Billy Shaw, Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer

by Jeffrey J. Miller

Long-time Buffalo Bills fans (and pro football fans across the league) were saddened with the news that Billy Shaw, one of the greatest players in team history, passed away on October 4 at the age of 85.  For anyone unfamiliar with Shaw’s career, he was a member of the Bills’ American Football League championship teams of 1964 and ’65 and considered by many to be the finest guard in that league’s ten-year existence. To Buffalo fans, he was the very embodiment of the Bills’ blue-collar spirit, the perfect representation of the team and city that has always prided themselves as underdogs and an afterthought in the world of pro football. 

Shaw’s accomplishments are well-known to Bills fans and observers of the game.  He was a five-time All-AFL selection, appeared in eight AFL All Star games, and won two AFL championships.  In 1970, he was selected as one of the first-team guards on the AFL all-time team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and received the ultimate laurel when he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1999.  To this very day, Shaw remains the only HOF enshrinee who never played a down in the National Football League.  (He is also one of only two Bills players in the Hall of Fame who played his entire career with the team, the other being Jim Kelly).    

When I was writing ROCKIN’ THE ROCKPILE back in the early 2000s, I had the good fortune to interview more than 60 players and staff from the Bills’ AFL era, including Jack Kemp, Lou Saban, Ralph Wilson, Pete Gogolak, Booker Edgerson, Ed Rutkowski, Ernie Warlick and many others, including Billy Shaw.  Even in the day before the proliferation of the cell phone, I was shocked that I found Billy’s number in the regular white pages of the phone book, which I suppose was emblematic of the man’s “regular guy” essence.  Billy was very open and forthcoming during our interview sessions, providing deep insight into his decision to go with the Buffalo Bills of the upstart American Football League rather than the established NFL after a standout career at Georgia Tech.  

“I went to (Bobby Dodd, head coach at Georgia Tech),” Shaw recalled, “and said, ‘Coach, here are my options.  Help me.’  He said, ‘There is a place in football for a new league, and you have a chance to be part of history, because if done correctly, it won’t fail.  It will enhance football.’  And he was exactly on cue.  I actually signed with Buffalo before the NFL draft, and the reason that I did that was that Dallas had made contact with me before the draft and they wanted to play me at linebacker, and I had never played linebacker.  Coach Dodd recommended I go to Buffalo because they wanted me to play on either side of the 

On behalf of Bills fans everywhere, I say, “thank you, Bobby Dodd!”  Shaw went on to anchor one of the most formidable offensive lines in AFL history, beginning with paving the way for Cookie Gilchrist as he became the first AFL running back to top the 1,000-yard mark (1,096) in 1962, protecting quarterback Jack Kemp en route to the back-to-back championships in ‘64 and ’65, and eight straight AFL All- Star games.   Shaw was so well respected that he was selected to play in the All-Star Game after the 1967 season despite missing five games that year to a severe knee injury.   

Halfback Bobby Burnett attributed a great amount of responsibility for his Rookie-of-the-Year campaign of 1966 to Shaw.  “Billy Shaw, in one of the very first practices, told me, ‘You want to be All-Pro?’  I said, ‘Yeah.’  He said, ‘ You get on my butt and follow me where I go.  I’ll make you All Pro.’” 

Our interviews covered a range of subjects, including the early days of the team and the American Football League, the dominant years from 1964 to 1966 when the team made it to three straight AFL title games, the down year of 1967 that saw Billy miss a large chunk of the schedule due to a knee injury, 1968 when the team won just one game, the AFL All Star game in January 1965 when the black players took a stand against racial discrimination and mistreatment, his assessment of many of the players he played against, memories of old War Memorial Stadium, Bills fans and much more.   

Once the project was near completion, I had to make a decision about who I wanted to write the foreword for the book.  I had many great options from which to choose, and I know that anyone of them would have been willing and done a great job.  But when it came down to it, Billy was the best choice.  To my delight, he was more than happy to accept the invitation.  And he did an outstanding job!

Billy’s passing stands as a reminder of a time when the Bills stood at the forefront of professional football (even if it was the AFL), and that the number of surviving members of that exclusive AFL fraternity is sadly dwindling.  A recent reunion of the 1964 AFL championship team held at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park (the current home of the Buffalo Bills) was attended by all of five alumni (Butch Byrd, Wray Carlton, Booker Edgerson, Paul Maguire, and Ed Rutkowski).  There are a handful of others still among us, but they were unable to attend due to health issues.

I didn’t want to make this article one of those typical listings of the man’s accomplishments (though it appears I did do some of that) with a year-by-year account of his career.  That approach gets tiresome after a while.  Just wanted to pay tribute and say “thank you” to Billy for being so generous with his time and memories, and for writing such a wonderful foreword for my book.  And as I am thinking about it now, that book would most likely not have been possible, or at least necessary, without Billy Shaw.            

               

 

Packers Overcome Jacksonville's Lengthy Drives

 By Eric Goska

Jeff Hafley's defense did more than blow bubbles
at Jacksonville Sunday.
(photos by Eric Goska)

The Jaguars unleashed a rare one-two punch against the Packers Sunday.

But for all its effort, Jacksonville’s once-in-a-blue-moon double-dip earned it nothing more than a dubious footnote in Green and Gold history.

Trevor Lawrence and his offensive teammates twice mounted far-reaching drives while hosting Green Bay at EverBank Stadium. That the outsized quarterback capped both with touchdown passes did not deter the Packers who rallied after each to post a 30-27 win.

Early on, Jacksonville displayed a distinct inability to roam the field. Three of its four initial possessions ended with a punt. The other was halted by an interception. None of the four advances yielded a first down or consisted of more than three plays.

So when Green Bay went ahead 10-0 on a 31-yard Brandon McManus field goal with six minutes, three seconds remaining in the first half, the Jaguars had all of 23 yards on 11 plays.

