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131-582: With Dan Fouts as quarterback, the San Diego Chargers' offense was among the greatest passing offenses in National Football League history. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985. They also led the league in total yards in offense from 1978 to 1983 and in 1985. Dan Fouts , Charlie Joiner , Kellen Winslow , and Don Coryell would all be inducted into

262-543: A 1983 interview, he added, "We really didn't have an offensive coordinator or quarterback coach , so I had to fall back on what I'd learned from John Robinson , my offensive coordinator at Oregon." Starting in February 1976, Fouts worked out three times a week with Bill Walsh , who spent that year as the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Fouts would later describe the sessions: "He showed me how to set up, how to hold

393-576: A 24–3 defeat. Prothro resigned after the Green Bay defeat with the team's record at 1–3; his replacement, Don Coryell , would be a key figure in Fouts' career. Coryell was an offensive-minded coach who favored the passing game. He later wrote of Fouts, "The first few times I saw him throw the ball, I knew that he would be our quarterback, and that he would be a great one." Recalling Coryell's first team talk, Fouts said, "I went home that day, and I had

524-475: A 41–0 home loss to Atlanta , with the Associated Press reporting that he "frequently threw off balance and into a crowd of defenders." Fouts finished the season ranked 12th by passer rating in the 13-team American Football Conference (AFC). He was benched in favor of Wayne Clark for four weeks late in the season as the Chargers struggled to a 2–11–1 record. Speaking in 1985, Fouts described

655-529: A 6–0 record, and Fouts was named to the WCAL All-Star first-team. He nearly reversed his touchdown to interceptions ratio, with 16 touchdowns and two interceptions. St. Ignatius went 5–1 in Fouts' senior year but he passed much less as his team focused more on their running game . Fouts was not a highly sought recruit when he accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Oregon to play for

786-526: A Coryell offense. His offense featured a smash mouth running game with 3 different running backs, Hall of Famer John Riggins , George Rogers and Earnest Byner , behind a massive offensive line known as the "Hogs." Gibbs's offense also showcased a 3-receiver deep air attack featuring Hall of Famer Art Monk , Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders , known as "The Posse". Gibbs usually kept the tight end in as an extra blocker, especially to neutralize pass rushing specialist and Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor of

917-416: A blitz is coming, this is a common play called to counter it, and the overpursuing nature of the blitz leaves the running back, and then the quarterback wide open with the possibility of gaining huge chunks of yardage. The "quarterback throwback" has been known to force defenses to blitz less, because one successful play can turn into a quick touchdown with a mobile quarterback. The "middle screen", which has

1048-473: A broken thumb ended his season. Fouts ranked 11th in the AFC for passer rating. Freitas started the final three games and contributed two of the Chargers' five wins on the season; Prothro declined to comment when asked about his future intentions with regard to Fouts and Freitas, except to say that he had no plans to draft another quarterback. Fouts and Freitas continued to vie for the starting position entering

1179-404: A defender in the wrong position. The offense did not have any set formations, as receivers could line up anywhere on any given pass play. Passes were thrown to a spot before the receiver even got there, allowing defenders no hint where the pass was being targeted. Each receiver had two or three different route options they could adjust depending on the coverage during the play. Throwing a deep pass

1310-518: A former Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers head coach, and offensive coordinator for many NFL teams (most notably for the Dallas Cowboys during the early 1990s), also implemented a version of the Coryell style of offense. The Turner version of Coryell offenses relied on a good receiving TE. Turner's systems sometimes featured an 'F-Back' (formerly known as an 'H-Back' in the 1980s),

1441-614: A forward. Fouts transferred to St. Ignatius College Preparatory , also in San Francisco, for his final two years of high school. Explaining the switch to St. Ignatius in 2013, he said, "My dad told me 'You’re not going to get a scholarship at Marin Catholic; you’re going to get it at St. Ignatius.'" In 1967, Fouts' junior year, St. Ignatius was the champion of the West Catholic Athletic League with

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1572-557: A game-tying touchdown pass with 58 seconds to play, then set up Rolf Benirschke 's winning field goal with a 39-yard completion to Joiner in overtime . He set NFL playoff records for pass attempts (53), completions (33), and yards (433). Fouts described the Epic in Miami as the greatest game he'd played in. He said, "I don't know what's ahead but I can't imagine how it can get any more difficult than this one." The Chargers moved on to face

1703-681: A greater emphasis on sideline throws than the Chargers used. Turner's take on the Coryell system turned around the career of Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman , and has also proven to be very successful with talented high draft picks struggling with the complexities of the NFL, such as Alex Smith . Turner's variant is not the most robust flavor of the Air Coryell offense. It is a very sound, QB friendly scheme that favors taking controlled chances, like quicker midrange post passes to WRs off play action rather than slower developing passes that leave QBs exposed. It

1834-555: A head coach, however, has only seen limited results. Turner first served as head coach of the Washington Redskins from 1994 to 2000, but the team only made the playoffs once, in 1999. He also served as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2004 to 2005, but endured 2 more losing seasons. Turner did, however, enjoy a good amount of success as San Diego Chargers head coach from 2007 to 2012. During his time with

1965-408: A hybrid tight end/wide receiver/fullback/running back. An F-Back is a multi-purpose, unpredictable tool for the offense. On any play he might carry the ball, lead block or pass block, play as a wide receiver, or run a tight end route. He is also part decoy, as his unpredictable role forces defenses to keep an eye on him, thereby opening up other opportunities for the offense. Originally it was known as

2096-451: A league MVP award from the PFWA , as well as the player-awarded Jim Thorpe Trophy . He was also voted to another Pro Bowl (where he was the game's co-MVP) and named an AP first-team All-Pro. After his Offensive MVP award, Fouts questioned the value of giving individual awards in a team sport, saying, "It's nice to be singled out, but they probably shouldn't give out any awards... Our society

