GetDotted Domains

Retro Game Walkthroughs For
"Madden NFL 2004"
(PlayStation 2)

Retro Game Walkthroughs for Madden NFL 2004 (PlayStation 2)
Submitted By: Simon Says
Madden 2004

The Passing Game

This article attempts to explain some key features involved in making the passing game work for you in madden 2004. It discusses important issues such as understanding defensive fronts and coverages, making pre and post snap reads, selecting the right personnel and protecting your quarterback. It then goes on to show how these ideas and techniques can be used in specific plays. All the plays can be found in the 49ers play book. The 49ers and their former head coach and now consultant Bill Walsh were the founders of the west coast offence, which aims to use high percentage, short timing passes together with a strong running game to move the ball and set up play action passes (passes that look like running plays). In this offensive system the QB makes a number of reads from the defence both before and after the snap of the ball, and looks at his receivers in a certain order to determine the right place to go with the ball, taking what the defence is giving you.

Understanding defensive fronts and coverages

In order to pass on a defence you need to understand what the defence is doing. Individual defenders in a system can be doing one of four things. They can be rushing or blitzing, trying to sack the QB before he has chance to get the ball away, or force him to make a bad decision. They can be covering a receiver man to man, concerned only with stopping that receiver from catching and running with the ball. They can be in a zone, protecting an area of the field and covering any eligible receivers in that area, or they can be spying the QB, watching what he does and ensuring he doesn’t tuck the ball in and run it himself. In any defensive play the eleven defenders will all be doing different things to try and confuse the QB. In all likelihood any down lineman will be rushing the QB. CB will usually be covering a receiver man to man and linebackers and safeties will be sitting in zones, although the may be blitzing or covering the tight ends or running backs in man coverage. Occasionally a linebacker will blitz and a lineman will drop back into the area he left. This is called a zone blitz. There are two aims of a zone blitz. Firstly, the offensive lineman responsible for blocking the lineman dropping back into a zone may become confused, and fail to pick up the blitzing line backer, so the blitz becomes more effective. Secondly, often when a QB sees someone blitzing they assume that there is a weakness in the coverage where the pressure is coming from, and will try to throw the ball into the area where the defensive lineman is waiting. There is nothing more embarrassing than throwing a pick to a lineman.

Pre snap reads

The first thing to consider is the personnel in front of you. Although the cpu team does not know what team you have picked it does know which players are on the field, so if you’re running with a four receiver set then it will most likely pick a nickel, dime or quarter defence. A nickel is worth five cents, and a nickel defence includes a fifth coverage guy called a nickelback, as well as the two corners and two safeties. Dime formations have six coverage guys and quarters, seven. You can use this to your advantage by either passing from a regular running formation, or choosing personnel to create mismatches, and ending up with slow guys trying to cover fast guys. The first thing to consider is the corners and safeties. If a corner back is cheating up to the line of scrimmage then he’s either blitzing or in a zone coverage. If he were to cheat up in man he’d be way out of position. Corner backs have to play very honest in man to man situations. This doesn’t apply to safeties because as they start further back they can cheat towards the line and still keep coverage on their guy. Another quick check to do is to bring a guy in motion. If a guy moves across with a motioning wide receiver then he’s covering him man to man. If he doesn’t then he’s in a zone. If you motion a Tight End from one side to the other and the line backers shuffle, but don’t go all the way with him then they’re also in man. Their coverages change slightly with the position of the offensive players. This is sometimes a good way to get a weaker linebacker covering your tight end or running back, especially if you’ve got a quality guy like Shannon Sharpe, Todd Heap or Jeremy Shockey playing there. Another thing to take a quick look at is where the linemen are lining up. Use this to try to anticipate what will happen to your pocket of protection when the ball is snapped. If the coverage is man and your offensive tackle can seal in the defensive end it might be a good opportunity to send the coverage down field and let your QB run with it.
That’s about it for the pre snap reads.

Post snap reads.

