Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

[AndreSwagassi86]

Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

I played QB all the way up until sr year of high school .... and I use what I've learned for my QB play ...

1) Your view is as realistic as can be ... there are "blindsides" so to speak... if you look down field to long you miss the pocket and become vuneralble to a sack... of you watch the pocket to long you miss receivers on the field

2) Take this into consideration... Most guys who use mobile QBs about 95% of them have it made up in their mind that they will run ... so their mostly watching the pocket first then looking to run out

3) pre play ... try and guess coverages... motion your WR to see if the DB follows or not indicating if it's man coverage ....

3a)if you see a single high safety (1 safety at the top , Then 1 DB on the left and 1 CB on the right , like a triangle... that indicates a possible Cover 3 ... if you see 4 DBs forming like a trapezoid it could be cover 2,4, or more... google coverages to identify better if need be

4) GO THROUGH PROGRESSIONS! Figure out which receiver you want to go to first. Then second, and so on.... And after you hike the ball , if his route is broken or covered go to the next receiver ...


LASTLY DONT PANIC ...It's a video game the logic is not comparable to human logic ... so you will miss reads, throw picks etc


Any other tips you need PM me ... We can Jump online and Lab ...


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[AndreSwagassi86]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

And if you decide to follow my advice strictly... definitely pm me for some labbing/practice ... because I can mix coverages like a bi**h [emoji16]


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[adembroski]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

1. Identify unaccounted potential rushers and adjust protection to account. Simplified, this is just like comparing blocking advantage on each side on running plays, but you're considering all potential rushers vs. all potential blockers. You can have 1 fewer blocker than rusher to one side, but you must have a hot route to fill the vacated area to account for that rusher.

2. Locate free-safety, Middle of field closed or open. If MOFO, it's likely cover 2 or 4, which also tells me there's a light box. If MOFC, then it's probably 1 or 3 deep and I'm probably dealing with a heavy box.

3. If I've got a single split end to the weak size, I check to see if the slot is open. The slot is open if there is no defender between the cornerback and the defensive end (for instance, against an Under front). This means a quick slant or quick in should be effective if I want to take what they're giving me. This is also effective if I have a back swinging to the weak flat against man, as he'll take the slot defender with him and perhaps even pick off the corner.

4. ID my hot read. This is generally the outer-most inside the box defender to the side where I have the shortest route in my pattern. For instance, if you have a flat to the weak side vs. a 7 man box, your hot read is the Will backer. If he comes, you cut short your drop at 3 and hit the flat route. You also consider him blocked for the purposes of IDing the Mike.

5. ID the Mike (new to '18). The Mike is the front-7 defender that must be blocked by your linemen if he comes. In the above step, we determined that the WILL was our hot read, so he's accounted for. Let's say we have a FB pass blocking to the strong side. The SAM is his responsibility. This means that MATT is our MIKE. Note that Matt and Mike are not the same thing. MATT is always the middle linebacker, MIKE is not.

6. Use some means to determine whether the underneath coverage is man or zone. Often times this is the depth of the CBs compared to the orientation of the safeties, sometimes motion will give it away, sometimes the formation will force the defense to give it away.

This last step should allow you to narrow down the coverage to just a few potential options, from which you can differentiate by looking at 1 or 2 players after the snap. For instance, if you're seeing a Cover 4 shell, this might yet be Cover 2, and you can determine this by watching the safeties, whether they take a relatively straight drop or if they split apart.

It would take hours two type up a list of rules and, frankly, I don't have rules, it's just ingrained after decades of playing this game. In almost every play there are one or two guys you can look at defensively to determine who's gonna get the ball.

You really should have already narrowed your potential receivers down to two once you've snapped it (not counting outlets, who should always be your #3 (I mean this; yes you can find a 3rd downfield option, but you should be used to taking your outlet after your 1st two because being that aggressive will cost you games).

So, post-snap...

1. Check hot read. If he comes, throw hot off the 3rd step.

2. Check your key defenders. Their initial motion should tell you your first option.

3. Read the passing lane to your 1st option. This is the line from the QB to where the ball should be caught. If open, throw.

