The Landry Shift

[@robertansley6331]

For Trivia turn on Closed Captions!

[@ronalddecker7626]

Need to miss them guys

[@ronalddecker7626]

Me Too! Miss them guys

[@jameskonners8304]

You can’t deny....def. one of the G.O.A.T.’s....RIP Tom Landry, Thank you. Watching Tony Dorsett run like the wind.....#33

[@enalla54]

One of my favorite memories of back in the day is watching the Cowboys on Sunday with my dad. Football was still a game then and people played because they loved it instead of playing for the multi-million dollar contracts. I'm talking 50 years ago, I really miss those days.

[@robertansley6331]

You said it! I was 3 years old when the franchise was born. All through the ‘60s I sat with my dad on Sundays and watched the Cowboys. He was so funny, he’d get frustrated when they lost and would say _The Cowgirls lost their game_ When the new AT&T stadium opened in the Jerry Jones era I took my sons to a game, it’s about a 4 hour drive from Austin. We had the best time and they won that game. Most amazing stadium I have ever seen. Even the nosebleed seats were great with that massive Jumbo-Tron that’s so big it has an elevator inside. Thanks for taking time to share your memories.

[@cdogartistry4349]

Well said.

[@beautiful80sladies22]

Same here Alan....alot of us have those same memories

[@PrisonMike-]

Amen, brother

[@prepare4storms807]

That was back before the nfl fixed the games. The glory days when the outcome was decided on the field.

[@richb8303]

There was something pleasing to the eye and beautiful in the way Dallas played in "the day'. I do miss those days when running the ball was an art form unto itself. Landry and Dorsett, what a combination.

[@robertansley6331]

Hey thanks for your comment. It just made them look like a well-oiled fighting machine. I loved it. And they are still doing it today, albeit only on the last play. Yet it is a lasting tribute to Landry that they do it. Players today weren’t even born before Landry retired yet they universally all agreed it was a good idea!

[@lifeiswhatyoumakeit5027]

Man I miss Pat Summerall, Keith Jackson and John Madden.

[@robertansley6331]

I miss Red Cassion saying _First Dooooowwwnn_

[@debmoadd]

Yeah...Joe Buck is no Keith Jackson. Jackson was articulate, respectful, and he loved football in his soul. Good point, Life.

[@judgeparker4236]

Always amazed that a defensive coach became such an innovator on offense. Great Coach, Great Man.

[@robertansley6331]

I think his time with Vince Lombardi was well spent.

[@judgeparker4236]

@@robertansley6331 Agreed. But, as great as Lombardi was and he was great, he wasn't the innovator that Landry was in so many ways.

[@robertansley6331]

@@judgeparker4236 I just learned coach Landry said his favorite season was when he was a high school senior. Landry played on both sides of the ball, as quarterback and as a defensive back. His team won every game and completely shut out every team but one, and they only scored one touchdown! But I can see that, high school was my favorite season too, I didn’t need a job, no life worries other than getting up the. courage to ask a girl out!

[@zziicckk01]

The shift is one of the things I miss most about the Dallas Cowboys. It was poetry in motion.

[@robertansley6331]

I agree. It really sent a signal that they were _a machine!_ It showed that they were disciplined and looked cool. Thanks for your comment.

[@2140shadow]

I grew up watching the cowbiys in the 70s and 80s and always thought the Landry Shift was the coolest thing ever. I never realised its purpose. He truely was an innovator.

[@robertansley6331]

I have been working on a new video for awhile tracing the offensive line shift styles - they go way back to the beginning of football. The earliest teams would break from the huddle, march up to the line, and without pausing drop into a two point stance then immediately shift into the 3-point or sometimes a 4-point stance. Landry did it with style. Different backfield motion styles were crazy too. Thanks for your comment.

[@mattiOTX]

As a cowboys fan I'm glad someone actually talked about this. It was a bit of brilliance.

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks! I found an interesting article by Bill Bellichick talking about how complicated it was and why it can't be done today - salary caps and free agency destroyed the time teams needed to play as one to get it all down. See my link in the description.

[@bawbremy]

The Hitch.

[@davidkreutzer4778]

Don't forget what Hank Hill said about "The Flex Defense" 😉

[@sludge4125]

@@robertansley6331 I’m calling horse manure on bb.
Correct me if I am wrong, but *one* team, under *one* coach, used this.
There’s a reason for this, and it isn’t because the players don’t spend enough time with each other.

[@robertansley6331]

@@sludge4125 See my other video. Kansas City Chiefs used it a lot during the same time frame. It's important to remember the Shift was just a small piece of the overall strategy that depended on the Doomsday Defense to do their part as well. Players have to work together with individual assignments coalescing in an effective strategy. Not every player on a defense could correctly read a multiple offensive shift and know what that meant for their particular assignment. Of course Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain could, but not every team. Many times players shifted from a two-point stance to a three-point stance in a simple show of unity with no Backs shifting or any other player movement. And occasionally they got set straight away in a three point stance with no shift. I would argue the decision when to use the Shotgun formation, or to put a man in motion was equally important.

[@MrCharizardTCG]

I love seeing this after a cowboys win

[@debmoadd]

Mike Ditka catching a pass from Roger the Dodger...I almost want to cry. Football was football then.

[@robertansley6331]

I wish I would have put up a banner recognizing these great players, like Coach Ditka and Coach Reeves of the Broncos. These guys knew football!

