Shula / Noll
- Thread starter TFBaum
- Start date
I hear it suggested that it was better that Marino did not become a Steeler. After hearing Bradshaw cry about Noll maybe it was best for Marino. With that said oh what a story that would have made.
Many people don't know that Don Shula once drove the length of I90 wearing a girl's head as a hat the whole way.
Noll was also DC under Shula when he coached the Colts and as the story goes, Shula recommended him to Rooney.
Not sure how history would have played out but I think the "it was better for Dan" stories are just an easy way around criticizing the Steelers for not doing a better job vetting the HOF QB in their backyard.
Yes. Both played for Brown and later Noll coached with Shula. The famous Jets upset of Shula's Colts was the last game Noll coached with Shula and Shula's recommendation of Noll to Dan Rooney was a major factor in the Steelers hiring Noll.
That's bullshit. Bradshaw admits today that Noll made him what he became. The feud was one sided. Noll was all business and Bradshaw needed a pat on the rump instead of an ass chewing.
Gabe Rivera getting into that accident kind of throws a wrench into a lot of the arguments, if he lived up to the hype he makes a good Steelers defense a great Steeler defense for the rest of the decade.
Also the local press was vicious towards Marino when he was in college and they would have been worse if he was a Steeler.
True and probably true. Still, it's hard to believe that Marino wouldn't have found success.
I think Noll is the greatest coach of all time.
I’d love to know what the locals were saying before the draft? Were Steelers fans hell bent on wanting Marino, or was the talk that defense was needed since the D-line needed ends and the secondary was subpar? Terry tied for the NFL lead in TD passes in 1982 and nobody knew he was was going to have elbow surgery performed by a Louisiana doctor that winter.
The plus side there is that it would have exposed their general level of stupidity even more when they were criticizing the guy who ended up one of the best quarterbacks in football history.
Imagine the reaction when a moron like Smizik was ripping on a local hero Stiller quarterback in the middle of a 40 touchdown season.
I agree on everything up to the 40 touchdown season. I don't think Chuck Noll's offense would ever allow for a 40 touchdown QB performance.
I feel Dan Marino would have had a HOF career with Pittsburgh, but not the record setting career he had at Miami, in Shula's offense.
Maybe not 40, but I'll bet it would have at least been close. Remember that Bradshaw led the NFL in touchdown passes twice, including the strike shortened season the year before Marino's rookie year. Noll was smart enough to change his offense to suit his talent, so he would have found a way to play to Marino's strengths.
That 1984 Steeler team with Marino at QB beats the 49ers in the Super Bowl, remember the Steelers were the only team to beat San Francisco that year and Chuck knew how to shut down the West Coast Offense.
I've always pictured Marino's career with the Steelers post 1984 season being not that much different than his with the Dolphins, he's going to put up great numbers but loose way to many games 38-35, outside of Rod Woodson in 1987 The Steelers drafted pretty bad in the first round during the 80's so it's not like Marino's playing on teams that different from the ones he played on in Miami.
I agree PIT wins that 1984 SB with Marino because the mediocre Steelers defensive backs could hang with Clark/Solomon, who weren't nearly as good as Rice/Taylor. Also, the Steelers linebackers could match up with the 49ers backs and tight ends in coverage.
I always thought the same about PIT's drafting in the 80s even with Marino, but I think having Marino would have altered who the Steelers drafted for the most part. Maybe not, but with Martino more wins means drafting lower and maybe forced to take another player.
Smizik and the rest of the Fake News bunch had already convinced half the NFL Marino was a stoner.
strike 1: he was lazy and ego maniac. Strike 2: stoner. And of course the defining standard for Pittsburgh Fake News... strike 3: he played for Pitt.
He might not have set all those records, as Noll would of probably used him as a hand off monkey to get the ball to Merrill Hoge
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