OT: Wildcat...Why ?

[PaulThePat]

All this talk about Miami and their wildcat has me wondering:

• Why do Miami use it ?
• Do you need certain types of player for it to work ?
• Why don't more teams use it ?
• Can it continue to work against the same teams ie the AFC East ?

Paul

 

[MetalBleachers]

Re: OT:Wildcat...Why ?

All this talk about Miami and their wildcat has me wondering:

• Why do Miami use it ?
  They have the personnel; it sure worked as a surprise last year; helps running game with option-type attack vs. certain teams.
• Do you need certain types of player for it to work ?
  Absolutely. Having Ronnie Brown taking the snap with option to hand off to Ricky or take it himself (or pass) made this successful. Pat White won't hurt one bit.
• Why don't more teams use it ?
  Need the personnel. Takes ball out of QB's hands. Doesn't work against teams built to stop the run w/ basic fronts.
• Can it continue to work against the same teams ie the AFC East ?
  We'll see, but judging by NE's disparate showings against it (one unprepared, one not), it looks like the Wildcat might have a shelf life.

Paul

Anyone? How'd I do?

 

[cavtroop]

Re: OT:Wildcat...Why ?

The way I understand it, is that it gives the offense an 'extra guy' against the defense, which makes blocking easier. What I mean is, in a normal defense, you (generally) don't have to account for the QB - he is very low risk for taking off and running. So, you have 11 guys on D to account for 10 guys on O.

The wildcat makes it so it's 11 on 11 - now the D has to account for all 11 players on O, as any one of them is capable of taking the ball downfield, with the QB usually split wide as a WR. This way, the O can get more hats on the D for blocking schemes, making it easier to run the ball.

I read a great article on this a while back, but damned if I can't find it now... I'll search around, and post it if I do.

 

[PaulThePat]

Re: OT:Wildcat...Why ?

I read a great article on this a while back, but damned if I can't find it now... I'll search around, and post it if I do.

Thanks...that would be good.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Re: OT:Wildcat...Why ?

The wildcat makes it so it's 11 on 11 - now the D has to account for all 11 players on O, as any one of them is capable of taking the ball downfield, with the QB usually split wide as a WR. This way, the O can get more hats on the D for blocking schemes, making it easier to run the ball.

This makes some sense to me. Though a QB spread wide doesn't instill fear into defensive backs, 1 of them still has to cover the guy to make sure he doesn't pull an Eric Crouch on them... (did I get that reference right?)

My personal opinion is that a guy like Ronnie Brown who is a stellar runner and is at least minimally capable of throwing is the one who makes the wildcat dangerous.

I don't think it's all that much more difficult to defend against than most other formations out there these days though... a defensive line that occupies all the gaps and LB's that can shed blocks would make it a bad day to run the wildcat in my book.

 

[patsfan-1982]

will the fins did not have a fast WR that can go deep they traded chambers and (Ted Ginn Jr) was slow about becomeing a nfl WR

and Pennington dose not have a big arm any way"s

and they did have a run after the catch guy cause they traded welker to the pats

so team's did not respect there pass game and put 8 in the box to stop there run game and they could not move the ball

so all the wild cat dose is open up there run game and get's the ball in the hands of there best player ( Ronnie Brown ) more

so the wild cat is just a good job by there OC of working with what he's got

 

[Patspsycho]

Re: OT:Wildcat...Why ?

The way I understand it, is that it gives the offense an 'extra guy' against the defense, which makes blocking easier. What I mean is, in a normal defense, you (generally) don't have to account for the QB - he is very low risk for taking off and running. So, you have 11 guys on D to account for 10 guys on O.

The wildcat makes it so it's 11 on 11 - now the D has to account for all 11 players on O, as any one of them is capable of taking the ball downfield, with the QB usually split wide as a WR. This way, the O can get more hats on the D for blocking schemes, making it easier to run the ball.

I read a great article on this a while back, but damned if I can't find it now... I'll search around, and post it if I do.

Wildcat doesn't really make it 11 on 11. When you line up the QB on LOS you know he is going to motion as WR but do nothing. I mean who wants their QB to catch a pass and then get levelled?

The tricky aspect of Miami's wildcat (and what makes it work), is the amount of misdirection they do with it.