[@debmoadd]

@@robertansley6331 My dad took me to my first Cowboys' game (in the Cotton Bowl) in 1964. I got to see Dandy Don Meredith throw a pass to Bullet Bob Hayes-Hayes was about half a step away from the opposing player covering him, but he caught the ball over his shoulder, without even looking-and at that second, he turned on the speed and two steps later, the defensive player behind him never had a chance to tackle him-It was like an 80 yard touchdown catch, and I don't think Bob even broke a sweat. That was 57 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. PS Decades later, my dad built Tom Landry's trophy case in his home, and Coach Landry wrote him a thank you note on his personal stationary, saying he appreciated my father's craftsmanship-that letter is in a frame in my living room. BTW, Landry's stationary had a picture of his hat at the top! Thank you, Robert for your response.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

@@debmoadd must have been 1965 as that was Hayes rookie year. In 1964 Hayes was still a college athlete winning two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

[@robertansley6331]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em I appreciate your respectful correction! That is a rare quality to have on the Internet!

[@t4texastom587]

I started watching the
Dallas Cowboys in '64.
Thank you Coach Landry for many great memories.
R. I. P.
TOM LANDRY 🏈🇨🇱

[@tyjameson7404]

I miss the shift !! Landry was a true legend and good man.

[@robertansley6331]

I know! It was a beautiful time to be a Cowboy fan. I can’t believe it’s been 27 years since their last Super Bowl.

[@tyjameson7404]

Yes, I don’t know how long Jerry will continue to make excuses. The Landry years were contenders year in and year out! I’m not sure what we could do to bring back the greatness of Americas team.

[@natebaker72]

They should bring this shift back into play...such a beautiful thing to watch!!!

[@christopherneyfeldt3869]

It wouldn’t be the same.

[@robertansley6331]

@@christopherneyfeldt3869 No, I fon’t think so either. There is a time & season for everything. The Chiefs used it a couple years ago for one trick play.

[@texanperry]

I’ve often had appreciation for the Landry Shift and the creative mind of Tom Landry. I believe he had a genius level football mind. When your team has 20 winning NFL seasons in a row, you know you’re doing something special.

[@carldavis6902]

I loved all of those games, growing up in Texas as a Cowboy fan!
Loved Bullet Bob Hayes
#22

[@spotteddawgranch9421]

Not just a football genius, he was a man's man. He had integrity. He never cheated like some of those coaches up north. He was fired by a guy that isn't man enough to stand in his shadow.

[@DBos77]

Another little girl yelling “they cheated, they cheated!” 😂 😂 😂

[@spotteddawgranch9421]

@@DBos77 when I throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one the yelps is the one I hit.

[@robertansley6331]

@@spotteddawgranch9421 Ha!

[@hockeymass2386]

@@spotteddawgranch9421a cowboys fan WOULD throw rocks at dogs.

[@MarcG7424]

Not only was the Landry Shift innovative but every team in the NFL uses the Shotgun Formation because of Tom Landry. I miss the Landry Shift

[@robertansley6331]

It’s one of those things that’s so obvious now I wonder why it wasn’t being done all the time! Like his man in motion across the backfield to keep his receivers from getting jammed up at the line of scrimmage.

[@MarcG7424]

I agree but wouldn't the Landry Shift look weird if used by any other NFL team except the Cowboys for those of us who saw Landry when he coached the team

[@robertansley6331]

@@MarcG7424 See my other video, the Kansas City Chiefs shifting. They probably copied Landry when they took turns with the Boys playing in the Cotton Bowl as the Dallas Texans for 3 years. I think it gave the Cowboys the look of a polished, well-oiled machine, a military might lockstep with each other on the battlefield.

[@MarcG7424]

Ok I will I became a football fan in 75 Cowboys vs Giants was my first game saw the shift and have been a win or lose Cowboys fan ever since thought it was the coolest thing ever the shift may have been done before but Dallas made it look sexy btw I knew they were the Dallas Texans when they were a expansion team which is probably why I don't like Houston lol

[@stephenh5944]

@@MarcG7424 - The Bears used it for a bit after Ditka became head coach (he was a Dallas assistant prior). It didn't last that long.

[@sanchez990507]

Showed again tonight on that eagle beat down!!

[@jaquillahillahfoodstamps]

The Cowboys have been doing it for a while now not only in that eagles game. Every year they do it

[@bambam4118]

The shift is why I became a Cowboys fan. I thought it was the coolest thing to see them go up then come back down. The backs always moving behind him. It was hard for teams to stop what was coming with all the shifts. Man those were the good old days!!

[@robertansley6331]

It was extremely technical. I found an article with Bill Bellidhick talking about the shift. The link is in the description.

[@shawnboggs7797]

LOVE the shift. Really cool to see nowadays in the victory formation.

[@johnnychambers3009]

TOM LAUNDRY AS VINCE LOMBARDI ARE NFL INNOVATORS AND ICONIC FIGURES .....we still witness their NFL influence on the game....RIP MY COACH TOM well dressed LAUNDRY

[@ericschminke8233]

Johnny, I'm glad you didn't check your typing. You opened with "Tom LAUNDRY as Vince Lombardi" and closed with "RIP MY COACH TOM well-dressed LAUNDRY."
Your comment will be remembered forever.

[@christopherneyfeldt3869]

Best coach the Cowboys ever had. May Coach Landry RIP. OFTEN IMITATED BUT NEVER DUPLICATED.

[@robertansley6331]

I agree completely. I miss those days when the announcers would detail all the coaches their opponents had, then say of Landry: _”He’s the only coach the Cowboys have ever had.”_

[@Mehnwai397]

I quit being a Cowboys fan when they fired Landry and brought in Johnson, who was to me the opposite of everything Landry stood for.

