The Wildcat is a scheme, not a formation

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I just thought I'd add something that I think everyone knows, but I'm seeing in some posts some wording that makes me wonder....

First - the Wildcat isn't a formation. It's a scheme and it uses more than one formation. In fact, we hve had various personel and various Wildcat formations. We've had the unbalanced line of course, but we've used trips, doubles, slots, etc. It's not just one "formation"...

Second - The Wildcat is an entire Offensive scheme. It will grow and based on Lee and Sparano's background running the spread and Wildcat (maybe Henning too?) I expect to see a whole bunch of new wrinkles to the scheme. Pat White add's a bunch of dimensions to it as a passer and leader of the scheme, but we could still see some of Ronnie taking the snaps too with White in the slot or out Wide.

Third - The Wildcat is no "Gimmick". No more so than the Run and shoot or the Spread or the Fly offense. It is a hybrid of all of those schemes. It "works" because the Defense typically never has anyone specifically assigned to defend the QB running the ball. That is why Ronnie ran so completely unchallenged against New England the first several times we used the scheme. They adjusted by assigning a DB to defend Ronnie, which is when we tossed the HB pass to Fasano for the score. It isn't a Gimmick, it's a scheme that forces teams to cover one more man - the QB (Ronnie Last year) as a runner, which leaves one less player to defend the pass. Or you can give up the run which is always a dumb decision.

My point is that the Wildcat is not a formation. It is a complete scheme that is going to require teams to spend time each week preparing for both our base and our Wildcat Offense. I'm sure we'll see more of it some weeks than others, but the huge investment into QB Pat White leads me to believe it's going to be a significant aspect of what we continue to do.

Some of the most recent reports on the Wildcat and Pat White's role in it:

From PFT:
Fins Playing Shell Game Regarding Pat White?

"In a Tuesday morning interview with Jorge Sedano of 790 The Ticket in Miami, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano addressed quarterback Pat White’s role on the team in his rookie year.

And we’re starting to get a feeling that the Fins don’t want anyone to know how they plan to use the former West Virginia quarterback.

Sparano initially reiterated that the Dolphins drafted White to be a quarterback. Later, however, Sparano gushed about White’s ability to “do a lot of jobs,” which implies that he might do some moonlighting at other positions.

Then there’s the Wildcat. Asked whether it’s a safe assumption that White will be heavily involved in the specialized offensive attack, Sparano said, “That’s an assumption. But I don’t know how safe it is one way or the other.”

Then Sparano pointed out that running back Ronnie Brown did a “tremendous” job in that role a year ago.

Bottom line? Sparano and the Dolphins will keep their Pat White cards close to the vest, in order to keep Miami’s opponents on their heels.

Our guess? There will be a Wildcat package with Ronnie Brown taking the snaps, and there will be one with White taking the snaps.

And don’t be surprised if White is in the backfield on some of the plays when Brown is the one who gets the ball from the center."



From the Herald:

• Several players expressed excitement about Pat White's addition and the prospect of even more offensive creativity. Although Ronnie Brown loved operating the Wildcat, he said it was ''good'' Miami drafted White and will not be disappointed if White assumes that role.

''This will take our team to another level,'' Davone Bess said.

The Dolphins kept their approach simple with White at rookie minicamp but will add new elements for him this summer. Coach Tony Sparano keeps saying he likes how Brown operates the Wildcat, so White must earn that job and has the ideal skill set. Brown and White also figure to play together a lot in that formation.

''Ronnie can throw it, but Pat can throw it better,'' Anthony Fasano said. That's key, because opponents stacked the line and blitzed the Wildcat at times, unconcerned about Brown's ability as a passer.

Brown said White's arrival ''will open more opportunities, add new wrinkles and keep the defense guessing.'' Greg Camarillo, eager to see what offensive coordinator Dan Henning has ''up his sleeve,'' said ``it's as exciting to learn the Wildcat as it is to watch it.''

The Dolphins are intrigued by the idea of using White in spread offense formations at times. ''Pat White,'' Ted Ginn Jr. said, ``will be great.''

 

I think all schemes are "miniture offenses" within the overall Offense, especially nowadays since nobody just runs the "I" or just runs the "Shotgun" at the pro level. It seems like everybody runs multiple packages on Offense. The beauty of the Wildcat is that unlike many other schemes, it forces defenses to redo their entire key and responsibility systems. Not many Offensive schemes do that.

The motion part of our Offense is actually my specialty as an Offensive Cordinator. The Fly motion we run doesn't just have the limitation you listed (cuts the field in half behind the OL). You can still pass to a Fly motion fake (screens are awesome, Wheel's up the sideline, hitches and other quick routes - Quick out) but using fly motion has a much bigger impact on Play Action pass (if the defense doesn't come up and respect the Fly Sweep you can run the sweep all day). So the motion forces a choice. You can respect the run or you can drop and respect the pass. If the Defense does respect the Fly sweep and flies up to stuff the run, now the secondary Zones are larger areas for fewer defenders to cover. A more wide open field to throw and run routes on. Either way it becomes a readable option a knowledgable Cordinator can view and read. Then we call what they aren't defending.
Even the run is enhanced by running Fly Sweep motion. The whole idea of the Fly scheme (in Wildcat or not) is that it forces the defense to defend the entire field (all 3 parts - left sideline to hash, Middle hashes, Right sideline to hash). The typical Fly sweep fake will require at least two defenders to attack the edge immediately or the play is going to push by the defense too quickly to stop. This outside "force" creates an onside off tackle crease for the dive back or QB to run through and an alley for an easy pickup and potential big play is there. Especially if the dive fake to the RB goes opposite the Fly Sweep fake to theA, B, or C gaps backside. Now the backside is frozen and can't flow or guess what, the Offensive Cordinator has an easy to read call again and he runs that play.
The Fly works because it forces the defense to makes reads and stay at home to defend all three 1/3rds of the field. So it doesn't at all make it easier to defend anything. It creates lanes and forces the defense to stay at home or chase man.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqFeUZ6gvbc"]YouTube - AHS2008.wmv[/ame]
Here is a little highlight clip of my Frosh team this past season. We've ran the same stuff on the Varsity for a long time. On the play that we line up in the I formation (Play #4), although the Fly Sweep motion is a poor fake, it completely widens the Blast play to the Tailback (#2). You'll notice on the play that 2-3 defenders go outside to stop the Fly Sweep. This widening is a perfect example of how the motion Fly Sweep prevents defenses from getting any outside help stopping dives and Blasts in any offense. We ran the same stuff from Ace Back, Spread, etc.

 

I didn't know that! That's another nice ingredient too!