How do you call your passing game? - Strategy Guide

Strategy Guide

How do you call your passing game?

Submitted on: 07/12/2012 by LBzRule

Note: If you are an aspiring coach/coordinator out there, this is a great resource to have along with Concept Passing: Teaching the Modern Passing Game by Dan Gonzalez

In Attack Coverages with the Passing Game, former quarterback and wide receiver coach Steve Axman describes how to use passing concepts and route combinations to attack defenses. The book is a great read and generally, when I follow the advice in the book, I do just fine in the passing game. I have not read Gonzalez's text just yet, and it should provide for some great reading as he deals not only with concepts but applications. Last year, in online franchise, I got away from this type of passing after season one and things went downhill rather quickly. I was enamored with numbers and attempted to adopt the Macaroni style offense. Those in my league will know what I'm referring to. For those not in the league, Macaroni is the nickname of one of our previous members. His passing game numbers were absolutely ridiculous. Some games he would pass for over 600 yards 7 TDs. He had no defense, though. Anyways, I tried to adopt that style and failed. This brings me to the point: establish an identity in your passing attack and stick to it.

One of the great things Madden/NCAA does playbook wise is provide users with concepts.

Levels Divide (which does have the options I mention in another post)

Double China

Stick (Multiple Versions)

Flood

The above are just a few passing concepts that are very popular amongst High School, College and NFL passing games. Granted many teams tag the backside of some of their concepts and the Levels Divide is an example of that.

Another style of pass game play calling I have seen people use over the years in Madden/NCAA is based on a route. This was also true of a great deal of players who played All-Pro Football 2K8. Some people's passing game was based on the fade. While they did not always throw to the wide receiver running that route, that route was a part of just about every play. Others based their passing game around the post. Lastly, just based on anecdotal observation, many players ran a great deal of double move routes and basic out routes when they got into trouble spots.

Finally, some guys like to run and base their entire attack around play action off the run, which is not too bad of an idea if play action did not always result in sacks vs heavy blitzing, which is what Madden/NCAA has been geared for (hopefully Madden NFL 13 will not be this way. I kinda doubt it, though).

I'm not advocating one style over the other when it comes to video games. I will just say concepts work better for me (would like to have more tags) because that's how my brain works. It's not that simple though. I do have some routes I like to look for. So mine is a bit mixed, granted 90 percent is concept based. When you think about your passing attack in Madden/NCAA, after you've evaluated personnel, how do you develop your attack? What has been beneficial for you?

Madden NFL 13 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 NoleFan @ 11/15/12 07:46 AM

In my attempt to learn to play QB so that I can go online against some friends, I've begun to call my own offense in some Play Now games and I've been MUCH more successful calling my passing plays by route. My route of choice has been the drag and I only call plays where one of the routes is a drag. I just love that route as it's easy for me to see if it's open and it is a fair amount of the time. In addition, the guy running the drag varies so that helps me spread the ball around. The WRs/TEs in 13 seem to do a good job at turning up field and getting YAC so the short route makes a pretty efficient passing game for me.

I do all of this from a spread offense which also opens up the running lanes for my CPU controlled HB.

# 22 Ueauvan @ 11/15/12 07:56 AM

in m12 i kept it simple as i was the qb; slants, curls, posts, drag, streak (hardly wever threw deep0

in m13 im using coach mode, my qb is new and not skilled so same routes, except add wheel route for hb. short passing which gives defence minimal chance to interfere. its there to help the run game, and if that takes off then pa. but again pa short patterns.

# 23 RogueHominid @ 11/15/12 10:29 AM

I like to take shots down field. I throw probably throw half my passes at the 15 yard mark or so. I'll take an additional 5 shots or so downfield--that's the Raider fan in me.

# 24 azdawgpound @ 11/15/12 10:39 AM

i throw short to set up deep passes and like to pass to my rb found a good deep ball pass to them that when done right 2 passes can net the rb 100 yards catching.

# 25 stp2081 @ 11/15/12 10:58 AM

Learning from some other poster, I now switch my offensive playbook each game and use "Ask Madden" each down and select from one of the three plays. This has usually worked very well, produced a very fun challenge, and I always have the option to audible into something else pre-snap (although I avoid doing this much).

# 26 Mckinley Cash @ 11/17/12 12:02 AM

I run a Spread (Air Raid). I've actually used gameface to create Dana Holgorsen and edited my roster before I started the CCM to put Geno Smith on the Chiefs. I started him out at a 76 OVR, considering he will likely be a Top 5 pick in April. But I use a lot of short throws to the slot along with the occasional draw play to set up a deep throw to my deep threats. I had Dwayne Bowe, Jonathon Baldwin, Randall Cobb, and Jamaal Charles when I threw for over 800 yards and 12 TDs in a game against the Colts, with 2 INT. he ended up with over 6000 yds passing and over 60 TDs on the year. I just started year 2 and I ended up trading the #7 pick + baldwin + next years 1st rd for Hakeem Nicks, to further solidify the passing game.

I play on All Pro with default sliders and threshold at 50, btw.

# 27 RogueHominid @ 11/17/12 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronS444


	West Coaster for life. I'd bore the H@ll out of most people I'm sure. My FB's and TE's get alot of work. IRL, my WR's would be going crazy. They rarely lead my team in receptions, NEVER in td's. TE Z, TE corner, and TE out are my $$$ plays. TONS of screens too.

Who do you like as your favorite runner-receiver at FB?

I just decided to return to a Walsh WCO CCM and chose KC so I could get Charles in at HB and play Hillis at FB, where I think he can be a real dual threat.

I'd imagine Jacob Hester would play really well in a WCO. I know Marcel Reese has sick speed for a FB, and I wonder how he'd play in the Walsh system/book.

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