The “Wildcat” Stunned the NFL in 2008… but What Happened After That?

[@danielvasquez3758]

Man I remember when Miami did that to the defending conference champion up there and everyone was shook!! Those were the times man!! What great times!!

[@YYKpikadodo]

fax

[@jamessanders145]

It wasn't just the conference champions. It was the Patriots team that had almost had a perfect season.

[@dominantdaddy6939]

I don’t remember a lot of regular season games that were not played by my home team, but I definitely remember the ass kicking the Pats took via the lowly Miami Dolphins.

[@thegadflygang5381]

Yeah it was cool. I am not a big sportsball guy, just boxing, but it is neat when you see some new strategy that is so new and out of the box it just befuddles other teams. Most of the time it is fun although you do have instances like The NJ Devils and their "Neutral Zone trap" or Golden State and "The 3 ball" which kind of suck viewership wise

[@mattkhanna]

@@jamessanders145 but it wasn’t because Brady got hurt week 1

[@alphakenny1_]

Dude that helmet hit Pat White took still gives me chills. I was at that game and had upper level seats and let me tell you that helmet to helmet hit sounded as if I was sitting right next to the sidelines. Everyone was in silence and in shock, even the steeler fans that were there. That stadium was silent for about 10 minutes, even the drunk people which never really happens…

[@WestsideWillie]

That’s exactly what happened when Mason Rudolph got hit vs the Ravens

[@treycherie6236]

a lot of WVU fans are also Steelers fans so they might’ve just watched their favorite college player get KO’d by one of their favorite pro guys smh

[@JkComedy444]

I was at that game when I was 10 and my dad was like even the guy who hit him was like oh shoot guys get over here I think I heard something crack

[@WestsideWillie]

@@JkComedy444 if you look at the video you can tell ike taylor was dizzy walking back to his sideline right before his teammate bumps him to celebrate

[@Coolmanbob7]

Steelers should disband as an organization. They're awful people

[@tommyb2073]

That Ronnie Brown Ricky Williams combo was deadly

[@billblaski9523]

DEADLY!

[@titonothere6179]

It’s not Williams anymore he took his wife’s last name lol

[@poseidon699]

@@titonothere6179 makes sense “his last name” was his step grand fathers last name so not even his real grandfather

[@Buttington_Headerson]

Ronnie Brown was a beast War Eagle

[@bhumibolrushing7830]

Too bad Ricky was a huge stoner..or could've had a much better career. I watched him at Texas and thought he would be a HOF

[@ouchyg]

Chad Pennington also played amazing that season with a shoulder that was hamburger. He made up for it by playing at a pro bowl level in every other facet, from reading defenses, to pin point throws, perfect touch passes, and great leadership.

[@PhinPhan39]

Hamburger is such a great description. All of my dislike for Pennington after playing all those years with Jets went away almost immediately once he joined Miami and started to win. One of my favorite QB’s in Miami history even though his time was brief.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

I still think Chad Pennington would have won multiple super bowls if he was healthy his whole career. The dude was supremely gifted.

[@TheAoalec14]

Hamburger.. more like a linguini noodle

[@orionthomas967]

As a Jets fan, Chad was the last QB I’ve had any confidence in. Loved that guy when he was healthy.

[@TheAoalec14]

@@orionthomas967 Z Wilson is looking good. I could see the Jets and Bills as the crème of the AFC east crop for the 2020s

[@tufoinproductions]

The Wildcat isn't meant to be an offense. It's a change up. How they used it vs the Patriots was perfect but I don't see why people thought it was gonna be something gamebreaking

[@MatthewDaSmitdog]

That was the thing, Miami tried to use it as the base offense after the first New England matchup instead of as a situational formation like on short yardage plays from 3rd down on. And with using it more repetitively the greater the hint that gave opposing defenses to adjust their gameplans, and fittingly New England sought to that in their victorious rematch. Though really, the only thing that held them back from getting this out to full effect was the lack of an athletic quarterback, a damaged goods Pennington and a classic pocket passer Henne wasn't going to do the Dolphins any favors.

[@franksylva9031]

It was just the option. College runs it all the time.

[@tufoinproductions]

@@franksylva9031 Definitely isn't just the option. In fact like 99% of wildcat plays have no option component to it But yeah college teams run it some.

[@franksylva9031]

@@tufoinproductions For the defense, you play it like it is the option. Ronnie Brown threw out of it and the Dolphins drafted a QB with that in mind.

[@solascriptura-e7t]

@@franksylva9031 , It showed potential-- on other teams: having a non QB that can throw well; or super athletic QBs (Vick, Kap, RG3, etc).

[@thisguy8106]

You should have mentioned Peyton Hillis as well on that Arkansas team. Mcfadden, Jones and Hillis combined were what made the WildHog so unstoppable that year..

[@heatherphillips5983]

Wooooooo pig sooie.

[@AdamKlownzinger]

I wish I was old enough to even pay attention to football around this time. I can’t imagine the amount of energy surrounding the Dolphins that year. 10 MORE WINS!

[@abelowaverage13yearoldamer42]

I was born the next year, it’s cool to hear about what people thought was going to be groundbreaking

[@tigercap100]

Arkansas started it

[@Aaron80B]

@@tigercap100 maaaan McFadden and Jones in that backfield were a handful. Hillis too.

