What up from The Bolts

[Don Ho]

I've liked the Chargers since the Dan Fouts, and Don Coryell(sp?) days. They had one of the NFL's first WCO's. Never had a D to go with that killer scoring machine though. I have to admit I started watching them when Johnny Unitas was traded to them. He was a hell of a mentor for Fouts.

Good memory.  Unitas was there when they used the powder blue unis and white helmets.  I am trying to remembere how many years Unitas played there?  2?  He replaced John Hadel who went on to have an awesome year with the Rams in 1973 often connecting with ex-bird Harold Jackson.

[PhillyGirl]

Greetings all, I am one of Glorify's mods on the chargers boards.  I am looking forward to a great game this weekend.  If Donovan can play like he did last year, you all should win, if he plays like he has in the past, or this year, then we have a good shot at beating you guys.  You all of all the talent in the world.  Westbrook is a stud, Owens probably the best reciever in the league, and Donavan can be one of the top 3 QB's if he makes good decisions.  Your defense is better than it played against Dallas, and your sendary can stop opponents.  This should be a great game, and I am really looking forward to it.  Here is to an injury free, well played game.

Brigrat

Oh, you mean with Torrance Small and Charles Johnson as his WRs? Or did you mean, the past with James Thrash and Todd Pinkston?

Because, either way, I can TOTALLY see what you're saying. 

[shorebird]

I've liked the Chargers since the Dan Fouts, and Don Coryell(sp?) days. They had one of the NFL's first WCO's. Never had a D to go with that killer scoring machine though. I have to admit I started watching them when Johnny Unitas was traded to them. He was a hell of a mentor for Fouts.

Good memory. Unitas was there when they used the powder blue unis and white helmets. I am trying to remembere how many years Unitas played there? 2? He replaced John Hadel who went on to have an awesome year with the Rams in 1973 often connecting with ex-bird Harold Jackson.

Ha! Your one of the first to tell me that. I'm full of such usless info. from the past.

If I'm not mistaken, your right, Johnny U. played there two years, and the last was when Fouts was a rook. The first year after Unitas left, he came out in training camp, dropping back and pump faking just like Johhny U used to do it. He became one hell of a quarterback, really something to see. Kellen Winslow was a hell of a player for that team in the early eighties also. I'll never forget that playoff game were he had to have two Chargers help him off the field, and the next series he was back in there, making plays. He was a tough ass son of a bitch, and one of the first great tight ends in the NFL. His son can't carry his jock as far as I'm concerned.

I can't lie and say I'm not happy to see the Chargers have somewhat of a return to glory from those old days. They never won a Superbowl, but had one of the best offenses in the game for quite some time. Dan Fouts doesn't get the credit he deserves, imo. He's never talked about with the great qb's like Marino, Montana, Young or Aikman.

[PLHS-Chargafan]

Dan Fouts doesn't get the credit he deserves, imo. He's never talked about with the great qb's like Marino, Montana, Young or Aikman.

Agreed.

[Don Ho]

Dan Fouts doesn't get the credit he deserves, imo. He's never talked about with the great qb's like Marino, Montana, Young or Aikman.

Agreed.

Fouts and that offense were amazing to watch.  Talk about weapons!  One year they had Fouts, Chuck Muncie, Winslow, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler and Charlie Joiner.  Unreal.

[henchmanUK]

Fouts and Winslow (senior ) were tough sonsabitches too.

[shorebird]

Dan Fouts doesn't get the credit he deserves, imo. He's never talked about with the great qb's like Marino, Montana, Young or Aikman.

Agreed.

Fouts and that offense were amazing to watch. Talk about weapons! One year they had Fouts, Chuck Muncie, Winslow, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler and Charlie Joiner. Unreal.

I really liked Charlie Joiner. He was a Westbrook type back, with great elusiveness and receiving ability. A true WCO runningback.

[stillupfront]

Dan Fouts doesn't get the credit he deserves, imo. He's never talked about with the great qb's like Marino, Montana, Young or Aikman.

Agreed.

Fouts and that offense were amazing to watch. Talk about weapons! One year they had Fouts, Chuck Muncie, Winslow, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler and Charlie Joiner. Unreal.

I really liked Charlie Joiner. He was a Westbrook type back, with great elusiveness and receiving ability. A true WCO runningback.

I also liked watching that high wire act. Can anyone remember the name of even one defensive player?

[shorebird]

No. Not a single one, maybe because they we're the only defense who allowed more points than that offense scored.

[stillupfront]

Was it a true WCO? I seem to remember alot of deep balls.

[shorebird]

If I'm not mistaken, that team and that offense was were the term West Coast Offense originated. They used the tight end a lot, as well as three and four wide reciever sets.

[stillupfront]

Really, Coryell popularized the I formation in the NFL. Previously, it was almost a strictly college offense. He really innovated moving the TE to WR and in the wide slot. But really, no one ever had an athlete like Winslow to use.  The WCO is most attributed to Bill Walsh at San Fran but it is really a misnomer. Most of the precepts he used at SF were developed with Paul Brown at Cincinnati. Walsh instituted the programmed scramble routes for use with Montana's legs that greatly improved RAC.

[shorebird]

I thought that Walsh got most of the credit for the WCO because he won Superbowls using it.

[Fan_Since_64]

Most of the precepts he used at SF were developed with Paul Brown at Cincinnati. Walsh instituted the programmed scramble routes for use with Montana's legs that greatly improved RAC.

Yes, and if you go back even further, Paul Brown pioneered the development of a controlled passing offense - the granddaddy of the WCO, so to speak - with the Browns. Brown was arguably the most innovative head coach in pro football history (almost typed NFL, but he got his start with the Browns in the old AAFC). So much of modern game preparation as well as offensive strategy can be traced back to Paul Brown.

Oh, and welcome to the Chargers fans who have come to visit. When I first started following pro football as a kid in 1964, the Chargers were the defending AFL champs and had lots of terrific offensive stars - Lance Alworth, Tobin Rote, Paul Lowe, Dave Kocurek - and an undersized fullback named Keith Lincoln who was a special favorite because he was an exciting player and shared the same first name as mine (which was a pretty big deal in third grade!  ). Always kind of liked the Chargers since that time.

And stillupfront, about the only Chargers defensive players from the Air Coryell era that I can recall are DT Louie Kelcher, DE Fred Dean, and LB Woodrow Lowe. Yep, the offense was a lot more memorable!

[Fan_Since_64]

I thought that Walsh got most of the credit for the WCO because he won Superbowls using it.

I think Walsh built upon what he learned working for Paul Brown and really perfected it in San Francisco. And as with anything that is successful in the NFL, it was quickly copied by others!