[@robertansley6331]

@@Mehnwai397 My sister-in-law was working at the golf course in Austin where Landry was playing when Jones showed up and delivered the bad news. She said it was pretty somber. I hung on with Aikman & crew but quit watching when loudmouth Switzer took over. Aikman hated his “no coaching” style of coaching.

[@christopherneyfeldt3869]

I also agree with David Vega you definitely hit the nail on the head.

[@davidroman1654]

@@robertansley6331 Still the "only coach" they ever had. Johnson was good but not Coach Landry.

[@mattconover6729]

To me, the Landry Shift is beautiful because it shows teamwork in its truest form. They are not individuals, they are working together - and that is truly terrifying for a defense.

[@robertansley6331]

Completely agree! In two seconds it telegraphs a warning that this is a serious team in total synch.

[@AlongtheRiverLife]

No one will ever be like Tom Landry, class, smart, innovative and unique.

[@brandonmaddox4862]

When I was on JV in high school, I was a lineman and we did the Landry Shift, most defenses were so confused just by that, it was funny to look up for a sec and see the bewilderment in their eyes, Landry really hit on something when he implemented this

[@gdr205]

That's funny...Just thought it looked cool..And I'm a Cowboy hater...Former Redskins fan.

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

3:38 When Pat Summerall gets excited, you know it was an amazing play. And indeed it was

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Landry was a football genius, solid DB and a brave B17 pilot who flew many combat missions in WWII.

[@2riverageo]

Growing up and watching THE SHIFT, I thought it was the COOLEST thing in 🏈

[@robertansley6331]

I know what you mean. A time that will never come again. Thanks for you comment.

[@luvmedrums4057]

Absolutely amazing footage & analysis.Landry a defensive minded coach,that gave us the Shift, Shotgun formation &25 yrs of the coolest demeanor.Of course he always dressed for success.
Rip Coach&Gil Brandt who was also an architect in the NFL

[@geoffreydy9739]

He invented the 4-3 defense that everyone uses.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

What's fascinating about these older clips is just how much motion Landry used. I was watching a full game from the 80s the other day and almost every single play had motion by the backs or the receivers. People like to say the game passed him by but the truth is I think in those twilight years he just didn't have players that could execute an offense that complex. Lord knows Steve Pelluer and Gary Hogeboom couldn't!

[@robertansley6331]

I couldn't agree more. A sports news writer said that hardly anybody left the cowboys back then, giving them time to learn the complicated system. Salary caps and free agency were what started their demise. Now Landry did what Jimmy Johnson did to re-engineer the team by filling it with all young rookies (with a few veterans). He had 12 rookies in one season, my favorite being Percy Howard. He only caught one pass in his Cowboy career from the legendary Roger Staubach in Super Bowl X. If you're only going to catch one pass, then make it a _One Hit Wonder!_

[@geoffreydy9739]

It worked with Danny white.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

​@@geoffreydy9739 yes and I think Danny White was a far far better QB than people realized. He held most of the Cowboy all time passing records and season records until Tony Romo came along. And when you think about the fact that he followed Roger Staubach and was eventually succeeded by Troy Aikman that says an awful lot about how good he was IMO.

[@geoffreydy9739]

If Tom Landry stayed to coach the triplets, they would have mastered it.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

@@geoffreydy9739 I agree with that. They absolutely could have run that offense.

[@darrelldunn4618]

Wow! Two backs protecting the quarterback! Haven't seen that in a loong time.

[@mrmojorisin2]

Two point stance then a three point stance, what a thing of beauty......those Landry teams were fun to watch.

[@robertansley6331]

Two point to three point, Roger’s voice barking out the count, referee Red Cashion’s _First Dooooooown_ I miss those days.

[@brbob4934]

No they weren't. -Said the Redskin fan. (although I did enjoy seeing them stuff Dorsett behind line of scrimmage on 4th and 1 in '83 to seal NFC Championship) One of many plays. The Skins Cowboys rivalry died yrs ago, though....used to be the BEST in the league.

[@robertansley6331]

@@brbob4934 Yeah, I’m sad when traditions die. I went to school in El Paso, Austin High (Panthers) where the home-coming game was always played against our rivals at El Paso High Tigers. For years and years the gold Panther Claw trophy was displayed in the winning school’s trophy case for a year. Then after 50 years they killed the rivalry.

[@brbob4934]

@@robertansley6331 Dandy Don M: "ALl good things must end." :) FWIW, Clint Longley totally spoiled my turkey dinner that yr. I can still see the play in my head.

[@robertansley6331]

@@brbob4934 oh yeah!! I forgot about that quarterback from nowhere. It was lively in our home on Sundays because my brother was a die-hard Dolphins fan. The year they went undefeated there was no living with him!

[@sammyvh11]

Landry was a football genius . He really got screwed by the sale of the team. My high school used a similar shifting offense in 1974

[@epm5433]

Landry did not get screwed. He had three consecutive losing seasons, the last of which the team finished dead last and made the playoffs just once in his last five years. Other great coaches like Paul Brown and Hank Stram also got fired when their teams fell from prominence.

[@robertansley6331]

@@epm5433 My relative was on the golf course outside Austin when Jerry unexpectedly showed up and walked out to the green to fire him. She called us and we found out before the media did. That's how I think he was disrespected and screwed. He was indeed past his prime and there needed to be a change but man was it cold.

