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It's Not The Freaking Single Wing
Posted 09-26-2008 at 03:25 PM by DearbornDolfan
I know I said I'd post updates on how the young players have been doing. However, there's not been all that much news beyond the mammoth performances of Langford and Merling (I did mention a JT/Wale comparison) and the quiet excellence that has been Channing Crowder.
What I didn't expect, what nobody (especially not Bellicheck) didn't expect, was the Wildcat. I guess the Wildcat is like the Spanish Inquisition, you don't expect it until it comes and when it comes you can do nothing to stop it, especially at the NFL level when it's properly executed. Oh, did I say executed? That's something of a double entendre, considering that Miami pretty much executed the Patriots in their own house.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I know that I professed in the forums that the Wildcat and other option offenses wouldn't be a big deal beyond a few limited uses in big games, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. It won't happen right away, but I can easily see formations like the Wildcat expanded into a real offense (which Sparano has commented he has some ideas for) or something like the Wing-T being installed when Tebow enters the league. What those two have that other option offenses lack is a dedication, a nigh-on need, for the power running game, which is the staple of the NFL. Hell, I could see some teams turning to the real Single Wing as a goal line offense if they have three strong running backs.
My final stance, until a team proves they have the knack and talent to run an option offense full time in the NFL, is that while crazy old-school variations and even crazier new school flavors will certainly become a staple in the NFL, nobody will run any option offense more often than they think they can get away with it. The team that finds a QB who has a good arm, can read defenses, and has the kind of excellent instincts needed to manipulate a spread/option to make it sing would be insane to not immediately install the kitchen sink (to borrow a phrase from Joey Porter.) I think maybe Dennis Dixon or Tim Tebow could be the guy, but I won't really believe it until I see it.
What I didn't expect, what nobody (especially not Bellicheck) didn't expect, was the Wildcat. I guess the Wildcat is like the Spanish Inquisition, you don't expect it until it comes and when it comes you can do nothing to stop it, especially at the NFL level when it's properly executed. Oh, did I say executed? That's something of a double entendre, considering that Miami pretty much executed the Patriots in their own house.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I know that I professed in the forums that the Wildcat and other option offenses wouldn't be a big deal beyond a few limited uses in big games, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. It won't happen right away, but I can easily see formations like the Wildcat expanded into a real offense (which Sparano has commented he has some ideas for) or something like the Wing-T being installed when Tebow enters the league. What those two have that other option offenses lack is a dedication, a nigh-on need, for the power running game, which is the staple of the NFL. Hell, I could see some teams turning to the real Single Wing as a goal line offense if they have three strong running backs.
My final stance, until a team proves they have the knack and talent to run an option offense full time in the NFL, is that while crazy old-school variations and even crazier new school flavors will certainly become a staple in the NFL, nobody will run any option offense more often than they think they can get away with it. The team that finds a QB who has a good arm, can read defenses, and has the kind of excellent instincts needed to manipulate a spread/option to make it sing would be insane to not immediately install the kitchen sink (to borrow a phrase from Joey Porter.) I think maybe Dennis Dixon or Tim Tebow could be the guy, but I won't really believe it until I see it.
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