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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dfosterf (2h) : Lets offer a 4th for Kenny Clark. Jerry seems to be geezin' pretty badly
wpr (8h) : yooper
Zero2Cool (8h) : next is create topic from headline
Zero2Cool (8h) : new site has recent topics and headlines now
buckeyepackfan (8h) : Micah wearing #1, Packers offered it to him. Curly only one to wear #1
Zero2Cool (9h) : Micah said he told Rasheed he's gonna get some practice. LT1 yeah?
Zero2Cool (10h) : Patriots release Jabrill Peppers Before 2025 Season
Mucky Tundra (10h) : yooper!
Zero2Cool (11h) : Never. But gonna be looking different in few days :D
yooperfan (12h) : Whew, I got it back. I was afraid that I lost this site for good.
Zero2Cool (13h) : Harrisburg Packers
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Yes
Zero2Cool (14h) : No.
dfosterf (14h) : The man carried us a lot of the time
dfosterf (14h) : I think a Kenny Clark tribute is in order
Zero2Cool (22h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (22h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (29-Aug) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (29-Aug) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : umm... what?
wpr (28-Aug) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (28-Aug) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
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