FOFC ALL-TIME NFL CHALLENGE - TEAM V

[TroyF]

When I was was nominated for the challenge, I decided to keep a journal of sorts. These are my thoughts prior to each round and why I bid the way I did. At the end, it'll include a brief bio of each player on my roster. Some of them need no explanation. If you haven't heard of LT, you shouldn't be reading this. :)

For those who haven't heard about Rick Upchurch, Tombstone Jackson, Jimmy Johnson or Leo Nomellini you can learn who they were and why they were on my team.

Thanks to everyone who competed and WSU for setting the entire thing up, I had a great time. :)

TroyF

[TroyF]

WSUCougar has started THE FOFC ALL-TIME TEAM CHALLENGE in which me and 9 other guys will try to put together the best team. The team will be voted on by FOFC members. By the time you read this, the voting will already have taken place. This is my first foray into starting any kind of dynasty. As I’m going to have to go through a ton of scrap paper anyway, I’m going to keep a diary of sorts to let you know how I decided to build my team and why I did it.

As of now, I know Chief Rum has committed to the challenge. WSU is still awaiting the other nominations. No rules have been set as of yet. No auction prices. The following is an off the cuff rundown of who my top guys will be at each position. I’m not looking up anything on the internet right now. I’m also just going with a gut feeling when things are close. I’m also sure I’ll be forgetting some players. Here goes nothing:

QB: John Elway. Winningest QB of all time. I don’t need to justify this one.
RB: Jim Brown
FB: Bronco Nagurski
WR: Jerry Rice
WR: Lance Alworth
TE: Kellen Winslow
OT: Anthony Munoz
OT: Jonathan Ogden
C: Mike Webster
G: Bruce Mathews
G: Forrest Gregg (I think he played some guard, maybe he was only a tackle, I’ll have to double check)

K: Morten Anderson
P: Ray Guy

DE: Bruce Smith
DE: Reggie White
DT: Bob Lilly
DT: Alan Page
OLB: Lawrence Taylor
OLB: Derrick Brooks
ILB: Jack Lambert
ILB: Ray Lewis
CB: Deion Sanders
CB: Dick Lane
FS: Ronnie Lott
SS: Drawing a big time blank here. Anderson. . . the guy who played for the Dolphins. I’ll remember his name the second I finish typing this. Oh Well.

Special Teams Player: Steve Tasker
Return Man: Rick Upchurch. (My favorite player when I was a kid)

Early evaluation? IMO, there are 6 “no question” positions on the list. (Jerry Rice, Anthony Munoz, Bob Lilly, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor and Steve Tasker) I think those guys are the unquestioned best at their positions. I’m hoping Tasker doesn’t draw a big bid. I think he’d bring terrific intangibles to any team. I would like to find a way to snag 2 of the other 5. I don’t think that is very likely, so I may have to look at the way this will be set up and make a choice of which one of the others I’ll go after full bore.

TroyF

[TroyF]

OK, here are the positions:
NFL All-Time Roster Slots:
Head Coach
QB
RB
FB
WR
WR
TE
C
G
G
T
T
K
P
Return specialist
Special Teamer
DL
DL
DL
DL or LB
LB
LB
LB
CB
CB
S
S

My head coach will be one of the usual suspects. (Walsh, Knoll, Landry, Shula, Lombardi, Parcells)

Before I start with the bidding, I think it’ll be important to explain how this team will be designed. My players will have specific roles. I want my FB to block and maybe catch a pass or two. My #2 WR will be a solid possession type guy that I can count on to get me first downs. (someone like Steve Largent) I’ll have one blitzing OLB (LT) and one coverage OLB (D. Brooks) and a heat seeking missle at MLB. One hard hitting safety and one ball hawking safety.

What I really hope people notice is the thought process put into it. I don’t want Mike Alstott or Jim Brown at full back. I think these defenses and offenses are going to be so good that you NEED
To have guys who have specific roles to be successful.

