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Please Explain: The Wildcat

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Clemsonpanther, Aug 10, 2013.

  1. Clemsonpanther

    Clemsonpanther New Member

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    I know what the wildcat is, but what are the ins and outs of it? Is it a viable core offense? How do you stop it? How does allow this relate to the Miami Dolphins, especially in 09 with Brown and the other guy, with Pennington wide out?
     
  2. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Davie

    lol Ricky Williams
     
  3. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    It's essentially a halfback read-option play where the "Triggerman" (the guy receiving the shotgun snap) has to read the defense and decide whether he will run with the ball or hand it off to the "Wildcat" (the guy starting in the slot and is in motion near the Triggerman at the same time as the snap).

    Initially, Miami's 2009 version also included an unbalanced offensive line, with the left tackle lining up next to the right tackle along with a Tight End on that side. The formation itself caused mass confusion for the defense (especially New England who was the firt to see this offense in a pro game). And allowed both the Triggerman (Ronnie Brown) and the Wildcat (Ricky Williams) more blockers on the right side to run behind, or for the Triggerman to cut back, if the defense overloaded the right side in response to the offensive overload, or for the Triggerman to pass it, either to the QB who typically lined up as a wide receiver in the formation, or to a tight end who ran a simple bleed out route to the weak side that has been vacated by the defense.

    2010 and beyond the Wildcat was set up essentially the same, with the exception of the overloaded o-line. Usually, Miami ran it with a traditional offensive line set up and changed up the QB/WR line up amongst differing positions (sometimes it was a QB, sometimes a RB or WR). To be honest, I never quite did understand or had it explained to me why Miami went away from the unbalanced line, but it seemed to correlate with the lack of success that came with running the formation over time.

    To answer your lat question, I am of the opinion that THAT specific formation probably can't be run with success over a long period of time, however, I do believe that THAT formation did help usher in the pro version of the Pistol offense that is run by many teams currently. The Seahawks, Redskins, Forty-Niners and more run a lot of their plays out of a QB Read-Option attack (as opposed to the RB-read Option that the Wildcat is) which allows them to incorporate a more traditional passing game into the playbook.

    My opinion on this offense is that it can be sustained longer, however, just like the Wildcat, the key to defending it is stopping the Triggerman of the Pistol Offense. In the newer version, this is the QB. The Ravens did a good job in The Superbowl of doing that by assigning players to Colin Kaepernick on every play. Essentially, they were going to force him to either throw, or hand the ball off to someone else and force them to beat them. It was a great strategy that I assume will be employed more this season and probably make those teams rely on a more traditional offensive game plan going forward. But I do think it is here to stay for awhile and certain elements of the read-option are here to stay forever.

    Hope this helps.

    Also, feel free to add in or correct any errors I may have stated in explaining. I tried to go for the tree tops version of the base offensive set so of those who want to get into the little nuances...shut it!
     
  4. smahtaz

    smahtaz Pimpin Ain't Easy

    [video=youtube;KR76aoKghM8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR76aoKghM8[/video]
     
  5. DHPVW

    DHPVW DuB addict

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    Man, I miss Ronnie Brown in his prime! Dude was a BEAST!!
     
  6. WhiteIbanez

    WhiteIbanez Megamediocremaniacal

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    Ronnie Brown was a decent back. No second gear.
     
  7. DHPVW

    DHPVW DuB addict

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    Ronnie was more than a decent back...imo at least. Dude wasn't the same after his injury but he was a monster until then
     
  8. WhiteIbanez

    WhiteIbanez Megamediocremaniacal

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    For the Dolphins running the Wild Cat..... David Lee and Dan Henning asked and Ronnie was the one who raised his hand. To take the direct snap.
    On the plane ride home from Arizona.
     
  9. PhinFan1968

    PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member

    He was leading the league in yards from scrimmage prior to that injury...broke my heart.
     
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  10. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    he was a running wildcat beast, had loads of talent, just not the work ethic or knowledge to understand his body, but his hands were so good handling the snap, I remember there were time where he didnt even look at the ball, he was already checkin out the defense when the ball was in the air...too bad he couldn't throw like at least a Denard Robinson.
     
