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NCAA Football Tips and Tricks

Just thought I would bring some information that was posted on Inside EA Sports about offensive game planning for NCAA Football.

The following are brief explanations of what each aspect does for the Offensive Game-Planning options and when you should change them. Keep in mind that Balanced is the default setting.

Get Open

Aggressive – After running the route, wide receivers will turn and go deep. Best used if trailing late or in need of a big play.

Conservative – After route, WRs will come back to the QB. Best used if you are facing lots of pressure.

Holding Blocks

Aggressive – Offensive line will attempt to block longer (more holes, less pressure), but this may result in more holding calls being made. Best used if trailing late and needing big plays.

You can read more on NCAA Football Tips and Tricks.

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Madden Fundamentals

Let me start off by saying that Football is like chess, meaning you have to counter what your opponent does while protecting your Queen aka QB. With chess, you have all different types of pieces on the board that can do different maneuvers/moves. Same thing with football, because you have 11 players on offense & defense that can work together to maximize the play. Know your team personal ( what they are capable of doing ) is a must because you will never reach your full potential unless you understand all the fundamentals of the game. With Madden I like to use teams that are balanced meaning they have weapons on offense & defense but also have weapons that compliment my blitzs as well as passes. I use three teams on madden 10, i use eagles, packers & cowboys, each team offers its own diff. abilitys & i like to match up to maximize them. With teams like ravens, or saints their not as balanced, their strengths are more on offense or defense, so matching up by taking a high powered offense vs a slower offense would by a good matchup as well as taking a team with a high powered offense vs another but taking a weak run defense like the seahawks vs a high powered run team like the Viks would only crutch you. Knowing your personnel is the first step and can allow you to know how to compensate for what your lacking. When I use the eagles they don’t have a strong run defense and on offense they don’t have real tall receivers so when im playing i like to keep eight men in the box to help stop the run and on offense I don’t throw alot of one on one passes. With the Packers they don’t have a high powered offense but they do have weapons they have a mobile qb with a cannon arm, trucking HB, speed receiver, and possession receiver. On defense they have great pass defense and great block shedding to stop the run so i would use this team for more of a ball control offense. The Cowboys are balanced so they can be used vs any team, I like to rocket catch with this team because of their height advantage so i would use this team vs one that couldn’t stop the RC easily because of lacking height. Since ea is constantly changing the rosters its hard to make a list of teams strengths.

When finding out what kind of offensive player you are the first thing you must do is think about what you like doing and what your comfortable with. Everybody likes to be a gunslinger and throw the ball deep but if your naturally better at spotting the holes to run threw rather than having the qb vision to window pass then why crutch yourself, play on your strengths and you can be an unstoppable force. I always say if your not good at passing use a more accurate qb, if your not good at stopping the run use a team that has block shedding run stopper brick wall players that will make your job easier. The first thing I do when i come out on the field after calling my play is watch the safetys and corners. I look to see if there dropping down or dropping back and where the weapons are ie: If your facing a team like the chargers then usually wherever his is the pressure will come from and don’t try passing in his area to a lesser matched up player. Next what I do is read the user, which mean watch where the guy your playing is putting his players. If your opponent is moving linebackers closer to the L.O.S (line of scrimmage) then hes probably blitzing them, remember that there will always be a hole where a player was at and running to the side where you have more blockers will only make it easier to move the chains. I say do everything user meaning even if it looks like hes gonna catch it perform a user catch anyway to guarantee it and stay away from those bad animations while triggering the good ones.The rocket catch is one of the good triggered animations you get by user catching. The fundamentals behind the rocket catch is something that is done by elite players in the NFL like Marques Colston all your doing is under cutting the route before the defender. This is a huge advantage on madden not only because you know what route your doing and he doesn’t but also because on madden you can stop on the dime. The way I utilize this is by going deep but not so deep the defense will have time to get in position, usually i go 25-35 yards deep, also having a tall receiver is a big advantage because it will allow you to under cut the route even sooner. Mastering receivers cut moves, spins, highlight stick elusiveness jukes and truck sticks are a must because they will get you those extra yards and can easily create a big play.

