The Landry Shift

If you ever wondered what the Landry Shift was, or you just miss seeing the Dallas Cowboys do the shift - here is a collection of them.
I tried hard to include players that wound up coaching in later years. In one of the plays coach Dan Reeves of Denver Broncos got some good yards and coach Mike Ditka of the Bears was the one that Staubach really drilled the ball to. I made sure I had Bullet Bob Hayes and Tony Dorsett and I wanted to include Morton, Staubach, and Danny White. Of course I included a couple key players like Pearson and DuPree. Each of the shifts is a little bit different. My favorite is @2:00 where the end steps closer to the line that almost drew an off sides.
Other teams did indeed do various versions of the line shift, most especially Kansas City but Tom Landry and the Cowboys became most famous for it and fans of nostalgia love it. A bit of trivia for those who don’t know this - when the NFL created the expansion team of the Cowboys there was already a professional team in Dallas called the Dallas Texans. They played for three years right alongside the Cowboys taking turns in the Cotton Bowl. They later moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. So that means both teams were doing the shift in the Cotton Bowl. Maybe the cotton bowl is where it was born!
In those days hardly anyone left the Cowboys. Landry was an engineer and his shift was extremely complicated. To pull it off required years of training with the same guys. With the advent of salary caps and free agency it got too difficult to maintain. It was indeed effective, for the time in which it appeared. Here is a link to an article in the Dallas Morning News of an interview with Bill Bellichick talking about his experience with the shift:
www.dallasnews...

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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".

[@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!

[@clinteastwood1339]

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

[@robertansley6331]

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

[@mpr8356]

That was beautiful

[@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.

[@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 👍

[@jamielumm9583]

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

[@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!

[@FreeAmerican]

I wish we still had professional football.

[@robertansley6331]

That's why I'm putting together a new video on the Doomsday Defense. I love reminiscing about the NFL in 60's and 70's. When Roger Staubach was recruited he signed for $25k per year.

[@sludge4125]

@@robertansley6331 I love today’s game, and dislike whiners.

[@edsapp6678]

I'm surprised they wouldnt penalize the stand up go back down during this day and age as false start..it looked so smooth back in the day.

[@ricardosena8269]

I was a BIG Cowboys fan until they fired Tom Landry.

[@webman1956]

Me too. Even though the Cowboy won three Super Bowls with Jones as the owner, the Cowboys lost a lot of their shine in 1988 when the sold and fired Landry and got rid of Tex.

[@louishaddon4351]

Same here didnt like jones he seemed like a snake ,and a cutthroat probably how he made his money.I feel after Landry those other SBs were just bought .

[@tanhelmet]

As a Cowboy fan, I loved the "legal" 5 man motion. It just never worked against the Steel Curtain.

[@robertansley6331]

I don't know much about the technical rules but I believe a player on the line is not supposed to move once they are set. While in the two point stance they weren't considered "set" until they shifted into a three point stance. I've heard Steeler fans before saying the Shift didn't work against the Steel Curtain. I think that's giving the Shift far too much credit for what it was worth. Sort of like blaming Cowboy losses on their dark road uniforms. Cowboys only lost by 3 points in the first of their two Super Bowl match-ups, where they were one dropped touchdown pass away from winning. They lost by four points in the other, so the teams were a close match. Another way of looking at it are the two Super Bowls (VI, XII) that Dallas won using the Shift in their game plans, but the Steel Curtain was nowhere to be found. In the 1977 season Dallas went 10-2 but ironically one of those losses came against the Steelers in November. The Broncos then beat Pittsburgh to get to the Super Bowl but lost to Dallas. So perhaps it is fair to say the Steelers weren't bothered at all by the Shift but couldn't figure out other teams' strategies to make it to the big game. Today there are 12 NFL teams that the Steelers have a losing record against - Dallas is one of them. Their last Super Bowl matchup Aikman beat the renamed _Blitzburgh_ defense without the Shift.

[@tanhelmet]

@@robertansley6331 Great breakdown. I attended that last Superbowl in Tempe !!!!

[@robertansley6331]

@@tanhelmet Lucky you. I made it to the Cotton Bowl, Texas Stadium, and the magnificent AT&T stadium, but never a Super Bowl.

