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Madden 11 Passing Tips

Understanding Universal Passing Concepts:



Sportsgamerz.com is bringing you exclusive Madden 11 Tips! Universal passing concepts are found in pretty much every offensive playbook in Madden. These concepts can often times be found in multiple formations in a single playbook. These passing concepts are identified by the name of the offensive play (ex: Mesh, Stick, etc). These concepts are so widespread because they are extremely basic yet effective at the same time. These concepts have been used by just about every NFL and college football team for decades because they naturally can attack virtually any defense you face. Let’s get the breakdowns going!



WR Corners/Corner Strike (Gun Split Off Set)



Setup:



Step 1. Smart route both outside WR's (running the "C" routes)

Step 2. Motion the outside right WR to the left

Step 3. Snap the ball after the motioned WR takes one step to the left



Reads:



1. HB Flat Routes

2. "C" Routes

3. Slot Streak



The motion we use on this play makes the right "C" route unbumpable. Anytime the defense tries to use BNR coverage on you, look to hit these routes.



This play just kills zone coverage. Against cover 3 and cover 2, the "C" routes will be wide open on the sideline (especially the motioned one) because the HB flat routes draw the zone coverage up. Against cover 4, the HB flat routes are wide open.



Stick: (Gun Snugs)



Setup:

1. 
   
2. Streak the RB

   
   

Reads:

1. 
   
2. Flats

   
   

3. Stick Routes

   
   

4. HB Streak

   
   

Stick is a universal zone beater that is mostly found in Gun Snugs/ Snugs Flipped formations. This play is designed to press the underneath zones. First, you look to the flats. If they are not covered, you hit them. If the flats are covered, you have forced the underneath coverage to the outside which leaves the stick (short curl) routes open. These routes generally will have a hook zone behind them (which will limit the YAC), but you still can throw a quick bullet pass for at least a 4-6 gain all day.



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Madden Red Zone Tips

Offensive Red Zone Tips:

1. Pound The Rock- Running the ball is crucial to having success in the red zone. When the field shrinks, it makes it much harder to pass the ball. I recommend giving the defense a large dose of outside zone, off tackle, and pitch plays. Additionally, running the ball from the Gun can be a very effective weapon. While the running plays run the Gun are usually not as overpowering as the runs from under center, the defense will not be keying on the run when you are in a Gun set. This gives us a big advantage offensively. Running the ball from the Gun will also help improve the effectiveness of your passing plays.



2. Big Plays- I strongly believe in trying to score a touchdown or get down inside the three yard line as soon as you enter the red zone. It is much easier to hit a pass for a TD between the 15-20 yard line than it is once you get inside the 10 yard line. A difference of 5-10 yards may not seem like a big difference, however at this part of the field, it surely is.



3. Delay Routes- Delay routes are extremely effective in the red zone. Most smart defensive players realize that the field shrinks once you get to the red zone. Thus, you will see a lot of players stop blitzing and use maximum coverage defenses to try and blanket the field. It can be extremely hard to pass into these defenses with such limited space, but delay routes work extremely well in these situations. Delay routes will get underneath all of these drop zones which will give you an easy window for a pass completion.





4. Save Plays- Most playbooks have a few money plays from random formations that really do not fit into your scheme. Save these plays for the red zone and you can whip them out to pull out a crucial score. The first time you run these plays, the defense will not know what to expect. However, if you run these plays up and down the field, the surprise factor is gone. Since these plays are not part of your scheme, they will be very easy to key on without the surprise factor. Personally, I have a couple of money screen passes from formations that I really otherwise do not use. Saving these screens for the red zone has scored me countless touchdowns this year!



5. Out Route RC- Master the out route rocket catch. The out route RC is the only rocket catch that can be used in short yardage situations. This rocket catch is great for the red zone because it kills maximum coverage defenses. To perform the out route RC, hot route one (or both) of your outside WR’s to perform a smart routed out route. Now when you snap the ball, wait for the WR’s to make their break towards the sidelines. You still want to wait a tad longer until the WR is about 3 yards from the sidelines. At this point, you want to throw a bullet pass lead up. After you throw the ball, immediately click onto the WR. Once you click onto the WR, you want to hold down the catch button and down on the left analog stick at the same time. This causes the WR to turn around and square up to the ball. The WR will leap into the air and catch the ball at its highest point.





6. Under Center Passing- Most people hardly pass the ball from under center. As a defensive player, when you see the offense under center, you are thinking run. Use this to your advantage on the offensive side of the ball by throwing in passing plays. Run defenses require blitzing, which leaves voids in coverage that can be easily picked up. When passing the ball from under center, you want to make sure to do two things. One, pick up the pressure so you have enough time to go through your reads. Two, make sure you have at least one quick read so you can get rid of the ball in a hurry if needed.



7. Take your points- While the goal should always be to score a touchdown when you enter the red zone, not taking your three points can come back to bite you. Be smart about 4th down play calling, do not get crazy and go for it when you have more than a yard or two to pick up. Not getting any points out of a red zone trip is the absolute worst thing that can happen to you. This is the type of thing that really can change the momentum of a game.