Madden 10: AskMadden Tip of the Week - Strategy Guide

Strategy Guide

Madden 10: AskMadden Tip of the Week

Submitted on: 11/19/2009 by AskMadden

Madden has always mirrored the NFL. In this week's tip, we look at what the Philadelphia Eagles have to take into account if they want to be successful passing the ball. This logic goes hand-in-hand with the Madden football series.

Bottom line, fast receivers are only a threat when they have space to use their speed. To overcome physical corners as well as inexperience, we hit practice mode to demonstrate how the Eagles in the NFL, as well as teams with undersized receivers in Madden, get open space for their playmakers to create big plays.

Madden NFL 10 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 Valdarez @ 11/19/09 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wEEman33


	In real life, I would say this is a legitimate strategy, but in Madden, it's definitely an exploit. Reason being, this will get a receiver open against man coverage 100% of the time in Madden, whereas in real life, the DB would start looking for the pick and play it accordingly. As for legit ways to beat press coverage in Madden, how about getting some guys on your team that have high release ratings instead of trying to beat it unrealistically with small, weak WRs? Guys with a release rating over 80 will tear apart press coverage by getting off the line quickly and shoving the DB out of the way.

So the release rating is what indicates how well they can get away from bump coverage? Makes sense. Ideally every team should have at least one WR with a high release rate then. I know when I play against good players in APF2K8 who employ Bump Coverage, I like to have a really good HB for flats / screens and a Bump Buster WR (especially true if my opponent is good at manual coverage).

North, I just reference APF2K8 because it's what I know best, that's all. It's pretty much my point of reference for all football related discussions, and ironically it's where I actually learned the concepts and strategies employed in football. I haven't played Madden online, so I don't know what does or does not work against human opponents, which is why I listed options that I thought should work and asked for clarification on whether they do or do not work. Playing against a human opponent is always different / more difficult than playing against the AI. What works against one may not work against the other, and vice versa at times.

# 22 jyoung @ 11/19/09 04:41 PM

I try to stay away from the flats in this game because they are so cheap and broken, so yes, just throw to the one or two guys on your team who have high release ratings (most teams have at least one) and you will get your opponent out of press coverage very quickly unless he likes giving up easy pass plays over and over again.

Slant route + high release rating = 10 yards or more just about every time.

Or go for a streak/fade if there's no safety help over the top.

# 23 KBLover @ 11/19/09 05:34 PM

Wouldn't this be offensive pass interference on #29 if we were mirroring the NFL?

#29 ran into the DB, impeding his path. I didn't think receivers could do that to DBs, especially intentionally. This wasn't incidental coverage or the WR routes causing the DBs to interfere with their own man coverage (a true rub route combination), or using the umpire as a "pick".

Also, why didn't the DB just follow the receiver across the formation? Why was he charging in like a blitz? If he was playing bump coverage, why is he 3 yds off the receiver? Hard to jam a guy when you're 12 feet away from him.

That seems more like bad pathing more than a true pick/rub play. There are plays in Madden set up like that (Curls Attack is one. There's a flood right play where two WR are running outs at different levels and one WR running deep - if they are playing Dime/Dollar man, it can rub them).

# 24 KBLover @ 11/19/09 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valdarez


	So the release rating is what indicates how well they can get away from bump coverage? Makes sense. Ideally every team should have at least one WR with a high release rate then. I know when I play against good players in APF2K8 who employ Bump Coverage, I like to have a really good HB for flats / screens and a Bump Buster WR (especially true if my opponent is good at manual coverage).

Yeah, in theory the Madden equiv to Bump Buster would be a guy with 90+ RLS and ACC (quick jump off the snap and ability to get position on the press defender).

Not sure how well the rating works in Madden - but assuming it does, yeah I agree a WR with high RLS, RTE, and CTH - excellent possession/vs. blitz receiver, especially in the slot.

# 25 Cap @ 11/19/09 06:30 PM

Guys,

The idea is simple. To beat man coverage you have to make the defender catch you, and run you down across the field as opposed to running up the field.

Watch the replay, no matter the speed on both sides our guys with atleast 5 speed attributes higher are in stride with the corners because of the bump. So what do we do? Run away from the bump and play to our strengths.

If you have undersized WRs that are quick and agile, why try to play to the defense's strengths? It's a concept, and it works. In Madden and in the NFL.

Any suggestions on what we should do for next week?