[@epm5433]

@@robertansley6331 Landry was told in advance that if Jones bought the team he'd be bringing in his own coach. I'm as big a fan of Landry as anyone and believe that he was a credit to the game in so many ways. I'm also glad that Landry was spared the indignity of having to work for Jones.

[@sammyvh11]

@@epm5433 You don't treat a guy like him that way. I have heard the story first hand. He was screwed. Oh and I do not live in Dallas I am from Baltimore. Paul Brown got screwed when Art "the mover" Modell bought the team the Browns have sucked since even the new ones. Collier won with Pauls guys in 64. Not sure about Stram but it took 50 years to win it all again in KC after his departure.

[@robertansley6331]

@@epm5433 ok. My sister in law said he looked very surprised and left in the middle of his golf game. She was there, not me, The Dallas Morning News reported that on the very day Jerry bought the team he flew straight to Austin to fire Landry. They also reported Landry didn't seem to have plans to go anywhere before the decision. Before getting fired, he said he wanted to extend his career into the 1990s and even hired new coaches to help rebuild the team. So I disagree, he was surprised when Jerry showed up.

[@yeildo1492]

Interesting video. Thanks for putting it together. I would also mention that Landry is the guy who brought the shotgun back into prominence. And as a former defensive coordinator, he knew what was hard on defenses and used that in his offense.
Having been a def coord for a long time, I can vouch for the fact that all the shifting and motions are indeed tough to prepare for.

[@jaylucien669]

I was at Coach Landry's last game in '88. Dad and I were in the end zone upper deck at Texas Stadium above the Cowboys locker room tunnel. I'll never forget that image of him walking off the field for the final time.

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks for sharing that poignant memory!

[@glenstruwe4796]

Loved watching the Cowboys game with Maddon and Summerall

[@darincornell5896]

I was wondering what was going on with the last two highlights since it obviously wasn't the Landry Cowboys. Turns out it was the 2014 Cowboys tribute to Landry, they would do the shift in their two-minute drills in practice, and then started doing it in games in victory formation. Very cool.

[@robertansley6331]

Yeah, I threw those tributes in. I read that when the idea was suggested everybody enthusiastically said “Yes!”

[@artpalombo4126]

Thanks !! Die heart Cowboy fan since 1968 so many young guy's from 20 years old to 50 do know or understand the impact Landry had on the modern game. Flex defense 4/3 defense bringing the shot gun back in the 70 s had not been used since 40s and adding some wrinkles to it and how about sending in the plays which Roger got flack for and every team has been doing it for years!

[@robertansley6331]

So many Sundays as a little boy I’d sit with my dad and watch the Cowboys. If they lost he’d grumble and call them the Cowgirls. Ha! Thanks for your comments!

[@robertansley6331]

And a fact that many don’t know, the Chiefs and the Cowboys both played their games in the Cotton bowl 1960-63. But back then they were called the Dallas Texans, then moved to KC and changed their name. If you look up early KC Chiefs games during the 60s they shifted too. A lot. I’ve got an example on my channel.

[@artpalombo4126]

@@robertansley6331 that's awesome about you and your Dad. I have 4 son's their all grown the baby is 26. They are all Cowboy fans wonder how that happened

[@mm-gl7sz]

Buffalo was the first team to use running plays out of the shotgun. They started that in 1980. Now everyone does it. Some teams use the formation and its sibling the pistol too much. Like KC and Buffalo, especially Buffalo. Tampa uses it but not nearly as much. I don't think they use it with Brady as much as New England did. But you saw the results in the Super Bowl. They ran the ball down KCs throat mostly from non shotgun formations. And KC was in the shotgun even more than normal. And they are in it alot. Buffalo even more. They barely even line up conventional. Reminds me of another team that did that, had the best offense and best QB in the NFL then plays the best defense and an aging, obviously declining Payton Manning, and gets dominated, especially by Denver's defense, in the Super Bowl. They ran alot out out of it too. And look what's happened to the QB since, even after going to New England under Belichick. That play that was used originally by the Bills in 1980 was used to catch people off guard because like with Dallas at the time, no one expected a run out of the shotgun. It's not a regular run offense and some teams think it is. Landry's gotta be rolling in his grave. He adapted Buffalo's idea but Buffalo in the 80s and even the Super Bowl years never overused it and neither did Landry, unless they were behind and time was running out. But they would be passing in that situation anyway.

[@roypavao7498]

Tom Landry created the 4-3 defense.
He revolutionized the shotgun formation which is the main formation of today.

[@craig5477]

I remember when the Boys first came to Dallas. Nothing went right for a long time. The Metroplex papers were screaming to fire Landry. Tex Gave him a 15 year no cut contract. No one knew just how much of a genius move that was. A legend

[@robertansley6331]

That’s right! I remember now that you said this that Tex wanted to end the debate so they could focus on the game so he signed Landry to that long deal. Thanks for your comment!

[@davidroman1654]

Actually it was a 10 year contract but who's counting.

[@JHargis68]

Tom Landry was head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. The man had a brain.

[@craig5477]

He was an Engineer out of college & adjusted the team like he was building. Emphasize the strengths & replace a weakness with stronger parts.

[@jhonnyboy1961]

When I was a teen & a young man, Tom Landry was SOOOOO cool!
Landry Shift
Flex Defense
Shotgun
He was innovative!

[@philbrown9764]

When the Cowboys were doing this, I thought it was the coolest thing a football team did. And still do.