My strategy will also rely heavily on “sleepers” You ever hear of Rich “Tombstone” Jackson? You should have. He SHOULD be in the hall of fame. He’s one of the top 10 DE’s of all time but has never been voted into the hall of fame. Will this cost me the tournament? Will anyone take the time to look up how good a player Jackson was before they vote? (DR. Z ranks him as the 4th best DE of all time) I don’t care. I’m picking the team. J

Here goes my rough draft:

NFL All-Time Roster Slots:
Head Coach – Don Shula (5)
QB – John Elway (35)
RB – Jim Brown (100)
FB – Daryl Johnston (20)
WR – Jerry Rice (199)
WR – Steve Largent (1)
TE – Dave Casper (25)
C – Dwight Stephenson (35)
G – John Hannah (50)
G – Jim Parker (5)
T – Art Shell (20)
T – Anthony Munoz (50)
K – Jason Elam (1)
P – Ray Guy (1)
Return specialist – Rick Upchurch (1)
Special Teamer – Steve Tasker (35)
DL – Rich “Tombstone” Jackson (1)
DL – Reggie White (100)
DT – Bob Lilly (100)
DT – Leo Nomellini (1)
LB – Derrick Brooks (1)
LB – Lawrence Taylor (111)
LB – Ray Lewis (1)
CB – Dick “Night Train” Lane (75)
CB – Jimmy Johnson (1)
S – Ronnie Lott (FS) (25)
S – Jack Tatum (SS) (1)

This is the list I’ll be turning into WSU tonight. Here is the reasoning behind the selections:

Backfield – Elway, Brown, Johnston.

Elway is a winner, pure and simple. He’ll also be able to make something out of nothing. I think you have to have that ability with the defenses I’ll be matched up against. I can come up with 10QB’s on this list without batting an eye, therefore the low bid. Brown is the greatest RB ever IMO. Johnston gives me exactly what I want in a full back. He’ll block and can catch the ball when needed.

Receivers – Give me Rice or give me death. I think he’s the best player in NFL history and bid accordingly. If I don’t get Largent, I’ll easily be able to find a solid possession guy for my #2 WR. Casper is a terrific blocker as well as receiver. I’m hoping he slips through the cracks. Again, I have plenty of options if he gets snapped up.

OL – A ton of players to choose from here. I went high on Munoz and Hannah. I’m hoping Parker slips through the cracks.

DL – Reggie and Bob + a couple of sleepers. I’m not sure if I can get either of the sleepers by this group, but I’ll give it a shot. Jackson and Nomellini are two of the best at their position, but many people have never heard of them.

LB – LT is the man. I want him disrupting the pass rush. Lewis and Brooks fill needs. Lewis chases down ball carriers, Brooks covers the man out of the backfield or the TE.

DB’s – There are so many DB’s to choose from. JJ is one of the most underrated players of all time. Another sleeper I hope people have not heard of.

Special Teams/Coach – Tasker is the best special teamer of all time. Period. Upchurch is a guy who many probably aren’t aware of. He returned 4 punts for TD’s in 1976. Guy and Elam. . . whoop de do. A ton of great kickers and punters out there. I thought about Lou Groza here (who else would have a kicker who was also an all-pro tackle? J Still, the kickers of today are more accurate. Shula is a great coach, but again, I have plenty to choose from.

TroyF

[TroyF]

Well, the first round is finished, here is my current roster:


Coach: –
QB: John Elway (35)
RB: –
FB: Daryl Johnston (20)
WR: –
WR: –
TE: –
C: Dwight Stephenson (35)
G: John Hannah (50)
G: Jim Parker (5)
T: Art Shell (20)
T: –
K: Jason Elam (1)
P: –
Ret: Rick Upchurch (1)
ST: -
DL: Rich “Tombstone” Jackson (1)
DL: Reggie White (100)
DT: Bob Lilly (100)
DT: Leo Nomellini (1)
LB: Derrick Brooks (1)
LB: Lawrence Taylor (111)
LB: Ray Lewis (1)
CB: -
CB: Jimmy Johnson (1)
S: –
S: –
Remaining points: 517

The people I didn’t get:

Shula. I bid 5, he went for 6.
Brown. I bid 100, he went for 106.
Rice. I bid 199, he went for 411
Largent. I bid 1, he went for 15
Casper. I bid 25, he went for 30
Munoz. I bid 50, he went for 71
Guy. I bid 1, he went for 15
Tasker. I bid 35, he went for 44. OUCH, I REALLY wanted him
Lane. I bid 75, he went for 90
Lott. I bid 25, he went for 120
Tatum. I bid 1, he went for 15.

Shula, Brown, Casper and Tasker. . . those are the ones that hurt pretty badly. Many hall of fame runners left though.


