Madden 12 Tips, Cheats, Strategies & Info

Madden 13 Tips Are Coming

2012-02-14T15:33:00.001-05:00

As soon as we possibly can, we will start posting our Madden 13 tips and strategy guides. Typically we begin working on these things in July and then have a ton of stuff ready to go on launch day. We still do not have a Madden 13 release date but we expect it to be in late August again (maybe August 28th). You can expect our team of madden strategy and madden tips guys to be putting in some serious overtime in the weeks leading up to the release. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter (top of right column). This will keep you informed of all the latest and greatest Madden 12 and Madden 13 tips, tricks, glitch counters, schemes, and tactics. Also from time to time we send out free ebook strategy guides for instant help to your offense and/or defense. It doesn't cost you anything either, sign up now!

NCAA Football 12 - Shotgun Normal Y-Slot: Curls Y-Stick

2011-07-01T08:38:00.002-04:00

For More Information Visit thegamerslab.com

Madden NFL 12 BRAND NEW Presentation Preview

2011-06-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

HERE COME THE COLTS!

Madden Strategy

2011-06-29T13:39:00.001-04:00

How does one become much better in Madden? How do you become much better in anything? To be able to expect success in anything you perform there needs to be a plan. There is no way a person can genuinely be ready to achieve success without a strategy of attack. However in many Maddgen communities most of the "so called" top players think they will just pick up the sticks and become effective.

Madden has little by little started to lean the scale to ensure that user control skills can't downright defeat football smarts. This transformation hasn't been accepted very well through the current tournament community, who loves to say, "EA is dumbing the game down". Whereas, a legitimate statement is EA is actually balancing the scale to ensure a person with a good football IQ doesn't get punished for playing a great game with a player that has a small number of plays and makes suspect football choices.

If you can check this out difference in gameplay, it's wise to begin with to warm up to Madden football strategies overall. We have to look at planning for the video game of Madden much like other areas in life. I'm certain a lot of you go to classes or even work on an every day basis. A part of being successful in the workforce would be to keep your skills sharp with instruction classes, training seminars, webinars as well as other things is available for you. And in the event that you're one of our unemployed brethren, all of us understand you're hard at work making yourself appealing to employees to ensure when your moment comes, your ready.

Although Madden isn't as vital as our daily personal lives, you'll still should have a technique for success in anything you do. As a way to fun we want to make sure once we turn our console on we're ready to contend with anything.

You will find small things you're able to do to start towards an objective with success and overall enjoyment in Madden. The Madden technique for the initial 5 days the game comes out is always to find some sort of feel for the game. This doesn't mean place the disc in and immediately hop online. Many folks do this and rack up losses when trying to learn the game. I've observed first hand just how a Madden Challenge National Champion prepares to perform their very first game of Madden.

Eugene "Big Gene" Williams, the 2005 Madden Challenge National Champion, starts simply by taking the game apart play by play. He will basically run each and every play in the game to find out how it works. I've called the man in the early morning when he starts and returned in from a long day from the office and the man is still testing plays. This requires an tremendous amount of attention and dedication to work through his process and not give in and head online.

As soon as he has made all his physical and mental tips concerning the video game then he jumps online‚ no no no just kidding. Then he takes his record of plays and finds out what playbooks have the the majority of tested plays before labbing together with his crew. It's not easy being the very best, and many individuals don't realize the amount of work the "real" professional gamers put into game preparation. The advantage which you, the Madden enthusiast has, is we put the hours and hours in to developing a great Madden Strategy for you so that an individual can take it and apply it to your video game and improve your Madden experience.

How to Play Madden

2011-06-29T11:52:00.002-04:00

Madden football has transformed how individuals view football games. Along with the introduction of On-line access and the addition of Franchise mode, several fans have asked us exactly how we enjoy playing Madden. With all the unique integrated game modes, there is a game mode for every football fan in Madden 12. Let's examine all the ways that Madden fans can discover the mode that fits them best.

Probably the most frequently played mode in Madden will be playing against the Computer. Here is the easiest way to experience a fast game and also have fun playing using your favorite players. EA Sports has worked very hard to make Madden 12 the most realistic football simulator possible. The improvements in Madden's Artificial Intelligence have added the genuine element of football that we are generally looking for. Players now behave and shift just like they do in person. Altering the difficulty settings in the game controls allows you to achieve a difficult game every time for hit the field. This is a great mode for beginners to get use to the controls and learn how to call offenses and defenses.

Franchise mode offers gamers the chance to not only play with their favored players on the field, but additionally make every business decision for the team off the field. Now you get to pick which rookies you're going to draft, and if you're going to go after that free agent that may take your team all the way to the Super bowl. Franchise mode is an excellent mode for those gamers that are looking more out of a football title than just playing football. A gamer can discover hours of fun and hard work after every game they play on the field should they want to, or they could have the CPU complete all of the work for them. Avid gamers can turn their franchise to a dynasty by actively playing over many seasons. Madden NFL 12 produces big overhauls into the franchise system.

Since video games were taken on-line, gamers have been online to discover who's the very best at Madden football. Many of us went from communities which use to assemble on the weekends at someone's home, to a community which was always connected and could play whenever. Online play is targeted generally for serious gamers only. These are the players which can be the best in Madden and they are practicing for future events or leagues. For the typical gamer online video games are a fun way to enhance your skills and be an improved gamer. The speed of online games is a lot faster, and also the competitors are higher then playing up against the CPU. You may get to determine how the game is played at most tournament and get a feeling of if you are prepared or not for Madden tournaments.

There are numerous ways to play Madden 12 football. With all the various modes offered, there absolutely is a mode for every player. Try every mode and discover the one which you prefer playing the most. The greatest guidance we are able to give would be to play as many games that you can, and always appreciate playing. There's a mode available for everybody, now go find yours!!

Learn How to Play Madden Football

Madden Strategies

2011-06-29T10:09:00.001-04:00

How would you evaluate Madden? When you sit down in front of the game the first time, are you searching at it to find the latest gimmicks or have you been testing real football offensive and defensive schemes?

Through the years we have consistently provided Madden football strategies instead of going after the hottest glitch or trick. This has helped us continue being the first choice in this industry. While other people concentrate on gimmicks we choose to focus on tactics to make your video gaming experience much better and build a strong cornerstone you can use year in and year out.

The advantage of focusing on strategies as opposed to gimmicks is the fact that we can still demonstrate the gimmicks and also the way to handle and contain them. Being prepared means leaving nothing unturned. We can't provide awesome Madden tactics and stay away from handling gimmicks. We simply don't make gimmicks the primary element we search when sitting down to breakdown Madden 12.

What's the difference between a Madden Strategy and a Madden Cheat or Glitch?

There has to be separation of the two within the Madden community. Every madden trick, madden strategy or madden cheat continues to be viewed in a damaging manner from the sim community and in some cases EA Sports sometimes. The issue with that is that they are not the same at all.

Let's start looking at what's viewed as a Madden cheat. A cheat or gimmick is something that is used to take advantage of the game. This can be something as small as replacing in personnel out of position to generate an unfair mismatch. Or it could be as flagrant as quick audibling and formation flipping to create a broken run or pass play. These little gimmicks, released online as tips or techniques and strategies have blurred the line of what is actually a strategy and what is a cheat. These are cheats and will need to be called what they're.

Conversely a Madden technique is plan made to get you to a desired place, similar to the concept of strategy. Nowhere is there any reference to shortcuts or cheats. You can't employ a strategy and fast-forward to the final result. Each of our Madden strategies utilize real football techniques or schemes so that you can build your knowledge of football so that you can be successful no matter what version of Madden you pick up.

One example is, the passing game has taken over real NFL football along with Madden football. One of the easiest route combos that beats both zone and man coverage is 2 vertical routes with a in or out route being run directly beside it. This is something which is utilized in all of the levels of football that also translates to Madden.

We would list this as a Madden technique mainly because it uses authentic football tactics in order to acquire a desired result. Run the coverage away in order to get spacing for the In or Out route. If you were to look up Madden strategy and discover both examples listed, which would you consider a Madden Strategy or a Madden Cheat? If you're able to differentiate then you can observe how we're unique in what we do and have always put your development as a Madden player in the forefront.

Madden Playbooks

2011-06-29T09:34:00.001-04:00

Exactly what is the most wanted part of the Madden offseason? What free agents made it to your team? No. How about, what's the major new feature? That's not it either. By far the most anticipated component of Madden every year will be the playbooks.

That's correct, Playbooks. The Madden community understands that it doesn't matter how excellent the whole thing looks, what additional features are integrated or even who appears on what team. Everybody must first select a playbook in order to begin his or her process to Madden success.

Over the years EA Sports has done a great job of creating Madden playbooks more in depth. We have been granted the opportunity to create our very own playbooks using custom formations in addition to given NFL network training through a previous feature named NFL Training Camp.

The NFL Training Camp feature was an attempt by EA Sports to bridge the skills gap of the recreational football fan who plays Madden to understanding some of the technical aspects of each play call. This triggered the element of Game Flow. Even though EA says Game Flow can be an solution to speeding the overall game feel up, it subconsciously educates users tips on how to call a game plan and generate efficient use of their Madden Playbook.

With all of these resources included in the video game of Madden through many years, this implies that as EA enhanced the playbooks, additionally they made an attempt in making sure customers could execute the plays inside the playbook.

For Madden 12 EA Sports will be bringing back again the custom playbook feature and understanding that the expectation of seeing what's in every team playbook reaches an all time high. All styles of players will be able to benefit from this feature, because it could make the game of Madden a lot more unique to each and every individual. Still knowing that there'll be money plays in the game, there is still a great chance that a number of users will not come upon the same exact offense as their own.

Madden playbooks are driven by uniqueness. We realize that we have trends in each and every version of Madden. With Madden 08 it again appeared like the entire country had been utilizing the Atlanta playbook or Patriots playbook. Even when a couple playbooks are getting intensely used you can still find playbooks that allow a user to separate themselves from the crowd.

From everything we have observed thus far using the user control in the many E3 Madden 12 video clips, we can tell that this version of Madden could make the user skilled player and unique madden playbook user a major threat. Imagine keeping the Singleback 3TE formation in Madden 08 within the same playbook together with the Singleback Tight of Madden 11. When you start to consider all of the different playbook combos that Madden 12 will offer us this is shaping up to become an epic year.

Rather than referring to exactly what our popular Madden playbook formations from earlier version are, all of us would like to get your feedback. We've consistently had well balanced playbooks whether it was Kobra's Pass Balanced, PhillyRon's Rams Playbook or Big B's Compression. We really like developing a many types of offensive styles at our disposal.

Madden 12 Glitches

2011-06-27T16:59:00.001-04:00

Since the beginning in the Madden series the expression "Glitch" has turned into a buzzword in the on line scene. Any glitch in Madden can be explained as an action that cannot be countered or even managed by using standard controls. There is a big difference from a person that uses glitches to attain a purpose throughout Madden more than a gamer which has superb stick control that you simply can't seem to prevent. Since Madden glitches have been an interest for argument as far back as all of us can certainly recall, let's take a look at a few of the top rated glitches through many years past.

Kickoff/Touchdown - This was a real glitch used in the inaugural Madden 2000 game on PS2. I had been personally the victim of this stunt where a someone could possibly kick away the football into the corner of the end zone, and when the football bounced before the goal line then out of the side the kicking team would undoubtedly receive a touchdown. There had been absolutely nothing the return team could do in order to stop this glitch from occurring.

Under Smoke/Fireman/Whip Man Nano - The birth with the online community introduced with it the advancement of the blitz. A well-known player by the name "Lou Tillery" had been the most dominating gamer online as well as inside the underground tournament community because of his lighting quick defense. Previously during 2002 the nano ensured you could end up getting sacked using running and passing plays. All of the pressure in the game had been so tough that the Under Smoke could very well be used to block punts. A lot of quarterbacks never truly had the possibility to be able to give the football to the running back before they ended up being sacked.

Motion Glitch - Most of you may have heard about a Madden Challenge and also Madden Nation Emcee Topp Taylor however most of us know him personally as Curly Topp. Topp had been among the first people we've saw operate a motion glitch. He would come out in I Form Big, send his receiver with a streak or drag, hike the ball behind the right guard and demolish your defense. The hike in back of the right guard while in motion would undoubtedly force the man-to-man corners to blitz and then leave the receiver uncovered in the open field. There was absolutely no way to have your defenders to stay in protection instead of blitzing.

Studda Step - It was the greatest player control feature beside Strafe Catching. Madden Challenge Finalist Antoine "Pretty Boy" Williams developed the studda step glitch famous while using the Vikings. He utilized the Vikings and this specific running style to dominate dive happy defenders. Just about all you needed to be able to do was begin running toward either side, engage the juke button one time to the side that you were running and watch it push the chasing defenders to turn inside and enable you run by. Gamers were racking up 700 yard rushing games effortlessly with the studda step glitch.

Pulling Routes - Most people preferred this and also viewed as the idea a great way to make their offense a lot more unique, however it had been a flat out glitch. It was a dominating element within Madden 05 and 06 since gamers made use of this along with formation shifting.

The particular list goes on and on pertaining to glitches in the past years of Madden. The greatest advantage to Next Gen video games consoles is the ability to released patches to assist resolve glitches just before they take control the game. Designers work hard to take care of ever situation area before the game is released, but a some always get through. Now things can easily be completed about it.

Madden Hints

2011-06-27T16:03:00.001-04:00

It's become commonplace for Madden enthusiasts worldwide to go in, pick-up Madden plus pick up the official Madden Strategy guide book. But imagine if we rewound the clock to a time when there were simply no strategy guides? Exactly how would anyone make it?

Well, not to long ago that's just what players were challenged with. From the beginnings of Madden the sole strategy guide was an insert which had each of the roster details and also ratings for each team. We can easily try to remember back to a period when the particular roster/rating insert appeared to be thicker than the game instructions and almost as valuable as the actual game. You would see fans making use of their sheet laminated to shield it from getting damaged and also soaked. Most of the data that we could get our hands on seemed to be on that ratings insert.

Due to the fact there was no real guides accessible to assist fans learn how to play as well as enhance their abilities within Madden experienced fanatics navigated the internet to find message boards where they're able to talk about and express thoughts on gameplay tactics. We'd access the Internet in a style similar to we do today with Google. The trick would have been to type in the URL field's Codez or Cheatz. In the past that had been how we would likely locate links to different discussion posts concerning video games. And then you would hope there would be a suggestion, hint or cheat regarding Madden, often times there weren't.

Then advancement hit the Madden network. For a long time Prima had been writing strategy guides for other game titles but not Madden. Once they released their very first guide (we think 2000) they paid attention to the outcry through the community forums demanding the ratings charts to return. Their particular guidebook would be a basic review of the game of Madden, while using the back of the guide focused on a list of all of the players in the game by position. This was an instant accomplishment and paved how for exactly where we're these days with just how madden information are provided.

In 2001 VG Sports was developed and launched what might be an eye opening strategy guide book that both recreational gamers as well as tournament gamers took notice of. The guidebook provided insight on advanced things within the game of Madden. One particular tip we supplied in those days would have been a way to throw a post route that could always get wide open because the referee would get in the way of the DB. The idea wasn't considered cheese, it was the first time which there were actual down and dirty Madden tips being supplied.

VG Sports started out providing content from three different points of views Kobra, Lou Tillery along with GametimePhilly vets Justin Cohen in addition to PhillyRon. Lou provided his infamous nano set-ups, Kobra presented his in depth player information as well as x's and o's insight while PhillyRon and Justin Cohen produced written content from exactly what had been becoming the toughest Madden crew in the country. By the end of their first season the foundation for VG were being established with content to come from Kobra along with PhillyRon for Madden as well as an additional article writer MadBomber designed for NCAA football.

For several years we have discovered possible talent and brought these individuals in to provide excellent content for our loyal fans. The beginning of a hybrid offense was born in VG Sports. Big B's Compression offense would be a combination of the West Coast offense with a Bunch or Tight formation look which is still utilized in Madden circles everywhere.

As all of us enter the new social media and motion controller phase of the game keep your helmets ready and your chinstrap tightened when we look to set the standard for Madden 12 hints once again.

Madden Forums

2011-06-23T14:22:00.000-04:00

Where did the idea all get started? Back in the day, as seasoned Madden veterans love to mention, there weren't lots of individual groups as we all see in the current make up with Madden. To be honest with you, in the early stages, they weren't actually referred to as message boards; they were referred to as discussion boards. People would probably check online to look for almost any strategy they're able to on the best way to be improved in Madden, or even locate some other players who were located throughout their area in order to compete with.

Madden 12 Forums

As the conclusion of discussion boards emerged the beginning of forums emerged there was clearly one madden message forum board that many professional madden player had to be part of. The MWS (Madden World Syndicate) seemed to be the only location online making it possible to find the best of the best Madden players. This specific community is what produced the Madden Challenge as they began the initial structured tournament circuit using the Madden video game series.

There had been additionally three more Madden Online forums which started about this time. Madden Mania, Madden Nation along with VG Sports. The largest forums during that period seemed to be Madden Mania also referred to as MM with the online lobby rooms that they had each day in Madden. You could possibly almost go as far as labelling them the parents of our on-line leagues for the console game titles. It was actually a privilege to get accepted into their community as well as able to play within their lobby room. They directed everyone to play one with the staff members before anyone was awarded the password in which gave you permission to access their private lobby.

Those were the days. If we look back at the tradition of the Madden forums we notice that each one of them have fallen by the wayside except VG Sports/Maddentips. Which brings everyone to a real question of‚ Why would you check out forums?

When discussing about the entire traditions surrounding the many Madden forums, one thing is missed on this discussion the brotherhood. So there once was distinguished members for each and every forum. And the surroundings found on each and every forum seemed to be unique, offering people an experience exclusive to that internet site name.

At the moment you can find numerous Madden forums on the web although the many them publish the identical discussions along with members. Nothing is wrong with this, as it broadens the community but it seems like we've lost the fraternity component of years prior.

Most of us can't paint a large picture as if there weren't specific online communities for each and every madden forum available. Our own primary group of exclusive ballers as well as posters are the Wolf Pack. You'll be able to distinguish them simply when in the forums by simply seeing their avatar. These are diehard VG/Maddentips followers and have a useful and encouraging tone inside their discussions.

Since the dynamic of almost all online forums get used to the Facebook era we're also excited to say that we all have a reliable and respectable group of members in our forums. Our goal to have‚ an understanding football‚primary resonates through our own Madden forums and also demonstrates that not only are all of us believers associated with this, but each of our members are also.

When you're trying to find a home where you could talk football and madden without being heckled or perhaps degraded be sure you become a member of our Madden Forums. All we require is a real love for the game. See you soon.

Madden Guides

2011-06-23T10:46:00.002-04:00

Game enthusiasts from a very competitive game such as Madden 12 are usually looking to boost their expertise. Most people constantly aim for fun trying to play, however most people don't like to forfeit to anyone. For years a truly serious player's only way of enhancing their own skills would be to invest working hours before Television trying to play Madden. Soon after thousands of snaps around the practice field, players would undoubtedly play friends or get online and play a game and find out they still had a lot of points to develop. Most subsequently questioned his or her selves What should I do now? Plunging into online forums and looking for the right answers could take weeks to locate all you were looking for, and so the majority ran to their popular game shops to buy a printed Madden guidebook. For years the primary way to obtain Madden expertise was basically found in printed guides, but conditions have actually changed in several ways.

I am able to also remember sitting and even illustrating out my best Madden plays on a piece of paper, and attempting to make-up schemes while in the middle of school seminars. When Prima begun producing their Madden Study guides, it improved how We went about practicing Madden. I then learned about latest features and very hot plays before I actually went on the training field. We figured that getting ready for games would never get more effective then this, but I was mistaken. VG Sports came into the Madden world in mid 2001 and transformed the Madden community upside down by digesting offensive plays in addition to blitzes for every team. There was not a need to drive a car down to the video game shop, I was able to now download VG Sports e-books onto my desktop. It was the beginning of the Madden on-line strategy guide world, and this would never be the same!

When the very first Madden guide with tips and hints hit the world, it was loaded with web page after webpage of content regarding every team along with the everyone in the game. It's hard to remember a period were most of the people didn't have mobile computing devices, as well as mobile devices solely made phone calls. When the first Virtual Playbook arrived, dial up internet had been the norm for many people.

As the years went on, VG Sports proceeded to evolve the way that customers studied the game of Madden on-line. They begin to introduced screenshots of each play they had been breaking down; this was a amazing step in displaying how a play appeared on screen. VG Sports didn't prefer to quit there, they were the first and still one of the only e-books that included nfl team playbooks. Now everybody could print every play for every single team within Madden, the many years of sketching plays on a sheet of paper was over.

As technology continued to advance, VG Sports wanted to press the envelope by trying new things. We had observed the progression from all text e-books to e-books packed with amazing pictures so there was clearly just one move still to take‚ Video playbooks. With the development of Video Playbooks, VG Sports could seize gamers in a brand new way. Now gamers could see exactly what went in setting a play up and running them, without missing a single step. Customers could rewind and view any play again and again and then learn how everything reacted to exactly what the writers were talking about.

This season VG Sports is once again going to take yet another advancement in how that players study the game of Madden. Never planning to compromise VG Sports will have brand new products never before seen. As the excitement keeps increasing on the excitement with Madden 12, VG Sports is ready to help you to the next level in gaming.