[@lordsirdragor]

I feel the same way about Marino since I only really started paying attention in detail since 2001, that 08 team was so much fun to watch. Especially after watching the early 2000s defense, which carried the team along with Ricky Williams, get old and either get cut or retire, and Ricky's "retirement" drama and the entire Nick Saban crap, it was such a breath of fresh air. And all made possible by Brett Farve, because I dont think it would have worked as well without Pennington being there.

[@bugsyproductions3140]

Damn I’m old

[@SaveCrystalGaming]

Love your videos man. As a WVU fan..my heart sank when Pat White took that hit against Pittsburgh. We just wanted his NFL career to be as successful. What a college football legend.

[@M41N3LY_G4M1NG]

WVU players never seem to pan out in the NFL - Geno Smith might be the best Mountaineer to play in the NFL. Too bad - some really fun college players (Owen Schmitt, Steve Slaton, et. al.)

[@Ty-jc5qv]

@@M41N3LY_G4M1NG plenty have what are you on about lmao

[@JaredTG.]

The nostalgia is powerful here. I remember sitting in my mom's living room and watching that dolphins patriots game on TV. We all thought that the NFL had changed forever that day haha. It's kind of funny looking back how something seemingly so simple blew all of our minds. I remember seeing it in college ball and thinking wow if they do this in the NFL it's game over haha. Then the Dolphins did it and I was absolutely mind blown. Those were good days man. 14 year old me had such a blast back then. Football has never been as good as it was back in those days.

[@jasonhutter7534]

It was the right formation on the right day but never going to work as soon as teams got film on it and learned to defend it.

[@Shinobi33]

@@jasonhutter7534 yea? What did you think the RPO is? It's just the QB running the WildCat instead of the RB. So now you gotta really play the pass as a defense

[@gerardsotxoa]

I'm a dolfan but already knew it was just a gimmick play. It was something like the old wishbone formation from the 1940s

[@ajstevenson4181]

Doesn't RPO stand for Railway Post Office?

[@megawatts-jq5xm]

Hey just wanted to tell you that Plz read everything btw Jehovah and his son Jesus Christ love you so much that God would send his one and only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead 3 days later Get a relationship with God and Jesus and confess for your sins and Live for Christ and not the world and allow God and Jesus into your hearts. God and Jesus are trying to save you from going to hell. HELL IS NOT A JOKE. Jehovah and Jesus are all of our Gods and Lords and Saviors✝️✝️✝️✝️SPREAD THE WORD✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️Pray to Jehovah and his son Jesus Christ get saved today ✝️✝️✝️✝️SPREAD THE GOSPEL✝️✝️✝️✝️

[@DevoGaming93]

2008 was wild. My Falcons bounced back from Vick, Petrino and going 4-12, to also 11-5. Ryan and Mike Smith turned the ship around.

[@calebashford1686]

I remember... Brees' first matchup with Ryan was embarrassing. I remember Brees throwing down his towel for wiping away your finger oils in front of Jeremy Shockey, and Shockey looking like a whooped dog 😆 good times

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

The colts did something similar the year after losing manning and before getting luck

[@mynamablegg8707]

Ravens did too

[@thomasdougherty6737]

Using the wildcat in Madden is something we all did way too much

[@cozymosley]

Bro let’s not forget the wildcat with the eagles when they had Vick. 🫠 It was east to crack when teams were one dimensional.

[@KlvnDxxminique]

Using Chris Johnson in the wildcat was literally a cheat code

[@erikyehl9293]

Darren McFadden in Madden 12 for sure

[@GO-wb1gf]

It never works in madden 11 on all madden

[@stephenc2481]

If it works efficiently, NFL teams would have used it. Players are too fast and smart for any team to keep using wildcats.

[@AaronMichaelLong]

It's like any other trick play. The moment the opposing team expects it, and has trained on how to stop it, it's not going to work. And being a running play in the modern NFL, it's not hard to stop. Just put a couple DBs in zone coverage to keep from getting burned by a throw, and then cram everyone else in the box. It's still just a option play, only one of your wide receivers isn't a very good receiver, your passer isn't a very good passer, and that ultimately makes the defense's job easier. Also, slide feet-first, if you're a QB.

[@aidanwatson910]

False.

[@MarkPentler]

@@aidanwatson910it's typically the done thing to explain why

[@aidanwatson910]

@@MarkPentler it started in college, not the NFL. It's a modern college running play that the NFL adopted because of how effective it was. And it's also not a "trick play". It's called the Wildcat (WildHog) formation.

[@88porpoise]

​@@aidanwatson910Some things can work in College but not the NFL. Mainly due to the overall lower skill and physical ability of players as well as the greater disparity between the average player and the best. This is also why you see a fair number of large, physical quarterbacks who aren't very good passers being very successful in college who fall down on the pros. When adopted, it was effectively a trick play. A few teams had historically used it as such before Miami de exuded to start using it regularly. And once the professional defenses figured it out, they shut it down.

[@Magdalena8008s]

Thank you for mansplaining what every other person in the world says when this is talked about.