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MaddenFans.com and TheMaddenMinds.com Partner

MaddenFans.com is no longer closing and has partnered up with TheMaddenMinds.com. In an effort to keep MaddenFans.com open and new content and tips The MaddenMinds adminstrators will be taking over MaddenFans.com

I will still be contributing to the community and also helping TheMaddenMinds.com website build as well. We hope that all of you will continue to enjoy MaddenFans.com and we will continue bringing you news and tips.

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The Minnesota Vikings will slip into mediocrity

The NFC/AFC championship games are over and we now have our Superbowl XLIV contenders with New Orleans and Indianapolis. To see these two teams after scores of analysts say they would not be at this game is great and goes to show know one truly ever knows what the hell is happening in the NFL. I have a prediction though that I promise you will come true.

That prediction is that the Minnesota Vikings with out Brett Favre or a Pro Bowl type QB will now slip into mediocrity. I questioned the move of signing Favre last year and if he doesn’t stay this question comes up yet again. What was the point? Favre comes in and plays a beautiful season and does exactly what I figured he would do and that’s blow it in the NFC Championship game. As I watched the game and saw how close it was I told the people with me, Favre will start throwing picks the 2nd half and blow it. BINGO! So now if Favre doesn’t come back the Minnesota Vikings have to rely on Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels, yeah ok. I would have the relied on John David Booty before these two. If Favre finally retires expect nothing more that a 8-8 season or even a 9-7 season next year. Of course if there is no salary cap next year they might even get a QB for some astronomical price and shock even me.

The good thing that comes out of this is that a lot of teams got to see what a player Sidney Rice is and the potential he possesses. He will have a hell of foundation to stand on in his next contract negotiations. Congrats though to Minnesota for making it as far as they did, too bad the buck stops here.

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The Madden Experiment

The NFL playoffs are in full swing so we decided to run an experiment with Madden. Its Madden vs. NFL playoffs with the latest Madden rosters. Now we know that there should have been some changes to the rosters and especially during the playoff run. Arizona was without Boldin was a major one and some of the players on all teams should have seen there ratings rise after there wins last week. What we did is to run those games in spectator mode three times to get what we figured would be the closest result. In other words Arizona vs. New Orleans was played three times and so on. Can Madden really predict games? Remember EA said the Patriots were going to take it all but I am sure they didn’t count for Welker blowing out his knee. We didn’t include stats just scores. Here are the results.

Arizona vs. New Orleans

* Boldin is still on the roster for these games and Warner should have probably been bumped after his wildcard game. We also think the Cardinals secondary and defense was suspect against the Packers and probably should have seen some decrease.

Game 1

New Orleans 51
Arizona 45

The game had insane numbers from both teams.

Game 2

New Orleans 20
Arizona 25

This game was close. Brees drove down the field in the final minute and hit his WR in the back of the end zone but was not in bounds.

Game 3

New Orleans 59
Arizona 38

This game was a complete blow out. I was shocked Arizona even got 38.

Actual Outcome

New Orleans 45
Arizona 14

Looks like Madden got this one right even with Boldin in the game. New Orleans took 2 out 3 games.

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Tim Tebow on Cover of NCAA 2011?

Rumors are circulating that Tim Tebow will grace the cover of NCAA 2011. EA in the past two years has put out multiple athletes on each console cover though, but word is that as dominating as Tim Tebow was they could go back to one cover this year.

You can read more on Tim Tebow and how experts are saying he will do on draft day.

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The Cultural Sacking of Running Quarterbacks

Historically over the years we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing the emergence of the scrambling quarterback in the NFL. Names such as Warren Moon, Steve Young, Donovan McNabb, Vince Young and most notably Michael Vick. A few years ago it seemed like “the runners” were carving a place for themselves in the NFL hierarchy. However, this refreshing new style seems to be going out just as fast as it came in. With the indictment and prison sentence of Michael Vick and the mental meltdown of Vince Young, the NFL has looked elsewhere to generate excitement. For example many NFL teams have abandoned running the ball and have elected to air it out most of the time.

Its crazy to see how the NFL has changed so much in just 2 year’s time. Seeing this immediate change in culture makes you wonder. What happened to the running quarterbacks? A few events, some related some unrelated all happening simultaneously. The biggest factor that led to the extinction of the running QB is injuries. After Carson Palmer, and most notably Tom Brady have suffered from season ending injuries. As a result players around the league seemed less willing to run for a first down and put their bodies at risk as a result. And the loss of Vick to jail hurt the popularity of the NFL to casual fans. other major factors helped contribute as well.

