1. Yes. I use laterals when people kick off short and I wanna get the ball to my Star returner.
2. Yes there's trick plays. A lot of people look down on Flea Flickers though. It's way too effective. Reverses and HB Pass are also in the game, but they are both pretty tough to pull off successfully. There's a good play that handoffs to your TE. Works well if you have an athletic TE.
3. You'd have to do some substitutions if you wanna give a Wildcat look. There's no Wildcat plays, but you can substitute a RB into the QB position.
4. Probably my favorite part of the game is the Maximum Passing. You can lead WR's and throw to back shoulders and stuff. There isn't a jump ball animation per se, but if you have a big WR on a small CB in the redzone, you can flick him the ball and he'll use his size to try and make a play. (BTW, there's a Hops ability that you can give to your WR, that helps in redzone situations)
5. Yes. OLinemen double team the Dline. Hot blitzing is super easy. If you get creative, you can confuse people with your front 7. (stunts, fake blitzes, etc.)
6. Depends on who you play. Some people have sick stick skills. Also, depends on who they have on their team. Gale Sayers, Rod Woodson, and Lem Barney are probably the best returners. If people keep getting big returns on you, just get a kicker and he'll get a touchback just about everytime.