[@yankeeluver100]

KTO, I'm a die heart Dolphins fan and I think you missed one large point. Before Ronnie Brown's injury in 2009 against Tampa Bay, the Dolphins had the top rushing game in the league. They almost beat Indy by holding the ball for 45 minutes, they almost beat the Saints with the formation, they beat the Jets in an epic Monday night game, and they almost won in Foxboro in a game where they had a ten minute drive. In other words, Miami was running the Wild Cat better in 2009 than they were in 2008, and their main issue was the defense playing much worse than the year prior.

[@emilegriffith1473]

Brown was on paace for an epic year. His combo of size and speed was beastly.

[@yankees29]

I had Ronnie on my fantasy team that year. Too bad he got hurt.

[@yankeeluver100]

@@yankees29 I think I did too. He was a beast that year.

[@yankees29]

@@yankeeluver100 definitely. I’m a Jets fan I remember.🤣

[@yankeeluver100]

@@yankees29 I went ballistic after Ronnie scored that last second TD.

[@joeboxerdog6543]

It was Gus Malzahn who brought the wildcat to Arkansas in 2006 as offensive coordinator. He was head coach at Springdale High School the previous four seasons. Razorbacks head coach, Houston Nutt, inexplicably, brought in David Lee the following season as co-offensive coordinator, triggering Malzahn’s departure.

[@Mainsterr]

I never comment on KZbin videos, but you covered the whole topic completely and showed how it lead to the RPO offense. What a well thought out and made video, pure excellence!

[@cmale123]

I don't think rpo completely replaced it. The philly is similar to that play. It really depend on the player and what you want to do with it

[@johnthomas5314]

@Bryan Smith he didn't show it but he explained it. The RB isn't a real passing threat compared to the QB, just as the QB isn't as real of a receiving threat as an actual WR. Basically just have to not overreact in coverage and treat it more like a running play. I think he was insinuating that having an actual dual threat QB (Allen being the best example) is a more legit weapon.

[@bza8910]

WVU was running RPO’s before 08

[@cmale123]

titan done it couple time. wild cat. if you have derrick henry in wild cat then patwhite running it. there a huge differce

[@cmale123]

@@johnthomas5314 the wild cat still work. derrick henry did couple of it. this guy still have lack of understanding how it work

[@justislaidman9210]

I remember being shocked seeing the score continue to grow and grow that day. Being a life long dolphins fan and living in Maui and San Diego my whole life I don’t get to watch many Phins games. I’m used to having to check the ticker tape and seeing us being down by 2 touchdowns or something like that, especially against the pats. We started the year horribly so when they started doing all the game breaks and showing the dolphins using the “wildcat” it became a day and even a season that no dolphins fan will ever forget

[@MrGoodeats]

70 points 😀😀😀😀😅😅😅🥸😝😛😛😛😛😛😛😀😀😀😀😀😀🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@j.parkerphotography4287]

That was a really good video but as a Dolphins fan you get the Wildcat 2.0 wrong. It really didn't involve Pat White who was a separate issue - though obviously longterm they would have loved to incorporate him into similar schemes, he was just lost on the field that whole year until his being lost nearly got him killed. But the 2.0 was when they took Pennington off the field and had Ronnie, Ricky, Patrick Cobbs, and Lousaka Polite all taking handoffs. And it provided some of the most fun football games I've ever seen. But the formation died after our 5th game when we lost Cobbs to an ACL the week after Pennington was lost for the season too. In the 2.0 Cobbs was absolutely integral and there was no replacement on the roster - nor did the guy we signed after he got hurt ever do anything (Kory Sheets). They didn't have the chance to build the synchronicity in with a new back considering they were also trying to get a first time starter going. Aside from the obvious superiority of read option QB's that eventually overtook it, I guess a real flaw was that you needed 4 good backs to make the 2.0 work, and it's hard to keep that many backs healthy. It still bugs me when people say a team is running the wildcat just doing an RB direct snap - what made the Wildcat hard to crack was the motion that Ricky was doing and the built in option, and teams just don't do that these days with their running backs, making it a very predictable and easy to stop run play.

[@Commandobreezy]

Absolutely. Pennington got hurt early 09

[@j.parkerphotography4287]

@Bryan Smith yeah Polite went like way more than a season without failing to convert a short yardage situation. And that was back when teams didn't go for it on 4th down like they do now.

[@cortexlite6082]

Missed the opportunity to mention the Kstate Wildcats as well. They did a lot for revolutionizing the Wildcat in the 90s

[@logan_page]

Having an athletic QB and running the RPO comes with the added benefit of not having your QB line up at WR, but instead having a WR lineup at WR.

[@jefferyb11]

I’m a die hard Razorback fan and the McFadden years running the Wild Hog were unforgettable..

[@danielvasquez3758]

Defenses adjust quickly!! That’s how this league works!!

[@JKSSubstandard]

Yeah. The evidence shows up every year. Ask Lamar Jackson how well his RPO is going now that defenses know what his arm is and isnt capable of.

[@jamessanders145]

@@JKSSubstandard I'm pretty sure Lamar thought he was going to do that every year.

[@andrewescoto8492]

@@jamessanders145 what

[@Daniel-dr2jb]

@@JKSSubstandard Stats prove Lamar Jackson is doing good…

[@michaelschaefer1904]

That's how football works. People are just physically faster in the NFL. It's still kill the guy with the ball ... not real complicated.

