As a Raider fan, I yearn so badly for a repeat of that magical season when Gannon, Rice, Brown and Porter exemplified the quick hit and YAC mantra of the West Coast scheme. The 2003 Raiders impressively shredded defences with pure finesse through much of the season. But, do you realize that the last three losing teams in the Superbowl have principally used the West Coast Offence? Maybe the two-weeks of hoopla and media commitments manage to slightly erode the perfect timing that is so critical to practitioners of this offence, but the Raiders, Eagles and Seahawks have each now laid successive eggs in the NFL’s championship game.

My best guess is that the adoption of speedy tweeners and undersized linemen has transformed the look of modern defences drastically from those slow units exploited during the reign of Montana and Young. The Pittsburgh defence is not a dominant defence in the same vein as Tampa Bay’s famous Cover-2 squad, but the Steelers nonetheless have the emphasis on abundant speed and playmaking ability on the defensive end that seems key to winning championships and stalling the West Coast system.

It’s too bad really. I admire ball controlling offence and maximizing possession via a dominant passing game was a delight to watch. But it just seems that the recurring inability for such offences to beat championship calibre defences means that most offensive coordinators should probably have gotten the message by now: the West Coast Offence will bring you success, but it’s just not enough anymore to win you the big show.