super Bowl experience with the New York Jets (1968), Minnesota Vikings (1976) and Bears (1985).
“That would be the greatest thing that could happen to Chicago if they would bring a Ryan back,” the Bears’ former defensive coordinator (1978-85) said of his sons before the team hired Ron Rivera on Friday. “It would guarantee that they’d get to a Super Bowl.”
Ryan’s sons are 41 and also have extensive college experience.
Ryan obviously believes both are ready to be coordinators.
Said Rex: “I was born ready.”
Rex believes either he or his brother has a shot at the Raiders’ job depending on the head coach.
Rex promised to do more than install the cover 2 scheme of simple zone coverage upon which new coach Smith bases his system.
“If they just play cover 2, they’re going to get their brains kicked in,” Rex said. “If they want to stop somebody and get to the Super Bowl . . . I don’t want to sound egotistical, but look at the five years I’ve been in Baltimore.”
Hold that line: Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, a defensive architect blessed with a potent offense, discovered anew the power of defense during last week’s AFC title loss to the Patriots when his receivers got mugged and officials didn’t appear to notice. Dungy refused to complain but did say later:
“The disappointing thing to me is there were some things that happened that I just know in my heart in the regular season would be penalties. Maybe that’s one thing you learn. The more you coach in the playoffs, you expect the games to be that way. Maybe we have to coach a little differently in the playoffs.”
In the playoffs, officials are more inclined to allow players to play rather than risk deciding a big game on a call.
“It’s one thing to let you play, but it’s another to ignore fouls that happen,” Dungy said.
Colts tight end Marcus Pollard, one of the victims of fairly obvious holding, offered this footnote: “Those guys did what they had to do. They didn’t get called for it, so [they] keep doing it. Hats off to them. Go hold whoever they have to to play in the Super Bowl.”
Supervisor of officials Mike Pereira has denied officiating is different in the off-season.
More Top Picks Makita Xss02z
Show your hand: There is a reason owners usually sign coaches to no more than five-year contracts. Smith got a four-year deal from the Bears. The last 14 winning Super Bowl coaches got to the top–on average–2.7 years after taking over their teams.
The only one who took more than four years was Green Bay’s Mike Holmgren, who won after the 1996 season, his fifth with the Packers. Tampa Bay’s Jon Gruden and San Francisco’s George Seifert did it in their first seasons.
If Carolina wins, Fox would join New England’s Belichick, Baltimore’s Billick, Dallas’ Barry Switzer, Washington’s Joe Gibbs and Oakland’s Tom Flores. Third-year charms were St. Louis’ Dick Vermeil, Denver’s Mike Shanahan and San Francisco’s Bill Walsh. The fourth year was the one for Dallas’ Johnson, the New York Giants’ Parcells and the Bears’ Mike Ditka.
When owners were more patient and coaches (and players) stayed with the same teams longer, Oakland’s John Madden won in his eighth year and Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll in his sixth.
Does this mean it’s too late for Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher, Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher and Philadelphia’s Andy Reid? They are the only NFL coaches who have been with their teams more than five seasons without winning a Super Bowl. Cowher and Fisher have lost. Reid just finished Season 5.
Keeping track: Carolina general manager Marty Hurney is a former sportswriter. So is New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi. That makes two former sportswriters who have helped teams get to the Super Bowl in the last four years. And to think, there are owners who believe sportswriters only try to prevent their teams from getting to Super Bowls. Maybe owners should hire them rather than criticize them.
Price is up: Fired Buffalo coach Gregg Williams got a pay raise from approximately $1 million to $1.2 million to join Washington as defensive coordinator. Fired Green Bay defensive coordinator Ed Donatell got a “significant” pay raise to join Atlanta in the same capacity. Fired Seattle special teams coach Pete Rodriguez warned suitors he is expensive. He signed with Jacksonville for around $500,000, making him the team’s highest-paid assistant, unusual for a special teams coach.
Coaches are beginning to notice the handwriting on the checks. Owners who believe good coaches are a dime a dozen usually get what they pay for. This inflation is in no small part thanks to Washington and Atlanta owners Daniel Snyder and Arthur Blank, two businessmen who quickly recognized the value of coaches.