NFL.com: Defending the Wildcat - New England Patriots Forums

JSn · 11-19-2008, 06:29 PM

Leading into our match-up against the Phish, who smoked us with the Wildcat, here's some neat insight into the package.

**Mods - I thought this was relevant given our opponent this week. If not, feel free to relocate it.

Not just a wild idea, Wildcat may be here to stay

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Disrupt the mesh point

The nose tackle and the two inside linebackers would go to a blitz look to disrupt the "mesh point," when the shotgun back and another back would engage in a handoff or a fake handoff.

Cowher knows that there is a timing issue between the two players and he wants to destroy the mesh.

Interesting: Vince, Guyton, Mayo tracking some fishes for a big hit? SWEET!

BradfordPatsFan · 11-19-2008, 06:46 PM

Very interesting article. Thank you for sharing. I wonder who the "key" defender for the Pats would be in each of those situations.

***NEPatriot*** · 11-19-2008, 06:47 PM

Dolphins uses wildcard to hide their weakness.

unoriginal · 11-19-2008, 06:51 PM

To put it simply, the reason it is effective against us is because it requires quick penetration and a man advantage at the point of attack. The Pats defense prefers gap control and deep zones.

JSn · 11-19-2008, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unoriginal

To put it simply, the reason it is effective against us is because it requires quick penetration and a man advantage at the point of attack. The Pats defense prefers gap control and deep zones.

How do you suspect they'll manage personnel in this case? The last game seemed to show we have to let our speed demons attack because otherwise we're going to drown in a rising tide of short passes and YAC's.

How would YOU assign personnel for this kind of D, based on who we have?

unoriginal · 11-19-2008, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSn

How do you suspect they'll manage personnel in this case? The last game seemed to show we have to let our speed demons attack because otherwise we're going to drown in a rising tide of short passes and YAC's.

How would YOU assign personnel for this kind of D, based on who we have?

I'd follow Cowher's advice, except the contain rush advice. Miami made a bunch of good gains on the Pats in the first game from quick off-tackle stuff. An upfield contain rush would take the contain players out off the play; Brown or Williams would just run underneath them. Alternatively, you could have the contain players use wrong-arm technique, but that's more a 4-3 Cover 2 technique, it might be sub-optimal to devote that kind of practice time to the problem.

I think instead you slant away from the QB/receiver and blitz a QB-side corner or linebacker for contain. I think you keep the backside safety to play downhill on Pennington, because you'd be willing to trade a few 10-yard completions there for one or two stick-em hits.

You shouldn't be vulnerable to counters because hopefully a penetrating lineman or the backside contain blitz could get into the backfield mesh before the play developed. Weak power runs would be a concern, because Miami's o-line is quick enough to push off the slant and reach the ILBs. Unless your safeties are really fast you could give up some big gains there.

But that's the whole point of the single wing, you're trying to hit home runs with the running game.

***jmt57*** · 11-19-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unoriginal

I'd follow Cowher's advice, except the contain rush advice. Miami made a bunch of good gains on the Pats in the first game from quick off-tackle stuff. An upfield contain rush would take the contain players out off the play; Brown or Williams would just run underneath them. Alternatively, you could have the contain players use wrong-arm technique, but that's more a 4-3 Cover 2 technique, it might be sub-optimal to devote that kind of practice time to the problem.

I think instead you slant away from the QB/receiver and blitz a QB-side corner or linebacker for contain. I think you keep the backside safety to play downhill on Pennington, because you'd be willing to trade a few 10-yard completions there for one or two stick-em hits.

You shouldn't be vulnerable to counters because hopefully a penetrating lineman or the backside contain blitz could get into the backfield mesh before the play developed. Weak power runs would be a concern, because Miami's o-line is quick enough to push off the slant and reach the ILBs. Unless your safeties are really fast you could give up some big gains there.

But that's the whole point of the single wing, you're trying to hit home runs with the running game.

Great analysis. Looking at how Cowher defends the wildcat package, you have your DEs coming in outside the tackles and your NT and both ILB coming in between the C and G. That leaves both gaps between the G and T open. A RB with the quickness of Brown or Williams could hit the hole and get past the OLBs - with the help of those G's - leaving only the S between the RB and the end zone. If I recall correctly, that's exactly what Brown was able to do once or twice when Miami played the Pats earlier this season.

unoriginal · 11-19-2008, 07:43 PM

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Originally Posted by jmt57

Great analysis. Looking at how Cowher defends the wildcat package, you have your DEs coming in outside the tackles and your NT and both ILB coming in between the C and G. That leaves both gaps between the G and T open. A RB with the quickness of Brown or Williams could hit the hole and get past the OLBs - with the help of those G's - leaving only the S between the RB and the end zone. If I recall correctly, that's exactly what Brown was able to do once or twice when Miami played the Pats earlier this season.

Close. In the Pats defense, the OLB's are the contain players, not the DEs (or the CBs, which sometimes happens in Cover 2). DE's are doing gap-control on both sides of the tackles. But if the TE or the T pushes the OLB upfield, which is easy to do because they're light, standing up and heading that way, and you get a hook on the DE, you can lead off-tackle on the Stud and pick up good yardage. Which is what you remember from the first game - especially plays on the goalline when Miami would motion an H-back from backside to give themselves even more power on the OLB-kickout. ILBs can't run that down consistantly.

jays52 · 11-19-2008, 08:01 PM

Or, if we really want to have fun with this, why don't we fight high school fire with high school fire? If they want to run the single wing, why not run a 44? Hypothetically, one could crash the ends and give the outside linebackers c gap responsibility. Playside outside linebacker is in charge of turning the play inside, backside keeps contain. Have your playside inside linebacker blow up the inside downblock or pull and backside inside linebacker flow to the ball to clean up.

Thoughts Unoriginal?

unoriginal · 11-19-2008, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jays52

Or, if we really want to have fun with this, why don't we fight high school fire with high school fire? If they want to run the single wing, why not run a 44?

I think the major problem with the "Wildcat" package is that it is essentially the same as the standard Pro Set package, from a personnel standpoint. You can't run a 4th DL on the field, because Pennington could just line up at QB with Williams and Brown split behind him, or one of them in the slot.

If the Dolphins wanted to run a classic wing variation against a defensive package designed to stop it, no doubt they would just leave Pennington on the sidelines and put another tackle or end on the field.