Thoughts on the Wildcat

I have to admit that I am no fan of the wildcat formations but with Vick playing I expect them to keep running it. More than anything it makes me nervous cause it seems that it is just a turnover waiting to happen.. When they ran it on the final TD I couldn't believe how much space was open towards the pylon but Bell elected to try and punch it in thru defenders.

I think they will go heavy in the WC as long as Vick is in and that tells me that they have little confidence in his throwing mechanics. I wonder though if when Ben comes back they periodically go to it on occasions.

 

I like the idea. We're gonna run all day anyways, so why not run a little wildcat to mix things up. I highly doubt we go back to it when Ben is back unless we are very successful with it the next week or so. It may have been a chargers specific game plan too, who knows?

I'm sure they had Bell practice taking snaps all week so it wasn't an issue. I guess we will see how much we continue using it next week

 

I think we just saw the final product of the makeshift offense the O.C. put together for Vick. So expect more of the same with small tweaks IMO.

I think they noticed it is better to throw deep if you are going to throw downfield at all. That may be one tweak. Throw on 1st down more too. SD seemed to be trying to focus on stopping the run and short passes and I bet everyone else will do the same as long as Vick plays. So we should be able to make key splash plays going long.

 

The Steelers are fortunate Bell was still around to score the walk-off TD after D Will almost cold-cocked him with his elbow on one of those Wildcat fake end around hand offs. Looks like the over all timing is more than just MV's issue.

 

The wildcat has it's advantages. It's not just a gimmick. Typically defences don't cover the QB. Sure, they bring pressure, but there's no defender who's job it is to actually cover the QB. That means an extra defender in the box to stop the run or an extra DB. The wildcat formation takes away that extra defender and forces the defence to put that man on the player who takes the snap. It's actually a good formation, although it obviously limits what you can do with it. There's really no reason to run it when Ben is in the game, although if Bell had any kind of a history as a QB, then it would make perfect sense to run it sometimes.

As for Bell going out wide on that last play, that's a tough call. I think it was Nix Roosevelt that was tied up with a defender partially in the backfield. They both ended up going to the ground and Bell cut inside of them and partially hurdled them. In Bell's eyes, perhaps he thought Roosevelt wasn't going to make that block so he cut inside. Or maybe he was worried about being tripped up by those two going to the ground. He had milliseconds to make a decision about whether to go outside or cut inside, and considering he scored, I'd say he made the right call. Who knows what the result would have been if he had gone outside.

 

It worked with some success. But, we need to have little more involvement from Williams, Vick, Brown, maybe even Archer.
It just can't be Bell that takes it every play. You need to have to keep the defense guessing.

 

You keep the defence guessing by mixing up formations and play calling, not by taking out the leagues best RB for Archer or old man Williams. Of course you give Bell rest and don't run him into the ground, but you don't take him out to keep the defence guessing.

 

I didn't say you take him out. You just can't have him take the ball every play. You have to mix it up like a hand off to Williams or have
him throw it out side to Vick or Brown if not covered etc. Bell has to be on the field running it. If the Wildcat is run, it's his show. But, if used and Bell is the only threat defenses will know that you just key Bell, because he is just gong to take the ball. Part of the beauty of the Wildcat is that you keep a defense guessing, but if the guessing goes away, it eventually stops working and defenses stop it.

 

Opposing teams have to spend extra time preparing for it.

 

The wildcat us something you use when you don't have a good QB. Right now, we don't have a good QB.

 

When you ask "my thoughts on the wildcat(p31)"?

 

Worked against San Diego because well they didn't game plan for it. Zona will. Got us a win but I can't see this used against Zona. As far as when Ben gets back, it will be included when no one expects it down the road, with Ben splitting out, not Vick.

 

I like it now they need to evolve it. Instead of Williams as the single Flanker it needs to be Vick. On the Twin WR side it needs to be Bryant and DHB . This will allow Bell or Vick to run behind bigger blockers this will also give you the QB throw back look from which run double arrows with DHB and Bryant coming right across the face of Vick.

It also gives you the HB/QB pass after the hand off if ran with Vick as the HB . The Combo route I love from there is Seal/Wheel . The seal/wheel is when the Outside Wr shows seal and blocks down , the inside WR looks like blocking out and then runs the wheel. With DHB as the inside guy would be alot of speed 1 on 1 and with Bryant on the outside a big fast target ripping down the seam.

 

Bell said post game he would like to throw the ball from the WC, he told ray lewis, you know I'm going to ask for it....

 

Yeah, I could do without it as well.

 

I'm not a huge fan of it in general, but I see why they use it in Ben's absence.
It's pretty common knowledge that the QB never gets covered (with anything more than a basic block at the LOS). I'd like to see Vick split wide with Brown at QB and Bell as the sidecar. If the throw is there, have Brown target Vick. Even if it doesn't work, it would keep the defense honest and have to put someone out there on Vick, occupying a blocker from immediately helping with run support.