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| | | | | | | | Tuesday, December 12, 2000
Tale of the tape: The Rams offense vs. the Niners of '94
By Alex Laracy
MondayNightFootball.com
Mike Martz's 9-5 St. Louis Rams possess an offense that ranks among the best in NFL history. Averaging an astounding 444 yards and 31.5 points per game, the Rams pay no attention to common football elements such as weather conditions, opposing defensive schemes, or even personnel. The system is tailored to score points quickly and often, and it hasn't failed yet often in 2000.
|  | | Steve Young engineered on of the most potent offensive arsenals in the history of the league in the early to mid-'90s. |
While it is clear the Rams' offense is without peer in this day and age, one can't help but wonder if the Martz machine is perhaps the most prolific unit in the history of the sport. When reaching all the way back to the 20th century to find what offense can be compared to them, you have to single out the San Francisco 49ers of the mid-to-early 90s. Those are the teams that made the "West Coast Offense" a phrase as pervasive around the league as "run blitz," the "prevent defense" and "Who Let the Dogs Out?"
So we decided to match the 2000 Rams and the Super Bowl champion 1994 49ers toe-to-toe in an effort to determine who is the best offense of the generation. Here goes:
The coaches
49ers: OK. The 49ers were pretty darn successful well before George Seifert took the reigns, but his adoption of Bill Walsh's "West Coast Offense" has been imitated more often in the last five years than the Backstreet Boys.
Rams: Little is known about Mike Martz outside of the fact that his team scores a lot of points and usually wins -- not a bad reputation for a guy who never had a head coaching gig before. It doesn't hurt to inherit a Super Bowl team stock-full of All-Pros, but the guy's clearly doing something right. Wait a minute. Seifert had the same problem in San Fran.
Edge: Tie. Walsh deserves a good portion of the credit for the Niners' success in the 90s, and would surely get the nod if he were officially at the helm in '94.
The quarterbacks
49ers: Steve Young won his second MVP trophy in '94 after setting the single-season record with a remarkable 112.8 rating. The most accurate passer in the history of the league, Young blended an unmatched throwing touch with speed, toughness and an uncanny ability to win games at any cost, even if it meant his own physical well-being.
Rams: After vaulting from bagging Bon Bons at an Iowa grocery store to Super Bowl MVP in '99, Kurt Warner was on pace to break a handful of NFL records before breaking his finger against the Chiefs in Week 8. Perhaps an even more mind-boggling story is that his backup, Trent Green, might also be one of the top ten quarterbacks in football.
Edge: Tie. The Rams quarterback situation is so good, it doesn't even make sense. But then again, no one was better than Young during his prime.
The running backs
49ers: Ricky Watters was as dynamic as any back in the league in '94, running for 877 yards and catching 66 balls for 719 yards. He ranked fifth in the league with 1,596 total yards from scrimmage, and scored three touchdowns in their Super Bowl XXIX scorching of San Diego.
Rams: Marshall Faulk is the best player in the NFL, hands down. His 5.3 yards-per-carry average is the second only to Robert Smith (at 5.4) amongst the top 25 in league rushing, and he might be the best receiver on a team that could put two wideouts in the Pro Bowl in February.
Edge: Rams. Even with Watters at his best, few players in the history of the league have matched Faulk's multi-dimensional capabilities. The seventh-year back from San Diego State has redefined the running back position to the extent that pro scouts frown upon a back who can't catch coming out of the backfield, despite excellent rushing numbers.
The receivers
49ers: Simply the best who ever played the game, Jerry Rice holds every receiving record known to man, and will forever hold them unless Randy Moss grows a third hand at some point in the middle of his career. Although never an All-Pro, John Taylor was the perfect big play compliment to Rice. Tight end Brent Jones was as reliable as any third option in the league.
Rams: Isaac Bruce combines sprinter's speed with two of the best hands in football. His 1,392 receiving yards currently leads the NFC -- amazing considering the surplus of talent surrounding him. Second-year man Torry Holt averages a startling 19.8 yards-per-catch, and is beginning to look more and more like a smaller version of Moss. Az-Zahir Hakim is not only the most electrifying punt returner in football. He has 730 receiving yards -- not bad for a third receiver. With guys like these, who needs a tight end?
Edge: Rams. Although I'd usually rather sit through eight to 10 hours of election coverage than vote against Jerry Rice, the NFL has never seen a fleet of receivers with as much speed, hands and depth as Bruce and Co.
The trenchmen
49ers: Tackles Steve Wallace and Harris Barton generally gave Young enough time to recite poetry before throwing, despite the fact that he was probably the number one target amongst league headhunters. Guards Jesse Sapolu and Derrick Deese weren't big, but moved as well as any linemen in the league. Veteran center Bart Oates was still more than solid in his 10th year in the league.
Rams: Tackle Orlando Pace has firmly justified his being chosen first overall in the '97 Draft, as the 325-pound behemoth might be the league's best tackle, if not lineman, in football. Ryan Tucker has been a solid replacement for Fred Miller at right tackle, and guards Adam Timmerman and Tom Nutten are more efficient than well-known. As long as center Andy McCollum cleanly snaps the ball to money-men Warner and Green, he's doing a great job.
Edge: 49ers. It's hard to argue against the job the Rams trenchmen do in protecting their harem of superstars, but the Niners crew were as savvy as any veteran crew the league has ever seen.
Final score:
Rams 2, Niners 1, with two ties: As far as offenses go, both the '94 49ers and this year's Rams have given defensive coordinators more nightmares than the invention of the veggie burger. But this tale of the tape says the Rams jet-fast conglomerate comes out on top.
Alex Laracy is the assistant editor of MondayNightFootball.com
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