The Wildcat Offense in the 2008 NFL Season
The Formation That's Got the Dolphins and the Rest of the NFL Hooked
Nov 12, 2008
For those unfamiliar, the "Wildcat" offensive formation more or less revolves around the running back (not the quarterback) taking the snap. This may result in the back running the ball himself, handing it off, or even completing a pass to the quarterback. We've seen examples of each of these plays via this bizarro (to use a Seinfeld term) offensive tactic; and not just a couple of times... it’s a formation that went from rare-if-ever to a guaranteed weekly occurrence.
History of the Wildcat Offense
This formation is not a new phenomenon, but it's a style of play that's only really been used by college and high school teams, and by the oft-forgotten Canadian Football League. It's as if the NFL asked, "What are the kids doing nowadays?" According to ESPN, "[The Wildcat Offense] is named for the Wildcats of West Genesee High School, where Miami assistant coach Steve Bush once worked." It's safe to say that Bush can also be credited with jump-starting this outside-the-box style of play in the NFL. It was his Miami Dolphins and running back, Ronnie Brown, that clobbered the New England Patriots 38-13 in Week 3 when the team decided to go Wildcat. Brown scored four touchdowns and threw for one. With results like these it's understandable why the rest of the NFL took notice.
Examples of the Wildcat Offense this Season
Aside from the Ronnie Brown show that took the Patriots completely off guard, the Wildcat formation has been used dozens of times by just about every team in the league and, though not to the degree of Week 3, it's still resulted in plenty of success. A few recent highlights:
- In Weeks 8 and 9, Ravens' Joe Flacco and Chiefs' Tyler Thigpen (both quarterbacks) were on the receiving end of large pass plays, thanks to the Wildcat formation. While Thigpen was able to reach the end zone, Flacco stumbled only yards shy.
- In Week 10, the Dolphins, who have embraced this offense the most, were rewarded once again when back-up running back Ricky Williams took the hand-off from Ronnie Brown and scampered 51 yards, untouched, for the score.
- Also in Week 10, we saw a slight twist when Anquan Boldin and DeSean Jackson, both wide-receivers for the Cardinals and Eagles, respectively, took the snaps. Jackson ran for a 9-yard touchdown and Boldin was able to pick up easy first downs on both of his attempts.
Future of the Wildcat Offense and the NFL
There's no doubt that the Wildcat will continue to make appearances throughout the rest of the season and with more success. However, just like every offensive tactic in sports, defenses will adapt and prepare themselves, which is bad news for teams that hope to rely on this formation (Dolphins, we're looking at you).
Overall, it represents a shift in defining the role of certain players on the field. Just as in the NBA, with players like Dirk Novitzki (who expanded the idea of the "Big man" by adding speed and the ability to sink shots anywhere on the court), the players in the NFL, athletes of extraordinary capabilities, are displaying talent outside their designated positions. Football purists may not approve of such playground-style ball, but it can only be good for the sport. The Wildcat offense enhances every dimension of the game, adding a new stack of pages to the offensive playbook as well as forcing defenses to step up their game in order to compete. Best of all though, it's just plain fun to watch.
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