Just to Kick This Out! How Wild Was Our Wild-Cat Last Year??? Well, we all know what we have been told, and read since the Wild-Cat breakout against NE last year. As the story goes, the WC was not only the catalyst for our 11-5 Season record, but the "gimmick" that helped inspired those wins... Reading some of the current "Power Rankings," they explain that the WC will either be limited or tamed, due to Defenses having more time to better prepare for them, and the schedule being extremely tough this year. Now, these are basically some of the same guys that said that we were going to the Post Season or to the Super Bowl in 2006 with the acQuisition of Daunte Culpepper... So the question that I asked my self... Were those 11 games won last year based on great scoring execution/production of the WC? If I recalled and after checking stats, "Only 3 games won" (NE, SD and Seattle)out of the 11 had points directly off the WC Offensive play for a total of 49 points (7 TDs). That was an impressive 16 points per game that the WC brought to the game. Also 20% (estimated 239 yds) of the total Offensive yards (estimated 1,212 yds) were from the same WC formation... Now going into more detail, 28 of those 49 points came against NE as well as 24% (estimated 111 yds) of the total Offensive yards (461 yds). No doubt the WC was a "a scoring threat," based on these stats and I can understand why these experts say that...but that is understandable just on these games, but... Why do they place the majority of the victories (the other 8 games) in the same category when the other wins had very limited WC and absolutely not one single WC scoring point??? Yes, that is correct... We scored an average of 22 points per game from our other Offensive schemes. In those 8 games, in our WC, we only averaged 8% (estimated 219 yds) of the total Offensive yards (2686 yds). Not a really "High Power" WC Offensive execution, by any means... So looking underneath all the WC clutter sorrounding this team last Season, I have come to a conclusion that the Dolphin's version of the WildCat, brought this team some exposure, and not the negative one that succumed to this team in 2007, the one all the experts expected... Coach Sporano and QB Coach Lee, wanted to spark our Offense, and with the talent around them, they did, caused the men in the trenches and those that touched the football to believe in themselves. The Coahes not only gave the team a spark, but gave them the morale support that stayed with them the rest of the Season... This team played with heart from the 3rd game on out, they were really never out of any game, and they believed that winning was something that they could do. Comes to mind their team motto after the Denver game-"What About Us!" (see my sig).. Show me how many other teams last year made successful use off the WC and won with it? IMO, you can say that Miami's wins, the WC was only successfull in 3 games in which 49 points were directly related to the WC, as well as 20% of the total Offensive yards...I know that the Houston game was a successfull use of the WC, but it did not give them the win...I know the Defense killed them, otherwise it would have been 4 games... IMO, you can say that Miami's WC against Balt (Reg Season), and the 2nd NE game was totally horrendous (no points and less than 3% of total Offensive yards)... IMO, you can say that Miami's WC was mediocre at bestthe other 8 games they won last Season. This by keeping the mis-direction going against Defenses at least 10 % of the Offensive snaps... In the end, Miami's WC made alot of noise in 4 out of 12 games used last year, being the main scoring threat, while in the other 8 games it basically became "a morale/confidence" booster to keep the Offensive engine going...Shou in 3...2...1... IMO, the team's heart and character inspired by the WC schemes gave the team the edge to win those games against mediocre and sub par teams. We all know they caught NE by surprise on their 1st meeting... and what a first meeing it was, it was a team building experience which exemplified the rest of the Season. The WC was actually tamed on the 1st Raven's encounter (7th game), Seattle was a "blip" in the WC's chart (scoring 2 TDs)... In closing after this long and boring post (for some), the experts IMO were wrong in their Ranking assessments, its not the WC that needs taming and opponents need to prepare for, its the character, confidence and morale that this team was infused with last year. Now add a little more talent to that pool and... ...WE CAN DREAM CAN'T WE...
Its JMO but I kind of feel like Parcells and Sparano felt like they needed something out of the ordinary to spark the Dolphins and thus the Wildcat was born. I don't believe it was a gimmick play but just something extraordinary that was a new wrinkle that caught a lot of people by surprise. This team was coming off of a disasterous 1-15 season and the Wildcat gave them some confidence and momentum to help them forget the previous year. It will be called a gimmick play less and less as more teams attempt different variations of the wildcat. I don't hear the flea flicker or the halfback option pass and various other plays gimmick plays but they had to be used a first time at one time but thats JMO.