[@bens3767]

I remember watching back in 2008 and how it had the whole football sports world buzzing. It was a really exciting time to watch football

[@SheldonBoyce-Payne]

Living in South Florida when the wildcat was dominant was crazy, great time to be a Dolphins fan!

[@laxphenom20]

The RPO has basically been a cheat code. I think they need to crack down on lineman down field on RPOs but they already have so much to look at during any given play.

[@ImLazarusMusic]

No joke. I’m from MN and started watching football in 98. Not only do I remember those David Palmer wildcat plays, I remember when the Falcons ran it against us that one time. It was like a spiraling nightmare, little did I know what would be in store for me over the next 30 years as a MN sports fan.

[@ImLazarusMusic]

@Fries it’s been brutal for almost every sport. I think collectively Minnesota has gone the longest of any market without a championship in any of the NFL,MLB,NBA,NHL.

[@VinceLyle2161]

@@ImLazarusMusic Are you kidding? The Twins won a World Series just a scant 31 years ago!

[@ImLazarusMusic]

@@VinceLyle2161 haha how could I have forgotten such triumphant times at four years old lol

[@steveg4356]

Jets/ Mets/ Knicks fans feel your pain lol

[@6timechamp]

Patriots just lost Tom Brady for the year. There heads weren't in the game! First time against dolphins.

[@jaranameer2882]

My first memory of the wildcat was from an Eagles vs Browns game in 2000 when the Browns had WR’s Dennis Northcutt & Kevin Johnson take snaps at QB. They both ran and passed the ball.

[@Misslastate2001]

Hey KTO. I would’ve watched sooner but I got the notification late. Anyway thank you for uploading dude. Your vids are amazing and so enjoyable and have been for the last 4 years when I found you.

[@Msizyke41]

I was a kid in Arkansas when the "wildhog" offense was ran. I remember that we didn't run it exclusively, but we did not have much in the passing game so all we did was run. I think ole Houston Nutt liked it because it gave him more ways to say, "Get the Heisman favorite to run right"

[@macajimbo]

something i never understood was even having a quarterback in the formation to begin with why not put an oline guy on the outside to crack the people on the inside

[@j.parkerphotography4287]

Eventually (2009) they did replace the QB with an RB full time but the video got wrong what the Wildcat 2.0 was. We had a ton of interesting plays out of that on MNF against the Colts and I think SNF against the Jets that year.

[@goodmaro]

That's what was mostly done in the first NFL wildcat era: late 1990s to about 2001. (This KZbinr found only 3 examples from then, but there were more.) But the reason for leaving the quarterback in the formation was so the defense would be prepared to face a "normal" offense. When the QB is subbed out, the defense can see that and sub too, like maybe taking out coverage people for run stoppers. What I think would be more effective than either of these tactics is leaving the quarterback in the near backfield, able to take the snap, but having the snap go to a running back some of the time. The passer could be in shotgun or close to the snapper. Some teams do that in shotgun already.

[@joshdavis3743]

I remember graduating HS in 2009. I am from Cincinnati, and UC and WVU were rivals so I remember him well.

[@proximastorm5174]

That's funny, I was just at the wild cats campus in Washington state for a high school football camp yesterday.

[@modelovirus395]

Bill Belichick is such an amazing defense mind. I mean after just reviewing film from the blowout loss to the Dolphins, he adjusted his defense accordingly. Just like when the Patriots faced one of the most unstoppable offenses in the Rams during Super Bowl 53. He always finds a countered to someones offensive scheme

[@navanater123]

Bill > tom

[@JustAFan444]

Unstoppable Rams.. the Jared Goff led Rams? K...

[@MrGoodeats]

bro jared goff was the qb 😂😂

[@dominiquewashington2553]

@@MrGoodeatsyall talk down on him but that rams offense was quoted as best show on turf 2.0 even with him at qb

[@MikeJr9284]

I remember trying to do a wildcat play in Madden as a kid and I was really confused. I now see why it was OP back in the day.

[@houseofchinn6112]

Madden had the worse wildcat plays. Cuz they don't understand football and it was always laggy and pre animated. It wasn't fluid or smooth. Super basic

[@juddvance7721]

You need to give credit to Bill Snyder of the Kansas State WILDCATS. He was obsessed with getting the blocking advantage in the box. He trotted out the Wildcat offense in 1997-98 with Michael Bishop. He used it as a staple all the way through his second tenure between 2009-2018. He had huge success with it in 2009 when he ran it with Daniel Thomas, a former juco QB turned halfback. And this was all before he independently invented the RPO.

[@AdamEmond]

Goosebumps with that ending clip! Go Bills!

[@settingsun3470]

cool to see you here

[@Funwithhighnotes]

Heck yes that was epic! Let’s go BUFFALO!!!

[@jamessanders145]

Bo Gills

[@statboy11]

13 seconds

[@Breeceboy]

Mahomes is better

[@colelooney1430]

3:12 this is not a regular shotgun formation on the left. in fact, its an illegal formation, given that there are 12 players on that map. A shotgun formation wouldn't usually run a second Tight End, and would instead opt for 3 or even 4 Wide Receivers (Moving one of their running backs out wide) due to the formation's innate strength for passing plays. There's SO many different formation configurations, but none of them can have 12 guys!