[@robertansley6331]

Back then I would have said _”That’s bitchen!”_

[@MarcG7424]

First NFL game I ever watched on TV was the Cowboys vs the Giants as soon as I saw the shift I knew the shift I knew this is my team and they have been since 74

[@wordhog61]

Boy did I love listening to this. Summerall, Gowdy, etc, legends

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks for commenting. I miss those days!

[@1954ggb]

Landry Shift was poetry in motion. DC4L

[@PrisonMike-]

Couldn’t help but smile the whole time I was watching this.

[@dglass8930]

Man I miss those days, the players, coaches and TV announcers.

[@robertansley6331]

I do too. It’s also because my dad and I would sit on the couch together and watch _our Boys_ in action. I miss those days.

[@bigmassive69]

I remember being 16yo working on my 1st job and with my 1st check buying & sporting a fedora in homage to Coach Landry. Now 52yo, I still sport fedoras.

[@mukinmukin6352]

Love it. Love watching the beautiful precision of a Landry offense. Smarts. Synchronicity, well schooled and crisp

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks for your thoughts. They looked like a well-oiled machine! I miss those days.

[@2140shadow]

Laundry was an innovator and contributed to what the nfl is today

[@jinglejuggs69]

I've often wondered why the O-line did that? It took me 50 years to be enlightened, hmm.

[@juanmontelongo7314]

Yup…..Me too

[@darkwhitedirewolf]

same

[@Makai77]

The Landry shift is what made me a fan as a 10 yr old kid in 1975
Stuck with them ever since
During the Landry years, I never worried about whether we had a good coach. We had an all-time great

[@robertansley6331]

I keep saying I loved how the announcers would always say "Tom Landry - the only coach the Cowboys ever had!" Thanks for your comment.

[@noeltaylor3594]

You make a great point. Murchison could have easily moved away from Landry after 5 years of " next year's champions".

[@vlun1215]

I loved this video. There's so much more footage of the landry shift now as the Cowboys have been dominant this season.

[@raymondweaver8526]

That hitch or shift used to annoy me. I miss it now. I was a trademark of those teams

[@sandyfeeborn1159]

I don't care what the '"experts'" say Tom Landry was the best coach in NFL history.

[@christophertracy2807]

hands down

[@sandyfeeborn1159]

The only way the Cowboys will ever get too the super bowl is for the State of Texas to buy Jones out and hire someone that knows how to run an NFL team. While the hall fires a coach who wins 2 super bowls in 3 years? This is after firing the best coach ever.

[@adrianzepeda3195]

He wasn't just the best coach ever, he was a Christian decent man. No profanity!

[@edwardmartinez8719]

Landry and chuck knoll the best ever

[@theway3031]

Landry in the Cowboys completely changed the game the shotgun the hail Mary ,shift etc.

[@robertansley6331]

Man those were the days. Sitting on the couch with my dad every Sunday, watching the Boys performing the choreographed shift, Dorsett punching through the line, Red Cashion calling _First Dooooown_ and Don Meredith singing _Turn out the lights, the party’s over_ Thanks for your comment.

[@dakmycat3688]

Americas Team 😉

[@pablo11051]

The 49er's Coach Howard Hickey invented the Shotgun formation

[@theway3031]

@@pablo11051 tom Landry, invented the 43 defense invented shotgun. He also invented automobiles, and they say he invented gravity defying technology.

[@geoffreydy9739]

He came up with the 4-3 defense that everyone uses.

[@BenDover-le7jv]

I'm not a cowboys fan but I do have to say Tom Landry was one of the greatest coaches of all time I know it's business but I did not like how Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry he could have done a better way of doing that

[@kayodephillips5435]

Love the cowboys so much 😍

[@robertansley6331]

It’s way past time for them to dominate the NFL. I’m sure I’m not the only one who believes it’s time to sell the team. The Triplets need to pool their resources and rescue the Cowboys!

[@waydel4]

Tony D. was fun to watch, a running back with an afterburner when he got through the line.

[@christophertracy2807]

The best Cowboy back of all time

[@robertansley6331]

@@christophertracy2807 Emmitt is equally great but they had completely different supporting casts so it’s hard for me to compare.

[@tfp0052]

I am watching this with tears in my eyes!

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks Thomas! I had almost forgotten what an incredible sight it was to watch the shift until I researched it for this video. They didn’t do it every play, I’ve always wondered what factors decided the Shift should happen. I have not yet found that answer.

[@jdrayton7224]

Me too 😢

[@davidroman1654]

@@robertansley6331 I think early on they did this every play. Later on it was a little less noticeable but was still on almost every play.

[@robertansley6331]

@@davidroman1654 So did Kansas City Chiefs when they left Dallas. Since the two teams shared the Cotton Bowl for 3 years I’m not surprised they picked it up.

[@michaelkeller4090]

I like that the Cowboys only use it now when they are in victory formation. An homage to Coach Landry.

[@robertansley6331]

I think its very cool. I read that when it was suggested they all said "Yes!"

[@jackallen6562]

That’s terrific! I had no idea. Outstanding!

[@GrislyAtoms12]

This is the clearest, sharpest footage of 1970s football that I have ever seen anywhere on the internet, until after the Butch Johnson TD. Well done!

[@robertansley6331]

Thank for watching and your kind comments. If I had access to the NFL film archives it would have been better. I applied video filters in various amounts to improve sharpness and color saturation. They are in a smaller window to keep from pixilating the non-HD recordings. It took a lot of searching and required finding full games because summaries of ganes rarely show “The Shift”. On one of the plays against Baltimore you hear the radio announcer instead. That’s old 240i footage. Plus I wanted variety and famous players that became coaches, tough assignment. My new one coming on the Doomsday Defense is pretty clear too.

