The 2009 offseason featured the addition of two quarterbacks with two-syllable names by two teams hoping to enhance their change-of-pace Wildcat attack: Mike Vick and Pat White.
But neither has done much through the first half of the season.
In Miami, White has taken only 13 snaps all year.
Part of the problem is that the season-ending injury suffered by quarterback Chad Pennington has forced the Dolphins to be more cautious with White, who is one snap, crackle, or pop away from becoming the every-down quarterback.
“I maybe at the beginning of the summer thought I might have a little different use for him, a little more,” coach Tony Sparano
said recently, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “The reason why his snap count is down is because he is
the next quarterback. Our quarterback got sacked six times [Sunday], so
you could be the next one really fast if you keep that stuff up.”
Meanwhile, White realizes he has a lot more work to do in order to become an NFL quarterback. “My accuracy has gotten better, but it’s not where it needs to be,” White said.
For the season, White has thrown one pass (incomplete), and he has rushed four times for two yards.
With Chad Henne looking good so far as the starter, White will have plenty of time to develop.
Unless and until Henne suffers the same fate as the other Chad.
At least his passer rating is better than Derek Anderson’s!
You read it here first, The Dolphins will unleash the WhiteCat offense on New England this Sunday just like we unleaashed the WildCat last year. Sporano isn’t protecting the back up QB position…he is waiting.
White went to WVU. White is not aware of what a syllable is.
I can’t believe Florio used the words “moving slowly” and “Pat White” in the same headline! What’s the PFT coming to….
Eagles have enhanced their wildcat attack by not using Vick in it. He has become a huge disappointment, big surprise. Funny how they blow teams out and still put Kolb in, shows how well Vick is coming along.
Road to the Superbowl runs through New Orleans and Eagurls aren’t looking forward to that.
Miami is successful in the wildcat because of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, those two would make any running attack successful. Still don’t see any NFL team willing to use their starting QB consistently in the wildcat, they would take too much abuse.
everything moves a little slower with anyone who has spent any significant time in west virginia right florio?
“Meanwhile, White realizes he has a lot more work to do in order to become an NFL quarterback. “My accuracy has gotten better, but it’s not where it needs to be,” White said.”
Wow. A humble and realistic self-assessment that he has improved but still has a long way to go.
Meanwhile, JaMarcus Russell continues to insist he’s playing great. We in Raider Nation are so screwed. You Dolphins fans are lucky to have a kid like White.
And this deserves and article because….?? Oh wait your daily West Virginia update, how did Steve Slaton fair last Sunday?
I watch every Dolphins snap, and I’ll admit my ears perk up a little every time White lines up under center in the wildcat.
I just don’t think the formation works as well with Pat White. With Ronnie there are several things a defense has to account for. Hand to Ricky, run to the weakside, pass downfield, or run up the gut. Any one of those things is dangerous, but the most punishing are when he runs up the gut or hands off to Ricky. Because he’s made accurate throws with all his attempts out of the wildcat defenses must prepare for that.
Pat White has not shown any accuracy passing, and he’s not big enough to be productive running up the gut so there at present time there are only two options; hand off to Ricky or run to the weakside.
Weakside runs from the wildcat have the biggest potential for negative yards, so the best option is to hand off to Ricky.
I think the next time Pat White takes a snap from center he MUST complete a pass down field. That will open up the other options.
Of course, the alternative is he hands to Ricky/Ronnie, who then throws back to Pat White in the weakside flat. If a defense sees that coming… ouch.
Go Fins!!!
i’m with obscenery.
until pat white completes a pass, defenses will just stack the box making any wildcat efforts with him fruitless.
white needs to show he’s a downfield throwing threat before he can really be used, IMO. the latest reports from camp have been that he’s not very accurate throwing the ball. this mystifies me as i thought he was one of the more accurate college passers. are his hands not big enough to grip the NFL ball or something?
whenever they bring white in, it is not to run the wildcat formation. they use him in a standard shotgun formation with a standard offensive line. the only time i recall seeing him taking a snap in the wildcat was in a preseason game. am hoping sparano is keeping this close to the vest to unveil against the pats.
When he came on on Sunday my wife asked me, “Why have they sent a kid out there? He looks about 14.”
Why does Tony Spagnolo keep getting a free ride despite this team’s obvious shortcomings?
The latest statement makes no sense. But, then again, neither does this guy’s coaching decisions. Now he wants to limit his rookie backup QBs snap count – just in case. What? Is this just something to say for the media?
Because he’s an old school Parcells guy its appropriate to bench rookies and leave his under-performing veterans on the field. The decision to start Jerry Porter while leaving Matt Roth/Cam Wake on the bench is just baffling.
Pat White has thrown ONE SINGLE pass all year, albeit an incomplete one, and people have concluded that “Pat White has not shown any accuracy passing”? Good grief…at least wait for pass #2 before making such a broad generalization from a sample size of ONE.
I think they use White just to get an idea of how a defense would line up against him, because he is a passing and running threat. I think they want to show him the different looks that a defense will give him and what to do in those situations. He may have know what to do in college but there is a big difference in the NFL.
I don’t think that he has an accuracy problem as bad as most people think he has. He attempted one throw the whole year and it was inaccurate. I don’t think that makes him inaccurate. I really do believe they will unleash a new passing attack out of the wildcat or another type of formation.
Have patients Dolphin fans, we have an easier schedule now than originally though and I think we can give the Patriots a run for their money. If we can beat them now after they had a bye week to study the hell out of us, then think what we can do in our house later on in the year. Lets go Dolphins.