2227-402: A lot of repetition. Coryell expanded on those principles by putting receivers in motion . With the new defensive rules limiting contact to near the line of scrimmage , receivers in motion would be virtually impossible to jam. Coryell not only placed wide receivers in motion, he did so with tight ends and running backs as well. Putting the players in motion also had the advantage of allowing

2358-559: A proposed San Diego–based USFL franchise but returned to the Chargers because he wanted to win a Super Bowl. His agent Howard Slusher claimed that Fouts had been on the verge of signing a USFL contract but backed out because he felt he had unfinished work with the Chargers. Slusher reported that the six-year contract could potentially pay upward of $ 1 million per year, making it one of the most lucrative in pro football history up to that point. During preseason, Fouts missed some playing time with an arch injury. More injuries followed once

2489-602: A quarterback, as he had shown a good throwing arm while playing Little League baseball . He played Pop Warner football for the Drake Junior Pirates, where his coach described him as an "outstanding quarterback" in 1964. Fouts attended Marin Catholic High School , located just north of San Francisco in Kentfield, California , for his first two years and started some games as a sophomore in

2620-468: A result, more defensive backs were drafted, and linebackers that could also cover inside receivers were sought. Defenses were altered to use nickel and dime defenses in response to offensive formation; their usage was no longer limited to down and distance. Former head coach Dick Vermeil said no other NFL offense "performs more efficiently or scores more points" than the Coryell offense. Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951)

2751-488: A rule that would require potential teams to give the Chargers two first-round draft picks in compensation. Fouts continued to criticize the NFLPA for the state of NFL free agency, describing it as "another example of how the players have been misled and misguided by Garvey and his troops." On April 7, the Associated Press reported that he had scheduled a meeting with the newly-formed United States Football League (USFL) about

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2882-482: A run defender who could not cover a tight end as fast as Winslow. Providing another defender to help the strong safety opened up other holes. Head coach Jon Gruden called Winslow the first "joker" in the NFL. He could line up unpredictably in any formation from a three-point stance as a blocker to a two-point stance or being in motion as a receiver. After the Chargers in 1980 acquired running back Chuck Muncie ,

3013-404: A short pass to a wide receiver, and run the opposite direction, with releasing linemen in front of him. The running back or wideout will then lateral, or "throw it back" to the quarterback, with offensive linemen leading him downfield. This is also known as a "Blitz Beater" or "Blitz" for short because it's almost always used against a blitz-heavy defense, also called that because when you can tell

3144-403: A spot on time where the receiver can catch and turn upfield. Pass protection is critical to success because at least two of the five receivers will run a deep in, skinny post, comeback, speed out, or shallow cross. Overall, the goal of the Coryell offense is to have at least two downfield, fast wide receivers who adjust to the deep pass very well, combined with a sturdy pocket quarterback with

3275-592: A strong arm. The Coryell offense uses three key weapons. The first is a strong inside running game, the second is its ability to strike deep with two or more receivers on any play, and the third is to not only use those two attacks in cooperation with each other, but to include a great deal of mid-range passing to a TE, WR, or back. The Coryell offense introduced the concept of a tight end that ran wide receiver-type routes with Kellen Winslow in 1980. Tight ends previously were primarily blockers lined up next to an offensive lineman and ran short to medium drag routes . Winslow

3406-534: A winless season when Fouts led them to a pair of victories in December. With only two touchdown passes all season, Fouts finished with the 12th best passer rating in the AFC. Through his first three seasons in the league, Fouts had thrown 16 touchdowns and 36 interceptions while completing less than half his passes. The following year, he said the Chargers had been running a "very basic, antiquated offense" in 1974 and 1975. Reflecting on his first three seasons in

3537-464: A year behind" in August, and Fouts himself did not anticipate much play as a rookie . Once the 1973 season began, Unitas soon received a career-ending shoulder injury which caused Fouts to see far more play than expected. His first appearance came in week 4 when he entered a game at Pittsburgh at the start of the second half with the Chargers trailing 38–0. Fouts threw his first career touchdown in

3668-626: Is a more sound variant than Martz's scheme, offering a little more blocking and more run support for the quarterback. The Saunders variant pulls in many Coryell concepts that the Turner system eliminated in favor of simplicity. Saunders only went 17-22 in 2 1/2 years as a head coach. The Coryell offense attacked vertically through seams , while the West Coast offense moved laterally as much as vertically through angles on curl and slant routes . The Coryell offense had lower completion percentages than

3799-416: Is almost exclusively run out of the pro set. Turner favors a more limited palette of plays than Coryell and most other Coryell disciples, instead insisting on precise execution. His offenses are usually towards the top of the league standings, but are often labeled predictable. His offenses tend to include a strong offensive line, a strong running game, a #1 WR who can stretch the field and catch jump balls in

3930-417: Is also known as the "Coryell offense", although the "vertical offense" is another accepted name. In NFL coaching circles, the most famous and successful advocates of the Air Coryell system are Norv Turner , Mike Martz and Al Saunders . Norv Turner first learned the offense from longtime Coryell assistant Ernie Zampese . As offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys , Turner ran Coryell's offense with

4061-509: Is an American former professional football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973–1987). After a relatively undistinguished first five seasons in the league, Fouts came to prominence as an on-field leader during the Chargers' Air Coryell period. He led the league in passing yards every year from 1979 to 1982, throwing for over 4,000 yards in

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4192-533: Is better suited for a veteran quarterback. It does not insist on size at wide receiver or halfback like the Turner variant and as such has difficulties in short yardage and red zone situations. It does not require a pair of dominant fast receivers like the Martz system, and is not as aggressive attacking down the field. Consequently, the Saunders system does not score as many points as the Martz system. Saunders's scheme

4323-452: Is protected by a screen of blockers. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen . Screens are usually deployed against aggressive defenses that rush the passer. Because screens invite the defense to rush the quarterback , they are designed to leave fewer defensive players behind