The media played a major role in the change of culture too. Analysts and announcers for years have helped generate much of the buzz that these QB’s received but also were highly critical of them in bad situations. (Interceptions, fumbles, etc.) Announcers imparticular would highly praise their speed and athleticism but would criticize their mechanics and compare them to the league’s best pocket passers. In doing this, they inadvertently would make fans pick sides. Most people I’ve met either like running QB’s or prefer pocket passers. What I’ve noticed is that many (not all) quarterbacks with great running skills don’t have great mechanics. However, in their defense many of them have mediocre offensive lines and receiving corps. Therefore their legs become the first (and usually best) option for scramblers.

For example, during Michael Vick’s tenor with the Atlanta Falcons they led the league in drops during the 2004 and 2005 seasons and their offensive line was a run blocking line. Therefore he transformed himself into the most exciting athlete the NFL had ever seen. Most notably in 2006 Vick set an NFL Milestone by rushing for over 1,000 yards in a season.Many have criticized Vick for being a great runner. Called him such things as a “Running Back playing QB”, a gimmick, etc. Other contributions deserve their acknowledgment as well.

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A Decade of Madden innovations, acknowledgement and reflection

A decade of dominance some call it. The pinnacle of sports gaming. The name in entertainment most synonymous with Football, Madden. Over this past decade Madden football has become the most popular sports game in the U.S. Over the decade its received annual graphics and gameplay overhauls. Brilliant innovations, such as the Playmaker, Franchise Mode, Hit Stick, and QB Vision. The games have majorly boomed on a consistent basis due in large part to their now “Built In” audience of dedicated fans. Over the years many of the technical innovations have been left on the cutting room floor and some editions of the game have suffered as a result (2006, 2007,2008). However the marketing giant EA Sports has managed to establish Madden NFL 10 as its best seller this decade, and added new features such as Online Draft Leagues, original AFL Uniforms, etc.

The real credit I give to EA is their excellent marketing skills. I’ve seen more Madden 10 commercials in the last 6 months than in the last 6 years. Celebrity football games, website ads, and TV spots equal marketing giant. To step away from marketing for a moment, the game in my opinion dosent get enough recognition for its great (but not perfect) gameplay. As I said before, over the years the EA Sports team, has slashed many of their own alterations to the game. Suprisingly Madden 10’s gameplay has been balanced because of the scale back. now the preplay offensive and defensive options are no longer overcrowded with tools, only hardcore players would use. Now due to the balance and easy accessability, many new casual Madden players have emerged as a result. Granted, no sports game will ever sell a freakish number of units like Uncharted 2, or Modern Warfare 2, but in a struggling economy with layoffs all around you have to respect EA for the great product they’ve managed to create.

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The Madden Curse in 2010

The end of the regular season in the NFL is coming to close and we look back on the Madden Curse and how its effected previous years and this year. Madden NFL started putting players on the cover in 1999 and since then most of these players have gone down hill once on the cover. We will start from the beginning.

1999 – Garrison Hearst was on select covers of Madden. Hearst rushed for 1,570 yards for the San Francisco 49ers setting a franchise record previously held by Roger Craig. That same year in the divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, Hearst broke his ankle on the first play from scrimmage. Hearst was told by doctors he may never play football again. Hearst ran into complications following his surgery and missed the next two seasons.

2000 – This was the last year John Madden was ever on the cover of the game. The cover included Barry Sanders in the background. Barry Sanders retired before the season ever started and its cursed the Lions since.

2000 PAL Edition – Dorsey Levens had a great year and is never mentioned in Madden Curce lore.

2001 – Eddie George was on the cover of Madden in 2001. George had rushed for 1,509 yds and 14 TD’s, but a costly fumble in the playoffs in 2000, the year he was on the cover, lost the Titans the game. Eddie George never had a very high yards per carry average in his career. Many people will say his lack of production the next year was attributed to the curse. I would say it was more along his number of carries were almost 100 less than the previous year. This is about the only year I really haven’t seen the ‘Madden Curse’ pop up its head in full force.

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