Wildcat: Future Or Fad

[NSL]

This is pretty simple...Do you think the "Wildcat" offense is the future of professional football, or is it a fad that will fade out?

I personally think it's a passing fad. Years ago, we got the Run And Shoot, and people claimed it would take over football because teams were racking up huge points. Then the Rams had the Greatest Show On Turf, and people started raving about teams going pass-happy and racking up 50 points a game.

Both of these fizzled out, and were shown to have huge weaknesses. The only real adaptation to stick, was started back in the mid 1980's, because the Chicago Bears and New York Giants were tormenting quarterbacks, and ending careers (see: Joe Theismann). This offense was the Single Back, and I believe it's the exception that proves the rule, merely because it was made to adapt to defenses. The other fads were all made to fool defenses, instead of trying to adapt to what they were seeing, and finding holes.

Eventually, teams will work out the right defensive schemes, and we'll see the end of the direct snap and rampant end-arounds. I like seeing it once in a while, maybe 2 or 3 times per game, but when a team like Miami uses it as a 3rd of their offense, it's overkill, and it'll wear out it's welcome sooner.

 

[klunderbunker]

I think it'll become something that's added to the playbook of NFL offenses but not used that often. It's a good system but like always, NFL defenses will adapt to it. It's like when a young pitcher comes in and takes the league by storm in baseball. He's great until he's been around the league for awhile and teams start getting scouting reports on him and study his stuff. He loses a lot of his effectiveness, and that's what will happen to the Wildcat. Teams will study it more often and design schemes to stop it. If nothing else bring in extra corners that have the speed to keep up with the receivers or other quarterback. It's been effective so far, but it hasn't exactly been running the league. It'll be used but it won't be everywhere.

 

[NSL]

I think it'll become something that's added to the playbook of NFL offenses but not used that often.

This is basically what I was trying to get at, you just put it much more succinctly. During the pre-season, all of the sports media outlets were talking about how as many as 25 teams were working with Wildcat packages in the offseason, and were starting to incorporate them in the preseason. I forget who said it exactly (might be Steve Young), but he said a lot of teams were practicing with it simply to give their defenses more looks at it, and help them prepare for when they faced it. The teams that were mentioned were the Giants, Broncos, and Ravens (and others, but those three are all I remember). If you look at the stats for this year, those 3 teams have the strongest defenses in the league, and this is why.

As long as teams prepae for it, they'll adapt, and learn to stop it. It'll pop up here and there, just like the Flea Flicker, Statue Of Liberty, or Drop Field Goal, but they won't remain a staple of any offense.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Miami is 0-3, whats that tell you? The Wildcat is already being shut down. Here's something to look a little closer at though.

Fuck Miami, first and foremost. Everyone is jumping on their band-wagon with this originating bullshit. Whatever. Dan Henning is the originator of the Wildcat and he ran it in Carolina 2 years before it became the next big thing. The fact is, Carolina was without Delhomme and had to rely on Chris Weinke to take on Atlanta. You go back and look at that game.. DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams were our backs during the time, and they each ran the Wildcat offense roughly 30-35 plays, and Weinke only dropped back to pass some odd 5 times in the entire game. Carolina won 10-7, or 14-10, something like that.

The bottomline is, the Wildcat isn't even new. Its not something that just happened, its been in the league for a few years. Its only "fresh and new" because Miami was hopeless, hapless, and winless - before they ran over New England last year.

The Wildcat is already being shut down, because all it is - is a designed run. Sure, some teams will get tricky and throw to a WR, or the QB, but for the most part - its a designed run to a loaded side. Just put 8 in the box 9 outta 10 times, and you have it stopped.

 

[NSL]

Will, if you did any research, you would know that Carolina's Offensive Coordinator at the time was none other than Dan Henning, the Dolphins current Offensive Coordinator. The Dolphins QB Coach was the Offensive Coordinator at Arkansas, David Lee, who implemented the offense there after seeing the success that Kansas St. was having with it.

Once all those pieces fell into place at Miami, with Ronnie Brown at running back, it's not hard to see that they were going to use it. It was aided by the fact that they were playing the Patriots, but I'm pretty sure it was a matter of time before they used it.

 

[BooCocky]

Bill Cowher used to run some variation of the wildcat where he'd line up Randle El at QB and he'd put a back right next to him or in the slot and motion him to the other side. He also used something very similar to the Wildcat when Kordell Stewart was our QB/Slash.

The success of the wildcat depends on the personnel, if the said Quarterback can't throw the ball effectively, this offense will fall flat once teams can adapt to it. And Will if you load 8 or 9 guys in the box, then they'll throw the ball, even if it's a short pass to the flats or an out route of some sort.

I love the wildcat, but it's a College Offense and the pro's are too good not to adapt to it. It will work for now as long as teams don't overly use it.

 

[Baller]

Whatever. Dan Henning is the originator of the Wildcat and he ran it in Carolina 2 years before it became the next big thing.

Will, if you did any research, you would know that Carolina's Offensive Coordinator at the time was none other than Dan Henning, the Dolphins current Offensive Coordinator.

FAIL.

Anyway I love the Wildcat, and I do think it can stay. Miami just kept doing the power O on Indy and they kept getting 6-7 yards every time. I think this can last a long time because it is different and fun, but it makes defenses change their gameplan throughout the week just to prepare for it.

 

[NSL]

FAIL.

I was saying that point out that he was working with Miami now, and making the connection that he would bring the offense with him.

Anyway I love the Wildcat, and I do think it can stay. Miami just kept doing the power O on Indy and they kept getting 6-7 yards every time. I think this can last a long time because it is different and fun, but it makes defenses change their gameplan throughout the week just to prepare for it.