[@sludge4125]

@@robertansley6331 I appreciate the increase in quality!!!

[@robertansley6331]

@@sludge4125 I just realized that on a few of the clips after Butch Johnson’s catch that I forgot to apply the filters. So you can see how much they helped.

[@sludge4125]

@@robertansley6331 👍

[@tfp0052]

God, it's great seeing these guys again! I haven't seen them in decades. Such great memories! Back when football was football with players I could actually be proud of!

[@clinteastwood1339]

Who is here after the Monday game when Peyton Manning mentioned this?

[@robertansley6331]

I didn't see that. What did he say?

[@earlgray7003]

That's a sweet pre-snap sequence. It's just to draw in the linebacker so he can clear out the zone on the right, and then sell the run on the play action. I also love how the the receiver peels out to the right to catch the ball.

[@1stthink236]

Coach Landry was smooth b4 smooth was cool.

[@ArturoRodriguez-xh3vk]

Giddy up Cowboys,, miss the doomsday defense.

[@TheOtteroo]

I know one team that figured out that shift. The 1985 Bears. They handed the Cowboys a 44 to 0 loss in The historically single worst loss the Cowboys ever had. In Dallas.
It was awesome.

[@gregoryhoward7594]

It is not always figuring out the shift. It also is executing the plays and the players on the team you have to work with.

[@robertansley6331]

There's no surprise there. Cowboys played partly with Hogaboom, a backup quarterback but more importantly the Bears hired a critical Cowboy to be their new head coach - Mike Ditka.

[@clshep]

That 85 Bears team was quite impressive. With that defense, they should've won more than just ONE Superbowl. They should've made a run like the Cowboys did in the 70's and 90's and the 49ers did in the 80's. All that talent and only one Superbowl victory to come out of it. Well, at least you've got one. Could be worse, you could be a Minnesota Vikings or Buffalo Bills fan! Lol! 4 Superbowl appearances and 0 wins each.

[@timg2088]

I remember that game well! My (still) best friend was (and still is) a huge Cowboys fan, and I wasn't😂

[@timg2088]

@@robertansley6331 Hogaboom got knocked out of the game, if my memory serves me...

[@centrist1008]

Pat Summeral. Only one to do both play by play and color commentary in the super bowl

[@robertansley6331]

His voice said _Sunday with my dad watching Cowboys_

[@Grandizer8989]

And the only former player to do play by play I think

[@robertansley6331]

@@Grandizer8989 Does your name mean every so often you have the feeling a spell was cast on you in another life? Ha!

[@namenotavailable7365]

I used to watch the Tom Landry Show every autumn wknd in the 70s. Coach would explain plays from the previous week's game with a simple film projector. He held a rewind button that he'd constantly use over and over on a play to explain how and why the play worked- or didn't work. Nothing fancy- but you'd get dizzy sometimes if he went back and forth with it to show a key block or tackle. I can still picture it in my mind's eye. I was around 9, 10 and 11- watching it on my brother's little Sylvania TV set atop his dresser. The Landry & Tex Schramm Cowboys. It was more than 'America's Team'. It was MY team growing up in Austin, Texas.

[@robertansley6331]

Hey thanks for sharing that. I started with them from day one sitting on the couch with my dad watching all those painful early losses!

[@vagabond197979]

I love how the Cowboys still do this when they are in victory formation running out the clock. Such a cool tradition and a nod back to an awesome coach. I wish more teams did stuff like this. The NFL has such a great legacy.

[@rogermartin798]

It just looks bad ass !!

[@sludge4125]

It certainly does!!
I loved it!

[@robertansley6331]

To me it showed a team marching in military precision, performing as one finely tuned machine! It had to have a psychological impact.

[@sludge4125]

The shift was cool, but the Cowboys won because they had great players and a great coach.

[@jbm0866]

True, other teams tried some of the concepts early on and werent nearly as successful.

[@blindfoldgang7161]

They need to add this in Madden when you take a knee as the cowboys

[@robertansley6331]

Like last night at Philly! So cool they still honor the man.

[@DallasSports-vk6wt]

I'll away be America's Team Nation fan
Of my favorite beloved ❤️
Dallas Cowboys Franchise.
Amen
Thank you, our legendary Coach Tom Landry, for so many great years.
We love you, Coach Tom Landry 💙
A true man of God,and blessings to y'all brothers and sisters.
Amen

[@ericschminke8233]

The bomb that Craig Morton threw to Bob Hayes in that Monday Night game against the Giants (starting around 4:50) was the last touchdown the Cowboys scored in the Cotton Bowl. They would play their first game at Texas Stadium 2 weeks later when they pounded the Patriots 44-21.

[@robertansley6331]

Hey great trivia! Thanks for posting!

[@ericschminke8233]

@@robertansley6331 You're most welcome! The 1971 season is the one I treasured the most since that was the year the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl, 24-3 over the Dolphins. Thanks for the videos.

[@robertansley6331]

@@ericschminke8233 That was indeed a sweet one. My stepbrother was a rabid Dolphins fan. My dad and I harassed him mercilessly!

[@r.g.o3879]

Even though he didn't invent it, it was Coach Landry who revived the old Bears Shotgun formation, modified it into the Spread that is still used by many teams today. In a couple of the clips you could hear Don Merediths voice who was the starting Quarterback before Morton and Staubach.