Madden 12 Cheats

2011-06-17T09:02:00.003-04:00

The game of Madden always has been entertaining because anyone could get it and enjoy a game in less than 45 minutes. As the game grew and went online back in the early 2000's there became a quick split in the community. At last each player had an opportunity to compete and see how their skills matched up with other players around the world. We straight away experienced the start of two distinct communities, the Madden Sim community and also the Madden Freestyle community. With this particular division amongst players the expression Madden Cheats was created.

The Sim community looked at nearly anything not viewed on American football fields in actual life being a cheat. Many of them back then regarded user catching the greatest Madden 'cheat' and a coding exploit in the game. In a Sim gamer's mind a lower ranked footballer really should not be able to take over the game because they had blazing speed or an outstanding jump rating. Sim competitors likewise don't like that Freestyle players only use 3-5 offensive plays in the game, rather than their total playbook. They regarded this to be a 'cheat' based on the fact they merely used plays which could exploit AI weaknesses.

The Freestyle community supported enjoying the overall game as a form of football, but figuring out everything they could do inside the video game to provide themselves an edge. For a Freestyle gamer everything comes down to having great stick control to manipulate their players to accomplish impossible movements. Freestyle players invest hours practicing the game to determine exactly how catch animations were linked to certain pass routes or play calls. These players in no way consider these techniques as cheating; they simply see them as twisting the confinements of the game with great skill.

Both varieties of players are needed to make the Madden community succeed. The Sim community accounts for the majority of the people that pay for Madden, yr in and year out. The freestyle online community is largely responsible for all the patches that EA has to provide throughout the year to tweak the game and eradicate what some think of Madden secrets and cheats.

If you plan on taking part in Madden 12 online, face-to-face or in a league here are a couple points that you might want to keep in mind when competing.

AI trickery - you will find logistics in the game that aren't entirely sound and once discovered enable gamers to bring about a sought after outcome just about every time. One of the primary AI Madden Cheats from this prior season (Madden 11) has been the Spy Blitz coming from the Safety position. Gamers would line a safety up within the 'A' gap, designate him to Spy the QB and at the snap, manually rush for an uncontested sack.

Busting auto motion and making a QB Draw. The QB Draw was removed from the video game, but if you quick audible back and forth from some FB Dive plays it will allow the QB to be the key runner. This can be combined with auto motion while in the Wildcat formation and players will wait until the play clock is running right down to stop the delay from taking control of the player in the QB position.

One of the biggest Madden secrets and cheats some whine about is positioning cornerbacks at receiver or vice-versa. This particular strategy is frowned upon in the the Sim Community along with the Tournament community. The main culprit connected with this tactic is the occasional online gamer who will add Green Bay Packers DB Shields to the receiving corps because of his ninety seven speed. Trust us, it's a real headache to handle.

Opting for it on 4th down or punt/field goal fake. Each of these are true to the NFL sport but looked down upon inside the Sim and Freestyle community. This is usually a strategy mainly employed by random online gamers.

There are lots of other things that folks do in Madden that somebody may consider a 'cheat', but everybody's primary goal should be to have a good time?and don't forget it's just a video game.

The Madden blog is coming back

2011-06-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

We've neglected the site the last couple of years as we've been really busy working on Madden guides with Prima. We are back out on our own once again and will be posting lots of new information, tips and strategies for Madden 12 over the coming weeks.

Stay tuned...

In the meantime, make sure you 'Like' our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MaddenTips

And follow us on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vgsports

CyberMonday Sale @ MaddenTips.com

2009-11-30T16:03:00.001-05:00

CyberMonday sale at MaddenTips.com

Now through January 15th, 2010, buy any Madden strategy product at MaddenTips.com and get a coupon code for 50% off your next purchase at either MaddenTips.com or PrimaGames.com

(Valid only for digital purchases at MaddenTips.com and/or PrimaGames.com. Excludes taxes. Not good with any other coupons or offers. No cash back. Coupon valid through 1/31/2010. Terms of use apply.)

Basically it's a buy one, get one 1/2 off sale. You can use it on any of the following:

Virtual Playbook - http://www.maddentips.com/madden10.html

Madden Season Pass - http://www.maddentips.com/maddentips.html

Offensive Coordinator's Guide - http://www.maddentips.com/madden10oc.html

Defensive Coordinator's Guide - http://www.maddentips.com/madden10dc.html

Or any other eGuide at PrimaGames.com

Download the Madden NFL 10 Playbooks for FREE

2009-08-07T09:25:00.002-04:00

Receive FREE access to all 32 offensive and defensive team playbooks plus the scheme specific playbooks like the Run N Gun & West Coast.

32 team playbooks plus the 6 scheme specific playbooks
diagrams for every play in each playbook
start putting together your offensive scheme today
print out your favorite playbooks and take it to study wherever you go

http://www.maddentips.com/pc - for Windows

http://www.maddentips.com/mac - for Mac OSX

Playbook Diagrams for Madden NFL 10 Demo Teams

2009-07-24T20:26:00.002-04:00

We got the go ahead to release the Offensive & Defensive playbook diagrams for the 4 demo teams: Cowboys, Giants, Steelers & Cardinals.

You can download them for free at:

Window PC - http://www.maddentips.com/previewpc

Mac OSX - http://www.maddentips.com/previewmac

The rest of the team playbooks will be available closer to release date.

Enjoy!

The Rams Video Playbook is out!

2009-02-10T10:42:00.001-05:00

Many times the game of Madden comes down to the your ability to
handle the sticks and force the game into giving you certain
animations. The Jet Pack, Rocket Catch, Strafe Catch, etc. have
defined Madden the last couple of years.

This is fine if you are really good at pulling off these
techniques. But what if you go up against somebody that has better
stick than you? The defense has an advantage as it can still strafe
while that ability has been removed from the offense.

If your whole game is about the Rocket Catch, you could be in for a
world of hurt against a highly skilled opponent. In addition, there
are a group of players out there who just have never mastered the
Rocket Catch, or just don't want to run that type of offense.

If you fall into any of these categories, then PhillyRon has come
to your rescue. We just put the finishing touches on our latest
product...The Ram's Video Playbook.

With close to 4 hours of video breakdowns, PhillyRon helps you
develop an offense that is based on getting your receivers open
enough to hit without manually catching. If you have great stick
you'll be just that more deadly. If you don't, then you can still
move the ball and crush defenses.

For more info about the guide (and a FREE video breakdown), visit
http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com/rams.html

Enjoy!

Bert

P.S. If you like to run under Center, then this guide is a must for
you. Ron has tested these plays against the nastiest blitzes that
his crew could throw at him and they came through with flying colors.

Bump-n-run the TE with a Linebacker

2009-01-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Ever since Madden 2003, EA Sports has put different steps into
place to prevent unfair nanos that exploit glitches in the blocking
schemes. Enterprising Madden players (ourselves included) always
find ways to bring more heat on the QB.

Because of this defensive creativity, every solid Madden player
develops schemes on offense to relieve pressure and get the ball
out quickly to their playmakers. This has brought back the TE to
offenses as their quick releasing routes often hit areas that have
been vacated by blitzing defenders.

It is tough to get a good jam on them, unless you take control of
your defender and manually jam using the RB or R1 button. This
works, but if you need to be controlling another player to get your
nano to work, then you are out of luck here.

Players will pop the TE on curls and seam routes while you are
trying to get to their QB. Kobra has been working hard in the lab and
has come up with a way that you can put the jam on the TE, and
control another player at the same time.

We've put together a 5 minute video breakdown from our Video
Defensive Playbook that details how to do this step-by-step. You
can check out the full video by going to:

http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com/LB-Bump.html

Updates to the From the Gun Playbook

2008-12-17T15:19:00.002-05:00

Last Friday Kobra released his latest Video Playbook guide called
the "From the Gun" Video Playbook. This guide is completely
devoted to plays and schemes from the Gun formations across all the
different playbooks in the game.

The initial release had over 50 plays (several hours of video), and
we promised that we would continue to add to this all the way
through March. Kobra has been busy over the weekend and has already
loaded up new content including:

Reading Coverages Before The Snap Part 1
Buccaneers Gun Doubles On Scheme
Gun Snugs Flip WR Corner
Gun Snugs Flip Spot
Gun Snugs Flip Run Plays
Gun Snugs Flip Horizontal Stretch
Gun Snugs Bench Swap
Gun Snugs Flip Formation Breakdown

He also will be adding passing concepts from the Eagles Gun Split
later today. When it is all said and done, this guide will be the
most comprehensive Shotgun play guide in the history of Madden :)

To find out how you can get your hands on the From the Gun Video
Playbook, go to http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com/gun09.html

He has a great sample video there for you to check out that
features a nice Streak/Fade concept you can use just about anywhere.

Playing Madden the Belichick Way

2008-11-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

I was watching Matt Cassel light up the Dolphins on TV last week, when the announcers made some very interesting observations. Cassel was off to a smoking hot start and they were discussing how the playcalling was aiding in his confidence.

At the beginning of the game, the play calls were built to help Cassel establish a rhythm, get confidence, and creating good timing with his receivers.

In addition, Belichick moved personnel in and out to get the coverage profiles that he would be able to exploit. The Pats had established that they could control the short area of the field with slants, curls, crosses & bubble screens.

This forced the defense to have to dip down with the coverage to take away these routes. When that happened, Moss began to go to work on the deep routes.

I was in the midst of editing Big B's Guide to the Green Bay Playbook while tuning into this game, and I was struck by the similar philosophy that Big B uses when creating his schemes.

The Green Bay Playbook scheme has a steady diet of curls, slants, crosses & flat routes to force the defense to move its coverage in close.

Then Big B lights them up with posts, corners & fade routes. He audibles up and down to different formations to get his playmakers in areas where they have the advantage.

For example, a big TE running a curl against a smaller DB. The TE turns, shields off the DB and makes the catch. He works his formations so that a Slot WR is coming out of the backfield on a variety of routes against a LB. Anything to force the defense to play a base set that he can pick apart.

You get the point. The game of Madden can be played like its real life NFL Counterpart.

Here's the good news for you today. As part of our Black Friday weekend, the Green Bay Playbook as well as all of our other guides are available for deep discount at:

http://www.maddentips.com/blackfriday

Madden Tips - BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

2008-11-28T09:08:00.000-05:00

If you are like me, you had your fill of Thanksgiving turkey yesterday and are ready for something new. My wife is gearing up for a day at the Mall doing some early Christmas shopping. I'm planning on sitting on the couch, watching some football, and getting in some Madden games.

Since everybody else out there is getting/giving great deals, we thought that we would do the same here at VG Sports.

So without further ado, I'm pleased to present the VG Sports Black Friday Specials!

All of our products are available at a HUGE discount today, Saturday & Sunday. This sale will be cut off at Sunday Midnight, so act right now!

http://www.maddentips.com/blackfriday

Get the Defensive Video Playbook for 1/2 Off

2008-11-18T11:51:00.002-05:00

I haven't done this before, and frankly it might make some of our other customers upset, but I wanted to really reward you for taking action to improve your Madden game.

For the next four days (until Midnight on Thursday), I'm going to make our Defensive Video Playbook available to you for HALF-OFF as well.

This guide is amazing! Over 7 hours of video breakdowns to make your defense deadly.

You will need to go to

http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com/defense.html to get your hands on it.

Now, pay attention really carefully or you will miss out on the discount. When you go to place your order, you will see a "Coupon Code" box on the checkout page. You must use the following code (in all caps):

DEFENSE

This will allow you to get this awesome guide at HALF-OFF.

So, go to:

http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com/defense.html

Use Coupon Code: DEFENSE

Thanks again,

Bert

P.S. Remember, this exclusive offer will only be active until Midnight on Thursday.

Steelers Video Playbook - Preview

2008-09-25T14:35:00.001-04:00

This week we are creating a new revolution in the way that Madden strategies are presented on the Internet. We've been running our Filmroom site for years, and the videos are always well received. But we wanted to take things to the next level.

For the first time, we are putting out a complete playbook breakdown that is 100% online video. With over 90 Steelers Playbook concepts broken down, this product will include over 6 hours of video!!

We are in the process of loading all the videos up to the server, and should have everything ready to roll in the next couple of days. We already have a pile of players chomping at the bit with credit cards in hand, ready to snatch this up as soon as we launch.

There is a very distinct possibility that we limit the number of Steelers Video Playbooks that we sell. We've never done this before and we want it to be very special, unique and exclusive. We also want to make sure that our members have plenty of bandwidth available to them to view the guides.

With that said, we've created an Early Notification List. We are going to give you a head start on getting your hands on the Steelers Video Playbook before anybody else.

To get on this list and view 2 Free Samples from the Steelers Video Playbook, go to:

http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com

Is Your Madden 09 Game Evolving?

2008-08-25T15:28:00.001-04:00

I look at the Madden season as being comprised of two pretty
distinct stages. First, there is the initial learning phase. This
comes right when the game comes out. Players have to learn the new
features and nuances of the game.

They have to check out what works from last year, and what doesn't.
We often find that players have become dependent on certain
tactics (the strafe catch for example) and struggle at the game.

Gradually the players get past this learning curve, go back to
their fundamental X's and O's and begin to master the game.

Our Virtual Playbook found at:

http://www.maddentips.com/madden09.html

is geared towards helping experienced players get over this curve
quickly. For new players, it helps them achieve the same solid
base that long time competitive players have.

Phase 2 of the game begins when players really begin to explore the
game in earnest. New go-to tactics develop and begin to be put
into action online and in tournament play. The game of Madden
evolves.

If you are a serious Madden player and don't want to be left
behind, then you have to spend some serious time in the Lab
practicing the game and looking for new schemes.

If you are like most people, then you don't have 20 hours a week to
devote to finding new stuff and learning to counter glitches and
money schemes that have hit you online.

That's where the Virtual Filmroom steps in. Each week my staff
prepares a minimum of 5 Strategy breakdowns to keep you on the
cutting edge of the competitive Madden world.

These breakdowns plus videos will help you continue to grow as a
player and keep you up to date on the latest techniques that are
being used at the highest levels of competitive play.

We've given the Filmroom a completely new look this year and have
added a ton of new features to really take it to the next level.

With our new Virtual Filmroom 2.0, you'll be able to interact with
our staff like never before. You'll be able to post
questions/comments on each article, and you'll get answers straight
from the writers themselves.

You'll have access to powerful tools like our Playfinder, and be
able to take advantage of new features like our Weekly Group Lab
Session.

To find out more about how you can get your hands on the Virtual
Filmroom 2.0 and skyrocket your gaming abilities, visit:

http://www.maddenfilmroom.com

Virtual Playbook for Madden 09

2008-08-07T10:38:00.005-04:00

Madden release is only a few days away. Are you taking the day off
work? Planning to call in sick? Or are you one of the lucky few to
already have a copy in your hands? No matter what your plans are
for Madden release day, you will need all the help you can get to
overcome the learning curve that the new game presents.

This is where the team at MaddenTips.com steps in. We've been
playing the game for a while now and have a great understanding of
what is new and what you need to know to dominate the competition
right out of the gate.

I've watched a ton of Madden sites pop up and then either dry up or
sell out to big gaming publishers. I'm constantly amazed at the
junk I see sold on Ebay that people call Madden strategies. And to
be honest I'm sick of it as it gives sites like mine a bad name.

Fortunately for you, if you are serious about becoming a better
Madden gamer, learning the game inside and out, and getting in on
the cutting edge of the Madden strategy world, then we have the
solution for you.

Beginning today, you can reserve your copy of the Virtual Playbook
for Madden 09 and get the strategies you need to be competitive
from day one! The guide will be out on August 12th, but by
ordering today, you get access to some special bonuses and more
importantly...a VIP discount!

In addition to diagrams of all the plays in the game, you'll
receive strategies like:

==> Using Motion in the Run Game...
==> Developing lethal Auto-Motion play combos...
==> Mastering the Double Move Cutback...
==> Creating Wicked Overload Blitz schemes...
==> Manual Pass Defending/User Picks...
==> Running the Singleback Attack...
==> Defending the Deep Ball...
==> Developing an Unstoppable Red Zone Offense...
==> Utilizing Pass Combos to Shred Coverages...
==> Making Pre-Snap Reads...
==> Killing the Defense with Your Shotgun Attack ...

We cover every single aspect of Madden 09. If fact we pack so many
killer strategies into our guide that we have to break it down into
3 Parts. It literally is the Bible for Madden 09 play.

Playbooks & Rosters

Offensive Strategies

Defensive Strategies

For more information about the Virtual Playbook and how you can get
your discount today, visit:

http://www.maddentips.com/madden09.html

Best Regards,

Bert Ingley
VG Sports, Inc.

P.S. We also have some great package deals available to you. When
you click to purchase from our secure server, you'll see three
unique upgrade options including our Patriots 09 Guide & Advanced
Tourney Strategy guide. All scheduled for game day release!

Favre in Madden 09

2008-08-07T10:36:00.002-04:00

Probably not quite what EA SPORTS had in mind when they put Brett Favre on the cover of Madden NFL 09. No matter what team he is one though, Favre is worthy of a Madden cover. Here’s a couple of screens of Favre from Madden 09 in his new team’s gear.

See Favre in his new Madden 09 Jets gear

NCAA Football 09 - Defensive Tips

2008-07-17T15:11:00.001-04:00

One of the biggest topics we have noticed this year regarding NCAA
09 Football is that players are struggling on play defense. With
man coverage not being very effective underneath, players are
finding it hard to stop the short passing game.

I'm sure you've been victimized by dink and dunk offenses that just
nickel and dime you up and down the field. Defending in NCAA
Football 09 will require a completely different approach than normal.

Slants, curls, drags, outs, digs and other short pass routes rip
man coverage apart. The best chance to defend these types of pass
routes is to call zone coverage with multiple players playing zone
coverage underneath.

This year we like to call Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone coverages. Cover
2 does a better job at defending the underneath pass routes because
there are 5 or 6 defenders playing underneath pass coverage. With
more defenders covering underneath, they create less throwing lanes.

When we are playing Cover 2 zone coverage, we like to control one
of the defenders underneath and patrol the short areas of the field
(5-7 yards from the line of scrimmage). We watch for any receivers
coming in our area.

Believe it or not, our objective is to force our opponent to throw
deep. We do this because we believe we have a better chance of
picking off the deep pass rather the short pass. The reason we say
this is the ball is up in the air longer on deep throws than short
throws. This gives us more time to switch to a defender and pick
off the pass.

Now if you don't have good user stick control, you will have major
problems trying to defend a player who knows how to rocket catch on
offense. If you know how to rocket catch on offense, then you
shouldn't have much of a problem rocket catching on defense.

Something else you may want to look into is hook zones. On some
defensive diagrams, it shows a defenders dropping in a particular
area while in a hook zone. The problem with these diagrams is they
are not always accurate.

The diagram may show the LB dropping straight back in hook zone,
but once on the field, he moves at a left or right angle while
dropping back. This takes him out of position.

One way to solve this problem is to hot route the defender into a
hook zone. Instead of taking an angle while dropping back, he will
now drop straight back into a hook zone.

For more tips and schemes on how you can improve your defense and
get pressure on the Quarterback, check out the Virtual Playbook for
NCAA Football 09 at www.ncaa09tips.com

Madden 09 Community Day Impressions - Part 2

2008-05-31T12:00:00.003-04:00

by VG Sports Kobra

Run Game

Big B will happy with this part of the game or at least I think he will. The few guys I talked with seem to agree with me that the run game is back in the NG. I am not much of a runner, but when you get Marion Barber in your backfield, you can’t help but want to pound the rock. In the games I got to play, I ran him between 15-20 times and was averaging around 4.1 yards a carry. The holes tend to open up more. Now I didn’t get to spend a lot of time running against dime and quarter formations, so I can’t say if those two can defend the run like in years past. As we get closer to Madden launch day, you can bet we will have more time on sticks to give you a better idea of how the run game will work.

Playbooks

Not all the playbooks were done with the build we played today. I believe 75% of books were completed. I can tell you there are new formations and several new plays to choose from. Also the formation names have been change. Shotgun formations are now called Gun. For those of you who have played real football, you will find a lot of same terminology is now used in Madden.

I am big fan of passing concepts and they are all over the Madden playbooks such as Drive, Mesh, and Texas. I know they were in the game last year, but even more plays with the same concepts can now be found in several different formations. What I like about this is I can run the same passing concepts, but from different formations to keep my opponent from knowing what I am running.

Each team has it’s own defensive playbook. I didn’t get a chance to check out all of them or even know which were done. However I did see new plays. One of them that stood out to me is Man Press. What I like about this play is when I lab I don’t have to use two controllers. I can just play with one whenever I want to work on beating bump-n-run man coverage. By calling this defense the CPU defenders are automatically put in bump-n-run man coverage. This makes it really easy to work on plays that beat bump-n-run man coverage.

Some of the New Features Added

Here is quick look at some of the new features added to Madden NFL 09.

Virtual Trainer – In the mode you can test your skills by performing various drills to improve your game.

EA Rewind – Basically lets you roll back by replaying the last play.
New Booth Commentators – Really nice to have a two-man booth calling the game again.

