|
|
February 2008 - Posts
-
The Madden Challenge, now in its
sixth season, is the definitive tournament for Madden NFL gamers, and EA Sports
has recently partnered with GameplayHD – the only 24/7 Hi-Def channel dedicated
to gaming – to produce a state-of-the-art TV Series surrounding the
tournament.
Every fall, the Madden Challenge bus rolls into NFL stadium
after NFL stadium to meet throngs of eager gamers, each wanting to be the one
representative from each regional competition that goes to the finals in LA.
256 players register at each stop, and a single elimination tournament leaves
one winner at the end of the day. After 17 stops in America
as well as 3 international winners and 4 online winners, twenty-four players
have qualified for the finals at Universal studios. Throughout GameplayHD’s
continuing converge, watch as these professional gamers compete for the chance
to take home over $100,000 worth of prizes, including a $50,000 Best Buy Gift
card, and the honor of being crowned the “Madden Challenge 07 Champion”, the
most prestigious title in Madden NFL gaming.
The series continues with Episode 3
premiering Saturday, February 23 at 1PM ET/10AM PT/12PM C. The remaining
episodes, focusing on the semi-final and final rounds, will debut each Saturday
at 1PM ET/10AM PT/12PM C through March 15.
Recap videos from the first two
shows are now up on the EA YouTube channel. Here are the links:
Preview Show Recap Part 1
Preview Show Recap Part 2
Episode 1 Part 1
Episode 1 Part 2
To find out what you’ve missed,
check out Rico “Hollywood” Williams’ episode recaps and previews here.
For the most in-depth info on the
Madden Challenge series go here.
Check out more info about the Madden
Challenge here and Madden NFL 08 here.
|
-
-
 Earlier today I finished up my run of "playoff revenge" wins in the NFC championship game of the Madden NFL 09 marketing league. I defeated the Bucs 57-7, so I've now defeated three of the five opponents who beat my during the regular season. It feels good to get back on track winning games and I'm looking forward to my championship match up against the Indianapolis Colts.
For me, today's game was one of those great moments as a Madden fan where you feel you just can't do anything wrong. I started out the game with a drive where I was forced to punt and it ended up inside my opponent's 5 yard line. His first play from scrimmage I brought a blitz and was fortunate enough to pick up a safety. It was a telling sign of how the rest of the game would play out. Near the end of the first half I was up 12-0 and the Bucs were driving deep in my territory. A touchdown would make it a much closer game, but a pass to the flats went the other way and turned into another 7 points for me. It's funny how sometimes you're game is just "on." I was in a huge slump most of the season and am now on fire in the playoffs. Here are some things that happened in today's game where it was clear I could do no wrong: - I had 5 interceptions. 4 of them were user picks. The one I didn't grab myself was the pick 6 near the end of the first half. My user skills were great in 07 but this year they have been somewhat suspect. I've worked on it and today it just seemed like I knew where the ball was going every time.
- Ladell Betts was a monster. My back up running back has been an absolute beast for me in the absence of Clinton Portis. Portis has been hurt since mid-season, but is now available to use in game. He's not 100% yet, so I've used him sparingly the last couple of games. Today Betts averaged 8 yards a carry and even had a 60 yard touchdown run. He wasn't going to be stopped no matter what.
- Garcia's fumbles. I had Jeff Garcia on the run all day long. My opponent took off with him a few times to pick up some yards, and when you do that it's no surprise that fumbles will occur. What was strange today was how the fumbles happened. Garcia fumbled twice and both times it was right next to the sideline. There were two plays where Garcia went out of bounds and left the ball inches from being out of bounds. I've never seen anything like it. I do think I outplayed my opponent and I'm a firm believer that if you're doing the right things you sometimes create your own luck. At the same time it felt like everything I needed to happen did. For a big part of the year there were small things that didn't go my way. Now I've had some good fortune three games in a row and have played better than I have all year. I feel a lot like the New York Giants. I just hope I can be Eli Manning for one more week and knock of the Colts. I'll find out soon enough. -Raczilla
|
-
-
 Every Thursday, a leader in the community will share a tip or two to help you improve your Madden game. For the next few weeks, Madden strategy site VG Sports will share some of their best tips with the rest of the community. Up this week is part one of a two part tip on reading coverages.
The 0-1-2 System
The 0-1-2 System is used to teach quarterbacks on all levels how to read pass
coverage structure. This same system can also be applied to Madden. By using
this system, we are able to read the coverage based on the number of safeties
playing the deep middle of the field.
0 (zero) coverage means there is no
safety playing the deep middle of the field. This coverage fits in the zero
coverage family. With no safeties playing the deep middle, we anticipate some
type of blitz being called. There are only a handful of Cover 0 defenses in
Madden where there is no blitz being called such as Double Wide and Double Slot.
