WT: Wildcat stays in the bag

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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/22/wildcat-stays-in-the-bag/

Wildcat stays in the bag

Zorn questions the NFL's latest trend

Ryan O'Halloran

Sunday, February 22, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS | As the game clips on his Redskin Park office computer prove, Jim Zorn has performed his due diligence on the Wildcat formation.

Zorn's conclusion? Don't expect the Washington Redskins to expand their catalog of gadget plays. At least not on a regular basis.

Receiver Antwaan Randle El's skills as a college quarterback on trick plays will remain part of the system, but Zorn won't join the Wildcat movement. Still, the formation that the Miami Dolphins made trendy has some teams holding versatile offensive players at the combine in a different regard.

"If you use it, is it just a novelty or are you committed to it like the Dolphins, who have taken it to a higher degree?" Zorn said. "I'm not going to run it to look up and say, 'Hey, we got it! Check this out! We're smart, too!' "

Brought from the University of Arkansas to the Dolphins by quarterbacks coach David Lee, Miami debuted the Wildcat in Week 3 at New England. With Ronnie Brown serving as quarterback in the shotgun and fellow running back Ricky Williams at his side, Brown led the Dolphins to a 38-13 win. Miami gained 461 yards and Brown rushed 17 times for 113 yards and four touchdowns - two coming out of the Wildcat.

Brown had the option of running, handing off or passing on each play, and a phenomenon was born. Cleveland, the New York Jets, San Francisco, Kansas City and Oakland were among the many teams that dabbled with the Wildcat.

"I wish I had a dollar for every person who ran it," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "I was surprised only because we knew, when we rolled it out during the New England week, we were taking a chance one way or the other. We also knew that this might be a two-play deal. We might go out there for two plays, and if it backfires or it doesn't give us the look that we wanted, maybe we don't see it anymore."

Although Miami had success (Brown averaged 5.7 yards a carry from the formation), an inconsistency caught Zorn's attention.

"Most teams want to try it and want to give it a go and you get a [big] play if they don't know what's coming and they've never defended it," he said. "The next time you run it, it's a 2-yard gain and for as much work as you've had to do [in practice] to get your running back to catch the direct snap, to fake an option and run - you could have just run [a regular play]."

Despite Zorn's lack of interest in the Wildcat, several teams have come to the combine intrigued by versatile players like West Virginia's Pat White. The three-time All-Big East quarterback isn't a prototypical pocket passer, but he can specialize within a certain package of plays.

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[DarrellsMyHero28]

Wouldn't mind using it to spark the offense every once in a while but I don't want to use it as a mainstay.

Don't forget Cooley's only TD of the season was on a pass from ARE.

[Voice_of_Reason]

It doesn't really matter what the gadget play is. We had several this year, with passes from El, Portis, and other stuff. The wildcat is a form of a gadget play. I really don't care what they do. I would much prefer if they managed to execute a hitch n' go, slant n' go, deep in, post, etc. rather than run the wildcat 20 times a game.

[RammsteinSkins]

I wish we ran the wildcat. I think we could do wonders, we would run it a few then bomb it to Moss or Cooley.

[Spartacus87]

I don't see it being any kind of long term offense again in the NFL. For some trick plays, sure.

But by the end of the season it definitely wasn't working as well as it was before. And the Dolphins, who brought it back in the first place and ran it the best/most, were made to look like complete fools by the Ravens and Rex Ryan's game plan against the Wildcat.

[MartinC]

I wish we ran the wildcat. I think we could do wonders, we would run it a few then bomb it to Moss or Cooley.

In the wildcat formation a RB or WR lines up deep in the shotgun and your QB lines up as a WR. Just how do you square having your QB lined up at WR with "bombing it".

I know ARE can throw and has had success - but off fake reverses and throwing maybe 3 passes a season. I'd rather get some guys who can pass block and have a QB take the snap personally if I want to hit a deep ball.

We need get better at executing our base offense and improve the blocking not go copy cat and me to.

[skinpride1]

Hmmm Can't believe Zorn does not want to install anything explosive:rolleyes:

[SteveFromYellowstone]

I just don't understand why he won't entertain the notion of using it at all. That doesn't make much sense. Using Randle El in the wildcat would be a great thing to use twice a game.

[MartinC]

I just don't understand why he won't entertain the notion of using it at all. That doesn't make much sense. Using Randle El in the wildcat would be a great thing to use twice a game.

