I chose this picture to highlight this article because it is exactly what everyone has come to believe the Miami Dolphins' offense is all about. Their staple is the "Wildcat", or so everyone thinks.
And there is no doubt that they are the NFL's inventors of this offense and do run it better than anyone. But we've romanticized the "Wildcat" to the point that it's practically a folktale.
Truthfully, the Dolphins offense is about a lot more than the "Wildcat". It is about a power running game. It is about play-action to get speedster Ted Ginn deep down the field. It is about a short, controlled passing game to guys like Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo.
Because the Dolphins' offensive strategy revolves around their ability to get their best players on the field, I feel it is best to start by describing their personnel and spend a little less time on their scheme than I normally do.
Personnel
QB Chad Henne
No offense to Chad Pennington, who in my opinion is one of the best game managing QBs of all-time, but Henne provides the Dolphins offense with something they did not have with Pennington—explosion.
Henne can really gun the ball down the field, giving them a vertical element to their passing game and the possibility to score in less than five minutes. With his big arm he also can get away with throwing into coverage because gun-slingers often can fit balls into small windows.
He is still in the process of becoming an NFL QB, but he looks well on his way to becoming Miami's franchise QB for many years to come.
RB Ronnie Brown
Despite my insistence that the Dolphins are about more than the "Wildcat", there is no doubt that part of what makes Brown so good is his ability to play as a Single-Wing QB in that package.
Aside from that though, Brown really is a complete player. He is good in pass protection and catching the ball out of the backfield—because he has good hands but also runs good routes for a RB.
But most impressive is his ability to break tackles and pick up chunks of yards and explode for big plays.
RB Ricky Williams
Saints fans know this player well. But he has reinvented himself a bit in the Miami offense.
Much like Brown, he is a complete player who excels with the ball in his hands, but also in pass protection and in catching the ball out of the backfield. He is explosive with the ball in his hands and is a beast of a player to tackle.
WR Ted Ginn
Ginn is a deep threat extraordinaire similar to the player that Devery Henderson was for the Saints a few years ago. He has blazing speed and can beat almost any corner.
His hands, though, are suspect and he is still learning to be a good route runner. However, given the way he has played with Henne so far, it looks like Ginn may ultimately become the number one receiver he was drafted to be.
WR Davone Bess
Continuing the comparisons to Saints Wide Receivers, Bess is eerily similar to Lance Moore, at least in the way the Dolphins use him.
They love to throw quick screens to the former Hawaii Warrior and let him use his speed and agility to make things happen.
Additionally, he is Henne's main target on third down, when he runs a lot of intermediate routes over the middle of the field and finds holes in the zone coverage.
Greg Camarillo and rookie Brian Hartline round out the receiving core. Both are good possession-type receivers and are growing to make Miami a more diverse and explosive offense.
Offensive Line
In my opinion, the key to Miami's offensive success is the play they get out of their offensive line. Jake Long, Justin Smiley, and Jake Grove make up a who's who of names on that line, but Vernon Carey and Donald Thomas aren't exactly slouches either.
The unit is gaining continuity together and they are one of the most physical units in the entire league. And they can generally handle a four-man pass rush with no problem. They are young and good.
Formations
The Dolphins are primarily a run-based team, especially on running downs (first and second, four-minute drill, etc.). On first down, they generally line up with 21 personnel (a running back, fullback, tight end, and two receivers).
Occasionally, you'll get a two-tight end look, or a three-receiver look, but by and large they like the 21 personnel grouping on run downs. From this they normally will give you an I-Formation with the fullback and tailback both lined up directly behind the QB. Sometimes they'll motion the tight end across to give them a numbers advantage to one side or the other.
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