The Playbook of Madden NFL 07

Aug 10, 2006

Football is much more than a game of inches and yards; it is chess on a battlefield, with both teams trying to outwit, outplay and overwhelm their opponents. While understanding the basic points of the game are simple, getting the finer technical points of some offensive and defensive schemes can be extremely tricky. Rookies quickly find this out in training camp, when they get a playbook that's the size of a large dictionary to memorize. When would you want to use a Singleback 4WR Flex play instead of a Shotgun 2RB 3WR formation play in a long yardage situation? Would you want to use Nickel Normal Under Smoke or Zone Blitz to put more pressure on a quarterback?

Madden NFL 07 is going to break down those X's and O's for you thanks to a little help from the NFL Network and their show, Playbook. Each team has three plays on offense and defense broken down by Sterling Sharpe. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver highlights the strengths and weaknesses of certain formations, so you'll have a better understanding as to why those plays are effective in specific situations. It also gives you insight on the kinds of plays a team likes to run, so you are prepared if you wind up playing that team in the game. Grab a notebook, because we're going to take you to school with two offensive and two defensive plays, with further commentary by Mr. Sharpe.

Offense

Seattle -- Far Pro Double Swing

When you have a strong 1-2 combo in the backfield like Seattle does with Shaun Alexander and Mack Strong, getting them the ball is always a good option, particularly if the opposing team is playing off the flat. Far Pro Double Swing is designed to take advantage of the speed and elusiveness of these two backs, by giving you an option to swing the ball to either Alexander or Strong for a quick strike if the corners are playing away from the line. On the other hand, if the flat is covered, you always have the option to pass to Jerramy Stevens running a slant hook, Darrell Jackson running an inside curl on or Nate Burleson drawing defenders down the field.

Indianapolis -- Shotgun 2RB 3WR Fake WR Screen Wheel

Peyton Manning loves to deceive defenses with his audibles and his fakes, and a play like the Shotgun 2RB 3WR Fake WR Screen Wheel is perfect when you're looking to throw off a team that thinks they can anticipate your next move. After a couple of running plays, it's easy to set the defense into thinking that the wide out Marvin Harrison will catch a quick screen pass with James Mungro setting a block. That's what you want the defense to think. Brandon Stokley is actually your primary receiver in the slot, and will make a fake block on the corner before starting his wheel route down the sideline. If you pump to Harrison and make the defense bite, you should be able to hit Stokley for a quick six. Otherwise, you can always hit Reggie Wayne on the outside post route or Dominic Rhodes on a pitch to the flat.

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.