Unconventional thinking has always been an interesting part of the NFL. From the West Coast offence to the 3-4 defence, teams have always sought to get a leg up on their opponents with new ideas or new variations of old themes. With the parity imposed by revenue sharing and a tight salary cap, innovation has perhaps taken on an even greater role in recent decades. However, ideas are being copied as quickly as they're produced, with schemes like the Tampa-2 defence and the Wildcat offence being rapidly implemented across the league after finding success with one franchise.
That doesn't diminish the importance of a good innovation, though, and the Wildcat certainly is one. When the Miami Dolphins used it last year, it generally involved lining quarterback Chad Pennington up at wide receiver and snapping the ball to running back Ronnie Brown from the shotgun formation. Brown could then either run the ball himself, hand it off to Ricky Williams or throw a downfield pass. This wreaked havoc upon unprepared defences and led to several blowout wins. Steve Sheiner, the senior editor of Fanball.com and the author of the Dolphins' site Blog With A Porpoise, said instituting the Wildcat was an important part of the Dolphins' transition from having the NFL's worst record in 2007 to claiming the AFC East title in 2008.
"I certainly think that played a role in their success," Sheiner said. "They caught a lot of teams off-guard that were ill-prepared to defend against such an unfamiliar attack."
Sheiner said the Wildcat wasn't the only factor in the Dolphins' turnaround, as a softer schedule and crucial injuries to division rivals also came into play. He said he expects it to be a big part of their offence going forward, though, especially since they drafted West Virginia quarterback Pat White in the second round this year.
"The Dolphins have the players to utilize the Wildcat effectively, and with the addition of QB/WR Pat White, you can expect to see plenty more where that came from in 2009," he said. "Local media have already dubbed the attack "The WildPat" as they anticipate seeing plenty of the dynamic White spearheading the offense. White will create passing lanes with his quick feet and is accurate on the move. White will offer a number of different options as a quarterback, running back or slot receiver, and he'll make defenders pick their poison."
Teams across the league have since looked at implementing some form of the Wildcat, but Sheiner said it isn't a guaranteed success for every franchise.
"It's become fairly common knowledge that the NFL is a copycat league," he said. "When something works, other teams will adopt it. But the right personnel is crucial in implementing any new offensive scheme, particularly the Wildcat. Ronnie Brown was exceptional spearheading it last season, and you can bet there will be other teams looking to add it to their arsenal in the coming year. It takes the right players to make it work and an offensive mind to creatively design a new mix of formations and plays."
Sheiner said the Dolphins' version of the Wildcat can still be successful this season, despite teams having seen it before.
"You will still see the Dolphins run the Wildcat in 2009," he said. "What you won't see is the same plays and formations that you saw last season. Defences prepare for what they've seen before, and certainly for what they've been beaten by previously. As the old saying goes, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me'. The Dolphins will have some new tricks up their sleeves this year and more often than not, the opposing defence won't be ready for it."
Sheiner said that kind of continuous innovation in both scheme creation and personnel selection is crucial to success in the NFL.
"In this era of the NFL, it's vital for teams to constantly develop new and innovative ways to not only get the ball into the hands of their playmakers, but to catch opposing defences off guard," he said. "The Wildcat did just that last year and you'll see more of the same (though not quite the same) this year. The acquisition of Pat White is a perfect example of a team taking a player that fits their scheme. Receiver Percy Harvin is another example in Minnesota. Expect the Vikings to implement some Wildcat formations in their offensive game-plans this season ... Harvin is another dynamic playmaker that will allow Minnesota to get creative with their play-calling and find ways to get him the ball."
Brandon Peterson, who runs the Fanball blog Vikings' Throne, said Harvin will be crucial to any Wildcat attempts by the team.
"The Wildcat will be used this year by the Vikings," he said. "With the drafting of WR/RB Percy Harvin, the Vikings have already inserted a few new formations to the playbook including the Wildcat with Harvin lining up in the backfield. I'm not sure, considering the conservative nature of coach Brad Childress' play-calling, that it will be used in games, but it has been shown in mini-camps and OTAs (organized team activities). It may just be a tool to make defences prepare for it just in case."
Peterson said the Vikings didn't necessarily have the Wildcat in mind when they drafted Harvin, though.
"They picked Harvin because he was the most talented offensive player available at that point in the draft," he said. "He came gift-wrapped at 22 and they had no choice but to take him. Their other need was OT, but the top tier of OTs had been taken already so they wouldn't get as much value at the 22 pick if they grabbed an OT in that spot. They needed another playmaker to take attention off of Adrian Peterson. No longer will defences be able to load the box to try and stop Peterson. They will have to account for Harvin at all times. He may not have the ball in his hands as much as people expect this year, but it's the threat of him having the ball in his hands that will help keep defences honest."
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