# 26 Cap @ 11/19/09 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cap


	Guys, The idea is simple. To beat man coverage you have to make the defender catch you, and run you down across the field as opposed to running up the field. Watch the replay, no matter the speed on both sides our guys with atleast 5 speed attributes higher are in stride with the corners because of the bump. So what do we do? Run away from the bump and play to our strengths. If you have undersized WRs that are quick and agile, why try to play to the defense's strengths? It's a concept, and it works. In Madden and in the NFL. Any suggestions on what we should do for next week?

Also, forgot to mention that if you don't have a guy who can beat the bump (IE: Terrell Owens) you need to set a pick with bodies.

To beat man coverage in the NFL, they use flanker drive (Slot WR fade route, outside WR slant/drag) so that the cornerback has to run down the speedy WR. Doesn't have to be bump and run coverage for this tactic to come into play. Watch the Eagles play offense on Sunday.

Slow CB, can't bump = Streak routes, over the top
Slow CB, physical bump = drag routes and body picks
Fast CB, can't bump = curl routes and other big body routes

Football 101

# 27 RyanMoody21 @ 11/19/09 08:35 PM

Agility and / or route running should have been the determining factor in this play. Because its a "one cut" route, Woodson should have enough "route recongnition" to not be fooled. If Jackson could have made his cut faster than Woodson, he could have gotten the separation to get open. Thats assuming he could beat the jam. Speed shouldnt be the issue, you just watched Harris and Woodson run stride for stride 30 yards down the field after a jam.

This tip also has NOTHING to do with beating a physical DB's. I just tried it against Asomugha with the same results. Its got everything to do with confusing a CPU DB's by having them run directly into a player they arent covering. The CPU wont adapt so you can do this every single time and see the same or similar results.

The reason this is so effective is because the bunch formation has the 2nd WR on the line of scrimmage, the sideline route pretty much directs him into the path of the DB. When you have the the 2nd WR run a fly or post route, the "pick" doesnt occur because the WR doesnt run directly into the DB anymore.

This is a 15 yard "money play" each time. Unless the user is willing to alter the routes to prevent the "pick" from being set.

After watching the video, I am puzzled by how you can defend this with "Football 101".

# 28 PGaither84 @ 11/20/09 12:17 AM

The opening sentence told me this would be a comedic piece. "Madden has always mirrored the NFL. " Lol. Gets me every time.

Compression Offenses works in real life, but defenses can counter them in real life. It is much harder to counter this in madden because it is Madden.

If you need help moving the ball in Madden 10, you are either new, or are a scrub.

# 29 clarkerots @ 11/20/09 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGaither84


	The opening sentence told me this would be a comedic piece. "Madden has always mirrored the NFL. " Lol. Gets me every time.

Beat me to it!!!!

# 30 Jackdog @ 11/20/09 06:31 AM

Keep this discussion on topic. Leave any comparisons to other games out of it. That always causes threads to get locked. Also if anyone feels like bashing the game in thread,don't. We have a "Gripes" thread for that. Thanks.

# 31 MAHAM @ 11/20/09 11:23 AM

Why was my post erased, was it my screenshot?

I did a writeup almost exactly the same a few months ago when Madden10 first came out.

How do beat bump and run...using crossing routes....by using natural picks...from shotgun 3 WR bunch sets....copied almost to the T.

Whoever AskMadden is, I don't appreciate you biting my tips that I posted on another Madden site. Biting other peoples work and trying to pop it off as your own is pathetic.

# 32 Mr. Franchise @ 11/20/09 05:07 PM

Looks more like a glitch to me.

# 33 RyanMoody21 @ 11/20/09 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfos81


	I think Bumping WR's over 5yds downfield is a glitch! I see BnR like that, I'm pulling this out in a heartbeat. If its in the Game, its in the game. Now how do counter it And then the chess match begins..............

I assume by BnR your referring the jerky jumping back and forth the WR and DB do in the video. In reality thats just a loop replaying of the same motion capture animation, which by the way looks god awful.

Past 5 yards a DB is legally allowed to maintain contact with the WR. However in Madden you just have this very bad animation for it that basically has the two players take turns pushing off to accelerate past the other.

Please, dont defend gltiching and cheese plays with terms like "chess match" and "its in the game". Plenty of legit ways to beat press coverage, that doesnt involve bunch formations, hot routes and snapping with the defense in motion.

# 34 marcoyk @ 11/20/09 07:31 PM

Nice. Thanks.

# 35 KBLover @ 11/20/09 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfos81


	Its not illegal to get a natural rub off the los.

A natural rub isn't the WR running right at and into the DB.

A real life DB in that situation would not charge head long into a WR coming right at him.