Once the ball has been snapped on a passing play have a quick look to see what the defence are doing now. You should be aware of at least two of the route that are being ran. Are the receivers where you expect them to be or are they being bumped at the line. If so this will throw off a lot of timing patterns. Note that just because your receiver is being bumped doesn’t mean its man coverage. Once he’s free of the guy doing the bumping he may still be covered. If it is zone coverage you need to anticipate when a receiver is leaving one zone and entering another. Don’t wait for him to become open before you throw, because the second you do he’ll be in the centre of a different zone. Ideally you want him to catch the ball in the seam between two zones. Some routes are designed to have receivers running directly along the seams between two zones to make this easier. If you’re looking for big yardage is to determine how many people are in deep zones. In cover one there will be one deep zone. Two in cover two and three in cover three. You get the picture. The field is usually split evenly into these zones so if you can get a receiver deep and then have him run across the field you can anticipate where the seams are. Don’t throw the ball to lofted though, otherwise you give the safeties time to converge and make the play.
Another way to beat the zone is to flood a zone with two or more receivers, so that the defensive back is pressured into splitting himself between the two, or taking the deepest man. Someone should be open.
If its man coverage you have to either find a guy who isn’t being covered (sometimes running backs are neglected) or wait for someone to get open. You need pretty good pocket presence for that. You could also simply bet on your 1st string, tall possession receiver out muscling the corner back covering him for the ball, but that can be a bit hit and miss.
Failing that it’s usually quite easy to anticipate if a receiver will be open when he cuts on routes like a hitch. He simply runs, turns and waits. If there is a guy too close to him, don’t throw him the ball, if not hit him in the numbers. Routes like hitches force defenders to play with tighter coverage, which is when you can try and run past them to sting them for the big yardage.

Protect your Quarter Back

Pocket presence is vital to pass successfully. If you feel pressured in the pocket you can alleviate a little by pump faking. Whatever you do don’t simply run your QB straight backwards. If your QB runs backwards out of the pocket the angle between the QB and the protection provided by the offensive line gets very small, and its hard for the O line to hold their blocks. The pocket presence drill in mini camp is good for teaching where to move when you’re being pressured from different directions. If the pressure is coming from the sides you should step forward into the pocket. If the pressure is from in front of you step to the side. If you think that pressures coming before the snap you can audible to have your backs stay in and block a side for you. Make sure you know where they’re going so you don’t run into them. Sometimes its good to have a blocking back on the same side as a tight end who is releasing to go on a route to compensate for the lack of protection there.

Selecting the right personnel

The defence selects its plays based upon the positions of players in the offensive huddle, but there are no rules that say they have to play in their roster position. Madden 2004 offers you the opportunity to change the offensive package. You can have a huddle with three wide receivers and line one up at half back to run the ball once the defence have chosen a pass orientation play, or you can send your half back out to receiver to catch a pass after he’s run clean pass the line backer who was trying to cover him.

Audibles

An audible is where you can change a play at the line of scrimmage. In madden 2004 you can change the route of a primary receiver to or you can change the route of any eligible receiver to a hitch, a streak, a five and in or a five and out pattern, or you can have them stay in as an extra blocker to one side or the other. This can be pretty useful if you don’t think the play you’ve called will work against the pre snap reads you make. For example, if you picked a flood zone play and the defence is showing man coverage.

Play selection

Some examples of the techniques discussed put into practice with a few favourite passing plays. The passing game is fun and exciting, and the fans love it, so its good for fan support in owner mode. It’s also dangerous in that passing plays are usually lower percentage plays than runs, and provided you haven’t run your back into oblivion you’re far less likely to turn the ball over on a run than on a pass. Controlling the football is vital if you want to be successful, but sometimes you just have to put the ball up their and make plays through the air. It’s also good to pass when your trailing in a game because you score quickly, and stop the clock on incompletions.