4. Climb the pocket

5. Repeat step 2 and 3 for #2 option if #1 doesn't open up.

6. Check pocket and evade.

7. Throw outlet, scramble, or throw away.

Also, spend some time reading about real life passing concepts online. Once you understand what a concept is trying to accomplish, it can be better utilized. For instance, I've noticed a lot of players use the double slant concept identically to how they use the slant-flat combination. These are very difference concepts, even though of the four routes, three are slants.

A double slant is a lot like an outside Texas or Trail concept, while the slant flat mimics a sort of horizontal form of a hi-lo read. So understanding the concepts (and remember most plays are a combination of 2 concepts meant to be able to adjust on the fly two different coverages).

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

One more note if you mostly play people online, I like to play conservative to start and try to pick up tendencies. You would be surprised how easy this can be for some gamers (guys that call ~6 defense plays a game). The shorter quarters makes this a tad harder though.

There can be a lot of information to process when trying to read defenses, so anything you can do ahead of time to make it easier is helpful.

So small thing that is incredibly helpful, pay attention to the previous play called that displays on the playcall screen. If you notice that the person you are playing has been calling cover 3 a lot, then your job reading the defense just got a whole lot easier.

[Alfie]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

Great thread and some great tips!

But can someone point me to a tutorial for post-snap reads? I can read coverages before the snap but the problem is in case of disguised coverage plays (say Cover 3 Show 2 or Cover 2 Show 4 etc.) or multi-player games where your opponent disguises coverages using base-align almost every play, it's tough to get a read on coverage.

IMO it would be great if Madden can expand on 'Coverages' tutorial to not just describe the pre-snap reads but to read coverages post-snap as well.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

Great thread and some great tips!

But can someone point me to a tutorial for post-snap reads? I can read coverages before the snap but the problem is in case of disguised coverage plays (say Cover 3 Show 2 or Cover 2 Show 4 etc.) or multi-player games where your opponent disguises coverages using base-align almost every play, it's tough to get a read on coverage.

IMO it would be great if Madden can expand on 'Coverages' tutorial to not just describe the pre-snap reads but to read coverages post-snap as well.

Do it yourself method:
Go into practice mode, chose a passing play and the defense you want to read, then just run reps.

Switch the defense to another call, notice the differences from the previous defense, run reps.

Repetition is the only way. It is not something you can really pick up in a 5 minute video.

[Alfie]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

Do it yourself method:
Go into practice mode, chose a passing play and the defense you want to read, then just run reps.

Switch the defense to another call, notice the differences from the previous defense, run reps.

Repetition is the only way. It is not something you can really pick up in a 5 minute video.

I was hoping it would be similar to the madden coverages tutorial. Generally don't get too much time to play and when I do I want to play straight away instead of practicing/labbing. Was hoping there would be a video similar to the pre-snap coverage tutorial for post-snap.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

I was hoping it would be similar to the madden coverages tutorial. Generally don't get too much time to play and when I do I want to play straight away instead of practicing/labbing. Was hoping there would be a video similar to the pre-snap coverage tutorial for post-snap.

You could scour youtube for some videos.
Edit: ah that was just presnap. I'll see if I can find a better one for you

[Alfie]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

You could scour youtube for some videos.
Edit: ah that was just presnap. I'll see if I can find a better one for you

I find it surprising that most Madden youtubers/channles focus mostly on "Money plays" instead of coming up with a post-snap coverage tutorial coz that will remove any need for money plays.

I mean when you can identify a coverage post-snap you can make any play a "money play". That's why i strongly feel Madden should add post-snap coverage read as part of the defensive coverages tutorial.

[Alfie]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

You could scour youtube for some videos.
Edit: ah that was just presnap. I'll see if I can find a better one for you

@ggsimmonds or anyone else, another question I had was how do you figure out how many DBs are on the defense. I've heard folks say "Oh it was a Nickel (or Dime) formation so I audibled to a run" or "there were 5/6 DBs so I ran the ball". But I can't figure out the actual defensive personnel (no. of DBs or LBs).

