Is the Wildcat here to stay?
It seems that we can’t get through a day this summer without talking about the wildcat offense that’s supposedly taking the NFL by storm, just as the triple option did to college football in the 1980s and the spread is doing in the present day with quarterbacks like Tim Tebow of Florida.
APTebow has made the Spread Option a dangerous offense at Florida.
In an interesting read by John Clayton of ESPN, a majority of coaches think the wildcat offense is going to be around the league for a while.
I agree — to an extent — because defensive coaches have had an entire offseason to dissect this scheme on film and come up with ways to shut it down. And just like the run-and-shoot we used to see down in Houston with the Oilers, this offense will become extinct after time.
The Dolphins and Ronnie Brown introduced us to it last year and actually took it to one of the better defensive minds in Bill Belichick — well, the first time. But it’s now sexy, something the media loves to write about, and it’s here — for 2009, at least.
But when do we feel comfortable enough to say that when teams line up in the wildcat it’s a dead play? First, we need to realize that there are two separate ways an offense can attack with the wildcat.
One way is taking a player like Chicago’s Devin Hester, a pure athlete who doesn’t force the threat of the pass. What we’re seeing here is the basic spread option from the college game, and as a defense, you can attack it differently.
The second is to take a player such as Miami’s Pat White, who can run and pass, bringing more threat to a defense. With White, a defense now has to play not only the spread option but also the entire passing tree from this formation.
Two different attacks, and hopefully, two different solutions.
How do we stop it?
APExpect to see Hester in Chicago's version of the Wildcat this season.
I reached out to some people in the league this morning with the wildcat on my mind, because gimmick offenses bother me as an ex-defensive back. But gimmick or not, until you stop an offense — regardless of the scheme — they will continue to run it.
I talked to one NFC defensive coach who said the best way to stop the wildcat when a player like Hester is lined up behind center is to bring pressure — force the offense to throw the ball when you have a “non-thrower” handling it. The same goes for a player who’s in there to throw the football -- play coverage and force him to run. The teams that have a hard time are playing with seven-man fronts and rush up the field — without any discipline. Who has the dive? Who has the pitch? And who has the QB in the option attack?
However, we always come back to a player like White, which is why this offense is so successful at the college level — because spread-option quarterbacks in college are athletes and not drop-back passers that the NFL looks for in the top 10 of the draft.
One AFC defensive back told me that it’s all about playing solid technique up front. He credits that discipline to teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, saying you can’t “swap out one for one,” meaning each player has a responsibility to play against the option, and giving up one player for one blocker usually leads to a big play.
And I agree with him. Just turn on a tape of the Ravens and it’s obvious they play with discipline against the wildcat.
But are their other ways, other options and other schemes? I talked to a former NFL safety with lots of experience in the league and in college coaching who talked about a different avenue that’s used in the college game.
APWhite ran the Spread Option at West Virginia.
According to him, most teams play a version of Cover 4 (quarters) and walk their safeties up to 6-8 yards, becoming a nine-man front and allowing you to play 11-on-11 football. Safeties can play the option from a flatfoot read and play the pass based off their run-pass keys at the line of scrimmage.
But it always comes back to personnel, as explained to me by a former NFL GM, who said that the players who run the wildcat are the keys. A versatile player like White allows this offense to expand and actually allows it to become more than just a gimmick we see on Saturdays in the fall.
Look, I’m fully convinced that until someone stops this offense cold one series after another, it will continue to be used. But as effective as it can be, it always takes the ball out of the hands of your starting quarterback at the NFL level.
Those guys get paid millions to throw touchdowns and run their offenses — not to sit out near the sidelines and run fake routes.
However, I can talk all I want because I don’t have to stop it — just write about it.
Comments
Add a CommentDidn't Mike Vick basically run the Wildcat? Sure, he was the normal QB, but on many plas he had the option to run or pass. There were even plays designed specifically as runs for Vick. How is that different from the Wildcat?
Jayme and dldavidlong have a good point. Carolina also ran a very successful no QB formation back when they had 17 QBs on IR.
The wildcat isn't new. Miami just ran it well last year, and gave it a catchy nickname.
All I know is, the Broncos could not stop anyone on D last year--but they consistently snuffed out the Wildcat/Spread when they played Miami and KC.
They lost two of those games, yes, but not because they got burned from the Wildcat...
