The Miami Dolphins popularized the Wildcat formation in 2008. Now that everyone has copied it, the Dolphins may lead the trend to retire the gimmick offense.
View full sizeRonnie Brown and the Dolphins found immediate success with the Wildcat offense when Miami's talent-starved offense needed it most in 2008. As the team's talent has improved, the use of the formation has declined.BEREA, Ohio -- Whether you are a fan of the Wildcat formation or not, you can credit or blame the unconventional configuration on the Miami Dolphins.
They introduced the offensive gimmick to unsuspecting NFL defenses in the 2008 season. The Dolphins rode on the shoulders of running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams for a surprising 11 wins.
But like most trendsetters, the Dolphins may also be the ones to lay the Wildcat to rest. Especially if wily coordinator Dan Henning retires after this season, as many in south Florida suspect.
Henning actually instituted a Wildcat look back in the 2006 season when he oversaw the offense of the Carolina Panthers. Then-starting quarterback Jake Delhomme was out with a thumb injury, leaving Henning with Chris Weinke as his only passing option.
Henning began a game with 12 consecutive direct snaps to a running back with no quarterback on the field. The Panthers won by running 52 times and throwing it seven. In football, necessity absolutely is the mother of invention.
At the time, the University of Arkansas was using the Wildcat formation regularly with eye-opening success.
"Darren [McFadden] and Felix [Jones] were Ronnie and Ricky," said Peyton Hillis, who was the third back on that team. "I was a blocker in an H-back role."
David Lee was Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Two years later, he and Henning teamed up in Miami to run the Dolphins' offense. They saw an offensive roster with Brown and Williams and not much else. It didn't take a light bulb to shed light on where they were heading.
"We didn't have some of the weapons that we have right now," said coach Tony Sparano. "At the time, it was our way to get Ronnie and Ricky on the field at the same time and create a little bit of space in the run game."
They sprung it on Bill Belichick's New England defense. Using the no-quarterback look on six, well-spaced plays, the Dolphins scored three rushing touchdowns and one passing in a huge upset win.
It was never as effective as the first time, but the Dolphins continued to expand the package. Defensive coordinators scurried to study video of Arkansas to catch up. Overall, the Dolphins ran 95 plays in the Wildcat that year. It produced 10 touchdowns and an average gain of 10 yards.
"Nobody was really doing it at that point," Sparano said. "We thought we might have gotten ahead [of the curve]."
The trend was set. The following year, almost every team incorporated a form of Wildcat, including the Browns. Every single team practiced defending it. Miami used it for 100 plays in 2009, and production dropped to nine touchdowns and an average gain of 4.63 yards.
Now in Year 3 of the Wildcat, "everybody's doing it, practicing it," Sparano said, "so the element of surprise [is gone]."
The Dolphins have cut back dramatically. They've used it on 41 plays and have yet to score a touchdown. Average gain has plummeted to 2.75 yards.
"I think from our end, we just feel there's other ways to get people the ball," Sparano said.
The Dolphins virtually scrapped the Wildcat after it netted six yards in seven plays against the New York Jets in Game 3. It resurfaced for seven plays for 49 yards against Tennessee three weeks ago. Last week, Henning used it a season-high 12 times against Oakland for 34 yards.
So the Browns are not convinced the Wildcat is dead.
Linebacker David Bowens said, "Henning, what he does is, he'll do everything in his playbook once. He'll do it all. And if something's successful, he'll repeat it. If some teams are bad at stopping the Wildcat, they'll do it the whole game. If they're good at stopping it, they'll get away from it."
The Dolphins are much more complete on offense now and are pressing to develop quarterback Chad Henne. He has terrific targets in Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano. Henne threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns in their 33-17 victory in Oakland. While the Wildcat plays produced an average of only 2.83 yards, the Dolphins rolled up an average of 6.24 yards on their 70 traditional plays.
"With Henning, you're going to get ... a couple different throws, a couple unique formations, some combinations, some reverses," said coach Eric Mangini. "When you have a lot of different weapons, it makes it harder."
Still, the feeling is the Wildcat is in its last days before being mothballed for another era. Everything takes turns being in vogue.
"It all depends on how people defend it," Bowens said. "If people don't stop it, then you'll see more of it."
Remember when the Browns talked so much in training camp about springing a Wildcat package of Josh Cribbs and Seneca Wallace on the NFL? Injuries to both players reduced those hopes. Cribbs has 16 runs for 69 yards and no touchdowns out of the Wildcat.
The biggest Wildcat play all year for the Browns was a pass from Hillis to Colt McCoy in the New Orleans game. Hillis, it turned out, was an old hand at the Wildcat from his Arkansas days.