[@reginaldjohnson6121]

Every now and then they would snap the ball without getting in three point stance. That is what confused the defense.

[@johngrace199]

I never knew the backstory behind the line shift. Candidly, I always thought it was just a 'timing mechanism' for the offensive line to get set. I'm surprised more teams don't use it...even as a football version of baseball's off-speed pitch. Just something different for the defenses to adjust to.

[@robertansley6331]

You may be interested in what Coach Bill Belichick had to say about it. Link in the description,.

[@michaelmooney7341]

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

[@sludge4125]

Great video!! I loved the shift.

[@ArturoRodriguez-xh3vk]

Giddy up Cowboys. Fan to the bone.

[@BELCAN57]

Boy do I miss Pat Summerall

[@skinner5334]

A lost art. ⚡️

[@HansMcGruber]

That's cool Aikman and offense did the shift as a tribute, very nice.

[@Armis71]

That needed little practice but nevertheless nice. Missed it that shift. That looked more like Kitna, not Aikman though.

[@HansMcGruber]

@@Armis71 Closer look, it's Romo. Still cool

[@Armis71]

@@HansMcGruber as a kid watching the cowboys shift was my definition of “oh boy here they come!”

[@HansMcGruber]

@@Armis71 Me too. They were my favorite team growing up, Staubach my fave player. Loved the lineman shift, it was cool looking, didn't know for a long time it actually had a purpose.

[@imeddiewilson1572]

The ending of this where a Tony romo cowboy offense, fantastic. And in v form

[@ronpanozzo5584]

Offensive holding was a rule back then 🤦‍♂️

[@wilrobles9824]

Not only the shift, but motion as well. Bob Hayes used to run across the field.

[@woodrowwilkins149]

That touchdown to Butch Johnson would be incomplete today.

[@nicholassmith479]

It should have been incomplete imo.

[@edwardmartinez8719]

I have bin sayin that for years

[@fivehundrediq5212]

He had control of the ball when he crossed the goaline

[@woodrowwilkins149]

@@fivehundrediq5212 True but the way refs review plays now if he loses control of it any point when going to the ground, they tend to call it incomplete.

[@robertansley6331]

The rules have not changed, and it is not necessary to perform the act of turning toward the goal line or taking a step, completing the process as many people believe. The rules state: (after the catch) perform any act common to the game (e.g., tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn upfield, or avoid or ward off an opponent). *It is not necessary that he commit such an act, provided that he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so. This rule applies in the field of play, at the sideline, and in the end zone.* This is an extremely rare situation where Butch caught the ball on the one yard line and while firmly grasping the ball with both hands he flew across the plane of the goal line. That made it a touchdown and nothing that happened in the end zone matters because once he crossed the plane the play ended and it was a dead ball. Yet another point is that a referee’s ruling is law as long as the replay judge doesn’t overrule him. So we might say something is a bad call, but it’s still a touchdown because like my momma used to say- _because the ref said so._ The ruling can go the opposite way as it did with Dez Bryant’s lunge across the plane. I think that was a touchdown too but the ref said otherwise. It is harder in Dez’s case to say he crossed the plane as compared to Butch’s catch. But that was a bad call.

[@paulchao308]

the play for fourth and inches. the right tackle flinched before the ball was snapped. Should be fourth and 5.

[@austinevplab7167]

Yeah, refs don’t catch everything. From ground level that might have been harder to see.

[@MarkGriff-e7l]

He was a genius best coach ever

[@kevincurry8350]

I didn't know coach Landry came up with shifting formations. I remember the rams doing a lot of shifting in their offense when Kurt Warner took over, I always loved that. Don't see a lot of motion and shifting in offenses today, I wonder why? I always thought that style of offense would give opposing defenses a lot of problems. I hope u get better sir, happy new year.

[@robertansley6331]

Thank you, Happy New Year to you. A number of teams did shifts and motions going back to the 50’s & 60’s. I think Landry formed his ideas back when he was coaching alongside Vince Lombardi. It got associated primarily with Landry and the Cowboys thanks to their unbeaten string of 20 winning seasons and more TV coverage of their games.

