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!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
MaddenConnection.com Launched
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Madden Roster Update - October 24th
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
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
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Madden 08 - Next Gen Formation Shifting
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
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.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Strategy Corner - Defending Next Gen Heat
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Madden Tournament Scene
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
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
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.
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.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
This Week in the Filmroom
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
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
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Madden 08 Roster Update #2 - 9/10/07
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
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
Friday, August 10, 2007
Madden 08 Alternate Uniforms
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
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
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
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
Play Action Passing
Monday, July 23, 2007
Maddenmania Reviews the Virtual Playbook
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
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
Sunday, July 22, 2007
NCAA Football 08 Blitz Schemes
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
Sunday, July 15, 2007
NCAA Football 08 - Auto Motion
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
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
Friday, July 13, 2007
VG Sports Community Forums Heating Up
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
To join in the discussion, click here
EA Sports Fantasy Football
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.
Click Here for more info.
Madden 08: Armed and Dangerous
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.
"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.
Friday, June 08, 2007
The Hottest Ticket In Town
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
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
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
EA Sports Fathers Day Give Away
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
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
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
10 Reasons Why Madden Gamers Will Want to Make the Switch Over to Madden 08 on the NG
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
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
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Madden 08 Current Gen Info & More
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
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
Monday, May 21, 2007
Madden Filmroom Updated This Week (May 21)
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
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
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
Click here to read the article.
VG Staff
1UP Has Added Its Madden 08 Preview
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
Click here to read the article.
VG Staff
Five Things You Need to Know About Madden 08
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
Click here to read the article.
VG Staff
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Madden NFL 08 Randy Moss Patriots Screens Coming 5 p.m. Eastern!
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
"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
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
"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
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
"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
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
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
Friday, April 13, 2007
Madden Blitz Guide - Frequently Asked Questions
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
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
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Roster and Ratings Interview
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
_________
http://www.madden04.com/forums/blog/damon/
Thanks,
VG Staff
_________
ESPN Madden 08 Cover Countdown Content
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
http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames/index
http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames...ory?id=2826180
Thanks,
VG Staff
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Official EA Sports Madden 08 Site Is Now Live
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
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
Monday, March 05, 2007
Big B's Guide to the Spread Offense Released!
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!
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!
Monday, February 12, 2007
LBzrule Guide to the 3-4 Defense
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
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
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Top 10 Ups & Downs
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
• 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
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
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
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