The Playbook of Madden NFL 07

Defense

Pittsburgh -- 3-4 Solid Drop Zone

One of the things that made Pittsburgh so strong last year was their pass coverage, especially on long yardage situations. Thanks to plays like the 3-4 Drop Zone, Bill Cowher's squad could effectively cover both the intermediate threat and the long ball by sectioning the field into quarters. Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith remain on the line, while James Farrior and Larry Foote drop back for the immediate middle of the field. Joey Porter and James Harrison slide over into the outside flats that have been vacated by Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor, who have dropped back into the deep outside fourths of the field. Finally, Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu take the inside deep fourths, further locking off long passes.

Baltimore -- Nickel 1-5-5 Prowl MLB Blitz

Ray Lewis is one of the most feared middle linebackers in the league, thanks to both his speed and his attitude. So it's no surprise that Baltimore would tailor a play around their superstar defender. The Nickel 1-5-5 Prowl MLB Blitz play is deceptive, with all defenders, including the line, standing up. This makes it much harder for the offense to know who's coming in on the Blitz. Lewis runs right up the middle through the center, while the secondary drops back into man coverage.

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