Reining in an opponent to that extent has always spelled victory under head coach Matt LaFleur. Six times had his Packers afforded the competition 23 or fewer yards on their first 11 snaps, and six times Green Bay prevailed.

Surely this was a cakewalk in the making?

Not even close. Jacksonville was not about to wave the white flag.

Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper forced
a fumble when he sacked Jaguars
quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Down 13-10 at the break, the Jaguars twice dialed long distance. They moved 93 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 17-10 on their second possession of the third quarter. They then zipped 87 yards on 8 plays to tie the score at 27 with 1:48 remaining in the game.

The home team made it look easy. Especially Lawrence who compiled a perfect passer rating on the two advances by completing 10 of 12 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

The six-foot-six signal caller doled out passes to seven different receivers: Evan Engram (3-34), Brenton Strange (2-26), Christian Kirk (1-26), D’Ernest Johnson (1-20), Tim Jones (1-15), Parker Washington (1-15) and Brian Thomas (1-14). Thomas and Engram each reached the end zone, both from 14 yards out.

More than half (10) of Jacksonville’s 19 first downs were produced on the two forays. Nearly half (185) of the Jaguars’ 390 yards were produced while running rampant.

Lawrence’s plunge for two on fourth down kept the first advance alive. His pass to Strange for 21 on third down ensured the second continued.

Devonte Wyatt recovered a fumble that led to
a Packers touchdown.

Yielding touchdowns after an opponent has traveled more than 85 yards twice in one game is virtually unheard of in Packerland. It had happened just four times previously since 1921, a span of 1,442 regular-season games.

Each of the four teams that did it – Giants in 2022, Falcons in 2017, Rams in 1956 and Lions in 1951 – defeated Green Bay. Jacksonville becomes the first to go to such lengths and lose.

Though the Packers prevailed, concerns ought to be raised regarding their defense or lack thereof. Even in a sport with the scales tipped in favor of the offense, giving up two touchdowns in the same game on drives of more than 85 yards is alarming.

Prior to Sunday, the league’s 32 teams had combined to produce 2,333 drives in 2024 with 287 of those originating inside a team’s 15-yard line. Just 43 of those 287 (15 percent) resulted in touchdowns.

At EverBank Stadium, four of Jacksonville’s 12 possessions started within 14 yards of its goal. That half of those wound up with the Jaguars in the end zone is two too many.

Thus, Green Bay became the third team to allow two touchdowns on drives of more than 85 yards in one game this season. Minnesota gave up two to the Packers in its 31-29 win on Sept. 29, and Washington surrendered two in falling 30-23 to the Ravens on Oct. 13.

Area Code 86+6
Since 1921, only five teams have staged two touchdown drives of more than 85 yards in a regular-season game against the Packers.

           Date                      Team          Drive 1         Drive 2             Result
   Oct. 27, 2024                Jaguars           10-93              8-87             GB won, 30-27
    Oct. 9, 2022                  Giants            11-86             15-91              GB lost, 22-27
  Sept. 17, 2017               Falcons             9-86              10-87             GB lost, 23-34
   Dec. 16, 1956                 Rams               6-97              11-86             GB lost, 21-49
   Nov. 22, 1951                 Lions             10-86              2-90              GB lost, 35-52

TUESDAY TIDBITS: "How Can I Be Sure"

By TJ Troup

Lions running back Billy Sims

We all have influences, and am still influenced by songs and the folks that compose, play, and sing those songs. 

Today is Eddie Brigati's birthday, and in '67 with the Young Rascals, one his signature songs and thus the title for today's column.

 This past Sunday afternoon the Lions and Vikings had one helluva game! 

Filled with twists & turns; outstanding plays, and plenty of drama. These two teams have met many times, but has never really been much of a rivalry since the Vikings have won so often when these two teams play. 

Have researched every 100-yard rushing performance in league history, and when one team has a 100-yard rusher, and the opponent does not—the team with the 100-yard rusher wins 77% of the time. Gibbs of the Lions gained 116 luggin' the leather in the Detroit victory. 

What is the Lions record when they have had a 100-yard rusher against Minnesota you ask? Detroit has won 11 lost 7 and tied once; not near 77%, yet what is the Lions record historically in the games against the Vikings when they don't have a 100-yard rusher? 

Since October 27th, 1963 the Vikings have won 73 lost just 33 and tied once. Most of those Lion 100-yard rushing performances against Minnesota were accomplished by Sims and Sanders. When James Stewart of the Lions gained over 100 rushing on October 14th, 2001 would be the last time a Detroit runner would pound out 100 yards on the ground against the Vikings till this past Sunday! 

How many teams have had such failure in running the ball against a division opponent that twenty-three years must pass before a runner could go over the century mark? We all know the league now is a quarterback-driven league, but a few old former coaches (that are also dinosaurs) still enjoy the run game. 

Derrick Henry (l) and Sanquon Barkley (r)

Speaking of the men who can lug the leather, am sure looking forward to the December 1st match-up between the Eagles and Ravens, and possibly that day the focus will be on Barkley and Henry? Those two workhorses still might be ranked at the top of the rushing leaders of the league then?

Love Hits Fifty in Win Over Texans

 By Eric Goska

Jordan Love (shown here during training camp) threw the
50th regular-season TD pass of his career Sunday.
(photos by Eric Goska)

In a fast-paced world of bigger-better-bolder, Jordan Love delivers.

Love threw his 50th regular-season touchdown pass Sunday. The scoring throw was one of three he launched as the Packers nipped the Texans 24-22 at Lambeau Field.

In getting his hat trick, Love connected with Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks in the second quarter and Josh Jacobs in the third. Each score put Green Bay ahead in a game in which the lead changed hands seven times.

Considerable bandwidth has been afforded Love and his penchant for finding the end zone. Whether it be the Dope Sheet put out by the Packers ahead of the game or play-by-play man Jim Nantz of CBS during the broadcast, Love is getting his due.

One can expect the Dope Sheet, the team’s weekly media information packet, to be in Love’s corner. Here are a couple of nuggets put to paper before Green Bay and Houston tangled for the sixth time.