Different and fun don't mean a whole lot. Steve Spurrier brought the Fun 'N' Gun into the NFL, and it failed so bad, he barely lasted a season. The offenses that stick around are the ones that are consistently effective.

Yes, defenses have to prepare for the Wildcat, but they're not spending nearly as much time on it now, as they were a year ago. Most offenses are working the Wildcat now, so the defenses are seeing it naturally, without taking time away from their regular gameplanning.

 

[TwistofRKO]

How's it a fad? If you are going to run the ball, and the defense knows that, why wouldn't you give yourself an extra blocker and maximize the results? If you are in the shotgun with no RBs, most likely you're throwing it, and the defense knows that. I don't see the big deal. The entire formation is not a gimmick.

Miami is 0-3 because their defense sucks and they can't complete passes down the field.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Will, if you did any research, you would know that Carolina's Offensive Coordinator at the time was none other than Dan Henning, the Dolphins current Offensive Coordinator.

NSL, if YOU did any research at all (including actually reading other people's posts) you'd have seen that I was well aware of this. I was merely pointing out that a lot of people are giving Miami the credit for being the originator, as opposed to Dan Henning so much - much less, running it in Carolina roughly 2 years prior to it ever being "popular" in the Pro's.

Miami just kept doing the power O on Indy and they kept getting 6-7 yards every time. I think this can last a long time because it is different and fun, but it makes defenses change their gameplan throughout the week just to prepare for it.

The only problem with this though, is its not really that unique or hard to plan against. Its a run 8 outta 10 times. A option run to the WR, or some type of short yardage pass the other 2 times.

Basically put, you can't just leave the QB wide open to attempt catching and running with the ball, much less passing. However, if its short yardage, you teach your Defense to do what they should be doing every down anyways. LOOK FOR THE BALL! If the hand off doesn't go through, drop back quickly into cover. If it does go through, there isn't many places a back can run, except for toward his blockers - which becomes a quick cluster, and often can lose you just as many yards as it can gain you.

Yes, the Wildcat can work against teams who can't stop the run.. because they can't.. stop.. the.. run. However, its not likely going to work against a team who can stop it.

 

[X]

BIG time fad. Huge. The Wildcat can be a great weapon when you use it in moderation. You can't use the Wildcat every single game, because you completely ruin the surprise element of the play. Giving your opponent more and more footage to watch of you running the Wildcat isn't going to help.

It's obviously a fad though, like any other trend it started off when it was used successfully in the game between Miami and NE last year, and since then everyone has used it. Why? I simply don't know. Well, not everyone is using it, New England hasn't added it and likely never will (not Belichick's style...).

I don't understand how you could say it's the "future" of football or something, that's absolutely ridiculous, especially considering it isn't all that "new" to begin with and has been met with limited success at best.

 

[Cowboyfromhell]

I don't think it is a fad because I don't think it will go away anytime soon. But I think less teams will be using it than the seemingly 75% of the league is now. I think this formation can be a weapon for a team with a young, inexperienced QB or a team with a mediocre QB. Then if you take the ball out of , let's say Chad Pennington or their young QB (he'll be playing now because Pennington's gone, his name escapes me) or the newly acquired Tyler Thigpen, you take the ball out of their hand ten plays a game, you're not losing anything. But there is no reason to take the ball out of a pro bowl qb's hand, that's why you should never see Peyton Manning or Tom Brady lined up at WR while some wr/rb takes the snap. That and lining your stud QB up in harms way to be blocked or tackled for a gimmick play, it makes no sense.
So I don't think it will be going away but I think it will be used less than now. But I think Tim Tebow is sacrificing orpans in some third world country in hopes the wildcat continues to take off, raising his draft stock.

 

[NSL]

Yes, the Wildcat can work against teams who can't stop the run.. because they can't.. stop.. the.. run. However, its not likely going to work against a team who can stop it.

I agree completely, that the Wildcat has its time and place, but I don't think it has a definition quite yet.

Against a team that can stop the run, you can just run the ball 40 times, and know at least 5 of those are going for big gains, if not TDs. Why use a special offense, and possibly throw off the flow of the offense?

 

[TwistofRKO]

If you are going to run it anyways why not get the extra blocker? What flow is interrupted if the QB is handing it off anyways? I don't think it should be used more than 5-10 times per game, but it's lasted in football for some time for a reason. It just got trendy and once ESPN picks up on something, mainly because Miami "beat Bill Belichick" they over-state it. It's been used for years and if it's used correctly there's no reason it shouldn't work.

 

[Stormtrooper]

The Wildcat is definitely NOT the future, if the future means a base offense for an NFL team. It may be a successful base offense for some High Schools and colleges (especially smaller schools who may not have a quality pocket passer). If an NFL team tries to run the Wildcat exclusively, it will most likely not work, because NFL defenses are fast enough to be able to stop the run, and the cover guys should be fast enough to cover the limited passing ability.


So the Wildcat is not the "future," so is it a "fad?" I don't think it is a fad, either. NFL teams are learning defenses for the formation, but in moderation, it is possible to catch defenses off guard.

I see the Wildcat being a successful running formation, much like empty backfield became a successful passing formation.

Another take on the Wildcat:
The wildcat may actually be considered the "PAST" of the NFL. What some people may not realize is that the Wildcat is a modernized variation of the Single Wing formation, which was prevalent to pre-World War II football. I could explain it, but it is easier to link to the Wikipedia page, so here is the link to the Single Win wikipedia page, so here it is: Wikipedia entry on the Single Wing.