Overall, I have 10 positions to fill and 517 points in which to do it. You can throw out ST, P and coach. I simply will not go high on any of those.
The other 7 positions is where I’ll work to secure players that I need to finish off this team. That’s 73 points per player. I think I can manage to come up
With a finished roster with that amount of points. J

TroyF

[TroyF]

Looked things over a bit. I currently have the 2nd most available points left. Looking at the positional breakdown, here is how it plays out: (My top candidates)

RB: 4 positions in the league to fill. Only 2 Half Back slots left. (Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell)
WR: 7 positions yet unfilled. (Maynard, Terrell Owens, Raymond Berry, Fred Biletnikoff, Charlie Joiner)
TE: 4 positions yet unfilled. (Ditka, Mackey)
T: 8 positions yet unfilled. (Gregg, Zimmerman, Dierdorf, Ogden)
CB: 5 positions yet unfilled. (Haynes, Renfro)
S: 10 positions yet unfilled. (Houston, Cliff Harris)
Coach: 3 positions yet unfilled. (Landry, Hallas)
ST: 4 positions yet unfilled. (Bates)
P: 3 positions yet unfilled. (Sammy Baugh. . . how did I forget him when I picked in the first round?)

With only 2 HB left for anybody to take, I think I’ll bid some points on Emmitt, but will gladly take the leftovers. Dorsett or OJ fit this offense better than Campbell, as they catch the ball
Out of the backfield. I NEED Maynard at one WR spot. I’ll be bidding very high on him this round. I would also like to get Ditka at the TE spot. Not a pressing need though. There are plenty of options to go after here. I would like to get the tackle spot filled, but there isn’t any rush at all. You can add Richmond Webb to the available tackles. I’ll easily fill that hole. I would like to get Mike Haynes at the CB position. I need to grab a good safety here. A lot of people need safeties, the bidding should be fierce on Houston.
Coach? Who cares? I’d like Landry. I can live with Noll, Shanahan or Hallas. I’ll bid a point and won’t care. Special Teams and Punters? Again, I don’t care. Those are one point bids.

So what am I left with? I’ll have 3 one point bids. I’ll bid low on the tackle and the second safety and WR positions as well. I want Ditka, Houston, Maynard and Haynes. I’m leaning
On bidding 150 for Maynard and 100 for the other three. That’s 450 points gone there. I’ll throw in a 50 point bid for Emmitt to put me up to 500 total points. That leaves me needing
1WR, 1S, 1P, 1Coach, 1T and 1 ST to bid on. Here is my lean right now:

RB: Emmitt Smith (50)
WR: Don Maynard (150)
WR: Terrell Owens (1)
TE: Mike Ditka (100)
T: Forrest Gregg (1)
CB: Mike Haynes (100)
S: Ken Houston (100)
S: Cliff Harris (1)
ST: Billy Bates (1)
Coach: Tom Landry (1)
P: Sammy Baugh (12)

I may make a change at the punter position, but I’m pretty set on the others. My plans at WR are gone. I need to get a couple of guys who can do it all. Go deep, block and catch
The ball on third down. Maynard is a MUST get for this round. The other 100 point guys are also pretty important. (fingers crossed)

TroyF

[TroyF]

The third round of the bidding is complete. Here are the players I added in this round:

RB: Emmitt Smith (50)
WR: Don Maynard (150)
WR: Terrell Owens (1)
TE: Mike Ditka (100)
CB: Mike Haynes (100)
S: Ken Houston (100)
S: Cliff Harris (1)
Coach: Tom Landry (1)
P: Sammy Baugh (12)

I lost out on Forrest Gregg (70+ point bid) and Billy Bates. (30 points)

This leaves me with two points left to bid. I need a tackle and a special teams performer. There are still many solid options at tackle. Ogden is still there and he’s who I put in for this round. If I don’t get him, I can go to Gary Zimmerman. Special teams players? I went ahead and bid 1 point for Fred Mcafee of the Saints. He’s always been a solid ST performer. Here is my full current roster.

