Wild Horses - the untapped potential

by Flunkie on Oct 14, 2009 8:58 AM MDT Comment 15 comments

The wild horse formation that Jedi threw at the Master BB was confusing enough to force a couple time outs, and effective enough to gain decent positive yards each attempt. To me it appeared as just a wrinkle to confuse the defense - which it did - but was little more than a direct snap running play or or traditional snap from center that started off with Orton in the slot. Someone on MHR suggested that the defense did not need to cover Orton as we would not subject out QB to an open feild hit.

Last night the potential of the formation hit me like a ton of bricks. Yesterday morning I found a link on an MHR fanpost to a New England sports radio show. One of the participants claimed that McDaniels had told Cutler he could turn a high school QB into a probowler with this offense. Hummmm .... Brady, Castle, and now Orton. Maybe all the Jedi needs is a willing student. KM was a highschool QB, and he appears to be very willing to learn under the Jedi.

The ultimate play action ... Orton in the slot, snap to KM, tuck the ball in and two steps to the line ... bang! Stokley down the side line. Safety on a dead run toward the obvious running play. After a couple of these just a good head bob during the approach to the line should be enough to freeze the DBs and get the LB double checking. Then there is the possible sprint out, a true option play, and passes off of the reverse.

Or how about a snap to KM, screen play back to Orton - behind KM - and a loose BM down the side line. Of course the blocking scheme on that one would be a thing of beauty but more than a little difficult to work out.

The real beauty of the formation is that once KM developed the reputaion as an adequate passer the defenses would have to spend many hours each week preparing for that possibility.

I think McDaniels has really demonstrated the fact that each week's game starts on Monday in the film room. The opening kick off is only the start of the final act. I have a feeling we have a real chess player that uses every minute of every day to give his team the best advantage. Now that the team has started to grasp the playbook he can start messing with the opposing teams co-ordinators during the week.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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Is this really that new?
Didn’t rod smith used to do something like this years ago?

I’d have thought eddie royal might be a better bet in regards to taking the snap.
You then open up the run by eddie, handoff to KM, or throw.

It also opens up an off centre direct snap to KM with royal setting up a screen behind DG & BM or just running.

by AlleyCat. on Oct 14, 2009 9:21 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

i obviously meant KM throwing to royal on the screen

by AlleyCat. on Oct 14, 2009 9:22 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Smith

Rod Smith was a college QB at Missouri Southern before being converted to WR in the NFL. So a coach might have a little more confidence in his throwing abilities.

... if you have a belief, you will tend to find things that support it. But if you have a prejudice, you’ll move heaven and earth to maintain it. BroncoBear

by 3nS on Oct 14, 2009 9:34 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like this variation of the Wildcat

Having the QB on the field opens up all kinds of possibilities.

The weakness of Miami’s wildcat — if you watch it closely — is that 80% of the time, it’s a run up the middle by Brown, 15% it’s Brown to the outside, and only about 5% of the time does Brown give the ball off to anyone else. He did fake one pass, but the fake wasn’t taken seriously.

I like the idea of Moreno passing, and the fact that if Orton sees something he can exploit, he can audible and come under center.

"The best defense is a good offense. Or is it the other way around." Wolverine
Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and know you will come down somewhere between the two.
Livin' in La La Land and Lovin' It

by BShrout on Oct 14, 2009 9:27 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Monday Night

Seemed to me all those drives up the middle by Brown set up Ricky for some nice scrambles to the outside…

I’d like to see KM, Buckhatler and Hillis in the backfield and see what McD could cook up…

Still got your Creedence...

by OutOfYourElement on Oct 14, 2009 10:28 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Orton in motion

Another thing I noticed was when in the Wild Horse and Orton motioned to under center, we had a lot of effective pass plays to the tight end. For some reason that formation and Orton motioning back in caused the TE to be wide open 5-10 yards from the LOS. Nice wrinkle!

by RockyMountainThunder on Oct 14, 2009 9:41 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Wildcat

Where the wildcat became so successful that it made the transition to the NFL was at Arkansas when the backfield was stocked with Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Peyton Hillis all at the same time. It worked well because McFadden threw and handed off just enough to make the defense respect those options, and because he was such a man among boys when running the ball in college that he was always a threat to take it the distance if he just kept it.