Action Camera (I think that’s the name of it) – At first I didn’t like it, and I switched to Madden classic. After a game or so, I decided I would give it a try again. It’s not too bad once you get use to it. It does allow you see the field better. I wonder how much it will really affect playing defense. I’ll need to spend more time with it before I decide what camera I want to use.

Online Leagues – I am not going to spend a lot of time with this feature in this article, but I will write up a more in-depth article later this week. I will say that this will increase the game play replay value tremendously.

Weather Effects – Brings in another element when playing Madden.

User Celebration – Pretty cool if you mange to get in the end zone. Different players will perform different types of celebrations. It’s a nice way to talk some trash to your buddy playing next to you.

Bluff Art – I really like this feature being added to Madden. When playing next to your opponent, you can use it bluff your opponent or use it to view pass routes or blitz assignments that you may have forgotten.

Slide Protection – Nanos shouldn’t be as effective as they were in Madden 08 thanks to this new game feature for the NG.

Formation Audibles – Another game play feature I am glad was brought over from CG. Real nice to have when you see something in the defense that you can exploit.

Smart Routes – Works like it did before in CG.

That’s it for now. I will be answering your questions on the forums over next few days.

http://www.maddentips.com/forums

Madden 09 Community Day Impressions - Part 1

2008-05-31T11:58:00.001-04:00

by VG Sports Kobra

Last year I felt the game improved on the NG, but not as much as I would have hoped. As many of you know there were several features, glitches, and other problems within inside the game. This year EA SPORTS has made a concerted effort to add features that the causal and hard core community will enjoy. They also have made the effort to remove past glitches and problems that have the plagued the game.

Now I am not going to tell you that they corrected everything, but they did get rid some of the more well know problems like the 3 Man Pass Rush and Double Pass. They also toned down the rocket and spectacular catch, and fixed flipping plays to break down the pass coverages.

When I got my hands on the game, I went to straight to play now, turned off the play clock, and starting digging into the game play.

User Catch Offense

The first thing I tried was to rocket catch. When I played NCAA 09 the day before, my nickname around the rest of the community leaders was “Rocket Man”. I figured I’ll try it in Madden and see what happens. I was not able to perform the same rocket animations I was able to get on NCAA, nor was I was able to get the high spectacular catch like 08.

Even when I did get high up in the air, the defensive backs were jumping just as high. I tried Moss, Johnson, Edwards and Buress. Against 2 Man Deep coverage, I didn’t have a lot of success. When I was able to go up to make the catch either the defensive backs were knocking the ball down or they were laying out my receiver. It was down right nasty to watch as the strong safety blasted the receiver over and over.

Now I will admit I did have more success with the mini jet pack against zone coverage. As far as pulling off the rocket catch, I can still get it, but not on short and intermediate pass routes, I was only able to turn the receiver around on deeper routes. As I already mentioned early, even when I was able to be in position to make the catch, the defenders were all over me. When I tried to undercut the defenders in coverage, they would have none of that. They were able to keep position to knock the pass down or pick it off. Remember how defenders would turn away when the receiver was going up for the catch in the past. That’s not the case in the version of the game I played today. The CPU defenders were like vultures circling their prey. Now I am sure as we all play the game, we are going to find creative ways to catch the ball manually, but I will tell you for now if you were one of those who abused user catching in 08, you will find it a lot more difficult in 09.

User Catch Defense

In my opinion playing defense in Madden 09 should be fun because now the defenders can get up in the air with the right animation trigger. Heck even if you don’t want to take control of the defenders, the CPU does a nice job at defending the pass. To me playing defense feels smoother than any version so far on the NG. It should make those switching from CG to NG a a little more comfortable.

Underneath Passing Game

I’ve gone into a lot of detail already about the deep passing game, now I want to give some thoughts on the underneath passing game. One of things I have felt I have always been good at is the dink and dunk offense. In Madden 09, the underneath passing game may be the best way to move the ball through the air. Slants, curls, drags, hitches, flats, and crossing routes are all effective to name a just a few.

Now I am not saying they are money because against the right defense it’s not going to be there. For instance zones tend to defend the crossing routes better than what man coverage provides. One of the reasons I say this is because of the way the receivers tend to get separation as the ball is just about to be caught. For instance I threw a pass to T.O. It looked like he wasn’t going to be able to get it even if I took control of him, but at the last second, he got a little speed burst and separated from the defender and made the catch.

I also make several user catches on what I like to call corner routes with an inside release (also known as backward C routes). I used the sprint button and was able to get the same separation. I believe this game play feature may separate the players who take control of receivers and defenders once the ball is thrown. For instance if I play against a human who doesn’t take control of his receivers, I will be able to take control of the defender in coverage, and use the speed burst button to negate the speed burst that the CPU uses.

I will be able to jump the route for a pick or at the very least use the swat button to knock the pass away. Now if my opponent takes control of the receiver, he can use the speed burst button to get the catch. It should be nice battle for players who like to control their receivers and defenders.

The Madden Minute - March 13, 2008

2008-03-14T11:40:00.002-04:00

This week's edition of the Madden Minute has been posted...

One of the most popular go-to running plays in tournament play is the FB Dive. Many guys who use the FB Dive in their offense are doing so out of the Goal Line formation.

But, if you play in leagues, you typically are not allowed to use goal line all over the field, so the Strong I Jumbo gives you another set that is just effective as goal line running.

For this week's breakdown, go to http://www.maddentips.com/maddenminute

VG Sports releases Madden Strategy DVD!!

2008-03-03T16:35:00.005-05:00

Over the past several years, Kobra and I have debated about releasing a strategy DVD. He's been pushing really hard, and finally I relented. Frankly, I didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of printing DVDs and shipping them out. I told him if he wanted it, he had to put it together.

Well, if you've been around VG Sports for very long, then you know what a tireless worker Kobra is. I don't know anybody that logs as many hours in the practice lab as he does.

Kobra went at it full force and has put together an incredible DVD with 30 never before revealed passing concepts from the Run N Gun Playbook...ALL ON VIDEO.

That's right, for the first time ever you'll receive a package right at your doorstep from VG Sports instead of just through cyberspace. The Run N Gun Passing Concepts DVD has over 60 minutes of strategy breakdowns that will help you amp up your offense yet again. And now you don't have to sit at your computer & read...you can just chill on your couch and soak up the knowledge.

To find out more about this new DVD, go to http://www.maddentips.com/KobraDVD

The Madden Minute - February 21, 2008

2008-02-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week as VG Sports brings you the February 21st
edition of The Madden Minute.

This week we take a look at a great strategy tool that you can use to
locate plays and formations. Finding the proper playbook is the #1 key
to success on offense.

For this week's edition, go to http://www.maddentips.com/maddenminute

The Madden Minute - February 14, 2008

2008-02-14T16:01:00.002-05:00

Big B & Kornstar get on the line with VG Bert for a 30 minute discussion on how to run a devestating offense in Madden.

Creating a scheme that attacks all areas of the field is key to being able to dictate the game to the defense. You'll learn all about the uncovered WR theory and how to avoid the alley defender.

Click here for the Madden Minute

Big B's Guide to the Compression Offense - 401

2008-02-05T18:47:00.001-05:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock this year, you've probably caught the Madden Nation show and the Madden Challenge on TV. Da Problem took down the championship in both events to solidify himself as the undisputed player of the year. Other Madden Regionals went to players like Marc Dogg, Brusk and Kornstar.

What do all of these incredible players have in common?

They are all part of the EMB (Elite Madden Ballers), the hottest Madden crew in the country.

What else do they have in common?

They have all flourished under the leadership of EMB Commissioners Big B & Mr. Squeeze. Their crew has originated many of the techniques used by every top player this year.

In the Compression Guide 401, Big B continues to build on what has become the #1 scheme in all of Madden. He is going to put all these strategies on the table. Once again he's gonna crack open the door to his Lab and let you in.

Here's a couple tidbits of what you'll find inside:

   1. Create Match Up Hell For Your Opponents With Hybrid Sets - Many guys have learned how to defend compression. Many can defend spread. But these hybrid sets are impossible to guard. Big B gives you the 411 on how you can total embarrass your opponents and pass at will.

   2. Get the EMB's Special Take on the Atlanta Playbook - Atlanta's Playbook is the most used playbook in the game today. At the Madden Challenge, almost every other TV had the Falcons book listed. But the EMB doesn't just do it like everybody else. You'll learn their own special flavor of bringing the pain with the ATL playbook.

   3. Discover a Killer I Form Scheme - What do you do when teams continually send Quarters 3 Man Pass Rush at your shotty sets? Simple, employ this audible down scheme and pound them into the dirt. Big B, T Money & Mr. Squeeze deliver the goods.

   4. Learn How to Bring It Old School From the RNG - T Money hit the lab and found one set that allowed the crew to run on a more consistent basis. This set also allowed them to mesh passing plays. Then later Squeeze, Problem, and outsider Chow found others plays that expanded this scheme. This section lists a series of plays and why they were used in order to move the ball on NG. This is a combo of Chow, Problem, Squeeze, T Money, and Big B's best stuff!

Plus you'll get 73 pages of KornStar's (Indy Regional Champ & Final 8 at Madden Championship) offense broken down in detail.

For more info go to:

www.maddentips.com/compression401

The Madden Minute

2008-01-31T12:34:00.000-05:00

Beginning today we will be introducing a new tool to help you
improve your game play...The Madden Minute.

Each and every Thursday, my team at VG Sports will hit you up with
a helpful Madden nugget. We' are striving to include lots of
multimedia so be on the look out and turn those speakers up.

For the first edition, go to http://www.maddentips.com/maddenminute

Enjoy!

VG Sports New Year's Special

2007-12-31T12:39:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

It's been a fun year for us here at VG Sports and I wanted to take
a quick moment to thank you for your support in 2007. We are
looking forward to the new year and have some surprises in store
that you are going to really like.

This is one of my favorite times of year as I get to spend several
days in my easy chair soaking in some serious football. As a
Gainesville native, you can bet I'll be rooting for the Gators to
put the beat down on Michigan tomorrow. (sorry Wolverine fans out
there, but you are in for a butt whoopin!)

But if by some miracle, the Gators lose, feel free to email me and
"give me the business." I can take it!

Win or lose, it doesn't get much better than bowl season...but I am
going to throw a little bit of icing on your football cake as we
close out '07.

We ran a special during the holidays that proved to be a big
favorite with our subscribers. I would like to extend this
opportunity for you to save big on VG Sports strategy products as
we roll into the new year.

If you use the coupon code BCS when placing an order for any of our
Ebook guides, I'll give you 20% off the purchase price. Sound fair
enough?

This code will be valid through January 7th so you can catch all
the Bowl games and get your Madden/NCAA game up to par for '08.

You can use this code on any of the following products:

Virtual Playbook for Madden - http://www.maddentips.com
Virtual Playbook for NCAA - http://www.ncaa08tips.com
4-3 Defense - http://www.maddentips.com/43playbook
46 Defense - http://www.maddentips.com/46playbook
34 Defense - http://www.maddentips.com/34defense
Run N Gun - http://www.maddentips.com/rng
Patriots Guide - http://www.maddentips.com/pats
Spread Guide - http://www.maddentips.com/spread08

And here's the great news. All of these products are instantly
downloadable so you can start getting better any time day or night.

Thanks again for your support!!

MaddenConnection.com Launched

2007-11-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today is an exciting day for the VG Sports Madden Community. We are taking a big step here to provide our members with a much more robust and powerful community. Our goal this year was to evolve as a company and to provide the best possible services to the community...by doing things we have never done before.

We are launching a brand new site today at http://www.maddenconnection.com

The VG Sports Madden Connection is a big part of this evolution. We are moving past just having a forum, into having a full fledged community site. We will be putting together a series of tutorial videos to show you exactly what you can do on the site, but some of the highlights include:

* Personal profile pages including photo galleries
* Ability to search members by playing style and console
* Create on the fly chat rooms
* Tons of FREE strategy content from the VG Sports team
* Private groups/league bulletin boards and forums

This is just scratching the surface of what is available here.

Okay, so what is changing? On Wednesday we will be locking the current forum. We will leave all of the threads in place, but no new posts will be able to be made.

Please visit the new site at www.maddenconnection.com and register for your free profile. This will give you access to all of the features on the site: forums, profiles, strategy content, etc.

We really encourage you to put a picture of yourself on your profile page so we can get to know you better. It is a lot of fun to see the faces behind the names we have come to know so well over the past 5 years. You can use your forum sig to show support for your favorite teams and players of course.

Fill out as much of the profile information as you like, paying special attention to listing your console of choice and your style of play. These items will be searchable which should aid you in being able to find games with fellow VG Sports members.

Other than that, post away! For those of you that have significant post counts (1500 or more) on the current boards, we have special awards that you will be able to post in your profile. These let everybody know that you've been here on VG for a long time and we'll be recognizing different levels of posts. These "badges of honor" are the best solution we could find to recognize you for your hard work in supporting our community since post counts won't carry over. Once you have registered, please PM me on the new site with your post count in the subject line and I'll get you your just rewards!

Unfortunately, when we moved to the new community site, we had to leave the old forums behind. Many vistors coming to this site for the first time don't know the history of VG Sports or the forums. Even though the old forum is locked for posting, there is a wealth of information, both useful and just plain funny to be found there. With 25,000 members and a quarter of a million posts, the Old School forum served us well for the last 5 years.

I know that there is often a resistance to anything new, but I am confident that the new benefits that this site will give us will far outweigh any negatives.

Thanks!

Madden Roster Update - October 24th

2007-10-24T09:47:00.001-04:00

Roster Update – Next Gen

Weapons
• HB Marshawn Lynch – Bills - Becomes Trucking/Power Back – A smash mouth running back who runs very physical.
• HB LaMont Jordan – Raiders - Becomes Trucking/Power Back – A load to take down. His big body moves incredibly well.
• WR Dwayne Bowe – Chiefs - Becomes Spectacular Catch Receiver – Has made some very acrobatic catches in his first year.
• HB Joseph Addai – Colts - Becomes Elusive Back – Very shifty behind the Colts great offensive line.
• DT Darnell Docket – Cardinals – Becomes Power Move DL – Getting to the QB better than any other DT in the NFL right now.
• DE Kyle Vanden Bosch – Titans – Becomes Power Move DL – Another high motor defensive end that plays to the whistle and gets to the QB.
• TE Jason Witten – Cowboys – Becomes Route Running Weapon – A great pass catching tight end that is having his best season thus far.
• WR Terrell Owens – Cowboys – Loses Hands Weapon – Too many drops to be a hands weapon.
• HB Adrian Peterson – Vikings – Becomes Speed Weapon – Looks like the fastest and quickest running back in the league.
• QB Derek Anderson – Browns – Becomes Cannon Arm QB – Was deserving of this from the get go but has earned it this year firing the ball downfield.
• WR Reggie Wayne – Colts – Loses Spectacular Catch WR – Makes great catches but not the high flying ones.
• LB Joey Porter – Dolphins – Loses Finesse Move – Looking like his time at the top is nearing an end.
• WR Laveranues Coles – Jets – Becomes Spectacular Catch WR – Making great high flying catches week after week now.
• HB Leon Washington – Jets – Becomes Elusive Back – You don’t want to be in the open field with this guy.
• LB E.J. Henderson – Vikings – Becomes Big Hitter – His hits can be heard everywhere. A thumper.
• LT Bryant McKinnie – Vikings – Becomes Crushing Run Blocker – Combines with Hutchinson to form holes giant running lanes.
• WR Andre Davis – Texans – Becomes Speed Weapon - A vertical home run hitter for the Texans.