Coach: Tom Landry (1)
QB: John Elway (35)
RB: Emmitt Smith (50)
FB: Daryl Johnston (20)
WR: Don Maynard (150)
WR: Terrell Owens (1)
TE: Mike Ditka (100)
C: Dwight Stephenson (35)
G: John Hannah (50)
G: Jim Parker (5)
T: Art Shell (20)
T: –
K: Jason Elam (1)
P: Sammy Baugh (12)
Ret: Rick Upchurch (1)
ST: -
DL: Rich “Tombstone” Jackson (1)
DL: Reggie White (100)
DT: Bob Lilly (100)
DT: Leo Nomellini (1)
LB: Derrick Brooks (1)
LB: Lawrence Taylor (111)
LB: Ray Lewis (1)
CB: Jimmy Johnson (1)
CB: Mike Haynes (100)
S: Ken Houston (100)
S: Cliff Harris (1)

How do things look now? I think they look pretty solid. My defense is better than I ever dreamed it would be. I even have a solid backup QB as my starting punter. J I don’t really have anything to add tonight. I’ll throw in my picks and hope that I’m done after this round. After things are all said and done, I’ll go over my thoughts of the other 7 teams.

TroyF

[TroyF]

OK, finito. I ended up with both Ogden and Mcafee for a point each. Let’s break things down. Here are the players I have that were selected for the NFL’s all-time team by hall of fame voters:

OL – John Hannah
OL – Jim Parker
DE – Reggie White
DT – Bob Lilly
LB – Lawrence Taylor

Here are the players (along with rank) I have on The Sporting News Top 100 players of all time:

4 – Lawrence Taylor
10 – Bob Lilly
11 – Sammy Baugh
16 – John Elway
20 – John Hannah
22 – Reggie White
24 – Jim Parker
55 – Art Shell
61 – Ken Houston
68 – Emmitt Smith
84 – Dwight Stephenson
90 – Mike Ditka
93 – Mike Haynes

What do those lists mean? Nothing. My team is designed to actually win football games. I have a QB who wins football games. I have a running back who gets yards. I have offensive and defensive lines which will be difficult for anyone to contend with. I spoke with an unnamed competitor who mentioned that many of my players will have perception problems. He’s right.

Many people think Elway sucks. A lot of people think Emmitt isn’t near the back Barry is. Terrell Owens? Yeah, he has an attitude. He’s also a terrific blocker and a guy who goes all out every single play. He wasn’t my top choice at WR, but I can live with him. Ditka? You think he’s a coach and don’t understand that he helped CREATE the position of TE? I can’t do anything about that. Don’t know who Jim Parker, Rick Upchurch, Leo Nomellini, Rich Jackson, Jimmy Johnson or Cliff Harris are? I can’t do anything about that either. All were terrific players. Jimmy Johnson is one of the top 5 CB’s of all time. I can’t change the fact people don’t know or understand how good he really was.

So here comes the question: Is my team the best one of the bunch? I don’t know. It’s a team that ***I*** am very comfortable with. Looking back on things, there are very few changes I would have made. I would have loved Jim Brown behind that line. Losing him by 6 points REALLY hurt. I’m happy with Emmitt who is a terrific runner. Too many Cowboys and Broncos? Maybe.

Had I been in this for the SOLE intention of winning, I certainly would have altered some of the picks. I would have made sure I filled up my roster with more recent names. Maybe I change Rich Jackson and Nomellini to Howie Long and Sam Adams. That would be doing a disservice to who I feel is the better player though.

I have to write out my 100 word essays on my offense and defense later on tonight. I’ll post those here with my thoughts on each team in my next post. I’ll follow that with a brief bio of every player on the roster.

Here are the 100 word paragraphs:

Offense:
This team starts with blocking. Stephenson is one of the top centers in the history of the league. Parker and Hannah were the starting guards on the ALL-TIME NFL team. Shell and Ogden are powerful tackles. Add in “Moose”, Ditka and T.O. and you have a team that will be able to run the football and protect the QB. The all-time leading rusher is running behind that line getting handoffs from the QB with the most career wins. All of the skill position guys can catch. The defenses will be strong. You must be strong up front. I am.

Defense:
As good as the LB core is, the DL should be dominant. White and Lilly form a fearsome 1-2. Nomellini and Tombstone are two of the best players you’ve never heard of. The LB core consists of a blitzer (Taylor), a run stuffer (Lewis) and the best coverage LB of all-time (Brooks). Jimmy Johnson had the skills of Neon without the attitude. Haynes is a physical CB who can cover man on man. The safeties are sure tacklers. Houston has an added job of getting some INT’s, Harris is the enforcer. The pass rush will be amazing, but this defense is a lot more than that.

