This is the effort $10 million gets you

Check out this video clip of our wildcat play yesterday. Cutler is at the bottom of the screen, standing with his hands on his hips. When the ball is snapped, he doesn't even move...just continues to stand with his hands on his hips, watching the play.

Seriously??? This is what we're paying $10 million for???? WTF!!!! I get it...it's a stupid wildcat play that Cutler is not involved with, but for Pete's sake - can't you even pretend to make an effort???? This sickens me...

Gase just said that Cutler did what he was supposed to do on this wildcat play. If that's true, than it just might be the stupidest play that's ever been run. How fucking asinine to have your QB purposely standing around with his hands on his hips. WTF??? Why even bother having him on the field if he's not going to do anything?

Everyone is ready for the wildcat formation, it makes no sense. It was solved weeks after it was unveiled, attack the "mesh point" and it falls apart. Literally every defense in the league knows how to line up and take it down.

Desperation play. I think the coaches were *trying* (in vain) to generate some kind of push, somehow, and run the ball. The sad truth our line is just so bad, I don't know how they're going to pull it off. Not this year.

One of the D Vets should have laid him out.

It's all a setup for later in the season when they throw it out there to Cutler who then throws a bomb for a last drive TD, sealing a 37-7 defeat against the Bills.  Yes, a trick play when we're down 37-0.  I can see it happening as if it were already true

this not only was a bad playcall, but it was a horribly designed play and very poorly executed. but of all those things, Cutler actually did the right thing. if he stands there like he did, he can not be hit and risk injury as well as draw a 15-yard unnecessary roughness foul. but the moment he makes a step forward, he's fair game.

problem is, the wildcat needs two things to succeed, the threat of a possible pass and the ability to take the run outside. this play had neither element. note that both Parker and Cutler at the bottom of the screen are covered by a single corner. Ajayi should have had the ability to check out of a run and be able to hit whichever of the two that would have been wide open. clearly a pass to Cutler was not an option and Parker ran a slight curl in and immediately set up to block the safety (off screen) telling me that a pass was never audibled into or there was not ability to audible into a pass to begin with (which is what i believe).

second, the wildcat QB (Ajayi) has to have the ability to read the defensive end (either crashing down or staying home) and decide whether to keep it for an inside run or give it to the wing back for an outside run. Landry motions into the wing. its not clear whether Landry just took off to attempt to block the corner without waiting for the DE read or whether the outside wing run was never an option. if that's the case, then this play was designed to be one thing and one thing only, and inside keeper by Ajayi (which is what i suspect is the case).

given that Bushrod pulls and is supposed to block the OLB crashing in, i suspect this was inside run from the beginning. Bushrod hesitates in his pull throwing off the timing - Ajayi has to wait for Bushrod to pass by before he can run. Bushrod ends up unable to complete the block and the OLB is able to trip up Ajayi. Please also note that #32 is unaccounted for (since only one player is covering both Parker and Cutler) and crashes up the line right behind Bushrod's pull.

so even if this play had been executed perfectly (Bushrod's block), i'm still not sure it would've gained much beyond 3 or 4 yards on 1st and 20.

mercury22nathan wrote:Cutler actually did the right thing.  if he stands there like he did, he can not be hit and risk injury as well as draw a 15-yard unnecessary roughness foul.  but the moment he makes a step forward, he's fair game.

And that's my issue with this particular play. By lining Cutler up as a WR and then making him just stand there, you're wasting a player. It's now 10 Dolphins against 11 Saints, which takes away any advantage the play may have. In the wildcat formation, if the QB isn't going to do anything then just take him off the field entirely.

I'm not against an occasional wildcat play (not on 1st and 20!), but as you said this particular formation was a joke. Here's a much better idea, utilizng our roster in a much smarter way:
--Put Cutler on the bench for the play
--Use Gray as the wildcat QB - former QB that can pass and run
--Use Grant as the wildcat, streaking across the formation for a possible handoff
--On the right side of the formation, line up both Parker and Carroo wide - that gives you two big targets outside that can either catch or block.

So now, you have a legit run/pass option at QB, a fast wildcat that can take a handoff, and two big physical receivers outside to block or run patterns. Now THAT would be difficult to defend.

Just stop running that formation. Just STOP IT.

I want to know how the hell he pulled that out of his ass

Degarmo wrote:Just stop running that formation.  Just STOP IT.

Right - absolutely. But if Gase really does want to run a wildcat every now and then, there are MUCH better ways to do it than the crap he tried Sunday.

JMP wrote:

Degarmo wrote:Just stop running that formation.  Just STOP IT.

Right - absolutely.  But if Gase really does want to run a wildcat every now and then, there are MUCH better ways to do it than the crap he tried Sunday.

I agree.  They could run the wildcat with Cutler in the shotgun formation and 4 wideouts, and a running back in the backfield to block or be an outlet, and then pass the ball.

I mean, it sounds like a regular passing play, but they can call it their "modified wildcat" so they can be happy they ticked that box in the modern offensive coordinators' "must use every play in the book" mantra.

One thing about the play: Quarterback Jay Cutler lines up as wide receiver way, way off the line of scrimmage. And folks, including me, noticed his body langauge on the play suggested he wanted no part of contact on the play.

There’s a reason for this. Cutler was under orders to stay off the line and uninvolved so as to not get him hit and possibly injured.

“As soon as he steps forward they can knock the ... I won’t say it. They can hit him,” Gase said. “If he steps back or doesn’t move, now you’re looking at a different kind of penalty.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article176971661.html

Cutler did what he supposed to do.

The Dolphins gained nothing on the one Wildcat play they ran against the Saints because four different players missed their assignment on the play. That’s not a random number. Four guys missed assignments on that play.

And that kind of ruined things going forward. It also didn’t help the Dolphins seemed to be a little out of sorts after the play failed.

“I had something I wanted to call off of that,” Gase said. “Something that I wanted to call. If we would have gotten back to the huddle. So, I mean, very frustrating on that play knowing what we had planned and what happened.”

if you're looking for culprits, based on what i saw... Bushrod for hesitating on his pull and missing the block. Julius Thomas (i think) for diving at the ground near the DE's knees and letting #32 run free. Jarvis Landry for releasing to soon and missing his block. And whoever is on the left end of the OL (it doesn't look like Tunsil) for a weak chip and not sealing the end.