Question for the Old Timers about Trick Plays with Walsh?

from 1984.....Bill Walsh on the single-wing (ie. The Wildcat) in pro-football

I think it originated before Walsh and he also used it, but the 49ers had a fake screen to one side which was a screen pass to the other side.

Fake spike - pass to a WR

Ok.. it didn't work but Montana motion and told everybody that he was going to spike the ball. I believe only Joe and Jerry knew. Joe faked the spike and threw to Jerry.
I believe it got deflected or a little too long.

From then on, nobody relaxed when the QB spikes the ball.

There was that wrap-around handoff- essentially a delayed draw. And I remember Harry Sydney taking the ball on a sweep and throwing it deep. We also ran the double reverse in the early 80s.

Here is the 1985 49ers playbook

Link

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by zozell:
What was the sickest, most bad ass trick play, gimmick play, wild cat offense play or anything else along those lines that you remember seeing Bill Walsh run? I know the entire WCO was something new that had never been seen before, so we know he was an innovator in that regard, but was there anything that just stood out to you as a cool trick play he ran?

Anything crazy like Montana and Young on the feild together? Direct snaps to RB's? Fake field goals, fake punts etc?

I am old enough (31) to remember watching games back then, but I was a youngin so while I remember that time, I don't remember specific games, plays etc.

Can you guys remember any? Maybe provide a youtube link if possible?

Quick Slant and designed pass plays to the RB

Nope sickest play ever was running the WR screen and giving Rice the option to throw the ball. Now THAT was sick. It also became a staple of Rice's repertoire.

~Ceadder

Originally posted by Ceadderman:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by zozell:
What was the sickest, most bad ass trick play, gimmick play, wild cat offense play or anything else along those lines that you remember seeing Bill Walsh run? I know the entire WCO was something new that had never been seen before, so we know he was an innovator in that regard, but was there anything that just stood out to you as a cool trick play he ran?

Anything crazy like Montana and Young on the feild together? Direct snaps to RB's? Fake field goals, fake punts etc?

I am old enough (31) to remember watching games back then, but I was a youngin so while I remember that time, I don't remember specific games, plays etc.

Can you guys remember any? Maybe provide a youtube link if possible?

Quick Slant and designed pass plays to the RB

Nope sickest play ever was running the WR screen and giving Rice the option to throw the ball. Now THAT was sick. It also became a staple of Rice's repertoire.

~Ceadder

How do you know so much?

~Luv

Originally posted by luv49rs:

Originally posted by Ceadderman:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by zozell:
What was the sickest, most bad ass trick play, gimmick play, wild cat offense play or anything else along those lines that you remember seeing Bill Walsh run? I know the entire WCO was something new that had never been seen before, so we know he was an innovator in that regard, but was there anything that just stood out to you as a cool trick play he ran?

Anything crazy like Montana and Young on the feild together? Direct snaps to RB's? Fake field goals, fake punts etc?

I am old enough (31) to remember watching games back then, but I was a youngin so while I remember that time, I don't remember specific games, plays etc.

Can you guys remember any? Maybe provide a youtube link if possible?

Quick Slant and designed pass plays to the RB

Nope sickest play ever was running the WR screen and giving Rice the option to throw the ball. Now THAT was sick. It also became a staple of Rice's repertoire.

~Ceadder

How do you know so much?

~Luv

I'm 40 and was raised in my Grand Parents home from 4th to 8th grade. You didn't get away with ANYTHING in that house and experience was passed on to you with a ball peen hammer.

My Pops wasn't a big Football guy but my dad was in the Army for years and Football is a religion in the Military where I also served.

I became a 9er fan when O.J. was traded to us. But Pops was a Giants fan and we spent hours in front of the set watching the Giants. My first game at the Stick was a Cards matchup where Lou Brock was on his stolen base tear and he took one off us where we lost 2-1. I would probably be a BIGGER Baseball fanatic over Football if MLB hadn't had multiple strikes in such a short span. With lots of time on my hands I read alot of source material on the game and growing up in Palo Alto at the dawn of the dynasty probably had something to do with my knowledge.

I miss those days. Won't go back in a time machine but I miss them all the same.

~Ceadder

Originally posted by gravelburn:
There was that wrap-around handoff- essentially a delayed draw. And I remember Harry Sydney taking the ball on a sweep and throwing it deep. We also ran the double reverse in the early 80s.

I remember that play. The 26-24 loss to New Orleans in 1987. I think Steve Young started that game because Montana had a sore thumb on his throwing hand, but Young ended up leaving the game with a concussion with Montana replacing him in the 2nd half. Rice caught a 50 yard TD pass from Sydney sometime during the 1st half.

I think they ran something similar with John Taylor in 1993 against the Cardinals. Of course, it was 4+ years after Walsh retired, but I think it had its roots during the true Walsh era. (link - 3:35

Originally posted by zozell:
What was the sickest, most bad ass trick play, gimmick play, wild cat offense play or anything else along those lines that you remember seeing Bill Walsh run...

