Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Aside; I call them Cash Cards because they look like money to me.
As an old guy I keep getting requests to compare the current version of the team to the 1974-1975 Cards. To me the biggest similarity is the coaching. BA & Coryell are very similar in game philosophy. They both liked to go deep & stretch the field. Aside from that the team's really were not very much alike except they often had to win by scoring continually.
From my perspective the current team is much better. For starters it has far more weapons. The Cardiac boys really had one impact runner, one big threat receiver and an outstanding tight end. Beyond that the skilled positions were manned by role players. The receiver was Mel Gray. Keep in mind it was a 14 game season, still he never broke 1000 yards. He did, however, average nearly 20 yards a catch. Hall-of-Famer Jackie Smith was the tight end. He really personified the proper balance between receiving and blocking. One of the biggest offensive threats in Cards' history was running back Terry Metcalf. So much so that Alex Karass of the Monday Night Football broadcast team named Metcalf his league MVP.
Far more than just a runner in both years he returned kicks for 90+ yard TDs. He'd catch 40 + passes a season and rush for nearly 800 yards. He was easily the biggest offensive threat in the league.
The group's QB was Jim Hart. While not possessing the power arm of Palmer, he was a solid field general who rarely made fatal mistakes.
The real strength of the offense was the line. It was far superior to the Cards current version. Mean and ultra aggressive they seldom gave up sacks and were a short yardage force. They also had a fullback, Jim Otis, who as far as I can remember, was never tackled for a loss. He was the ultimate short yardage weapon. Add in a fine kicker in Jim Bakken and you had the best offense in the NFL.
Sadly the defense never matched the offense. They had some good secondary players, like Wehrli and Thompson, but little else. The front 7 was atrocious. Coryell begged Dollar Bill for help, but none was forthcoming. Look at the draft picks and their careers if you want a good laugh. Bidwill crony George Boone made the picks. He was likely the worst talent evaluator in the history of the NFL. Couple that with Bidwill's insistence to only take players who would negotiate contracts before the draft and you had a disaster of Biblical proportions. The NFL later changed the rules to prevent that practice specifically because of Bidwill.
Today's team has an unimaginable number of offensive weapons, though the line has issues. They have a potentially dominant QB. The defense has outstanding players on the line and likely the deepest secondary in the league. The current team simply has much more talent. The Cardiac Cards were a couple of impact defensive players from contending for a championship. The current incarnation has enough to contend. Still the proof is in the winning. One thing for sure, both teams were great fun to watch.
As an old guy I keep getting requests to compare the current version of the team to the 1974-1975 Cards. To me the biggest similarity is the coaching. BA & Coryell are very similar in game philosophy. They both liked to go deep & stretch the field. Aside from that the team's really were not very much alike except they often had to win by scoring continually.
From my perspective the current team is much better. For starters it has far more weapons. The Cardiac boys really had one impact runner, one big threat receiver and an outstanding tight end. Beyond that the skilled positions were manned by role players. The receiver was Mel Gray. Keep in mind it was a 14 game season, still he never broke 1000 yards. He did, however, average nearly 20 yards a catch. Hall-of-Famer Jackie Smith was the tight end. He really personified the proper balance between receiving and blocking. One of the biggest offensive threats in Cards' history was running back Terry Metcalf. So much so that Alex Karass of the Monday Night Football broadcast team named Metcalf his league MVP.
Far more than just a runner in both years he returned kicks for 90+ yard TDs. He'd catch 40 + passes a season and rush for nearly 800 yards. He was easily the biggest offensive threat in the league.
The group's QB was Jim Hart. While not possessing the power arm of Palmer, he was a solid field general who rarely made fatal mistakes.
The real strength of the offense was the line. It was far superior to the Cards current version. Mean and ultra aggressive they seldom gave up sacks and were a short yardage force. They also had a fullback, Jim Otis, who as far as I can remember, was never tackled for a loss. He was the ultimate short yardage weapon. Add in a fine kicker in Jim Bakken and you had the best offense in the NFL.
Sadly the defense never matched the offense. They had some good secondary players, like Wehrli and Thompson, but little else. The front 7 was atrocious. Coryell begged Dollar Bill for help, but none was forthcoming. Look at the draft picks and their careers if you want a good laugh. Bidwill crony George Boone made the picks. He was likely the worst talent evaluator in the history of the NFL. Couple that with Bidwill's insistence to only take players who would negotiate contracts before the draft and you had a disaster of Biblical proportions. The NFL later changed the rules to prevent that practice specifically because of Bidwill.
Today's team has an unimaginable number of offensive weapons, though the line has issues. They have a potentially dominant QB. The defense has outstanding players on the line and likely the deepest secondary in the league. The current team simply has much more talent. The Cardiac Cards were a couple of impact defensive players from contending for a championship. The current incarnation has enough to contend. Still the proof is in the winning. One thing for sure, both teams were great fun to watch.