Ratings Up
• CB Marlin Jackson – 83 to 84 – Key contributor to an improved Colts defense.
• TE Dallas Clark – 87 to 88 – Having a pro bowl season for the Colts juggernaut.
• HB Marshawn Lynch – 83 to 84 – Running hard for the quarterback challenged Buffalo Bills.
• HB LaMont Jordan – 85 to 86 – Looks back to his old self after a year off. A load to tackle for sure.
• QB Tony Romo – 89 to 90 – What did Romo show us this week? How fast and athletic the Dallas QB is.
• QB Brett Favre – 90 to 92 – With little to no running game Favre has been the sole offensive reason the Packers have moved the ball this year.
• WR Donald Driver – 93 to 94 – Vastly underrated by most everyone. He is starting to get his due.
• HB Willie Parker – 90 to 91 – Fast Willie led the NFL in rushing up until his bye week.
• WR Dwayne Bowe – 77 to 79 – How bad did he look in Hard Knocks? How good does he look now.
• DT Darnell Dockett – 87 to 88 – Leads all defensive tackles in sacks. He is starting to live up to his potential in the Cardinals new defense.
• LB Michael Boley – 82 to 85 – Big time tackler in Atlanta.
• CB Phillip Buchanon – 77 to 80 – Hasn’t missed a beat in filling in for the injured Brian Kelly.
• QB Kurt Warner – 80 to 83 – The Cardinals offense is at its best when he is in there running the hurry up.
• WR Greg Jennings – 85 to 86 – Showed that he is back on the game winning touchdown run vs. the Chargers.
• WR James Jones – 78 to 79 – With the exception of the two fumbles vs. the Bears this rookie has the body language and physique of a veteran.
• WR Ruvell Martin – 69 to 71 – Has made several nice grabs in the Packers pass happy offense.
• TE Donald Lee – 78 to 80 – Starting for Bubba Franks now, he adds a new dimension of stretching the defense down the seam.
• HB DeShawn Wynn – 73 to 76 – Getting plenty of touches in the running back by committee Packer backfield.
• HB Vernand Morency – 79 to 81 – Definitely the most explosive and agile of the Packer backs.
• FB Korey Hall – 75 to 83 – The former college linebacker is the making the transition to NFL fullback.
• K Mason Crosby – 81 to 86 – Clutch kicker before his two misses vs. Washington.
• HB Jason Wright – 73 to 76 – Second string back in Cleveland. Filled in for an injured Jamal Lewis for the better part of two games.
• FB Mike Sellers – 83 to 87 – Dump off option for Jason Campbell. Ran over and through several Lions a couple weeks ago.
• HB Derrick Ward – 77 to 80 – Came out of nowhere to fill in for the Brandon Jacobs. Quick hard runner.
• HB Brandon Jacobs – 83 to 84 – If he stays healthy he will put up big numbers behind the underrated Giants Oline.
• WR Plaxico Burress – 92 to 93 – Starting to live up to his enormous potential and is shedding the “Plexiglass” nickname.
• FS Calvin Lowry – 70 to 74 – Starting for the tough as nails Tennessee defense.
• CB Fakhir Brown – 80 to 84 – Intercepted two passes, with 6 pass deflections, in his first game back from a 4 game suspension.
• CB Jabari Greer – 69 to 75 – Stepped up when injuries ravished the entire Bills defense. Shouldn’t lose his starting job.
• DE Anthony Hargrove – 73 to 76 – Underrated pass rusher that missed the first 4 games due to suspension.
• QB Trent Edwards – 70 to 74 – Can he win a game with his arm and is he the starter? The rookie has filled in pretty well for the injured Losman.
• K Nick Folk – 76 to 81 – The rookie kicker beat out Martin Gramatica in the preseason and is drilling everything so far. Including the game winning FG vs. the Bills twice.
• CB Jacques Reeves – 65 to 75 – Nickel back for the improving Cowboys pass defense.
• LB Anthony Spencer – 75 to 78 – His hold on a starting position might be coming to an end with the return of Greg Ellis but he has been solid so far.
• TE Jason Witten – 93 to 94 – Creating nightmares for opposing defenses, except for the Patriots, he already has his tickets to Honolulu.
• WR Ben Obomanu – 68 to 70 – Getting some playing time with the injuries to the Seattle receiving core.
• WR Brad Smith – 65 to 75 – Taking over as the Jets third WR.
• DT Rodrique Wright – 68 to 71 – Getting some playing time after a year on the IR.
• HB Adrian Peterson – 88 to 89 – I can only think of one running back that looks even close to as good as AD right now. The only guy that can stop him right now is Coach Childress.
• DE Aaron Kampman – 95 to 97 – Creating pure havoc on opposing offenses right now.
• DE Cullen Jenkins – 86 to 87 – The stats only say 1 sack, but he has been great defending the run and rushing the passer.
• DE Kabeer Gbaja Biamila – 86 to 88 – KGB is back to sacking the QB again. A great tandem with Kampman.
• LB Brady Poppinga – 75 to 78 – That other LB for Green Bay.
• SS Atari Bigby – 75 to 80 – A huge hitter at safety that might be a liability in the passing game but thumps running backs.
• FS Nick Collins – 78 to 80 – Has shown little progress from his rookie year but with Bigby forms an above average run stopping duo at safety.
• DT Corey Williams – 84 to 85 – Probably the best of the bunch of the Packers defensive tackles. A true pass rushing DT.
• DT Ryan Pickett – 82 to 85 – Big defensive tackle that starts for the stingy Packer defense.
• TE Desmond Clark – 83 to 84 – Has stepped up his game with the emergence of Greg Olsen.
• TE Greg Olsen – 80 to 81 – A true pass catching tight end. Is improving each week.
• HB Kenny Watson – 77 to 79 – Some say he will split carries with Rudi when Rudi is healthy. I wouldn’t go that far but he filled in admirably.
• LG Stacy Andrews – 76 to 79 – Mammoth starting guard for the Bengals.
• DE Justin Smith – 87 to 89 – High motor pass rushing end.
• WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 91 to 93 – One of the premier #2 WR’s in the league. Fearless over the middle.
• DT Kyle Williams – 80 to 81 – Stout defender holding down the middle for the surprising Buffalo defense.
• LB John DiGiorgio – 70 to 72 – Starting now for the injured Posluszny at MLB.
• WR Roscoe Parrish – 73 to 75 – The new #2 WR in Buffalo with the season ending injury to Peerless Price.
• WR Josh Reed – 74 to 75 – Slot WR for Buffalo. Not the fastest WR around but goes over the middle and has good hands.
• RT Erik Pears – 79 to 81 – Starting RT for the Denver offense. They just plug in guys in their system and all they do is run the ball.
• RG Montrae Holland – 79 to 81 – Big RG for the Denver Oline.
• LB Nate Webster – 76 to 80 – Starting at strong side linebacker for the Denver defense.
• LG Chris Kuper – 74 to 78 – Injuries have forced this backup into the starting lineup.
• DT Amon Gordon – 77 to 78 – A starter for the Denver defense at defensive tackle.
• QB Derek Anderson – 79 to 81 – This big armed QB has the surprising Cleveland offense scoring big points.
• WR Braylon Edwards – 87 to 88 – He has some of the best catches of the year thus far. Averaging almost 100 yards and more than a TD per game.
• DT Jovan Haye – 78 to 80 – Came out of nowhere to start for the Bucs defense.
• DT Greg Peterson – 66 to 70 – The late round draft pick is getting playing time for the solid as usual Bucs defense.
• FS Tanard Jackson – 75 to 79 – A big hitter at the safety position. A rookie starter who has played well.
• LB Calvin Pace – 70 to 72 – Starting now at OLB for the Cardinals. A big game vs. the Redskins means he will keep going up.
• FS Jarrad Page – 76 to 80 – A first time starter this year has helped the surprising Chiefs defense to a good start.
• DE Tamba Hali – 86 to 87 – Combines with Jared Allen to form one of the top pass rushing end tandems in the AFC.
• DE Jared Allen – 92 to 93 – Leads the league in sacks after missing two games due to suspension. A real problem for offenses.
• SS Bernard Pollard – 81 to 82 – A huge hitter who thumps receivers over the middle.
• WR Jeff Webb – 65 to 70 – Injuries forced him into action and he responded with a 7 catches for 78 yards day vs. the Bengals.
• CB Nathan Jones – 62 to 67 – The dime back for the Cowboys.
• HB Ronnie Brown – 88 to 89 – Was one of the top backs in the league with little to no help from the quarterback position or offensive line before a knee injury ended his season.
• CB Michael Lehan – 68 to 73 – Has moved his way into the starting lineup for the lowly Dolphins.
• WR Wes Welker – 86 to 87 – Starting to show he was worth the huge contract. Catches almost everything he gets his hands on and is extremely elusive and tough.
• TE Brent Celek – 67 to 70 – An injury to LJ Smith forced this rookie into action and he stepped up.
• QB Joey Harrington – 79 to 80 – It’s difficult to be hard on Joey Heisman now that they are down to their 3rd Left Tackle with no running game. Gonna get worse before it gets better.
• DT Trey Lewis – 65 to 67 – The late round draft pick has had to play with so many injuries to the Atlanta Dline but he has stepped up.
• WR Roddy White – 78 to 79 – Still gets a case of the drops too often but has put up solid numbers in the Falcons passing game.
• DE Osi Umenyiora – 87 to 90 – Has feasted on terrible tackles but still is as explosive as they get at the defensive end position.
• QB David Garrard – 83 to 84 – A true game manager. A fast and heady QB should take the Jaguars to the playoffs.
• SS Kerry Rhodes – 94 to 95 – One of the best safeties in the game.
• WR Laveranues Coles – 91 to 92 – Another underrated WR. Could be a big deep threat if the QB had a bigger arm. If Kellen Clemens gets the nod he could be beating defenses deep again.
• DE Kenyon Coleman – 79 to 82 – 40 tackles through 7 games at the defensive end position. More than doing his part.
• HB Leon Washington – 80 to 81 – They need to find more ways to get this guy the ball. The former FSU standout is a playmaker.
• CB David Barrett – 76 to 78 – He was benched in the second half vs. the Bengals but he had been starting before that.
• RG Junius Coston – 70 to 73 – New RG for the Packer Oline.
• K Stephen Gostkowski – 82 to 87 – The accurate kicker for the New England machine.
• WR Derrick Mason – 85 to 87 – Who leads the NFL in receptions through 7 weeks? This guy.
• LB Jarret Johnson – 80 to 82 – Adalius Thomas’ replacement. A tough strong end/OLB that should get to the QB.
• DT Anthony Montgomery – 64 to 77 – The big guy in the middle for the Redskins. They found they couldn’t keep him off the field or out of the starting lineup.
• WR Antwaan Randle El – 74 to 77 – One of the bright spots of the lackluster Redskin receiving core.
• QB Jason Campbell – 82 to 83 – The injuries to the offensive line have created a chain effect on the Redskin offense. Cooley has to block more, the running game isn’t as effective, and the receivers are mediocre at best. But Campbell has played well.
• LB Rocky McIntosh – 81 to 84 – Looking like another big time LB from Miami. He is starting to make a name for himself.
• WR Lance Moore – 73 to 75 – Returns kicks and punts for the Saints and is trying to get more touches in the receiving game with the demotion of Devery Henderson.
• FB Carey Davis – 85 to 86 – New starting fullback for the Steelers. A big boy who can catch the ball out of the backfield.
• HB Najeh Davenport – 79 to 80 – Goal line and third down back for the Steelers. Packs a punch.
• LB James Harrison – 83 to 84 – “Silverback” is a nasty LB for the Steel curtain. Should be close to 100 tackles with 6+ sacks at the end of the year.
• RT Willie Colon – 75 to 79 – New starting RT for the Steelers.
• DT Pat Williams – 90 to 91 – Fat Pat is the immovable object in the middle of the Vikings defense.
• LB E.J. Henderson – 85 to 86 – A big hitter who is a big part of the Vikings rush defense.
• LT Bryant McKinnie – 94 to 95 – Hutchinson and McKinnie form the best left side in all of football.
• RG Anthony Herrera – 74 to 78 – The new RG for the Vikings.
• RT Ryan Cook – 74 to 77 – The RT for the Vikings. He helps pave the way for All Day Adrian Peterson.
• CB Cortland Finnegan – 79 to 82 – A feisty cornerback for the Titans who hits hard and is a playmaker.
• DT Albert Haynesworth – 87 to 90 – Probably the best DT in all of football right now. If he keeps it up he will be the elite DT in Madden in no time.
• DT Tony Brown – 77 to 81 – He starts opposite Haynesworth for the Titans defense.
• LE Antwan Odom – 78 to 82 – A true mammoth defensive end (6-5 275) for the Titans.
• WR Chris Davis – 68 to 70 – Has looked exceptional returning kicks for the Titans. He looks much faster than his combine speed.
• WR Kevin Walter – 71 to 73 – The possession receiver has filled in for Andre Johnson and had some big games.
• WR Andre Davis – 70 to 74 – Another guy chipping in the loss of Andre Johnson. A vertical threat the Texan offense.
• WR Kevin Curtis – 83 to 84 – “White Lightning” is the new vertical threat for McNabb. He should have some big days this year for the Eagles.

Ratings Down
• HB Shaun Alexander – 95 to 91 – Starting to look like a poor mans Duce Staley.
• FS Brian Dawkins – 96 to 94 – Age is starting to catch up with B-Dawk.
• QB Matt Leinart – 84 to 83 – Cardinals look better with Warner in there right now.
• QB Rex Grossman – 83 to 78 – Long time coming.
• QB Drew Brees – 95 to 93 – Not what I expected from the Saints and their QB.
• WR Terrell Owens – 97 to 96 – Too many drops to be up there with the rest of the elite WR’s.
• RG Damien Woody – 91 to 89 – Has been a healthy inactive this year.
• WR Brian Clark – 72 to 70 – Buried on the Broncos depth chart.
• TE Daniel Graham – 86 to 85 – Not involved at all in the Denver offense.
• DE Simeon Rice – 89 to 88 – Shoulder injury is hampering this former superstars season.
• DT Alvin McKinley – 79 to 78 – Not starting and not helping a terrible Denver run defense.
• LB Joey Porter – 92 to 90 – A shadow of his former self. Just got his first sack in week 7.
• QB Byron Leftwich – 82 to 80 – Has to prove his rating after being cut in the preseason.
• WR Joe Horn – 85 to 84 – Still might not be healthy. His numbers back that up.
• WR Ashley Lelie – 74 to 70 – A bystander in the 49ers offense. Has never lived up to the hype. Just a vertical route runner who might not be a burner anymore.
• CB Andre Dyson – 84 to 79 – Not starting anymore and playing time has been limited.
• RT George Foster – 84 to 79 – Benched several times this year due to poor play.
• FS Eugene Wilson – 88 to 86 – Might be scheme related or so that he is fresh for the end of season but some of his reps have been taken.
• DT Terdell Sands – 85 to 81 – Benched for Gerard Warren which is not a good thing.
• DT Hollis Thomas – 85 to 80 – Benched on a terrible Saints defense.
• WR Devery Henderson – 80 to 76 – Drop, Catch, Drop, Drop. Not a good pattern for the speedster. Hands are an issue right now.
• DE Patrick Kerney – 92 to 91 – Not as productive as he once was.
• RG Floyd Womack – 82 to 79 – Been overrated in Madden for a while. A 37 year old starts over him.
• FB Dan Kreider – 88 to 84 – Lost his starting job recently. Still a solid FB.
• RG Artis Hicks – 82 to 80 – Lost his starting job recently in Minnesota.

Transactions
• WR Michael Lewis – Signs with 49ers
• WR Brandon Williams – Released by 49ers
• WR Taylor Jacobs – Released by 49ers
• WR Bryan Gilmore – Signs with 49ers
• HB Ken Darby – Added to Bucs
• HB Josh Scobey – Released by Bills
• CB Jerametrius Butler – Signs with Bills
• HB Clifton Dawson – Released by Bengals/Signs with Colts
• HB DeDe Dorsey – Signs with Bengals
• HB Pierre Thomas – Added to Saints
• TE Courtney Anderson – Signs with Lions
• HB Aveion Cason – Signs with Lions
• WR Keenan McCardell – Signs with Redskins
• WR Anthony Mix – Released by Giants
• WR Domenik Hixon – Released by Broncos/Signs with Giants
• FS Josh Gattis – Signs with Bears
• SS Brandon McGowan – Added to Bears
• LB Andre Frazier – Added to Steelers
• LB William Kershaw – Released by Chiefs
• LB Nate Harris – Added to Chiefs
• C Lyle Sendlein – Added to Cardinals
• LT Renardo Foster – Added to Falcons
• WR Bobby Sippio – Added to Chiefs
• HB Andre Hall – Added to Broncos
• WR Glenn Martinez – Added to Broncos
• C Nick Leckey – Signs with Rams
• QB Matt Moore – Added to Panthers
• FB Mack Strong – Retires from Seahawks
• FB Leonard Weaver – Added to Seahawks
• C Chukky Okobi – Released by Cardinals
• LG Keydrick Vincent – Signs with Cardinals
• SS Bhawoh Jue – Signs with Rams
• QB Tim Rattay – Signs with Cardinals
• FS Lamont Thompson – Released by Dolphins
• DT Sam Rayburn – Signs with Dolphins
• CB Lenny Walls – Released by Rams
• SS Jarrod Cooper – Signs with Raiders
• QB Vinny Testaverde – Signs with Panthers
• CB Keiwan Ratliff – Released by Bengals
• CB David Jones – Signs with Bengals
• RT Kelly Butler – Released by Browns
• CB Brandon McDonald – Added to Browns
• WR Jerheme Urban – Added to Cardinals
• WR Craphonso Thorpe – Added to Colts
• CB Tory James – Released by Patriots
• SS Mel Mitchell – Added to Patriots
• CB Duane Starks – Released by Raiders
• WR Travis Taylor – Released by Raiders
• LB Jon Alston – Added to Raiders
• DE Eric Moore – Released by Rams
• DE Trevor Johnson – Added to Rams
• HB Cory Ross – Released by Ravens
• FS Omar Stoutmire – Released by Redskins
• C Chris White – Added to Texans
• WR Chris Chambers – Traded from Dolphins to Chargers
• SS Donovin Darius – Released by Dolphins
• HB Michael Bennett – Traded from Chiefs to Bucs
• DE Quentin Moses – Released by Cardinals
• WR Koren Robinson – Added to Packers

Injuries
• SS Sabby Piscitelli – Bucs – IR Foot
• C Steve McKinney – Texans – IR Knee
• HB Carnell Williams – Bucs – IR Knee
• LT Luke Pettigout – Bucs – IR Knee
• HB Deuce McAllister – Saints – IR Knee
• LG Mark Setterstrom – Rams – IR Knee
• RG Jason Whittle – Bills – IR Hamstring
• TE Dan Campbell – Lions – IR Elbow
• HB Alvin Pearman – Seahawks – IR Knee
• TE David Thomas – Patriots – IR Foot
• LB Lemar Marshall – Bengals – IR Achilles
• WR Peerless Price – Bills – IR Neck
• LT Wayne Gandy – Falcons – IR Knee
• QB Jake Delhomme – Panthers – IR Elbow
• C Tom Nalen – Broncos – IR Bicep
• LG Ben Hamiton – Broncos – IR Concussion
• SS Jerome Carter – Rams – IR Foot
• RT Adam Goldberg – Rams – IR Knee
• WR Roy Hall – Colts – IR Shoulder
• WR Jerome Mathis – Texans – IR Leg
• DE Darrion Scott – Vikings – IR Foot
• QB Chris Simms – Bucs – IR Spleen
• QB Matt Leinart – Cardinals – IR Collarbone
• DT Chartric Darby – Seahawks – IR Knee
• WR Eric Parker – Chargers – IR – Toe
• WR Tab Perry – Bengals – IR - Hip

Madden 08 - Next Gen Formation Shifting

2007-10-16T21:16:00.000-04:00

One of the big features missing in Next Gen Madden is the ability to formation shift. While we expect to see this feature next year on the 360 & PS3, there is a way to change up looks in Madden 08. With some quick audible work and the right timing, you can create some pretty slick formations.

Madden 08 - Defeating the 3 Man Pass Rush

2007-10-16T18:41:00.000-04:00

For many players the bane of their existence in Madden 08 is the 3 man DE Contain pass rush plays. With these in effect it is just about impossible to run plays from under center. With the help of one of our forum members, the VG Sports team went deep into the lab to find a fix for this problem.

Madden 08 - 5WR Motion

2007-10-16T17:08:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, it is possible to put 5 WRs in motion on the same play.

Strategy Corner - Defending Next Gen Heat

2007-10-10T15:25:00.001-04:00

Week in and week out people discuss nanos. Some think it is not
fair because you can't make good offensive line adjustments. Others
say, just get in the shotgun. Both are valid points. However, today
I want to look at passing the ball from under Center with six and
seven man protection schemes.

The first play I want to look at this against is the 3-4 Solid DE
Contain. The 3 Man crash in nano brings quick pressure when you
have fast defensive ends. I want to mention up front that this
protection scheme is based out of Compression and Flex sets. So
look for formations such as Singleback Trips Bunch TE, and Flip
Trips.

One of the keys to passing the ball from under center and blocking
the nano blitzes up the gut is to get a WR stacked behind the
tackle. To get this look, simply flip the play two times really
quick. On the 360 that would be X + RT, X + RT really fast. Hot
route block the player that stacks behind the offensive tackle as
well as the HB to block.

On the snap the DEs move to the inside. Even if the Guards did not
pick them up, the HB and our WR stacked behind the offensive tackle
form a 2nd line of protection.

This gives me plenty of time in the pocket to read the field and
get the pass off.

I want to look at this against Engage Eight as well. I will first
look at this against Engage Eight without the Safety blitzing then
I will look at it with the Safety blitzing.

The defense can be stacked at the line. The engage eight brings
some very quick pressure from this set up.

But, with the WR & HB in the scheme, everyone gets picked up.
Rest assured, if anyone gets to the QB here it is because they beat
a block. They will not be running free here.

Now let's look at this with the Safety blitzing as we are going to
get some heat coming up the middle.

This is where our HB steps up and slows that down. I get some extra
time in the pocket to read the field and make the pass. Be sure to
lab these plays and pay careful attention to how the protection
works.

Lab this and get it into your offense. Once you get the pass
protection down then look at installing routes. Again, this only
works in certain formations. Singleback Trips Bunch, Bunch TE, Flip
Trips can definitely be used. On plays in which the HB is already
blocking, you may still need to hot block him.

Madden Tournament Scene

2007-10-09T15:24:00.000-04:00

Just a couple of items of note this time around. Congrats to Big B
and the EMB for some steller tournament performances. Brusk took
down the recent 360 Tournament in Trenton, NJ.

Also, Problem grabbed the EMB's first Madden Challenge Regional to
kick off the season. Big B and the crew will be gunning for more
when the events hit the East Coast, so watch out for the EMB!

Coming up soon is Gamestop's 'KOTC New Jersey" Sponsored By Devry
on Sat, October 27th, 2007. The event will be held at:

DeVry University
630 U.S. Highway One
North Brunswick, NJ 08902

For more information, go to http://www.njmaddenballers.com

A Special Message from VG Sports

2007-10-09T15:17:00.000-04:00

We have come a long way since I started things off in 2001. We
have grown from a one man shop to a team of dedicated Madden
players who each bring their own unique style of play to the site.
There were 8 of us involved in keeping this ship going the right
direction as we began our 7th season of covering Madden football.

I have been talking with the staff lately about our vision for VG
Sports this year and beyond. We are challenging each other to make
a dramatic improvement in our offerings this year as VG Sports
evolves as a company.

Of course success brings all of the copycats out of the woodwork,
but competition is a good thing. You will see some things coming
out the next couple of months that have never been done before by
any site...period.

As part of our overall goal to continue to push the envelope of
Madden strategy, I am going to make a strong committment to you to
provide more FREE content in the form of our Madden Newsletters.

Each month (or possibly every 2 weeks), I will give you new
strategies you can use to improve your game as well as keep your
informed about what is going on in the Madden Community.

Thanks for being along for the journey and buckle up for a wild
ride the rest of this Madden 08 season.

Best Regards,

Bert Ingley
VG Sports, Inc.

This Week in the Filmroom

2007-10-07T15:28:00.000-04:00

Let me just say that the Filmrom has been on fire lately. The team
has really stepped up as a whole and is bringing not only a lot of
creativity, but a ton of bonuses and timely releases.

Here's what is coming out in this week's (Oct. 8) Filmroom:

The Pistol Offense: Madden 08 Style (NG) - Last week in the
filmroom, we showed how to flip the play twice to counter nanos and
how to send up 5 receivers in motion from one play. Both of those
plays, were from bunch formations. This week we want to show how to get in a form of the Pistol Offense that Nevada runs in college
football. What this formation will do is buy you and extra second
or two to avoid some of the A-B Gap nano heat while lining up under
center.

Compressing the Offensive Line (NG) - This week we got a hot tip
from VG Sports forum member Maddbrett1. What we like about this
tip is it benefits both the pass and run game while lining up under
center.

Creating New Formations on the Fly (NG) - We have been showing ways to create new formations on the fly over the last few weeks. This week, we want to do a blow out on how to get new formations on the fly when calling plays from five different Singleback formations.

Motion Drive: Use of Flipping Plays (NG) - If you have been looking
at the filmroom the past few weeks I have to say that LB and Kobra
have stepped up big time. They found a scheme that you can really
use with a little lab work.

Old School Heat: Audible Down (NG) - Over the years players have
found all kinds of techniques to avoid being sacked. One of more
popular techniques is to sprint the QB away from the pressure as
soon as the ball is snapped.

WR Corner (CG) - The Shotgun Bunch is a set that you can mix in
with the rest of your offense. You can come up from a 2 back set or
a Big set ,and the defense has to play you differently.

Singleback Flip Trips Delta Sit (CG) - Once a month I come over to
the dark side to see how things are going with our current gen
guys. This month on my visit I want to look at the Buffalo Bills
playbook. I have always liked the amount of pass plays that you can
find in this playbook, but the play that I am focusing on today is
the Delta Sit.

Tight Series (CG) - Those of you that have followed my guides
learned that last year it was about expanding your sets with
formation shifting plays for other sets to the one that you like.
This way it makes it harder for someone to lab you up or know what
is coming at them.