• Love now has posted 15 straight games with 200-plus passing yards and at least one passing TD, which is the second-longest streak in franchise history behind only QB Aaron Rodgers’ 19-game streak from 2010-12.
• Love has thrown multiple TD passes in each of his last eight games, the second-longest streak in team history behind only Rodgers’ 13-game streak in 2011.

After Love struck gold with Kraft on the fourth play of the second quarter, Nantz reported that Love had thrown a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive games. After No. 10 did the same with Wicks, Nantz let the viewing audience know that Love had thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine straight games.

With just over four minutes remaining until halftime, CBS put up a graphic that showed how many TD passes Love (45), Aaron Rodgers (39), Brett Favre (28) and Bart Starr (15) had thrown in their first 22 starts.

Said Nantz: “And now, look, Jordan Love has more than all of those three legends.”

Johnny Jolly (2006-09, 2013) signed autographs.

Games started is one way to look at how quickly and often a player rings the bell. Examining the number of attempts needed to reach a particular milestone is another.

Nine passers have thrown 50 or more TD passes for the Packers during the regular season. Four, including Love, needed fewer than 1,000 attempts to get there.

Love secured No. 50 on a safety-valve pass to Jacobs from the Houston 8 midway through the third quarter. After securing the ball at the 11, the running back did the rest, eluding linebacker Jake Hanson on his way to the end zone.

Nantz noted that the score was the first receiving TD by Jacobs in his 6-year career. He did not mention Love having hit 50.

For Love, the throw was the 829th of his regular-season career. Only Cecil Isbell (666) and Arnie Herber (768) – two-way players from a bygone era – required fewer attempts to get there.

Of course, Love had help in reaching this latest benchmark. Five of his teammates have caught two or more TD passes thrown by him: Jayden Reed (11), Romeo Doubs (10), Christian Watson (8), Wicks (7) and Kraft (6). Eight others have grabbed one each.

Next up for the Packers is Jacksonville where Love could add to his haul. No team has surrendered more touchdowns through the air than have the Jaguars (16).

Getting Up To Speed
Packers passers and the attempt on which they threw their 50th regular-season TD pass.

        Att.        Passer                          Stat Line at 50 TD Passes
         666        Cecil Isbell                           666-330-5032-50-45
         768        Arnie Herber*                      768-309-5003-50-73
         829        Jordan Love                        829-524-6055-50-22
         969        Aaron Rodgers                  969-620-7448-50-19
       1,016       Tobin Rote                          1016-431-6178-50-76
       1,270       Bart Starr                             1270-721-9670-50-65
       1,307       Brett Favre                         1307-809-8507-50-44
       1,310       Don Majkowski                 1310-724-9074-50-45
       1,431       Lynn Dickey                        1431-781-9823-50-74

Numbers used for Arnie Herber's first two seasons (1930-31) are those of historian David Neff.

Pat Fischer—'Mighty Mouse' Played Like a Giant

By John Turney 

Last week longtime NFL starting cornerback Pat Fisher passed away. The prior week he'd passed the Pro Football Hall of Fame's screening phase to be named on the the sixty players to be presented to the Hall's senior blue ribbon committee.

And that is a good thing because he deserves to have the BRC committee take a look at his career. That didn't happen when he was a modern-era player -- he was never a finalist, always stuck in the preliminary phase of the process.

Now, at least he has a chance.

You know they are considering Fisher, let's talk about why they should. One man who thinks Fischer deserves to be in the Hall is former coach and now author T.J. Troup. Troup's latest book 1961: A Sensational Season is available through contacting him and his previous book The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL is available at Amazon.

Troup has studied films of Fischer as well as seen him play in the 1960s and 1970s and thinks that Fischer's career is worthy of a Bust in Canton noting how long he played and how well he played.

Troup also said that Fisher, "Was always around the ball and had no problem coming up and helping in the run game. And that with the blitzes Chuck Drulis threw at teams it left Fischer on an island and he held up well."

Most football fans of a certain age remember him in NFL Films highlights running stride for stride with his 5-foot-9, 170-pound body with that of 6-foot-8, 225-pound Hall of Fame receiver Harold Carmichael. 

Or they may remember him upending Packers Macarthur Lane, a 225-pound running back in the 1972 Playoffs.

He was the ultimate underdog -- him versus the world and all the critics found therein. 

In 1961 the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the 17th round. They signed him and made the team but  didn't know what to do with him at first, playing him on offense but he played mostly on special teams.

As a kick returner he averaged 25.1 per return and on offense he only caught one pass. But it was significant. It was described like this by one  St. Louis scribe

It was in 38-24 win over Washington and it opened some eyes in St. Louis.

But he didn't stay at receiver. In his second year, he got a shot at playing cornerback and represented well and started more than half the games.  He was a starter then got injured and then started later in the year -- splitting time with Bill Stacy.

But perhaps the most telling game and the deciding factor in the future of the left cornerback position was decided in the final game of 1962. Philadelphia Eagles flanker Tommy McDonald caught 4 passes for 162 years and three touchdowns -- in the first half. Guess who was the left cornerback in the first half? It was Bill Stacy.

McDonald caught four passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the game --- meaning he was shut out in the second half. Guess who played left cornerback in the second half. Correct, according to Troup's film study, it was Fischer pitching the shutout.

By his third year, he was the starting left cornerback and he was on his way -- he intercepted eight passes and returned them 169 yards while playing in a secondary that ranked fifth in the NFL in defensive passer rating. 

The next season was even better. In 1964 he was one of the top two corners in the league. He was a consensus All-Pro, picked off ten passes, took two the house and also had a scoop and score ... three defensive touchdowns.

The secondary as a whole was fourth the NFL in defensive passer rating and intercepted 25 passes, the second most in the NFL. It may not have been the best secondary in pro football but it wasn't far behind. Jerry Stoval and Larr Ywilson were the safeties and Jimmy Hill played the opposite corner as Fischer but that year -- Fisher probably has the best year, including that of future Hall of farmer larry Wilson.