Singleback formation

Going from singleback can give you the edge, especially in a running team. Often the defence won’t even bother to cover your fourth wide receiver, so hitting him on a quick out or a flag route is a good option if the rest of the defence is in man. Unfortunately he is your fourth choice wide receiver and may drop the easiest of ball to catch, which is where the package selection comes into its own, as you can substitute him for a better receiver and still get no coverage. Don’t pick a play expecting him not to be covered though. I like using the double hitch play, check the right side corner is in man and the right outside linebacker isn’t. If so I go for the quick out, otherwise I wait for the hitch on the left. For a few more yards the WR breakout is good, but you have to be careful throwing over the outside linebacker’s head. Some of those guys can jump pretty high.

Pro formation

Pro formation is a good passing formation because the split running backs are in good positions to offer both protection against the rush and options out of the backfield. To illustrate a couple of previous points, from pro formation you can run an Overload Strg play. This play aims to flood a zone on the strong side of the field. On the weak side the receiver runs a streak should things get a little messy. The weak side running back stays in to block, and if no one comes does a quick hitch to provide another outlet. On the strong side of the field the wide receiver does a short hitch route, the tight end runs a short flag and the running back flares out, putting three receivers in that area. Ideally if the defence is playing zone there will be one or possibly two men covering an area with three guys. One of them must be open.
Another nice play from pro formation is the Play Action. The point of the play action is to try and get the defence (usually the line backers) to step up to cover the run and leave a gap in the coverage behind them. By faking a run you can also buy a little more time for the QB in the pocket, but generally the play action is a fast play, usually intended for the tight end who fakes his block and then sneaks behind the coverage. In this particular play action pass both the wide receiver and the tight end move into the area which should become open through faking the run, the wide receiver doing a quick hitch and the tight end running another flag route. The other running back also runs a route downfield through the line of scrimmage. This adds to the effect of the play action, but if you feel like the pressure might come fast audible and get him to block the back side of the play. This play take a couple of extra seconds to develop, so protecting the QB is paramount.
Finally the WR screen. You have to have a QB with cahoonas to run the screen. Basically what happens is his protection blocks for a second and then releases, forming a screen in front of the intended receiver (Usually a running back, but I prefer screens to the wide receiver). The QB drops back and once the pressure is on him lofts the ball over it to the screen guy who then has two very large blockers bearing down on two very small defensive backs. The drawback is that you risk giving up a sack if the QB holds on to the ball too long, but at least you know where the pressure is going to come from. You should always be aware where you emergency check off receiver is just in case things don’t go to plan, or if the defence calls a press coverage in which case there will be a corner back in the receivers face the whole time.

I formation

In I formation the running backs and quarter back in the back field line up in a straight line. This is good to run from because the running backs are already in a natural position to run vertically and gain good yards on the ground. In terms of passing there is a FL hitch play. In this case FL stands for flanker or flanked receiver, and is a throw back from the games rugby origins. The flanker receiver runs a very short hitch. This is ideal if the defenders are giving your star receiver too much respect and playing of in loose coverage. Use pre snap reads and timing to get the ball to him fast. Ideally the corner will be playing off a little, giving him a little to much respect. Leave it to the receiver to gain big yards after the catch on this play. As the corner back steps up to make the tackle its not too hard to turn fast and make him miss. Be aware that if the corner back bumps or presses the receiver, or is in a flat zone the receiver will not be open and you’ll have to find somewhere else to go with the ball.
Another nice play from I formation is the TE flat. Here the TE runs a hitch and the running back flares out to the other side. The weak side receiver runs a post route. I always look to the check guy first. In this case it’s the running back. First look in the middle of the defence. It should be pretty obvious if someone is covering him man to man because of the lateral movement. If there is no man coverage on him look to the weak side receiver. If his is in man, or the corner back has dropped into a deeper zone then hit the running back and let him make the play on his feet. He should be able to manage eight or nine yards after the catch without a problem. The one thing you have to be careful of is that there is no one in the flats on that side otherwise you will give up a pick and most likely a defensive touchdown too. If the running back isn’t open then look to the tight end. If he’s waiting in space then hit him for a four yard gain, plus anything he might be able to manage after the catch.