4454-415: Is so hung up on the star system and singling out people." San Diego traveled to Pittsburgh for the first round of the playoffs. The Steelers led 28–17 in the final quarter before Fouts finished consecutive drives with touchdown passes to Winslow and the Chargers won 31–28. Fouts threw three touchdowns in total and passed for 333 yards. San Diego moved on to Miami for a playoff rematch that would pit

4585-471: The 1975 season . Both struggled in preseason, and the Chargers added veteran quarterback Virgil Carter to their roster. All three quarterbacks played in the regular season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers , generating only 145 yards of offense in a 37–0 defeat. Two weeks later, Fouts was the only quarterback Prothro used against the Oakland Raiders . His home crowd booed him when he

4716-672: The 1983 season began : Fouts sprained a wrist against the Cleveland Browns in week 4 and was knocked out of a win at the New York Giants in week 5 with a bruised shoulder. He also played with a sore thumb. In week 7, a hit by Andre Tippett of the New England Patriots further injured Fouts' shoulder and caused him to miss over a month. This broke a string of 74 consecutive starts that stretched back to 1978. Luther filled in for him and struggled, with

4847-861: The Associated Press (AP) All-West Coast team. Fouts was invited to the East–West Shrine Bowl (which he missed due to a foot injury), the Senior Bowl , and the Coaches All-America Game (where he broke his collarbone on his first play from scrimmage ). At the time of his graduation, Fouts' career passing yardage ranked No.1 in Oregon history, No. 2 in the Pac-8 and No. 7 in the NCAA . He set 19 Oregon records, including career passing yardage (5,995) and total offense (5,871), and he

4978-675: The Bengals in Cincinnati for the AFC championship. The game became known as the Freezer Bowl , which was played in frigid and windy conditions; a gameday temperature of −9 °F (−22.8 °C) contrasting with the 88 °F (31.1 °C) weather in Miami the previous week. Fouts struggled to grip the ball and passed for only 185 yards as the Chargers were defeated 27–7. He left the field with icicles having formed in his beard. Coryell later recalled, "Dan couldn't even talk to me on

5109-581: The Ducks in Eugene . It was the only offer from a major college that he received. Fouts didn't play for the Ducks during his first year at Oregon ( 1969 ), instead he started for the freshman team . In 1970 , he began the season as a backup to veteran passer Tom Blanchard . In the opening game, a 31–24 victory over California , Fouts came off the bench and threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including

5240-620: The New York Giants . Gibbs, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his success as Redskins head coach, is also the first head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks: Joe Theismann , Doug Williams , and Mark Rypien . Gibbs also coached the Redskins from 2004 to 2007, but was unable to duplicate the success he enjoyed during his first term in Washington. Norv Turner ,

5371-497: The Oakland Raiders with a place in the Super Bowl at stake. Fouts had a mixed first half, as he threw two touchdown passes to Joiner and two red zone interceptions. Joiner's second touchdown began a comeback attempt from 28–7 behind that fell short; Oakland won 34–27 despite Fouts' total of 336 passing yards. Fouts was described by a Gannett article as "deeply depressed" afterwards. He said, "the disappointment of not making

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5502-477: The Pro Football Hall of Fame from those Charger teams. Before Coryell, NFL teams generally used the pro set formation in ball-control, grind-it-out-style offenses that used play-action fakes to set up deep passing attempts when defenses stacked up vs the running game. The pro set features a tight end, two wide receivers, a halfback, and a fullback, often split behind the quarterback. On pass plays,

5633-794: The West Coast offense until an article about San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh in Sports Illustrated in the early 80s incorrectly called Walsh's offense "the West Coast offense", and this mis-labelling stuck. Subsequently, Coryell's offense scheme was referred to as "Air Coryell"—the name announcers had assigned to his high powered Charger offenses in San Diego, featuring 3 Hall of Famers in QB Dan Fouts , WR Charlie Joiner , & TE Kellen Winslow , as well as Pro Bowl WR Wes Chandler & HB Chuck Muncie . Today it

5764-560: The regular season as the starter. San Diego lost their first game to the Houston Oilers, but Fouts got his first career win in week 2, leading a 98-yard 4th quarter drive for the winning touchdown. The Chargers lost their next five games, culminating in a 24–14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in which Fouts threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, prompting his home fans to start chanting for Freitas to play. In

5895-415: The 1973 Chargers as a team in "turmoil, total disarray," and criticized the coaches for not letting him work with Unitas and benefit from his knowledge. Unitas announced his retirement before the 1974 season , leaving Fouts to compete with rookie Jesse Freitas for the starting job. New head coach Tommy Prothro singled out Fouts as giving the only good performance during a preseason loss so he began

6026-404: The 4th quarter (a 13-yarder to Jerry LeVias ), led two further touchdown drives, and finished the game 38–21. He made his first start the following week, throwing two further touchdowns in a 27–17 loss to the Oakland Raiders . United Press International described his performance as that of a "bona fide NFL quarterback." He struggled in his next game, where he was intercepted four times during

6157-514: The AFC playoffs, and hosted the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round . The Chargers trailed 14–13 with a little over two minutes to play, facing a 3rd and 10 at midfield; Fouts threw to little-used wide receiver Ron Smith for what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown. He finished with two touchdowns and 314 yards against a Bills defense that was known for being strong against passing offenses. The following week, San Diego hosted

6288-554: The CBA required all players to pay union fees even if they were not members, with suspension compulsory if they refused. While he had paid under protest in 1978, Fouts refused to do so in subsequent seasons. Klein did not suspend Fouts as requested and he claimed that NFLPA executive director Ed Garvey was making a grandstanding move before the Chargers' potentially crucial final game, accusing him of vindictiveness and incompetence. Garvey said that Klein's failure to penalize Fouts could lead

6419-622: The Chargers during the off-season after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts . Fouts' broken collarbone in the Coaches All-America Game happened after he was drafted. The Chargers management had not wanted him to play in the game because of the risk of injury. Fouts missed the start of training camp while holding out for more money, then he further missed the first three preseason games while recovering from his injury. Head coach Harland Svare described Fouts as "about

