How the Wildcat reignited the 'Fins

Amazing how many teams around the league copied it since we brought it back in Week 3. Without the Wildcat, I doubt we'd be where we are now. It really ignited both sides of the ball and got them believing in themselves as a team. Kudo to Henning and Sparano.

 

It reignited us, but the problem is, it doesn't work for us anymore the way they're running it. I thought they were going to throw in some other wrinkles---a good one would be to have Ronnie lateral the ball back to Penny and then have him throw it down the field. But no, it's the same two plays every time: Ronnie up the middle or hand off for the end around to Ricky or Cobbs. It loses yards more often than it gains them lately and I wish they'd either add some more plays to it or just get rid of it.

 

Maybe they are saving some of those wrinkles.

I think they have some plays outta that formation that they are holding back.

Also I think they keep running it just to get opponents to waste time preparing for it. If it works....GREAT!!! If it does not then the next opponent will have to spend time preparing to defend against it.

However I do think it held us back Sunday. We didnt gain anything off of it

 

It's held us back for the last 5 weeks offensively. We waste key plays in the red zone losing yards with the Wildcat.

 

I can't argue that point.

 

I'd like to see an option play with Ricky and Ronnie

 

If we dont run it every now and then teams wont gameplan against it, which will leave more time to focus on our weaknesses, etc. They have to use it because of the past success it has brought us.

 

8-3 since the WC....

 

The point missed by the entire internet coaching staff.

 

Utterly ridiculous. The wildcat played a large part in our winning against the Pats and Chargers, but since then it has been accomplishing less and less every game. You know, there were a lot of people who defended Dave Wannstedt and Cam Cameron from every criticism...and yet, never admitted it when they were proven wrong.
Sparano is a very good coach, but that doesn't mean Henning walks on water.

 

Then use it on certain downs and situations where it won't hurt us...second and short is a good example, if it fails we can run a conventional play the next down and get the yards. But using it on the first two downs in the red zone and then winding up with third and long KILLS drives.

 

im kinda getting sick of hearing about how all of our wins are due to the wildcat as if we wouldnt have won any games without. it; as if we have no offense without it. Has it helped us? yes.. Is it the sole reason we are where we are now? No

Attn writers: Miami does have an offense without the wildcat, and a top ten one at that

 

That's my point---for about the last four-five games, we've played better with our conventional offense than from the Wildcat.

 

Has it really though? The way we've run it lately, it's just a direct snap to Ronnie Brown. I guess it takes away a threat of a pass, until we actually pass it out of that formation again.

 

I don't think we should dump it totally. I still stand by the idea of making opponents at least having to prepare for it. Just run it in different situations than we have.

 

Which we haven't done since week three. IF we were running imaginative plays from the Wildcat, even if they were failing half the time, I would be all for it. We aren't though...we've thrown out of it once in thirteen games. No halfback option passes, no pitch-outs, no laterals to the QB for a pass, no double reverses...just a halfback run up the middle or an end-around to another RB.
People keep saying they're saving it...for WHAT? What game was more important than the Pats game at home three weeks ago? If we were saving anything for any game, that should have been it.

 

Why is this turning into a should the Dolphins run or not run out of a WildCat formation thread????

Be happy that even as our WildCat is not as productive as it was when folks didnt ever prepare for it, we are still winning, folks are still occupying time to prepare for it, etc.

I dont see what the big deal is, one way or the other if we continue to run plays out of it, or never run another play out of it. The WildCat is just another formation, just like all the others in modern day football. Big deal if it deemed successful or unsuccessful from a Dolphins Message Board.

Although, the term "Internet Coaching Staff" made we laugh out loud!!!!!

 

Dont get me wrong, if it continues to get us at least 4 yards a pop, keep using it, but to state our offense was "reignited" by it is simply rediculous. If anything, give props to Chad Pennington, not the wildcat.

 

Fair enough, so taking issue with what a "writers opinion or spin is" fine....

but its no secret, IMHO, if it was the Wildcat that gave this TEAM confidence, gave this TEAM time to get its legs under it, and if its never successful in anyones mind going forward, I still say, great it served its purpose, far more than many other formations and play calling we have all witnessed in the past.

This one, even for a short while, worked and helped become part of the lore and success to help change the direction of this franchise. You dont want to call it being re-ignited...fine. But I am going to remember and look fondly on the WildCat and what it did as a contributor to this team and franchise. And it wont bother me if they continue to line up in it, etc. As long as the HC thinks its a benefit, I say more power to him.

 

We are winning in spite of it, though, not because of it. And the question of whether we should run or not out of it is key to WHY it's not helping us win...it's too predictable. Teams see it and know that it's going to run one of two ways and that's why they shut it down 3 times out of 4. Plus our offensive production has gone way down from what it was when the Wildcat was new.

Whatever. It was a stupid crack.

 

Dont get me wrong, I am not someone who simply looks at the ScoreBoard and says "oh, a W, then all is rosey". I respect your opinion on the usefulness or lack of success out of the WC.....

yeah, but that term, it still makes me chuckle....!!

 

Made me laugh as well.

 

Um, I'm not Zod (obviously) but I think what he was trying to say here is that we're 8-3 regardless of what formation we're running.

You could call it the peanut brittle and I'd still be happy we're 8-3 since beginning to run it in week three. Even if it has failed the majority of the time since.

< internet coach on >

I think we run it to keep teams prepairing for it. And maybe there is a more important game than the NE game a couple of weeks ago. Maybe that game is against the Jets in NY for the division title. Just maybe.

I also think that maybe there's something there that hasn't been pulled out yet.

EDIT:

I realize that you can't look ahead from the pats game to the jets game but as someone posted in another thread as a fan I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this season (not high ones, anyway) but if the coaching staff felt the same I'd want them gone. They're obviously thinking "Why not us?" just like the Giants were last year.

Also it has been brought to my attention I didn't close the internet coach tag. I think I'm going to leave it that way for now.

 

This what I am thinking as well. The coaches wouldn't keep running it for little or no yardage if there wasn't something there they are preparing for. JMO

 

Exactly Big Dog.....if i may say, i think some are forgetting why it was introduced in the first place...'to create space horizontally because we cannot do that vertically', Just because we run it three times and those 3 times average about 2 yards a carrie, that does'nt mean its still not having its impact on the game itself, AND the next opponent.

I believe that most people are just upset at it because of some of the timing of it during a game.

example: Were on our 20 and were running the ball down the field pretty well, get into their territory and then on 1st down come out in the wildcat formation, and it does'nt pick up a yard, gets to 2nd and 3rd and long, we dont convert, and its all the fault of the wildcat.

My point is even though it does'nt work 100 percent of the time, for me its like a coach that wants to stretch the field vertically by throwing the ball deep {without concern if its incomplete} and waiting for the results of that to show up somewhere else. i