[@shawnclose7348]

Single Wing formation (aka wildcat) formations have been used plenty of times other than what was mentioned in the video. In the early years of the NFL this was still a very popular offense and continued to see use for decades afterward. Paul Horning use to take direct snaps for the Greenbay Packers during their 50s-60s Dynasty.

[@shawnclose7348]

@@lostalone9320 it was a different era. But OP said around 6:55 that the wildcat had only been used a couple times in the history of the NFL, which is not true. He might have ment "in the modern era" but he said "history of the NFL" then gave a few examples,. That statement isn't correct which is why I made my post.

[@baileyreichert6138]

@@shawnclose7348 He also said from what he could find . You missed that part didn’t you?

[@shawnclose7348]

@@baileyreichert6138 did not miss that part. Just because he didn't find it doesn't mean it didn't exist. Not a criticism of the original video, video is great. Just saying that he missed a few things in this particular section

[@baileyreichert6138]

@@shawnclose7348 Yeah of course. I’m just saying I’m sure he dug deep but probably missed some things. Definitely is a great video though

[@goodmaro]

But much more recently, there were a lot more examples in the late 1990s than this presenter found. The Jets had Lamont Jordan taking snaps from it. Ravens and Dolphins used it too then. I seem to recall the Bears from the turn of the century, but could be wrong there.

[@mpw301]

Being a Kansas guy, I’m biased but missing the Michael Bishop evolution of the wildcat at Kansas State in the late 90’s is a bit of an omission - not to mention the Chiefs still running single wing/wildcat from time to time over the last few years

[@afterthoughtsofsolitude280]

Yeah I remember Kelce did it against the Patriots and Henry also did it against the Chiefs in the same season.😂

[@cobaltskiie5660]

The glaring omission to me came at the end when they noted the evolution to an actual full offensive scheme they show rg3, then showed a play by fricken Josh Allen. Completely glossing over the epitome of the wildcat 3.0 concept. Mvp season by one Lamar jackson.

[@dalepress1581]

No doubt. Bishop was a monster in the wildcat and what they're were doing at Kansas State was bringing back back a twist on the single wing.

[@jdog5270]

Glad someone’s doing the real work here, haha jk! Great video but I would’ve loved a nod to KSU considering Snyders contribution especially through the Bishop era as mentioned previously.

[@bradleydennis1263]

The reason it worked is because there was no film on stopping it. Fast forward to the next year, the wildcat offense got shut down

[@dalepress1581]

There was film. It was just black and white and 80 years old. Single wing.

[@goldenstandard187]

💯

[@David-lx4yb]

It’s such an easy to see “telegraphed” formation, defenses can fairly easily shut it down. At first it was very occasionally used and the element of surprise fooled defenses. However, suddenly every damn team was using it over-and-over, etc… Defenses caught on to it quickly and made the Wildcat pretty irrelevant and actually stupid to offensively even attempt.

[@ausauce8914]

As an Arkansas fan those wildcat days with D-Mac were amazing. He could do it all.

[@FogelsChannel]

Kro, your craftsmanship & communication are amazing. It takes a lot of work to produce this quality.

[@mitchbrown6652]

@3:12 they show a formation of "regular shotgun" with 12 players. What craftsmanship are you talking about?

[@LegendOfKhaos12]

@@mitchbrown6652 lmao one mistake. Tiny ass mistake at that😂

[@mitchbrown6652]

@@LegendOfKhaos12 You follow football, right? Tell me, in practice, or a game, is 12 men on the field a "tiny ass mistake". I saw it instantly because your eye gets good for that over time lol. But yes the entire video is excellent besides that. They did very well im just bustin balls over my pet peeve lol

[@ddave7026]

I love seeing the Single wing and Read Option here in Texas high school.

[@beanshady]

First off, LACES OUT! Lol I just had to get that out of my system. Great video as always KTO and I'll always remember that magical Dolphins season!

[@TairyHesticles]

What if you had a blazing fast qb who could also play some slot wr, and also had two capable rbs? Do you think the wildcat could still work in that scenario?

[@mclowes1546]

I think it would work to some success if you had a RB that had a bit of QB experience (enough to at least accurately throw a 10 yard slant) and a QB that is physically mobile (say a Mariota or Hurts), even if the routes aren't great. I don't think teams want to risk their QB1 though, I expect we could see it a bit from NO again this season as Winston is more mobile than Brees & we know Taysom is versatile enough

[@owenbrunson2231]

Isn't that just the healthy ravens team?

[@yolkyboi5916]

Imagine if the dolphins used this when they had tannehil, who was a actual wide receiver. Would be nearly unstoppable

[@peelslowly28]

As a Dolphins fan I appreciate how you made a video about them since they haven't been relevant for a while and I hope that changes with Tua.

[@zymbotictoot]

As a Dolphins fan, I'll never forget the wildcat. Especially that game where they confused the heck out of the Patriots. That game was our Superbowl lol. That was one of favorite all time games to watch. Fins up !

