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.