To find out how you can get access to the filmroom, go to
http://www.maddenfilmroom.com

Madden 08 Roster Update #2 - 9/10/07

2007-09-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

Roster update #2 has been released for the Next Gen consoles. The following changes were made:

Bears
Added CB Trumaine McBride
Added CB Corey Graham
Released QB Chris Leak
DE Ban Bazuin placed on IR

Bengals
Added SS Nedu Ndukwe
Added TE Daniel Coats
Added QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (traded from Rams)
Released QB Doug Johnson
Added MLB Anthony Schlegel
Released LB Ed Hartwell
Added LB Lemar Marshall
Released DT Kenderick Allen

Bills
Released QB Craig Nall
Released TE Brad Cieslak
Released HB Shaud Williams
Added HB Josh Scobey

Broncos
Added DT Amon Gordon
Released DT Jimmy Kennedy
Added DE Simeon Rice
Added FS Hamza Abdullah
Added FB Paul Smith
Released FB Kyle Johnson
Added LB Wesly Mallard
Added WR Brian Clark
Added WR Domenik Hixon
Released WR David Kircus
Released FS Quentin Harris
Released WR Quincy Morgan

Browns
Released DT Babatunde Oshinowo
Released WR Syndric Steptoe
Released HB Chris Barclay

Bucs
Added CB Anthony Madison
Released CB Alan Zemaitis
Added DT Jovan Haye
Added DT Greg Peterson
Released DT Ellis Wyms
Released HB Kenneth Darby
Added MLB Jeremiah Trotter
Added QB Luke McNown
Added LB Adam Hayward
Added RT Chris Denman
Released LB Jamie Winborn
Released WR Mark Jones

Cardinals
Added DE Chris Cooper
Added DE Quentin Moses
Added S Oliver Celestin
Added TE Tim Euhus
Released TE Ben Patrick
Released WR LeRon McCoy
Released WR Michael Spurlock
Released LB Buster Davis

Chargers
Added LT Jeromey Clary
Added LB Tim Dobbins
Released S Bhawoh Jue
Released T Cory Lekkerkerker
Released WR Greg Camarillo

Chiefs
Added CB Dimitri Patterson
Added CB Tyron Brackenridge
Added CB Rashad Barksdale
Added QB Tyler Thigpen
Released QB Casey Printers
Released WR Chris Hannon
Released LB Rich Scanlon
Released DE Michael Heard

Colts
Added CB Michael Coe
Added LT Daniel Federkeil
Added LB Clint Session
Released HB Clifton Dawson
Released DE Bo Schobel
Released DE Ryan LaCasse

Cowboys
Released CB Aaron Glenn
Released S Abram Elam
Added LB Justin Rogers
Added FB Deon Anderson
Released FB Lousaka Polite
Released TE Adam Bergen

Dolphins
Added C Gene Mruczkowski
Added MLB Kelvin Smith
Added T Cory Lekkerkerker
Added WR Greg Camarillo
Released TE Courtney Anderson
Released LB Robert McCune
Released WR P.K. Sam
Released WR Az-Zahir Hakim
Released FB Cory Schlesinger

Eagles
Added DT Kimo von Oelhoffen
Added FS J.R. Reed
Added MLB Pago Togafau
Added P Saverio Rocca
Released CB Rashad Barksdale
Released WR Jeremy Bloom
Released FS C.J. Gaddis

Falcons
Added DT Montavious Stanley
Added DT Trey Lewis
Added HB Artose Pinner
Released G P.J. Alexander
Released CB Allen Rossum
Released DE Paul Carrington

49ers
Added CB Tarell Brown
Released DT Sam Rayburn
Released WR Bryan Gilmore

Giants
Added FS Michael Johnson
Added G Kevin Boothe
Added S Craig Dahl
Added WR Anthony Mix

Jaguars
Released FB Derrick Wimbush
Released CB Dee Webb
Removed HB Alvin Pearman (Traded to Seahawks)
Added DE Brian Smith
Removed QB Brian Leftwich
Added G Tutan Reyes
Added LB Brian Iwuh
Added S Chad Nkang
Added WR John Broussard
Added CB Aaron Glenn
Released S Josh Gattis
Released WR Charles Sharon

Jets
Added HB Danny Ware
Released DE Bobby Hamilton
Released DT Kimo von Oelfoffen
Released MLB Anthony Schlegel

Lions
Added FB Jon Bradley
Added S Eric Frampton
Added LB Johnny Baldwin
Added TE Sean McHugh
Released CB A.J. Davis
Released LB Donte Curry
Released CB Ramzee Robinson
Released DT Cleveland Pinkney
Released TE Darnell Sanders

Packers
Released CB Patrick Dendy
Released FB Brandon Miree
Added S Charlie Peprah
Added DT Johnny Jolly
Added LB Desmond Bishop
Released WR David Clowney
Released S Marquand Manuel
Released K Dave Rayner
Released TE Clark Harris

Panthers
Added CB Dante Wesley
Added HB Alex Haynes
Released HB Eric Shelton
Added LB James Anderson
Added S Marquand Manuel
Added WR Chris Hannon
Released WR Chris Horn
Released DE Dave Ball
Released D’Anthony Batiste
Released CB Christian Morton
Released S CJ Wilson

Patriots
Added T Wesley Britt
Added T Clint Oldenburg
Added LB Oscar Lua
Added P Chris Hanson
Released WR Reche Caldwell
Released TE Garrett Mills
Released CB Dante Wesley
Released LB Justin Rogers

Raiders
Added Gerard Warren (Traded from Broncos)
Added FB Oren O’Neal
Released FB Zach Crockett
Released S Donovin Darius
Added DE Chris Clemons
Added DE Jay Richardson
Released G Kevin Boothe
Released WR Alvis Whitted

Rams
Released C Dustin Fry
Released DT Keith Jackson
Added DT Cliff Ryan
Added HB Antonio Pittman
Added LB Tim McGarigle
Removed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Traded to Bengals)
Added TE Aaron Walker
Released LB Jon Alston

Ravens
Added WR Devard Darling
Released WR Clarence Moore

Redskins
Added S Reed Doughty
Added TE Tyler Ecker
Released QB Jordan Palmer
Released WR Corey Bradford

Saints
Added DT Antwan Lake
Released HB Antonio Pittman
Added LB Alfred Fincher
Added LB Marvin Mitchell
Released P Chris Hanson
Added TE Ronnie Ghent
Added WR Lance Moore

Seahawks
Released QB David Greene
Added DE Jason Babin (Traded from Texans)
Removed S Michael Boulware (Traded to Texans)
Added T Steve Vallos
Released CB Pete Hunter

Steelers
Released HB Verron Haynes
Released C Chukky Okobi
Released LB Rian Wallace
Added HB Gary Russell
Added HB Carey Davis
Added DE Nick Eason

Titans
Added DT Tony Brown
Released WR Jonathan Orr
Released WR Courtney Roby
Released QB Tim Rattay
Released S Lamont Thompson
Released S Bryan Scott
Added S Calvin Lowry

Vikings
Added DT Fred Evans
Released QB Tyler Thigpen
Added QB Kelly Holcomb (Traded from Eagles)
Added TE Garrett Mills
Released S Greg Blue
Released HB Ciatrick Fason
Released WR Billy McMullen
Released HB Artose Pinner

Texans
Removed DE Jason Babin (Traded to Seahawks)
Added S Michael Boulware (Traded from Seahawks)
Released WR David Anderson
Released WR Bethel Johnson
Released CB Dexter McCleon
Released WR Keenan McCardell
Released HB Wali Lundy
Added CB Dexter Wynn
Added FB Jameel Cook
Added DE Earl Cochran

Ratings Up
• HB Jerome Harrison – 74 to 77 OVR
• TE Marcedes Lewis – 80 to 81 OVR
• WR James Jones – 72 to 75 OVR
• QB Aaron Rodgers – 76 to 79 OVR
• WR Jacoby Jones – 69 to 73 OVR
• QB Tarvaris Jackson – 76 to 77 OVR
• HB Jesse Chatman – 73 to 77 OVR
• WR Lance Moore – 65 to 71 OVR
• WR Terrance Copper – 70 to 76 OVR
• WR David Patten – 69 to 75 OVR
• WR Marques Hagans – 67 to 69 OVR
• H.B. Blades – 66 to 70 OVR
• DE Patrick Chukwurah – 70 to 77 OVR
• CB Trumaine McBride – 68 to 70 OVR
• LB John DiGiorgio – 63 to 67 OVR
• HB Cecil Sapp – 73 to 75 OVR
• DE John Engelberger – 76 to 81 OVR
• HB Adrian Peterson – 85 to 87 OVR
• WR Calvin Johnson – 87 to 88 OVR
• DE Jimmy Wilkerson – 75 to 79 OVR
• DT Tank Tyler – 73 to 76 OVR
• HB Noah Herron – 73 to 75 OVR
• DT Kendrick Clancy – 75 to 79 OVR
• LB Omar Gaither – 78 to 81 OVR
• CB Eric Green – 75 to 78 OVR
• LB Calvin Pace – 69 to 70 OVR
• HB Darren Sproles – 76 to 77 OVR
• SS Clinton Hart – 70 to 73 OVR
• WR Vincent Jackson – 79 to 81 OVR
• S Jarrad Page – 74 to 76 OVR
• S Bernard Pollard – 80 to 81 OVR
• T Will Svitek – 67 to 70 OVR
• DE Darryl Tapp – 77 to 79 OVR
• S James Butler – 76 to 79 OVR
• WR Ben Obomanu – 61 to 68 OVR
• CB Fred Thomas – 76 to 77 OVR
• FB Ovie Mughelli – 91 to 92 OVR
• CB Chris Carr – 58 to 65 OVR
• DT Terdell Sands – 82 to 85 OVR
• TE Donald Lee – 74 to 77 OVR
• WR Dennis Northcutt – 74 to 77 OVR
• HB Derrick Ward – 68 to 72 OVR
• WR Taylor Jacobs – 68 to 75 OVR
• WR Bryan Gilmore – 69 to 71 OVR
• QB Joey Harrington – 76 to 79 OVR
• WR Jason Avant – 68 to 70 OVR
• CB Travis Daniels – 77 to 79 OVR
• LB Kevin Burnett – 75 to 77 OVR

Ratings Down
• QB Bruce Gradkowski – 72 to 70 OVR
• G Dan Buenning – 85 to 80 OVR
• FB Brandon Miree – 80 to 76 OVR
• DE Bryce Fisher – 84 to 80 OVR
• S Will Demps – 84 to 81 OVR
• WR Robert Meachem – 77 to 73 OVR
• CB Usama Young – 74 to 71 OVR
• CB Jason David – 80 to 77 OVR
• DT Justin Harrell – 80 to 78 OVR
• DeAngelo Hall – 94 to 92 OVR
• CB John Bowie – 68 to 66 OVR
• FB Zach Crockett – 82 to 80 OVR
• WR Dwayne Jarrett – 78 to 77 OVR
• CB Sam Madison – 87 to 84 OVR
• LB Joey Porter – 95 to 93 OVR

Contracts
• Darrelle Revis - 6 years
• Ty Warren - 5 years
• Larry Johnson - 6 years
• Aaron Schobel - 7 years
• Seneca Wallace – 4 years

Weapons
• Adrian Peterson – Becomes Elusive Back
• DeAngelo Hall – Loses Shutdown Corner

Madden 08 Alternate Uniforms

2007-08-10T02:18:00.000-04:00

In addition to each Team's current Home & Away jersey, EA Sports has included multiple alternate uniforms in this year's game. With the exception of the Colts, everybody has at least one alternate jersey.

The Titans lead the way with 6 additional choices....And you gotta love those horrible orange Bucs jerseys. The really sad thing is that VG_Bert's first bike was a Bucs bike and had a big old orange banana seat on it. These uniforms still give him nightmares!

Click here for a list of the alternate unis

Madden 08 Wallpaper - Hi Res

2007-08-10T02:16:00.000-04:00

We've put together some Hi-Resolution HD Wallpapers for Madden 08. You can download them by Clicking here

Madden 08 Play Action Pass Animations

2007-08-10T02:15:00.000-04:00

Here's a look at some of the new play action animations that are in the game. You will notice that the QB comes off the fake much quicker making it possible to actually get the ball off without being sacked all the time.

Play Action Passing

Maddenmania Reviews the Virtual Playbook

2007-07-23T15:17:00.000-04:00

Hellisan, one of the resident NCAA experts at Maddenmania.com recently posted a review of the Virtual Playbook for NCAA Football 08 up on their website. I've included it here as well:

I have had the opportunity to meet Bert of VG Sports (maddenguides) a couple of times, and he is one of the nicest individuals you could ever hope to encounter. I've also met Paul, aka Kobra, the man with the voice who tirelessly breaks down gameplay and strategy. Each of them display a passion for the world of video football. I recently had a chance to look at the 2008 version of the Virtual Playbook.

The NCAA Virtual Playbook for NCAA Football 08 comes in three parts:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART ONE - includes rosters for every Division 1 team in the game including attributes, as well as another section with the team ratings for every Division 1 team. Part one also includes the offensive playbooks for each of the Top 25 teams in the game, as well as five additional playbooks that are noteworthy: Hawaii, Navy, Nevada, Purdue, and the West Coast playbook.

Each of the playbooks include every formation and play within each of these formations, all neatly organized (and printable) from the eBook setup. This would be fantastic for perusing playbooks to find one that suits you, to print yours up for study, or even to scout the workings of an opposing team. Each of the five defensive playbooks are available as well.

Finally, part one also includes a section that shows the top 20 players at each position in the game, sorted by OVR rating and including important individual ratings like Speed, AWR, THP and THA for quarterbacks. This is useful if you're not sure what team you want to use and you need good players at certain positions that suit your style of play.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART TWO - the nuts and bolts of the guide. This is what everybody is looking for: strategy articles and information to improve your offensive game. Whatever your weakness or strength, there is going to be information on how you could improve within this guide.

I won't list out every section that is covered in the playbook, because it would take too much time and space, but suffice to say that there's a lot of information to be gleaned. For instance, under the "The Passing Game" header, there's a sub-header called "fundamentals" which has the following topics: General passing tips, Using the Pocket, Manual Catching, Spectacular catch, Route Combinations, and Play action. There are also two additional sub-headers under the Passing header, "Pre-Snap," and "Schemes and Tactics." If you ask me, the schemes and tactics section is where Virtual Guides makes their money - and delivers on the purchaser's investment. There are 13 topics under this sub-header, and each includes detailed information on an aspect of the passing game that are extremely helpful.

Virtual Guides doesn't just give you re-hashed takes like "watch the safeties to beat zone coverage," they actually give you route combinations that are effective against the different kinds of zones you'll see the most, and show you what reads to make while attacking each type of zone defense. These aren't specific plays, they are route combinations that are found in just about every playbook. That way, no matter what playbook you're using, the tips will apply.

A lot of the focus within Part 2 is centered around building a scheme and a style all your own. Whatever it might be, the guide will give you a way to really hone your strategy down to an attack that is very difficult to stop.

Our favorite part of Part 2 is a section that details 19 different general styles of offensive attacks, including ones you might not know how to effectively run, like the Pistol Formation popularized by Nevada. I would recommend the playbook if you wanted to become a better player, even if it didn't include the other two parts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART THREE - It's only half the battle to score on offense, so part three focuses on the defensive side of the ball. This section could be considered the yin to part two's yang. A lot of the same fundamental schemes you just studied up on, you'll now be reading about how to stop. This is especially helpful for online play, because many people who play online would rather just skip to the next time they have the football. They figure if they score every time they have the ball, there's no way they can lose. But if you're well versed on both sides of the ball, you become truly dangerous. That's what this section is designed to help you do.

You'll read about how to cover up "bubbles" in your defensive front when you have to stop the run, effectively disguise your blitzes, and so on. There's also detailed information about how to use the new hit stick and other controls not found in the previous generation of NCAA football video games.

Overall, this portion of the guide details even further than the offensive side the differences in the new game. Topics like mid-air collisions, the new play-calling screen, and many other topics that cover the next-gen style of play. Of course, since the guide is all about the next-gen game to begin with that would be expected, but it's especially useful for someone like myself, who just stepped up to the next-gen system more recently.

What I really like about the defensive portion the most is that it will give you specific strategies and ideas for stopping the different styles you'll come across while playing online. There's a section that talks about defending compression (tight packages), defending the halfback middle routes, the flats, and quick fades, among others. It really helps with that "he's killing me and there's nothing I can do to stop him" feeling that you might occasionally get online.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite MaddenMania's long-standing and valued relationship with VG Sports over the years, I'd never ponied up to see what one of their products really looked like. I'd like to thank Bert for giving me a look at what their product is all about. I'm very impressed by it; whether you're trying to win in the no-holds barred world of online play where the final outcome is all that matters, or playing in a more straight up league, or even playing in dynasty mode, you'll find a lot of ammunition to improve your game in this guide.

For more information about how you can get this guide, go to www.collegefootballtips.com

NCAA Football 08 Blitz Schemes

2007-07-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

In this video, Kobra of the VG Sports staff breaks down how he likes to get enhanced pressure out of the 3-3-5 Stack Fire Green defense. With a couple of simple adjustments you can get serious heat after the Quarterback.

For more blitz schemes, be sure to check out the Virtual Filmroom for NCAA Football 08

NCAA Football 08 - Auto Motion

2007-07-15T01:43:00.000-04:00

One of the new features in the game this year is Auto Motion. Auto
Motion is basically pre-snap motion that the CPU makes for you.

So what's the big deal? With Auto Motion, you can run plays that
never would have worked before. Slow developing End Arounds
become quick hitting Jet Sweeps.

You can now run Option plays with your Slot receivers. Backs can
get a running start coming out of the backfield to beat bump-n-run
coverages.

Auto Motion opens up all kinds of opportunities that we haven't
seen before. You have many new ways to get the ball into the hands
of your top playmakers and impact players.

To give you a little taste of what Auto Motion can do, we've put
together a video with some plays from the Florida Gator Playbook.

P.S. For more tips and strategies, visit CollegeFootballTips.com

VG Sports Community Forums Heating Up

2007-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

With the soon to be released NCAA 08 this week and Madden 08 next month, the VG Sports forums are really starting to heat up. We now have 19,000 registered forums members who like all like to talk NCAA and Madden.

To join in the discussion, click here

EA Sports Fantasy Football

2007-07-13T08:52:00.000-04:00

This year EA Sports is breaking the rules by offering free league commissioner packages, free team owners, free live scoring, free EA expert fantasy analysis, and brand new web design.

Click Here for more info.

Madden 08: Armed and Dangerous

2007-07-13T08:44:00.000-04:00

ESPN Video Games has posted screen shots for all 24 Weapons in Madden 08 for 360/PS3.

"When the latest iteration of the Madden NFL franchise arrives in August, the Madden faithful will discover a slew of new "weapons" -- 24 to be exact -- at their disposal in their quest for total Madden domination. As one of the most highly anticipated and talked about new aspects of Madden NFL 08, the Weapons feature puts the emphasis squarely on the shoulders of the league's biggest star."

Click Here for more info.

The Hottest Ticket In Town

2007-06-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

Early next week VG Sports will have Kobra representing them at EA Tiburon Studios for NCAA 08 Community Day. He will be talking to producers, touring the studios, and playing the game. Look for in-depth info while he is down there and when he gets back.

VG Staff

Gang Tackling Video For Madden NFL 08

2007-06-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

EA Madden Procucer Ian Cummings is at again on his blog site by giving us hard core ballers what we are looking for. This week he shows how gang tackling works on next gen systems.

He also asked this question:

"If you were hired as the lead gameplay designer for EA Sports starting tomorrow, and had to make the call, would you"...

A.) Have gang tackles trigger less often, but guarantee that they look "captured" and realistic, including getup animations

B.) Rely solely on physics based animations, which ensures much more playback and animation coverage, but more physics/ragdoll-ish looking animations

C.) Do a mix of both (which is what we do now) Choose your own adventure!

He wants your feedback

Here is the direct link to blog and video:

Click Here

VG Staff

EA Sports Fathers Day Give Away

2007-06-06T21:16:00.000-04:00

EA Sports is running a special Father's Day Contest and is giving away a really sweet prize pack including:

* An Xbox 360 Elite video game and entertainment system
* An advance copy of Madden 08 for Xbox 360
* An Autographed NFL fotoball and helmet
* A special Father of the Year NFL Team jersey

To enter, here's all you have to do:

Send a video, audio or written story proving why you think you or your Dad should be named the Madden NFL 08 Father of the Year. The winner will be announced on or about June 18, 2007, so email your submission to maddenfathersday@ea.com today for a chance at the ultimate Madden NFL 08 Father of the year package.

EA is also running a contest for us community leaders. Basically the leader that refers the most people to the contest will lock down a spot at an early hands on with the game.

I want to make sure we have a team member there so we can give you the most detailed look possible at the game. We know what you guys want to know about the game.

So here's what I need you to do. When you send in your entry, please put:

"Madden NFL 08 Father of the Year Contest - referred by Bert Ingley" as the Subject line when you send in your email entry.

Not only will you be entered into the contest, but you will help insure that VG Sports has a team member to represent you at the next Madden Community Day.

Thanks,

Bert

Four New Madden 08 Screen Shots Released

2007-06-06T08:34:00.000-04:00

EA has added four new screen shots for Madden 08. For the high resolution screen shots, click on the link below.

Click Here

VG Staff

10 Reasons Why Madden Gamers Will Want to Make the Switch Over to Madden 08 on the NG

2007-06-05T12:46:00.000-04:00

Defensive Individual Hot Routes: Making their way on to the next gen are defensive hot routes.

Our Thoughts: Anyone remember the first time you were able use them in Madden 05 and how much they improved your defensive play calling. Well on the next gen you will get that same feeling once again. The only downside of them is we hope that EA doesn’t allow players to drop 11 men in pass coverage. It really watered down Madden 07 on the current gen.