So is there a way for you to figure out defensive personnel (or no. of DBs) on the play?

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

I find it surprising that most Madden youtubers/channles focus mostly on "Money plays" instead of coming up with a post-snap coverage tutorial coz that will remove any need for money plays.

I mean when you can identify a coverage post-snap you can make any play a "money play". That's why i strongly feel Madden should add post-snap coverage read as part of the defensive coverages tutorial.

Only one I could find that talks about post snap
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VgA7c7Wasg4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It is hard for me to explain on a message board how to read coverages post snap because for guys like me that have been doing it for so long it kind of comes naturally.

The easiest example I can give is one that happens frequently in Madden. Presnap the defense gives you a 2 deep press look. Using the coach stick your X receiver has an advantage in speed and release. He is running a go route, but because it is a 2 deep look that is not your primary target. (For now I'll simplify it and say the X receiver lines up on the same side as the TE. That is not necessarily correct but it works for now)

I snap the ball and because my first read is always the middle, i.e. the inside LBs and safeties, I immediately see the SS come down and the FS drop back to deep center. Without making anymore reads I immediately throw the deep ball to the X receiver even though I just said he is not my primary target. (before throwing I will "peek" to make sure he got off the line cleanly).

Because that SS came down and the corner was in press alignment I knew I had my shot, because there is no one on that deep part of the field. I don't care if it is cover 1 press, or cover 3 press. Makes no difference. I don't make that pass if that SS drops deep though.

Like I said, that is the easiest example, but it illustrates the point -- all you do when you read the coverage post snap is see where the defenders are going. Thats it, don't get hung up on trying to identify the whole play.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

@ggsimmonds or anyone else, another question I had was how do you figure out how many DBs are on the defense. I've heard folks say "Oh it was a Nickel (or Dime) formation so I audibled to a run" or "there were 5/6 DBs so I ran the ball". But I can't figure out the actual defensive personnel (no. of DBs or LBs).

So is there a way for you to figure out defensive personnel (or no. of DBs) on the play?

Yeah so this is pretty simple.

Possibly quick answer -- DB (defensive back) is just what is used to describe both cornerbacks and safeties, so the short answer is no. of cornerbacks plus no. of safeties = number of DBs.

Traditionally base defenses have been 4-3 or 3-4. Those numbers tell you no. of lineman and number of linebackers. So 4-3 has 4 lineman, 3 linebackers.
Both the 4-3 and 3-4 will have 4 DBs -- two safeties and two corners.

In nickel, typically one linebacker is replaced by a corner back, giving you 5 (hence nickel) DBs. A team that uses a 3-4 as its base defense will use a 3-3-5 nickel (3 linemen, 3 linebackers, 5 DBs).
A 4-3 team will use a 4-2-5 setup - 4 linemen, 2 LBs, 5 DBs.

Same thing for dime, replace a linebacker with a cornerback.

Edit: Here are some pictures:


Nickel defense:

[Caulfield]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

before the snap - @cheerleaders
after the play is over - @cheerleaders
everything in between is just football

but seriously, after the snap on pass plays, I tend to favor patterns across the middle of the field, then RB's out of the backfield. occasionally I will look to a deep route first, or to a receiver running an out.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

Another good tip I use, which came from Bill Walsh (surprisingly effective in video game football).

If you're calling certain concepts, pick one side of the field and follow your progressions there. For example, suppose you have a symmetrical play called, with outs on either side, with rb's leaking to the flat. Don't look at both WRs at the snap. Choose one side and work through your progressions on that side of the field.

[Ree4erMadness]

Re: Where are you looking on the field when you are playing QB?

Most people stare at the middle of the screen and try to hit a slant, drag, crossing route, post, etc. That's why when u play online, people control the LB and roam the middle of the field because they know that's where the opponent wants to with the ball. Back in the day, you had to defend the deep ball and look for the run so good players would control a safety.

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