[@drew0513]

@@robertansley6331 I remember watching (and I can only call it this) THAT televised game, when I first saw that shift by The Cowboys. I can't remember who their opponent was. The Cowboys did that shift, and got the entire opponent defensive line called for offsides. The thing was, all of the game announcers started chuckling/laughing, and spent the next 10 minutes of that game talking about that shift, talked about why they hadn't seen that in years, talked about how effective it could be....it was one of those moments when it was one of those true teaching moments in the sport, I thought. I have always wondered why we don't see it more often.

[@robertansley6331]

@@drew0513 oh! I didn’t know about that. I’ll try to find it. Thanks!

[@mikedavis8124]

The landry shift almost as good as the curly shuffle go cowboys

[@mm-gl7sz]

Jimmie Johnson's offense was better and they didn't disguise their shifts. Those Cowboys were way more physical than Landry's ever were. Had to be because the NFC, especially the NFC east became too physical for Landry's teams to handle after the 1985 season. The division had to get more physical because of the 85 Bears and 86 Giants. The Cowboys didn't catch up until Johnson became coach and rebuilt the team in an NFC east image.

[@robertansley6331]

@@mm-gl7sz I believe coach Landry adopted the shift (that teams had been doing on and off since the 1930s) and re-engineered it to disrupt the defenses of that day. Everything eventually evolves.

[@charlesmclaughlin7235]

Are they still able to shift like that? If so I can see that being use during a critical time of the game when it is 4th and 5 to get the defense to jump offside! Since it is not use I am sure the defense would jump!

[@nebtheweb8885]

Yes, the can, but they only use it now at the end of the game when they win.

[@robertansley6331]

Yes, they can. Check my link at the end for the Kansas City Chiefs shifting with a unique twirl.

[@rorycraft5453]

Didn’t the Kansas City Chiefs also do this shift?I saw them do it watching a video of Super Bowl IV. Did they copy that from the Cowboys?

[@robertansley6331]

Good memory! They came from Dallas as the Texans playing for 3 years with the Cowboys sharing the Cotton Bowl. And here it is on my channel. I need to add a card at the end of this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXjChJx-ZauJb9k

[@robertansley6331]

Trivia - we call all of the officials on the fields *Refs* but in actuality only one is the Referee and in today’s game he gets to wear the white hat (it was the black hat in Landry’s day) There are eight different positions, 7 on the field and one in the booth for an officiating crew for each NFL game. There is the referee, umpire, line judge, side judge, down judge, back judge, field judge and replay official (in the booth.)

[@paleo704]

Side judge?

[@robertansley6331]

@@paleo704 Yeah, they have a long list of responsibilities to include being the official timekeeper should the field clocks fail. Here’s a great site that explains all the positions: operations.nfl.com/officiating/the-officials/officials-responsibilities-positions/

[@t4texastom587]

1. Roger Staubach 2. Don Meredith 3. Danny White 4. Troy Aikman 5. Eddie Lebaron

[@runninglow9SS]

Not a Cowboy fan BUT I remember the days.

[@robertansley6331]

Dandy Don was good but I think I would put Troy above him and White. However comparing quarterbacks between generations is difficult. In Troy’s day the linemen probably weighed nearly 100 pounds more than in Meredith’s day! Thanks for taking time to comment!

[@johntabler349]

@@robertansley6331 Meredith gets bonus points for being a better announcer

[@robertansley6331]

@@johntabler349 _Turn out the lights the party’s over!_ I will change my opinion, you’re right!

[@geoffreydy9739]

Some dallas cowboys fans didn't know that Eddie LeBaron was the cowboys first quarterback. Mist people assume it was don Meredith.

[@raindeerprojekt4119]

Pat Summerall Cheers

[@chrismachabee3128]

That's old time football right there. What a coincidence to see and era of football gone by. Several defense errors that would have been automatic five yards today. But a new era in football will start in September when the llengthj of the season will go to 17 games. I heard a noodle head supperstar complain about an extra game. what extra game? You play 4 pre-season games and 16 regular season. You only making one pre-season official, you pwould have had to play it as a team anyway. so, why the bitchin'. coause he can't count and can't figure out the schedule of his football team. Anyway I love football and one more game is Ok with me. That's why they get the big bucks.

