MALAVASI VS MARTZ

MALAVASI VS MARTZ

The 1979 LA Ram defense vs The 2001 St. Louis Ram offense

The 79 Ram defense vs the 2001 Ram offense.

It would be the irrestable force vs the immovable object.

They are as different as Frazier and Ali, Malavasi and Martz.

Or as different as Los Angeles and St. Louis.

With the personalities of both teams and coaches, you could sell it pay per
view.

I could see Malavasi, who hated the media anyway, get fed up with this
"Greatest show on turf" crap and say "Well, the greatest finesse show
hasn't played us and were going to kick their ass".

(That wouldn't be the first time he did that, remember the week before the Dallas game?).

ESPN would love it and would run to Martz for a reply. Martz would be
pissed and say "We will see how finesse we are come Sunday".

And forget about the hype.

When you shake it down you have a great offense with great players going against a great defense with great players and BOTH are led by innovative coaches.

On paper, it looks like a 2001 Ram offense victory.

They would look at the 1979 Ram defense when they played the Cowboys in the regular season game in 79 when the Cowboys whipped them 30-6.

But, what Malavasi has that Martz doesn't is Bud Carson.

In 1979, the first four games, the Ram lost their starting DB's, Rod Perry and Pat Thomas for 6 weeks.

Because of that the Rams had 9 DB's on their roster.

When, playoff time approached, the Ram defense was at full force.

A defense that has been together for years. That led the league in sacks with 54.

When the Rams played Dallas in the 1979 playoff game, Malavasi and Carson invented a defensive scheme that was NEVER SEEN OR USED in the history of the NFL.

It was called the "Quarter". 4 linemen and 7 defensive backs.

It matched speed with speed and when the Cowboys went into the shotgun formation it was used.

It befuddled Dallas so bad that Tom Landry an expert at adjusting to what an offense thows at him, didn't have an answer.

And throw in how the Rams in 79 were experts at the delay safety blitz. The front four were great at stunting that always seemed there was a hole 7 feet wide for Elmendorf to burst thru.

If Martz didn't change and from his track record he wouldn't, The 2001 Ram offense would be in trouble.

Hell, the great Tom Landry couldn't figure it out all day, so why would Martz.

And it befuddled Roger Staubach so bad his last pass he ever threw was caught by a Dallas offensive lineman.

Only trouble with that it's illegal.

It would be Malavasi 1979 Rams as winners.

And they deserve it.

I wrote the above post after that Monday night loss to the Bucs in 2001.

After the Rams first loss to the Saints I thought Martz learned from his mistakes.

I even made some posts saying this is the best thing to happen because Martz has learned.

Then the Buc loss proved to me Martz can't adjust.

And I was proved right in SB 36.

So the ESPN football "experts" say that the 1979 Los Angeles Rams are the worst team ever to play in the Super Bowl.

I remember a month before Mike Tyson fought Buster Douglas in Japan a poll was done with the boxing "experts" where Tyson rates all-time. 90% of these "experts" said Tyson is the greatest of all-time.

When Roy Jones Jr. was at his peak 2 "experts" that were on the sport reporters show on Espn said Jones would beat a prime Smokin Joe Frazier.

What a great country we live in to be able to make the money these "experts" make to state clueless opinions.

They bring up that the Rams went 9-7 in 1979.

Name me any team that loses 13 starters in the first 5 games. Lose your starting running back and two wide-outs. Have to play your 4th string QB.

Take away Swann, Stallworth,Franco and Bradshaw and let's see what the Steelers record will be.

And I forgot to mention the defense injuries.

So going 9-7 is like going 13-3.

And anyway isn't the playoffs the real measure of a team.

For a defense that was the worst ever to play in a Super Bowl they set a NFL record that might be hard to break.

-7 total yard for an entire game.

Plus they led the league in sacks with 54

Not bad for the worst.

They had to play two teams in the playoffs that beat them by a total of 51-12 in the regular season.

ON THE ROAD.

For Dallas, they created a defensive scheme called the "Quarter". (4 lineman 7 db's).It was so effective that tom landry known for his halftime adjustments couldn't figure it out.

And befuddled Staubach so bad that his last pass he ever threw was to Herb Scott (only trouble with that it was his offensive lineman).

One week later the ram defense turned in another gem shutting down the Bucs in the NFC Championship game.

The bucs only crossed the 50 yard line 2 times for the entire game.

Then in Super Bowl 14, playing one of the greatest teams ever.

With a QB starting his 9th game.

With your hall of fame pass rusher at 60%.

The Rams had the lead in the 4th quarter.

Only a blown assignment by eddie brown coupled with one of the greatest throws in a super bowl by Bradshaw along with the GREATEST catch EVER in a Super Bowl by Stallworth did we lose.

Even with that Rod Perry came within an inch (deflecting that pass) of us winning

We didn't play the 86, 87 and 89 Denver Broncos we played the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Or that vaunted 89 Bengals team.

I got to be honest with you, I was a "expert" too.

Many years ago (too many) Arnold Sartzneggar was on the Mike Douglas show.
At that time he was Mr. Universe.

Mike Douglas ask Arnold what is his plans when he retires from body building tournaments.

In a very thick accent he said "I want to be a actor".

I start laughing and said "dude, you won't make dime one in being an actor."

The difference in my "expert" opinion and Espn "expert" opinion is they get paid for being an idiot, I didn't get dime one.

The Los Angeles Rams from 73 to 79 won their division (a nfl record 7 straight times). That is impressive, but, they started 7 different QB'S. NAME THEM?