Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Bryan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 10:42 am Ferragamo and the Rams WR corps led the NFL in passing TDs in 1980 with 31. Quite the turnaround.

They had a halfback by committee unit that year and the WR by committee.

Cullen Bryant was the guy who started every game and didn't get a lot of breaks. But the Rams were the top
running team that year, and it opened up play actions for them. Ferregamo was pretty deft with the football and he was not afraid of an interception.

The rewards were worth the risk. Ferragamo threw a very high ball, easy to catch, compared to some other strong-armed QBs ... like Bert Jones --- Jones has a better arm but in 1982 when he came to the Rams he put it on a line.

When there was a running game and a healthy Ferragamo, he could get some production from those guys, and did in 1980 like had in 1979.
He was able to get some deep passes regularly and had a good role player in Willie Miller. Miller had good hands and was trusted
in the red zone ... guys of a "go to" -- he got 8 of the 22 TD passes to WRs... mostly short ones.

The next year with basically the same receivers they caught 7 with Haden -- there was also a lot wrong in 1981 with the protection
for Haden but with the handful of QBs those receivers were really less than average. Or -- however, someone wants to categorize them.

Like I said in a previous post, Dennard had some route running and hands .. Waddy and Hill could get deep ... and if the ball were on the money could catch it. In 1980 the Rams would also use 11 personnel more than they ever had. I even saw them with 4 WRs at times ... very un-Ram-like.

Like in 1979, when Ferragamo played those WRs could produce ... like they did, to a degree, in the 6-2 final 8 games ... and in 1980 ... but when with someone else they were JAGs ... I'd say Ferragamo elevated them from a C- grade as a group to maybe a B.

In 1979 the WR Corp under Haden and Rutledge averaged 15 yards a catch. With Ferragamo and Lee they averaged 22.5 yards a catch -- Lee was responsible for a few deep passes.

I have wondered once in a while what Ferregame might have been if he ever had a great receiver...his career started and then sputtered ... he was someone who was said be be somewhat of an airhead ... but he could throw well, with good touch but the consistency was lacking, partly due to circumstances but also that while he made guys around him better --- there was only so much you get get out of them.

Waddy and Smith were high picks but never amounted to much -- SMith went to SD and was no more than a 3rd 4th WR, would play when they went 3 wide ... then in Philly -- Waddy couldn't make the Raiders and did nothing in Min

Dennard, a UFA, left did so-so. Drew Hill, though hung around and proved later he was more than just a deep threat. He could get some stuff underneath. But if he could have had one really good WR he might have thrown 30 just to the WRs.

Maybe there have been worse WR corps in a Super Bowl, but really a bunch of JAGs -- but Vinnie did get the most of anyone out of them, other than Drew Hill ... and about all he could do in LA was 'go' routes

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2024 6:13 am I can't see why a TE can't be included. But if a passing-attack is essentially just the TE and nothing else, then not a good receiving corps if you ask me. Those '86 and '90 Giants are solid candidates in this. And what about the '00 Giants? And their SB opponents that year - they "just" having a TE in Shannon Sharpe!

Not having any real WR-power may explain some of McNabb not being an even better QB as well as Reid's Eagles coming up short in those conference championship games other than when TO hopped on and they made the Super Bowl.

But then look at the early-'00s Patriots? Another solid candidate in this. Without quickly looking it up, I can't name any of their WRs. Of course I'll then say, "oh yeah, that's right" to a couple of names I'd see but no real significant ones which is a testament to Brady's All-Time greatness. He gets to have Moss & Welker but wins no Rings again until 2016 when both are already gone - go figure. Edelman a true warrior/gamer and that Classic catch against Atlanta in that comeback, but not at all on their level.

For Moss to be a part of two separate teams that went a combined 34-3 yet no Ring? Perhaps its a testimony that too much WR-power on a team, though good enough to win you many games in the regular season and go deep enough in the playoffs, may make you come up just short. Look at the '84 Dolphins? '13 Broncos, etc? Yes, '94 Forty Niners, '99 Rams, '19 Chiefs, but not a whole lot of significant high-octane passing attacks that won-it-all.

Yes, Dwight Clark, but '81 & '84 pre-Rice Forty NIners worth a mention at least.

'98 Falcons?

'82 Dolphins?

I was thinking about the '82 Dolphins also
Cefalo and Harris at the wideouts with Moore as the 3rd wide. Each caught 1 TD pass. They could go downfield though.
Starter Hardy and Rose at the TEs each with 2 TD catches.
(The QB Woodley also had 1 TD catch. Tied for 2nd most on the team.)

1981 and 82' were injury plagued seasons for Nat Moore who was a very good receiver. He didnt have great chemistry with Woodley either. Once Marino joined the team, his health and catches perked back up ...

It basically just constitutes a..."half" season, but those '79 Rams once that 5-6 start was out of the way, or once Ferragamo/Tyler took over, they seemed to have more 'bite' than any other Rams offerings the entire decade if only because they actually made it to the Super Bowl.

But that's quite a legit "if only because"! And to keep it so close against the 'Burgh on the Biggest Stage ('closest' 12-pt defeat EVER, maybe)!

I think, and I'm sure most here agree, had the Rams in '79 started off with Vince & Wendell running things all along that not only they make the Super Bowl, but do it by way of top-seed; most likely 12-4.

They seemed so SB-win-capable the following year in 1980! Bringing Bills into OT at frigid Rich and then - highlight of their season - torching Dallas on MNF penultimate week! But then they belly-up in the WCG and that was that.

If you place Vince & Wendell into each of those '73 thru '78 Rams starting lineups for an entire campaign, do they actually make a SB, or two?


