Pro Football / Bob Oates : Your Points Are Well Taken, Mr. Cosell, but You Missed the Real Point

In the most recent Howard Cosell controversy, much of what the man is saying about himself is probably right.

During his day, he brought to football a dramatic flourish that seems beyond the capacity of other announcers.

But that misses the real point about Cosell. The truth is that “Monday Night Football” did more for him than he did for it--a lot more.

The program was the making of Cosell. ABC gave him his Monday night platform. It was football that made Cosell rich and famous, not vice versa.

Dan Marino, starting only his third season as a passer for the Miami Dolphins, inspired the following comment the other day from John Elway, the quarterback of the team he beat in a 30-26 game at Denver:

“I really felt that except for four plays, our defense had a shutout. But that’s why (Marino) is great.”

Football coaches know only two ways to defend against any passer: rush him or cover the receivers. They can’t spare enough men to rush Marino effectively, however, and at the same time cover all of Miami’s potential receivers.

That is, they can’t do it on every play. As Elway said, the Broncos beat Marino 95% of the time Sunday. But in the end he beat them with big passes, actually five of them, gaining 69, 73, 30, 24 and 46 yards.

Either the Denver rush was a moment late on those plays or the coverage was inadequate by a matter of inches. Marino needs no more.

Don Shula, who coaches the Dolphins, describes passing as a mental achievement, as opposed to throwing, which is only physical.

Talking about the difference, he said: “No quarterback in the history of the game has ever been as fast as Marino making up his mind to throw.”

In other words, Marino’s celebrated quick release isn’t the quality that best explains him. Two other things are really more important:

--He is a speed reader. As each play starts, he has the quick perception to read the situation, to see instantly where the ball should be thrown.

--He realizes almost instantly when to throw it and where. Depending on what’s out there, Marino’s mental computer tells him immediately whether to throw it hard and outside, low and inside, or up and away.

It’s an upset these days when any team beats him.

Joe Namath was probably the most accomplished of NFL passers until recently. He also used the modern circular release, which gives Marino his power and quickness on long passes.

But Marino said he didn’t learn it from Namath. “I’ve always thrown that way,” he said.

Uniquely, however, Marino’s short-pass quickness is due to the absence of any orthodox style or motion. Without bothering to set up, he simply lets the ball go, and, amazingly, it usually goes where he’s aiming.

“Marino’s footwork on short passes is terrible,” Namath said.

Exactly.

Only one thing has bothered Marino yet--the pressure of the Super Bowl--which tends to beat any team that falls behind in the first half. But that’s a different story.

The intangibles, which include pressure and intensity, are still winning NFL games.

For example, the champion San Francisco 49ers, who were 18-1 last year, are 2-2 this year after losing to New Orleans Sunday.

How could the 49ers lose to the Saints--in San Francisco?

Said New Orleans Coach Bum Phillips: “I think (the Saints) had a little more intensity about them, but that goes with playing against the Super Bowl champions.”

The consensus favorites for the next Super Bowl, San Francisco and Seattle, are both struggling.

Seattle (2-2) has somehow misplaced its defense and its knack for winning turnover battles.

But the Seahawks will come back when the league quits shooting at preseason favorites.

It is the 49ers who are in danger of having already lost the race. The easy month of their schedule is over. Ahead are such opponents as Chicago (4-0), Denver, Seattle, Dallas and two games against the Rams (4-0).