Hot Reads Example

Okay in the last post I showed a video that talked about hot reads from a 5 step drop. That is a great video that I try to watch once a month to keep me grounded. It really is a great concept

If you didnt catch on to what he was saying I will break it down really quick
- sound protection scheme...A play that protects you from 6 rushers
- a concept that protects you from the 7th rusher

You can really do this type of stuff from a multitude of formations and concepts. For example you could have protection for an outside rush and use a concept to protect yourself from a middle blitzer (7th rusher).

Now I am going to show you guys a video of a play that I "made up" months ago. It pretty much follows what the video is saying. And this play has become a staple play of mine





But to close this post out make sure to key on the player/area of the "hot". You could run plays where it isnt necessarily focused in on but you leave yourself with more areas to fail. So know your hot throw, and key on the defender/area for more pin point precision. After some time you will be looking like the 00-06 Pats on the field (stealing defensive signals lol)...just joking Pats fans

If you like this post comment and tweet this out  on twitter!!!!

WFColonel56 OUT!!!

Hot reads with a 5 step drop

Whats up guys, I cant really type much right now But I want to leave you with a great video that has helped me out a ton over the past two years.

Soon I will show you how to use what is talked about in this video in Madden 12 or Ncaa Football 12

But for now look at it once, look at it twice.....Look at it one more time, and understand the concept of what he is talking about. And just be ready when I break it down






WFColonel56 OUT!!!!

Madden 12 Demo Run Defense

I have read a lot of peoples comments about run defense in the Madden 12 demo. Most say that the players are having a herd tome making the tackle, run D is too hard and whatnot. Well I am here to say that I have had a few struggles as well but I got in the lab.

I havent found any concreat stuff. But as you should know I am a guy all about concepts. And I most deffinitly can share the concept im working on.

Plus 1 Defense
I have really been big on Plus 1 defense over the past year and change but for some reason I didnt think to work with it in the demo until yesterday.....Yeah, stupid me

In short Plus 1 Defense is all about having 1 more defender to the point of attack than the offense has blockers. Simple concept?....Yes......Do many people do it?.......No

Im still working out the kinks (and there are still a lot) But as of now I am running the 4-3 Normal shifting and crashing the DL to the strong side (or crashing up) and taking the weak side OLB and bringing him on the line of scrimmage.

What this is doing is having plus 1 defense to the strong side while I hold the weak side down

its not perfect by any means but it is giving me a good base to build off of. And I can really see me buliding on this defense when the game drops. And thats all that matters. Dont worry too much about the madden 12 demo. Work what you can and save the rest for when you can really put some time in in the retail version of madden 12

The moral of this story before I head out....Bears SUCK!!!!

lol, no but really

Try out everything you learned from last year before you try to build new habits, and build off of new information you learn from the demo..

WFColonel56 out!!!!!

GAV: Defensive dynamics to build your own plays around

This was a thread that was made by Gav quite some time ago. At the time I doubt that he would have envisioned what this post would turn into. This IS probably a top 10 thread in madden history. And for those who havent gotten the chance to read it, here it is. 

This thread was made on 10-08-2008 so it  is dated somewhat and a few things said may not be true to this day. But take away the concepts and ideas expressed. Always look to absorb concepts at all times !!!!!

This thread was hosted on Maddentips.com

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Defensive dynamics to build your own plays around

Well, I'm not much of an offensive mind when it comes to any edition of Madden. Most of VG's patrons have a greater grasp of offense than I do. I have good ideas, but when I present them to the offensive minds on the site (like Michura and Jersey Jay) - they generally take it way further and make it a much more complete scheme. I know both of these guys have tremendous defensive minds as well, but I can do as they do for me on O for myself on D. I can put defensive schemes through the ringer and improve on them when I get ideas just the same. My understanding of offense and defense are simply on separate levels.

You won't read this thread and leave it with immediate fire to blow up your friends with. I'm writing this to fill you in on a few dynamics that will help you to build your own defensive scheme. Simply giving you plays and setups, in my opinion, would be handicapping your potential. If you're short on time or patience, it may be better to bypass this thread - or read it at another time. Tadow904 posted how the MC's have been filled with copycat schemes. I don't want to add to that on the defensive side of the ball. Instead, I want to help breed creativity on defense.

The way to build your defense from scratch is to visualize what you think will work - and then implement it through trial and error. Start from a building block - such as coverage and gap control - or coverage and pressure - or even limited coverage with fast heat - or coverage with a disguised front - or disguised coverage with stout or loose front. The key is to establish a weapon while either limiting your opponent's tendencies or building off your established weapon.

