Spread Offense

[statpadder]

Greetings. I had laid off 2k5 for 2 years, but recently had to go back. I used to run a run-heavy ball-control, high-pressure defense gameplan but I had become inspired by the Colts and the collegiate run n shoot teams to try the opposite. I've only played franchise mode and only in first person. I'll probaby never play another game unless it's FPF.

Would you like completion %'s above 70? Would you like to be able to insert your second team early in the third quarter? Perhaps you'd like a change-of-pace set for you ball-control offense, or something to go to when you're down 4 with 1:30 on the clock?

I feel i've almost mastered it, and am willing to outline some spread playbooks, as well as give a complete guide to running them and almost never punting. I'm actually curious if it translates to the multiplayer aspect that so many of you enjoy online and such.

I'm also curious if anyone else has run it!

All I need is one set of ears, so any takers?

[aff4life]

Yeah, sure, why not? I warn you that I sometimes disappear over the weekends, but I'm usually on here when I should be working.

But yeah, I kinda run a combo of pass-heavy/run-heavy plays. Usually one, then the other. About 50/50. But if there's good pass-happy plays out there, I'm curious. I've been modding my play book when I have time.

[statpadder]

Ah, one taker. Thanks for the interest.

I have to do some editing and play a certain game first. Look for a windy post soon.

[statpadder]

This is how I've been amusing myself with 2k5 lately.

I just finished a game against the Pats. I'm down 10-13, there's 12 seconds left, I'm Empty on their four yard line, calling routes against an apparent nickel cloud zone. Thinking, it doesn't matter what I call, they could do anything, it's all up to my reaction... and the play clock is winding down and I'm pretty sure I've got my look down when the LBs spread outside the tackles and the safeties come down to the nose!!!! I knew they had to be playing zone so I ran a drag for insurance crossing a slot fade, and the slot fade was open by 10 yards! The drag was playing man but the the slot just trotted clear of the zone! Hilarious! They kinda did the exact same thing to lose the Super Bowl.

That, in essence, is what I'm talking about. It's not one dimesional, it's 6 dimesional. Then a Rb comes in, all the DB's must honor the pass. On the play I mentioned, they gave up players to come get the QB and payed dearly.

And you know, I failed 3 times in the red zone that game...just being lazy basically. Cocky. Indignant. That's not a good QB mentality. To really play the spread, you've got to be a QB every down.

The basics of the spread is to force the defense into trying to cover all 5 or 4 recievers. In doing this mismatches are created. It also creates space for the recievers pre-snap; after the snap there is more space to run into. There are many types of spread offense, you can check out Wikipedia for the whole run-down, but the one I run is no-huddle, mostly out of 5 reciever sets. I stretch the quarters of the field with deep routes, but mostly hit the underneath stuff with great consistency. I'll call as many hot routes as I need to feel comfortable against a situation, 1-4. The objective is simple: get someone wide open!!! The spread isn't about putting the ball between defenders, it's about putting the ball waaayyy between defenders.

You have 11 postitions you need to fill, and you will need to trust in even your 5 and 6th WR. You will need depth and quality at TE (though i never put a blocking te on a post, but then again i don't carry a blocking te currently), and most importantly a good line. Your choice of running back depends on your own skill set and how much you want to run. You can go big or small, or carry one of each. I usually only keep a fullback for special teams purposes. WR is the most important, above all. You can't go out there with two guys in the 70's and some scrubs and expect much (unless you're the gamer version of Tom Brady--which isn't really relevant anymore seeing as how the Pat's switched to the spread as they stacked up on stellar recievers).

You're going to have to get some speed, first of all. Second, Size compensates for speed. See Plaxico Burress. The game on the whole lacks decent blocking, and you will get sacked a few times because your tackle sat and spun. I hate it when that happens, but every time you take the snap with only 5 blockers, you're just asking for it. Recently I saw a tv personality ask June Jones if he would rather a team blitz him, or drop back. June coyly replied "well I'd rather they come at us".