6550-588: The Chargers to three consecutive AFC West division titles (1979–1981), and a playoff appearance in 1982. He was the winning quarterback of the Epic in Miami , when he broke the league playoff single-game record by passing for 433 yards. The Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship Game twice during his career, but never reached the Super Bowl . Fouts was the first quarterback to be inducted into

6681-469: The Chargers winning only one of five games during Fouts' absence. After returning for three games, Fouts sustained a third shoulder injury and missed the season finale. He only played in ten games but was still voted to his fifth straight Pro Bowl after finishing with the third best passer rating in the AFC. The 1984 Chargers began 4–2, with Fouts leading the offense to the top of the league in passing yards and total yards. They won only three games for

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6812-460: The Chargers' offense up to that point, began to emphasize the passing game more during the last three games of the season. Fouts responded with a total of 917 yards and 9 touchdowns as the Chargers won all three, giving him seven consecutive victories as a starter. He passed for 369 yards in the season finale, tying Tobin Rote 's franchise record. Fouts finished with the third-best passer rating in

6943-484: The Chargers' top-ranked offense against the Dolphins' top-ranked defense. The Miami defense proved the decisive factor as they intercepted Fouts five times and allowed him only 191 yards. The resulting 34–13 defeat was the last playoff game of Fouts' career. Fouts' five-year contract with the Chargers expired on February 1, 1983, making him a free agent. He was unable to get offers from other teams, in part because of

7074-474: The Chargers, Turner's system helped quarterback Philip Rivers set new franchise records for single-season quarterback rating and touchdown passes in 2008. Besides Rivers, the Chargers featured a strong running game, starring Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson . Turner's offense also had a potent passing game, which featured multiple-time Pro Bowl TE Antonio Gates . San Diego won 3 straight AFC West division titles, from 2007 to 2009. However, despite having one of

7205-410: The Coryell offense. Head coach Bill Belichick notes that the pass-catching tight ends that get paid the most money are "all direct descendants of Kellen Winslow" and there are fewer tight ends now that can block on the line. Former defensive coordinator Joe Collier credits the Coryell offense with creating an evolution by using multiple receivers, forcing defenses to counter with different packages. As

7336-583: The Kansas City Chiefs from 2001 to 2005. Despite having decent success in Kansas City, he wasn't able to lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl appearance. However, in 2022, Vermeil earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work as an NFL head coach. Al Saunders was the former wide receiver coach under Don Coryell in San Diego, and he succeeded him as head coach of the Chargers in

7467-471: The NFL from jobs with college football teams, he set the league on its ear with his passing offenses. He won two consecutive division titles (1974–1975) with the St. Louis Cardinals , whose offense emphasized the pass while running the standard pro set. Coryell moved to the Chargers and reached the playoffs in four consecutive seasons that included three straight division titles (1979–1982). The Chargers in 1979 were

7598-402: The NFL now, and so many teams are running a version of the Coryell offense. Coaches have added their own touches, but it's still Coryell's offense. He has disciples all over the league. He changed the game". The Coryell offense is based on Sid Gillman 's offense that required the defense to defend the entire field. The passing game was based on timing and rhythm, and coaching the system required

7729-583: The NFL single-season record for passing yards each time. Fouts' performance was rewarded by six Pro Bowl selections (1979–1983 & 1985) and four All-Pro selections (first team in 1979 and 1982, second team in 1980 and 1985). In the strike-shortened 1982 season, he passed for 2,883 yards in only nine games, winning the Associated Press (AP) Offensive Player of the Year and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) NFL Most Valuable Player honors. Fouts led

7860-445: The NFL's most talented rosters, Turner was never able to guide the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Norv Turner also owns the rather dubious distinction of having the most career wins of any NFL head coach with a career losing record, compiling an overall record of 118-126-1 (.484), regular season and playoff games combined. The Mike Martz variant was a much more aggressive passing offense, frequently deploying pre-snap motion and shifts, with

7991-549: The NFLPA to seek a legal termination of the CBA, which would leave the players free to strike at any time. This possibility was averted when a pair of Charger fans volunteered to pay the outstanding amount of $ 1,122. Garvey accepted the fan payment, though he still took Klein to court for his initial refusal to carry out the suspension. Fouts received an award from the National Right to Work Committee for his stance against compulsory union membership; he explained that he

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8122-424: The Pac-8 for passing yards. When Oregon replaced their head coach Jerry Frei at the end of the year, Fouts was one of seven players on the committee of fifteen who chose the replacement, Dick Enright. Fouts broke the Oregon record for career passing yardage early in the 1972 season , which ended with a 4–7 record. In his last game as a Duck he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass and Oregon beat Oregon State for

8253-449: The Pac-8, while his 212.1 yards of total offense per game were tenth in the nation. UPI named him as an honorable mention in their season-ending all-coast team. The Salem Capital Journal described Fouts as a sophomore with "the poise of a senior ." Fouts entered 1971 as an established and highly rated starter. He missed two and a half games of the Ducks' 5–6 season due to knee ligament damage, but he still ranked third in

8384-473: The Pro Football Hall of Fame without appearing in either the Super Bowl or an NFL championship game . After retiring from the league, Fouts was a color analyst for NFL games on CBS television and Westwood One radio. He is the son of Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer Bob Fouts . Dan Fouts was born in San Francisco on June 10, 1951 to Julie and Bob Fouts , the fourth of five children. His father

8515-501: The Rams' receiving core was impressive, featuring 4 strong wide receivers: Hall of Fame WR Isaac Bruce , Torry Holt , Ricky Proehl and Az-Zahir Hakim . When Vermeil retired after Super Bowl XXXIV, Martz replaced him as head coach, starting in the 2000 season. The Rams set a new NFL record for total offensive yards that same season, with 7,335. 5,492 of those were passing yards, also a new NFL team record. From 1999 to 2001, St. Louis became