As would be expected teams avoid Fisher after that. In 1965 he was just as good, just as tight but only had three picks. He was still a Pro Bowl.

And remember he was having these years often facing some mighty tall receivers. Two of note were the Packers' Boyd Dowler (6-foot-5) and Gary Collins (also 6-foot-5) of the Browns. Both were Pro Bowlers and both were on the NFL's 1960s All-Decade team. But Troup explained that Fischer would use good positioning and timing to thwart passes to those flankers. 

Later, in the 1970s when teams would move their receivers to relate to the tight end it meant that Fisher would have to deal with split ends like Bob Hayes (when the Cowboys put their tight end on the left) and that was also a challenge. Fisher admitted that Hayes was the toughest receiver he ever had to cover. 

Then came a couple of rocky seasons. He was hurt in 1966 and according to Troup didn't have a great year and in 1967 the secondary didn't play well. They allowed 26 touchdown passes and they were near the bottom of the league in defensive passer rating.

Fischer still made some big plays, he stole four passes, one went for a touchdown and fell on three loose balls for a total of seven takeaways. He played out his option that year but intended to stay in St. Louis but there was something wrong Troup, "I don't know what happened with him and Charlie Winner but they didn't seem to mesh well."

Fischer ultimately signed with Washington and it was reported that he was not happy with the Cardisnal owners bad-mouthing the secondary, blaming them for the team's poor year after being a winning team in 1966. 

As for Winner after the loss of Fischer, he told the St. Louis media, "We're losing a first-class player ... Pat Fischer is one of the finest defensive backs in the National Football League."

How he ended up in the Nation's Capital is also worth noting. He was one of the first free agents in the NFL. The Cardinals didn't sign him for the 1968 season, so he took Washington coach Otto Graham's offer. However, in those days NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle felt that if a lean lost a player to free agency that team should get compensation -- and he was the one to decide what it would be.

In Fisher's case, it was a second-round pick and a third-round pick -- draft capital well worth it giving his new team a decade of service. 

For Might Mouse he would play for four head coaches the next four years. The first two years he got some all-star notice. He was All-Conference in 1968 and a Pro Bowler in 1969, even though he only had two ints each of those years. It is safe to say teams were trying their luck on the other side.

Fisher had always said for him football was about winning and when George Allen because the head coach in 1971, all Fisher would know for the rest of his career would be winning. Fischer played a pivotal role in Washington’s resurgence when coach George Allen arrived and was part of the "Over-the-Hill Gang"

 

The redskins went to the playoffs in 1971 and the Super Bowl in 1972 and also made the playoffs in the two seasons following the Super Bowl.

They were a great team and a great defense. In 1971 they were 2nd in the NFL in defensive passer rating and the over-the-hill gang (one that featured a pile of older players that had come from other teams or were previously on the squad but also advancing in age, like Fischer).

Fisher would draw tough matchups throughout the year. One example is Otis Taylor in 1971 in a classic matchup between Kansas City and Washington. Another was with Gene Washington in the 1971 NFC Playoff game. They'd make good catches but as Troup said, "He was right there."

In the Super Bowl year, Fischer was second-team All-Pro on the player-voted NEA squad, and in Super Bowl VII they faced the Miami Dolphins in a hard-fought game, but losing 14-7 untimately.

At 35 years of age, Fisher was All-NFC in 1975 and was terrific all year. The following year he didn't get the accolades but he was a solid corner on a great pass defense. They were first in the NFL in defensive passer rating and after a year out of the playoffs, Washington met the Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoffs game, but fell short, losing 35-20 in Bloomington.

Fisher hurt his lower back in training camp of 1977 but worked his way back into the lineup and played three games until the disc gave way and he missed the rest of the season. Fisher had very intention fo returning in 1978 and new coach jack Pardee said he'd be welcome, but he wasn't able to answer the bell.

In all Fischer’s career spanned 17 seasons, an extraordinary feat for a cornerback, especially during an era when the game was much more physically demanding. Few players in NFL history have demonstrated the same level of durability and longevity, especially considering Fischer's small size.

Fischer was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (1964, 1965, 1969) and received All-Pro honors in 1964. But there were other seasons in which he was recognized as one of the best. Additionally, in three other years -- 1968, 1972 and 1975 he was there second-team All-Pro or All-Conference.

When you look at what people said about him there is a running theme: And even though he was small -- he would snack you. 

"I've never been hit so hard as when Pat Fischer tackled me," said Hall-of-Famer Frank Gifford, who'd moved from halfback to flanker by the time Fischer entered the league.

And it continued, "Pat Fischer intimidated me," said Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff. 

"Pat was tough as nails," added Hall-of-Fame safety Ken Houston, one of Fischer's teammates in Washington. "He was a special breed."

Coaches knew his worth, Hall-of-Fame coach Weeb Ewbank, "Pound for pound as tough as ANY defender ... an intimidator, working over receivers who enter his domain. At St. Louis, little Pat hit the great Jim Brown on one and stopped Brown cold."

"One of the most amazing athletes I've never seen is Pat Fischer, expounded George Allen, "He was short by could really leap and was somehow able to cover the tallest receivers and the highest passes.  He tore into the biggest guy on tackles. Pat was a tough cookie a real bump-and-run ... he'd bump them so they couldn't run. I don't care how big they were he'd put the ax to them ... and he'd fight them for the ball."

Fischer brought more than just toughness to the field—he had remarkable results as well. He was a takeaway machine. 

He intercepted a total of 56 passes during his career, including an impressive 10 in 1964. His 56 interceptions are tied for ninth pure cornerbacks and five of the corners ahead of him are in the Hall as is the one (Lem Barney) tied with him.

 Additionally, his 16 fumble recoveries are tied with Aeneas Williams, a Gold Jacket owner,  for third all-time among cornerbacks -- trailing only James Hasty (24) and Hall-of-Famer Ken Riley (18).