CONVERSELY, you can feature the run out of the spread. Tailback afficiandos take heed; beating the second level is easy as heck when there's just one linebacker. Getting to the edge becomes easier with TE's and WR's who can run block; you can run bootlegs and qb draws all day and scramble up the middle anytime if you've got a QB with take-offvick. You can run a power back and pretty much guarantee either him picking up yards everytime or opening up the middle for the TE or slot post, while if the opponent is so inclined pulling a safety down or a nickel in--opening up the outs.

What i do, when i'm not trying to be Colt Brennan, is come out gunning and get the lead and get a team to come at me. If they don't, then In comes either the rb or te. I don't always run on the first two plays---usually I run a couple passes and no-huddle, then hit it hard. Right now I'm using LJ and he's okay, better than Najeh Davenport. Obviously I'm not too varied in my running moves but I break some off.

I call it Spread-Coast. Just because I try to get rid of the ball fast. There are 2 Double-Move routes in my play book, nothing that takes too much time. In Gun Empty Open, I don't know which team there is a play called 50 Z Slide Up. Once in a while, that comes in handy.

The goal is to get as many high-percentage looks into every play as you can. Never crowd horizontally, only vertically, i.e. stagger a deep corner post with an out and make the safety play a streak. That's all there is too it. 2nd-5 against man coverage call a pick: a drag crossing a stop route, you know the gay little stop route audible. You can do that all day if you want. The drag is your safety valve. If things are looking bad, just wait till the drag comes in front of you. DINK! And when the corner is deep and the nickel is backing off, DUNK! Shoot, do two from both side, take your pick. It's your job to torture the defense.

The smart teams play drop zone against the 5 wide sets. The Rams in 2k5 come to mind. This can become extremely vexxing if you're INT paranoid like me. You have to become perfect on every single out and in. Trying to hit posts and such is a crap shoot against a 0 Zone. One thing you'll need to know how to do is diagnose zones, and if you don't know , have all your options covered before the snap. AND ANTICIPATE IN ZONE! Don't be Tavaris Jackson. Sometimes that tackle is gonna drop. Be prepared.

There are usually 2 or 3 deep routes in each play, and these are done to challenge the safeties and pull corners away. Against the Eagles, you just have to wait for them to show an all out blitz. Now you have 5 recievers to choose from to run the streak or fade against almost assuredly single coverage situations. If you have a Burress or a 4.3 guy, this is MONEY. Man coverage is what you dream about with the spread. There is no hope that all 5 options can be covered, especially if you've got a lb on a wideout. Are you really getting this? I said anytime the safeties roll down, you go deep. No questions asked. Not even if there's 9 in the box and three players have a dead sprint at you. Because you're already going without protection, a little heat shouldn't bother you. Beside's all you have to do is lob the ball as far as you can. I gotta say, I kinda like looking at the turf or sky waiting to see what happens.

If you see a cover 2 look, fade with the outside and out with the slot. Mind the safety and you should find a spot near the sideline to hit the fade. That corner MUST heed the short out. I've never thought about it, but an out-drag might work even better. And motion some more players over, never be afraid to overload, that's what it's all about.

The cover 2 is pretty simple if you've got the time to throw it. As long as those safeties are outnumbered, you're good to go. Double slants and the aforementioned outside fade combo for 3rd and not simple. You can also punish the Mike with your slots, if you really hate that guy.

It's all about the Hot Routes. The Bow-Tie or just Tie is when you run crossing slants/corners, i,e. slot funs a fade and the wideout runs a slant. This is mostly effective in the red zone against man coverage. If the safeties rolls down and you read blitz, be mindful that you'll need time to watch how your Tie fares; always have as many high percentage routes as possible, but DON't crowd them. For instance don't run two drags in the same direction from the same side of the field. If you must work the inside, stagger an in with a drag. You can have Ties on either side, but oh boy that's some quick decision making.

Lately my favorite has been the corner (slant) fade off the outside reciever. I've been calling it to pull safetys but it comes open so sweetly and I've had some go long.

The most important is the drag. Coming out in the first tentative snaps of spread offense, the drag will instantly become a pacifier. If the drag is bumped and you have no time to check off, try to wait till the initial collision has happened but throw to where it seems like the reciever will peel off--OR simply throw it ahead them both. This is easier to do on an in, if the linebacker (or nickel if coming from the outside) looks like he's gonna play that zone expect a bump and time it right. Maybe you've passed enough to see it happen but if it's a touchier pass the reciever can quickly sprint ahead and reach and grab it.

