Updates to the From the Gun Playbook

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playing Madden the Belichick Way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.maddentips.com/blackfriday

Madden Tips - BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

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

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

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

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

http://www.maddentips.com/blackfriday

Get the Defensive Video Playbook for 1/2 Off

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

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

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

You will need to go to

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

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

DEFENSE

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

So, go to:

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

Use Coupon Code: DEFENSE

Thanks again,

Bert

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

Steelers Video Playbook - Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.maddenvideoplaybook.com

Is Your Madden 09 Game Evolving?

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

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

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

Our Virtual Playbook found at:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.maddenfilmroom.com

Virtual Playbook for Madden 09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playbooks & Rosters



Offensive Strategies



Defensive Strategies



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

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

Best Regards,

Bert Ingley
VG Sports, Inc.

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

Favre in Madden 09

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

See Favre in his new Madden 09 Jets gear

NCAA Football 09 - Defensive Tips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Madden 09 Community Day Impressions - Part 2

by VG Sports Kobra

Run Game

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

Playbooks

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

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

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

Some of the New Features Added

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

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

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

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

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

Weather Effects – Brings in another element when playing Madden.

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

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

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

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

Smart Routes – Works like it did before in CG.

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

http://www.maddentips.com/forums

Madden 09 Community Day Impressions - Part 1

by VG Sports Kobra

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

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

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

User Catch Offense

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

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

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

User Catch Defense

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

Underneath Passing Game

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

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

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

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

The Madden Minute - March 13, 2008

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

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

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

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

VG Sports releases Madden Strategy DVD!!

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

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

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

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

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

The Madden Minute - February 21, 2008

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

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

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

The Madden Minute - February 14, 2008

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

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

Click here for the Madden Minute

Big B's Guide to the Compression Offense - 401

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

What do all of these incredible players have in common?

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

What else do they have in common?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more info go to: 

www.maddentips.com/compression401

The Madden Minute

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

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

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

Enjoy!