Washington Post: Wildcat Formation Brings Direct Results for Dolphins

Wildcat Package Brings Direct Results in Miami

Nice article, covered by WP, as Phins get ready for Baltimore Ravens.

MIAMI -- While he was still an assistant last fall with the Dallas Cowboys, Tony Sparano would call his old coaching buddy at the University of Arkansas, David Lee, and needle him about the collegiate offense he helped direct.

You still running that, what do you call it, that Wild Hog? Snapping balls directly to your star running back? They forget how to teach handoffs out there in Fayetteville?

It was all good-natured ribbing until Sparano took over as Miami Dolphins head coach in January just days after Lee had been hired to coach the team's quarterbacks. The pair continued talking about Arkansas's approach to the virtually obsolete single-wing formation. The conversations immediately shifted from playful to actual diagrammed plays.

Sparano wondered: Could this modern take on an archaic scheme -- this "college deal," as Sparano described it recently -- work in the NFL?

The first two weeks of the season featured much of the same, and no fun whatsoever. On the quiet, almost mournful flight home after an embarrassing 31-10 trouncing by the Arizona Cardinals that sank Miami to 0-2 and its offense to 26th in the NFL, Sparano's mind raced. The Dolphins, he thought, hadn't found their identity. Players needed a jolt.

Since the Wildcat
The execution has been almost beyond belief. The Dolphins' offense has risen to 10th overall. After averaging 12 points and 257 total yards in the first two games, Miami averaged 27.7 and 407 in the next three.

Out of the Wildcat formation, the only two passes have gone for 72 yards and two scores; Williams has averaged 6.9 yards rushing on eight carries; and Brown, who has handled the ball the most, is averaging 8.9 yards on 14 carries with four touchdowns. One play resulted in a sack. (Edit: My opinion - Ricky Williams tripped behind the LoS on handoff??? - or the play when RW faked like he was going to halfback pass it????).

A Look at the Wildcat - washingtonpost.com