Any Carlos Brown Wildcat Talk?
I vaguely recall last year around this time that there was talk of us using Carlos Brown in a few Wildcat style packages.
He then promptly got hurt and I never heard the idea mentioned again.
Has anyone heard anything this year about the possibilities of a Wildcat look with Brown?
Probably not because our mobility at quarterback is improving substantially.
RichRod was asked that question at the first spring practice ... he said they weren't considering playing any non-quarterback at QB. I guess he thinks there's no need now that we have some real athletes at the position.
I hate the Wildcat formation. It is totally predictable and the only reason it worked for Arkansas is because they had 2 first round draft pick running backs doing it. Most of the time when defenses see it, they just sell out against the run and stuff it behind the LOS.
I've never really understood the point/excitement/innovation behind it either.
Sports Illustrated did a piece on the single wing a couple months ago. Basically, what it does is it gives the offense an extra blocker. When you have a regular QB in the game, as soon as he hands off the ball, he runs away from the play and that leaves two defenders unaccounted for by the offense (i.e. it's now 9 people blocking 11). With the "Wildcat" or single wing offense, Carlos Brown (or whoever) runs the ball directly and the offense has 10 people blocking 11.
Also, if the defense is expecting run and you can throw a pass, that's obviously going to catch them by surprise. But that doesn't happen a whole lot.
Yeah. I guess an extra blocker makes sense. Especially if the guy with the ball is a tank anyway.
The interesting thing about that article was that it posited that the single-wing has never really been "stopped." Defenses never figured out a way to stop it consistently. It just wasn't seen as "cool" or "hip" or "cutting edge" to run anymore, and that's why so many teams switched to "pro style" offenses or the run-n-shoot.
Kids today probably would not want to play in an offense like that anyways, but still it would probably work even today in college if ran right. The triple option also comes to mind, but "innovator" Paul Johnson is having a renaissance at GT.
... how much cool and hip have to do with it. If it worked consistently, players were able to rack up hundreds of rushing yards, and team's were winning games, I'm pretty sure coaches would be using it across the country. Last I checked, winning was still hip.
I'm just repeating what the author of the SI feature article stated. And since he did research and interviews on the subject, I'm trusting his opinion.
I wonder why the wildcat isn't used more often in goaline situations. That's why Tebow is so effective in short yardage: 1. There's an extra blocker 2. He can throw. Anyone that follows recruiting knows the number of skill position players that played qb in high school. They could easily make a 5-10 yard throw to an open receiver to keep the defense from crashing the line with all 11.
Good question. If I had to guess (and it really is a guess; I'll admit my football knowledge is pretty limited), I'd say that in a goal line situation, the field is far too short to really benefit from running out of a long snap instead of snapping from under center and just taking it up the gut -- either the threat of a QB sneak, hand off up the gut (ball gets to the goal line faster than running out of the shotgun), or play action.
Again, just a guess.
Isn't that the article that was centered around Apoka HS and Jeremy Gallon? I know RR doesn't have any plans for it now, but if gets a kid in the program this fall with experience, I wouldn' tbe too suprised to see some version of the single wing in the future.
Yes.
Some teams use it out of necessity.
Over at PIttsburgh, Wannstache and OC Cavanaugh would call direct snaps to LeSean McCoy many consecutive times. Neither of them are necessarily lauded as genius play-callers, but McCoy couldn't be stopped and Pitt's quarterbacks really sucked.
We were in the same situation last year. When the quarterback play is so bad that the defense doesn't respect it, it might be better to get the ball in the playmaker's hands as quickly as possible.
Then again, it worked pretty well for the Dolphins.
miami dolphins ran it pretty good..
the miami dolphins would probobly disagree with you. that team won football games by running this formation. that organization is run by Bill Parcells and is coached under one of his former assistance and they feel and proved that it can and does work when its run properly. not to mention that head coach was also a rookie head coach. it also worked late into the season even after teams had a chance to see it and scout on film and in practice.
i heard ricky barnum used to play QB in high school, any chance he gets some reps at QB??????
.....Would be a great wildcat. I am hoping he gets his "ACT" together.
decent article explaining it http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3633005