8646-594: The Super Bowl will hang heavy on my mind during the off-season." Fouts was again the league's passing yardage leader in 1981 , and the Chargers won their third straight AFC West title with a 10–6 record. He had to overcome the loss of one of his leading receivers, as Jefferson was traded after holding out for more money; San Diego brought in Wes Chandler from the New Orleans Saints as a replacement and their offense continued to statistically dominate

8777-526: The West Coast offense, but the returns were greater on a successful play. "The Coryell offense required more talented players, a passer who could get the ball there, and men who can really run—a lot of them," said Walsh. He said the West Coast offense was developed out of necessity to operate with less talented players. He noted, "[Coryell] already had the talent and used it brilliantly." Former head coach Marty Schottenheimer said "putting three receivers on one side and flooding that area" probably originated from

8908-560: The Year (outvoted 39–34). He was named a Pro Bowler and an AP first-team All-Pro . Other organizations to select him as their All-NFL quarterback included UPI, Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America . San Diego's return to the playoffs ended in disappointment, where they lost 17–14 at home to the wildcard Houston Oilers . Fouts completed 25 of 47 passes for 333 yards, no touchdowns, and five interceptions. Fouts said after

9039-430: The attempt by Fouts to become a free agent. Klein said that Fouts had been given bad advice by his lawyer, and would be welcomed back to the team. Fouts reported to the Chargers on November 17, 125 days late, having accrued $ 62,500 in fines. He declined to comment on his holdout to the press. Chargers player representative Pat Curran stated that the team welcomed Fouts back, suggesting that his criticisms of Prothro and

9170-480: The ball popularized by the Utah Utes football team and Lee Grosscup . The play is commonly used by teams that use a spread offense . The quarterback drops back as if he is going to pass the ball deep. The offensive line sets up in pass protection for usually one to two seconds, then releases and lets the defensive line go. The player receiving the screen pass moves behind the releasing linemen and waits for

9301-471: The ball, where to throw and why. That's a large part of my success." He also praised Walsh for introducing a more complex offensive system. Fouts and the Chargers began the 1976 season in good form; they reached a 3–0 record with a 43–24 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals where Fouts threw four touchdown passes. Fouts was the league's No. 1 rated passer at that stage, though the defenses he had faced were not highly regarded. His performances worsened as

9432-407: The ball. The outside receivers run clear-out routes in order to make a path for the screen coming behind them. If run properly, the defensive backs will be run out of the play by the receivers, and the defensive line will penetrate too far to stop the short pass from being thrown. The only defenders left will be linebackers, which will be picked up by the "screen" of offensive linemen in front of

9563-411: The biggest canary-eating grin on... He talked about fun, passing, moving the ball, flying around the field, hitting people. All the things I wanted to hear." San Diego lost three of Coryell's first four games, then won their next four to preserve a small chance of making the playoffs . Fouts missed the next game because of an ankle injury, and San Diego lost 23–0. Coryell, who had made few changes to

9694-524: The eighth-best passer rating in the AFC, and led the conference in both pass attempts (359) and completions (208). San Diego sports journalist Jack Murphy described 1976 as a year of "much growth" for Fouts, and the departing Walsh predicted that he would have a fine career in the league. San Diego acquired quarterback James Harris from the Los Angeles Rams during the off-season, with head coach Tommy Prothro stating that he wanted depth at

9825-671: The end-zone, a good receiving TE to attack the space the WRs create in the middle of the field and a FB who fills the role of a lead blocker and a final option as an outlet receiver. In Dallas, Turner helped make RB Emmitt Smith & WR Michael Irvin Hall of Famers, and TE Jay Novacek a five time Pro Bowler. As offensive coordinator of the Cowboys under head coach Jimmy Johnson , Norv Turner enjoyed great success, piloting Dallas to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 and 1993 . His record as

9956-435: The entire nature of the league from a run-first league to a pass-first one. As of 2022, most NFL offenses' passing games are based at least partially on Coryell conventions. Mike Martz , who ran The Greatest Show on Turf with the St. Louis Rams , said, "Don is the father of the modern passing game. People talk about the West Coast offense , but Don started the 'West Coast' decades ago and kept updating it. You look around

10087-447: The fall of 1966. He temporarily lost his starting position after play that was described as "extremely jittery" by the local San Rafael Daily Independent Journal , but an end of season report from the same paper stated that he should improve with better protection. The team had a record of 0–6 and Fouts finished the season with nine interceptions and only one touchdown . While at Marin Catholic, he also played varsity basketball as

10218-455: The feat. Fouts was again named to the Pro Bowl squad; he was a second-team AP All-Pro behind Brian Sipe of the Cleveland Browns . Joiner said of Fouts at this point, "Dan has definitely matured over the last four years. His quickness of release is better, he's improved at reading defenses, he's better at going to the receiver who's open." San Diego again had home field advantage in

10349-542: The final week of the regular season, San Diego needed another win over Oakland and a Denver loss to make the playoffs as division champions. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) ordered the Chargers to suspend Fouts before the regular season finale for non-payment of union fees. Fouts had not been a member of the NFLPA since 1976, when left because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that he had opposed in court in 1977. The terms of

10480-485: The finale that Fouts was "his vintage horrid self of all his bad games of the past." Fouts signed a new five-year contract with the Chargers during the off-season, and was selected as the starter ahead of Harris. He sustained a jammed thumb early in the 1978 season and didn't start in week 4 against the Green Bay Packers , instead coming off the bench and throwing two of the Chargers' five interceptions in

10611-473: The first AFC Western Division champion to run more passing plays (541) than rushing (481). Coryell's Chargers teams led the league in passing in seven of eight years. The Pro Football Hall of Fame called the Chargers' offenses under Coryell "one of the most explosive and exciting offenses that ever set foot on an NFL field." Coryell was the first coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level. Coryell's offensive innovations changed

10742-409: The first thirteen games of the season, before injuring his groin and missing the remaining three. His total of 3,740 yards was still the second highest in the AFC. Over the 1983 and 1984 seasons, San Diego averaged 26.2 points per game when Fouts played and 16.6 per game when he did not. Screen pass A screen pass is a play in gridiron football consisting of a short pass to a receiver who

