Would The Flex Still Work?

[jobberone]

I wasn't suggesting we change our defense, I was just turning over the idea of whether or not the "Flex" could ever be resurrected and find success in today's NFL.

I don't want to change our defense. We just need all the role players. There is no base defense in the NFL anymore. Unless you consider the one that's run the most....like 30% of the time or so. You have to have fast LBs, run stopping LBs, yada yada.

In 1965 Landry was under fire. The Cowboys had their first non losing year, but the fans and media were restless. More trouble than that, the players were grumbling in the press. Landry's schemes were too hard. They didn't work. It was a mess.

Everyone wanted Landry gone.

Tex Schramm gave him a 10 year extension. It sent a message to the players, this is your wake up call. This man is here for the duration. If you want to succeed you better buy into the system.

Ironically the guy best suited to the Flex is the one guy who free lanced a lot. Chuck Howley. The thing is, he seemed to know when he could free lance and when he couldn't. Actually a brilliant player. If you ever get to see replays of Super Bowl V and VI, tell me you've ever seen a player excel more in 2 Super Bowls. He was great.

Bob Lilly was the unquestioned leader of Doomsday. George Andrie was sometimes not considered the brightest player, but he was smart about one thing. He listened to Bob Lilly. Whatever Lilly wanted, Andrie did. He was so instinctive that he fit the Flex, but make no mistake, Bob Lilly was his brains.

In 1966 the Cowboys started winning and they would go on to win for 20 straight years. The impetus was the players realizing Landry was not going to be fired. Once they buckled down and realized they needed to come together they became a great team.

1968 was without a doubt the Cowboys best year in any that they did not win the Super Bowl. They averaged over 30 points per game and held apponents to just barely over 13 per game.

Landry put a lot of emphasis on smart players. You didn't have to be a Rhodes Scholar, but if you were football smart Landry admired that. I believe he said Dan Reeves was the smartest player to ever play for him. Must be why he immediately hired him as coach when Dan retired.

Couldn't agree more. Which is why I used Howley as an example. He was always on the field.

Today's NFL is full of role players. If you have a CB who can shut down, stop the run, and handle the slot WR or the TE then you have an everydown perfect player. They're aren't many of those around. LB, too. NT. Many positions have more than one type player.

 

[Hostile]

I don't want to change our defense. We just need all the role players. There is no base defense in the NFL anymore. Unless you consider the one that's run the most....like 30% of the time or so. You have to have fast LBs, run stopping LBs, yada yada.



Couldn't agree more. Which is why I used Howley as an example. He was always on the field.

Today's NFL is full of role players. If you have a CB who can shut down, stop the run, and handle the slot WR or the TE then you have an everydown perfect player. They're aren't many of those around. LB, too. NT. Many positions have more than one type player.

I invited Chuck Howley to the site, but he's never taken me up on it. He was a fantastic player.

 

[rcaldw]

I invited Chuck Howley to the site, but he's never taken me up on it. He was a fantastic player.

From the articles I read on the Flex defense, the one player that made the defense go had to be the middle linebacker. Lee Roy Jordan was fantastic because he was strong enough and fast enough to be responsible for two gaps and get to the outside. When Bob Breunig took over, he wasn't as strong, but he was smart as well and fast enough to get it done. When Eugene Lockhart followed, they said that the defense took a hit because of his lack of speed. He had high tackle numbers (the defense was designed to allow the MLB to make plays), but wasn't as fast as he needed to be.