[@abelowaverage13yearoldamer42]

The problem with scrambler QB’s it that like running backs, their careers won’t last long

[@sighduck9789]

Tell that to the Vikings QB during that 1998 Championship game. Randall Cunningham there's also Michael Vick, Steve Mcnair, Russell Wilson, Doug Floutie, etc. The problem with Pat White and RGIII is that they weren't passers that made them worth hanging onto, which isn't great when you lose some of your running ability due to injury, like RGIII it doesn't help that Kirk Cousins was drafted that same year, waiting to take his job.

[@LazyCat010]

Like RG3 😭

[@syndrac6254]

Unless they’re built like Cam Newton. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cam Newton have a major injury. Maybe just 1 season in his 11 year career.

[@sticky4444]

@@syndrac6254 he may be a giant dude but he’s taken a beating over his career. his shoulder is basically completely fucked and he can’t even really throw anymore.

[@blacker5826]

Yet all of them seem to fail and crumble in the playoffs. The only QB in NFL history to win the super bowl with more than 400 rushing yards was Russell Wilson in 2013 with around 500. And you damn well he wasn't the reason that 2013 Seahawks team was so great. Second place of all people is Aaron Rodgers in 2010 when he had around 350. Of course, he isn't a run first QB. Until they develop some new drug or supplement that prevents you from being hurt legally, you won't see a run style QB win the super bowl for a long time.

[@digemsmacks5690]

I LOVED when this came to the NFL.. I was coaching youth football back then and ran the Double Wing Offense, so when I was ecstatic when I watched Miami run this type of O

[@mightytax]

Wildcat is always fun to see. And it was crazy fun in madden

[@TroyShahanMusic]

Great video. I remember the league reeling after Miami beat New England. Everyone was trying to get in on the wildcat. I’m from West Virginia, so I watched Pat White play a good bit. (Marshall, West Virginia used the Wildcat for rebuilding after they lost their players in a tragic plane crash). Pat was a sensational athlete, but there was something about his running that made him look like a moving target. At the time, I was a huge Steeler fan, and I watched the game where Pat White got hurt. It was a terrible moment for me, because Pat White was a great player, but the Steelers were my team. I remember all of this. Like I said: great video.

[@shaggy6165]

its always a good day when kto uploads

[@gofinsgo13]

As a massive Miami Dolphins fan. Ty so much for talking about this often underlooked story of the 08 Dolphins. Always loved Sparano as a coach.

[@DynastyIcon]

KTO back at it with another BANGER 🔥🔥🔥

[@digemsmacks5690]

Wildcat was awesome and Phins had perfect backfield to run it. Once it was around long enough and another teams ran it, it became more feasible to out in defensive game plans and that time needed to do so. Even though it eventually fizzled out I believe it's the reason that the RPO sprouted into the league from college. Coaches saw how feasible it is to run it with the main reason being that same numbers game the wildcat brought to the NFL.

[@robwilliams9965]

Another fantastic cut! Thank you for your excellent content KTO

[@l9o6p7a3k4a]

Bill Snyder made it popular in 1997 at K state dude! That’s where it got the name wildcat.

[@troysimonian5475]

I always thought if the dolphins would really base their offense around this, that they could be a championship contender.

[@moopert86]

If they could have gotten that guy under center to create the threat of the passing game absolutely.

[@baseupp12]

It's to 1 dimensional you would need several special type of players to truly make it work.

[@j.parkerphotography4287]

@@baseupp12 it actually worked really well with Pennington. You see in the video it talking about Pennington completing like 11 passes in a row - that's what he could do to supplement. But his should was already ruined and never held up for more than 3 games after that. And Chad Henne just wasn't a franchise QB nor the type of QB who knew how to turn plays into wins. He held the team back for years.

[@MatthewDaSmitdog]

With a dual-threat QB? They certainly could. But I think it really would've worked best also having a RB or WR that could also throw the football. Would've made for a real challenge for any defense to slow them down.

[@baseupp12]

@@j.parkerphotography4287 like I said you need special type of players to make it work. While other offensive systems can use practically any decent qb or wr to be successful.

[@dupes6248]

Lebatard show has Ricky on almost weekly, he talks about him and Ronnie often. They were BEST friends and easily one of the beat backfields in their day. They deserve so much more praise. Sincerely someone who lives in New England

[@Exil22]

Goated topic. Loved the video

[@ThirteenAmp]

The Panthers used the wild cat in 2006 with D. Williams taking the snaps when Dan Henning was OC, he went to be OC in Miami in 2008

[@chrisd6287]

Thank you for repeating info stated in the video 👍

[@ConsistentlyInconsistent21]

@@chrisd6287 lmao

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

The 2008 Miami Dolphins surprise turnaround season was also made possible in part by two more things aside from NFL teams being unprepared for the wildcat offense: 1. Tom Brady’s torn ACL against the Chiefs in week 1. 2. Brett Favre’s late-year shoulder injury on the Jets, which was the biggest cause of them stumbling down the stretch and losing the tiebreaker to the Dolphins in week 17.

[@blakewilliams2185]

It messed the Chiefs up worse than it did the Patriots, their coaching made Matt Cassel look so good that we took him as a starter for a truly shitty four years. The highlight was making the playoffs in 2010 and then getting completely blown out by the Ravens in the Wild Card.

