Outsider's comments on the Wildcat

Most of you know that I'm a Pat's fan, but I'm a fan of football first.  This post is more in line with the love of football over the love of the Patriots.  I respect the Wildcat and what it can do, and I'm using this post to inspire intelligent discussion.  If I'm rehashing stuff you'll already said, forgive me, I pop by here, but don't read everything.  Also, this is my first fan post outside of PatsPulpit, so I hope you'll cut me some slack.

My perspective:

    The strength of the Wildcat formation as I see it is flexibility.  There are a number of options that can be run out of the cat and with an intelligent Q/RB such as Brown running it you need to respect / defend each of those options.  It's not all that different than having a legitimate running threat QB, that can also pass.  The strength of the Brown option is that he is more of a running threat than ANY QB to ever play the game.  While he has passed successfully, I think the passing game would be more of a threat with a passing QB.  Enter White.  A bit more passer, a bit less runner (definitely not the pounder that Williams or Brown are).  The success/failure of the Wildcat is in the hands of the Q/RB, just as the success of any other formation is in the hands of the QB.  Poor line play can kill the Wildcat as easily as it would any other formation.

    The Wildcat presents another wrinkle, because it is just another formation.  You need to game plan for all the other formations as well.  So in that, it presents difficulty for the defense both in preparation and in execution.  The other side of that sword is that it is something else the offense needs to prepare for.  To execute to Wildcat effectively, you need to prepare for it.  In the cat knockoffs, I see this as a problem.  For instance, the Eagles using Vick.  Vick is more of a running threat than a passing threat at this stage, although he's not much of a running threat.  It takes time to develop timing with your receivers - especially in tight coverage.  The only thing that might help limit that coverage is a strong run threat.  Vick neither has the timing, nor is the run threat.  I could say that also of White, however.  If White is going to run the Wildcat as a passing threat, he will need significant passing reps.  That's tough to do especially when Henne needs reps to develop as well.

    The way I see it, the strengths of the Q/RB (whatever you call the trigger puller) of the Wildcat is what makes the formation lethal or docile.  Really, not much different than QB of any other formation.  You have to protect against his strengths.  If he's a deep threat, you have to guard that.  If he's a precision passer, the corners need to play appropriately.  If he can throw on the run, that adds a new wrinkle.  If he can drop the shoulders and take it up the middle, then you have to play that, too.  It really just points toward the strength of your players.  The 80's Bears would either send Walter Payton on an end around or screen out to him.  With the ball in his hands, he was a dangerous run threat.  If the safeties came in, he could stop, and air the ball out to a receiver (similar to Ronnie in the cat).  That gave Payton the record as the non-quarterback with the most passing TD's.  It was a strength of his.  Ronnie is much the same, except by giving him the direct snap, you're giving the defense less time to adapt.  If you've got a QB that is a strong runner, you'd probably design some run plays for him as well.

   In the end, the Wildcat isn't a gadget play.  It is a formation that is as dependent upon it's signal caller (Q/RB), as any other.  Neither is it a panacea.  It works for Miami because of the strengths of their personell.  It could work elsewhere as well, if the personell fit.  Kevin Faulk has taken direct snaps for the Pats as well, but the pass is more dangerous in Brady's hands.  Faulk is a third down / utility back and isn't quite the power runner Brown is.  The Colts probably feel the same about Manning, and rightfully so.  The Saints would probably say the same.  The personell need to fit what you do, and those teams are built around the QB.  I respect the Wildcat, I just don't think it's for everybody.  Nor does it have to be.