I dont know guys, but I think it might be time to put away the wildcat for a few weeks. I'm kind of getting sick of seeing it and each week it has gotten less and less effective. Against NE: 5 runs for 100 yards, 3 TD. 20 ypp 1 pass for 19 yards, 1 TD. 19 ypp Against SD: 10 runs for 48 yards, 1 TD. 4.8 ypp Against Houston: 5 runs for 19 yards. 3.8 ypp 1 pass for 53 yards, 1 TD. 53 ypp Against Baltimore: 6 runs for 4 yards. .66 ypp In total: 26 runs for 171 yards and 4 td's. 6.57yyp 2 passes for 72 yards and 2 td's. 36 This was a new formation 4 games ago and teams have figured out a way to stop it. The average yards per rush out of the base wildcat has consisitently dropped per game from 20ypp - 4.8ypp - 3.8ypp - .66ypp. Granted we played the top defense in the league yesterday but I still believe it wouldnt have been as effective regardless who we were playing, and the fact that we continued to run it 6 times unsuccessfully yesterday is also a knock to the playcalling (which also was horrendous thoughout the game).. Not to mention you really cannot trick a defense like Baltimore's with so many vets and such a swarming defense. I do not consider the wildcat a true "trick" play because 90 percent of the time it is going to be a run, the defense knows this and has the ability to read and react to it. When it becomes a trick play is when we option or reverse to the pass, hence the 72 yards gained and 2 TD's on 2 attempts. All in all teams have learned how to stop this formation as it has become less and less effective each week. We can look at the totals and say, well we are still averaging 6.57ypp rushing and 36ypp passing, but those numbers will only begin to decrease until the wildcat begins to hurt us more than help us. I think it is time to put the wildcat to rest for at least 2 weeks. Teams will still have to waste time preparing for it anyways and the more games that go on that defenses will not see it, makes it more of a surprise when they do. Thoughts?
I think that we didn't execute against Houston or Baltimore, which is why the stats are what they are. I do think the defense we are facing these next 2 weeks (Buffalo and Denver) are more susceptible to it than the Houston and Baltimore defenses were. Houston has active linebackers, and Baltimore is on another planet when it comes to rushing defense this year. Buffalo's defense has been rather pedestrian, and the Broncos remind me of the Colts, circa 2005.
The problem with the Wildcat this week IMO was that we kept running the same couple of run plays. over and over. It was crazy. It's one thing if you're doing that to set up a big surprise play, but they didn't, they just kept running the same play. I wish they would've tried more passes from the Wildcat like that great one Penny threw for a TD, or try having Ronnie throw the ball again. It's crazy! I don't get why they didn't do anything like that. Even the Wildcat will get predictable if you keep using it the same way and we had success when we tried it in the past. It just doesn't make any sense. Also and I've said it before, let's get Ronnie more involved in the passing game. It's crazy. He's got great hands and can get great YAC.