Single Wing football, roll the Bobby Layne reel footage.... if only Facenda could thunder the narrative to it....
White throwing with gloves on? Maybe teams will dare him to pass, who on Miami scares corners in coverage? He might look great in practice vs. their own....
What made the Phins excel was their coach changing the line technique weekly on it to maximize yardage and anticipate teams in their adjustment trends for the fronts and players they faced. Amazing forensic display of tactics coupled with power and size. The line had some injury issues and that accompanied teams stopping the wildcat. No coincidence that fact.
The play never really went away, 'the four horsephins' will thunder away on Sundays!
Single Wing football, roll the Bobby Layne reel footage.... if only Facenda could thunder the narrative to it....
White throwing with gloves on? Maybe teams will dare him to pass, who on Miami scares corners in coverage? He might look great in practice vs. their own....
What made the Phins excel was their coach changing the line technique weekly on it to maximize yardage and anticipate teams in their adjustment trends for the fronts and players they faced. Amazing forensic display of tactics coupled with power and size. The line had some injury issues and that accompanied teams stopping the wildcat. No coincidence that fact.
The play never really went away, 'the four horsephins' will thunder away on Sundays!
Bill Belichick learns from his losses. He just went out and drafted a wildcat quarterback, a guy who ran better than the college team's running back. Then that quarterback, Julian Edelman, took snaps under center at the Patriots' minicamp. I don't know if Pat White is Miami's answer, but Miami may have to itself defend against the wildcat this season.
Great Article Matt!
I can see why the Dolphins elected to use this formation last year - they have little offensive talent besides their two RBs and a hefty O line. It baffles me why other teams like the Chargers and Lions would want to use this formation.
The Pats were the first to be embarrased by the wildcat, but they knew how to handle it in game 2 vs. Miami. It will be interesting to see how the offense is able to make adjustments as teams find ways to stop parts of it.
Linc.. Pro QB's are not some sissy guy that can't take a hit. They get whacked while defensless trying to pass, why would they fear some db who wieghs in the same as them, especially when they can fight back. Knocking them on their azz is easier said than done. It only sounds good on paper, in practice, I see no reason to fear. .. none. If it had any chance of working, we would have seen it last year besides.. deliberately trying to hurt a qb would have serious consequences for the opposing qb.
For the Dolphins, the interior line was the reason the cat got beat. A team with superior talent and great discipline like the Ravens could stack the line and beat us man on man. Our staff has taken steps to address that, we made changes and hopefully improved our interior line. We then drafted a kid that can actually make you pay for ignoring the pass... this year, we have a chance of making teams pay for putting 9 in the box.
For the moment, the offense is ahead of the defense regarding this formation and at some point it will become less effective like all schemes do. But until that happens, we are the cutting edge and brother it sure feels good. Go Dolphins!
QBs aren't made of glass. When he splits out as a WR the DB is allowed to hit him. But unless the DB is acting illegally (throwing punches at his head or trying to injure his knee) it amounts to no more than a push in the chest. That's not a big deal. In fact I would guess that most QBs are bigger than most DBs. And the QB is like a step or two from the sideline. If some DB is really aggressive the QB just steps to the side and then the DB can't legally hit him. So I hear people say "cream the QB when he splits out and make them think twice", but if the people who made those comments thought twice they would see it really wouldn't accomplish anything.
And yes dldavidlong, the Atlanta offense with Vick was a version of the WC. The WC will eventually have as many incarnations as the West Coast offense does. Coaches will keep tweaking it to fit their personnel. I think eventually we'll see a more pass focused version of the Gator spread that has lead to 2 National Championships in 3 years.
If the teams "creamed" the quarterback, who would have outside containment? That is basically setting up the team for a potenial big play just to try to harm the quarterback. Also in this scenerio is Chad Pennington just supposed to stand there with his thumb up his butt? Pennington is fast enough to get out of bounds in this situation. You still cannot hit a player out of bounds no matter what. Also just hitting a player not doing anything when he is not near the play is unnecessary roughness. If you are going to have your cornerback just cream Pennington, why not just have your defensive end cream him after he threw the ball?
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Jul 09, 2009
04:05 PM
To amplify what Sonny L. said: the Patriots didn't lose that 1st game to the Dolphins because they didn't recognize the Wildcat, they lost because they didn't execute. The D-line got beat badly that game.