[@Short_mambaa]

It’s always somebody in the comments like this 😂 this happened way too long ago just give credit and move on

[@sosmooth13]

Honestly, the wildcat set us up for the modern day QB’s we have today. I remember how huge the rpo era was with Tebow, Kapernick, RG3 and so on up to what we have today.

[@drewblunck]

We definitely need to see the wildcat even more now because running backs and wide receivers can pass way better than ever before especially with people like Derek Henry, Cedrick Wilson, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, etc…

[@KevinCCucumber]

and if you wanted, athletic qbs could be receiving threats

[@drewblunck]

@@KevinCCucumber true like Lamar, Allen, Murry, etc

[@awesomerob8157]

Kadarius toney aswell. He’s my biggest sleeper wr this year (maybe a little biased) He played qb in high school, and he makes someone miss just about every play.

[@ironsyd4022]

The wildcat is t something you can use on a season basis. Any defense I feel like can shut it down. It’s just has to be right the time and the right situation

[@williamle4474]

I need Kyle shanahan using this formation with Deebo!

[@travisatwell2855]

I love this team. They had so much heart and even though the coaching staff was about as incompetent as it gets they still played hard. That was a solid roster but with terrible terrible coaching

[@lastsinnersa8002]

Henning had been running a mobile QB offense in the 1980s with the Atlanta Falcons but Steve Bartkowsi was too far into his career to be mobile anymore, so it bombed. At least he made a variant work eventually.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

The Kansas State Wildcats popularized it in the early 90s, before Villanova or Hugh Wyatt had ever ran it.

[@joeconti2396]

I remember that season. It was crazy. Miami blew up. Ronnie Brown was the hottest thing in the league. They ran it so well too.

[@cteal2018]

11:02 The wildcat evolved into RPO's with mobile QBs

[@tylerharrald4703]

Can’t talk babe, KTO just uploaded

[@Asapfragglerock]

I had Ricky on my fantasy team that year because he was still on the board for my last pick, and pot fan. What a gift! Came in second that year. Dallas sat my starters last game😢

[@m1lkl1zard8]

6:33 " With Darren McFadden and Felix Jones." Don't forget they also had a young, stout fullback by thr name of Peyton Hillis, and a qb who should have been an NFL all star

[@dallaswood4117]

One of my favorite college teams of all time and I’ve lived in Utah my whole life

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

The Wildcat formation as we now know it was popularized by Coach Bill Snyder with the Kansas State Wildcats.

[@roddyrod4922]

I thought you was going to shout out Taysom Hill at the end. Real wildcat.

[@sosmooth13]

I remember the wildcat hype going into high school in 09’. I was more of a basketball guy but started tuning into football a bit more. Shortly after the wildcat era, I remember teams started going crazy with the option because athletic dual threat QB’s were becoming a more common and desired archetype. Now I feel like we are in an era where it’s a bit more common for most of the bigger sports to have athletes that literally do a bit of everything.

[@TheJosiahrosette]

I remember Ronnie Brown was the master. Basically the NFL defensive coaches went back to college

[@billblaski9523]

Was the highlight of Ronnie Brown's career! Otherwise, he was pretty much a bust I think for a number 2 pick overall

[@j.parkerphotography4287]

Brown was a natural running the wildcat. He had really terrible vision and acceleration for a back otherwise. Incredibly resilient runner though, but way overdrafted based on a combine that wasn't indicative of his football speed (or lack thereoff).

[@frankfort332]

@@houseofchinn6112 sometimes coming out with something so basic can throw them off

[@frankfort332]

@@houseofchinn6112 you're right you really can't comprehend it.

[@frankfort332]

@@houseofchinn6112 you don't get it. In theory the wildcat is simple as hell, in practice it's extremely easy to be caught off guard. That's why it worked on NE in the first game and not the second game. It catches teams off guard, that's how and why it works.

[@ryaj2356]

Didn’t take long to bounce the wild cat out of the league. 2008 to 2011 then it became super rare to see league wide. It was a quick coaching adjustments and that fixed the wild cat issue forever.

[@michaels2264]

something also to note- this was the year the Pats missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker, not even by one game. Brady was on IR, and if they make a run into the playoffs, wouldn't need to have won the SB, but reached the AFCC or something, it really would have added to Bill's legacy that he could do that after Brady tearing his ACL

[@bjchit]

Instead his legacy is that of a coach who can’t make the playoffs without Tom Brady.

[@26reasonz31]

@@bjchit but he just made the playoffs... with a rookie QB

[@bjchit]

@@26reasonz31 Skated in as a wildcard team and was promptly destroyed in the first game.

[@26reasonz31]

@@bjchit but he still made the playoffs.. so your statement is irrelevant.

[@bjchit]

@@26reasonz31 “But he still made the playoffs after the NFL expanded the playoffs and just barely at that before getting blown out, der”.

[@adchrisrob]

New to this channel - this was very well done. Good storytelling. You've earned a subscriber 👍

[@gatienlaurol5793]

The Wildcat was a gimmick formation and like any gimmick, defensive coordinators caught up with it and adjusted accordingly. It had a good run while it lasted though!