Strong I formation

In the strong I formation the full back is shifted out of the I to the strong side. This makes for good running that side, and also sets up misdirection the other way. Passing to the weak side from the strong I can be good too. One play that can be used to great effect is the Quick Hooks play. As above first make the same reads on the flaring running back. If that’s not there wait until the receiver on the same side is about to make his cut. If there is a clear passing lane with not line backers waiting for you to make your move the throw it. His corner back should think he’s going deep and turn just at the crucial moment when the receiver turns the other way to become open. Sometimes this can also give good yards after the catch.
Another pass from this formation is the In N Out. As the name suggests, one player goes in whilst the other goes out. First, before the snap check where the pressure might come from. Even though he’s lined up on the left the running back is going to block right, because that’s where the tight end is leaving from. If the pressure looks like its going to come from the other way change his block by pressing Y to change a hot route, and then his receiver button R followed by the white button to make him block left. Either way, be aware which side he is going after the snap and make sure the QB doesn’t run into him. After the snap first look to the tight end. He’s on the out route. If he’s in man and he’s beaten the guy after the cut, or its zone coverage and he’s heading out of the zone towards the side line then get the ball to him. Make sure that the passing lane is clear if it’s zone. Otherwise wait for the full back to run across the middle of the field in front of you. If he’s being covered in man the coverage will be loose because of the curved route. If its zone again make sure that the passing lane is clear of defenders. Make sure the lane is where he’s going and not where he is now and hit him. It’s well worth investing in a passing catching or balanced full back because they are often ignored on passing plays.

Well, I guess that’s it for now. Hope this insight helps your game a little. Watch this space for analysis of the running game soon.
Submitted By: Simon Says
Madden 2004

The Running Game

This article attempts to explain some vital points in building an effective running attack in madden 2004. It discusses important issues such as how to play to your teams strengths, how to pick personnel to get favourable match ups, reading the defence before the snap and what to do if the read looks bad. Finally a few of my favourite running plays are described as examples. It is vital to develop a good running game in madden. If there is not threat of the run the defence can switch to a highly pass oriented defence, making incompletions and turnovers more likely. You have to run to set up the pass, and vice versa. Personally I prefer running offences because running controls the game clock and because runs are usually low risk, high percentage plays (i.e. you stand a better chance of making positive yards and probably won’t turn the ball over).

Play to your strengths

What type of running backs does your team have? There are two basic running back positions, these are half back and full back. The half back is usually the smaller and quicker of the two and the full back is the bruiser. The full back is often used to make blocks for the half back. Some running backs use their speed and agility to get an advantage over the defence (Marshall Faulk, Warwick Dunn) where as others are more heads down runners who might make one cut to get in to the secondary and then try and run over anyone who stops them (Terrell Davis,.Jamal Anderson). If you have the speed runner type you can use outside runs and might find that runs to the middle of the field are less effective. If you have the other type of runner you might find that you lack the necessary acceleration and usually lose yards on runs to the outside, but you can consistently grind out four or five yards through the middle of the defence. Knowing what type of runner you have will help you pick plays that they are good at. Also, good use of the duke, spin and stiff arm moves can make defenders miss. It’s worth taking a little time practicing these because a small risk can quite easily lead to a big gain. Laying off the sprint button can help too, because if your going full speed you’ll find it hard to change direction. Practice sprinting into space, stopping, changing direction and the sprinting into more space. You’ll be turning on a dime in no time.

Types of running play

There are a number of different types of running plays. As described above different runs attack different areas of the field. That gives us inside runs and outside runs. In addition to this division runs can also be split into power runs, where the ball carrier follows a number of blockers, speed runs, where the runner uses his speed to beat the defenders usually to the outside of the field and misdirection runs, where the play looks like it is going one way and then cuts back against the grain. Misdirection runs usually involve one of the offensive linemen “pulling”. This means that instead of blocking somebody in front of him he steps back out of the line and someone else takes the guy over him. The pulling lineman then runs along the back of the line and picks up a defender usually towards the outside of the play, catching him unaware. One minute the poor fellow thinks he’s going to break up the play in the back field, the next he’s been hit in the ear hole by twenty plus stone of angry offensive player. In cases such as these you need to know where your blocks are coming from. Misdirection plays in particular take a long time to develop in the back field so you have to be patient and know when to break.