Yes, thought of making an actual separate thread out of this but decided to keep it here.

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 8:58 pm It basically just constitutes a..."half" season, but those '79 Rams once that 5-6 start was out of the way, or once Ferragamo/Tyler took over, they seemed to have more 'bite' than any other Rams offerings the entire decade if only because they actually made it to the Super Bowl.

But that's quite a legit "if only because"! And to keep it so close against the 'Burgh on the Biggest Stage ('closest' 12-pt defeat EVER, maybe)!

I think, and I'm sure most here agree, had the Rams in '79 started off with Vince & Wendell running things all along that not only they make the Super Bowl, but do it by way of top-seed; most likely 12-4.

They seemed so SB-win-capable the following year in 1980! Bringing Bills into OT at frigid Rich and then - highlight of their season - torching Dallas on MNF penultimate week! But then they belly-up in the WCG and that was that.

If you place Vince & Wendell into each of those '73 thru '78 Rams starting lineups for an entire campaign, do they actually make a SB, or two?


Yes, thought of making an actual separate thread out of this but decided to keep it here.

Interesting question. I was a Ram fan during the 70s. Pat Haden was the Ram starting QB during the playoffs 1976-78. They lost to the Vikings the first two years, 1976 in the NFC Championship game, 1977 in the first playoff game. In 1978 the Rams lost to Dallas in the NFC Championship game. Each time Pat Haden couldn't come through like the best QBs do.

Wendell Tyler was more of a breakaway threat than Lawrence McCutcheon, had some big runs in 1979.

SixtiesFan wrote: ↑Sat Nov 30, 2024 1:50 am

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 8:58 pm It basically just constitutes a..."half" season, but those '79 Rams once that 5-6 start was out of the way, or once Ferragamo/Tyler took over, they seemed to have more 'bite' than any other Rams offerings the entire decade if only because they actually made it to the Super Bowl.

But that's quite a legit "if only because"! And to keep it so close against the 'Burgh on the Biggest Stage ('closest' 12-pt defeat EVER, maybe)!

I think, and I'm sure most here agree, had the Rams in '79 started off with Vince & Wendell running things all along that not only they make the Super Bowl, but do it by way of top-seed; most likely 12-4.

They seemed so SB-win-capable the following year in 1980! Bringing Bills into OT at frigid Rich and then - highlight of their season - torching Dallas on MNF penultimate week! But then they belly-up in the WCG and that was that.

If you place Vince & Wendell into each of those '73 thru '78 Rams starting lineups for an entire campaign, do they actually make a SB, or two?


Yes, thought of making an actual separate thread out of this but decided to keep it here.

Interesting question. I was a Ram fan during the 70s. Pat Haden was the Ram starting QB during the playoffs 1976-78. They lost to the Vikings the first two years, 1976 in the NFC Championship game, 1977 in the first playoff game. In 1978 the Rams lost to Dallas in the NFC Championship game. Each time Pat Haden couldn't come through like the best QBs do.

Wendell Tyler was more of a breakaway threat than Lawrence McCutcheon, had some big runs in 1979.

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Yes the Raiders and also Big D previously, but you can possibly argue that the biggest obstacle between the '70s Steelers and any of their World Championships are this very Rams team in Super Bowl XIV. They only played in one significant game during that time and that was the previous year in '78, a Rams win in LA. Just one game to judge but maybe they did possibly have the Steelers' # or at least matched up against them real well.

In '79 the Steelers were at their most flawed allowing a league high 52 turnovers; and their injuries were worse than the year before. And the Rams, to me, were at their absolute '70s-best in that SBXIV. And in addition they had a few coaches who were previously with the Steelers thus knew them well. It couldn't have been a tougher obstacle for the 'Burgh! Yet the Steelers finish them off - serious accomplishment! If ONLY because of the final score (and only because of that), the Cardinals gave the Steelers a better game 29 years later.

Long ago I used to think the game being close was because, according to me, the Steelers were "already" that 9-7 team going into the SB (already 'spent') so barely beating another 9-7 made sense. Of course I haven't thought that in a very long time. It's the total opposite. Steelers via Bradshaw shoot themselves in the feet (INTs) at first but then they via Terry get it done when they had to thus the game being a microcosm of their entire '79 campaign. The '79 Steelers simply had dry-ice in their veins when it truly mattered the most! As I opined before, they had more 'bite' than '78. Maybe I'm wrong to think this, but I'll take '79, as flawed as they were, in a Highest Stakes game over da '85 Bears.

As I opined before, they had more 'bite' than '78. Maybe I'm wrong to think this, but I'll take '79, as flawed as they were, in a Highest Stakes game over da '85 Bears.

That is why I think they beat SD if they had to go out there again for the AFC Title Game.

Nope on the 79 Steelers ... the Rams had them on the ropes and choked. Ferragamo's only mistake killed them and had Cromwell not dropped his interception, he had clear sailing to the endzone.

2001 New England Patriots: Troy Brown, David Patten, Terry Glenn, Charles Johnson.

Regular season just 10 receiving TDs between them COMBINED. In their careers, a mere TWO combined Pro Bowls between the quartet. No all-pros.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Sat Nov 30, 2024 9:25 pm Nope on the 79 Steelers ... the Rams had them on the ropes and choked. Ferragamo's only mistake killed them and had Cromwell not dropped his interception, he had clear sailing to the endzone.

Give Jack Youngblood one more second and he probably sacks or disrupts Terry Bradshaw's touchdown throw to John Stallworth, and we may be looking at a different outcome in that Super Bowl.