TroyF

[TroyF]

First round match-up:

Here is the roster for my opponent in the first round match-up of the FOFC All-Time NFL Team Challenge:

Team III:

Coach: Joe Gibbs (30)
QB: Otto Graham (5)
RB: Gayle Sayers (100)
FB: Marion Motley (101)
WR: Lance Alworth (50)
WR: Randy Moss (210)
TE: Dave Kasper (30)
C: Clyde "Bulldog" Turner (2)
G: Steve Wiesnewski (2)
G: Bruce Matthews (5)
T: Kyle Turley (2)
T: Bob St. Clair (2)
K: Adam Vinatieri (2)
P: Jim Thorpe (2)
Ret: Desmond Howard (10)
ST: Jerald Sowell (2)
DL: Deacon Jones (100)
DL: Lee Roy Selmon (10)
DL: Alan Page (2)
DL: Joe Klecko (2)
LB: Junior Seau (52)
LB: Carl Banks (2)
LB: Sam Huff (2)
CB: Ronnie Lott (120)
CB: Dick Lane (90)
S: Rod Woodson (50)
S: Jack Tatum (15)

This is a difficult matchup. The skill position guys are terrific. He also has a terrific secondary. What type of gameplan would I write up if this game were to take place on the field?

HIS OFFENSE vs. MY DEFENSE:

I think he has a weak link in Kyle Turley. Matthews is a good one, but I think he’ll need help to contain Lilly. I love his skill position guys. The problem I think he’ll face is the blocking match-ups. Motley is one of the more underrated players in NFL history, but his strength is running with the ball. Sayers is too light to handle Taylor or Lewis on a blitz. Brooks and Lewis can do a reasonable job on Sayers and Motley out of the backfield. The thing I’m terrified of is Moss jumping over my secondary for a deep ball. I’m also worried about Kasper in the middle. He scares the hell out of me, to be honest with you. This is Houston’s man. He’s a pure tackler who may be able to jump a couple of the curl and out routes Kasper will run and grab an INT.

MY OFFENSE vs. HIS DEFENSE:

He has very few weak links here. I can tell you now that I’m attacking Banks every chance I get. He’s a good run stuffer, but if I can get him on T.O. in the short zone I can exploit him. This is where my strategy hopefully pays off. I have blockers at every position. Ditka, T.O. and Moose are three extra offensive linemen for the run game. I don’t need Emmitt to break 70 yard runs. I need him to get 2-4 yard runs with the occasional 10 yard burst. If I can use those blockers to control his front 7 and make a safety come up, I can use play action and Elway’s arm to take some shots down the field.

TroyF

[TroyF]

First round complete: I took it 26-12. I think the score is probably a little off. I think it should have been closer. I’m not going to complain. One opponent down, two to go.

Second round match-up:

Team VI:

Coach: Vince Lombardi (26)
QB: Johnny Unitas (101)
RB: Marshal Faulk (28)
FB: Jim Brown (106)
WR: Jerry Rice (411)
WR: Art Monk (1)
TE: Todd Christensen
C: Jim Ringo (7)
G: Tom Mack (7)
G: Jerry Kramer (1)
T: Roosevelt Brown (5)
T: Ron Mix (7)
K: Jan Stenurud (26)
P: Reggie Roby (7)
Ret: Eric Metcalf (7)
ST: Gary Fencik (1)
DL: Dan Hampton (32)
DL: Steve McMichael (17)
DL: Richard Dent (52)
DL: William Perry (68)
LB: Wilber Marshall (51)
LB: Otis Wilson (1)
LB: Willie Lanier (11)
CB: Mel Renfro (16)
CB: Cornell Green (1)
S: Pat Fischer (1)
S: Dave Duerson (2)

Wow. This match-up is brutal. He has the best player of all-time in Jerry Rice. A terrific QB and a guy I consider the best running back of all-time. How would I attack this matchup?