Running by formation
I formation, strong I and weak I.

I formation sees the two running backs and the quarterback all in a line, hence the name. The quarterback lines up behind the centre, the full back behind him and the half back behind him. This is a very strong running formation for north to south running (i.e. progressing down the pitch as opposed to side to side). The I formation also typically includes one tight end (a line man who can also receive the ball) and two receivers lined up out wide. The strong side is usually called as the side the tight end lines up on. The I formation can be adjusted slightly by shifting the full back towards the strong side, to form strong I or the weak side, to form weak I. The strong I is stronger when running to the strong side. The weak I formation is more balanced for runs to either side.

Pro form

Pro formation sees the two running backs split behind the quarterback. Traditionally pro formation is a good passing formation, because the running backs start in good positions to protect the quarterback from the rush. This limits its use for the running game but it can be good for running outside before making a cut up field. You need a quick running back in order to do this successfully. Pro formation is also quite good for misdirection runs as the lateral reads are more obvious, so cutting back against the grain can be used to great effect.

Singleback

In the singleback formation there is just one running back. Again this is a passing formation but it forces the defence to spread themselves thin to cover the extra receivers. This can be useful to try and get your back to run and break bigger gains. Also a draw play, where the QB sets up the pass before handing the ball to the running back can work well from this formation provided that the pressure doesn’t get to the QB or running back. If this works properly all the receivers run deep routes, taking the corners and safeties with them leaving the running back a lot of space to run into if he makes it back to the line of scrimmage.

Receivers on running plays

Just because it’s a running play doesn’t mean your receivers have nothing to do. If a running back ever breaks for a big gain you can be sure the somewhere a receiver made a crucial block. If the defence is lined up in a zone defence it can be prudent to motion a receiver from the back side to the play side (i.e. to where the play is going) to provide you with an extra blocker, but bear in mind that sometimes your players can hinder you as much as help. Be aware of where they are going so they won’t get in your way. If the coverage is man then it might be useful to motion a receiver from the play side to the back side, taking the guy who is covering him with you and giving you a little extra room on the outside.

Picking personnel and gaining mismatches

Once again you can choose an offensive package to gain an advantage on your opponent. If you’re in a short yardage situation and need to pound the ball straight up the gut of the defence you can bring in a heavy set, putting two full backs in the back field as opposed to a full back and a half back. Similarly you can put two half backs in the backfield. This can be useful in pro formation when your full back might lack the necessary speed to make it to the outside. Alternatively you could have a wide receiver line up in the full backs spot, giving a running threat to the outside as well as a passing threat, and inducing the defence to load up of defensive backs to stop the pass rather than linebackers to stop the run. Whatever set you choose make sure that you pick your play appropriately. Don’t put in two full backs in a heavy set and then try and get them to run to the outside, because they won’t make it and you looking at a tackle for a loss.

Reading the defence

For running plays there is a little less to read on the defensive side. Generally take a look at where to opposition are lining up. If they’ve stacked the side you are running to use the handy play maker control to flip the play to the other side. If you’re running off tackle (just to the outside of the line) and there is a linebacker of defensive back cheating up close to the line try to judge whether you’re full back will pick him up. Even if it means running towards more defenders it might be best to go that way rather than getting tackled for a loss. If you want to force a change in the line backers try motioning the tight end from one side of the line to the other. Often the line backers will shift a little and might show you the daylight in to the secondary. Another sneaky way to gain an advantage is to shift your full back to provide you with an extra blocker, for example, shifting from weak I to strong I or vice versa. Also, watch for blitzers. Blitzing against the run is always risky, because if they bring the pressure in the wrong place there is less help behind the line of scrimmage. If you know where the pressure is coming from you can anticipate where to run once you’ve broken through the line of scrimmage.

