Anderson/Scott VS Harris/Waters

[74_75_78_79_]

What safety tandem do you think is best between these two, Miami's Dick Anderson/Jake Scott or Dallas's Cliff Harris/Charlie Waters?

[sheajets]

Anderson/Scott...they just seemed to be more larcenous. Better tacklers, and great anticipation when it comes to reading the play.

[JuggernautJ]

Dick Anderson: 3 Pro Bowls, 2 All Pro, 2 Super Bowl Wins
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... deDi00.htm

Jake Scott: 5 Pro Bowls, 2 All Pro, 2 Super Bowl Wins
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... otJa01.htm

Cliff Harris: 6 Pro Bowls, 3 All Pro, 2 Super Bowl Wins
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... rrCl00.htm

Charlie Waters: 3 Pro Bowls, 2 Super Bowl Wins
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... teCh00.htm

Charie Waters (0 All-Pros) is probably the weak link here so I'd go with the Dolphins' pair of Safeties in a straight up comparison.
However, if you go back a season before Waters started I'd take the Cowboys with Harris and Cornell Green.
With Herb Adderley and Cornell Green on the corners (1971) that has to be one of the better secondaries of the Super Bowl era (and then Cliff Harris becomes the "weak link").

What's your opinion on:
Charlie Waters might make the ideal 5th DB in today's game (and did for the 'Boys in 1971)
He could fill in at any position (started at CB, FS and SS during his career) and play the nickle very well. But as a starter he might fall into the category of "just good enough to get you beat" as he never really excelled (at an All Pro level) at any particular position in the defensive backfield.

[JohnTurney]

Waters in the Dallas dime, late in career was a LBer a lot, so he showed some versatility. Cliff Harris was the nickel corner, slot corner from 1975-78, Randy Hughes would come in and play safety and Harris would go to the slot. Waters missed 1979 and that season Hughes took his place and Harris didn't play slot.



Scott and Anderson never did the "extras" though they played their responsibilites at top levels for a long time.

To me, 1970-74 for Scott and Anderson and 1975-78 for Harris and Waters is a close thing, but have to go with the Miami duo

[JohnH19]

Once he was moved from the corner to safety, Waters was certainly better than "just good enough to get you beat" but he is the "weakest" of the four. Still a damn fine player, though.

[74_75_78_79_]

We certainly witnessed quite a bit of Harris/Waters vs Swann/Stallworth but never Anderson/Scott taking on that very Steeler WR duo. The '73 Bradshaw comeback-in-vain on MNF the year before S&S were drafted (Anderson 4 INTs) but by the time both teams met again in '76, Scott was in DC, Stallworth was out, and with Anderson no longer a starter, not sure he played at all in that 14-3 defeat.

[Bryan]

Anderson/Scott might have been the best safety duo ever for that 1970-1974 time period, although neither is a HOFer. Scott getting hurt partway through the 1974 AFC Divisional playoff was a big reason (IMO) that Stabler was able to lead the Raiders to some late scores, as for most of the game the Raiders passing attack was ineffective.

It seemed like the perception was that the best way to attack the Harris/Waters Doomsday (II) Defense was by throwing, particularly throwing deep.

[SixtiesFan]

Anderson/Scott might have been the best safety duo ever for that 1970-1974 time period, although neither is a HOFer. Scott getting hurt partway through the 1974 AFC Divisional playoff was a big reason (IMO) that Stabler was able to lead the Raiders to some late scores, as for most of the game the Raiders passing attack was ineffective.

It seemed like the perception was that the best way to attack the Harris/Waters Doomsday (II) Defense was by throwing, particularly throwing deep.

When the Rams beat the Cowboys 27-14 in the third game of the 1978 regular season, they said the key to beating the Cowboy defense was throwing on first down.

[rhickok1109]

Anderson/Scott might have been the best safety duo ever for that 1970-1974 time period, although neither is a HOFer. Scott getting hurt partway through the 1974 AFC Divisional playoff was a big reason (IMO) that Stabler was able to lead the Raiders to some late scores, as for most of the game the Raiders passing attack was ineffective.

It seemed like the perception was that the best way to attack the Harris/Waters Doomsday (II) Defense was by throwing, particularly throwing deep.

When the Rams beat the Cowboys 27-14 in the third game of the 1978 regular season, they said the key to beating the Cowboy defense was throwing on first down.

That was always the word on the flex defense, which was designed primarily to stop the run and especially to stop the Packers' rushing attack. The flex basically put a man in every gap and told him to stay there, so there was absolutely no pass rush.

[JohnTurney]

Anderson/Scott might have been the best safety duo ever for that 1970-1974 time period, although neither is a HOFer. Scott getting hurt partway through the 1974 AFC Divisional playoff was a big reason (IMO) that Stabler was able to lead the Raiders to some late scores, as for most of the game the Raiders passing attack was ineffective.

It seemed like the perception was that the best way to attack the Harris/Waters Doomsday (II) Defense was by throwing, particularly throwing deep.

When the Rams beat the Cowboys 27-14 in the third game of the 1978 regular season, they said the key to beating the Cowboy defense was throwing on first down.

That was always the word on the flex defense, which was designed primarily to stop the run and especially to stop the Packers' rushing attack. The flex basically put a man in every gap and told him to stay there, so there was absolutely no pass rush.

Actually, designed to stop Cleveland run game who Dallas played twice a year, meant to prevent a "do-dad" block on Lilly (and others) but a guard would hit Lilly then go off to second level. By having Lilly flexed the Browns (and Packers, too) couldn't use that scheme. But yes, it was mean as a run stopping scheme. It ad 2 players (usually, no always) about a yard off ball which is not conducive to pass rush