This is a GREAT post. I wanted to lay something out like this but just can't find the time to get on here as much lately. I think you hit the real root of what the Wildcat was. It was a catalyst bottom line. The Patriots were a better team bottom line. This staff wanted something to throw them off giving us a chance to win. Good coaching staffs do that. It worked like a charm. Kudos to them. That's it though. Once the NFL knew it had to look out for this package guess how much damage it did? SQUAT! It's a wrinkle not an offensive system. It's never going to reach the level some seem to think it is. It's not a revolutionary change in NFL offenses. It's a package to throw in from time to time and try and catch a team off guard. Fans are not looking past that one performance when analyzing the effectiveness of this "WildCat Phenomenon". As the season progressed last year the WildCat became less and less effective to the point where it was actually a detriment to our offense. I would scream at the tV to stop screwing around with this crap by the end of the year. Teams were ready for it and in our backfield stuffing it. By years end I saw many drives with momentum stopped by it rather than helped by it. I'm going to take it a step further here as well. One that will get me jumped all over so bring it on! This is the reason the Pat White pick was a horrendous pick at 44. We drafted someone at the top of the draft for a package that will wilt away. Yeah.... I know some will ref. the backtracking statement by Sporano that White is being looked at as a full time QB....... Sure...... Horrible move.
I think your wrong. I believe Pat White was simply drafted because he is Pat White......a third QB that could vie for the starting job and give Henne some competition. Is it a bonus his athleticism, absolutely, and if he can run some of the wildcat plays great. Most seem to forget a wide receiver name Ted Ginn who was supposed to be all world and run back kick after kick for TD's............NOT!!! Ginn has been.....well.......mediocre. White has the ability to run his a$$ off and I believe we will see him running back kicks this year. We have seen very little if anything the "Cat" has to offer. This year was just the tip of the iceburg. Next year will be very very interesting. It will make preparing for the Dolphins very difficult if not impossible to completely prepare for. It would not surprise me if you even see Pat White run some regular offense plays that eventually morph into a "Cat" play for a big fat 7. It is so exciting this pick.....and what the Fins have the chance to do with it. There is a storm brewing in Miami and when we release it we will again be the talk of the NFL. Experts are funny. They are quick to agree on a topic after hearing someone else's opinion. Seems to me they just regurgitate each others opinions...........i.e Pat White being a receiver. I have never heard so much nonsense in all the years I been following football.....just not going to happen.
As strongly as you see your side I see mine just as strong. You see "the tip of the iceburg" in the WildCat and I see the "the summit of mountain" having been reached in the first game it was released with nothing but downhill being possible going forward. You see Pat White as a legit multi threat QB that can become a #1 and I see Pat White as just another running QB experiment that will likely end just like all the rest. Time will tell.
Yes time will tell!!! And a big thank you for not attacking me for my opinion I respect that a great deal. I noticed on one play in particular a throw that Ronnie was going to make to a tackle eligible that was covered. That is why I believe there is a lot more to this then we have run. I agree with you on the possibility that Pat White may not become anything special and be like other QB projects......this is yes a possibility. What i don't see is him becoming a receiver with Camafreakingrillo, Bess, Ginn and the others we drafted that I can't think of right this minute. I hope your not right about the "cat" because I loved getting up out of the chair everytime we lined up in it............it brought excitement back to the games that we haven't had since The days of ol' Danny Boy.
I hear ya bro... totally understand your reasoning, and Disnardo lays it out very well. I too think the Wildcat became overrated by the mainstream media. The WC was our Plan B last year because our oline couldn't block consistently. After the Cardinals loss, Sparano had a long flight back to Miami to come up with answers to our run blocking woes. It was the catalyst for our turnaround and gave the line some confidence that spread throughout the team like a virus. In turn, Pennington didn't have to force the ball down the field and threw what six int's the entire year (until the playoff game of course). THAT stat line more than anything was the reason we were so successful. However, I disagree about Pat White. I wasn't on board with the thought of bringing him in back in January to be an addition to the wildcat only. But after watching him during the Senior Bowl practices / the game / and the combine, I believe he can be much more than just a wildcat player. I still say Chad Henne is the future at the quarterback position, but Pat White is another Plan B in case things don't work out. Remember how the last Plan B worked... think of this Plan B as also being a part of Plan A... He's going to help you in the return game, as a receiver, and also as a quarterback when we go in the spread offense... which will be different than the wildcat.
Can we also see this... This FO was going to release Beck...No doubt about it, since a trade was out of the scenario... Sanches.... Staddford out of the picture...why not White as the 3rd QB??? With us (the FO) still looking at installing some of the Spread Offense next year, why not get a QB that is perfectly set up to run the WC???