What Zorn is saying is that be effective with the formation you have to devote time to practicing. Unless you are going to make the wildcat/option as a significant part of your overall offensive philosphy then the amount of time you have to devote to practice is just not worth it.

In short his view, which is entirley logical and which I happen to agree with, is that the time it would take to have a few plays you would have confidence is calling is just not worth it to have it in the play book for say one or two snaps per game.

In short what he is saying does make sense.

[Genghis Khan]

The best way to use a gadget or wildcat play is to catch the team off guard. That's why the dolphins didn't use it until they played the patriots and ended up spanking them. Now because of the popularity of it and how often it was used last year defenses are better prepared for it making it less effective.

[SteveFromYellowstone]

What Zorn is saying is that be effective with the formation you have to devote time to practicing. Unless you are going to make the wildcat/option as a significant part of your overall offensive philosphy then the amount of time you have to devote to practice is just not worth it.

In short his view, which is entirley logical and which I happen to agree with, is that the time it would take to have a few plays you would have confidence is calling is just not worth it to have it in the play book for say one or two snaps per game.

In short what he is saying does make sense.

So many teams were able to fit it into their game plan somehow, and I don't buy that the Skins are incapable of devoting time to this formation.

We need something to break the monotony of this offense.

[[[ghost]]]

Yeah, why let the best Non-QB QB in the league make plays.

Instead, lets use him as a slot WR where he drops a ball ever 4-5 passes.

[Ant15fromNJ]

I would mind seeing it ever once in a while with Randel El, we really dont use him strengths at all. He will never be the type of player to line up and get 70-80 catches for 1,000+ but hes a football player and a playmaker.

[WSHRedskins3ATLBraves3]

];6149278']Yeah' date=' why let the best Non-QB QB in the league make plays.

Instead, lets use him as a slot WR where he drops a ball ever 4-5 passes.[/quote']

He may be the best non-QB QB in the league (that remains to be seen), but do you really think he could run the wildcat effectively?

Almost all plays from the wildcat have to be runs (to make the 1 or 2 passes effective) and out of those runs most of them have to be between the tackles (to make the end around effective).

My point is ARE is not a between-the-tackles runner.

I don't believe ARE is a good candidate to run the wildcat (or be our #2 receiver but that's a different story ).

[SteveFromYellowstone]

He may be the best non-QB QB in the league (that remains to be seen), but do you really think he could run the wildcat effectively.

Almost all plays from the wildcat have to be runs (to make the 1 or 2 passes effective) and out of those runs most of them have to be between the tackles (to make the end around effective).

My point is ARE is not a between-the-tackles runner.

I don't believe ARE is a good candidate to run the wildcat (or be our #2 receiver but that's a different story ).

But the wildcat wouldn't be exclusive to Randle El in my eyes. Portis would be a perfect candidate to run it. He is a between the tackles guy, and he can throw the ball decently.

I think Zorn's resistance to the wildcat is more of an ego thing. He doesn't want to seem like a copy cat, and he wants to prove his system can work on it's own.

[WSHRedskins3ATLBraves3]

But the wildcat wouldn't be exclusive to Randle El in my eyes. Portis would be a perfect candidate to run it. He is a between the tackles guy, and he can throw the ball decently.

I think Zorn's resistance to the wildcat is more of an ego thing. He doesn't want to seem like a copy cat, and he wants to prove his system can work on it's own.

It may be an ego thing.

I believe the wildcat is a trend and it's not going to be effective for very long.

[gutlead74]

I wish people would just call it what it really is, the friggin single wing! Whats Old is New Again! aren't many new concepts left I guess. The only difference from the 40s is the spread formations, go check out your local high school I am sure you will find one of them doing it. My school liked to do it out of a offset back fb in the WB position with a TE we would put twins to the field to pull the safety. the formation allowed us to run dang near everything, option, counter, inside + outside zone, iso, we even had a nifty little FB trap via shuffle pass. to keep them honest on the twins we throw zero routes slants even a waggle series, all of this was very easy to run no huddle which is what we did.

[Pounds]

I think, for the most part, unless you have a philosophical commitment to this particular formation, it's run its course.

With the Wildcat, or any gadget play, the element of surprise is vital to its success. As the season wore on this formation saw fewer and fewer big plays, as opposing DCs perpared their teams in facing it. In a copy-cat league, its popularity dwindled and now it's more kitch than gimmick.