We should now run the wildcat 20 times/game

[normaldude]

1) We don't have any great QBs or WRs.

2) The new wildcat removes all the QBs or WRs, and loads up on power runners & blockers (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Lousaka Polite, Fasano, Haynos, 5 linemen), which wears down the opponent's smaller DBs.

3) The new wildcat is averaging about 6 yds/rushing attempt.

Conclusion: Run the new wildcat more, until either a) Henne & the WRs improve, or b) opposing teams start shutting down the new wildcat.

Note: I do not buy the logic that young QBs need to use real games to practice & improve. That should be done in preseason & practice. When young QBs like Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez stepped into a real game for the first time, they were expected to deliver, and they did. NFL teams cannot afford to sacrifice real games as a means of giving the QB reps.

 

[Sirspud]

It would make sense, but the one thing we need to be sure to do is not hold Henne so far back that he hasn't established any kind of rhythm and we fall into a situation where we need plays in the passing game. A couple years ago, Sage started in a blizzard in Cleveland and the gameplan was to run Ricky and Ronnie all day. The problem was that Sage hardly got to throw the ball at all, and to ask a QB making one of his first starts to go out there and have all of his limited passes be on third downs, he's going to have a hard time converting a lot of those or worse, he'll end up doing something stupid because he isn't comfortable.

Obviously we need to keep the focus on the run, but the worst thing we can do for Henne is not let him get some chances to throw the ball. Chances are, our defense will give up big plays and our offense will need to retaliate quickly. The wildcat won't be able to do that.

 

[normaldude]

It would make sense, but the one thing we need to be sure to do is not hold Henne so far back that he hasn't established any kind of rhythm and we fall into a situation where we need plays in the passing game. A couple years ago, Sage started in a blizzard in Cleveland and the gameplan was to run Ricky and Ronnie all day. The problem was that Sage hardly got to throw the ball at all, and to ask a QB making one of his first starts to go out there and have all of his limited passes be on third downs, he's going to have a hard time converting a lot of those or worse, he'll end up doing something stupid because he isn't comfortable.

Obviously we need to keep the focus on the run, but the worst thing we can do for Henne is not let him get some chances to throw the ball. Chances are, our defense will give up big plays and our offense will need to retaliate quickly. The wildcat won't be able to do that.

We can have Henne run a few drives - start to finish - without the wildcat.

The insertion of the 20 wildcat plays should be unpredictable. One drive that is primarily wildcat. Another drive without the wildcat. Another drive with 2 wildcat plays sprinkled in, and so on.

 

[oasis]

It's never going to happen, but man, if we ran the Wildcat on every offensive play, would that turn the NFL on its head or what?

I would be so curious to see how a pure Wildcat offense would do. I bet if they really wanted to make it our whole offense and had a large number of plays (which I'm sure they do), it would be effective.

Do you think a pure Wildcat offense could be stopped? Common sense says yes, but I'm not so sure.

 

[normaldude]

It's never going to happen, but man, if we ran the Wildcat on every offensive play, would that turn the NFL on its head or what?

I would be so curious to see how a pure Wildcat offense would do. I bet if they really wanted to make it our whole offense and had a large number of plays (which I'm sure they do), it would be effective.

Do you think a pure Wildcat offense could be stopped? Common sense says yes, but I'm not so sure.

If we ran the new wildcat on every play, then opposing teams would just replace their 4 DBs with 4 linebackers (or 2 linebackers and 2 linemen).

It would become much harder to run the new wildcat against that much beef.

 

[Mac1]

If we ran the new wildcat on every play, then opposing teams would just replace their 4 DBs with 4 linebackers (or 2 linebackers and 2 linemen).

It would become much harder to run the new wildcat against that much beef.

That would be the time we insert pat white in to keep them off balance and keep the DB's in I would assume,.

 

[isaacjunk]

is the opp D not adjusting well?

If we ran the new wildcat on every play, then opposing teams would just replace their 4 DBs with 4 linebackers (or 2 linebackers and 2 linemen).

It would become much harder to run the new wildcat against that much beef.

Opposing D's could/should be doing this already.

Does any one know if the other teams so far have been subbing in packages to match our wildcat subs? I'm wondering if our success is largely due to poor personnel substitutions by the other teams.

 

[dlockz]

1) We don't have any great QBs or WRs.

2) The new wildcat removes all the QBs or WRs, and loads up on power runners & blockers (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Lousaka Polite, Fasano, Haynos, 5 linemen), which wears down the opponent's smaller DBs.

3) The new wildcat is averaging about 6 yds/rushing attempt.

Conclusion: Run the new wildcat more, until either a) Henne & the WRs improve, or b) opposing teams start shutting down the new wildcat.

Note: I do not buy the logic that young QBs need to use real games to practice & improve. That should be done in preseason & practice. When young QBs like Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez stepped into a real game for the first time, they were expected to deliver, and they did. NFL teams cannot afford to sacrifice real games as a means of giving the QB reps.

Not all qb's come in and light it up from play one. Just because some qb's have had recent success doesn't make it the norm. Also Flacco did not just come in for the first time and deliver. He had 1 td and 7 int early in the year, so your premise is pretty flawed.

 

[finner]

The dumbest thing we've done the last few weeks is move from the Cat when it's kicking huge arse! It's been like; "ok, we're ripping 5-6-7-8-9 yards a play with the Cat, let's see what the base can do... "Oh my, it's now 2nd and 12, we can't use the Cat..."

Dumb.

 

[normaldude]

That would be the time we insert pat white in to keep them off balance and keep the DB's in I would assume,.

Who would you remove, if you wanted Pat White in there?

Ronnie, Ricky, and Cobbs are the current wildcat weapons.

And the 8 other wildcat players are big monsters used to overpower and squash the opposing players.

I guess you could replace Cobbs with Pat White. But my guess is that Cobbs is a more durable runner and blocker than Pat White.

 

[Mac1]

Cobbs would probably be the guy that has to go, we would need to have the threat of the pass on the field to keep other teams from stacking the D with linebackers. ricky and ronnie are staples IMO

 

[Nick13]

if the D subs out DB's for LB's that's the perfect time to start mixing in the pass wrinkles we've seen with Cobbs streaking deep or putting in Ginn on some reverses or running Pat White as the motion man instead of Ricky giving him the opportunity to either run to the outside--He should be able to turn the corner much quicker without DB's on the field, or gives him the threat to hit Cobbs or another receiver with speed deep.

 

[normaldude]

Cobbs would probably be the guy that has to go, we would need to have the threat of the pass on the field to keep other teams from stacking the D with linebackers. ricky and ronnie are staples IMO

I don't know if we want skinny Pat White blocking 250 lb linebackers all day. I mean, Patrick Cobbs is a durable bowling ball, but I don't know about Pat White.

I would feel more comfortable replacing Patrick Cobbs with someone like Michael Robinson (6'1", 225 lbs, played QB in college, and currently plays RB/FB for the SF 49ers). It shouldn't be that hard to get those types of players. Most NFL teams don't value those types of guys that much.

 

[Nick13]

if the D subs out DB's for LB's that's the perfect time to start mixing in the pass wrinkles we've seen with Cobbs streaking deep or putting in Ginn on some reverses or running Pat White as the motion man instead of Ricky giving him the opportunity to either run to the outside--He should be able to turn the corner much quicker without DB's on the field, or gives him the threat to hit Cobbs or another receiver with speed deep.

 

[oasis]

I'm telling you, I really see no reason except tradition to not use the Wildcat on just about every offensive play. It is kicking butt this year...sure we'd be laughed at by the pundits but honestly, will they still be laughing if it continues to be twice as successful as last year?