When was the no huddle first used in the nfl?

[imbondz]

Anyone know?

[Mudflap1]

Sam Wyche developed it in the mid-80s and used it with Boomer Esiason and the Bengals. When the Bills were losing to Cleveland in the playoffs after the '89 season, they used the no-huddle to get back in the game, and almost came back and won. In the offseason, Marv Levy was talking to Ted Marchibroda and co. and they decided the no-huddle was a good strategy to use permanently, so the Bills became the most known/successful team at the time to use it. Of course the Colts use it with Manning...

Jon

[imbondz]

Forgot about Sam Wyche. Good info thanks.

[Skooby]

Sam is a smart man.

[YardRat]

Are you asking for the actual first use of the no-huddle, or the first time it was used as a base offense?

[sam5767]

I can remember versions of the no-huddle offense as far back as I can recall....to the mid 70's....only then it was referred to as the "2 minute offense" and you really only saw it either last 2 minutes of half or of game.

If I remember correctly, the Bengals didn't really use the no-huddle to move the ball....I think what they were doing was rushing up to the line to hike the ball while the defense was making substitutions...resulting in the defense getting flagged for either having too many men or for being off-sides. I want to say the NFL either changed a rule because of it, or enforced an existing rule because the Bengals only goal was in drawing a penalty. The Bills really started using the no-huddle in the 89 play-off game vs. the Browns...it worked so well that they continued it the next season ans the rest is history!!


Sam Wyche developed it in the mid-80s and used it with Boomer Esiason and the Bengals. When the Bills were losing to Cleveland in the playoffs after the '89 season, they used the no-huddle to get back in the game, and almost came back and won. In the offseason, Marv Levy was talking to Ted Marchibroda and co. and they decided the no-huddle was a good strategy to use permanently, so the Bills became the most known/successful team at the time to use it. Of course the Colts use it with Manning...

Jon

[YardRat]

The 'Sugar Huddle' led to the rule changes.

[RandolphDuke]

I can remember versions of the no-huddle offense as far back as I can recall....to the mid 70's....only then it was referred to as the "2 minute offense" and you really only saw it either last 2 minutes of half or of game.

If I remember correctly, the Bengals didn't really use the no-huddle to move the ball....I think what they were doing was rushing up to the line to hike the ball while the defense was making substitutions...resulting in the defense getting flagged for either having too many men or for being off-sides. I want to say the NFL either changed a rule because of it, or enforced an existing rule because the Bengals only goal was in drawing a penalty. The Bills really started using the no-huddle in the 89 play-off game vs. the Browns...it worked so well that they continued it the next season ans the rest is history!!
It was interesting because the refs didn't really know what to do. I remember instances of penalties being called against the Bengals for not allowing substitutions even though they weren't substituting on their side.

Lot of bad officiating in those days. Remember when they called delay of game penalties on teams because the home crowd was too loud?

[Ingtar33]

Sam Wyche developed it in the mid-80s and used it with Boomer Esiason and the Bengals. When the Bills were losing to Cleveland in the playoffs after the '89 season, they used the no-huddle to get back in the game, and almost came back and won. In the offseason, Marv Levy was talking to Ted Marchibroda and co. and they decided the no-huddle was a good strategy to use permanently, so the Bills became the most known/successful team at the time to use it. Of course the Colts use it with Manning...

Jon

This pretty much nailed it.

In 1990, the Bills didn't use it for a full game until week 5, when they played the Eagles at home (incidentally i was actually at that game, down on the 45 yard line about 15 rows up, a guest of an old HS friend who's family had season tickets for about as long as the bills have existed. Fred Barnett made that huge catch right in front of me, when Cunningham was almost sacked by Bruce Smith for a safety). That was the first time the Bills used it from start to finish. By the end of the season they were doing it in every game.

[stuckincincy]

Lot of bad officiating in those days. Remember when they called delay of game penalties on teams because the home crowd was too loud?

You have a good memory!

IIRC, it was in the early to mid '70's . It backfired on them, though - when it was called, the booing and noise increased.

Another oldie - the disallowing of the receiving teams' ability to advance a recovered on-side kick. If memory serves, BUF rb Greg Jones ran one in for a td way back when.

[stuckincincy]

Sam is a smart man.

Yes - he is.

As expected - plenty 'o Sam stories here in Cincy.

One of them is the phantom quit. Wyche once went into Brown's office to ***** about Mikie's meddlesome and parsimonious ways. Brown claimed that Sam quit, and refused to pay him. Sam sued and won.