Razing Arizona

Sporting News, The, Jan 29, 1996 by Michael Knisley, Tim Cowlishaw, Paul Attner, Ron Jaworski

Power: No getting around the fact that the Cowboys' success is rooted in their Sumo-sized offensive line, the best in the NFL

Nate Newton is talkng about the Pittsburgh defense. He is rattling off names and tossing around plaudits and embellishing everything, relishing as always his time in the spotlight of fleeting fame. "Bring it on, just bring it on," the Cowboys' left guard/comedian says in answer to any requests he receives for media appearances. "Got to do it while you can, while you are on the top."

Newton is pouring it on heavy now, building up the Steelers as if they were all Nitschkes and L.T.s. He has covered just about every member, then he remembers be left one out. Oh yeah, that Kevin Greene guy, he of the flowing blond locks and wild gestures. Only Newton doesn't say Kevin Greene. "Hulk Hogan," Newton blurts out. "They got Hulk Hogan coming after you."

His line gets laughs, which is what Newton intended. But there also is symbolism in Newton's remark. Greene is the body builder, the muscleman, the wrestler who relies on quickness and moves to dominate. Newton is a grapper of another sort. Sumo. And so much of what happens in Super Bowl XXX will be decided by what approach is more effective. The bulky, grab'em and toss'em Sumo wide wagons of the Cowboys' offensive line or the sleek. agile, get-there-before-they-can-adjust techniques of the Steelers' defense. What is certain is that this is going to be the most physical, woofing, trash-talking, pushing-and-shoving championship game in years. And right in the middle of it all will be the Sumos, the best line in football, trying to squash those Hulksters.

Now, it is easy to think that just because Nate Newton is a bit on the bulky side, which is a nice way to say he could shed a few rolls off his 320-pound-plus frame, and just because center Derek Kennard is even wider and fatter and weighs who knows how much more than his listed poundage of 333, and just because anyone under 300 need not apply for a spot on this line, well, because of all that, it IS easy to think the Sumos are, all roly-poly, plumper-than-necessary guys who soft of sit on opponents until they yell "Holding!" while Emmitt Smith sprints through amazingly huge gaps for gaudy yardage.

But if you could see around Newton and Kennard and squat right guard Larry Allen and get a glimpse of left tackle Mark Tuinei and right tackle Erik Wilhanis outside the shadows, you would see shmmer, trimmer Sumos who somehow can uphold the 300-plus requirement for membership and still look as if they graduated from Vic Tanny's. In his 13th season, Tuinei has body fat of less than 7 percent spread around his 6-foot-5, 305-pound frame. But we are splitting calories here. The bottom line with the Cowboys is: Big is good but heftier is better.

We also want to pay the Sumos their technical due. Contrary to how it might appear. their approach to games is not all macho. There also is a cerebral side. Beauset he Steelers play a 3-4 defense, which most teams don't use anymore, the Sumos will have to adjust their blocking schemes, which are geared for a 4-3 setup. And because Pittsburgh blitzes so frequently, the Cowboys will have to adjust their assignments quickly to avoid turning Troy Aikman into a ring post. And those favorite yard-eating plays that Smith runs? The Steelers will try to neutralize them with run stunts and blitzes, tossing in some eight-man fronts to try to mess up the Sumos' all-consuming desire to get blocking leverage on their opponents. If the Sumos don't think and react correctly, Pittsburgh is capable of shutting down the run.

The best way to combat such defensive tactics is to use zone blocking, where you take on anyone who enters your assigned territory. And guess what? These Sumo guys specialize in zone blocking. That is what they use when Emmitt moves outside, where he is schooled to look for cutbacks after his escorts have zoned off some open territory. When Smith goes straight ahead, executing the Cowboys' pet lead-draw play, the Sumos do some nifty double-teaming through the middle of the defense to clear room.

A lot of the Steelers' pressure comes off zone blitzes, where they drop a defensive lineman into the secondary to fill a zone vacated by the pass rusher. What if Smith happens to be running a play aimed at that vacated hole? "That is how you get in trouble on defense," says Ron Lynn, the Redskins' defensive coordinator whose team beat Dallas twice this season. "You've got a passive defensive situation and an onrushing runner. But if the offensive line is late adjusting to the blitz, the defense has a big-play. possibility."

Even if Pittsburgh has early success limiting Smith, don't expect Cowboys offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese to back off the run. Smith gained 11 yards in his first six carries against Green Bay in the NFC title game. He finished with 150 yards, including 50 yards in the last period, in 35 attempts. It is this emphatic commitment to the rush that should concern the Steelers. It is, simply, the Sumo effect.