Play picking issues

Running plays are known as high percentage plays, because you’re likely to make some yards on a run and there isn’t as much to go wrong as on a passing play, but you have to be smart picking your play. A full back dive is never going to make more than four or five yards, but can be a great option on third down and one, when a lead might go for a loss because of the extra aggressive rush that you’re likely to face.
If you want to run it to the outside then be aware of where you are on the field. The ball isn’t always placed in the middle. If you’ve run or passed to the outside on the previous play then the ball will be spotted on the hash mark of that side of the pitch. This means that there is now a wide side and a narrow side to run into. This can be crucial when picking your plays. It’s also important to set up plays. The misdirection will be less effective unless you’ve at least tried to run the regular runs that the misdirection emulates. The same is true of the play action passes. If you never give your fullback any carries don’t be surprised when the defence don’t bite on the play action fakes.

Favourite running plays

I’ve selected a few running plays from each formation discussed above. Hopefully by explaining them in details I’ll do a better job of getting the messages across. I’ll start with the normal I formation.

HB Blast

This is a pretty good running play. The tight end lines up on the right and the full back followed by the half back with the ball dive to the left, running to the weak side. You should follow the full back closely and make a cut off of his block to get into the secondary. I find generally this play goes for between four and eight yards. Occasionally it breaks for longer, sometimes if the end lines up outside or a line backer or defensive back blitzes you can lose yards. If you read either of these on the play side switch the run to the right, even if there are more defenders there. One or two yards are better than a loss.

FB Dive Strong

In this play the full back takes the ball and dives to the strong side. If there is someone lined up directly where the play is going then switch the side. The full back has no blockers so generally this play will only get you up to four yards, but it’s worth it to get the full back involved in the running game.

HB Counter

In this play the running back takes a step to the strong side before cutting back to the weak side. You have a pulling guard blocking for you on this play, try not to over take him. Be patient and wait for him to engage in a block before breaking past him and getting some big yards. This play can be particularly effective. You needn’t worry about blitzers this time because the guard will probably pick them up. You do need to check the defence before the snap and run to where the least defenders are if you want to make big yardage off of this play. I try to use the HB Blast play to set up this misdirection.

Strong I Formation

In the strong I formation the full back is split out to the strong side.

FB Dive

The Full Back dive play is pretty basic. The QB simply hands the full back the ball and he dives forward. This play is all about brawn and speed. You need a big bruiser full back to pull it off and even then you’re only looking at getting a couple of yards. Using the fake snap count can give you an edge on plays like these to catch the defence unaware. It’s good for third and one situations, but not a lot else. One disadvantage is you can’t really use the play maker control to switch this play to the other side, so it’s a bit of a risk.

HB Blast

This is a power running play. The run is to the strong side and basically the tight end is followed by the full back. He is followed by the half back with the ball. Take your time and wait for your blocks to develop before making your vital cut and sprinting into the secondary.

Weak I Formation

In the weak I formation the full back is split out to the weak side. This is a well rounded formation because there are equal numbers of players on either side of the ball.

HB Wham

In this play the Half Back dives to the strong side with the ball. He has no blocker to follow, but you can motion the full back in if you like, making it very similar to the HB Blast described above. Other wise he’s going it alone. This is ideal for the power backs, but no so good for the smaller, quicker backs.

FB Dive

This is the Weak I version of the FB Dive above. All the same comments apply. I find that because of the way the defence usually line up this one is slightly more successful than it’s strong I counterpart.

Counter Weak

This is a good one for the quick backs. You’re running to the outside and to the weak side. Just because it’s ideal for the quick back doesn’t mean you should burn to the outside straight away. First the half back fakes the run to the strong side. If you have a quick back this should be effective because the defence will be anxious to contain you. When you cut back you’re following another pulling guard. Once he’s engaged in a block then make a break for the outside. Don’t make the mistake of running straight into a corner back. If there is one lurking out there in the flats lay off the sprint button and cut up field, then head towards the sideline. As with all runs to the outside, and runs that take time to develop this one is susceptible to be caught in the back field if you’re not careful, but execute it correctly and you’ll soon be putting six points on the board.

Pro Formation

Pro formation is primarily a passing formation. It’s difficult to get north to south blocking set up quickly so most of the runs either are without blockers or are east and west across the field. You need quick backs to get most of these runs to work but its still possible.

HB Counter

This is a misdirection run, the HB take a counter step whilst the Full Back on the right seals the strong side of the line. The half back then cuts back and takes the hand off running tight behind the full backs block. Should be good for a few yards at least, especially if the defence has keyed on the passing formation.

FB Belly

This is another misdirection play, this time to the weak side. You need a quick full back otherwise he will get caught in the back field. This is an ideal opportunity to sub a wide receiver in at the full back position. The defence will read pass from the formation and the extra receiver, and the receiver will have the necessary speed to make the play work. The play is designed for the full back to cut in and run through the weak side of the line. Read the blocks to see if this is available. If you are absolutely sure its not break to the outside at the last minute but expect defenders to shut you down quickly.

Quick Toss – trap

The quick toss again requires a quick back, or a back who can make guys miss. The QB takes the snap and pitches it to the half back on the weak side. The guard on the play side pulls and seals in the end of the line. This is called a trap block. You want to aim to run close to the end of line their as there may be defenders in the flats. It’s definitely worth motioning receivers away from the play side if the defence is in man coverage. If a cover guy doesn’t react to your receiver motioning away then bring him back. If you like you can snap the ball as he reaches the end of the line to get a better blocking angle. Either way you have to get out of the back field as quickly as possible and start making positive yards because the guy that the trap guard left won’t take long to hunt you down.

Singleback

The singleback formation requires some skill using your running back to avoid blocks. You need to be carefully not to use sprint too much so that you can still cut and avoid defenders.

HB Draw

The draw play sets up as a pass. You need good pass protection from your line whilst the safeties and corner backs are lead up field by the receivers. This requires man coverage. The draw is very unlikely to work against a good zone. Once the pass has been set up the QB hands the ball to the singleback. Read the blocks and picks a hole, or if your back is fast enough a side and head up field. Quite often this play gets broken up in the back field, but can make some good yardage if you make it back to the line of scrimmage.

QB Draw

This one is similar to the half back draw above, but the QB runs it himself. You need a scrambling QB for this to work. Drew Bledsoe might be a great pocket passer but lets face it, he’s as slow as molasses. Michael Vick however graces the cover of the game, and is quicker than most receivers. The key to the quarter back draw is not to be too impatient. Just wait for a fraction of a second before you start running with the ball to sell the pass. That’s the whole point of the play and the reason you have no blockers. You’re counting on it so don’t blow it straight away. Again, unless you have a super fast QB like Vick head through the middle of the line rather than trying to make it to the outside.

HB Smash

The half back smash is a basic run with the ball and hit a hole in the line. It relies on the heavy passing nature of the formation to spread the defence and allow your running back a little room to work with and try and break into the secondary.

Well, that concludes this analysis of the running game. Once again I hope it was useful and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Keep coming back because soon I’ll tackle the beast of topics that is how to call a successful defence. Enjoy : )

Freeola & GetDotted are rated 5 Stars

Check out some of our customer reviews below:

Thanks!
Thank you for dealing with this so promptly it's nice having a service provider that offers a good service, rare to find nowadays.
LOVE it....
You have made it so easy to build & host a website!!!
Gemma

View More Reviews

Need some help? Give us a call on 01376 55 60 60

Go to Support Centre
Feedback Close Feedback

It appears you are using an old browser, as such, some parts of the Freeola and Getdotted site will not work as intended. Using the latest version of your browser, or another browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera will provide a better, safer browsing experience for you.