There is some peril to this approach though Dis, if White has success in the WC, and Penny is injured, Henne won't have seen the field, White will have and a controversy could erupt. I like White though, to me it is a gutsey pick, and I do not believe he is a basket case as a NFL Qb prospect, not at all, his only issue is height and that can be overcome.
I understand Padre... not like we have not seen a QB contraversy in the last few years... I like Henne, liked what he did against Arizona on the one drive, but still... not like he has proven anything yet, even though he seems to have all the tools... I see Henne when I see Big Ben, and I love Big Ben...but...Big Ben is a proven winner...where does that leave Henne??? The great Peyton looked averaged at best the first half of last season. I know he was coming back from surgery, and yeah he won MVP (I believe), because he had the his Offensive Line team back to full strength by the middle of the season... He had 4 games out of his first 7 that was Fiedler like... Averaged 56% completion, 6.0 YPA (2 yds under his career avg), 3 TDs and 6 INTs... I still believe a good QB has a Good Offensive team around him... take that out of context and he becomes average at best...unless he can run...
Running is important, but not as much as the decision making process to run in the first place, and even then, it's often better to scramble around the pocket and make a play with the arm over heading up field. I just am not buying the White=Vince Young as a prospect, he was a successful, 4 yr starter and a winner, Young was a sort of one season wonder who scored 12 on the wonderlic, he just didn't have White's experience at Qb in college. As for the wildpat, if he has the Qb basics down, and with Penny here he will learn study habits and preparation, then we should look at him in the Wildcat. Which to me, creating a sort of minioffense for White to run should help his development as he will learn some of the responsibilities of a Qb.
I read somewhere that Pat White WS was a 23-26...Chad Henne scored a 22...Hopefully it is good enough...time will tell, that is if they get it... LINK: http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Extras/2009/wwhi042109.htm A consider a good QB as equipped with all the intangibles, including smarts, and yes I also consider running as able to scramble in the pocket and buying time for the receivers to get open as well as avoiding the rush... and to add and I agree with you Padre...Penny is suppose to be a great teacher... that is something that we hope we will notice with Henne and White...
to me the wildcat was more effective than some are giving it. sure we ddin't score alot of points after the first few goes with it but... 1.like posted earlier it got our guys having fun and boosted morale especially after the horrindous loss to az..then the unleashing upon n.e kinda brought the team together enough that it wasn't needed as full time scheme. 2.we became more unpredictable. no matter who was under center defenses had to account for everyone and made our o as a whole alot less vanallia. 3.there were alot of missed opportunitys in the passing game(a few failed pass attempts by ronnie and ricky)where ron or rick had to pull it down and try to make something on the ground. thats where pat white comes in.he is a better passer than either r&r..both r&R are better recievers than a few guys on the team and if white does have to pull it down you know he can make plays with his legs..now we have ronnie or ricky blocking for him instead of cobbs/polite who i think are better blockers than the latter..we may even see ronnie passing to white. one of our biggest problems in the recieving dept has been yac and pat should excell at that.
Good post D.. The wildcat had many residual affects on the football team, mentally and strategically it gave us advantages... Even when it didnt work on a play, it set u up for the next. I dont hear anyone saying that its going to become a full offensive attack on this board or that that is our intensions. Like padre said, its "a mini offense", using the diverse skills of a qb, that is excellent at running it. I also havent heard many people say on this board that Pat is gonna be our full time starter one day. I think there are some clear and consise strategies that are being devised and implemented, that include Pat white AND the wildcat.."mini offense.."hybrid, which executed at about a 80/20 split, will be quite revolutionary imo. From the most simple formation which the wildcat is, Its just football, devised differently to capitolize on unique players that have the skills that the formation itself relies on, all the while heightening the unpredictability factor that keeps defensive players on their best behavior.. If we were successful with it, which we were...6 yards per attempt with double digit TD's, with an INFERIOR interior offensive line, then of course we should {and are} be evolvolving it to an extent, AND looking for the player {drafted him}, that brings certain elements to the offense that we were completely void of... {a Qb that can scamble and run, which Pat white is amazing at, a qb that can throw from the formation, which Pat white can do pretty well, a qb that can run from the formation AND a qb that can drop back and threaten a defense with all those specific skills}. You put said player with ronnie brown on a football field with a good offensive line, and i'll become the leader of the Revolution.