[@TomasOBrien]

Job number 1 as a coach is figuring out how to utilize your players so your team can be successful. This was a great job by the coaches for finding something that played to the strengths of their players. You love to see it.

[@thekingofwar541]

I see KTO I click

[@scmroman]

As a 10 year old die hard Patriots fan living in South Florida at the time of the wildcat game, I very vividly remember feeling anxiety for the first time when they lined up in that formation as the game progressed 🤣. I even tried to get my mom to let me stay home from school the next day but she didn't bite.

[@ChiseledAdonis]

I remember watching that Ike Taylor hit... It was brutal

[@bsooners24]

I’ve watched all of your videos and this one has to be one of my top 5 favorite! Excellent detail and story telling! Thank you!

[@Porthos240]

I've always wondered what even greater measures Sweetness would've taken if the Windy City Wildcat was existent.

[@wademcreynolds7428]

I was hoping the Jets' ridiculous Sanchez-Tebow offense would get a mention. Every few downs they would put Tebow on the field, thereby notifying everyone not just that they were definitely going to run the ball, but also telling you who was going to be the ball carrier. Brilliant!

[@wd899]

More like the Sanchez butt fumble lol

[@GhostlyGhille]

I always thought Taysom hill would be perfect for a wildcat offense.

[@Eyewitness-vv2vm]

Bro this was a great video brought back memories it was truly a stunner at that time

[@robertkalani419]

Man, hearing someone mention La Center, the town I grew up in really through me for a loop. It was cool to hear Coach Wyatt’s “Wildcat” mentioned in your video Also it’s pronounced Lu-center not Law-center, like how la is pronounced in Spanish 👍

[@zeebee3606]

That law-center was painful to hear 😂 Nice video tho 👌

[@arthurarnold5185]

The nostalgia is powerful here. I remember sitting in my mom's living room and watching that dolphins patriots game on TV.

[@Floridaman1780_]

Chad Pennington was very far from below average, even with a bum shoulder and a noodle arm. He was the most efficient passer in NFL history for quite a while.

[@JoeDMurphy]

That's all NY media bullshit. He didn't have a cannon but he threw the ball just fine in real life. Go watch the Jets/Chargers playoff highlights. Chad threw a ball to Santana physically 60 yards with a torn rotator cuff. Go watch any 90s QB challenge. Steve Young perfectly healthy with no one in his way couldn't reach 60. Joe Montana never threw a ball further than 55 yards in an NFL game.

[@Floridaman1780_]

@@JoeDMurphy it wasnt bullshit by the time he was in Miami bud. He couldnt throw the ball 30 yards.

[@hunterw4210]

Arkansas running the wildcat was unstoppable. You mentioned two of the three big backs. Dmac and Felix Jones both had solid NFL careers. And both had stellar college careers (Dmac got robbed by Tebow). You forgot about Peyton Hillis. He was the fullback on that team and also had a legit NFL career. They would almost run the triple option sometimes, with 3 NFL running backs. And don't forget, Dmac could throw it. He played QB in high school. He had several passing TDs. It was impossible to stop.

[@namejeff6090]

Honestly I think the wildcat is unstoppable l, but you gotta have solid blockers.

[@emanplymouth]

Hey KTO! Hope you’re doing well! Took me a while to watch this but I absolutely love all of your videos

[@Avvura]

All it takes to win the division is Brady to get hurt, still tiebreak over the pats, and win with Pennington and a wildcat offense.

[@RageDaug]

My favorite part of the video is the part where it ends showing Josh Allen as the ultimate conclusion on how a repeatable successful Wildcat formation would work. (though to be fair, you have to include Lamar Jackson in that conversation as well, and to a lesser extent a couple other QBs out there)

[@drewc8534]

Kansas State lived off of this in the Bill Snyder era in the 90s and early 2000s. They still tried it in the part of his tenure, but, as said in the video, defenses adjusted. They now do the RPO quite a bit.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

Yep, it’s called the Wildcat because of K-State and Snyder

[@aidanwatson910]

No they didn't, nobody K-State had was good enough for this style style football.

[@ms651156]

@@aidanwatson910the Wildcats never had fewer than 9 wins between 93 and 2000. Also had 11 win seasons 6 of 7 years between 97 and 03. All while extensively using the wildcat. You must be too young to know who Bill Snyder is.

[@aidanwatson910]

@@ms651156 I know who Bill Snyder is, I wasn't old enough to understand then, I didn't really start watching until 03 and I was 7 then.

[@trippwilson5421]

We played against Pat White in high school my freshman year. Guy was insane. His line wasn’t blocking worth crap and only had a handful of passing yards in the first half. We took a 20 point lead into the locker room at the half and lost by 40… all Pat White who came alive in the second half on his feet. He made our guys look like traffic cones.

[@Conqueaftador1]

Wish we could still see an offense like this

[@goodmaro]

Why just *see* it? Volunteer as a coach and put it in.

[@miamivlad]

For Wildcat to be effective the RB must be able to pass and the QB must be able to catch. Wildcat died bc teams knew it would be a 100% run play out of that formation. Which is why RPO is effective with right personnel. Great vid!

[@rotmgpumcake]

Yep just get a rb who knows how to catch, kills 2 birds with 1 stone