HIS OFFENSE vs. MY DEFENSE:

I would have a plan of attack against these guys. There is no way they can block my guys out consistently. The TE is a poor blocker and Faulk and Brown are much better receivers than blockers. I do not think this team could sustain a running game against my guys. I’ll make them one dimensional and then attack. Art Monk? I’m not concerned about him. I’ll throw either of my two CB’s on him and take him one on one. He can’t hurt me. I’ll put Brooks on Faulk. We already have evidence that Brooks can shut down Faulk in man on man coverage. I then tilt the rest of the coverage towards Jerry Rice. I’ll switch Jimmy Johnson and Mike Haynes on him often. They both give a different style. Haynes as the bump and run guy, Johnson as the pure cover guy who doesn’t make mistakes. Houston will shadow him as well. I will NOT let Jerry Rice beat me. Unitas always had mobility problems. I’m going to use that against him. He’s a sitting duck in the pocket. I want his ribs, arm, back and chest to be hurting in the fourth quarter.

MY OFFENSE vs. HIS DEFENSE:

When I first saw the roster and heard the explanation behind it, I was a little scared of this team. Thinking about it, however, I don’t think it bothers me all that much. Look, the Bears WERE dominant in ’85. How many offensive lines like mine did they face? They faced the top offensive lines of 1985, NOT the top offensive lines of all time. They did maul the Redskins that year, but the Skins only scored 297 points on the year. (18 points per game) They were a truly special team, but they didn’t have to face a lineup of 11 hall of famers. I think they can be exploited up front. I believe my O-Line could open up enough holes for Emmitt to break get some yards. I’m not going to score 35 points, but I CAN keep his offense off the field by establishing a nice ball control game. Rollouts with Elway. Getting Ditka on Otis Wilson. Taking a couple of play action shots deep with Elway. This team is tough. It isn’t unbeatable.

I expect this to be close as can be and won’t be shocked if I lose it. I would personally vote for my team in this, but I could easily see a voter going in the other direction. I think, at the end of the day, my two lines would control this game. It’s hard to argue with that front 5 of his though. Wow. The only mistake I see with that group is the TE. I’d have chosen a TE who specialized in blocking. A sixth offensive linemen. Were these two teams to actually play on the field, I think that one position could be the difference in the game.

TroyF

[TroyF]

I won the round 14-12. I knew this was a match-up that would be close. This owner probably changed my strategy for the next one. He had the most radical approach there was. I like it. I would not have complained had he taken home the trophy. Now comes the final round. Here is my opponents roster:

Team II:

Coach: George Halas (5)
QB: Dan Marino (15)
RB: Walter Payton (72)
FB: Larry Csonka (15)
WR: Cris Carter (101)
WR: Steve Largent (15)
TE: Kellen Winslow (71)
C: Mike Webster (15)
G: Gene Upshaw (15)
G: Mike Munchak (15)
T: Anthony Munoz (71)
T: Jackie Slater (15)
K: Lou Groza (15)
P: Ray Guy (15)
Ret: Tim Brown (45)
ST: Bill Bates (30)
DL: Joe Greene (72)
DL: Merlin Olsen (15)
DL Chris Doleman (61)
DL: Carl Eller (15)
LB: Derrick Thomas (60)
LB: Mike Singletary (71)
LB: Kevin Greene (15)
CB: Mel Blount (71)
CB: Darrell Green (15)
S Tim McDonald (60)
S: Paul Krause (15)

Another toughie.

MY DEFENSE vs. HIS OFFENSE:

This is a guy who can move the ball on my defense. His blocking is strong all the way through. He has many weapons that can attack me. He can hit me through the air or the ground. I think the only thing lacking is the “Big Play” threat. Who cares? They can move the ball. As with all of my opponents, I want this guy to get into a one dimensional game as quickly as possible. I’m playing his WR one on one. I don’t think either of them beat me deep. I’m pulling the strong safety up. He’ll be responsible for run defense first, helping with Winslow second. I don’t want to blitz this guy a lot. Taylor on the outside is about the only guy I want going for the QB in the back 7. Lilly and Nomellini MUST keep the blockers off of Ray Lewis. This is a tough match-up. No doubt about it.

MY OFFENSE vs. HIS DEFENSE: I’m VERY comfortable with my match-up here. He’s built to stop the pass, not a power running game. Doleman, Thomas and Greene all excel at getting to the QB. All had weaknesses stopping the run. All three LB’s were below average in pass coverage. I’ll take the Mike Ditka vs. Mike Singletary match-up anytime. He still has to figure out who will cover Smith out of the backfield and Owens on crossing routes underneath. I can play a ball control game attacking the short zones and move the ball at will against these guys. I love Darrell Green, but I’d try to get Owens and him in a one on one situation and see who could win the jump ball. I think I move the ball here.


