I don't think the Wildcat requires a good O-line any more than any other offense requires it (in general, it's good to have a good offensive line, which is hardly breaking news). You'd run either Hester or Knox in the backfield with Forte, with either Hester or Knox in motion as the WR. Please see my "wildcat" thread in the NFL section for reference.

But why take Jay Cutler off the field, or split him wide? I'm a huge fan of the new option looks in the NFL, but no use forcing a square peg into a round hole.

And no, your question wasn't football retarded in the least.

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Fire Phil Emery

It just amazes me that this continues to be successful. Why is it so hard to stop? The D can see what is coming, why can't they consistently stop it?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

magic...

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I don't think that is entirely true. For one, there is an extra blocker who is in place of the QB. Second there are three options of carriers who are all going in opposite directions. This freezes the ends to hold their positions and keeps them from firing down the line. Any time an O-line can gain an advantage at the line, is a big plus. They already have the advantage since they know the snap count.

It doesn't have to be to cover up QB deficiencies either. Chad Pennington was pretty decent last year, although he has obvious limitations. We don't think of using a shotgun to cover up deficiencies anymore, and we soon we won't think of option backfields like that either; they'll just be particular offensive looks. All those spread QBs from college are going to have a role in the NFL.

Now, the problem is that a lot of coaches are going to be really stupid about. Miami has been very, very clever. It's not simply "line up a RB and run him". There's motion, there may or may not be option looks, and they're going to have a viable passer in Pat White. That's an honest to goodness option spread offense. I have a feeling that when Dan McNeil says "run the wildcat", it really means "OMG, I didn't watch Miami all last year and this looks completely new to me, expect for those highlights I saw once, so let's overreact". Perhaps that's being uncharitable on my part.

Also: Ern has it mostly right, plus you still need to guard against the pass. True, 90% of the plays will be runs, but one big pass play = a dozen moderately successful rushes, so you're still left committing to at least Cover-1. But the biggest advantage is 11 on 11, vs 11 on 10.

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Fire Phil Emery

I don't think they run an offense in Washington.

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Fire Phil Emery

Always with the Kordell Stewart ... always, always. Oh, Kordell is so fast. Oh, Kordell is so strong. Oh, Kordell is so handsome. Stop it, you are so hurtful!

They run an offense until they get inside the opponent's forty, at which point manatees take over play-calling duties.

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-- source

Do they run Randle El from the backfield at all, Greg? I confess to not having seen much Redskins football this year. I don't remember them running any in the first game against the Giants, but I wasn't paying complete attention either.

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Fire Phil Emery

Not very often. They do a lot of pre-snap motion, but nine times out of ten it ends up with Campbell checking down to a screen or the flat. I'm convinced his vision goes blurry for anything past five yards.

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-- source

Didn't they do a HB Pass as one of their goal-line plays against the Lions?

An homage to Tecmo Bowl obviously.

Ready. Down. Hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut, hut....

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Brings me back to the days in college. We had a tecmo bowl league where there were at least 15 guys in it. It took the whole semester because you had to wait until the guys who were next to play were available. That anticipation made it even more exciting.

the Raiders!

but also...

I think the wildcat/wildhorses is difficult to stop not because of its trickery per se, but it defeats blitzing to a point, and makes a defense stay in simple packages. That's the advantages to me. If you have a bad pass-blocking line but a good run-blocking line, it makes a lot of sense because it will buy you time if you pass. Play action shouldn't work that good either but it does when done properly.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

My guess is Mike Vick's agent will be calling Miami after this season. I bet he would love to get in on that, especially if he isn't offered a "normal" QB spot.


If Pat White can prove he can throw the ball at this level though, there is obviously no need for him. But it would be extremely interesting to have Vick back there with Ricky and Ronnie.

The Wildcat offense helped the Dolphins beat the Jets 31-27 in "Monday Night Football". If I'm not mistaken, the Dolphins got 117 yards and Ronnie Brown's winning TD in the Wildcat...

If Miami envisioned the same thing, they would of showed interest when he was a free agent.

You know the defensive coordinators throughout the NFL are up late at night trying to come up with the plan to stop this new craze. Just like when the run and shoot, west coast, were the "in" offense. I would like to see the CB who covers the QB when he splits out wide to cheat in to stop the run and have the other DB's shift over for help. Let the QB catch the pass. Then he is fair game to pound on. Unless he just catches and runs out of bounds. But non the less, I would make offenses do something that they don't really want to do.

Pretty sure the Bears have been running a little bit of Wildcat since the middle of last year. It seems to work okay for them. Nothing huge, nothing awful.

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They sure did. I don't know how Zorn is employed still. Well, I guess it's due to the fact that he basically performs three jobs. At this point, watching the Redskins is bad for my health.

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-- source

Vick is signed to a two year deal. It doesn't mean that he won't be released though.

Favre will retire and Kyle Orton will be the Vikings starting QB.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!