Each year Madden becomes more and more like the real NFL. Players appear more lifelike. Playbooks become more accurate. The game more in-depth with features like hot routes, playmaker controls, and the vision cone. These nuances can be enough to intimidate even the seasoned Madden gamer. While familiarity with the feature itself may not be too daunting, understanding when and how to use them effectively can be. As a result, one integral method to improving your Madden play is to develop a good understanding of the NFL game.
SportsGamer has put together a series of Madden lessons that should be applicable regardless of the version of Madden, the team you prefer, or what style of play you practice. The lessons will cover every facet of Madden and we will be adding a new lesson every few days until the Madden 08 ratings are released. Get a head start on the competition and dominate in Madden 08!
Passing | |
 | Read progression is one of the most important factors in executing a successful pass play. The specific reads on any one particular play will vary depending on spacing on the field, which routes you are using, or even what look the defense is showing. Even so, there are two common doctrines that typically dictate the order in which most players make their reads... |
 | Being able to pick up defensive pressure on offense is the most important thing you can do when attempting to run a successful play. If you're never able to pick up the pressure from your opponent, then you won't ever have enough time to make your reads downfield. Any top Madden player will tell you that all successful offensive plays start with the protection up front. |
 | The ability to beat your opponent deep downfield is one aspect of Madden that every player should master. Many people believe that attempting to throw the ball deep forces you to wait longer in the pocket before knowing if your receiver is going to be open. While it's true that you will have to wait longer in the pocket until your receiver actually creates separation, reading whether or not the route will be open can be made almost immediately after the snap. |
 | It's important to have the ability to attack different spots on the field because it forces your opponent to remain accountable for every area. Otherwise, if your opponent knows that you only like to attack deep downfield, that's the only thing thing he will need to worry about throughout the course of a game. |
 | Learning how to compliment your routes with other routes can really open up the field for your offense. In this article we're going to show you how you can use a combination of routes to create perfect spacing. The play that we're going to break down is the Strong-I Normal FL Drag play. |
Rushing | |
 | Almost every running play in Madden develops differently after the snap. Learning the different speeds for each running play will help your ground attack grow by leaps and bounds. In this article, we're going to showcase a few different plays to breakdown some of the little nuances that you're going to want to look for in order to maximize your running efficiency in Madden 08. |
 | Most Madden players make the same mistake on every running play by simply mashing down on the sprint button to run as fast as they can when they get the ball. Just like in the real NFL, you need to allow your blocks to develop before making your move. More appropriate timing with the sprint button could've broken many of those runs for much bigger gains. |
 | Using Motion in Your Running Game The use of motion can help provide an extra block for your runner to spring free to the outside, help pick up tough yards up the middle, or even simply be used as a decoy when running to the opposite side that the motion is taking place. In this tip, we're going to show you hot to get your receivers more involved in the running game to help you improve your yards per carry. |
Defense | |
 | Almost every good Madden player will score on their first possession of the game. However, the best defensive players will make their opponents slowly work their way up the field as they gather bits of information that will benefit them later in the game. In this article we're going to showcase some of the common tendencies that are seen in the Madden world. |
 | Playing against an opponent who has a great running attack can be extremely difficult to stop. One of the most successful theories behind slowing down the run is stacking defenders near the line of scrimmage. In this tip, SportsGamer's going to show an example of exactly what it means to "stack" defenders in the box. |
 | Preventing your opponent from beating you deep should be your biggest concern when on defense, especially early in the game. Fortunately, EA always does a great job of providing us with quick adjustments that can be made before the play begins to strengthen any weaknesses found on the field. In this example we're going to showcase one way in particular to greatly decrease your opponent's chances for completing a long bomb against you for an easy six points. |
 | While there are many other ways to utilize the tight end in the passing game, but the post route and the corner route will consistently do the most damage. In this article, SportsGamer's going to take a look at a couple quick adjustments that can be made to better defend against an opponent who likes to go to their tight end. |
 | The flat and angle routes are the two most effective ways for people to get their running backs involved in the passing game. SportsGamer has already showcased a way to guard running backs in the flats earlier this season. However, in this example we're going to take a look at how to guard against opponents who like to use angle routes out of the backfield. |
 | Containing the Mobile Quarterback Containing a mobile quarterback not named Michael Vick is actually pretty easy in Madden. Typically, QB spys and/or contain assignments are enough to keep most quarterbacks in the pocket. However, keeping Michael Vick in the pocket is easier said than done. SportsGamer demonstrates one defensive strategy that can be used to put a stranglehold on your opponent's quarterback in the backfield. |
