Landry VS. Lombardi: A History of the 4-3 Defense

[plasticman]

This video describes how Landry first created the 4-3 defense in response to Lombardi's offensive scheme known as "Run to daylight". It then goes into detail on how Landry later refined the 4-3 into the "flex" defense.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Some great footage in there. It's a must see video for Cowboys fans. All the heroes I grew up watching that made me a Cowboy fan. Thanks for posting.

 

[Bobhaze]

Tom Landry was one of the top 5 innovative and impactful minds in the history of pro football. He was such a football savant, for most years of his head coaching career in Dallas, he served as both offensive and defensive coordinator.

Along with Lombardi, Paul Brown, Don Coryell and Bill Walsh, Landry has to be among the top 5 innovators of the game. But IMO, Landry transcends all those guys for this simple reason- he was innovative on BOTH sides of the ball.

 

[SinceDayOne]

Landry also did a lot of offensive stuff that were innovative and revolutionary. He did not invent the "shotgun" but he dug it up after it was abandoned as unable to work. He revised it and made it work. He put Staubach in it and had success. That led it to being used by all the teams and being so commonplace today. He pretty much created the multiple wide receiver sets (3 wide outs). He came up with many plays that live on today....running plays, passing plays such as the fake screen to one side then running a screen the other direction and on and on.

The man knew football. He was special.

 

[eromeopolk]

Tom Landry record for most consecutive non losing season is still his even with the success of Bill Belichick. I was able to meet him and traveled with him to a preseason football game. It was like going on a church trip with your pastor (he was a Sunday School teacher like me). I also visited his home town of Mission, TX where there is a mural and we all know the TV show based on Tom Landry's, Mission, TX as the fictional Arlen, TX, King of the Hill,...Tom Landry School does exist but its and elementary school not a middle School...

Tom Landry is one of the best coaches of all time. Having coached the Dallas Cowboys for 29 seasons, he has a record for most consecutive non-losing seasons (21). He was the first head coach of the Cowboys. He is created for creating both 4-3 and flex defense, multiple offense, and resurrected the offensive formation that still exist today the shotgun...

He started his head coaching career in 1960 and retired in 1988. Landry won two Super Bowls (Super Bowl VI and XII), five NFC championships, and 13 divisional championships. He finished with a 270-178-6 record, the fourth-most wins in NFL history, and 20 career postseason victories, the second-most ever.

 

[maryquality]

I always enjoy when we do the "Landry shift" to close out of games when we've won!! A great homage!!

 

[rambo2]

I'm so glad that they didn't fire him when they used to say that he couldn't win the big one. It was amazing in 1970 that he took a team to the Super Bowl after being slaughtered by the Vikings and the Cardinals.

 

[plasticman]

To this day, half of what you see in an NFL game was invented by Tom Landry.

He didn't invent the shotgun but he did invent passing from it.

Landry may not have invented scouting upcoming opponents but he did invent a more organized, comprehensive and methodical approach. He invented the coaching position of Quality Control.

Don't let the title fool you. They couldn't really call it "Spying Coach". Quality Control was in charge of researching upcoming opponents to determine weaknesses, tendencies and current injuries.

 

[CCBoy]

This video describes how Landry first created the 4-3 defense in response to Lombardi's offensive scheme known as "Run to daylight". It then goes into detail on how Landry later refined the 4-3 into the "flex" defense.

Sam Huff was the Giants linebacker that made it work.

 

[CCBoy]

I always enjoy when we do the "Landry shift" to close out of games when we've won!! A great homage!!

The Kingsville Javelinas' fans and band would end games with the song: Na, na, na, na....na, na, na, na....hey, hey, hey...Go Hogs!

Our defense was known as the Border Bandits.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

His whole point about Lilly and how he took away cut backs and middle runs is exactly what Mazi provides to our front.

 

[noshame]

Landry also did a lot of offensive stuff that were innovative and revolutionary. He did not invent the "shotgun" but he dug it up after it was abandoned as unable to work. He revised it and made it work. He put Staubach in it and had success. That led it to being used by all the teams and being so commonplace today. He pretty much created the multiple wide receiver sets (3 wide outs). He came up with many plays that live on today....running plays, passing plays such as the fake screen to one side then running a screen the other direction and on and on.

The man knew football. He was special.

It's not only that he was a master of the halftime adjustments. I can remember many games where our offense was stifled the entire first half and then all of the sudden the second half and boom.

 

[SinceDayOne]

Tex Schramm tells stories of meeting with owner Clint Murchison Jr during the very early years before the Cowboys started winning. Murchison questioned Landry's ability and mentioned perhaps making a coaching change a few times. Tex would not have any part of it. He stood by Landry and the owner listened. Those were the days when the Cowboys had a real GM and an owner who would listen and follow his advise. That was a good thing for Landry, Schramm, the Cowboys and we fans.

 

[rambo2]

Tex Schramm tells stories of meeting with owner Clint Murchison Jr during the very early years before the Cowboys started winning. Murchison questioned Landry's ability and mentioned perhaps making a coaching change a few times. Tex would not have any part of it. He stood by Landry and the owner listened. Those were the days when the Cowboys had a real GM and an owner who would listen and follow his advise. That was a good thing for Landry, Schramm, the Cowboys and we fans.

I remember when they were saying that Landry couldn't win the big one. It's a miracle that he didn't get fired. Then when he won the 2 championships they kept him for over a decade as the team declined.

 

[plasticman]

I remember when they were saying that Landry couldn't win the big one. It's a miracle that he didn't get fired. Then when he won the 2 championships they kept him for over a decade as the team declined.

They did begin to decline. However, their "decline" started with three consecutive NFC championship losses from 1980-1982.

How things would have been different if Dwight Clark hadn't caught that freakin' pass.

The Cowboys were still going to the playoffs up to 1985 but drafting in the lower 25% for 20 consecutive seasons finally took its toll.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Tex Schramm tells stories of meeting with owner Clint Murchison Jr during the very early years before the Cowboys started winning. Murchison questioned Landry's ability and mentioned perhaps making a coaching change a few times. Tex would not have any part of it. He stood by Landry and the owner listened. Those were the days when the Cowboys had a real GM and an owner who would listen and follow his advise. That was a good thing for Landry, Schramm, the Cowboys and we fans.

Those were the days the owner and his family didn't meddle in every decision. Murchison only made one decision. He hired Schramm and trusted him enough to let him hire the coaches and build the football team.

 

[StarOfGlory]

To this day, half of what you see in an NFL game was invented by Tom Landry.

He didn't invent the shotgun but he did invent passing from it.

I remember seeing an interview with Buddy Ryan after he retired from the NFL. Ryan came up with the 46 Defense in 1978. He stated that a major factor in him creating that defense was to stop teams that could play like Landry's Cowboy teams.