Establishing gap control means that every blocker in an area is controlled by a defender - without giving ground. I have found that pinching and looping with an inside blitzer - or spreading and crashing with outside blitzers establishes this. What it does when run correctly is keep your user defender clean on running plays so that if you react quickly and take a good angle - you can keep really limit your opponent's ability to run the ball. I utilize these techniques alot - so I usually utilize a fast linebacker or a safety with good tackling skills.

Don't be afraid in these one-on-one situations. See them as opportunities to impose your will and go after him. If you don't take good angles and aren't proficient at finishing runners off with your user defender - utilizing these techniques won't help you a ton at first, but you will improve quickly because you will be mostly unblocked.

Another way to utilize your front is penetration. Penetration is the opposite of gap control. In the simplest of terms, there are a few ways to generate pressure through blitzing. One is reblitzing two defensive lineman in a gap and bringing one or two blitzers right through that gap. The drawback to this is that it is a brute force blitz. It's easy to see - therefore it can be met with blockers and slide protection. I've found that setting it up blatantly with just one blitzer won't get in, but an unexpected outside blitzer from the other will when used sparingly enough to be a suprise. Another way is to pinch the DL, loop it, and bring two blitzers up the gut. 

How is that different from gap control? Spacing is the difference. When you are looking to gap control, leave the LBs back so that the DL engages before them. If you're looking for pressure, bring the blitzers up to the LOS so that everyone meets the OL at the same time. For example, set up the 34 so it looks like the 46 Bear. If you bring 5 rushers, one of those rushers is going to get through unscathed on most plays. Obviously, this technique is not great against the run, but it works against the pass. Other techniques involve outside heat. You need to know dynamics to get the outside heat working quickly. 

 If the outside blitzer is taking an inside blitz from a few steps outside the OT - then reblitz the DE and DT on that side for the best results. These dynamics pre-existing in most plays where the nickel or dime back is blitzing. In most cases, spreading the DL is necessary to maximize this type of blitz. Another way to create this dynamic is to shift the linebackers to one side and re-blitz the OLB on that side. It is usually necessary to either spread the DL and reblitz the DE and DT on that side to maximize it. Some pre-existing OLB blitzes work with this dynamic, but most of those seem to work best if you simply leave the DL where they are and loop them. Different sets and different plays offer different dynamics, but it is important that you work out a few plays so that you can maximize them. Once the cat and mouse game of protection verses pressure begins, you want to have a few blitzes that you have already worked out. 

With the blitzes where you shift the LBs left or right, you can bring the opposite ILB to create inside gap control to couple with your pressure - or you can bring the same side ILB on a blitz (works best if you cheat him out to engage the widest blocker at the LOS) to create an overload instead.

 Some pre-existing OLB blitzes work best when you spread the DL and LBs and line loop to make the pressure so wide that it gets outside the widest blockers. With slide protection and extra blockers, it isn't an exact science. Every now and then, utilize misdirection on your blitzes. For example, You can spread and crash the DL in and spread the LBs while blitzing the ILBs. Without an outside slide protection, this blitz would be dead in the water - but if your opponent slides protection out to match your front - it will usually result in a nano-sack. Establish your weapon (in this case it's pressure) and play off your opponent's counter-move. This is an example of a disguised front.

Disguising coverage generally involves establishing one coverage - then changing it slightly (usually on the outsides where it is difficult to see) - or by utilizing the delayed bump (press, then flip - or - press, then reset your play) and run with pressure to force a quick throw while changing up the underneath coverages. For example, an outside CB in a purple will look exactly like a CB in a yellow until the WR releases off his bump. Generally, a CB in a yellow will aggressively play the inside and short routes while a CB in a purple will defend the deeper sidelines after the WR releases. In cases of compression sets, this can mean all the difference between who is open and who is covered. In the simpler cases of one-on-one, a purple will defend the corner, hook, and post - but will not defend the dig or slant nearly as well as the yellow.

Now add in man and flat coverages. Man won't defend the curl, but it will defend the downfield routes. Flat will take away the short routes - and do a better job of defending flooded short routes and will more quickly switch off one reciever to defend another. Backed off flat routes will also take away the flats, but won't stay with the reciever on a wheel. How do I defend the wheel? Either get fast pressure or have a purple behind the flat. Inside defenders such as linebackers and safeties can be used similarly to create dynamics that limit favorite pass routes and such. It is a little more limited in that purple and flat zones make them move toward the sideline quickly, but man, yellows, and spies remain more difficult to read until the reciever releases.

With the delayed BnR, the linebackers WILL bump. They will not if you don't call the delay even if the play itself calls for a bump (like Cover 2 or 3), but they will on any play with the delay - as long as they don't have deep responsibility. The main thing to know is that (even with the delayed BnR) LBs will only bump if they are directly in front of a reciever. For this reason, you need to be a little creative in your fronts. You might need to move a linebacker or two - or shift them to match your opponent's recievers.