 

[unoriginal]

The main feature of the wildcat, apart from who is taking the snap, is that the wingback is in motion towards the backfield. This gives the offense a quick-width running option that defenses must account for.

That stretches them out along the line of scrimmage unless they have good safeties that can run up to the line and then run down that back. Typically whatever direction the wingback starts running in, that safety or corner is going to be filling aggressively to meet him at the line while the other has coverage responsibilities.

If you do get spread out along the line or someone doesn't fill his responsibility, the wildcat is set up to open up quick holes that the "QB" can then exploit just as quickly. Then poof he's gone. Or else a play fake and deep release by a receiver results in a 40 yard pass play because just about everybody has a gap or force play to respect.

 

[cavtroop]

resurrecting an old thread to fulfill a promise (posting an article on the wildcat) - here is an awesome article on how the Wildcat works, and how you can stop it. This is the same guy that wrote the one I read, but I think this one is better.

Jets at Dolphins: How the Wildcat Works - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com

 

[ctpatsfan77]

* stares at Julian Edelman *

 

[PittPatriot]

* stares at Julian Edelman *

I think K. Faulk's talents make him one of the best Wildcat backs in the NFL.

 

[tedy hagler]

Yeah, I agree. Like that play Faulk ran in Super Bowl XXXVIII for a 2-point conversion.

Take advantage of the defenses that want special units for each down and make them tackle the damn ball carrier.

I think K. Faulk's talents make him one of the best Wildcat backs in the NFL.

 

[Joker]

to shut down the wildcat you need a disciplined gap control defense...the Jets are NOT disciplined along the line...they rely on blitzing gaps and when they do they open up other holes along their D line

 

[Dragda]

Others have said it, but it simply gives you an extra blocker.

 

[Rob0729]

to shut down the wildcat you need a disciplined gap control defense...the Jets are NOT disciplined along the line...they rely on blitzing gaps and when they do they open up other holes along their D line

I agree with the Jets. The Wildcat exposed that the aggressiveness of the Jets defense can be used against them. They overpursued far too much on Monday night and got burned for it on multiple occassions.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

resurrecting an old thread to fulfill a promise (posting an article on the wildcat) - here is an awesome article on how the Wildcat works, and how you can stop it. This is the same guy that wrote the one I read, but I think this one is better.

Jets at Dolphins: How the Wildcat Works - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com

Thanks a lot for that link. Very informative and hopefully the Pats D know this more than well.

minor nitpick: wish he had pointed out that the Pats D was bad when Miami did it last year because that is the first time that it happened in the NFL in the last decade or so. Other teams obviously are going to see the tape and be better prepared, which the Pats D did the second game around.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

They used it last year out of desperation. Do you really think they were able to beat teams straight up? Teams with a lack of talent need trickery to move the ball. Luckily for the Dolphins, it ended up working and it seems like it's now their base offense.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

They used it last year out of desperation. Do you really think they were able to beat teams straight up? Teams with a lack of talent need trickery to move the ball. Luckily for the Dolphins, it ended up working and it seems like it's now their base offense.

So what if they used it out of desperation? They won the division last year and went into the playoffs last year with it, didn't they? Kudos to them for thinking out of the box.

And you really think that it is trickery that they are attempting the second year also and essentially rolling the dice to see how far their luck will carry them? Looks like we watching different games on Monday night.

Lets keep watching and revisit this after end of the regular season.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

So what if they used it out of desperation? They won the division last year and went into the playoffs last year with it, didn't they? Kudos to them for thinking out of the box.

And you really think that it is trickery that they are attempting the second year also and essentially rolling the dice to see how far their luck will carry them? Looks like we watching different games on Monday night.

Lets keep watching and revisit this after end of the regular season.

Agreed. A lot of people bash the Wildcat, but kudos to the Dolphins for the willingness to try something innovative and new. In the pros, they're quick to copy something, but rarely do they innovate. Now almost every team has a wildcat package.

Did they do it out of desperation? Sure. But it worked. It helped a team with very little talent score way more points than they should have. That's a great job by the coaching staff, and they shouldn't get all the flack they do just because it's "unorthodox."

For those who say it's a silly high school offensive formation, the spread offense also started out in high school. There's a lot of innovative coaching going on at lower levels, some great minds in college as well. That's why BB visited Urban Meyer to see what's new last spring.