10873-537: The first three of these—no quarterback had previously posted consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. Fouts was voted a Pro Bowler six times, first-team All-Pro twice, and in 1982 he was the Offensive Player of the Year . He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility. Fouts played college football for the Oregon Ducks , where he broke numerous records and later he

11004-498: The first time in his career when San Diego went 12–4 in 1979 and won the AFC West . He finished the season with 4,082 yards passing, breaking Joe Namath 's NFL record of 4,007. He set an NFL record with four consecutive 300-yard games, while his total of six such games tied Joe Namath 's league record. With 332 completions out of 530 attempts, Fouts' completion percentage of 62.2% led the league, while his passer rating of 82.6

11135-582: The first time in nine years. At the end of the season, Fouts ranked second in the Pac-8 for passing yards and touchdowns behind Mike Boryla of Stanford . The Capital Journal compared the two quarterbacks, stating that Fouts faced "trying conditions" with a relative lack of support on offense. He was named to the All-Pac-8 team as chosen by the conference's coaches, as well as the United Press International (UPI) All-Coast team and

11266-545: The flats is often just called a screen. Screens to wide receivers come in four forms: the bubble screen , middle screen , slot screen , and slip screen . The bubble screen was essentially created by Don Read when he was head coach of the Montana Grizzlies , and Lou Holtz , head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , brought the play into prominence after calling Read and asking for

11397-525: The game as the most fun he had while playing. The following week, Fouts passed for 435 yards in a 50–34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals , becoming the first player to post back-to-back 400-yard games. San Diego finished 6–3 and made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Fouts passed for 2,883 yards, leading the league for the fourth year in a row; this streak remains an NFL record as of 2023 . His average yards per game of 320.3

11528-399: The game, "We just made too many mistakes, that's all. We didn't play very well and they did." It was revealed after the game that Houston defensive coordinator Ed Biles had managed to crack the code San Diego used to signal their offensive plays to Fouts, giving them prior warning of the coming plays and potentially accounting in part for Fouts' struggles. Fouts himself didn't believe that

11659-507: The game-winner in the final two minutes; Fouts and Blanchard combined to set a new Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8) record with 424 passing yards that day. Fouts got his first chance to start two weeks later when Blanchard was out due to injury. He kept the role for the rest of the season and the Ducks finished 6–4–1. Fouts went on to set single-game records for the most attempts, completions and yards, and single-season records for completions and touchdowns. His 16 touchdowns ranked second in

11790-471: The injury-prone position. There was speculation in the media that Harris' contract was worth approximately $ 170,000, compared to Fouts' $ 82,500 contract. The following month, Fouts was one of 17 players who testified against the NFL in an antitrust settlement. Fouts expressed a desire to leave San Diego, and complained about the new collective bargaining agreement which said that the Chargers had to only match

11921-401: The league (83.2) and the fourth-most touchdown passes (24). He had 2,999 passing yards, accounting for the bulk of San Diego's league-leading 3,375 yards. A later Chicago Tribune article noted the last three games of 1978 as the start of the "unprecedented passing attack" known as Air Coryell , which Fouts led for several years without further injuries. Fouts reached the playoffs for

12052-502: The league and set a franchise record. He again made the Pro Bowl, this time as a backup to Ken Anderson . San Diego led the league in points scored and yards gained. Fouts said "Nobody has really stopped us all year. This is the best year we've had yet." San Diego faced the Dolphins in the divisional round, winning the Epic in Miami 41–38. The Chargers led 24–0 in the 1st quarter, then Miami recovered to lead 38–31. Fouts threw

12183-415: The league. Fouts also had to overcome the fragility of the San Diego defense, which became much weaker after the trade of another holdout, defensive end Fred Dean . He completed a franchise record 15 consecutive passes during an opening day 44–14 victory over the Cleveland Browns . Another Charger record came in week 12 when he threw six touchdowns during a 55–21 win at the Oakland Raiders . Entering

12314-418: The linemen sprint out in front of the wide receiver catching the screen pass. However, the blocking may be as simple as one receiver blocking ahead of another. A wide receiver screen thrown to a receiver moving towards the quarterback, behind one or more blocking receivers, is also commonly called a "tunnel screen". The "quarterback throwback" screen, where the quarterback will pitch to a running back or throw

12445-454: The majority of the 1977 season. Early in 1978, Don Coryell became the head coach of the Chargers and he instituted the pass-oriented Air Coryell offensive scheme, allowing Fouts to throw the ball with unprecedented frequency. He led the NFL in passing yards for four straight years from 1979 to 1982 (still a consecutive-years record), and he became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards in three straight seasons, breaking

12576-410: The middle of the 1986 season. The Al Saunders variant is heavily influenced by Don Coryell and Al Saunders's former boss, former Coryell assistant and 2-time Redskins coach Joe Gibbs , whose Ace formation (single back, two wide receivers, a tight end, and a halfback) was very effective in the 1980s. The Al Saunders variant is a more conservative variant than the Martz version, but also quite complex. It

12707-605: The offense in the mid-90s as the quarterbacks coach of the Washington Redskins, working under the tutelage of head coach Norv Turner. In 1999, Martz, then serving as offensive coordinator for Hall of Fame head coach Dick Vermeil , helped pilot the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV . The Rams' offense, which was also known as " The Greatest Show on Turf ", featured Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner , who

12838-464: The offense started using a single set back featuring Muncie as the lone running back and adding a second tight end into the game. When defenses countered with extra defensive backs, the offense would run the ball. Joe Gibbs , the Chargers offensive coordinator at the time, said that marked "the evolution of the one-back offense." Gibbs served as head coach of the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1992, and during that time, he won three Super Bowls with

12969-582: The offer of another team to prevent him from leaving. Prothro speculated that Fouts was disgruntled due to Harris's signing and contract, but Fouts himself said that he wanted to play in a Super Bowl , and that the Chargers were not of that caliber. He stated that he would retire if he was not allowed to leave San Diego. He also attacked Prothro as "the farthest thing from a head coach you'll ever find... he's snowing people into thinking he knows what he's doing." Fouts refused to report to training camp in July and