Responsive Controls: Better control over players on both sides of the ball.

Our Thoughts: One of the biggest gripes about next gen Madden is lack of control. With responsive control you should be able to perform manual jukes, catches, and all the other manual stick control maneuvers we have grown use to on the current gen.

Madden Challenge on the 360: It looks like the Madden Challenge makes it debut on the 360.

Our Thoughts: If you plan on playing in the Madden Challenge this year, then you better be picking up a 360 soon. From all indications, it looks like that’s what the challenge is going to be played on. On a side note: personally (Kobra) I am a big fan of the 360 controller Vs the lite PS3 controller. I know a lot of you have played the PS2 version of Madden Vs Xbox version because mainly of the controller. If you give the 360 controller a chance, I am sure you will agrees it’s a real mans controller Vs the PS3 lite. The reason I call the PS3 controller lite is because it feels half of the weight of the PS2 controller. I just don’t care for it. It feels cheaply made.

Pure Dynamic Gameplay: You control the animations, the animations don't control you.

Our Thoughts: From what we read it looks like you will have complete control of over player animations. For those of you who felt like you didn’t have the same type of stick control over players on the next gen, we believe Pure Dynamic Gameplay is right up your alley.

60 Frame Rates per A Second: Madden 08 next gen goes from 30 fps to 60 fps.

Our Thoughts: Faster frame rates mean better overall game play. Madden 06 and 07 on the next gen felt slow and choppy. Sure the game looked great, but played sluggish. From what we hear, it looks like EA had to tone down the graphics to some degree to achieve faster frame rates. We have always said no matter how beautiful a game may look , the game play untimely determines the lasting appeal. By EA toning the graphics some to improve the frame rates; that alone will make this year’s game better and worth getting.

New Player Ratings and Weapons: More individual player ratings make cyber players on the field play more life like.

Our Thoughts: Lets face it over the years, have players ratings really meant that much. What we mean is for instance say you have a defensive end with an overall rating of an 93 matched up with offensive tackle with an overall rating of 79. Did you ever see the defensive end dominant the offensive tackle like you would expect based off the overall ratings? The answer is not really. Outside of speed, jump, height, throwing power, and handful of other players ratings, most of the rest of the ratings really didn’t mean that much at all. In Madden 08 based on what we are reading, player ratings will really mean something. If you got a lock down cornerback such as Champ Bailey and he is matched up with a weaker receiver, he is going shut that receiver down during the game. If this is really the case, players ratings are going to going have a huge impact on how games play out and what team’s we choose to play.

If the Weapons System is balanced right, this will be one of the better game play additions to the game. It will change how we use and attack with certain players.

Gang Tackling: Last year gang tackling made its debut on the PS3. Now all the 360 also gets it, plus it’s been improved.

Our Thoughts: Where was gang tackling at when I (Kobra) was getting my butt handed to me by Fred Taylor in the VG 360 League AFC Wild Card Game. I kept thinking if the 360 version of the game had gang tacking, would Taylor be running all over my Charger defense. One of the biggest game play requests of all time is now being added to the next gen platforms. For those of you like me, who got tired of being ran all over on the 360, Gang Tackling is a much needed game play addition that will help the run defense out as long as the right plays are called and the right defenders are on the field. From what we hear, you will see 2, 3, or 4 defenders making a tackles on the field at the same time. We can wait to see this in actual action.

Hit Stick 2.0.: Now you can tackle high or low by flicking up or down on the right stick. This takes manually tackling a ball carrier to another level.

Our Thoughts: Being able to lay the wood on a ball carrier or a receiver with the Hit Stick over the last few years has been cool, but it always felt like there was something missing. Sure you could hit the ball carrier high and deliver a crushing blow, but you could never take feet out from under him. With Hit Stick 2.0, now you can. This will help will trying to bring down bigger ball carriers.

Line of Scrimmage Improvements: Zone blocking, double team blocking, pull/lead, stretch and read blocks are now all part of the game.

Our Thoughts: Madden 07 on the next gen made major strides in how the run game works. Some may say running the ball was almost to effective, especially from the goal line formation. Hopefully with the new line of scrimmage improvements, the run game will be more realistic. If you your team has an excellent offensive line, then you will reap the benefits of the new improvements. However if your offensive line is weak, then you should not reap the benefits of the new improvements as much.

Pre-Play Cut Scenes Are Gone: You won't see the same canned animations of 11 players jogging back to a huddle in unison.

Our Thoughts: Outside of the game play commentator, pre-play cut scenes were about most annoying part of the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. How many times while playing defense online did you have to wait for your opponent on offense to skip past the player cut screens. It looks like based off the articles and videos we have read and seen, you can now by-pass that and get right into setting up your defense. Being able to do that will drastically improve playing defense on the next gen.

Well there you have it, 10 reasons why you should make the switch from the current gen to the next gen in 08. Feel free to post any of your comments in this thread about what was written or anything else you have heard or concerns about Madden 08.

VG Staff

Madden 08 Current Gen Info & More

2007-05-24T11:35:00.000-04:00

Just got this from Rac over at EA,

Here are two new pieces of content on the Madden site. One is a special series that Packwolf is working on with Rac, where he will mark his progress as he attempts to win the Madden Challenge. The second is the first producer blog detailing current gen features. Enjoy!

Click here for info about Pack Wolfs quest to win the Madden Challenge.

Click here for info on current gen info for Madden 08.

Online challenges anyone?

VG Staff

Madden Filmroom Updated This Week (May 21)

2007-05-21T10:57:00.000-04:00

Here is what's in the Madden Filmroom this week:

May 21, 2007

I Form Twin WR Off Tackle (NG) - This week I am going to continue my multi part series on one of the most popular formations on Madden NFL ’07 for the XBOX 360 and PS3. I Form Twin WR. Having said that, this will help validate why this is “America’s Offense” now.Here’s how.

I Form 3WR WR1 Option (NG) - This week I continue to break down the West Coast playbook. I look at the I Form 3WR WR1 Option. This play however can be found in multiple playbooks. Below I show some things I like to do with this play.

Singleback Big Wing HB Draw (NG) - Lets continue on our run through these great run plays that will keep our offense moving and keep the defense a step behind and always concerned about how effective our run game is. The HB Draw is a play that I use to show some swagger. This play can be very effective versus some of the best defenses in the game.

Outside WR Bump (CG) - Last week I looked at how I like to put a defender in a hook zone while in bump-n-run coverage to counter un-bumpable routes. This week I want to use that same technique, but this time to jam outside receivers.

Replay: Marrying Pass Routes (CG) - Replay is a member of VG Sports Inc. He has been working on the boards for some time now. He reads our articles, replies on the baords, plays in leagues, and also go to tourneys. The thing about Replay is that he made the final 4 in the Philly PS2 tourney, and made it to the elite 8 in the East Coast Mega Bowl Regional. He lost to Jarvis who is the former EA Champ. He wanted to show you plays that he ran in Philly and in the DC tourney. If you remember that I talked about hitting the lab and coming up with your own. This is what this man did and he did a great job.

Singleback Base Flex Sneek Outs (CG) - I have already shown a play from Chargers playbook out of the Singleback Base Flex that I called Quick Hit. What this play did was allow me to get the FB or HB2 open in the flat for quick hit against bump-n-run man coverage. This week I want to show another Singleback Base Flex that beats bump-n-run man coverage, but this time from the Broncos playbook.

Click here to login to the filmroom.

VG Staff

Game Spots Madden 08 Hands On Preview

2007-05-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Weapons are engaged. Madden 08 is putting the focus on the NFL's best players, and Game Spots got theirs hands-on look at the game.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

1UP Has Added Its Madden 08 Preview

2007-05-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

1 UP has added its hands on preview for Madden 08. The article mainly talks about the new "Weapons" feature that is being added to the game.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

Five Things You Need to Know About Madden 08

2007-05-21T10:23:00.000-04:00

IGN has posted a Madden NFL 08 Hands-on pre-view. They list five things you need to know about Madden 08.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

Tons of Madden 08 Screenshots

2007-05-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

Team Xbox has posted a ton of new Madden 08 screen shots.

Click here for the pics

Madden NFL 08 Randy Moss Patriots Screens Coming 5 p.m. Eastern!

2007-05-02T10:59:00.000-04:00

This is from the officail EA Sports Madden 08 Web Site:

"For those who watched this past weekend's 2007 NFL Draft, the biggest news of the day was a blockbuster trade which sent wide receiver Randy Moss to the New England Patriots. This will likely have a tremendous impact on the Patriots this year, not only on the real life field of play, but in Madden NFL 08 as well. To celebrate this news we will post two screens of Randy Moss in his new Patriots uniform at 5 p.m. Eastern today (Wed., May 2nd). Check back to see how Randy looks in his new uniform".

Here is the actual link.

Moss Screen Shot Link

VG Staff

IGN Madden 08 Preview

2007-05-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

IGN has a PS3 preview of Madden 08. A lot of nice game additions being added this year.

"Let's get it out of the way now. Madden NFL 07 was a disappointment, pure and simple. With an exclusive NFL license as well as the power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there's no reason why this "next-gen" Madden shouldn't have blown football fans away as one of the greatest sports gaming experiences of all time. That's what we expect when we fork over the dough for high-priced consoles and a $59.99 game. As the only NFL sim on the market, that's what we deserve.

With Madden NFL 08, that's what we're going to get. Or at least that's the lofty goal that developer EA Tiburon has set for its flagship franchise, set to release this summer. With a difficult console transition finally out of the way, Tiburon head man Steve Chiang said there are no more excuses with Madden. There will only be results. After visiting Tiburon to take an early peek at Madden 08, we're starting to believe him."

Here is the link.

IGN PS3 Madden 08 Preview

VG Staff

GameSpot Madden 08 Preview

2007-05-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

GameSpot has posted a preview of Madden 08 on the 360. Some good info to read.

"There's no better time to take a first look at Madden NFL 08 than the weekend when the NFL welcomes an entirely new group of stars into its ranks--the 2007 NFL Draft. Last year's draft was notable for a number of reasons--the snub of Reggie Bush as the number one overall pick for Mario Williams, as well as the draft of the player who would eventually be Madden NFL 08 cover athlete, the Tennessee Titans' Vince Young.

Nearly everyone, of course, expected LaDanian Tomlinson to make the cover. With 31 touchdowns and a league MVP award, it seemed only natural that the San Diego Chargers running back was a shoo-in for the cover of EA Sports' latest football game. Yet, when the time came for the announcement, it was Vince who took the honor, and only after LT turned it down. So what can we take away from the announcement of VY as the cover athlete Madden NFL 08? Well, for one, the publisher is hoping to avoid the so-called "Madden curse" with Vince: He's young (heading into his sophomore season in the NFL), big and strong, and seemingly impervious to harm from would-be tacklers."

Here is the link:

GameSpot 360 Madden 08 Preview

VG Staff

Madden 08 Updates On EA Sports Official Site

2007-05-02T09:53:00.000-04:00

Here is the main link to the EA Sports Madden 08 Site.

EA Sports Madden 08 Site

Here is list of articles you will find on the site.

Blogs:

The perks of working at EA:

Devin Hester Speed Rating Debate: Part1

News:

Playaction simulator story

NFL Pre-draft luncheon

Rookies talk about their Madden ratings

Madden Blitz Guide - Frequently Asked Questions

2007-04-13T11:04:00.000-04:00

With the A/B Gap Blitz Guide only out for a few days, we've
received a number of questions about the book. I've compiled list
of 10 Frequently Asked Questions below to help you out.

You can find out more information about the guide also at:

http://www.maddentips.com/blitzguide

1. Why did VG Sports create an A and B Gap blitz book only?

Most of our readers already know how to create outside heat, plus
it's really not that hard to find. Most players want inside heat
since it's the quickest way to get to the QB. So with that in mind,
we focused primarily on a A and B Gap heat. However, there are some
defenses in the book, where not only will find inside heat, but
also outside heat. The book was originally written for the 46
playbook, but we decided to include the 4-3, Multiple, and Cover 2
playbooks as well.

2. Are there any actual defensive schemes in the book?

No, we elected not go that route when writing the book. We wanted
to give you the keys to putting A and B Gap pressure on the QB, but
let you come with your own schemes based on your style and team
personnel.

3. How many A and B Gap blitz set ups did you come up with for the
book?

There are over 90 plays in the book. Some of those plays have 2,3,
or even 4 set ups. There is at least 130 actual set ups in the book.

4. Can any team run these blitz set ups?

This a tough question to answer. We would like to say yes, but to
be honest some teams just don't have the horses to get it done. If
you are using a team with slow linebackers, then chances are the
blitz set ups won't work as well than if you are playing a team
with fast linebackers. If you only have one fast linebacker on your
team, then you are going to want make sure he is the defender
blitzing the QB. You can always audible down from the Nickel, Dime,
or Quarter defenses if needed to get extra speed on the field.

5. Of the four playbooks, which ones does the VG Team like the most?

Each of the VG team has their own style and blitz set ups they
like. For instance Reality likes the 46 playbook the best. He likes
most of the 46 Normal and Bear blitz set ups, plus he also likes
the Nickel Strong FS Snake Blitz 3. LBZrules also likes the 46
playbook. He likes the book because it has a little bit of
everything such as 3-4, 46, 4-3, Nickel, Dime, and Dollar
formations. One of the blitz set ups he likes is the 46 Bear Buzz
Weak. PhillyRon doesn't blitz as much as the rest of the team, but
when he does blitz, he makes sure his defenders get home. His
favorite playbook is the 4-3. Kobra likes the 46 and Multiple
Playbooks. The 46 has more blitz set ups than the Multiple, but
there are some really killer defenses that are in the Multiple that
are hard to be ignored such as the Nickel Normal Velcro 9.

6. What else will I find in the book besides blitz set ups?

Besides the blitz set ups, we also show the Jump Snap Glitch, Flex
Defenders, Flex Defenisve Linemen, DE Containment, Delayed Blitz,
Blitz Playbook Quick Set Up Sheets, Blitz Set Up Info, Blitz
Playbook Finder, etc... We tried to get as much info in the book as
we could to help ease the learning curve for new players, plus we
wanted to give advanced players something they could use as well.

7. Should I blitz on every down?

The best answer to this is wait until you are actually in the game.
If your opponent can't handle the pressure, then by all means blitz
every play until he shows he counter it. Once he does, then you
must adjust to him. Mask your blitz set ups to keep him off balance.

8. The blitz set ups work against a player who drops straight back
in the pocket, but what about a player who uses play action or
rolls out?

If your opponent likes to call play action, use the pass commit
feature. When used, most of the time the QB won't have time to
throw the ball. Against players who like to roll out, A and B Gap
heat may not always be best. If you call A and B Gap heat, you must
keep him from rolling out. The best way to do that is take control
of a flex defender and manually blitz him from the side where he
likes to roll to. For instance say you call an A Gap blitz that
has the MLB shooting between the C and LG. The ball is lined up on
the left hash mark. More than likely your opponent is not going to
roll to the left side, since he doesn't have much room to run. Most
likely he is going to roll to the right side. Take control of the
flex defender and manually blitz from the right side of the field.
That way he can't roll to that side to avoid the blitz. If your
opponent decides to stay in the pocket, then you can always release
the defender or drop him back in pass coverage.

9. How do I find my own A and B Gap set ups?

The best way to find them if you are trying to find them yourself
is to first go into practice mode. Put one controller on offense
and the other on defense. Call plays on the offensive side of the
ball that have all the receivers going out on pass routes. That way
you can see if the blitz actually works without having to worry
about a running back or tight end blocking the primary blitzer.
On the defensive side of ball, call different defenses, look at
how the defensive linemen pass rush, what gaps the linebackers and
defensive backs attacking before any shifts are made. Run the
defenses by default design of the play. The best blitz set ups are
the ones where you don't have to do anything at all. If the blitz
doesn't work, then start shifting defensive linemen, linebackers,
and fake blitz. If the blitz still doesn't work, try moving a
defender or two. If that doesn't help, try manually rushing a
defender who is supposed to drop back in pass coverage and see if
that helps. Once you go through all of that, flip the defense and
go through the same procedure. If you are still unable to get the
blitz to work, move on to the next one. If you do find a blitz that works,
write it down on a piece of paper. Once you find some
blitz set ups that do work, go into actual game. Put one controller
one team and the other on the other team. Use the same defensive
playbooks you want to try your blitz set ups on. Set up the
defenses the same way as you did in practice mode to see if they
work. If they do work, get a hold of a buddy and go online.
Test the blitz sets online to see if they work or not. If they do work
online, then you know they are good to go. Also be sure to run them
against different formations and different pass blocking tactics,
that way you know what will work or not.

10. I can't get the blitz set ups to work everytime, what do I do?

Not every blitz is going to work every single time. There are a lot
variables to come into play for the blitz to work. The best thing
we can tell you is go through all the blitz set ups with the
playbook you plan to run. Test each one out to see how they work
with the team you are playing. If they work, then keep them and add
them to your blitz package arsenal. With over 90 plays shown in the
book, surely you can find a handful that you like that you can use
during the course of the game.

Again, to find out more about the A/B Blitz Guide, go to:

http://www.maddentips.com/blitzguide

Roster and Ratings Interview

2007-04-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

Madden Planet has an interview with EA dev team member who works on rosters and ratings. This is the first sort of interview where we've given insight into this process, so it's something the community should be able to appreciate. Enjoy.

http://www.madden04.com/forums/blog/damon/

Thanks,
VG Staff
_________

ESPN Madden 08 Cover Countdown Content

2007-04-05T16:35:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com has some great content in their video games section to count down to EAs Madden NFL 08 cover announcement which will happen later this month (more details on that as we get closer). Check out the ESPN.com video games page and an article about Devin Hester's speed in 08.

http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames/index

http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames...ory?id=2826180

Thanks,
VG Staff

Official EA Sports Madden 08 Site Is Now Live

2007-03-27T13:28:00.000-04:00

The new Madden 08 site is now live. Here is the direct link.

http://www.easports.com/madden08/

For the next 32 days, EA will feature team specific themes on the site. A new team will open up each day along the bar at the bottom of the page. You'll then be able to download a wallpaper for that team on the right hand side of the screen. There is a lot more in store for our site this year, but this is a really exciting starting point where we're featuring team a team specific look for the first time.

Thanks,
VG Staff

Big B's Guide to the Spread Offense Released!

2007-03-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

You can go to http://www.maddentips.com/spread for info and ordering.

One of the best sections in the guide is the Commish's corner.

We've been eager to put out this section for a long time. After reading this section, you'll be able to seriously step up your game. These guys that win tourneys and are quite successful have schemes.

They make a system and that contains checks and balances. They know what stops them and they make adjustments within their scheme to account for that.

Being a great Madden player isn't so much about having a couple of good plays. It's about having a solid scheme that you can adjust to deal with any situations.

Big B and Mr. Squeeze take you through a virtual Lab session where they break down the nuts and bolts of their offensive schemes. The same ones that their club has used to win multiple EA Madden Challenge Region titles.

They also dive into the Tampa Bay, Detroit & Atlanta playbooks to pull out some gems that will put your offense over the top!

As usual Big B did a nice job on the guide with the assistance of his right hand man Mr. Squeeze so...Enjoy!

LBzrule Guide to the 3-4 Defense

2007-02-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

One of the advantages we have at VG Sports is the number of fanatical Madden players that we come into contact with on a daily basis. Between our discussion forums, private messages, league participation and tournament crew connections, we have a really strong feel for the pulse of the community.

As players have begun to make the transition to Next-Gen, they are having to relearn how to play defense. The games are very different and many of the tactics used in Current Gen D just don't translate over. Without individual defensive playmaker, many players are feeling limited by the game.

Well, I put my defensive specialist to work here at VG to put together a scheme that we could teach people to give them the lockdown type of defense that they are looking for.

Charles Bowie, aka LBzrule has spent months in the lab and in online and head-to-head play to develop a bullet proof system that is guaranteed to punch your opponent right in the mouth and keep him on his heels all game long.

Charles is a former linebacker and for years has been our go-to guy when if comes to plugging gaps and attacking offenses. I told him that I wanted a scheme that would solve two major headaches that defenders encounter in Madden 07 - getting mad up the gut pressure on the QB, and shutting down the pound (run game).

