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Hyde's Wildcat Article Poses Interesting Question

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72TributeBike

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After reading this article, (and yes, it is one of the most popular articles around today,) the question comes:

Which team will be next to make a full commitment to the Wildcat formation?

Miami has moved all-in and shown most of their cards. This is what the formation looks like and this is what we're going to do out of it. It is full-on dare-you-to-stop-it smash mouth football.

Teams with strong-arm QBs will not embrace this "new" offensive philosophy. Miami is a single team, and only plays 13 unique opponents (sans playoffs) in any year.

So the NFL right now is in Alfred E. Newman mode. If Miami is on the slate, they'll practice against the WC...but never really bring it into a game...and never with the game on the line (incredibly, Miami did just this in their recent win against the Jets.)

The NFL still considers Miami a joke team, although this week...the Dolphins are being picked to finally win a game by some of the experts.

Now to address the question. Teams that are likely to start making a commitment to the Wildcat formation are teams with weak starting quarterbacks. And which teams are those?

The New York Jets is one. Yes, they tried to run "the Semen-hole" against Miami one time in their Monday Night Mauling, but after a 3-yard loss they abandoned it.

Look for it to resurface as Mr. Creosote begins to explore ways to insulate his little princess quarterback, Mark Snatchez. They have a great tandem of running backs, so if they can man up on the O-line like Miami has done, they actually could start running the formation...alot.

The Jets are just one team that could possibly come over and play Miami's way of ball but there are others out there.

Who do you think is the next team to fully commit to the Wildcat formation?
 
Oakland and Minnesota post-favre are the 2 teams that come to mind.
 
72TributeBike said:
After reading this article, (and yes, it is one of the most popular articles around today,) the question comes:

Which team will be next to make a full commitment to the Wildcat formation?

Miami has moved all-in and shown most of their cards. This is what the formation looks like and this is what we're going to do out of it. It is full-on dare-you-to-stop-it smash mouth football.

Teams with strong-arm QBs will not embrace this "new" offensive philosophy. Miami is a single team, and only plays 13 unique opponents (sans playoffs) in any year.

So the NFL right now is in Alfred E. Newman mode. If Miami is on the slate, they'll practice against the WC...but never really bring it into a game...and never with the game on the line (incredibly, Miami did just this in their recent win against the Jets.)

The NFL still considers Miami a joke team, although this week...the Dolphins are being picked to finally win a game by some of the experts.

Now to address the question. Teams that are likely to start making a commitment to the Wildcat formation are teams with weak starting quarterbacks. And which teams are those?

The New York Jets is one. Yes, they tried to run "the Semen-hole" against Miami one time in their Monday Night Mauling, but after a 3-yard loss they abandoned it.

Look for it to resurface as Mr. Creosote begins to explore ways to insulate his little princess quarterback, Mark Snatchez. They have a great tandem of running backs, so if they can man up on the O-line like Miami has done, they actually could start running the formation...alot.

The Jets are just one team that could possibly come over and play Miami's way of ball but there are others out there.

Who do you think is the next team to fully commit to the Wildcat formation?
Click to expand...

:lol2::lol2::lol2:
 
i don't think any team will try to use it AS MUCH as we do...

1- we have THE coach who invented the wildcat (yeah yeah, single wing my ***, the wildcat is different)
2- we have two awesome backs, one of them is a mean-but-patient Pounder , a one of a kind if you ask me in this regard
3- not a lot of teams have a mauling offensive line like ours
4- teams who would try to use it like us are just setting themselves up for disdain from their fans, especially if they can't run it as well as us...
 
Well, there are a few teams that could try to do it as much as we do, maybe with slight changes.

1. Vikes (AP and Percy Harvin or chester taylor)
2. Raiders (any of their trio.)
3. Jets (OP said it.)
4. Bills (Lynch and Jackson.)
5. Broncos (any of their HBs, might try with eddie royal.)
6. Giants (Jacobs and Bradshaw.)
7. Cowboys (any of their trio.)
8. Bucs (Ward and Williams, lol instead of the R&R express, the W&W express.)
9. Panthers (Stewart, Williams, maybe Smith.)
 
You do not build a team around the Wildcat. It is an offensive scheme, like any other, and most coaches choose a scheme that fits the players they have.