13100-430: The only team in NFL history to score 500+ points in 3 consecutive years. In all, the Rams totaled 1,569 points, more than any other NFL team in any 3-year stretch. The Rams also became the first team to gain more than 20,000 yards of total offense in a 3-year stretch. Martz coached the Rams from 2000 to 2005, compiling a 53-32 regular season record and a 3-4 playoff record. Meanwhile, Vermeil came out of retirement to coach

13231-403: The pass directly forward to the receiver, usually with a backhand, underhand, or pushing motion. When a designed play calls for the quarterback to use a shovel pass forward to a receiver it is, by definition, also a screen pass. Because the pass appears to be a fumble if not completed, some defenses attempt to recover the ball as a turnover. The Utah Pass is an overhand forward shovel pass of

13362-407: The pass is intercepted, there are often few offensive players in front of the intercepting player, thus making it much easier for the intercepting team to earn a large return or to score a touchdown . The frequent use of the screen pass is a distinguishing feature of the West Coast offense . Screens come in many forms. A screen to a running back to either the strong or short side of the field in

13493-416: The play. The bubble screen involves a receiver taking a step forward, then darting toward the quarterback to receive the ball while the offensive linemen release to clear a path for the receiver. The benefit of the bubble screen is that it works against either zone or man-to-man coverage . A downside is that it is dependent on proper timing; a zone blitz or defensive end dropping into coverage can disrupt

13624-414: The possibility of switching leagues. Klein announced on April 26 that Fouts had come to agreement with the Chargers, but reported ten days later that there had been a misunderstanding and Fouts had still not signed. The Chargers began making plans to start the season with backup quarterback Ed Luther promoted to the starting role. Fouts eventually did sign on June 29, saying that he had considered joining

13755-483: The pro set provided one or even two backs to help protect the quarterback. QBs generally took snaps from under center to allow for more effective use of the play action pass. In 1978, the contact from defenders on receivers was minimized with the passing of the Mel Blount Rule , which prohibited defenders from making contact with receivers past five yards from the line of scrimmage . After Coryell arrived in

13886-422: The quality of his teammates were a "smoke-screen" to support his attempt to become a free agent. The 1977 Chargers were a 5–5 team when Fouts returned, and they had recently lost Harris to injury. Fouts won praise from Prothro when he won his first two games back, and described the team as the best of his Chargers career. He lost the next two games, struggling in both. The Escondido Times Advocate said of

14017-400: The quarterback to determine pre- snap if the defense would be playing zone or man-to-man defense . It was easier to read the coverage before the snap than afterwards due to the pass rush . It is also harder for a defender to cover if he has to change direction with the receiver instead of squaring up and getting set before a play. Defenses that react to the motion could get confused, leaving

14148-406: The receiver—hence the name "screen pass". There are a number of variation on screen pass plays. The "conventional" screen to the running back (the action described above). This type of play is something of a scripted checkdown . A tight end screen where the tight end takes the place of the running back in the above description. The wide receiver screen (or "jailbreak screen"), where

14279-507: The rest of the year while key players missed time with injuries. Fouts was shut out for his first time since 1979 in a week 9 game at the Seattle Seahawks , in which both Winslow and Chandler were unfit to play. A highlight came in week 12, when he set franchise records for attempts (56) and completions (37) while throwing 4 touchdowns and leading the Chargers to a 34–28 overtime upset of the 11–0 Miami Dolphins . Fouts started

14410-505: The running game often forgotten. There is much less of a focus on play action. The Martz variant favored an elusive feature back who can catch the ball, such as Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk , over the power runners the Turner scheme prefers. Martz credited both his influences on his variation of the offensive system and his overall coaching philosophy to Don Coryell . Martz first learned the Air Coryell offense as an assistant coach working under his mentor, Ernie Zampese. Martz continued learning

14541-400: The rushers to stop the play. A screen pass can be effective, but it can also be risky as it is rather easy for a defensive player, even a lineman, to intercept the pass if a defender gets between the quarterback and the intended receiver—something that only happens if the offensive line misses a block, the quarterback takes too long to throw or the defense overwhelms the offensive line . If

14672-435: The same game, Fouts argued with wide receiver Harrison Davis , who he felt did not try hard enough to prevent an interception of an underthrown ball. Davis commented to the media, "Not much I could do about it... Fouts can yell, that's his privilege, but it was a bad pass." Fouts said, "He's got to fight for the ball. That's gold out there." He threw four touchdowns the following week and continued to start until week 11, when

14803-424: The same type of action as a "conventional" screen, but the linemen remain in the middle of the field rather than releasing to either side. A trick play variant of the screen pass involves an offensive tackle . The tackle must back up so that their hands are even with or behind the passer's and receives a lateral or backward pass . In a further evolution of trickery, the pass can be bounced (since any backward pass

14934-548: The season went on, and fans were calling for backup Clint Longley to have more playing time entering the week 10 game with the Denver Broncos . Fouts was again booed by his home crowd in the Broncos game, a 17–0 defeat. Longley did start one game late in the season, but was benched for Fouts after failing to produce any points in the first half. The Chargers eventually finished with a 6–8 record. Fouts finished with

15065-563: The sidelines. He couldn't get the words out of his frozen mouth. I never felt sorry for another man like that." Fouts was again critical of the NFLPA when a players strike interrupted the 1982 season after two games. He attacked Garvey's demand for 55% of gross revenues as ridiculous and stated that the union should be lobbying for greater rights for free agents. Garvey's proposal would guarantee players certain wages based on their years of service, which Fouts felt would take away "the incentive to achieve greatness." He also said that Garvey