His 72 takeaways trail only Ken Riley among our cornerbacks. Think about that and ask why he's never been a topic of discussion among voters.

Per Troup's research five times in his career the intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in the same game, the old two-fer. There is just no denying he had a nose for the football. Call it smarts, call it altertness or instinct -- the man found the football and took it from opponents as well as any cornerback, ever.

There really isn't a real explanation for his career. He was a college quarterback and halfback, moved to the secondary in the NFL and he just lasted forever and ever. And did it as an elite corner facing bigger men in almost every game. It's one of the best examples of how a giant heart can make up for a small size. Or that toughness and attitude can make a small player as good a tackle as a bigger man.

Fischer once said, "To be able to play cornerback properly is basically being able to run and react backward ... it's a duel." It was a duel Fischer won more often than not.

Pat Fischer certainly should have been discussed for the Hall of Fame. And if  T.J.Troup had his way, he'd be in. By Troup's account, the former Nebraska star did all he was asked, and more, "He played bump and run, played zone, was excellent in run support, tackled well and took the ball away. He IS a Hall of Famer." 

The Steep Learning Curve for This Shula and His L.A. Rams' Defense

 By John Turney 

Chris Shula

Analytics reveal how tough the young season has been on the grandson of Don Shula and his ravaged Rams' defense.

Chris Shula is more than the grandson of Hall-of-Fame coach Don Shula. He's also the Los Angeles Rams' new defensive coordinator, and neither he ... nor his defense ... is off to a great start this season.

And that's an understatement.

The Rams rank 28th in overall defense and are below the fold in nearly every defensive category, including dead last vs. the run and 29th in points allowed. 

To be fair, Shula - who last year was the team's linebackers coach and headed the secondary in 2022 -- took over a defense without future Hall-of-Fame tackle and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, and that can't be understated. Also, right before the season, the Rams traded starting linebacker Earnest Jones to Tennessee for nearly nothing (future late-round draft picks).

So he was behind the eight ball from jump street. But things have gotten worse since. So, how bad is it? Let's break it down using some of the available analytic data.  

RUN DEFENSE

The Rams allow 157.6 yards rushing a game, which is 77th in 87 seasons of franchise history for the opening five games (the Rams had a bye last weekend). They also allow 4.81 yards per rush, which is 81st of 87 seasons. Granted, some seasons were worse. But only six.

What should concern Rams' fans most, however, is how this has happened. According to NextGen Stats (NGS), the Rams have gotten there by playing with more players in the box than in recent seasons ... and the envelope, please:

-- Shula this season has deployed "light boxes" (six or fewer defenders) 39.3 percent of the time, down from 49.2 percent last year (including the playoffs) and 55.8 percent in 2022.

-- In 2021, the year the Rams won the Super Bowl, they used a "light box" 57.3 percent of the time.

-- In 2020,  it was up to 69.0 percent. That was the season first-time defensive coordinator Brandon Staley installed the Vic Fangio-based defense that the Rams still use, though Shula's predecessor, Raheem Morris, and Shula himself put their own stamps on it.

One of the theories of the Rams' scheme is to employ a "light box," a 5-1 defense which employs Fangio's match quarters coverages but might have to change. Too many teams are gashing it with long runs. And, per NGS, this is on plays that were runs -- it does not include the Rams' 4-2-5 nickel defense used in probable passing downs..

But there's more.

This year the Rams use stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) 20.9 percent of the time. That's up 2.3 percent from last year and  8.2, 7.9 and 13.1 percent from the previous three seasons.

That means they're doing less with more.

They can't use "light boxes" to allow an extra defender in coverages, moving him forward to help defend the run. But even with additional help in the box, the Rams still haven't been effective vs. the run. Run stuff percentage (stopping a run for a loss or no gain) this season is 11.0 percent, which ranks 30th. That's down appreciably from the last six years when it ranged from 13.6 in 2020 to 18.1 percent in 2021).

The past two seasons it was right around 14.5 percent.

So what gives? Too often, ballcarriers have gotten outside the tackles and produced big gains -- especially on quarterback scrambles. This year 59.5 percent of opponents' runs have been from the tackle out -- the highest figure for the Rams in the NextGen-era, which began in 2018.

Not only that, but much of that yardage comes after contact. Again, as per NGS, 3.20 yards per rush occur after first contact -- the Rams' highest number since NGS began tracking that statistic. By comparison, the figure was 2.50 yards last year and 2.99, 2.76 and 2.58 in each of the previous three seasons.

Translation: Tacklers aren't tackling, which other metrics confirm. Analytics site Pro Football Focus (PFF) has the Rams ranked 29th in their exclusive tackling grade. A year ago, they were 23rd (including the playoffs) and second in 2022. In 2021, the Rams' Super Bowl year, their tacklers ranked 10th, while in 2020, Staley's first year, PFF had them second.

Put it all together, and you have the Rams' defense doing less with more in terms of player positioning, losing the edge and failing to tackle properly. In short, it's a recipe for disaster.

A popular and insightful metric created by Football Outsiders (FO), another analytics site with data now found on FTN, is called DVOA (defensive value above average), and that also reflects the Rams' poor performance vs the run. In that analytic, Shula's defense this year ranks 30th, 10 slots below 2023 and 17 down from 2022.

The 2020 and 2021 seasons, however, aren't even in the same universe. In both seasons, the Rams ranked third.

PASS RUSH

It doesn't get any better here.

The Rams' defensive passer rating is 117.2, the worst in the club's history after five games. Yep, 87th out of 87 seasons in franchise history ... as in dead last. Granted it's not fair to compare the 1970s to now, but the 117.2 rating is worse than all recent seasons, and that is fair.

Much of that is based on yards allowed per pass play, which is 7.9 yards, which is also last in the NFL. To address that the past two games, Shula has blitzed more than the first three contests -- but it's a blitz rate of 24 percent, lower than any season since 2018. However, if the recent trend continues, it will probably end up being on par with those of past defensive coordinators Wade Phillips, Staley and Morris.