I think it has worked to some extent in Miami because they have a very talented backfield, but if they don’t do more than just run up the gut with the occasional handoff or very rare throw, then defenses will begin to shut it down. The Orton motion to under center is an interesting wrinkle that could help keep the defense guessing.

The main weakness of using this formation in the professional game, if you leave your quarterback on the field, is that you’re basically limiting yourself to a 10-on-11 play because no one in their right mind would throw to the QB. Yes, they do it in college, but not in the NFL. Too much is riding on that guy’s shoulders. The possibility of the QB returning to take the snap sort of makes it a 10.5-on-11 play on average, I guess. I’m still not sure I like it for the professional game.

by BroncosBassist on Oct 14, 2009 10:13 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Orton

I’ve seen Orton throw some acceptable blocks…

Still got your Creedence...

by OutOfYourElement on Oct 14, 2009 10:30 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed. He whiffed on that Marshall end around that could have sprung him for more yards but he made a nice effort.

Bringing Bronco love from 1,112 miles away

by kentuckybronco on Oct 14, 2009 10:31 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Elway

Not often, but even Elway was used as a reciever. The opposing defense must still cover Orton. If they cheat too much towards a ‘serious’ receiver then Orton becomes open for a cheap 15 years and untouched out of bounds. Don’t think he is going to get man coverage, but if he pulls a zone defender away from a ligitimate threat then job well done – if the defender plays towards the ligitimate threat the take the cheap yards. Seeing the wild horse the defense may have a tendency to stack the box, leaving someone pretty open.

I think this week it was used only to create confusion and push NE off of their preparation. Employed stratigically it has the potential to really disrupt defensive prepartions and can cause wasted time outs, critical gains, or the change of MO just by putting a defense on its heels. I would not want to see it used as a mainstay or even in every game. Just enough that the other guys know we have it and make them wonder how we might vary it when it is used.

by Flunkie on Oct 14, 2009 11:21 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree

Give them something else to think about during the week.

... if you have a belief, you will tend to find things that support it. But if you have a prejudice, you’ll move heaven and earth to maintain it. BroncoBear

by 3nS on Oct 14, 2009 12:52 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

McDaniels setting up the ultimate weapon?

Eddie Royal can throw the ball pretty good himself and with Knowshon in the back field aand Orton wide left, there are many variations they could run. If you noticed Knowshon ran up the middle on all of the Wild Horses formation so if we put Eddie in the shotgun with Knowshon as the back and Orton lined up left then Orton may be left alone for a nice pass down the side. Many different variations.

by bfree2bronc on Oct 14, 2009 12:22 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Are we missing the point?

Maybe one of the coaches on MRH can weigh in and tell me if my guess is at all right. I think the success of Wild Horses has less to do with exploiting exotic offenses weapons. Rather, it “freezes” the defensive play call. With the defense frozen, Orton trots under center, reads the D and runs the play with the right read. The runs out of the formation (KM up the middle mostly) were not that productive, but must be run enough to keep the opposing D honest. Thoughts?

by Bradoncadonc on Oct 14, 2009 4:15 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you have hit the Nail Bradoncadonc

Josh McDaniels would really only use this to confound the opposing defense, allowing him to exploit them and dictate terms of surrender.

Character may be manifested in the great moments but it is made in the small ones -- Philip Brooks

by KaptainKirk on Oct 14, 2009 9:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

This Proves How Childish Cutler Is Again

Yes, McDaniels is a genius while Orton is a better athlete than people give him credit for AND humble. Yes, Cutler would have balked at this because he can’t block for the benefit of the team. Jay may put up numbers to rival Dan Fouts’ one day, but Orton and the rest of the humble, hard-working stalwarts we have will win multiple championships while Jay is a poor man’s Dan Marino. (i.e., while Marino won no championships he was a great quarterback and a good guy, whereas Cutler will be a really good quarterback and a scumbag.) Late.

Brad James

by the Bradfather on Oct 14, 2009 5:39 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs