The following excerpt was taken from former Rams coach Chuck Knox’s book, Hard Knox:
Pat Haden started the last five games of 1976 going 4-1 to help us finish our regular season at 10-3-1. We win the first playoff game in Dallas and then we’re back in Minnesota for another try at the Super Bowl. I’m thinking, Now is the time.
It was the time, all right. Time for our third big game flop. During the heat of this championship game, on third-and-two from the Vikings two-yard line, we ran a reverse with Ron Jessie. He dove and landed in the end zone, but the officials say he bounced first. So we don’t score and stopped inside their five-yard line on third down, and we wind up going for a field goal. The kick is blocked, Minnesota’s Bobby Bryant scoops it up and runs 99 yards for a touchdown, and we lose again 24-13.
And now everybody is asking, How come you didn’t go for the touchdown? I answer. How was I supposed to know the kick would be blocked? How did I know that little mistake would occur? You go for a touchdown, any number of things can happen–fumbles, interceptions, anything. Football not being an exact science, a field goal is just about as exact as it gets. Either you make it or you miss it, period. (ed: Knox was heavily criticized for his decision by L.A. Times sports columnist Jim Murray)
Like I said before, I live a lot by history. I lived by it that day and it cost me. And it hurt. I was getting tired of being second-guessed. I was getting tired of having no answers. By this championship game, the criticism was coming down on me like bits of hail. What hurt the most though, was that after our third championship loss, I knew my players were having some of the same doubts as everyone else.
I offer no apologies. Considering what I took over in L.A. the risk-free offensive philosophy only made sense. I had to teach some of these young guys to go to war with themselves before they could go to war with others. We had to worry about ourselves first. Without that confidence, we would never have advanced in any championship game in the first place. And I can guarantee one thing: these guys were a lot happier losing in the NFC finals with me than never playing past Christmas with other coaches.
Jim Everett Table Toss 