The Wildcat requires:

1) A very good O-line. This means big, powerful, and skilled. This also usually means highly-paid. Ok, this one's not such a big deal, as lots of teams try to have this kind of O-line (Jets for example).

2) Fast and powerful backs that DO NOT turn the ball over. Some teams have fast backs. Some teams have powerful backs. But you need backs that can create yards, fall forward, and most importantly, not turn the ball over. In all those snaps to Ronnie where Ricky is running by as fast as he can, do you ever see a fumble? Not many backs are that reliable, and you need both of your backs to be very reliable.

3) Lack of divas at QB position and WR position. What I mean by this is that a team that has a weapon at QB or WR will not take away plays from them in order to run enough Wildcat for it to be effective. The fact we did not have a Peyton Manning or a Larry Fitzgerald is a big part of the reason why the Wildcat blossomed in the first place.

It was the perfect storm of personnel that led to the Wildcat's birth and success in Miami. There are no other teams I can think of that have the mauling O-line, two backs like Ronnie & Ricky, and a complete lack of big-time talent at QB and WR. Thus, I don't see any other teams trying to shoe-horn the Wildcat to fit. It fits our team, and that is why you will continue to see Miami be the only team to run it consistently and successfully. For the rest of the league, it will be a gimmick that works sometimes, and not others.
 
oasis said:
1) A very good O-line. This means big, powerful, and skilled. This also usually means highly-paid. Ok, this one's not such a big deal, as lots of teams try to have this kind of O-line (Jets for example).
Click to expand...

You know what's weird! We would not have to go that far back in this forum to find a gazillion threads with the "Our O-line Sucks" theme.

Wow...what a turnaround...and you sir are correct...I know for a fact that the main reason this formation works for us is that our O-line is freakin' awesome these days.

I hope they all stay healthy and happy.
 
72TributeBike said:
You know what's weird! We would not have to go that far back in this forum to find a gazillion threads with the "Our O-line Sucks" theme.

Wow...what a turnaround...and you sir are correct...I know for a fact that the main reason this formation works for us is that our O-line is freakin' awesome these days.

I hope they all stay healthy and happy.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on that, keep em crossed, cause I love what I'm seeing. :up:
 
The first team that springs to my mind is the Panthers. Two very good backs and a struggling QB. Fox loves to run the football anyway and the team is built for it.... so why not commit to 12-15 plays in a wildcat formation every game?

The name "wildcat" works well for a teamed named the Panthers too.
 
If Miami keeps having success with it there will be more imitators, that's for sure. And I don't buy the "take Manning (Brady, Brees, etc.) off the field" argument. There are some times you NEED to be able to run the ball. The Wildcat gives you a good formation to do so. You can run it a la Dolphins 2008 with the real QB as WR leaving open the option of the throw back to the real QB pass. You can leave your glory boy on the field.
 
PhinPhan910 said:
Well, there are a few teams that could try to do it as much as we do, maybe with slight changes.

1. Vikes (AP and Percy Harvin or chester taylor)
2. Raiders (any of their trio.)
3. Jets (OP said it.)
4. Bills (Lynch and Jackson.)
5. Broncos (any of their HBs, might try with eddie royal.)
6. Giants (Jacobs and Bradshaw.)
7. Cowboys (any of their trio.)
8. Bucs (Ward and Williams, lol instead of the R&R express, the W&W express.)
9. Panthers (Stewart, Williams, maybe Smith.)
Click to expand...

I think this team would be perfect to run (and be dangerous) the Wildcat
 
if anyteam has the backs for it its the Giants. bradshaw as the wildcat and jacobs as the mauler.
 
Fins_of_Fury said:
if anyteam has the backs for it its the Giants. bradshaw as the wildcat and jacobs as the mauler.
Click to expand...

New York wouldn't take the ball out of Eli's hands, and I can't imagine a NY team being able to run that without intense scrutiny. The Wildcat works because Miami itself is crazy and unconventional.

I agree that the next team to try this should really be the Panthers. Then again, they don't really need to because Williams and Stewart are so good at running out of their conventional offense that they really wouldn't need it. Remember, the Wildcat came in at a time when we weren't running the ball very well, despite our talent. And for most of last year, our runners just weren't getting the open space they needed from the line except for in the wildcat, or games like the NE game where the wildcat lead to some gashes in the defense and we kept getting big games in every way possible.
 
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