Zero2Cool
5 years ago
Broncos were more worried about LeRoy Butler than Reggie White?

MARKED MAN THE BRONCOS WERE DETERMINED NOT TO LET LEROY BUTLER STOP THEM--AND THEY SUCCEEDED 

The target for a Denver blocking scheme that enabled Terrell Davis to rush for 157 yards, run for a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns and win the MVP trophy wasn't future Hall of Fame end Reggie White or 345-pound tackle Gilbert Brown. It was strong safety LeRoy Butler, the star of Green Bay game films, an unblocked phantom who would appear out of nowhere and ruin play after play with bone-crushing tackles. "Our main job," said Alex Gibbs, coach of the smallest (an average of 289 pounds per man), quickest and best offensive line in the business, "was to make sure Butler wouldn't make plays against us."

"We saw films of games in which a play would be well blocked," said Broncos center Tom Nalen, "but Butler would come in scot-free and make tackles for no gain or minus yardage. We knew we had to get a hat on him every play. He might have been surprised. That hasn't happened to him all year."

Denver used a variety of schemes. Sometimes one of the tackles, Tony Jones or Gary Zimmerman, would turn the defensive end over to the tight end and go after Butler. "You have to get on him quickly," Jones said, "or he'll ole you, and you'll be blocking air."

On strongside runs, fullback Howard Griffith would sometimes seek out Butler, passing his normal assignment, the outside linebacker, along to a wide receiver. When the Broncos ran
weakside, a wideout would sometimes crack down on Butler. "We pride ourselves on our blocking," said flanker Ed McCaffrey, who at 215 pounds had 15 pounds on Butler.

When Butler was stacked, or hidden behind a defensive lineman, it was up to one of the middle three--Nalen and guards Brian Habib and Mark Schlereth--to find him quickly. "You're in the flow of a play, and Terrell watches for an alley and then makes his cut," Schlereth said. "That's our running game. Butler is very good at finding those alleys and filling them, so one of us had to get there first. Whoever had that alley in front of him had to go after him."

Sounds simple, but the keys were speed, precision and quick thinking on the move, which Gibbs says are the hallmarks of his unit and the reasons he wouldn't trade it for any in the game. A front five of 330-pounders could never make it work.

Butler led Green Bay with nine tackles, but most of his stops were downfield. Davis was not stopped for a loss on any of his 30 carries. All told, Denver rushed for 179 yards on 39 carries, with the only negative yardage coming when Elway took a knee on the last play of each half. In crunch time the Packers' defense was a worn-out unit as the Broncos, on their final two series, drove from their own 18 to Green Bay's 39, punted the Packers into a hole and then put the game away with a 49-yard drive that ended on a 17-yard run by Davis and his one-yard walkover touchdown. "They were substituting Reggie White in and out," Nalen said. "Brown was exhausted. When we'd break our huddle, he hadn't even lined up yet."

"Speed, conditioning, strength and a great runner," Gibbs said. "I'll take that formula any time."

Paul Zimmerman wrote:


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beast (4h) : Yeah, and I enjoyed your comments and just attempted to add to it. Sorry if I did it incorrectly.
wpr (6h) : Beast I never said Henderson was the salt of the earth. Nor even that he was correct. Just quoting the guy.
Zero2Cool (8h) : What did you do??
Zero2Cool (8h) : Whoa
beast (8h) : OMG the website is now all white, even some white on white text
beast (9h) : Henderson, who admits to taking cocaine during the Super Bowl against the Steelers, might dislike Bradshaw as he lost two Superbowls to him
wpr (28-May) : Hollywood Henderson said Bradshaw “is so dumb, he couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the C and an A.”
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Cooper stock=BUY BUY BUY
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Also notes he’s playing with more confidence.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : @AndyHermanNFL MLF says there was a time last year where Cooper was at 220 pounds. Now he’s at 240 and still flying around.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : And don't even get me started on Frank Caliendos "impersonations"
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I got tired of them being circle jerks with them overlaughing at each others jokes.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : It used to be must watch TV for me. now it's "meh" maybe to hear injury update
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I haven't watched the pregame shows in years and I don't feel like I've missed a thing
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Love says knee affected him all season, groin injury didn't help matters.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : I used to enjoy him on FOX Pregame. Now it's like a frat party of former Patriots.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : LaFleur on Watson: “Christian is doing outstanding. I would say he’s ahead of schedule.”
Martha Careful (28-May) : Bradshaw is a dumb ass cracker. I am so tired of his "aw shucks" diatribe. He should shrivel up and go away.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : He wad all butt hurt because Aaron duped the media saying he was immunized.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : Bradshaw needs to retire. He's been ripping on Rodgers ever since the covid crap. He was all hury
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Terry Bradshaw doesn't want Rodgers in Pittsburgh lol wow
Zero2Cool (27-May) : one day contract, which he also feels is pointless, but if Packers came to him, he would
packerfanoutwest (27-May) : Aaron Rodgers talks possibility of retiring with Packers, just another rumor
dfosterf (27-May) : Go watch 2001
Zero2Cool (26-May) : 1984
dfosterf (26-May) : That movie sent a chill through many. 1968.
dfosterf (26-May) : "Open the pod bay doors, HAL"
buckeyepackfan (25-May) : Haven't we all seen thus movie? It doesn't end well!! Lol
Zero2Cool (25-May) : lol Anthropic’s new AI model turns to blackmail when engineers try to take it offline
dfosterf (25-May) : Claude Opus 4
dfosterf (25-May) : AI system resorts to blackmail when its developers threaten to take it offline
beast (22-May) : Colts Owner Jim Irsay has passed away
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Well, emailing should work now. After not working for almost a year. Oops.
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Brotherly Shove did not get enough votes.
Zero2Cool (20-May) : lol our email hasn't worked in months. 7 pages of unverified users
Zero2Cool (20-May) : MySpace Screaming Lord Byron ... Brett Favre.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : Packers have signed first-round pick Matthew Golden, leaving second-round tackle Anthony Belton as their only unsigned draft pick
beast (19-May) : Supposedly he has to take his image, and name off of it... but otherwise could keep selling wine if he wanted to.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : he giving up his win business?
beast (19-May) : Speaking of Woodson, sounds like he'll be a minority owner (0.1%) of the Browns
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Zero, regarding Woodson, that'd why I find the timing with Williams peculiar
dfosterf (15-May) : Ryan Hall y'all does a great job of tracking thesr
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Fear not!! I planned to do 33mi bike ride tomorrow morning, so ... yeah
Zero2Cool (15-May) : We got some dark clouds and nasty winds right bout now.
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Madison they had hail 4pm.
dfosterf (15-May) : Sure looks like these tornadoes are headed towards Green Bay
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Woodson of Charles fame was reluctant and then loved it. that didn't really come out until post career
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : IE "We bought into the Bears and they let us down, we have no choice to seek alternatives"
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Or that Williams and his family are preparing an exit ramp if they don't like how things are going in a few years
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Either Williams thought it would make him look good (reluctant but then embraces the city and franchise)
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