15196-492: The signals were stolen: "Anybody that says they're stealing signals is a liar. According to the stats, we got 500 yards of offense. If they were stealing signals, then they didn't do a very good job of it." Fouts had another record-breaking season in 1980 when he led the Chargers to an 11–5 record and another divisional title. He broke the single-game passing yards franchise record he had shared with Hadl in week 2, then improved on that total in weeks 6 and 7. The last of these

15327-575: The strike, Fouts trained extensively with his teammates while it was ongoing. The strike lasted for 57 days, then play resumed with a truncated nine-game regular season. When the season restarted Fouts had consecutive 300-yard passing games, tying and then surpassing Unitas' NFL career record of 26 such games. Two weeks later, the Chargers defeated the 49ers 41–37 in San Francisco. Fouts tied his career high with 444 passing yards and threw five touchdowns. Fouts had numerous friends in attendance because he grew up nearby; after his retirement, he described

15458-411: The timing, and may result in the quarterback being sacked . The middle screen is similar to the bubble screen, except that the receiver continues his route to the middle of the field. The linemen release up the middle of the field in front of the receiver. A screen pass is sometimes executed using a shovel pass throwing motion. To throw a shovel pass the quarterback palms the football, and "shovels"

15589-634: Was a 444-yard game against the New York Giants that prompted New York head coach Ray Perkins to say, "he may be the best quarterback there is." He set another franchise record for his 20-game streak of regular season games with at least one touchdown pass. Fouts improved on his NFL single-season record with 4,715 passing yards and he became the first quarterback with two 4,000 yard seasons. His totals for attempts (589), completions (348) and 300-yard games (8) were also NFL records. His passing produced an unprecedented three 1,000-yard receivers, with Jefferson, Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow all achieving

15720-408: Was a sports broadcaster who commentated for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL for over 20 years. As a child, Dan acted as a stats-keeper for Bob and worked for the 49ers as a ballboy . One of his first sports heroes was John Brodie , the 49ers' starting quarterback at that time. At the age of 11, when Fouts asked his parents' permission to play football, they told him that he would have to be

15851-515: Was a supporter of free enterprise and free association , and stated that he would continue to refuse to pay the union. With the matter temporarily settled, Fouts played against Oakland; the Chargers won the game and clinched the division as Denver had lost the previous day. Fouts improved on his own NFL records for passing yards with 4,802 while also extending his record with a third 4,000 yard season. He improved his own records for attempts (609) and completions (360). His 33 passing touchdowns led

15982-629: Was an NFL record, and would have put him on pace for 5,125 yards in a standard 16-game season. Fouts' passer rating was second only to Anderson in the NFL, while his 17 touchdowns tied for first in the league. In the end-of-season awards, Fouts won the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award with 43 of the available 80 votes, but finished runner-up in NFL MVP voting with 33 votes, two behind Washington kicker Mark Moseley . Fouts won

16113-407: Was announced before kickoff and he completed 3 of 13 passes for 29 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, while getting sacked five times for the loss of 51 yards. The Chargers lost 6–0. San Diego went on to lose their first eleven games while Fouts missed playing time with a sore ankle and a concussion. He sustained a total of seven injuries during the course of the year. The Chargers avoided

16244-544: Was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Oregon Hall of Fame. He was a third-round draft pick by the Chargers in 1973. Fouts struggled while playing for losing teams during his first three seasons in the league. His form began to improve in 1976, but he was discontented over the direction of the team and the restrictions of the NFL's free agency rules so Fouts refused to play during

16375-455: Was inducted into the university's hall of fame as part of the inaugural 1992 class. Fouts was selected in the third round of the 1973 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers ; he was the sixth quarterback taken in the draft and the 64th selection overall. At the time he was drafted, NFL scouts questioned Fouts' durability, arm strength and athleticism. He was brought in to back up one of his childhood idols, Johnny Unitas , who had joined

16506-488: Was placed on the reserve list by the Chargers the following month; Harris became the new starting quarterback. Owner Gene Klein stated publicly that he would not trade Fouts, and that he would not play in the NFL again if he refused to turn out for San Diego. Fouts filed a grievance against the Chargers in October, seeking to be granted free agent status by the NFL. On November 15, the NFL grievance committee rejected

16637-428: Was put in motion so he would not be jammed at the line, or he was lined up wide or in the slot against a smaller cornerback . Former Chargers assistant coach Al Saunders said Winslow was "a wide receiver in an offensive lineman's body." Back then, defenses would cover Winslow with a strong safety or a linebacker , as zone defenses were not as popular. Strong safeties in those times were almost like another linebacker,

16768-489: Was the NFL MVP for the 1999 season (Warner earned another NFL MVP award in 2001). RB Marshall Faulk also played a prominent role in the St. Louis offense that season. Faulk won the NFL MVP award in 2000, and he would also win 3 straight AP NFL Offensive of the Year awards from 1999 to 2001. Additionally, St. Louis's offensive line was strong, anchored by multiple-time Pro Bowler and fellow Hall of Famer Orlando Pace . Lastly,

16899-508: Was the best in the AFC and third-best in the NFL. His leading receivers, John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner , were the first pair of teammates to each surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 1968. Fouts said of his record-breaking season, "I'm in the game for one thing—to get to the Super Bowl . The records will come because of our style of play." In the end of season awards, Fouts finished second behind Earl Campbell for both AP NFL MVP (outvoted 34–27) and AP Offensive Player of

17030-424: Was the first option on each play. Coryell's offense had more progressions than Gillman's, with backup options for screen passes and underneath routes. The Coryell offense is a combination of deep and mid range passing and power running. The offense relies on getting all five receivers out into patterns that combined stretched the field, setting up defensive backs with route technique, and the quarterback throwing to

17161-467: Was too fixated on strike action: "I'd like to see him negotiate , but he's obviously out-manned." Fouts was the only Charger to vote against supporting the strike at a team meeting. Teammate Linden King said of Fouts, "I understand where he is coming from, but I don't agree. It is a game of preservation. He is looking out for himself." Louie Kelcher commented, "Dan has been saying this since 1977... Guys have to live with that." Despite his opposition to

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