[Libertarian4Bush]

Rams had a good defense to backup their offense

That same defense lost ONE player and stunk the following year. It's easy to look good as a defense when you're playing from 11 points ahead all game.

I think a lot of coaches are buying too much into this "west coast offense"... i.e. the aforementioned 2nd-and-1 call... however, play selection, run/pass ratio haven't changed much over the past 10 years, and a large part of the modern passing game is shovels, screens, flat patterns to backs, nothing more than runs with a bit more risk/reward.

[discostu]

The same defense lost their head coach and still stinks to this day.

West-coast offense = pass whacky. It uses short passes to replace runs. Yes ratios haven't changed much in the last 10 years, that's because the league has been pass whacky for at least 15.

[jaugust]

You swerved into something which I had thought all along. Given that there have been no repeat SB winners since the Broncos, parity has divided the league into average teams (most) slightly above average teams (very few, New England)slightly below average teams (Arizona, Detroit). AZ and Det both beat playoff teams and NE lost to two teams who were nowhere near making the playoffs. The reak challenge for any team is whether or not they can hang on to its good players, and if not, whether they can acquire a solid player through the draft/trade circuit.