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Originally Posted by ggsimmonds |
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Each pass I generally follow the same process:
1. Walking to the line I check the position of safeties, then outside corners. This alerts me to the over the top coverage and whether the middle is open (MOFO) or closed (MOFC). It also helps to know if corners are pressing.
2. Then I look at the underneath defenders and the front. Sometimes this step along with 1 will tell me if it is zone or man, more often I need more. This is more of a quick glance to look for flags (e.g. showing blitz)
3. I use the coach stick to check my matchups. If a corner is pressing my Z receiver I check the release figure, check route running, etc.
4. Pull back with coach's cam to get a good view of everything. This is the important step, and it takes practice. You are trying to decipher what defense they are in, trying to figure out everyone's assignments. Note: I haven't played 18 but this is when I would ID the Mike.
4b. Often times I can locate that one defender that spills the entire defense. You know what he is doing, you probably know what everyone else is doing. This is huge and takes a lot of time to learn. A good example is the weakside underneath defender. You want to find him and see what he is doing.
5. Do any hot routes or adjustments. In time you will learn how to use hot routes beyond cheese. Lets say you call z-spot and read zone. I'd consider putting the X receiver on a comeback route. You still got your playside zone buster, but if you are wrong you got a man beater on the backside, and due to the timing (comeback is a slow developing route), you don't have to rush. By the time your playside reads are finished, the comeback is there.
6. More of a ritual than anything else, but just before I snap the ball I take one last look at coach cam, and as I do I sit upright. THen when I release coach cam I lean forward again, the same way a QB does in shotgun. Like I said, ritual lol
After the snap,
1. Read the middle of the field, the two safeties and the LBs. This is hard for some people, but I find it is the best thing. Make sure the safeties are doing what you thought they would, e.g. if they came out in 2 deep alignment but after the snap go into a robber you have to catch that! The LBs very often give you a strong tell of what defense they are in. In general if they turn their hips to you it is man, if they stay faced up it is zone.
2. Read your key defender from 4b. This could be someone you think tells you the defense (weakside LB in a single high safety look, if he breaks for the flats its a good indicator you are looking at cover 3). Or it could be the typical hot read, where you check a guy that could be blitzing.
One and two should be enough to tell you everything you need to know.
I try not to read my receivers. Watching and waiting for your guys to get open is not a good approach. Know the play you called and where everybody is going, read where everybody is going. Look for open spots on the field, not open receivers.
Just before throwing I "peek" at my WRs, and sometimes right after the snap I peek to see if they get jammed or off the line. Other than that my eyes aren't typically on my guys.
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This is pretty much spot on. But, I wanna add a couple things.
It was this way in Madden 17, and is more so in Madden 18. You have to THINK like a coach. Being able to read the coverage is great. But, you also have to know how to BEAT the coverage once you read it.
I know it doesn't exactly fit the topic, but in a way it does. Before you can focus on reading the defense, you have to KNOW your playbook. You have to know your personnel. For instance, if you have a power back with average speed, you probably won't be able to bust outside runs that often. If your receivers are slow, then running fly routes probably isn't a good thing to do all the time. KNOW your offense, and what you do well. Set up your audibles. Have a play that can beat any coverage. Have a deep pass, a play action pass, a slant, or screen, and a run play.
Probably 80% of the time, I don't call a play, I call a FORMATION. I have an idea of what I want to do. But, the defensive coverage will dictate what I will actually do. First thing I do is look at the number of defensive backs, and how many players are "In the box" 6 or less players in the box, and I automatically audible to a run play. More than 6, then I read the coverage. See where the safeties are, and how close the corners are lined up to your receivers. Reading the position of the safeties can give you a relatively good idea of the type of coverage. If the corners are right up on the line, they are most likely playing press. Press coverage can be susceptible to deep routes. If the corners are playing off the receiver (giving them a cushion) then adjust your route with a hot route.
If you read a certain coverage, have a play in mind that will beat it, and audible to it.
In a nutshell, what I'm saying, is 80% of the time, I don't actually call the play I want to run, until I am at the line of scrimmage.