Wolf Says Holmgren Lost The Super Bowl

[FritzDontBlitz]

The NFC Championship game this year had some similarities to that Super Bowl. The defense was on the field too long, the offense seemed out of sync a lot and unable to use Levens effectively and they were unable to make adjustments when needed. Hopefully M3 will learn from his mistakes in that game when he gets his next chance.

The Packers offense was mostly fine in that Super Bowl--except for the blitzes that Wolf was talking about. Favre threw the ball well when he had time, and Levens ran at will. He should have ran more. We couldn't run the ball at all against the Giants, and then when we had our two best runs, we went away from it. I don't necessarily agree with Wolf. That Super Bowl came down to the Packers inability to stop the run. If they slow Davis down just a bit, they win. The turnovers didn't help, but they should have been overcome. We only had two turnovers. Let's not forget that Elway gift-wrapped an interception that kept us in the game at one point. Frustrating to think that some coaches think they could have dealt with the Broncos new blitz packages though. Maybe that's just sour grapes by those coaches and Wolf though.

I don't see it as sour grapes, I see more of a difference of opinion about why it happened. I tend to relate to what the players said: there were ways to adjust but the coaches got away from them for reasons only they know. I think the phone call - or non-call - from the owner of the Seahawks did more to screw Holmgren's head up than anything Denver did. (Prior to the game, there was controversy when Paul (?) Allen, the owner of the Seahawks, claimed he called Ron Wolf and asked for permission to interview Holmgren to be head coach/gm of Seattle. Wolf denied ever having received such a call, and Holmgren was furious when he found out about it anyway.) He did not call a very good game. Holmgren's comments in the article suggest he'd rather throw Favre under the bus than admit he might have goofed in his gameplanning. Interestingly enough, not one player in the article agrees with him.

I think its telling that even though Holmgren and Lovat say they were prepared for everything Denver threw at them, they spent a huge amount of 1999 rewriting the playbook (50 new protection schemes) to prepare for the type of blitzes they saw in the Super Bowl. That tells me they weren't ready for what they saw.

[b bulldog]

After thinking about this for a little bit I came with this conclusion as have many already. First thing is that this is 10 years old Second thing is and probably most important is that Wolf is always trying to pass the buck. Firast, when the Packers drafted TBuck over Vincent, Wolf blames his defensive coaches for that because they really liked Buckley and talked him into that pick, SECOND, Wolf still will tell anyone who will listen that he didn't reccommend Sherman to be our GM to Harlan. Harlan has stated numerous times that Wold did and lastly, Wolf blames the Jamal"too small" reynolds pick on Sherman when Harlan told a WTMJ reporter during one of his last interviews that Ron was enamored by Reynolds and that the pick was Ron's . I bet Holmgren would look at this differently and he does as he stated in his McDounah interview he did some years back when he told the team what to do when being blitzed.

[Partial]

I think this is a stupid article. Bob McGinn's last two articles have been weak efforts at best.

[twoseven]

Ten years later and it's blame game time. Maybe McGinn can rehash the Mandarich draft pick in his next piece.

[Fritz]

This article's like hosing down your grandma in the backyard.

At first it's kind of fun because the water's real cold and you feel like you're getting her back for all the bad things she's done to you.

Then after a while you realize you're hosing down your naked grandmother and she's sobbing about how cold it is and then you just feel a little gross.

Unless your grandma is a gilf - then you get a little turned on, though you feel kinda creepy.

[Scott Campbell]

Do I ever miss the way we used to gouge teams with the screen pass to Dorsey. Fascinating read.

[woodbuck27]

Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their first NFL championship and break the NFC's streak of Super Bowl victories at 13.

The defending Super Bowl champion Packers took the opening kickoff and marched 76 yards in just over four minutes, scoring the first points on Brett Favre's 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman.

PACKERS 7 - BRONCOS 0

The Broncos responded with a 10-play, 58-yard drive capped by Davis's 1-yard run to tie the game.

7 ALL

Tyrone Braxton intercepted Favre two plays later, and John Elway scored on a third-and-goal play to begin the second quarter.

14 - 7 BRONCOS

Steve Atwater forced Favre to fumble three plays later, and Neil Smith recovered at the Packers' 33. Jason Elam converted a 51-yard field goal, the second longest in Super Bowl history, to give . . .

the Broncos a 17-7 lead with 12:21 left in the half.

