Packers Prep For Dolphins Wildcat Attack

The Packers must prepare for the Wildcat this weekend from the Miami Dolphins, the team that gave birth to the formation in the NFL.

Preparation is underway in Green Bay as the Packers defense readies to take on the Dolphins Wildcat offense. But it's not as if the Packers just started practicing to face the Wildcat this week.

"Every week I'm pretty sure every team in the NFL practices the Wildcat," said cornerback Tramon Williams. "Everyone puts it in their offense someway, somehow these days. So everyone has a check for it and everyone pretty much practices it. So you should be prepared for it."

Observers in Miami are questioning whether the Wildcat offense could be on it's way out after using the formation eight times and gaining only 2 yards in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

Some people point to the effectiveness of quarterback of Chad Henne, which may be a better option than the Wildcat.

But as Miami Herald reporter Jeff Darlington points out, don't expect the Dolphins to put the formation in mothballs just yet.

"This shouldn't be entirely about only one game," writes Darlington. "Miami has had plenty of games in the past when the Wildcat didn't work–only to bounce back with other big games using it against defensive units less prone to stopping it."

Whether the Packers are less prone to stopping it remains to be seen. And if so, it won't have been for a lack of preparation.

"What makes that tough is when they have backs like the Miami Dolphins have," said defensive lineman B.J. Raji. "They can run east-west and north-south, and they're pretty dynamic backs. That's what makes the Wildcat go is the personnel. The team prepared for it."

The Packers have seen the Wildcat in person in very small doses. They faced it for the very first time against the Cleveland Browns when Josh Cribbs took the snap and that was it for all of 2009.

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his defense saw it again in the season opener this season against the Philadelphia Eagles when Michael Vick ran it a handful of times in the first half before taking over at quarterback full-time in the second half with Kevin Kolb out with a concussion.

Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte also took a single direct snap versus the Packers in Week 3 but did little damage with a 4-yard gain.

The Miami Dolphins, however, could present more of a challenge than previous opponents of the Packers based upon their history of operating out of the zone-read option.

"I think the fact that they're the ones who pretty much started it, they kind of have it down pat more than anybody else I'd say," said linebacker Desmond Bishop.

Head coach Mike McCarthy echoed Bishop's sentiments.

"They run a full complement to it," said McCarthy. "They don’t just dabble in it, where some teams may have a series of plays. They have a full complement of offense that they’ve now been running for a couple of years."

The Packers can't predict the future. The Dolphins may come out and employ the Wildcat on ten play or not at all. The Green Bay defense can only look at the history the Dolphins have in running the offensive philosophy and know there's a better than usual chance they'll see it this weekend.

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