This might be the single biggest scoring game in this competition. I think both teams would have moderate success moving the ball. I think the pass coverage defects of his LB’s would be too much to overcome in the long run. I expect this will be another close game. This is another one I wouldn’t be surprised to lose. I’m thinking good thoughts though. I’m hoping to be crowned champion next week. J

TroyF

[thealmighty]

Really interesting read, TroyF. Congrats on a well written 'story.'

[Neuqua]

Enjoyed the read, and congratulations on the victory.

[WSUCougar]

Great write-up, Troy.

A couple comments/questions:

1. Like others mentioned in the challenge threads, I simply love your LB corps. It's not just that they are great players in their own right, but the combination of strengths is amazing. Nicely done!

2. I was rather surprised at your relatively ho-hum approach to the coaching slot. Was it that you felt you'd get a serviceable one regardless of the points, or that you devalued the coach roster slot?

3. What are you going to do with T.O. when he goes ballistic over that disrespectful 1-point bid? :D

[TroyF]

Originally posted by WSUCougar
Great write-up, Troy.

A couple comments/questions:

1. Like others mentioned in the challenge threads, I simply love your LB corps. It's not just that they are great players in their own right, but the combination of strengths is amazing. Nicely done!

2. I was rather surprised at your relatively ho-hum approach to the coaching slot. Was it that you felt you'd get a serviceable one regardless of the points, or that you devalued the coach roster slot?

3. What are you going to do with T.O. when he goes ballistic over that disrespectful 1-point bid? :D

1) Thanks. :) In hindsite, I'm sure the group of LB's is what sealed the deal and won me the tournament. Had I lost out on any one of them, I would have tried to find a similar player to replace them with. The goal all along was to have a LB core which had very specific roles.

2) There are so many great coaches who have won Super Bowls, I wasn't worried about getting a good one. I can run off 15 great coaches right off the top of my head. In another hindesite move, I don't think I'd have bid over 1 for Shula if I had it to do over again. My one regret in this was losing Brown by 6 points. I can't tell you how badly I felt when I lost out on him. I like Emmitt and he serves his purpose, but Jimmy running behind that line? Wow.

3) I expect T.O. will throw a lot of fits. I'll let him do his screaming and whining all week before the game. I'll then tell him we aren't getting him the ball because he sucks and he can't block. Unlike Moss, this strategy works bigtime with this guy. He'll knock someone's head off and score a couple of TD's. :) That's the thing about Owens. . . he's a dick, but he plays his ass off. Of course, I have a few "unpopular" guys on the team. Hell, I don't even like Ray Lewis, the lying sack of crap. I do like Ray Lewis, the football player. I hope having D. Brooks on the team makes up for a lot of ills. :)

TroyF

[TroyF]

Here is the offensive bios for my players:

OFFENSE

QB –John Elway

A 9 time pro-bowler, John Elway needs no introduction. He is the winningest QB of all-time. He led Denver to the Super Bowl on 5 occasions, winning 2 championships. Elway was also a very durable QB. Elway threw for over 50,000 yards in his career. He ranks 2nd in attempts and completions. Oh yeah, he plays pretty well late in close games too.

HB – Emmitt Smith

Another man who needs no introduction, Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s career rushing leader. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 11 of his 13 seasons. In his best season, Emmitt ran for 1,773 yards (4.7 avg.), 25 TD’s, and caught 62 passes. Emmitt is also a very durable player. He led the league in rushing on 4 occasions and led the league in total yards from scrimmage 2 of those times. During a 5 year period from ’91 to ’95, Emmitt finished in the top 3 in total yards from scrimmage every year. Emmitt is an 8 time pro bowler.

FB – Daryl “Moose” Johnston

You cannot rightfully discuss Emmitt Smith without discussing his blocking full back. A 2 time pro-bowler, Moose was the definitive blocking back. He had a specific role and played that role perfectly. He could catch the ball out of the backfield when necessary. When “Moose” was on the field, you had an extra offensive lineman.