[@robertansley6331]

I couldn’t find a play that met all the requirements for Dandy Don, but I’m sure they are out there somewhere because he really was a great quarterback. I needed a full Shift, and a great play. Meredith took the Cowboys through their bad days during the buildup of the team. Lots of Shifts but the players weren’t all there yet for a great play. I settled for him as a commentator. I mention him in the last play of this video in my trivia comments under Closed Captions.

[@jamielumm9583]

Back in the day when I was a lineman playing junior college ball we would imitate the Landry shift during practice.

[@michaelrow875]

You knew you were watching the cowboys back then by how frequently they stood up

[@geoffreydy9739]

I became a cowboys fan in 1977. Saw the Landry shift for the first time. Poetry in motion.

[@garyr898]

Landry also brought the shotgun back after teams quit using it for forty years. Also surprised teams with the shovel pass.
He was always taking old school methods and adding new wrinkles to surprise defense's

[@robertansley6331]

That's righ! He was an innovator.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Right he started using it with the overachieving 1975 team with about 10 rookies. That team was rebuilding after a lot of the veterans retired. They were not expected to make the playoffs but actually made it to the Super Bowl. I remember how Staubach used the shovel pass to Preston Pearson, especially in the 37-7 upset win against the Rams in the NFC Championship game.

[@robertansley6331]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em Hey I think you’re talking about the season where Cowboys drafted 12 rookies and played them all. They were dubbed _The Dirty Dozen_ after the famous movie. One of them, a receiver whom I have forgotten his name, caught only one pass in his entire career with Dallas - and it was for a touchdown in a Super Bowl! If you’re only gonna make one catch…

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

@@robertansley6331 yes exactly it was 12 rookies. That included Randy White, Thomas Henderson. The WR was Percy Howard. I believe that Super Bowl was the only game he ever played in.

[@robertansley6331]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em That’s like a fairytale ending. _Super Bowl touchdown for the Cowboys. Check that one off my bucket list._

[@topofthecircle]

Amazing that nobody these days does that line shift. It would throw off a lot of defenses.
Also:
1) The '72 Super Bowl was the last game in which the goalposts were in the front of the end zone, not the back.
2) A couple of those people drawn offside by the lineshift would have definitely been "unabated to the quarterback."
3) Butch Johnson wouldn't have credit for the catch in today's definition of what a catch is.
4) Craig Morton would eventually become the starting quarterback for Denver in the late 70s. And Dan Reeves would be Denver's coach to start the 1980s.
5) "Bullet" Bob Hayes on a go route is as unstoppable as any play in football anywhere at anytime.

[@chrismachabee3128]

yeah, a lot stuff they used to do they don;t do anymore. But inthe NFL everything old becomes new again at some point.

[@joseluis-dj7ur]

It was Butch Johnson not Golden Richardson.

[@robertansley6331]

Well, see my other video about KC Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes did a unique version of the shift last year against SF 49s. I thought it was a brilliant way to direct snap to a running or full back. But I get your point it isn’t done regularly anymore.

[@robertansley6331]

@@joseluis-dj7ur Hey thanks for the respectful disagreement. Usually I see things holding like “You idiot, it was Butch.” (But then I delete them)

[@mm-gl7sz]

The way defenses shift today, and with edge rushers some of them have, I think if the line shifted like that if would be much harder for them to stop the pass rush once the ball is snapped. Especially since most if the time with the good defenses, the defense the QB thinks he sees isn't the one he's facing when the ball is snapped. Defenses didn't disguise as much back then. With the advent of no huddle offenses, especially in the 90s, defenses had to learn how to totally disguise themselves and make it look like they were in a base defense when they weren't really at all. That's why teams are moving towards mobile qbs who can make the impossible throw now. So that he can move around and see the defense developing after the snap and have a better chance of finding the open guy

[@dallaslong5703]

Ughhhhhhhhhhh, I soooo wish they would do this these days!! Only shift they do now is Victory shift... but I still love seeing that!! #StayBlessed #CowboysNation ☆☆☆☆☆

[@Mercenary-1914]

lol...they did it yesterday.

[@dallaslong5703]

@@Mercenary-1914 true, sometimes I see em doing it ( & love seeing it) & sometimes I'm too busy pumping my fist , lol I don't see them doing it in games now. Let's jus hope they do it from now till the SuperBowl!! 🤜🤛

[@Mercenary-1914]

@@dallaslong5703 As a Jets fan living in the VA DC area....I pull hard for Cowboys! Lets GO!

[@Silver07Hawk]

Legendary.. GENIUS ..Tom Landry..forever..Immortal.. 🙄🔥☀️💪♥️

[@r.g.o3879]

Craig Morton, Roger Staubach, Danny White, Tony Dorsett, future head coaches Mike Ditka and Dan Reaves that was my team!!!

[@robertansley6331]

Thanks for your comment! I tried to find as many key players as I could. Getting films of them while also catching a complete Shift AND a great result of the play took awhile to gather. Highlight reels never show the Shift and Landry had a lot of great plays without a shift. I never figured out the reasons for Shifting or not Shifting.

[@luisbohorquez7096]

R.I.P. Dan Reeves....

[@robertansley6331]

@@luisbohorquez7096 Great coach!

[@TheBearGrappler]

2:30 - Mike Ditka with an excellent catch! Yes...THAT Mike Ditka.

[@mpr8356]

That was beautiful

[@TheFlutecart]

Go Cowboys! - I would love to see the Laundry Shift all through the playoffs.

