So it's pretty obvious that a strong offensive strategy coupled with strong athletes guarantees a Super Bowl Ring.  There's no argument about whether or not the West Coast Offense worked or whether it is a good or bad strategy. It was good, and it worked.  That is a common and accepted theory.  The argument here is how all the events of Bill Walsh's journey through the NFL, the 49er's 1980s Super Bowl run, and the continued success of the coaching tree has developed the modern athlete and the game as we see it today.  



​It's safe to say that we can separate football into two distinct eras.  In the early years of the NFL the game was dominated by man-against-man styles of north and south running games.  The league was centered around the workhorse runningback; players like Walter Payton, Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell personified the bloody-nosed, iron man football player.  In the 80's and 90's, the game was changed by the introduction of a more wide-open approach, relying more heavily on the coach and his quarterback.



Bill Walsh's scheme relied heavily on quick decision making and delegation of responsibilities on the field.  In team meetings, he trusted Joe Montana so much, that he never said his name when outlining his responsibilities, while making sure to designate every other players' roles.  This style soon spread to John Elway in Denver, Brett Favre in Green Bay, and Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle, all three making appearances in the Super Bowl.  



There is no doubt that the relationship between the head coach and the franchise quarterback is the determining factor behind a team's success in today's NFL.  Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan has failed miserably because of the lack of ability to trust Sanchez and his decision-making on the field.  On the contrary, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have made hall of fame careers based on being able to make their own calls on the field.  Their head coaches centered their teams around them, and found success, ending up with 7 Super Bowl appearances in the 2000's.  



The wide open passing game that we see on TV every Sunday is a direct result of Bill Walsh's success and his revolutionary concepts combining the quick passing game and the mobile quarterback.  The shift in offensive philosophy is directly correlated with not only his success in San Francisco, but the success of his disciples in the following decades.