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  11. WhiteIbanez

    WhiteIbanez Megamediocremaniacal

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    You mean in 07 when Cam Cameron pushed Ronnie to be a better back when he went with Jesse Chatman?
     
  12. DHPVW

    DHPVW DuB addict

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  13. frozenfin

    frozenfin Well-Known Member

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    Pat White was drafted in 09 with the idea of a more legitimate passing threat than ronnie brown, operate more like the pistol offenses run kaepernick and rg3 now, but it never panned out.

    We had a very good run blocking O line in 08-09 which helped us run the wildcat down defenses throats. Sometimes there were three RBs (brown, williams, cobb), a fullback (polite) two TEs (fasano and haynos or a tackle eligible in unbalanced line), and no QB or WR on the field at all!
     
  14. VManis

    VManis Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'm wondering why we haven't seen any of the teams with a "running QB" also employ the wildcat into their playbook. By adding the RB in the jet or wildcat role on some plays it would add another dimension which would pressure the width of the field. Any thoughts on why we haven't seen this from SF, Washington or Seattle?
     
  15. Larryfinfan

    Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member

    Sam, about the only think I'd add to this is that the 'wildcat' as we know it has been around as a variation of the single wing from days of football lore. It's not 'new'...it was reintroduced by David Lee and Sparano a few years ago, but it's a formation that has been in football for eons...
     
  16. xphinfanx

    xphinfanx Stay strong my friends.

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    He sure took New England to school for us.
     
  17. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    I know. I originally started to write about that and how David Lee had the Wildhog at Arkansas but then figured that the OP asked for the 2009 version specifically and it was wordy enough as it is, so I cut it.
     
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  18. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think you pretty well nailed it. Not a lot of people noticed the switch from 2009 away from the pure Arkansas version. I don't really understand either them going away from the unbalanced line when they never really ran to the left side. All the other stuff made sense- Removing the quarterback, going with a fullback instead of David Martin.

    They also ended up taking the Jet Sweep portion out at one point with Ronnie Brown hurt and Ricky Williams as the trigger guy, which I think was a pretty curious decision as well.

    I'm not sure there is an "option" there, I'm pretty sure it was just straight called plays with the same formation and pre-snap motions. They did end up experimenting with actual read option stuff, both the Pat White experiment and out of "wildcat" style personnel packages but I don't think it was the Wildcat proper.
     
  19. PhinFan1968

    PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member

    My guess is the Wildcat is seen as a bit of a crutch scheme, in that only teams do it that are lacking in their normal scheme.
     
  20. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    I took it as an option in that Ronnie had to read the defense and know whether to keep it himself or hand off to Ricky, no? Or are you saying that play was called previous to the snap and there wasn't that element of improvisation? I assume the pass plays weren't and option call, but the runs I assumed, were.

    Also, I don't know if anyone has ever asked Sparano or Lee why they switched from the unbalanced line which seemed to work so much better. I am still curious what the reasoning was behind that.
     
  21. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Not to denigrate the Wildcat because I certainly think it has advantages and uses, but it's basically a short yardage/power formation. Teams with robust option elements in their offense are going to have formations that work with some similarities, but I don't think it makes sense for them to eliminate a read-based option or sell out completely towards running the ball.

    Teams with bigger quarterbacks are already going to have heavy short yardage packages, and there are a lot of other misdirection elements you can use besides just a Jet sweep.
     
  22. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I don't think the Wildcat had a read element. There weren't purposely unblocked defenders that the ballcarrier was reading and making a decision off of. I think the structure of the Wildcat being so oriented towards runs towards the strong side/direction the Jet sweep was heading in would make it difficult to find a guy to isolate and put on an island effectively. The players were executed as called, and whatever change-up would come from teams cheating rather than something in the context of a play.

    I think my terminology may have been screwed up, I think it's accurate to call the Wildcat an option play(as in there are multiple potential ball carriers and built-in misdirection) but it isn't a read option like above.
     
  23. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    Well, screwed up or not, I think I knew what you were getting at. I always thought that Ronnie had the final decision on whether or not to give to Ricky or keep it himself. If not, then more credit to the OC and coaching staff for the initial game against New England than previously given because they called every play out of that offense (three different plays total) perfectly.
     

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