Zozell, I tried to find factual proof before posting this...to no avail. Therefore, this is strictly from memory. Given the amount of time which has elapsed, forgive any details which aren't totally correct. If that be the case, I hope this post might prompt someone to recall these events more crystal.

Two coaches more-so than others, could not stand Bill Walsh. Maybe, it was because the 49er's, kept their teams from advancing further in the playoffs on more than one occasion...I always felt, it was the Genius label bestowed upon him...plus a little of the above

The 49er's, according to East Coast pundits and their like, weren't supposed to beat traditional powerhouse teams; were as a team, too much a Finesse team running a Gimmick (at that time) offense.

The two coaches aforementioned, Ditka, and Parcells, were of that ilk. If memory serves me well, I recollect an interview where Parcells doesn't mention Coach Walsh by name, but rather by the colour of his hair, and his Media-given-Moniker, The Genius, in a disparaging manner.

I think the formation/play, which became "the straw that broke the camel's back", was called Angus...I don't know why, but that formation/play/name, comes to mind. In the Angus formation, Walsh, set then Guard Guy McIntyre, in the backfield. First as a lead blocker, and later as the ball carrier.

Needless-to-say, it was successful, dare I say, it infuriated both Ditka, and The Tuna, to no end. During the Chicago Bears run to The Super Bowl, Coach Ditka, unleashed The Fridge, on the NFL. Notoriety for them both followed, to put it mildly.
What about Sweetness, after all his years..

http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=fridge+td+super+bowl&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

I can't recall any Media types outside The Bay Area, ever giving Bill Walsh any credit for the thought, let alone the implementation of such a formation/play. I wonder where Coach Ditka got the brilliant idea...

Originally posted by FlayvaMeister:

Originally posted by zozell:
What was the sickest, most bad ass trick play, gimmick play, wild cat offense play or anything else along those lines that you remember seeing Bill Walsh run...

Zozell, I tried to find factual proof before posting this...to no avail. Therefore, this is strictly from memory. Given the amount of time which has elapsed, forgive any details which aren't totally correct. If that be the case, I hope this post might prompt someone to recall these events more crystal.

Two coaches more-so than others, could not stand Bill Walsh. Maybe, it was because the 49er's, kept their teams from advancing further in the playoffs on more than one occasion...I always felt, it was the Genius label bestowed upon him...plus a little of the above

The 49er's, according to East Coast pundits and their like, weren't supposed to beat traditional powerhouse teams; were as a team, too much a Finesse team running a Gimmick (at that time) offense.

The two coaches aforementioned, Ditka, and Parcells, were of that ilk. If memory serves me well, I recollect an interview where Parcells doesn't mention Coach Walsh by name, but rather by the colour of his hair, and his Media-given-Moniker, of The Genius, in a disparaging manner.

I think the formation/play, which became "the straw that broke the camel's back", was called Angus...I don't know why, but that formation/play/name, comes to mind. In the Angus formation, Walsh, set then Guard Guy McIntyre, in the backfield. First as a lead blocker, and later as the ball carrier.

Needless-to-say, it was successful, dare I say, it infuriated both Ditka, and The Tuna, to no end. During the Chicago Bears run to The Super Bowl, Coach Ditka, unleashed The Fridge, on the NFL. Notoriety for them both followed, to put it mildly.
What about Sweetness, after all his years...

[video]null[/video][video]http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=fridge+td+super+bowl&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#[/video]

I can't recall any Media types outside The Bay Area, ever giving Bill Walsh any credit for the thought, let alone the implementation of such a formation/play. I wonder where Coach Ditka got the brilliant idea...

That play was first used in the championship game in Candllestick park when the 49ers beat the bears 23-0 to advance to superbowl 19..

I remember because I was at that game...

tn9er, so was I, where were you seated ?

Originally posted by billbird2111:
In the early years -- yes -- but not so much in the later years. We simply didn't need any sort of trickery then. We were the biggest, baddest team in the NFL. We just blew people away week in and week out.

But -- yes -- I do distinctly remember a trick play that he used in preseason no less! It was his first year -- 1979 -- and we kept hearing reports about this vaunted offense -- but Walsh refused to unveil it during preseason.

At any rate -- we were getting blown out of the water by the Seahags of all teams -- when Walsh finally got frustrated by getting pushed around and called a reverse to the tight end.

Nobody had ever seen a tight end reverse before. It was brand spanking new. I can't remember the name of the tight end to be honest -- but I can tell you this much:

He scored easily.

Wasn't that Ted Kwalick

Walsh believed in keeping the D off-balance--so he ran a trick play in almost every game, if not every half. But, they were not out of context of the game. He used them to set up other plays that were less novell. I remember him setting up a reverse by running a double reverse...or was it a reverse pass? With Walsh you never knew exactly what was coming. Such great memories! Thanks for the thread, it was a good idea.

I remember a play where Montana was either in shotgun or he dropped back, Roger Craig stepped in front of him and Montana handed it off to him from behind (Roger's back was turned to Montana's ). I would love to see video of this play if anyone remembers it or has footage of it.