Marty Ball Marty Ball is a philosophy of football associated with and named after former NFL and UFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer . In simple terms , it means a focus on the running game , with passing used only to further the running game . Schottenheimer emphasizes offensive attacks that work as follows : Fans ( and critics ) refer to this scheme as " Run , Run , Pass , Punt " ( R2P2 ) . Schottenheimer is considered to be a conservatively - minded coach with a majority of his focus on defense . The term " Marty Ball " is generally considered a pejorative because , at times , Schottenheimer will steadfastly continue to emphasize this form of offensive attack while attempting to hold on to a thin lead or when playing from behind - often with negative results . In terms of regular season play in the NFL , Schottenheimer has run Marty Ball very successfully . During his coaching career with the Cleveland Browns , Kansas City Chiefs , Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers , Schottenheimer has compiled an impressive 200 - 126 - 1 record . His teams have won 8 division titles ( Browns : Thrice . Chiefs : Thrice . Chargers : Twice . ) , made 13 trips to the NFL Playoffs ( Browns : 4 trips . Chiefs : 7 trips . Chargers : Twice . ) , and have reached the AFC Championship Game 3 times ( Browns : Twice . Chiefs : Once . ) . Unfortunately , he has failed to execute Marty Ball in the postseason , where he has an unimpressive 5 - 13 record and has never reached the Super Bowl . NFL coach Herm Edwards said that it " probably detracts [ from his legacy ] in the minds of some people , but I know it doesn ’ t in the minds of people who have coached against him . " Other coaches . Although Schottenheimer ' s assistants have gone on to successful head coaching careers - - Bill Cowher , Tony Dungy , and Herm Edwards have also employed similar strategies of running the football and having a strong defense ( also known as Smash Mouth football ) - - none have adopted the Marty Ball approach . Edwards in particular is likely the closest to using the Marty Ball strategy than any other Schottenheimer protégé . Tony Dungy , in particular , employed a run - first offense during his tenure as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 - 2001 . However , he abandoned his conservative philosophy during his coaching tenure with the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 - 2008 . Dungy ' s Colts teams normally passed the ball more on offense due to Peyton Manning ' s presence on the team . In addition , Bill Cowher had been known to take more risks ( such as making a fourth down conversion ) than his mentor during his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992 - 2006 , and himself had successful passing offenses with Neil O ' Donnell , Ben Roethlisberger , and to a lesser extent Tommy Maddox without abandoning the running game . Unlike Schottenheimer , both Cowher and Dungy have each won a Super Bowl . Cowher led the Steelers to a world title in 2005 . Dungy guided the Colts to a Super Bowl victory a year later , in 2006 . Mike McCarthy , who is also one of Schottenheimer ' s former assistants , employs a pass - oriented offense as well , as the current head coach of the Green Bay Packers . With the help of star QB Aaron Rodgers , McCarthy was able to guide the Packers to a world championship in 2010 . Schottenheimer ' s final game as an NFL head coach came in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff , where his 14 - 2 Chargers were defeated 24 - 21 by the New England Patriots . He last coached the UFL ' s Virginia Destroyers , leading them to a championship in their first season in Virginia Beach , Virginia and his first title as a head coach .