The Dolphins' White Knight

The Wildcat must become the White-cat if they want to make the playoffs

By TODD WRIGHT

Updated 2:31 PM EST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009

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Meet Pat White. He's a slight of build rookie quarterback from West Virginia who started the season as the third string signal caller.

And now he's the Dolphins' savior.

With running back Ronnie Brown down for the season with a fractured foot, White's role on the team must expand to more than a couple of snaps a game. He must become more.

At this point of the movie, White would go through some insane martial arts training and a battery of sensory tests that would include dodging ninja stars while wearing a blind fold and busting bricks with his mind. His voice would also get significantly deeper and sound like he needs a bag of throat lozenges.

But this is the NFL and rookies are often thrust in the most precarious of situations.

It's unclear what the Dolphins will do with the Wildcat and how much the offense will transform without its best offensive player, but we should get a glimpse of it tonight versus Carolina. At 4-5, if Miami wants to make the playoffs, any plans should include White.

The Dolphins have moved the ball for the better part of two years on the elements of unpredictability and creativity. That's mostly because the base offense is as vanilla as tapioca pudding with bland players to match.

Coach Tony Sparano and GM Bill Parcells know that. That's why White was drafted with the Dolphins' second pick this year.

White has the speed of a running back, but can read a defense like a true drop back passer. In the few snaps he has been on the field, White has rushed for 48 yards but shown flashes of speed and elusiveness that can create big plays. At New England, he broke for a 33-yard run and then a few plays later made a beautiful pitch to Ricky Williams that scored a touchdown.

White hasn't completed an NFL pass yet, but he was one of the more accurate passers in the NCAA during his four seasons with the Mountaineers.

White's big play ability in "the Pistol" offense will supplement some of the the tactical advantages lost when Brown went down. He may even see snaps in the Wildcat formation, allowing Williams to remain in his natural role as the motion man.

White's presence on the field will at the very least create the illusion of a gimmick or a wrinkle that will keep opposing defenses on their heels. But smoke and mirrors won't lead the Dolphins to the playoffs.

For White to truly become the Dolphins' savior, he must become more.