To see how he did it, go to www.maddentips.com/34defense

Top 10 Ups & Downs

2007-01-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Up (11 actually)
• Frank Gore – 86 to 92 OVR
• Jammal Brown – 86 to 92 OVR
• Marcus McNeil – 78 to 89 OVR
• DeMeco Ryans – 83 to 89 OVR
• Vince Young – 84 to 86 OVR
• Steven Jackson – 92 to 94 OVR
• Brian Westbrook – 91 to 93 OVR
• Lito Sheppard – 88 to 93 OVR
• Asante Samuel – 87 to 94 OVR
• Nnamdi Asomugha – 84 to 91 OVR
• Bart Scott – 88 to 91 OVR
• Devin Hester – 75 to 78 OVR

Top 10 Down
• Jake Plummer – 87 to 83 OVR
• Trent Green – 90 to 84 OVR
• Terrell Owens – 96 to 94 OVR
• Eli Manning – 87 to 85 OVR
• Randy Moss – 94 to 92 OVR
• Samari Rolle – 90 to 87 OVR
• Santana Moss – 91 to 89 OVR
• Boss Bailey – 87 to 81 OVR
• Fred Smoot – 88 to 83 OVR
• Edgerrin James – 94 to 92 OVR

Fourth Roster Update

2007-01-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

4th Roster Update

Injured Reserve
• Donovin Darius on IR
• Chris Perry on IR
• Junior Seau on IR
• Mike Flanagan on IR
• Sage Rosenfels on IR
• Mike Bartrum on IR
• Adam Treu on IR
• Eugene Wilson on IR
• BJ Sams on IR
• Kevin Sampson on IR
• Josh Scobey on IR
• Daunte Culpepper on IR
• Pisa Tinoisamao on IR
• Patrick Pass on IR
• Tommie Harris on IR
• Malcolm Floyd on IR
• Nick Sorensen on IR
• D’Qwell Jackson on IR
• Mike Rucker on IR
• Mike Montgomery on IR
• Jeno James on IR
• Spencer Johnson on IR
• Mike Wahle on IR
• Alvis Whitted on IR
• Dan Wilkinson on IR
• Kyle Turley on IR
• Keith Traylor on IR
• Michael Strahan on IR
• Luke Pettigout on IR
• Chad Morton on IR
• Marcus Washington on IR
• Jerry Porter on IR
• Alan Zemaitas on IR
• DD Lewis on IR
• Cecil Sapp on IR
• Courtney Brown on IR
• Will Svitek on IR
• Ryan Hannam on IR
• Sammy Davis on IR
• Byron Leftwich on IR
• Tim Dwight on IR
• Fernando Bryant on IR
• Will Blackmon on IR
• Justin Hartwig on IR
• Musa Smith on IR
• Christian Fauria on IR
• Ernie Conwell on IR
• Kelly Herndon on IR
• Antwan Odom on IR
• Ben Troupe on IR
• Anthony Weaver on IR
• Rashad Butler on IR
• Scott Peters on IR
• Kevin Jones on IR
• Willie Reid on IR
• David Macklin on IR

Transactions
• CB Pete Hunter added to Seahawks
• OL Chris Terry added to Chiefs
• CB Cortland Finnegan added to Titans
• TE Zach Hilton released to free agency
• QB Koy Detmer added to Eagles
• HB Chris Taylor added to Texans
• WR Darius Watts added to Giants
• P Todd Sauerbrun added to Patriots
• CB Mike Rumph released to free agency
• S Deke Cooper added to 49ers
• WR Derrick Lewis released to free agency
• WR Az Hakim added to Chargers
• WR Doug Gabriel released/signed by Raiders
• CB Derrick Strait released/signed by Panthers
• LB Roy Manning added to Bills
• HB Duce Staley released to free agency
• K Nick Novak released to free agency
• K Shaun Suisham signed by Redskins
• LB Jay Foreman added to 49ers
• S Tony Parrish released/signed by Cowboys
• HB Quincy Wilson added to Bengals
• CB Jeff Shoate added to Broncos
• CB Darrent Williams removed from game
• C Anthony Oakley added to Bears
• WR Miles Austin added to Cowboys
• S Abram Elam added to Cowboys
• WR Carlyle Holiday added to Packers
• CB Patrick Dendy added to Packers
• WR John Madsen added to Raiders
• HB Cory Ross added to Ravens
• CB Ray Mickens added to Patriots
• HB Jamal Robertson added to Falcons
• TE Ben Hartsock added to Titans
• LB Rocky Boiman added to Colts
• K Martin Gramatica added to Cowboys
• K Mike Vanderjagt released to free agency
• CB BJ Tucker added to 49ers
• LB Hannibal Navies added to 49ers
• OL Steve Edwards added to Giants

Ratings Adjustments – Down
• Adam Archuleta – 85 to 81 OVR
• Terrence McGee – 85 to 81 OVR
• Jake Plummer – 87 to 83 OVR
• TJ Duckett – 82 to 80 OVR
• Rod Smith – 86 to 84 OVR
• George Foster – 86 to 84 OVR
• Reuben Droughns – 86 to 83 OVR
• Edgerrin James – 94 to 92 OVR
• Marquand Manuel – 80 to 76 OVR
• Bubba Franks – 83 to 81 OVR
• David Martin – 81 to 79 OVR
• Nick Collins – 86 to 84 OVR
• Ben Taylor – 81 to 78 OVR
• Scott Wells – 86 to 82 OVR
• Roman Oben – 86 to 84 OVR
• Trent Green – 90 to 84 OVR
• Dante Hall – 77 to 74 OVR
• Kyle Turley – 85 to 81 OVR
• John Welbourn – 86 to 81 OVR
• Ty Law – 94 to 92 OVR
• Anthony McFarland – 90 to 88 OVR
• Raheem Brock – 85 to 83 OVR
• Terrell Owens – 96 to 94 OVR
• Terence Newman – 89 to 88 OVR
• Drew Bledsoe – 85 to 83 OVR
• Daunte Culpepper – 87 to 86 OVR
• Joey Harrington – 78 to 76 OVR
• Toniu Fonoti – 80 to 76 OVR
• Chris Chambers – 89 to 88 OVR
• Ronnie Brown – 91 to 90 OVR
• Jeno James – 85 to 82 OVR
• Kendyl Jacox – 83 to 81 OVR
• LJ Shelton – 84 to 81 OVR
• LaMont Jordan – 87 to 86 OVR
• Randy Moss – 94 to 92 OVR
• Dunta Robinson – 90 to 89 OVR
• Sam Gado – 77 to 74 OVR
• Fred Smoot – 88 to 83 OVR
• Troy Williamson – 80 to 76 OVR
• Erasmus James – 86 to 82 OVR
• Kenechi Udeze – 82 to 80 OVR
• Andrew Walter – 78 to 76 OVR
• Eli Manning – 87 to 85 OVR
• Aaron Brooks – 80 to 79 OVR
• Tyler Brayton – 82 to 81 OVR
• Doug Gabriel – 82 to 80 OVR
• Chester Taylor – 88 to 87 OVR
• Ken Lucas – 91 to 88 OVR
• Nate Burleson – 81 to 78 OVR
• Mike Williams – 75 to 74 OVR
• Warrick Dunn – 92 to 91 OVR
• Kevan Barlow – 82 to 80 OVR
• Matt Jones – 84 to 83 OVR
• Reggie Williams – 83 to 81 OVR
• Ernest Wilford – 82 to 80 OVR
• Boss Bailey – 87 to 81 OVR
• William James – 81 to 76 OVR
• Sam Madison – 89 to 87 OVR
• RW McQuarters – 83 to 80 OVR
• Lance Schulters – 83 to 80 OVR
• Jeff Feagles – 85 to 79 OVR
• Shawntae Spencer – 83 to 81 OVR
• Jeff Ulbrich – 85 to 82 OVR
• Brodrick Bunkley – 84 to 82 OVR
• Corey Bradford – 79 to 76 OVR
• Kalimba Edwards – 83 to 81 OVR
• Kennoy Kennedy – 85 to 82 OVR
• Chad Scott – 83 to 81 OVR
• Jerametrius Butler – 80 to 75 OVR
• Mark Tauscher – 95 to 93 OVR
• Robbie Tobeck – 88 to 83 OVR
• DeShaun Foster – 87 to 85 OVR
• Dan Morgan – 92 to 90 OVR
• Marcus Tubbs – 82 to 80 OVR
• Jake Delhomme – 89 to 87 OVR
• Byron Leftwich – 86 to 84 OVR
• Samari Rolle – 90 to 87 OVR
• Justin Miller – 84 to 81 OVR
• Floyd Womack – 86 to 81 OVR
• Ken Hamlin – 88 to 87 OVR
• Chris Gardocki – 89 to 79 OVR
• Mark Brunell – 85 to 81 OVR
• Troy Vincent – 85 to 80 OVR
• David Barrett – 86 to 83 OVR
• Danny Clark – 85 to 76 OVR
• Deshea Townsend – 86 to 84 OVR
• Ike Taylor – 85 to 83 OVR
• Santana Moss – 91 to 89 OVR
• Sebastian Janikowski – 87 to 84 OVR
• Sean Taylor – 94 to 93 OVR
• Marcus Johnson – 79 to 76 OVR

Ratings Adjustments – Up
• Devin Hester – 75 to 78 OVR
• Ovie Mughelli – 82 to 89 OVR
• Antonio Pierce – 91 to 93 OVR
• Robert Geathers – 82 to 83 OVR
• Rob Sims – 75 to 80 OVR
• Brett Keisel – 79 to 82 OVR
• Bryant McFadden – 80 to 82 OVR
• Larry Foote – 85 to 87 OVR
• James Farrior – 94 to 95 OVR
• Santonio Holmes – 77 to 80 OVR
• Josh Brown – 85 to 90 OVR
• Jason Campbell – 79 to 81 OVR
• Sean Locklear – 77 to 83 OVR
• Lofa Tatupu – 90 to 93 OVR
• Vernon Fox – 72 to 75 OVR
• Mark Simoneau – 77 to 80 OVR
• Scott Fujita – 84 to 86 OVR
• John Carney – 85 to 91 OVR
• Derrick Dockery – 79 to 81 OVR
• Hollis Thomas – 82 to 86 OVR
• Brian Young – 82 to 85 OVR
• Scott Shanle – 82 to 85 OVR
• Reggie Bush – 86 to 87 OVR
• Jahri Evans – 69 to 79 OVR
• Jamar Nesbit – 75 to 80 OVR
• Jon Stinchcomb – 71 to 77 OVR
• Lemar Marshall – 86 to 88 OVR
• Ladell Betts – 82 to 85 OVR
• Carlos Rogers – 84 to 87 OVR
• Ty Warren – 87 to 88 OVR
• Fakhir Brown – 82 to 84 OVR
• Tye Hill – 82 to 83 OVR
• OJ Atogwe – 82 to 83 OVR
• Tully Banta Cain – 77 to 82 OVR
• Dawan Landry – 79 to 83 OVR
• Kelly Gregg – 87 to 89 OVR
• Haloti Ngata – 85 to 86 OVR
• Bart Scott – 88 to 91 OVR
• Adalius Thomas – 88 to 91 OVR
• Dre Bly – 89 to 90 OVR
• Asante Samuel – 87 to 94 OVR
• Terrence Holt – 77 to 81 OVR
• Daniel Bullocks – 78 to 79 OVR
• Gerald Sensabaugh – 75 to 78 OVR
• Leon Washington – 81 to 82 OVR
• Jerricho Cotchery – 83 to 85 OVR
• Andre Dyson – 85 to 87 OVR
• Laveranues Coles – 90 to 92 OVR
• Kerry Rhodes – 91 to 92 OVR
• Bryan Thomas – 82 to 85 OVR
• Gibril Wilson – 87 to 89 OVR
• Quinn Gray – 68 to 72 OVR
• Mathias Kiwanuka – 81 to 84 OVR
• Barry Cofield – 76 to 78 OVR
• Jim Finn – 74 to 83 OVR
• Daryl Smith – 82 to 83 OVR
• Brandon Moore – 83 to 85 OVR
• Josh Mallard – 68 to 71 OVR
• Jerious Norwood – 82 to 84 OVR
• Demorrio Williams – 79 to 84 OVR
• Brian Dawkins – 96 to 97 OVR
• Juqua Thomas – 70 to 77 OVR
• Hank Baskett – 75 to 78 OVR
• Richard Marshall – 80 to 82 OVR
• Lito Sheppard – 88 to 93 OVR
• Brian Westbrook – 91 to 93 OVR
• Aaron Kampman – 91 to 92 OVR
• Walt Harris – 85 to 86 OVR
• Roy Williams – 92 to 93 OVR
• Alex Lewis – 71 to 75 OVR
• Paris Lenon – 77 to 79 OVR
• Bobby McCray – 80 to 82 OVR
• Mike Furrey – 80 to 85 OVR
• Ernie Simms – 85 to 87 OVR
• Steven Jackson – 92 to 94 OVR
• Jamaal Jackson – 83 to 85 OVR
• Omar Gaither – 66 to 76 OVR
• Justin Fargas – 76 to 79 OVR
• Trevor Pryce – 90 to 92 OVR
• DJ Hackett – 76 to 79 OVR
• Marques Colston – 86 to 87 OVR
• Devery Henderson – 80 to 82 OVR
• Drew Brees – 93 to 94 OVR
• Terrance Copper – 73 to 74 OVR
• Ronald Curry – 77 to 79 OVR
• Sam Williams – 77 to 81 OVR
• Stuart Schweigert – 85 to 86 OVR
• Kirk Morrison – 86 to 88 OVR
• Michael Huff – 85 to 87 OVR
• Thomas Howard – 81 to 85 OVR
• Chris Hope – 86 to 90 OVR
• Travis Henry – 86 to 88 OVR
• Vince Young – 84 to 86 OVR
• Pacman Jones – 82 to 84 OVR
• Kevin Williams – 95 to 97 OVR
• Darrion Scott – 76 to 80 OVR
• Andre Johnson – 93 to 94 OVR
• Billy McMullen – 72 to 75 OVR
• DeMeco Ryans – 83 to 89 OVR
• Ron Dayne – 78 to 81 OVR
• Kerry Rhodes – 88 to 92 OVR
• Mike Karney – 81 to 85 OVR
• EJ Henderson – 84 to 86 OVR
• Cedric Benson – 80 to 85 OVR
• Domata Peko – 73 to 76 OVR
• Landon Johnson – 83 to 85 OVR
• Caleb Miller – 73 to 75 OVR
• JP Losman – 78 to 81 OVR
• London Fletcher – 92 to 95 OVR
• Jason Peters – 82 to 86 OVR
• Lee Evans – 87 to 88 OVR
• Ko Simpson – 76 to 79 OVR
• Cedric Griffin – 79 to 82 OVR
• Jay Cutler – 81 to 84 OVR
• Brandon Marshall – 76 to 78 OVR
• Elvis Dumervil – 81 to 82 OVR
• Curome Cox – 70 to 75 OVR
• Mike Bell – 80 to 82 OVR
• Jason Elam – 91 to 97 OVR
• Derek Anderson – 65 to 73 OVR
• Kamerion Wimbley – 85 to 86 OVR
• Daven Holly – 66 to 75 OVR
• Tim Rattay – 75 to 77 OVR
• Jermaine Phillips – 85 to 87 OVR
• Bryant Johnson – 81 to 84 OVR
• Anquan Boldin – 93 to 94 OVR
• Darnell Dockett – 86 to 88 OVR
• Al Harris – 91 to 93 OVR
• Charles Woodson – 87 to 89 OVR
• Tyrone Culver – 67 to 72 OVR
• Donald Driver – 90 to 92 OVR
• Patrick Dendy – 70 to 73 OVR
• Corey Williams – 81 to 84 OVR
• AJ Hawk – 87 to 88 OVR
• Vernand Morency – 78 to 82 OVR
• Ruvell Martin – 68 to 75 OVR
• Cullen Jenkins – 78 to 80 OVR
• Marcus McNeil – 78 to 89 OVR
• Kris Dielman – 84 to 89 OVR
• Shaun Phillips – 81 to 82 OVR
• Donnie Edwards – 91 to 93 OVR
• Jacques Cesaire – 74 to 76 OVR
• Philip Rivers – 86 to 87 OVR
• Larry Johnson – 95 to 96 OVR
• Samie Parker – 76 to 77 OVR
• Jarrad Page – 70 to 73 OVR
• Ron Edwards – 77 to 79 OVR
• Kawika Mitchell – 85 to 86 OVR
• Joseph Addai – 84 to 86 OVR
• Bob Sanders – 94 to 95 OVR
• Adam Vinatieri – 97 to 98 OVR
• Reggie Wayne – 93 to 94 OVR
• Antoine Bethea – 81 to 83 OVR
• Mark Clayton – 85 to 86 OVR
• Cory Redding – 81 to 84 OVR
• Jake Scott – 78 to 82 OVR
• Ryan Lilja – 78 to 80 OVR
• Nick Hardwick – 87 to 89 OVR
• Nate Kaeding – 87 to 89 OVR
• Aaron Moorehead – 71 to 73 OVR
• Patrick Crayton – 77 to 80 OVR
• Tony Romo – 82 to 84 OVR
• Sam Hurd – 68 to 70 OVR
• Demarcus Ware – 87 to 90 OVR
• Bradie James – 85 to 86 OVR
• Marion Barber – 85 to 87 OVR
• Mat McBriar – 86 to 90 OVR
• Cleo Lemon – 65 to 70 OVR
• Jason Taylor – 97 to 98 OVR
• Jammal Brown – 86 to 92 OVR
• Frank Gore – 86 to 92 OVR
• Nnamdi Asomugha – 84 to 91 OVR
• Fabian Washington – 81 to 86 OVR
• Terdell Sands – 77 to 82 OVR
• Tommy Kelly – 78 to 81 OVR
• Jordan Babineaux – 77 to 81 OVR
• Jeff Garcia – 80 to 82 OVR

Two more classic stadiums went live today for the XBOX Live Marketplace.

2006-12-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

The two new stadiums are Classic Giants Stadium and Classic Steelers Stadium. Take a look at the screen shots below to get an idea of what they look like.

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Each stadium will cost you 300 points on the XBOX Live Marketplace.

Madden Nation Season 2 Podcast (Week 1): DJ Rhude Interview

2006-12-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Madden Nation Season 2 Contestant Discusses His Experiences on the Show.

After every Madden Nation Season 2 airing, the Madden community is ablaze with discussion about the drama that has unfolded each week on the bus. As Season 2 competitors depart, we’ll get the inside story straight from the cast members themselves to hear their take on what happened behind the scenes.

Madden Nation Season 2 Podcast - Week 1

Recently departed Madden Nation Season 2 cast member DJ Rhude took a few minutes to talk with us about his experience on the tour. He discussed his Madden background, meeting Michael Strahan, and what it meant for the Madden community to have one of their own representing hardcore sim-style players on the Madden Nation bus.

To hear DJ Rhude's thoughts while on the bus, click on the link below.

http://www.easports.com/madden07/news.jsp?id=mn2_podcast

Packwolf Previews Madden Nation 2

2006-12-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Packwolf talks about his experience from Madden Nation show 1. It's a good read from an every day normal family guy who likes to play Madden as a hobby and not worry about the money.

As Madden Nation Season 2 debuts, it's a good time to look back at some memories from season one. We spoke with season one cast member Packwolf about his experience on the show, what it takes to win, and his thoughts on what to look forward to in season two. The following is part one of our two part interview with Packwolf.

EA SPORTS: Tell us about your Madden background prior to competing in season one of Madden Nation.

Packwolf: I have been playing video sports football in general since the late 70's. I started with Odyssey II football and moved on to Intellivision football early in my sports gaming career. I was introduced to Madden in 1992 with John Madden Football for Super Nintendo . I have been a Madden head ever since. I have played locally for years, first in Chicago where I was born and raised in underground leagues and I have been playing in Portland Oregon recently, where I reside now. I have won many local awards and leagues. Madden Nation season one was my first chance to compete on a national level.

For the rest of the article, click on the link below.

http://www.easports.com/article.jsp?id=packwolf

Redskins Playbook Released!!

2006-12-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

For past 3 months VG Sports Writer, Kobra, has been hiding out in
the lab perfecting his game. This year he has been attracted to
the Redskins playbook and decided to put together his most
comprehensive breakdown to date.

If you are looking for a playbook that you can run different
types of schemes from, then the Redskins playbook is a great
choice. With the ability to run any scheme, you can keep your
opponent off balance.

For instance, if you run the compression offense, there are
several compressed formations within the playbook. These include
the I Form Close, Singleback 4WR Stack, and Singleback Trips
Bunch.

If you want to run a spread offense with no problem you will find
the Singleback 4WR Spread and Singleback Trips WR.

If you want to run a power run game scheme, the Redskins playbook
has got you covered with such power running formations as the I
Form Twin TE, Singleback Big Jumbo Wing, Strong H Twin TE, and
Weak I H Twin TE.

Here are just some of the things you will find in this guide:

Play Breakdowns Galore!!

Kobra breaks down a ton of plays from the Redskins playbooks.
Everything from 2 back sets to Singleback to Shotgun is covered
with insane detail!

Bump-n-Run Beaters

I went crazy in this section of the book on showing all types of
bump-n-run man beaters. You will want to spend a lot of time in
this section. Many different formations are covered in this
section of the book.

Routes Bumped, But Still Bump-n-Run Beaters

Despite this routes being jammed at the line of scrimmage, they
are still good routes to call to beat bump-n-run coverage.

Reading One Side Of The Field

This section will help those who have problems reading the whole
field once the ball is snapped. Instead of reading the whole
field, I show how to read half the field to help make things
easier.

Keying on a Defender

Rather reading the defense to see if it’s man or zone coverage, I
show how sometimes I key on a particular defender to decide on
where the ball needs to go.

Snap While the Play Screen is Still Up

A nice little trick to help you read the outside coverage quicker
and faster.

Dealing With 11 Man Coverage

A few tips that I use to deal with my opponent dropping 11 men
into pass coverage.

Formation Shifts

Kobra shows some plays he like to use formation shifts with. In
this section he doesn't go to crazy with it because throughout
the rest of playbook I show a lot of plays that have formation
shifts involved. However, there is still a good amount of plays
you will find here.