Real life DBs also wise up to this stuff, Madden DBs do not.

A natural rub is when the WR route combination causes the DBs in man to get *in each other's way* or otherwise have to go *around* another WR running his route (or in some cases, the umpire if it's a crossing/drag route).

That's not what I saw in that video. I saw a WR and a DB run right into each other. That's not a rub. At best its incidental contact - at worse...it's a pick.

Pick definition a) illegal offensive pass pattern in which one receiver blocks the defender covering another pass receiver in order to enable that receiver to get open b) slang for interception

That sounds a LOT like what I saw in the video.

# 36 MAHAM @ 11/20/09 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KBLover


	A natural rub isn't the WR running right at and into the DB. A real life DB in that situation would not charge head long into a WR coming right at him. Real life DBs also wise up to this stuff, Madden DBs do not. A natural rub is when the WR route combination causes the DBs in man to get in each other's way or otherwise have to go around another WR running his route (or in some cases, the umpire if it's a crossing/drag route). That's not what I saw in that video.

Thats what happened in the video.

It is a natural rub play, the reciever is only running a route and the cross causes the rub if the defenders are playing tight man, just like in real life. It is not an intentional pick.

The Colts are accused of it all the time by people who don't seem to understand the rule.

It doesn't work well on Madden10 though, I know, I've been running natural pick plays for a few years.

You seem to think its too easy, which makes me think you haven't spent much time trying it out. Its alot harder to do on this years Madden, defenders often cut before the recievers when they're in Man defense, and always avoid the rub if not in press.

# 37 KBLover @ 11/20/09 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAHAM


	The Colts are accused of it all the time by people who don't seem to understand the rule.

So the Colts receivers run directly into the DBs? Not just make the DBs have to "dodge" out of the way, but just run right into them like the receiver did in the video.

And do the Madden DBs adapt to it? For example, if you ran a tight formation and the AI called tight man each time, the DBs won't do this? The player AI would catch on and adjust how the DB runs coverage on the receiver?

# 38 MAHAM @ 11/20/09 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KBLover


	So the Colts receivers run directly into the DBs? Not just make the DBs have to "dodge" out of the way, but just run right into them like the receiver did in the video. And do the Madden DBs adapt to it? For example, if you ran a tight formation and the AI called tight man each time, the DBs won't do this? The player AI would catch on and adjust how the DB runs coverage on the receiver?

I see it more as the defensive back running into the reciever. If it wasn't tight man, the reciever wouldn't cross paths with the defender. The Colts did what looked like a slant/Flat combo that created a natural pick last Sunday. It looked like Wayne ran into corner covering the slot, but the defender never made eye contact to move.

Most of it happens within 5, but if not, its usually only incidental contact.

On Madden, it doesn't work well meaning you don't always get the same result.

Defensive backs seem to do well to sidestep on some plays while other times they get burned.

If youre playing Vs a human, angles and positioning are always being adjusted so its easy to stop if you see it coming. Against the Computer, a drag will beat man without a rub anyway.

# 39 KBLover @ 11/20/09 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAHAM


	I see it more as the defensive back is running into the reciever. If it wasn't tight man, the reciever wouldn't cross paths with the defender. The Colts did what looked like a slant/Flat combo that created a natural pick last Sunday that worked out that way.

I stand corrected, then

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAHAM


	On Madden, it doesn't work well meaning you don't always get the same result. Defensive backs seem to do well to sidestep on some plays while other times they get burned. If youre playing Vs a human, angles and positioning are always being adjusted so its easy to stop if you see it coming. Against the Computer, a drag will beat man without a rub anyway.

Another reason to have a few high RLS receivers. Not only can they beat press coverage, but getting good starts off the line would seem to make this work even better.

Maybe it's even a disadvantage sometimes to have high PRS corners. Hmm...

# 40 MAHAM @ 11/21/09 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KBLover


	Maybe it's even a disadvantage sometimes to have high PRS corners. Hmm...

If you see a shotgun 3WR bunch set, I'd stay away from the press in that situation.

On this years Madden, 3wr bunch formations are the best way to get a natural pick, but rarely seem to happen from base formations.

One of my favorite pick plays on previous Maddens was running a TE quick hitch with the slot reciever running a 5 yard In over the top. The TE would stop for the hitch and at the same time would pick the slot defender who was covering the In. On this years Madden, plays like that don't work because the defender alway run around the other reciever. The 3WR bunch is the exception because it doesn't give the corner much room to avoid contact.

« Previous 123 4 5 Next »

More Links