Synopses & Reviews
From the advent of the vertical passing game to the development of ever-more-sophisticated blitzing schemes on defense, professional football in the last half century has been a sport marked by relentless innovation. For fans determined to keep up with the changes that have transformed the game, close examination of the coaching
footage is a must. In the words of Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, “The film does not lie.”
In The Games That Changed the Game, Ron Jaworski, a one-time NFL MVP turned Monday Night Football analyst and pro football’s #1 game-tape guru, breaks down the film from seven of the most momentous contests of the last fifty years. With an eye toward the brilliant game plans and seminal strategic breakthroughs that revolutionized play on both sides of the ball, Jaworski offers readers a drive-by-drive, play-by-play guide to the evolutionary leaps that now define the modern NFL, as well as portraits of the seven men who exhibited both creativity and courage in bucking established strategies. From Sid Gillman’s development of the Vertical Stretch, which culminated in the San Diego Chargers’ victory in the 1963 AFL Championship Game and launched the era of wide-open passing offenses, to Bill Belichick’s daring defensive game plan in Super Bowl XXXVI, which enabled his outgunned squad to upset the heavily favored St. Louis Rams and usher in the New England Patriots dynasty, the most cutting-edge concepts come alive again through the recollections of nearly seventy coaches and players interviewed for this book.
Writing with the same vivid, passionate, and accessible style that has made him television’s go-to X’s and O’s maven, Jaworski fills in the blanks for fans who aren’t satisfied with merely dropping the terms “West Coast offense” or “46 defense” into conversation, but want to understand them fully, in context, as they were experienced by the men who played the game. You’ll never watch the NFL the same way again.
Foreword by Steve Sabol, president, NFL Films
Synopsis
The NFL's #1 game-tape guru selects and dissects the seven memorable games that changed how pro football is played, and explains the ingenious coaching innovations behind these formative moments. Photos.
Synopsis
Theand#160;rollickingand#160;story of the birth of professional football in Texas in the early 1960s, as two oiland#160;tycoons raced to build warring professional football franchisesand#8212;the Cowboys and the Texansand#8212;and win the hearts of fans in a town where football reigned supreme.and#160;
Synopsis
In the 1960s, on the heels of the and#8220;Greatest Game Ever Played,and#8221; professional football began to flourish across the countryand#8212;except in Texas, where college football was still the only game in town. But in an unlikely series of events, two young oil tycoons started their own professional football franchises in Dallas the very same year: the NFLand#8217;s Dallas Cowboys, and, as part of a new upstart league designed to thwart the NFLand#8217;s hold on the game, the Dallas Texans of the AFL. Almost overnight, a bitter feud was born.
The team owners, Lamar Hunt and Clint Murchison, became Mad Men of the gridiron, locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of the Texas pigskin faithful. Their teams took each other to court, fought over players, undermined each otherand#8217;s promotions, and rooted like hell for the other guys to fail. A true visionary, Hunt of the Texans focused on the fans, putting together a team of local legends and hiring attractive women to drive around town in red convertibles selling tickets. Meanwhile, Murchison and his Cowboys focused on the game, hiring a young star, Tom Landry, in what would be his first-ever year as a head coach, and concentrating on holding their own against the more established teams in the NFL. Ultimately, both teams won the battle, but only one got to stay in Dallas and go on to become one of sportsand#8217; most quintessential franchisesand#8212;and#8220;America's Team.and#8221;
In this highly entertaining narrative, rich in colorful characters and unforgettable stunts, Eisenberg recounts the story of the birth of pro football in Dallasand#8212;back when the game began to be part of this countryand#8217;s DNA.
About the Author
Ron Jaworski is one of the broadcasters of Monday Night Football, and one of the most popular analysts covering the NFL today. He appears regularly on a number of ESPN shows and specials. Jaworski attended Youngstown State University, then played seventeen NFL seasons. In 1980, he led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XV and was named NFL MVP. Jaworski then became a sports commentator and TV show host. The president of Philadelphia’s famed Maxwell Club, Jaworski is involved in charitable activities and a variety of business ventures.
Greg Cosell and David Plaut are senior producers with NFL Films. Cosell is the creator and supervising producer of the NFL Matchup program, as well as a frequent guest on national sports radio programs. He lives in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Plaut is a multi–Emmy Award–winning producer with NFL Films, former book critic for USA Today, Sports Weekly, and the author of four previous books. He lives in Moorestown, New Jersey.
Table of Contents
Prologueand#8195;ixPART I
1. and#8220;Would you be interested in starting up a new league?and#8221;and#8195;3
2. and#8220;Those Texas Millionairesand#8221;and#8195;20
3. and#8220;Youand#8217;re going to break us alland#8221;and#8195;34
4. and#8220;Son, that league isnand#8217;t going to make itand#8221;and#8195;50
5. and#8220;Is Big D big enough . . . for two teams?and#8221;and#8195;61
PART II
6. and#8220;I trained on biscuits and gravyand#8221;and#8195;73
7. and#8220;Someone is going to get hurt hereand#8221;and#8195;88
8. and#8220;This is not a harassment situationand#8221;and#8195;100
9. and#8220;Itand#8217;s going to take time for this thing to growand#8221;and#8195;115
10. and#8220;They thought the Texans were a lot more funand#8221;and#8195;125
11. and#8220;Weand#8217;ve scared off every fan we haveand#8221;and#8195;139
PART III
12. and#8220;They should play each otherand#8221;and#8195;157
13. and#8220;Did you wear mouse ears or a helmet?and#8221;and#8195;172
14. and#8220;They shouldnand#8217;t be able to do this to usand#8221;and#8195;185
PART IV
15. and#8220;Letand#8217;s beat their assesand#8221;and#8195;201
16. and#8220;We are stayingand#8221;and#8195;215
17. and#8220;We will kick to the clockand#8221;and#8195;227
PART V
18. and#8220;Itand#8217;s nice to be wantedand#8221;and#8195;243
19. and#8220;Thereand#8217;s something I want to visit with you aboutand#8221;and#8195;255
20. and#8220;Did Vince really say that?and#8221;and#8195;271
Epilogueand#8195;287
Authorand#8217;s Note on Sourcesand#8195;296
Indexand#8195;300