[@rodolfomaldonadojr.3810]

I'm thinking we're going to see it really soon now

[@markw208]

Tom Landry was a class act and a winner, complete opposite of Jerry. Those plays worked. Their offense now is primitive and ineffective. Back when the Cowboys were role models and knew it. I’ve been a Cowboys fan since the beginning and always hope for a winning season but honestly the only way a Jerry Jones Cowboys team will go to the Super Bowl is if they buy tickets.

[@joshlangford3450]

Jerry Jones has (3) Super Bowl rings.

[@gregoryhoward7594]

I hear you, but Landry was the Head Coach. Comparing him to Jerry doesn't work here.
Back then behind the scenes stayed behind the scenes. This is not to say we didn't have good players, but let's not kid ourselves.
Jerry owner has 3 Super Bowls, so I wish people would stop saying "the only way.... " because it just isn't true.
Jerry has 3 Super Bowls under his ownership with 2 different coaches.
If you want to blast him for his GM decisions and coaching decisions as an owner that makes a lot of sense and deserving.
No need to compare him to a coach. It kills the argument.

[@markw208]

@@gregoryhoward7594 , I won’t argue with you. My comment was intended as a comparison of men and character, not coach vs owner. Hank Schramm never made the fuss Jerry does.

[@markw208]

@@joshlangford3450 ,True. But none in the last 25 years.

[@etxkevin7452]

Amazing quality footage!

[@robertansley6331]

Thank you sir. It was hard to find good footage. That’s why the opening description of The Shift is in a simulated projector screen, it’s only 320x200. I used a lot of filters, you can compare how well they worked because I forgot to apply them to the last play, the TD pass to Bullet Bob Hayes.

[@devinmarbury4967]

Hate to admit it, it looks cool as hell. Was also very satisfying to see it in the movie Invincible.
-Steelers fan-

[@owenlawson8660]

Sports hated the Cowboys… but respected the way they played an excellent brand of football on offense and defense. Coach Landry is THAT DUDE!!!

[@edpinkerton7947]

That’s Ditka catching a TD AT 2:01

[@robertansley6331]

Hey thanks for spotting that! I tried hard to include players that wound up coaching in later years. A couple of of the plays coach Dan Reeves got some good yards. I made sure I had _Bullet Bob_ Hayes and Tony Dorsett and I wanted to include Morton, Staubach, and Danny White. Of course Billy Joe Dupree and Pearson had to included. And I tried to grab a different style of shift for each play. My favorite is @2:00 where the player on the end stepped closer to the line, closing the gap which almost drew an offsides. Thanks for taking time to comment, I appreciate it.

[@mm-gl7sz]

Da Bears

[@carldavis6902]

Yes it is Mike

[@gregoryhoward7594]

The shifts were cool. I didn't realize it was meant to block out the backfield shifts. Nice!!!

[@SCraig-Handsome]

Staubach to Butch is still the best play in Super Bowl history

[@cosmoevents21st56]

Five Super Bowl appearances in nine seasons and two titles. Not bad.

[@gregoryhoward7594]

If not for Jackie Smith he would have had 3 titles.
Just goes to show people winning it isn't ALL about the coach or the QB.

[@cosmoevents21st56]

@@gregoryhoward7594 Do you really think the Cowboys would have beaten the Steelers if Smith caught that Ball? It is possible but there is no way of knowing. At best things would have been 35-35 with 22 seconds left if things still went the way they did. There is no way of knowing who would have won the toss in overtime. Don't forget back then whoever won the toss and got the ball could win on a field goal.

[@robertansley6331]

@@cosmoevents21st56 The only reason I sometimes bring that play (that haunted Jackie forever) is when people act like Pittsburgh dominated the Cowboys. They won the game but to your point a 35-35 game going into overtime says they were pretty evenly matched.

[@petes6521]

@@robertansley6331 Absolutely it was pretty evenly matched and you never know what momentum Dallas would have had if he had caught it and scored the TD. I still consider it one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. I was ten at the time.

[@johntabler349]

I've always wondered about that stroke the O line did now 50 years later and I know it was to screen the RB shift genius and simple

[@digitalvictory8266]

Love seein' Romo and the gang doing the shift!

[@robertansley6331]

That was class. I read that when it was suggested everyone on the team wholeheartedly said yes. And none of those dudes were even born yet during the shift years!

[@michaelmooney7341]

T.L"s Multiple Formation: Science and Beauty..never to be seen again.

[@williammoseley17]

Some of the greatest Sundays of my youth.

[@jlh4jc]

This was back when the NFL wasn't so cookie cutter. Even if you were a casual fan at best, you knew it was the Dallas Cowboys if you saw these 3 things. The star on the helmet, Landry with the Fedora, and the Landry Shift.

[@robertansley6331]

I love players like Dandy Don Meredith who devoted all their playing time to the one team that made their careers. Once their playing days are over they become color commentators like Dandy Don who played all nine seasons with the Cowboys or transition into the role of an NFL coach like Ditka and Reeves. Players rarely left under Landry which gave us the sense it was a family. It’s one reason why the press labeled Roger _Captain America_ and the Cowboys _America’s team_ . I was disappointed when Emmett went to Arizona, then signed with the Cowboys again just so he could retire a Cowboy. What was the point of leaving in the first place? Troy did it right, not like blubbering Brett Favre who couldn’t just join Greenbay’s staff or become a commentator, he had to divorce himself from his Wisconsin fans. Thank you for taking time to comment, I really appreciate you!

[@georgehakimian5949]

The NFL today is nothing more than Arena style football: throwing & shotgun on almost every play. It's gotten to be ridiculous.