jgtengineer
Helluva Engineer
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Everything in football is a product of the environment around it. Especially defense. There are many reasons that Tenuta's D's were as good as they were that you can't even do now.
DB rules on pass interference were different, basically tenuta's zone could rely on drilling receivers that got open in a way that is pretty much illegal now.
Offensive holding was more strictly called. You couldn't basically bear hug a defensive player like pass happy offenses do now.
The proliferation of the power spread wasn't a thing, everyone ran run first offenses. Even the more pass happy offenses were out of traditional run sets. This meant that a run blitz would often catch a play action or 5 step drop pass as well. And since holding rules were more strict, a twist with a blitzing linebacker might not get to the QB but it would probably pull a hold.
Offenses being more run heavy in general lead to fewer possessions over all. Basically games were just shorter as both teams sought to play the NFL game and control field position and TOP. How many games during the Gailey years were truly offensive shootouts in the ACC.
These offenses also played a game that played into our strengths. Dodd once said " we may not be bigger or stronger, but we are smarter." So if an opposing team read blitz sometimes their QB would check wrong, or would check and we woudl counter on the field from the MLB ( daryl smith, wheeler). In the blitzkrieg check with me offenses of today there is no time for that.
A change to offsides rulings on the defense made guessign the snap more risky. Early on (2003-2005) unless you made contact you could get back. Now you just have to cause movement.
Package substitution is much harder now. You can really only sub if the offense does as most offenses don't huddle at all.
