tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290664094797166932.post4188854125277344626..comments2024-01-03T07:44:38.155-05:00Comments on Today in Pro Football History: 1977: Leeman Bennett Becomes Head Coach of Atlanta FalconsKeith Yowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510256084009978331noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290664094797166932.post-36091682585567289792014-02-05T15:18:44.837-05:002014-02-05T15:18:44.837-05:00Van Note even said that he went Republican in the ...Van Note even said that he went Republican in the second half of that Dallas game during the Greatest Games show about the 1980 NFC Divisional playoff. <br /><br />That was the game that signaled the beginning of the end of the Bennett era. <br /><br />At the end of that show, Long time Atlanta sports writer Furman Bisher said that was the worst mistake the Falcons ever made. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290664094797166932.post-66888009445755440032014-02-03T16:18:36.963-05:002014-02-03T16:18:36.963-05:00Bennett by nature was a conservative coach that l...Bennett by nature was a conservative coach that liked to rely on a good running game and solid defense to keep games close, particularly in his first couple years. He was able to rehab a struggling Bartkowski and got him a lot of help with the all-purpose abilities of Andrews and, to an extent, Cain. Unfortunately he tended to be too loyal to his players which prevented him from making major changes when needed, and he had become too reliant on Andrews to carry the offensive load, to the detriment of the rest of the offense and play calling. This, in my opinion, is why he was dismissed after a schizophrenic 1982 season, the so-called "plateau" that Rankin Smith spoke of. Bennett was not willing to make the personnel changes that might've put the team over the top. Unfortunately his successors (particularly the rehire of the spectacularly incompetent Marion Campbell) were never able to create any chemistry with the team, thus dooming them back to the basement of the league for the better part of two decades (with the exception of their 1991 playoff showing).Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086081761530021646noreply@blogger.com