DKphin
Club Member
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2009-10-15/wildcat-revives-another-dolphins-season
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2009-10-15/wildcat-revives-another-dolphins-seasonMIAMI -- The Miami Dolphinswere threatening to score, and Chad Henne hesitated halfway between the huddle and the bench, waiting to see whether the coaches wanted him in the game for the next snap.
Henne looked to the sideline, started for the huddle, then reversed direction and trotted off the field.
The Dolphins' wildcat keeps everyone guessing, even their quarterback.
Miami is using the throwback formation more than ever, to the consternation of the competition. And for the second year in a row, the wildcat has helped revive the Dolphins' season.
They used the package 16 times Monday, including on their final play to score the winning touchdown with 6 seconds left in a pivotal game against the New York Jets. With the victory, the Dolphins climbed back into contention in the AFC East, reaching their bye week at 2-3 after an 0-3 start.
Teams dislike losing to the single wing. Jets linebacker Calvin Pace complained the wildcat was nonsense, and coach Rex Ryan belittled it as a gimmick that reminded him of college.
Triggerman Ronnie Brown's response: "It works for us."
Skeptics question the staying power of a package that dates back a century and poses little passing threat. Many NFL teams have played copycat and tried the wildcat, with little success.
But the Dolphins are using it 13 percent of the time, compared with 11 percent a year ago, when the wildcat launched an improbable run to the postseason. They've used it five plays in a row. They've deployed it even on third and long - and made the first down.
In all, Miami has snapped directly to running backs Brown or Ricky Williams 45 times this season, throwing only twice but still averaging 7.1 yards per play.
"You tell me what other offense is going around like that," offensive coordinator Dan Henning says.
Against the Jets, the Dolphins established a new high with their 16 wildcat snaps, which gained 110 yards. They threw from the formation for the first time this year, and Brown's 21-yard completion started a touchdown drive.
With the game on the line on third-and-goal and 10 seconds remaining, the Dolphins decided the wildcat was their best option. Brown scored on a 2-yard keeper up the middle for the victory.
"In critical situations, why wouldn't you want the ball in Ronnie Brown's or Ricky Williams' hands?" coach Tony Sparano says. "I feel comfortable with those odds."