Motion Within The Redskins Formations

You can create a lot of unique formations in the Redskins
playbook.

Vision Cone & the Quick Pass

Believe it or not a lot of players don’t like the vision cone. In
this section of the book, I show how those who don’t like to use
the cone, can use the quick pass to avoid the using the cone.

Angle Fade Route

If you have the filmroom, you know about this route already.
RB Angle and Circle Route. Two of the best pass routes in the
game because of the low risk of the pass being picked off. The
Redskins playbook has plenty of these type of routes. Throw in
the fact they call be pulled, makes them that much more potent.

AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG!

To get more information about how you can get your hands on this
awesome guide, go to:

http://www.maddentips.com/redskins

Alternate Uniforms Update

2006-11-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

Quick update on the Alternate Uniform downloads. I have received word that they will be available tonight, potentially in the wee hours of the morning. We'll let you know as soon as we see them.

Madden Alternate Uniforms - Coming Tomorrow

2006-11-29T19:46:00.000-05:00

Alternate uniforms for both NCAA 07 and Madden NFL 07 on the XBOX 360 are scheduled to be available tomorrow via the XBOX Live Marketplace, at no cost to download. I'll post some pics up later tonight.

Madden NFL 07

• AFC East Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Bills, Jets & Patriots; alternate uniform for the Dolphins.
• AFC North Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Steelers & Browns; alternate uniforms for the Bengals & Ravens.
• AFC South Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniform for the Titans; alternate uniforms for the Colts, Texans & Jaguars.
• AFC West Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs & Raiders.
• NFC East Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants & Redskins.
• NFC North Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Bears, Lions & Packers; 2005 season uniform for the Vikings
• NFC South Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Bucs, Falcons & Saints; alternate uniform for the Panthers.
• NFC West Throwback Uniforms: Throwback uniforms for the Cardinals, 49ers, Rams & Seahawks.

NOTE: All Madden uniforms are either throwback uniforms or alternate uniforms. The throwback uniforms were either the 75th Anniversary uniforms that were worn in the 1994-1995 season; for teams that aren’t 75 years old, the throwbacks were worn in the league, but not during the anniversary season. Alternate uniforms were uniforms teams wore at least once in the 2005 season.

NCAA Football 07

• Alt Uniforms - Big 10, Pac 10, Notre Dame: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan St., Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Arizona, Cal, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, WSU
• Alt Uniforms – ACC: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest
• Alt Uniforms - Big East, Conf. USA: Cincinnati, Connecticut Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia, Marshall, UCF, Houston
• Alt Uniforms - SEC, Mtn. West: Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Colorado State, UNLV, San Diego State, TCU, Utah, Wyoming
• Alt Uniforms - Big 12, WAC: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa St, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma St, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Boise St, Hawaii, LA Tech, Nevada, Utah St

Madden Alternate Uniforms - Pats Preview

2006-11-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

We should have some info by the middle of next week about how the Alternate Uniforms will work. In the meantime, here is a preview of the Pats Alternate unis.

Hall of Fame Stadium on Xbox Live

2006-11-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

Below you can find 4 screens of the NFL Hall Of Fame stadium which will be live on the XBOX marketplace for 300 points this coming Thursday, November 16th.

From what we hear you can also expect to see alternate uniforms available before too much longer.

Exclusive 45 Minute Strategy Call

2006-11-07T12:45:00.000-05:00

I got on the phone the other night and spent 45 minutes with one of my staff writers discussing the Compression Offense. This scheme is used by just about every top baller and has led multiple players to EA Madden Challenge tournament victories.

You will get to hear how Big B began to research the compression offense as well as discover the key components of running this offensive scheme. There is some incredible information here that will help you improve your game no matter what level of player you are.

This call was recorded and is available for free in MP3 format.

To download your copy, click here!

Thoughts from Compression Author, Big B

2006-11-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank everyone for buying this year's guide of "Compression 301: Enter the West Coast Offense". We all know that the west coast offense is a scheme or type of system that has been used in the NFL for some time. This quick passing attack allows offenses to move the ball by using short passes and running the ball.

In the early days not many teams used compressed sets to run the west coast offense. They used split backs, weak, a strong I sets. Once defenses began to make defensive schemes for this system, the offensive coordinators made adjustments. They went to using compressed sets. Using compressed sets made the WCO harder to defend.

Then the use of motion also put pressure on the defense. Now we come to Madden 07. The compression is one of the leading sets in the game. EA has added new sets every year. Then if you looked real close you will find that 90% of your WCO playbooks were compressed. Oakland, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Denver, and a host of others were very heavy in compressed sets.

I saw people win tourneys using compressed sets. When you add the quick passing scheme of the WCO in compressed sets you are now taking the scheme to another level. This helps with pass protection. The line don't need to hold blocks as long. This system is harder to defend because you take away the time the defense has to set-up.

Many of the playbooks have plays that don't require you to make any adjustments. These type of plays cut down on the defensive pre-snap adjustments. You can force the defense to run a base sets. Then with random blitz angles it makes it harder to genrate pressure. The need for shotgun isn't as big now. So running compressed sets in a WCO fashion allows you to keep the defense on its toes and allows you to run/pass the ball.

This scheme also allows you to work the clock and move the chains. Lastly, I posted 12 plays from the WBC players. Two of them are EA Sports Madden Challenge Regional winners...Marc Dawg and WBC Brusk. I also did a break down of 3 playbooks and their key formation shifts. You still have the basic sections to help you fine tune areas so that you can run the compression scheme easier. All in all I hope you enjoyed this year's guide.

You all made "Compression 201" the leading selling guide last year next to our Virtual Playbbok. Many felt that writing a scheme book wouldn't work, but the people of the community felt differently about that. So to show my thanks for supporting my product I will give the 201 guide away for free when you buy 301.

This is my way of saying thanks for your supoort and making the compression one of the best syetems out there to date. For more information go to:

www.maddentips.com/compression301

Compression Guide 301 Released!

2006-11-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

"What If You Could 'Spy' On the Lab Sessions of Some of the Best Players In The Country (including 2 EA Madden Challenge 07 Regional Champs)...

And Ethically Steal* Their Step-By-Step Secrets On Moving The Ball at Will and Lighting Up The Scoreboard Again And Again?"

VG Sports is at it again with the release of the 2007 edition of the Compression Guide. In this guide, Big B breaks down the secrets that his crew, the WBC, has used to capture 5 EA Sports Madden Challenge Regionals.

Big B takes you through step by step covering pass protection, progressions, marrying routes and more...

To find out more about this guide, go to http://www.maddentips.com/compression301

Interview with SSN - Madden League Provider

2006-10-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

Recently VG had the opportunity to sit down with Larry Dickerson of Simsportsnet.com to find out a little bit more about what they do to support leagues in the Madden Community. I've included the interview below.

1. What is Simsportsnet.com?

SSN is an online community for Madden players featuring a league management tool and search tools displaying updated roster and playbook information.

2. What makes SSN’s league manager different from other league managers out there?

The primary difference is SSN’s ability to offer automatic game statistics and roster downloads.

3. So you do not have to input any stats manually?

No. We take your game result files from your Madden franchise and automatically import them into our site. No manual stat input.

4. What systems are the auto stats available for?

PS2, Xbox and the PC. Auto stats for the Xbox 360 are coming soon.

5. What are some other unique features you get with SSN?

Customize your league home page. We give you the template and you can lay your page out any way you like. Display league schedule, standings, league leaders and so much more.

Real time online transactions. Make trades, drop players or add free agents. All in real time directly thru the site. Shop for trades by putting players on the block and display them to the entire league.

Free agent bidding is cool too. When you want to sign a free agent you must negotiate terms with his agent. If they find the offer satisfactory there will be a 24 hour time period where other owners can try to out bid you. Other team owners can not see your offer but they can see your cap space and must make an educated guess as to what will get the deal done. If you are the top bid that free agent automatically signs with your team and appears on your roster.

6. Where can you go to see a sample of one of the leagues hosted on your site?

http://www.simsportsnet.com/madden/leaguemanager/leaguehome.asp?leagueid=204

7. One of the major strengths SSN has is your stat tools. Are there any other useful stat tools you offer?

Yes. Madden players can point their emails from the game server to us and we display all there online games played. You get box scores from all games and your overall user stats accumulate. This is great information if you like to chart your progress online or if you want to scout other online players.

To view instructions on this process go to:

http://www.simsportsnet.com/products/product-mygamespace.asp

8. Tell us about your community. Do you offer a standard forum?

We are not a forum. Our community is called “My Game-Space”. This is a spin off of the popular My Space but it is targeted to gamers. You can customize your personal Game Space page by adding in a background and choosing from our many modules to import to your page. You can utilize our message center and chat feature to communicate with other members. You can add a juke box and video clips. You are also able to bring in modules from your leagues hosted by SSN. Import league schedules, standings and just about anything else you find useful.

My game space is where you will find your online game results posted. There is a scrolling ticker with your last few games. If you click recap you can see the box score of that game. There are many other links to see all of your game scores and overall statistics.

For a sample go to:

http://www.simsportsnet.com/users/user-home.asp?user=dokken

9. Is there any thing else you would like to tell us about SSN’s offering?

Yes. We have the ability to provide Throw back games for the PS2 for online game play. We have teams dating back to the 1957 49ers. These teams have real names and real numbers. SSN is the only place you can play with the great teams online. We would be happy to provide VG Sports with some games to hand out to its members for free.

10. In conclusion what would you like to tell the Madden community about SSN?

SSN is a fantastic tool for Madden. There is nothing else out like what we offer. SSN provides bar none the best roster presentation on the web. We offer the updated rosters the day they are released.

We ask the community to come to www.simsportsnet.com and see for yourself. Simsportsnet is the only tool with auto stats, the only place with great teams for online play and the only community that gives you your own personal space (My Game-Space) to be creative and communicate with other players around the world.

For more information please contact us at:

SSNCommissioner@simsportsnet.com

Thanks

Larry & Keith
SSN Principals

Madden 07 for Xbox 360 - Patch

2006-10-03T19:11:00.000-04:00

We have been notifed by EA Sports that a patch has been released for Madden 07 on the Xbox 360. The most noticeable fix is the fatigue issue that has been in the game since it came out.

Get online and and download the patch!!

EA Sports Coaches Corner

2006-10-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

EA Sports has launced a new initiative called Coaches Corner. This is a place for members in the Madden community to post their own favorite strategies. We will be visiting from time to time and posting there as well. Kobra has broken down one of this favorite route combinations on the site.

Click here Kobra's Combination Route Breakdown

Madden 07 Rosters & Ratings - VG Sports Style

2006-08-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

We really appreciate IGN dropping the ratings for everybody, but their format leaves a bit to be desired.

We've cleaned things up a bit and put them in a format that is easier on the eyes. We've included only the most important attributes for each position, as well as our one-of-a-kind visual power ratings system so that you can tell at a glance where your team's strengths and weaknesses lie.

Also, with Run to Daylight and Lead Blocking being the big feature this year, we have put together something we call the Run Power Rating.

This is a VG Sports special. We've combined the most important run blocking ratings for each team's offensive line to give you a visual indicator of which teams you can pound the rock with best.

Anyway, you can view these all at http://www.maddentips.com/rosters

Season behind the Season - Part IV

2006-08-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

By Ron Jackson, VG Sports

Tournament Style player prep: Ten months and a few days since the release of the last Madden and I'm just starting to wind down. Things are crazy all year. From the first day I get the game until the next one comes out it’s a constant effort to get better, to keep labbing and trying to find something in the game that I can use to exploit my opponents defense. People have all sorts of names for this, but they rarely just give us the credit for developing the skill to consistently make some aspect of the game work....

Full Article

Madden Challenge Schedule

2006-08-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

Looks like we are still looking at Xbox 1 for Pros and Xbox 360 for Rookie challenge.

2006 EA SPORTS MADDEN CHALLENGE
Schedule

DAY DATE SCHEDULE VENUE
Friday 1-Sep 1 Denver Invesco Field
Sunday 3-Sep 2 Minneapolis MetroDome
Saturday 9-Sep 3 Indianapolis RCA Dome
Sunday 10-Sep 4 Chicago Solider Field
Saturday 16-Sep 5 Green Bay Lambeau Atrium
Sunday 17-Sep 6 Detroit Ford Field
Saturday 23-Sep 7 Atlanta Lenox Mall
Sunday 24-Sep 8 New Orleans Superdome
Saturday 30-Sep 9 Cincinnati Newport on the Levee
Sunday 1-Oct 10 Pittsburgh Heinz Field
Saturday 7-Oct 11 Boston Gillette Stadium
Sunday 8-Oct 12 New York Grand Central Station
Saturday 14-Oct 13 New Jersey Jersey City Mall
Sunday 15-Oct 14 Philadelphia King of Prussia Mall
Saturday 21-Oct 15 Baltimore M & T Bank Stadium
Sunday 22-Oct 16 Washington DC Fed Ex Field
Saturday 28-Oct 17 Charlotte Concord Mills
Sunday 29-Oct 18 Tampa Raymond James Stadium
Saturday 4-Nov 19 Houston Reliant Stadium Park
Sunday 5-Nov 20 Dallas Texas Stadium
Saturday 11-Nov 21 Phoenix Cardinal Stadium
Sunday 12-Nov 22 San Diego Qualcomm Stadium
Saturday 18-Nov 23 Los Angeles Hollywood & Highland
Sunday 19-Nov 24 Oakland McAfee Coliseum
Friday 24-Nov 25 Seattle Qwest Field
Sunday 26-Nov 26 San Francisco Metreon
International - TBD
27-Jan 27 Mexico city, Mexico TBD
13-Jan 28 Toronto, Canada TBD
4-Feb 29 UK, London TBD
4-Feb 30 Frankfurt,Germany TBD
Jan 31 ASIA TBD

Online tournament
Nov-feb 32 online

Madden Challenge Announcement

2006-08-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

From what we hear the official announcement will be made tomorrow. We'll have our ears open and our eyes peeled. We'll let you know asap what we find out. In any event, get those fingers warmed up and get ready to compete!

ESPN/EA Sports Madden PPV

2006-08-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

Last week the first Madden related PPV hit televisions and
computers all over the world. If you are a fan of Madden it is
worth seeing just for the production value alone.

It is obvious that ESPN really put some effort into making this a
quality TV show. The set was excellent and the camera work was
gritty and kept your attention.

Content wise, the strategies weren't exceptionally deep for the
hardcore player, but there were some good nuggets to be found
there no matter what your skill level is.

You definitely got into the mind of the tournament player a bit
as you can see how they prepare to play the game. Their style
may not be your cup of tea as far as how to play the game, but
their approach is worth learning from.

As I mentioned above, there were some good sections involving how
the guys use bump-n-run with their linebackers as well as tips on
manually controlling your players. This is valuable stuff.

If you have ever wondered the thought process behind what the
producers do with the game and how they view the community, then
this show is a good fit for you as well.

All in all, I was impressed with the show for a first effort and
can recommend it to you if you love the game of Madden!

Madden 07 is only a few weeks away. If you haven't had a chance
to check out the Virtual Playbook for Madden, hit up our main
site at:

http://www.maddentips.com

Madden 07 Q&A

2006-08-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

Several members of the VG Team recently had the opportunity to
head down to EA Tiburon to check out Madden 07 for a couple of
days.

When we got back, Big B & Ron hosted a Q&A on the forums. We've
included some of these questions and answers here.

Q: How was the 360? Was it better than 06? Most people were
disappointed with last year, will we be happy this year with the
360?

Big B: Very good game. Once they get the other things from
current to next gen....it will no doubt be the best game ever.
Right now the game is off the chain. It felt like the old days.
No audibles, formation shifting.....just str8 work.

Think of the passing like 05 without the rocket. If you have a
player that is 6'5" vs. a DB at 5'11" the taller player will get
up. I also feel that the manual defending is easier. This game is
about pounding the rock, and running routes.

Big B: The high pass is toned down. Now if you have a big WR he
will get up. The thing is that you can defend it better. Zone
seems to help when you were a manual defender.

You can play they area that the CPU isn't playing. Like the LB in
a hook zone will play underneath. You would have to play over top
with the safety for the easy pick. If they're big they will get
up. One thing is that you can't depend on the cpu to catch for
you as much as before. Yes, guys you need some stick to get
things done to a degree this year.

They do what they do they do best. If they're a smaller back they
will do a series of moves to get free. If they're big they try to
truck the defender. If you're between the tackles and you need to
get past with a smaller back, he will get skinny.

Q: What about screens?

Big B: The screen is off the chain. Just replace the truck stick
with the highlight stick. Nothing changed all that much. You will
be better off using the analog to generate jukes and moves. This
allows you to get the most out of your player. Like when you had
Bush you hit up for the truck stick (highlight) and he will do a
swimming like spin to break the hit stick. Then if another
defender is coming you tap right and he will do a quick juke and
be out.

Q: Do defenders still get "sucked" into blocks?

Big B: No, they don't as bad as before. Line play has a much
better feel to it. Not as scripted.

Q: How did user controlled player's feel in contrast to last
year? (i.e., are they still sluggish with their movement, or have
they been polished up?)

Big B: Better my man. I was able to move around better. The
movement isn't as tight as current gen, but much improved from
last year.

Q: What's your take on the degrading field conditions?

Big B: The field was off the chain. When I was in practice mode
you can see the path of the routes I ran because the grass broke
down because of me running the play over and over again. Wet
weather conditions were crazy as well.

Q: How is the All-Madden AI, will I continue to see Chris Samuels
put on his back by Osi Umenyiora or Carlos Emmons cover S. Moss
on a post.

Big B: It's decent. Samuels was doing his thing when I was
playing with them. You will see that the LB's in the game are
getting faster. There has been a move to speed TEs and LBs in the
NFL. You will be surprised at who upgraded their teams.

Q: If I come out in I form big and the defense comes out in
quarters will I finally be able to pound the rock like I should
be able too?

Big B: Yes you can. The MLB gets in sometimes, but you can
control your own blocking now. So you can fix the problems now.
Run the ball and if you see someone get through, grab your guys
and plug that hole. Please everyone who doesn't lab the run, get
ready to spend some serious time in practice mode. Many people
will be here to beat our forums up for some good run defense. If
you lived just by the run commit feature, you are pretty much
done this year. Practice!

To view more of the Q&A, be sure to visit the VG Sports forums at
http://www.maddentips.com/forums

ESPN TEAMS UP WITH EA SPORTS TO OFFER AN INSIDE LOOK AT MADDEN NFL 07

2006-08-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

I'll be tuning in tonight. Gotta catch the 11:00 show. Let me know what you thing about it.

PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT AVAILABLE ON TV AND ONLINE

Beginning August 4 at 8 p.m. ET., ESPN and ESPN.com will offer an exclusive pay-per-view event with Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) - Inside Madden NFL 07 - produced by ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) and available to gamers through affiliates on television and also online.

In this special, available 18 days before the release of Madden NFL 07 from EA SPORTS(tm) on August 22, fans will get an early look inside one of this year's most anticipated video game releases. EA game designers and some of the best Madden players will lead gamers on a guided tour through new changes and advances in all aspects of the game. Included in the special are the exclusive release of player ratings and tips from top Madden gamers and behind-the-scenes details about the making of the next generation of Madden NFL games.

Intended to give the hardcore gamer and fan a leg up on playing the latest version in the popular Madden game series, ESPN and EA SPORTS invited some of the best gamers in the business to EA Sports Tiburon studios in Orlando. Before arriving, the five gamers were given a chance to try the new game and see a number of new features. Once at the EA studios, the players were given the opportunity to interview game producers, engineers, and further test and evaluate the latest edition of the game for the cameras.

The gamers that took part in the program are:
- Dwayne "D-Train Harrison" - winner of the 2002 Madden Challenge
- Jarvis Thomas - winner of the 2005 Madden Challenge
- Justin Chow - Washington DC regional winner of the 2005 Madden Challenge
- Will Kinsler - co-owner of MaddenNation.com, and writer for gaming strategy guides and EA Sports
- Rod "Reality" Winn - a former competitor on ESPN's Madden Nation

Throughout the 60-minute special, the gamers discuss how the new game features will impact their own play and provide insight into techniques and strategies that help make them among the best in the world.

Inside Madden NFL 07 also includes interviews with top athletes regarding their experience with the latest version of the game. Atlanta Falcons' Warrick Dunn, Tennessee Titans great Eddie George, Minnesota Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson, and St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk were each given the opportunity to take an advance look at their OWN player ratings while cameras captured their feedback.

Fans can purchase Inside Madden NFL 07 for $19.95 at www.espn.com (search Madden), or by contacting their pay-per-view provider. For re-airs throughout the month of August, check www.espntv.com listings or contact your pay-per-view provider.

Leading up to the pay-per-view special on August 4, ESPN Classic will air episodes of EOE's Madden Nation from 2 - 6 p.m. ET as part of Generation Y Week on ESPN Classic.

Virtual Playbook for Madden 07

2006-08-03T01:03:00.000-04:00

We've posted a ton of information up about the Virtual Playbook for Madden 07. Get the inside scoop on what is inside the guide as well as view video feedback from some of the leaders in the Madden Community.

This year's guide is packed with content guaranteed to make you a better Madden baller!

Go check it out at http://www.maddentips.com