TE – Mike Ditka

As a rookie in 1961, Mike Ditka took the NFL by storm. He had 56 catches for 1076 yards that season, averaging almost 20 yards per catch at the TE position. His first four years in the league were four of the best consecutive seasons by any TE in NFL history. In addition to being a terrific pass catching TE, Ditka knew how to lay a hat on you as well. He was known as a fierce blocker who played with a fire very few men have ever had. Ditka was selected to the Pro Bowl 5 times.

WR – Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens has the reputation as a selfish player. Some of that might have a little truth to it. T.O. does look out for T.O. afterall. Still, Terrell plays all out on every snap. He’s one of the best blocking WR in the game. He has the speed to beat you deep and the size to make the tough catch over the middle. Over the past 3 seasons Terrell has averaged over 95 catches, 1350 yards and 14 TD’s per season. He’s a 3 time pro bowler with many more to come in his future.

WR – Don Maynard

Maynard was Joe Namath’s favorite target for many years. He was a big play threat every time he stepped on the field, averaging over 18 yards per catch in his career. He caught 71 passes for 1434 yards in 1968. (over 20 yards per catch) He backed that up by catching 57 passes for 1297 yards the following season. (over 22 yards per catch) He was named a member of the AFL’s all time team and was a four time pro bowl selection from that league. Maynard also starred at UTEP, which I’m certain makes an FOFC poster very proud. :)

C – Dwight Stephenson

Dwight only played 7 seasons due to injury. He made the pro-bowl 5 times in those seven seasons. He was #85 on The Sporting News list of top 100 players of all-time. He was inducted into the pro football hall of fame in 1998. Don Shula and Bear Bryant both considered Dwight the best center they’d ever coached. That’s good enough for me.

G – John Hannah

Hannah was a 9 time pro bowler. Many consider him the best guard that ever played the game of football. He is ranked as the 20th best player of all time on the The Sporting News top 100 list. He was selected to the NFL All-Time team by Hall of Fame voters in 2000.

G – Jim Parker

Parker was an 8 time pro bowl selection. He played for the Baltimore Colts from 1957-1967. He came in at #24 on The Sporting News all-time 100 list. He was also voted as starting guard next to John Hannah on the NFL all-time team. Parker could play both tackle and guard effectively. Some historians consider Parker to be the best OL that ever played the game.

T – Art Shell

Shell was an 8 time pro bowl selection. He started on two Super Bowl winners. Shell played the game for 15 years. He’s most known for holding Minnesota Viking standout Jim Marshall without a tackle or assist in the Raiders Super Bowl victory over the Vikings. Art comes in at #55 on the Sporting News NFL all time list.

T – Jonathan Ogden

Ogden is considered by most as the best tackle in the NFL today. He’s started 6 consecutive pro bowls as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He has everything you are looking for in an offensive tackle. Size, speed, power, intensity, work ethic, leadership. . . whatever you want, Big Jon will provide it. He’s now known for being the man Jamal Lewis ran behind on his way to breaking the All-Time single game rushing record in NFL history.

TroyF

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by TroyF
Here is the offensive bios for my players:

WR – Don Maynard

Maynard was Joe Namath’s favorite target for many years. He was named a member of the AFL’s all time team and was a four time pro bowl selection from that league. Maynard also starred at UTEP, which I’m certain makes an FOFC poster very proud. :)


Actually, he starred at Texas Western. But yes, it is very nice to have a football Miner in the Hall of Fame. ;)

[Cliff Claven voice]

It's a little known fact that Maynard was actually a half-back at UTEP, but a very unique one. He never led UTEP (errr...Texas Western) in rushing but did lead the team in receiving all three of his years there. His numbers, aside from YPC, were never spectacular, though:

1956 7 rec 165yds
1957 11 rec 309yds
1958 13 rec 338yds

He finished his career with 20 touchdowns, half of them through the air, and even kicked 11 extra points in 1957. He also holds the top two spots (and three of the top four) in the UTEP record book in yards per reception 28.09 in 1956, 25.62 in 1957, and 23.57 in 1958. Pretty gaudy numbers for a half-back...

The real star receiver for Texas Western during the "olden days" was a guy named Chuck Hughes. He put up amazing numbers (most of his records still stand) for UTEP during the mid-sixties but died tragically of a heart attack on the field while playing for the Detroit Lions in 1971. Look him up. Some of his numbers are simply astounding...

[/Cliff Claven voice]

All statistics are courtesy of the UTEP Football record book (http://athletics.utep.edu/pdf/recordbook.pdf).