In any case, it's an indication that Shula knows that improvement ... and a lot of it ... is needed to slow opponents' passing attacks, and the results have been mixed.

The good news is that the pressure percentage is better than the last couple of years -- meaning that, while they're blitzing a little less (including games four and five), they're getting more pressures. It's more or less the inverse of the running game: They're doing slightly better with slightly fewer resources.

But as NGS stated on its website, while the Rams have applied good pressure, their sack-to-pressure ratio is fifth worst in the NFL -- meaning they're getting close but not finishing the deal. While it's accurate to say pressures matter more than sacks, at some point those pressures must be a factor. Nothing wrecks game plans like hitting and sacking quarterbacks, some of which force turnovers.

The sack percentage is six percent so far this year -- slightly lower than the past two seasons -- despite public criticism of the pass rush. So the Rams are forcing quarterbacks to move, but too often they're not putting them on the ground -- some of which is due to poor tackling.

Sound similar to what's wrong with the run defense? It should. Rookie edge defender Jared Verse is among the best at applying pressure, but he's missed the second-most tackles in the NFL (PFF) this season with 11, including several would-be sacks.

Now for the bad news.

The pressure percentages (which are good on the surface) are a little skewed, and I'll tell you why: Though pressures are up, the time it takes to pressure the quarterback (TTP) is actually longer than in past years. According to NGS, it takes the Rams 2.94 seconds to pressure per pass.

Good? Hardly. Only the other L.A. team ranks lower at 3.01 seconds. 

That's a drop from last season when the Rams' number was 2.66, according to NGS, but a far cry from 2.67 in 2022, 2.54 in 2021 and 2.62 in 2020 when the Rams rsnked anywhere from eighth best to 19th ... or far superior to what's happening now.

All this translates to a longer "Time to Throw" (TTT), with opposing quarterbacks having more time this season than any since NGS got into the analytics business. The TTT this year is 2.93 seconds where a year ago it was 2.85 and anywhere from a league-best 2.58 to 2.70 in 2018-22.

The bottom line is that this year passers have more time to throw than in the past when the Rams (thanks, Aaron Donald) were among the NFL's top teams to hurry quarterbacks. 

So here's the summary in English: Through five games this season, the Rams' defense applies a higher percentage of pressures but takes more time to reach quarterbacks, creating more time for its secondary to be victimized. I know, it seems counterintuitive. But it's technology-based, so it's hard to argue with the data.

Many Rams' media sites tout the number of pressures the defense is collecting, especially the top rookies, but they're not digging deep. If they did, they'd realize that an ineffective pass rush is part of the defense's problem.  

The next metric may offer an explanation.

Let's move to the average "get off" time of Rams' pass rushers, or the average time it takes for a defender to get across the line of scrimmage when rushing/blitzing. The lower the time, the better ... and, according to NGS, this season's average "get-off" time for the Rams' pass rushers is .87 seconds. 

Once again, it falls short of its predecessors.

In fact, it's the highest (worst) of previous Rams' defenses led by Phillips, Morris and Staley. Last year, it was .83 ... the year before, .85 ... and then it goes .83, .80. .80 and .81. It also ranks 26th, where a year ago the Rams were 16th and 18th in 2022.

What makes that perplexing is that Verse has one of the best "get-off" times this season (.77). In fact, only seven players in the NFL are better. If not for him, the Rams' time would be the worst in the NFL -- with much of the problem coming from the interior where, again, the loss of Donald is an enormous factor. 

Defensive tackle Kobie Turner's "get-off" is off almost a tenth of a second (from .93 to 1.01) this year. Nose tackle Bobby Brown III is down, too, though not as much. And rookie defensive interior Braden Fiske, who's taking some of Donald's snaps, is at 1.01 seconds -- not what you'd expect, given his purported quickness. 

Big men Neville Gallimore and Tyler Davis are also not as quick as their counterparts last year, but they've gotten more snaps than expected because they're needed to stop the run. With the Rams using more base defenses and stacked boxes, big linemen are called on more often -- meaning "get-offs" will be slower.

The results speak for themselves.

COVERAGE

So how does this affect pass coverage?

The number of explosive plays is up, but, oddly, the distance between defenders and players in routes is not. In fact, it's as good this year as it's been in the past. NGS data shows the Rams' defense averages 3.3 yards of separation between a defender and receiver, which is the same as last year 2018-19 and 2021 and better than 2022 (3.7) and 2020 (3.6).

For context, dating to 2018, the league's best is always around 3.0 yards, while the worst is just over 4.0. So the Rams are doing well here, except ... well, except their defenders aren't making plays, with too many opponents making big ones instead.

The first career touchdown scored by Cardinals' rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., for example, was caught over Tre'Davious White, whom the Rams signed this year to shore up the cornerback position. White's coverage was tight, but the rookie still made the catch and scored.

On other plays, there were instances where defensive backs were out of position, suffered from miscommunications or were flat-out beaten. Like the run defense, the pass defense DVOA doesn't paint a pretty picture, ranking 30th, where the past four season were better: 20th in 2023; 25th in 2022, fifth in 2021 and fourth in 2020.

Meaning? The Rams' third level of defense is no better off than the defensive line and linebackers.

OVERALL DEFENSE

Starting with DVOA Shula's defense ranks 30th overall in a 32-team league -- and that's not good. In 2023 it was 22nd and third in both 2020 and 2021.

Bill Belichick is fond of saying that "stats are for losers" and that the measuring stick for all defenses is points allowed because "finals scores are for winners." The website, Team Rankings, offers the proof.

The Rams allow opponents (they exclude points allowed by offense and special teams) 26.6 points a game -- or 29th of 32 teams.  That's 5.5 more points a game than in 2023 and just under six points a game higher than in 2022. The Rams were fifth in 2021 when they allowed offenses to score 19.5 points a game and second the year before, allowing 17.9 net points. 

