Today's Tidbit... O Line Blocking and the 1954 Chicago Cardinals Playbook

The partial cover of the 1954 Chicago Cardinals brochure/playbook exemplifies the simplicity of early playbooks. (Personal collection)

Early football offenses using the mass and momentum approach opened holes by crashing multiple backside linemen and running backs through the hole. Rule changes intended to eliminate mass and momentum plays required seven players on the line of scrimmage and required offenses to gain ten rather than five in three plays. (Teams had to gain ten yards in four plays s...