Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Most, I’ll assume, will take the former over the otherwise not quite as big persona who headed one of the more underrated if not most underrated defenses in history (among the very best, period). ’85 Bears will always get the ‘sexy’ Historic acclaim over those nickname-less SB-winning defenses who, mind you, did have Ronnie Lott and for two of them someone named ‘Hacksaw’; Haley on the other two, Millen added to one of those. But whereas San Fran stuffed Marino, da Bears the following year, Wk#13 MNF, weren’t able to stop that slightly lesser version of ’84 Dan. Yes, it was an upset, 12-0 bubble bound to burst, but still. To me, if those Forty Niners defenses are lesser than '85 (and '84) Bears, it really isn't at all by much!

So what are your takes?

I feel that George's time as a DC should trump infamous '1-15' in his favor for Canton. And simply his outstanding W/L record at HC with San Fran, 'inheriting'/being in a rock-solid organization/having quite the help, etc, or not (many playoff-caliber HCs, IMO, would not have been able to achieve such success had any of them been offered 'the keys' from 1989 thru '96). Had George taken over a bad Carolina team, and his first year there was the 1-win campaign instead, even with the succeeding years being mediocre, he'd be so much closer to Canton if not there already.

I feel like Seifert deserves more credit for the 1999 Panther squad, even though they barely missed the playoffs. Look at what a mess that exact same roster was a year before in 1998. For the turn around to 8-8 and barely missing the playoffs with the names on that roster was coach of the year level stuff. They had the hotter offense than the Rams in the last few weeks with names like Beuerlien and Biakabatuka and no star receivers. As much momentum as they had I feel like they could have won at least 1 playoff game had they gotten in. I feel like that season should be more of a feather in his cap as a head coach, any head coach could have come in and rode that 1989 49ers roster to a ring, but the 1999 Panthers team loaded with perennial backups and no-namers going 8-8 and contending for a playoff spot was impressive coaching on his part.

Ryan a 4-3 guy, and had a specialty defense, the 46 ... based on old Eagles fronts of the 1950s...and when he had players who could do it, used it 40% of time in 84-85. After he was gone, 20% in 1986, per reports.

It wqs a pressure defense ... required man to man CBs ... high risk, high reward.

Seifert, by the numbers, base 3-4, but 4-2-5 or 4-1-6 on passing downs, would use waves of rushers, maybe the first to do it so much ... Dlmen splitting time. Used a lot of packages... LBers for the run, LBers for the pass. Same with DL.

I think Seifert's innovations are significant, based on how far he took it. But the mess the 46 could cause to an offense will be remembered more. When he was with Eagles, ran same kind of things but had White, Simmons, and some good players ...

Whatever Siefert was doing, never seems his defense were pushed around too often ... rarely.

Better? or more agressive? What is preference?

Its interesting about both coaches ... they were lucky to keep their jobs on defense. The Bears could have tossed aside Ryan with Neil Armstrong but the players pleaded to Halas to keep him. At the same time, Chuck Studley had been the 49ers defensive coach but when Walsh threatened to retire--then came back--for 1983, Studley had left and Seifert got the job.