Stats may be for losers, but allowing that many points is for losers, too. The Rams are 1-4.

Just so you know: All these analytics figures and mumbo jumbo may not be familiar to many, but they're pretty much mainstream these days. Additionally, these featured metrics are similar in rankings as traditional NFL stats, such as rushing yards per game, yards per pass allowed, total yards allowed, etc.

WHAT NEXT?

So now that was have the numbers, metrics, analytics, whatever you want to label them, what about "the eye test?"

When you sit through Rams' games, you see edge players too often losing containment on running plays or getting gashed up the middle. The missed tackles are glaring. Big plays surrendered in the passing game are evident. The linebacker play seems subpar. 

Ultimately, the eye test tells you what the numbers reveal -- namely, that the Los Angeles Rams' defense is bad. Really bad.

The upside is that things can change. It's early, with a lot of football yet to be played. And with young rookies like Verse and Fiske and super sophomores Turner and Byron Young up front, there's hope. Those four have the talent to one day be Pro Bowlers.

Plus, there's the possibility that the Rams make a change at linebacker this week. They're down, and I mean DOWN, on Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom and have Omar Speights, a rookie UDFA, and third-year UDFA Jake Hummel waiting in the wings -- with impatient fans hoping they step in.

In the secondary, Darious Williams -- a UFA signing from Jacksonville -- is back from injury, so he could also help. This is his second stint with the Rams (he's now played for all defensive coordinators of the McVay era), and his experience, leadership and skills should make a difference. 

Sean McVay indicated there will be changes this week when the Rams face the Las Vegas Raiders, but a few new starters won't magically fix the defense.

So what can?

Maybe it's just fundamentals, like setting the edge and tackling better. That would help. So would sacking the quarterback or applying faster pressures. I don't know if three-hundredths of a second makes a difference, but I do know that good players and good defenses have better analytics.

Chris Shula is clearly someone McVay trusts, and that counts for a lot. The question is: How much does Shula trust his defense to improve from the first five weeks?

"I think there are a lot of things where you look at the tape and you think [we] played some good ball," he said. "(But) it's got to be more consistent, got to be cleaner and [we have] got to execute better. I think there are a lot of times where we've done that. We've just got to do it consistently for 60 minutes."

That's the hope. The reality is that if they don't, Don Shula's grandson may not last long in his new job.

Packers Run Out the Clock on Cardinals

 By Eric Goska

(photos by Eric Goska)

The Packers have been running circles around the competition.

But until hosting Arizona, they hadn’t run a team out of town the way they did the Cardinals.

Green Bay’s ground game came alive in the fourth quarter as it dispatched Arizona 34-13 at Lambeau Field. In closing out victory, the Packers ran the football as they seldom do in the final 15 minutes of play.

Jordan Love and his bevy of talented pass catchers gave Green Bay a lead it could not afford to lose. Love matched his career best with four TD passes – two to Romeo Doubs and one each to Jayden Reed and Christian Watson – as the Packers went up 31-13 late in the third quarter.

Emanuel Wilson and his running mates then protected that cushion, ensuring the Cardinals did not rally.  The second-year back paved the way as Green Bay controlled the clock for 11 minutes, nine seconds in the fourth quarter.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur has stressed running the football more than usual this season. This emphasis may have been borne out of necessity as newcomer Malik Willis scarcely had time to unpack before twice starting in place of Love earlier this season, but this focus continues to pay dividends.

Not only is LaFleur doling out more opportunities, he’s getting more bodies involved. Seven players carried Sunday for only the third time since LeFleur arrived in 2019.

Through three quarters, Green Bay’s ground game did little to excite. Josh Jacobs led the way with 53 yards on 15 trips as the team amassed 85 yards (20 attempts), three first downs and two runs of 10 or more yards.

Cue the fourth quarter. Paced by Emanuel Wilson (47 yards on six totes), the Packers amassed 94 yards on 18 attempts. Wilson (2), Bo Melton and Chris Brooks authored gains of 10 or more yards. First downs were turned in by Wilson (2), Brooks, Tucker Kraft, Love and Melton.

And not a holding penalty to be found anywhere.

The Packers’ final drive consisted of 10 offensive plays – all runs – that erased the final 5:37 from the clock. Even with Arizona knowing what to expect, Green Bay ripped off 61 yards on the advance, a total that included two kneel-downs by Love inside the Cardinals’ red zone.

Not since powering to 12 straight while blanking the Lions 26-0 in 2009 had the Green and Gold closed out a game with more consecutive runs.

Lugging the leather with such frequency and effectiveness doesn’t happen often. But when it does, victory follows suit.

The Packers have run 18 or more times in a fourth quarter 14 times since 1950. The team is undefeated in those games.

Green Bay’s previous busiest fourth quarter under LaFleur occurred last year against the Rams. The Packers ran 16 times and gained 72 yards in knocking off Los Angeles 20-3.

Sunday was the 31st time LaFleur’s charges have run 10 or more times in the fourth quarter of a regular-season game. Green Bay is 31-0 in those contests.

Extra Point

The Packers have rushed for 1,003 yards in their first six games of 2024. The last time the team broke the 1,000-yard barrier so quickly happened in 1963 when Vince Lombardi’s club gained 1,037 yards in going 5-1.

Former Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey signed
autographs before the Packers played the Cardinals.

Running Out the Clock
Regular-season games in which Matt LaFleur’s Packers closed

with seven or more consecutive running plays.
No.      Date                             Opponent           Result
10         Oct. 13, 2024                 Cardinals              GB won, 34-13
 9          Oct. 17, 2021                  Bears                     GB won, 24-14
 7          Dec. 23, 2019                 Vikings                  GB won, 23-10
 7          Nov. 5, 2020                  49ers                     GB won, 34-17
 7          Dec. 25, 2022                 Dolphins              GB won, 26-20

State Your Case: Why Dolphins' Bill Stanfill Was More Than a 'No Name'

By John Turney 

When the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's screening committee last week released its list of 60 seniors for the Class of 2025, there were a few surprises, including former Miami defensive end Bill Stanfill. But the screeners got this one right.

