Nice piece on Chuck Noll

When did we begin talking about James Wilder again?

 

The case has been made for a wealth of talent then existent on the roster. Sure, there was some. Some at MLB/ROLB, CB and on the lines. Foster had nine career starts entering that season and was a fifth-round pick, so to think they were very well-situated with him No. 1 on the depth chart in July 1992 is wrong.

BYH, you of all should know there will be no toleration for James Wilder on the holy Steelers threads.

 

Of course they were thin at running back. That doesn't mean Cowher took over a bare cupboard, though. He did lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl with O'Donnell running a shotgun spread offense and handing off to Bam Morris and Erric Pegram.

Thin at running back, yes. But they had talent everywhere else.

 

Weren't talking about the 1995 team. This was about the team that Noll left Cowher, when Morris was still doing bong hits in college.

 

My point was that they were thin at running back for a number of years, until they traded for Bettis, but they still won games -- and went to a Super Bowl in Cowher's fourth season -- in spite of that. Because the talent up and down the roster when Noll left was more than good enough to build on.

 

Yes, the late '80s and early '90s team partly built by Noll was so talented that Rooney gave new director of operations Tom Donahoe more authority than his previous longtime player personnel guy.

 

While you try to figure out what year it is ... you can try shifting the argument however you like, but you can start by admitting that your post got chopped down like a punter's foot in a Jack Del Rio locker room.

 

The lead is fraudulent. Nobody who followed the Steelers then spells Nolls name with a K.
Outside, maybe.
Nobody in Pittsburgh.
Nobody.
Too bad, because it really is a good piece.

 

I think she's got a point here.
Lombardi, Shula, Walsh always get more credit than Noll has. (I remember when Walsh came along after Noll and how quickl the whole genius thing got wrapped around him, even though he was on the heels of Noll's 4 Super Bowls).
She could have elaborated and been more specific to make her point stronger.

 

Nice comparison, actually, though even Foster's workload in 1992 doesn't come close to what Wilder did in '84. It just amazes me that the guy carried the ball 407 times and caught 85 passes in one season.

LJB, I see what you are getting at. Cowher did not have to start from scratch, but he definitely had some rebuilding to do. I think 93Devil pointed out above some of the key players they drafted in '92.

The Steelers did still have running backs who had contributed in the past in '92, such as Merrill Hoge and Warren Williams. Foster got the ball that much because he was so good, not because those two couldn't have taken some of the load. If I remember correctly, Hoge was a little banged up that year, too. Foster had already showed promise in '91, when he averaged 5.1 yards per rush while gaining 488 yards, so it wasn't like he came completely out of nowhere.

 

Nor does Foster approach Wilder's lack of production with those touches.

 

Don't contaminate this discussion with your usual bullshit.

You haven't presented any evidence in your favor on this thread. Do it or step aside.