[@beautiful80sladies22]

Great role model......do y'all see him tweeting??......everything is self promotion nowadays

[@clshep]

What you're saying isn't wrong....but Landry, tweeting? LOL! Not only did he pass away in 2000.....in 2000 the internet was also young. Maybe not in its infancy but still in its toddler years, mastering the crawl and attempting to walk....and Twitter wasn't created until 2006 and Landry would also be 97 if he were still alive today. But I do get your point and you're right. Landry was a class act. The legendary fedora.

[@miketubbs1198]

No way that would have been a catch today...he didn't control the ball through the process.

[@davidbreheny5524]

You might be right But he invented the 4-3 defense, which is still used today.

[@Hueiblack]

Uhhhh, I’ve seen other videos that actually explain the reason for the shift. What is this video for?

[@tarico4436]

Reason explained here, too. In about 30 seconds, well, or less. Then another five minutes of footage added... for the algo!

[@robertansley6331]

Belichick said it clearly at the beginning - it was a sort of screen to keep linebackers from seeing the final formation of the backs, also it was a little bit distracting. That’s it. That’s all it did. This video does not address all the backfield shifts, just the line.

[@davidroman1654]

@@robertansley6331 Read a quote from Landry many years ago and he stated that the shift was to hide the movement of the backs. At the time there was very little shifting in the NFL. Landry started it along with so many other things that are common today. When he started the "Shotgun" people were saying it would never work. Well what team does not use it today.

[@robertansley6331]

@@davidroman1654 Yessir, that’s what Belichick talked about in the opening. They didn’t always shift, I’ve never discovered why that was. I remember the press dogging him about the shotgun! Thanks for commenting.

[@dougamundson6836]

Landry, Landry, Landry.....how many champioships?

[@McCullyClassic]

Look at the history of their Salary cap. Tex was one of the cheapest owners in history and refused to give Landry the talent he needed. Landry was so loyal he stuck with the Cowboys through the whole process

[@dougamundson6836]

If I have EVER denied that Landry was a great Coach, I really do apologize. But: Vince was better. This was a time BEFORE free agency. Vince won lots more. @@McCullyClassic

[@ballsdeep5207]

how bout dem cowboys, haven’t won shit in decades

[@MegaChagus]

So why are you here?

[@djsugebryant281]

Hating azz BOZO 🤡 Get off the Cowboys channel 🤬

[@james-b7j7v]

they dont have Taylor swift

[@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.

[@MrCharizardTCG]

I love seeing this after a cowboys win

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@ArturoRodriguez-xh3vk]

Giddy up Cowboys,, miss the doomsday defense.

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@shawnboggs7797]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@carldavis6902]

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

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

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

[@1stthink236]

Coach Landry was smooth b4 smooth was cool.

[@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!”

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@t4texastom587]

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

[@beautiful80sladies22]

Many memorable Sundays. Go to Mass. Watch the Cowboys. Watch Wonderful World of Disney. Eat together as a family

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@UTClassof]

i stopped watching the cowboys when they fired Tom Landry. Only a 70's-80's cowboys fan.

[@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

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

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

[@darrelldunn4618]

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

[@raymondweaver8526]

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

[@r.c.b.8087]

Always wondered why they did that. Played for the “Cowboys” on a pop warner team and we did that just imitate the real Cowboys. 😁

[@robertansley6331]

Now that’s cool! If you look at the defensive players on the line they are already down in a 3 point stance. They can’t see the Dallas backs shift when the Boys stood up.

[@geoffreydy9739]

If I was coaching a high school team, I'd use the shift on first downs only.

[@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.

[@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.

[@2140shadow]

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

[@AlongtheRiverLife]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@brucewallace9042]

I hope Dak brings the shift back

[@robertansley6331]

Didn’t he get really hurt recently? I had high hopes for him. I’ve got a t-shirt that says: _Dak to the Future_

[@mm-gl7sz]

@Johnny Boone but will he be able to run the way he did again? I just don't see him being a good pocket passer.

[@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.

[@glenstruwe4796]

Loved watching the Cowboys game with Maddon and Summerall

[@1954ggb]

Landry Shift was poetry in motion. DC4L

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.