Because Bill Stanfill should not have been a surprise.

In his prime, he was the best player on one of the NFL's best defenses. A five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Stanfill deserves to be among the seniors' candidates for the Hall's next enshrinement --partly because he was so accomplished and partly because the Miami defense of the 1970s was, too.

In an era when great defenses earned nicknames -- with Steel Curtain, Doomsday, Purple People Eaters, Fearsome Foursome among the most famous -- there was one that perfectly characterized a bunch of unknowns: The Dolphins' "No Name " defense. There were no Mean Joe Greenes, Carl Ellers, Deacon Joneses; just a group of accomplished players who bordered on the anonymous.

Yet it was one of the league's best. During Don Shula's first five years in Miami, only one team allowed fewer points per game (the Minnesota Vikings) and only four allowed fewer yards.

But, to this day, one only player -- linebacker Nick Buoniconti -- is in the Pro Hall of Fame. He's the "Name" of the No-Names, so to speak. No one else made it past the Hall's preliminary phase for consideration, and that should change -- not because most of the other defenses have multiple players with Gold Jackets; but because, at his peak, Bill Stanfill was the best member of that defense.

Even so, most fans today couldn't name many of those players, including Stanfill. But they're not alone. Still overlooking the "No-Names" are Hall-of-Fame voters. At one time, they valued longevity in careers, and that penalized Stanfill and teammate Dick Anderson (also on the list of 60 seniors) when they were modern-era candidates. Injuries forced Stanfill to retire after eight seasons, which wasn't long enough to attract the attention of voters a generation ago.

But he should attract it now. Why? Let's get started:

-- For openers, he was a five-time Pro Bowler, and was first-team All-Pro in 1972 (AP) and 1973 (PFWA and NEA). Plus, former Hall-of-Fame voter Paul Zimmerman, then writing for the New York Post, named him to his personal All-Pro team in 1974, noting his pass-rush ability and success at stuffing running plays.

-- He was All-AFC every year from 1971 through 1974.

-- The 6-foot-5, 252-pounder was the Dolphins' pass rush.  Consider that in 1969 the Dolphins had 25 sacks, with Stanfill producing eight of them, or 32.1 percent of the team's total. One year later, the Dolphins' pass rush was anemic, recording just 18 sacks. Except Stanfill did his job by bagging six (33.3 percent) of them. In 1971, he had 19.1 percent of the Dolphins' 34 sacks.

-- The year the Dolphins had the NFL's No. 1 defense, they sacked the quarterback 33 times, and Stanfill's share was 30.3 percent (ten individual sacks). In 1973, the Dolphins had 45 sacks, with Stanfill producing a career-high 18-1/2 (41.1 percent). According to Pro Football Reference, no one in the league had more. Stanfill had similar production the next season, totaling 10 of the club's 31 sacks -- 32.2 percent.  That's five of six years with over 30 percent of the "No Name" sacks. 

-- From 1969-74, Stanfill had 59 sacks. For those six years, only four players had more, and three are in the Hall -- Elvin Bethea, Claude Humphrey and Carl Eller. 

-- In his prime, he was responsible for almost one-third of the club's sacks and who knows how many hurries.

But that's what the Dolphins envisioned when they chose Stanfill with the 11th overall pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL draft. At the University of Georgia, he'd been a star, (All-American, Academic All-American, Outland Trophy winner, three-time All-SEC and SEC Lineman of the Year) on a team that won or tied for the conference championship twice. 

He'd been a defensive tackle in college, but the Dolphins wanted to move him to defensive end ... and it was a wise decision.  As a rookie, Stanfill not only produced eight sacks; he intercepted two passes and returned both for touchdowns. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl, chosen as much for his versatility as his intensity.

In defensive coach Bill Arsnparger's famed "53 defense," Stanfill spent considerable time at his collegiate position because the unit's namesake, linebacker Bob Matheson (No. 53), would rush from Stanfill's side of the line much of the time.

Arguably the highlight of Stanfill’s career occurred in 1972 when the Dolphins achieved the only perfect season in NFL history (17-0). In addition to his 10 regular-season sacks that season, he had 3-1/2 more in the playoffs as the Miam defense led the league in points allowed (171) and yards allowed (3,680).

While the next year was challenge, with Stanfill playing the first part of the season 10 pounds underweight because of a viral illness, he had a career year -- recording nearly 20 sacks (including the playoffs). The following season he was the AP Defensive Player of the Week in Week 5 when he sacked Jets' quarterbacks five times. 

The year ended with a 24-7 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl VIII, making the "No-Names" back-to-back champions and the Dolphins one of the best teams of all time.

In 1974, Stanfill had another five-sack game, this time against Buffalo, but that would be his last season as a star. Neck injuries affected him so seriously his last two years that he twice was sent to a hospital and forced to retire after the 1976 season.

However, that would not be the last we heard of Bill Stanfill. After the Dolphins tried to renege on the last two years of his contract, alleging that Stanfill had been deemed healthy by their team physicial, he filed a grievance with the NFLPA. He won the case and collected the money he was owed. 

"I wanted to play," he said then, "but when my doctors (some from the Mayo Clinic) are talking about the possibility of death or paralysis, it makes you stop and think."

Which is what the Hall's voters should do with Stanfill's candidacy -- stop and think. When they do, they will see someone who gave everything to a game ... and a team ... he loved. Stanfill had to use a walker before turning 45 because of multiple complications from injuries his last two seasons, and he passed away at the age of 69.

Stanfill was named to the All-Time Miami Dolphins' team in 2007 and is part of the team's Honor Roll. He's also in the University Georgia Hall of Fame and was voted to the College Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps it's time for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to hear his case because its screening committee just did.

And it thought he's worthy of Canton.