Another money route is one the real-life colts enlightened me too. The corner post. Not the corner-fake post, although those work great, but the straight corner and this is why: No one is going to leap out of the sidelines and pick it off. The Corner negates everyone but the player who is covering that third of the field.

And then there is my money play. I checked my completion % short over the middle recently and it was well over 90%. That's 9 out of ten plays I gain 5-15 yards over teh middle. Gun Empty Open: A-Cross. There is a crossing drag from the opposite slot, but usually hot route an out-drag against man and regular out against zone to pull the nickel away from the middle. The A will sometimes drop the ball getting hit, but the best you can do is tuck the ball immediately on almost all drags and ins and try to turn downfield. Always throw the ball way in front of the reciever, as that linebacker will sprint to knock it down if you don't..sometimes.
The no-huddle is an extremely important facet of the spread, for two reasons: it's effect on the defense, and the effects on the scoreboard. You're not exactly trying to score fast, although you look for the oppurtunity on every play, but you are staying in rhythmn and burning clock. I think it's the Air Raid version of the spread that aims to get plays off in 10 seconds or less, and I've had great success with that. The defense simply can't adjust, although you can't run the exact same play over and over;...on 2k5 I ran 3 different plays half the time. You simply call a few hot routes where the d is giving slack. bam-bam-bam, completions of 4, 5, and 7 yds. You can go all the way down the field without huddling once, just using audibles and hot routes. There are money routes. If the nickel and the outside cb are obviously playing drop quarters, then you should have 3 wideouts against them, the two outside run deep, the slot runs and out. It's 4-10 yds everytime. The odd encroachment penalty is nice. Also, it's nice when an incomplete third and long turns into a 1st down on interference.

Gun: Split Spread, Empty Open, Quads Left, Triple Left, Doubles Right, Straight, Bunch Left, Empty Tight

Those are all the shotgun formations I use, though Empty Open by far is the one I use the most. I've run just three plays for nearly an entire game before. That was before I started another franchise with the Ravens and the Patriots in my divison. And of course the Steelers in the same conference, along with anyother team that will play 3-4, because the 3-4 is a pain. I just run out of Quads and Gun Empty Open, and also Empty Tight to get the TE into it. Some other good formations are F Split Quads (Because the slot covers the Tackles!!!), Flip Tight Triple, Trips Tight. One thing this game is not short on is spread formations. I don't even have Trey Right or Left in my playbook. Not even The saints stack formation. Empty Ace Trips is a great formation, it's in the Browns book. It's good to have a Bunch formation or two and have some formations in both shotgun and undercenter.

Of course I have a 3 I formations and 1 power formation, and use them frequently late in games. Empty Ace Trips is a great formation, it's in the Browns book. There's a great draw play somewhere called Aces Draw where the WR sprints to block the safety for you. The trap out of Gun Split Spread can break too. You can have almost all the Formations I have mentioned in one book I would imagine. I lots, and lots, of plays I don't even use except in a blue moon when a defense calls for them. It's not about the play so much, but formation and Hot Routes. My base is Gun Empty Open and regular Quads/F Split Quads, and also Empty Tight (to work the TE).

I understand the field goal is a part of the game, but I long for something more dynamic. Until that happens, I go for 2 alot and go for 4th and 6- alot. Two yards is nothing. NOTHING. There is no way someone will not be open. It's two yards. It's good to have Empty sneaks for really short yardage. Here's a tip: Out of an Empty formation with a TE on the line, if it's a zone call one of those gay stop routes. If nothing's open give him a looksie. Works better than a screen for me.

...

When I first did this, I accidentally erased a franchise that had a created player that i ended up "featuring" i.e. throwing to 20-35 times a game. Since I was starting over, I tweaked the sliders to make it harder. Then, I took everything but the catching and the blocking down to zero and maxed out the cpu, keeping the 'pursuit' even. it's a lot better, but this Finn's editor I see mentioned sounds like it might be the thing to do. I apologize for the verbozity!!!