The delayed bump will help you disguise your coverages, but it takes a little practice to get it implemented effectively. A loose front is when players are manually moved to maximize a blitz or to disguise coverage with the delay. A stout front is one that remains unchanged by manual movement or shifting to disguise where blitzers are coming from (or not coming from). Also, don't completely forget man coverage. Manning a weapon reciever can go further than simply spotlighting him in trying to take him away. Man, when coupled with zone, can help build some very confusing and frustrating coverages.

I know alot more about the 3-4 books than I do about the 4-3 or 4-6 books, but the dynamics broken down in this thread apply to all defenses in Madden. If you can visualize it, it will work. You just need to apply the in-game dynamics to your vision to make it work.

IF YOU WANT TO READ THE WHOLE EPIC THREAD CLICK HERE 

Practice!!!!

Practice.....Practice, practice, practice

There are always people who want to get better at Madden NFL and NCAA. Of course thats just human nature. We all want to be the best

Read more »

Madden 12 Demo and X's and O's

I know u guys want some X's and O's . And I am going to give em to you...Just be patient and wait a while lol..
But what I am going to is list what I like and dislike about the madden 12 demo.


Likes
-The madden 12 demo really separates the good players in the game in the bad players..Slip up on a pass and one of those Green Bay Packers corner backs will take it back for 6.

- Stick Skills are present in the madden 12 demo, offensively and defensibly

- The Defensive Line can really get some pressure on the Quarterback

- The Quarter Backs are not overpowered in the pass game...get cute with Rodgers and you will throw bad balls, and INTS

Dislikes 
-The QB scrambles are wayyyyyyy overpowered, i smell trouble if unchanged by the Madden Development Team...thats all I will say on that subject.

So that is it, the likes and dislikes of the Madden 12 demo as of now. If anything else comes up you know where to find me!!!!

WFColonel56 out

What You Need To Do In This Madden 12 Demo!!!

Okay guys Im going to make this short

1. Get a feel for the controls
You have 20 or so days to get the feel for the game...Make good use of it. Will all of it shift over to the retail game? NO!!! But a good amount of it will.

2.See how the routes work
Curl routes are wishy washy every year....they are usable, they are great, its an instant pick 6...Find out which is correct..Do this for a lot of routes

3. Work on a mini scheme
You dont have to go all hard core on it (you can if you want to). But work on some kind of scheme in the demo.  Just so that you either

A. Have a stepping stone to go into the retail version of the game
B. Just have a base understanding on how to make one

4. Work on some blitzes
self explanatory...see 3a and 3b

5. Learn how to kick
kicking is huge early in the year...it may be different, so gain a base knowledge of how to do it

When the retail game comes out do THIS

6. See how DPP works
Dynamic Player Performance will be huge in this years game...See what each trait does (if possible). See how to change traits...See how easily it will change back

Thats all I got for right now....Ill get back to you if I see anything else that needs to be worked on

WFColonel56 OUT!!!

Problem Solving

"I noticed that, when my gameplans for offense and defense are not working, i am having a hard time adjusting and pinpointing where the problem areas are."


Here is a common thing that I see in threads all across the madden community. And it is something that pops up every year. Not Just in Madden 09, Madden 10, Madden 11. I can bet you that it will be a problem for people in Madden 12 and so on and so on...Its annual 


And believe me I have been there just like all of the people who have this problem.


But here is what you have to know


1. Its all in what you observe and perceive.


 If you dont know what you are seeing you cant fix it. I dont care if you have to scape goat a game here and there YOU MUST KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SEEING!!! You have to be able to say in game "He is doing this!!!"


And if you are not at that point yet (trust me it comes over time) you need to look at the after game replays (if possible) and then answer that question of "What is he doing?" okay "He is doing this."


Now even if you mastered that, that doesnt mean checkmate, you win...All that means is that you are in position to counter attack!!!


If you dont have different schemes you wont be able to fix it mid game


Knowing what they are doing means nothing if you cant attack it...Sure you will know what you have to do but unless it is a guided and planned attack (in any way shape or form...even a mini scheme) you are just going to be throwing into the wind so to speak...And you may have some success, but it will be short lived.


Because you dont have a guided plan of what you are trying to do THEY ARE BETTER AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING THAN YOU ARE AT WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO!!!!


In short, expand your schme mechanics...
Dont just have 1 scheme
Dont just have a few schemes that are similar
Have schemes that are opposite of each other...and then one in the middle. This way you are better equip to adjust to anything


Example: Have a spread passing scheme, a somewhat heavy run scheme, and one thats good at both.. Make since? 


Be flexable guys...be like water 
WFColonel56 out