With all the talk about the Jets planning to do something new and revolutionary when it comes to the use of a Wildcat offense under Tim Tebow, let’s not forget that the guy who helped devise the Wildcat offense in Miami under Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano now serves as quarterbacks coach in Buffalo.
And while it’s assumed that quarterback Brad Smith will displace starter Ryan Fitzpatrick from time to time, just as Tebow will bump Mark Sanchez, let’s not rule out the potential use of the true Wildcat by the Bills.
The true Wildcat is run with the base offensive personnel. As the 11 players come out of the huddle, the quarterback splits wide and a running back lines up in shotgun formation. That’s how the Dolphins befuddled the Patriots in September 2008, and that’s something the Bills could do on Sunday -- especially since they showed that alignment during the preseason, with C.J. Spiller taking the snap.
Of course, the Jets could do the same thing, sending Sanchez out wide and letting Shonn Greene or Bilal Powell or Joe McKnight take the snap.
That’s the true Wildcat approach, and as the Bills-Jets game approaches it’s important to be ready to see anything other than the starting quarterbacks for the two teams getting the ball from the center.
And keep this in mind. If the two teams truly regarded their starting quarterbacks as franchise quarterbacks, the ball would never be taken out of their hands.