Football Mythbusters: Breaking Down "The Wildcat"

used to line up in the shotgun in the “Wild Hog” formation at Arkansas.  They can then put one of their many RBs in the slot, allowing them to emphasize their strengths in the running game to take some pressure off of their weaker passing game.

Dallas: Felix Jones used to play at Arkansas, where they often used their “Wild Hog” formation, which is very similar to the Wildcat, so he would make an easy transition into the slot RB position in this formation.

The Cowboys are known for ignoring character issues if they think a player can help make big plays, so if they signed Matt Jones, a former “Wild Hog” QB at Arkansas who is a current free agent, they could have a potent Wildcat attack.

Atlanta: Michael Turner in the shotgun, the speedy Jerious Norwood in the slot, and Tony Gonzalez at TE so Turner can make short passes to him.  If Matt Ryan struggles (which I doubt will happen, but you never know), we could see a bit of this formation in Atlanta.

Tennessee: Vince Young ran this formation a lot in college, so he knows the offense.  Now imagine Chris Johnson in the slot.  This could make the Titans offense even more potent.

Also, this would help satisfy Vince Young’s desire to play this year, without taking away from Kerry Collins’ authority as the starter. 

When asked in an interview if he was planning to use the Wildcat with Young, Jeff Fisher smiled and said “Maybe, it’s a copycat league.” He then declared boldly, “You don’t want to open against us.”

Look for the Wildcat to play a role in the defending Super Bowl champions starting off 2009 with an 0-1 record.

New Orleans: The Saints have had a hard time utilizing Reggie Bush, who did everything in college, to his fullest potential.  Though Sean Payton said he’s against using the Wildcat because he doesn’t want to take snaps away from Drew Brees, he should rethink that commitment.

Brees is an incredible passer.  He passed for 5,069 yards in 2008, only a few yards short of breaking Dan Marino’s single-season record.  However, the Saints missed the playoffs.  The Saints’ defense was sub par, ranking 26th in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed.

If the defense continues to play this poorly, the Saints will need to start rushing more if they want to win more than eight games.  Though their passing offense was ranked first in the league, the rushing offense was ranked 28th.

Running more often will take more time off of the clock, keeping the Saints’ defense off of the field for longer, and keeping their offense on the field.  This will give opposing teams less opportunities to score.

Putting Reggie Bush in the shotgun will allow him to run or pass once in a while, and the Saints can put either another RB or a receiver in the slot to run the sweep.  This could help give the offense some of the balance it was missing last year, giving the Saints a chance to go back to the NFC championship.

Keep an eye out for these teams, and perhaps others, too, to employ the Wildcat next year.  Without a doubt, the Wildcat is here to stay.

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