After an exchange of punts, the Packers produced a 17-play, 95-yard drive that consumed 7:26 and finished with Favre's 6-yard touchdown pass to Mark Chmura on third-and-5 with 12 seconds left in the half.

17-14 at the half for the Broncos.

Tyrone Williams forced and recovered Davis's fumble at the Broncos' 26 on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. However, the Broncos' defense kept the Packers out of the end zone as Ryan Longwell's 27-yard field goal tied the game with 11:59 left in the third quarter.

17 ALL!

After another exchange of punts, Elway's 36-yard pass to Ed McCaffrey keyed a 13-play, 92-yard drive capped by Davis's 1-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

BRONCOS 24 - PACKERS 17

Tim McKyer recovered Freeman's fumble at the Packers' 22 on the ensuing kickoff return, giving the Broncos a golden opportunity, but Eugene Robinson intercepted Elway's pass in the end zone on the next play.

Sparked by Robinson's play, the Packers took just four plays, three on passes to Freeman, to score the tying touchdown with 13:32 remaining.

SCORE - 24 ALL.

Each defense stiffened, forcing two punts, but the Broncos got great field position following Craig Hentrich's 39-yard punt to the Packers' 49 with 3:27 left and the score tied 24-24.

Davis rushed for two yards on the first play, but Darrius Holland's 15-yard facemask penalty moved the ball to the Packers' 32. Elway threw a 23-yard pass to Howard Griffith two plays later, and after a holding penalty, Davis rushed 17 yards to the Packers' 1 with 1:47 left.

After a timeout, Davis waltzed into the end zone to give Denver a 31-24 lead with 1:45 remaining.

Freeman returned the kickoff 22 yards to the Packers' 30, and Favre completed 22- and 13-yard screen passes to Dorsey Levens to reach the Broncos' 35 with 1:04 left.

But after a 4-yard pass to Levens and incompletions to Freeman and Brooks, John Mobley knocked away Favre's pass to Chmura with 32 seconds left to give the Broncos the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Elway was 12 of 22 for 123 yards, with an interception.

Favre was 25 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown, with one interception.

Freeman had nine receptions for 126 yards.

Terrell Davis was named the game's most valuable player.

This was it for me:

Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their first NFL championship and break the NFC's streak of Super Bowl victories at 13.

[Scott Campbell]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Good comments all.

Sour Grapes is always low class.

Yeah the D had a tough nite. That was the virtual unveiling of the Gibbs ZBS and Fritz was unsure how stop it. Gary Zimmmermann spanked the pathetic Darius Holland play after play. The loss of Gabe Wilkins was huge and never was compensated for.

I've always thought that this game left bad blood BTW Wolf and MH. The move a few years later to make Shermie HC & GM was to slap Holmey. It was like, "we couldn't do that for you, but this guy is a team guy and we'll give it to him".

I think Harlan and Wolf wanted to rub MH's nose in it a little.

Gabe definitely hurt, but i also remember that Holmgren made a choice not to have another DL on the active lineup..went with I think and offensive player.

I can't recall who that DL was, but i remember thinking during the game, geez we need that guy out there...well, we a body at least.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

You ever get the feeling Woody taught 3rd graders for like 40 years?

[Scott Campbell]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

You ever get the feeling Woody taught 3rd graders for like 40 years?

No, not at all. Though I do get the feeling that 3rd graders may have taught Woody for 40 years.

[woodbuck27]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

How's that plowboy?

[Scott Campbell]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

How's that plowboy?

Actually that's a nice start. Well done.

[woodbuck27]

Woody, I sure hope you dress better than you post. What an abortion. People are trying to read these things. Even the couple of people who like you complain about it.


I think Mad should consider disabling the graphics features like bold and font size selections. It's too bad that one old coot has to ruin it for everybody else. IMO.

How's that plowboy?

Actually that's a nice start. Well done.

What . . . no Star?

[pbmax]

This week is bad enough without reliving that game. Maybe McGinn can call up some Cleveland beat reporters, talk to Brian Sipe and Schottenheimer and retell the Red Right 88 game. Or The Drive. Or The Fumble. Then you can all visit my grave.