Those two defenses are Cover 0 defenses, but without the blitz.
1 (one)
coverage means that there is a safety playing the deep middle of the field.
This is known as man free coverage. This coverage fits in the one safety family.
Much like the 0 coverage family, there is a good chance that some type of blitz
is called. Cover 1 and Cover 3 both fall is this category.
2 (two)
coverage means that there are two safeties playing the deep halves. There are
two types of this type of coverage, man (Cover 2 Man ) and zone (Cover 2) .
Cover 2 Man coverage is most used among Madden players because the pass coverage
is solid all over the field. Quarters (Cover 4) or a mixture of Cover 2 and
Quarters coverages also fall into this category.
Being able to
pre-read the pass coverage before the ball is snapped is very important. By
knowing what the pass coverage is before the snap, we have a better idea of
where the ball needs to go and can make the proper adjustments to maximize the
success of the play being called. We also can audible to another play if we
don't feel comfortable with the original play called based on our pre-snap
coverage reads. Being able to pre-read the pass coverage before the snap is
only half the battle, we still need to be able to read the pass coverages after
the ball is snapped. By watching what the safeties do as soon as the ball is
snapped, we can get better a idea of what type of pass coverage is called. Zero Safeties Coverage Family
During our pre-snap reads or after the
ball is snapped, if we see no safeties playing the deep middle of the field, we
anticipate that Cover 0 coverage has been called. As we have already stated
before, where we see Cover 0 coverage, we expect some type of blitz being
called, unless our opponent gives us a reason to think otherwise. Most Cover 0
blitz schemes send more than 2 extra pass rushers.
One Safety Coverage
Family
If we see one safety move up and one stay stationary before the
ball is snapped, it normally tells us the defense is playing some type of Cover
1 (Man Free) coverage. If zone coverage is called, one safety will rotate over
the middle, it's Cover 3. The coverages may look alike, since the safety plays
over the top. However, the underneath pass coverage is different. If the
defenders follow the receivers, then it's man coverage. If the defenders drop
straight back, play the flats, or buzz out, then it's zone coverage. There are
several Cover 1 man defenses that bring at least 1 extra pass rusher. Most of
the zone blitz concepts implement some type of Cover 3 coverage. Cover 3 is the
most used zone coverage in Madden.
Two-Safeties Coverage Family
Of
the coverage coverage families, the Two-Safety Coverage family is the most used.
Both safeties split out wide and cover the deep halves of the field. The pass
coverage underneath is either man or zone coverage. Most players in Madden, use
man coverage underneath as their base defense. 4-3 Normal 2 Man Under, and
Quarter Normal 2 Man Under QB Spy are two examples of the Cover 2 Man Coverage.
The reason Cover 2 Zone is not used much is because of the lack of pass
rush.
Cover 4 also falls under the Two-Safeties Coverage Family. Instead
of the safeties splitting out wide like they would in Cover 2, they cover 1/4 of
the field between the hashes and between the yardage numbers. The two outside
corners drop back and coverage is between the yardage numbers and the side
line.
Come back next week for an even more in depth breakdown of each coverage family.
|
-
-
![]() 
So I haven't yet played my marketing league NFC Championship playoff game. It's been determined that I am to going up against the Bucs and I'm pretty excited about the chance to avenge yet another regular season loss in the playoffs. I'll probably play in the next day or two and if I win, hopefully finish out the entire league in the championship sometime in the next week. Win or lose, this has been some of the most fun I've had playing in a Madden league. At the same time, it's really messed up my typical yearly Madden rituals.
I know from being involved in the community for a number of years that everyone has a different way they like to play Madden. For me it's been something of a regular thing that I start a new Madden franchise right after the Super Bowl has been played and the real life NFL season ends. Not only does that fill the void when there is no more NFL football, it also gives me the chance to improve my team in Madden and build some early excitement for the next NFL season. I go through the draft, make some moves via free agency, and try to make the Washington Redskins the unstoppable force I know they can be. This is where it gets tricky for me. We started our franchise league in the fall, not long after the first roster update. Since then the Redskins have added several receivers, seen ratings changes, and more. Because I'd had so much trouble competing early on in the league, I committed myself to only playing with the same rosters we are using for league play. To me this made the most sense because I spend a lot of time in practice mode preparing with that roster. But now I'm at the point of the year where I absolutely have to start my Redskins franchise. I've been looking forward to it since the moment David Tyree and Eli Manning made NFL history, and the thought of waiting another week or two to begin that franchise is absolutely killing me. I'm convinced that it's not a good idea right now for me to play with a more updated Skins roster, since it might hurt my chances in league play. At the same time I am super bummed at having to wait just a little longer to begin a long-standing Raczilla Madden tradition. Am I crazy? Is it nuts for me to refuse to start my franchise until our league is complete? Shoot me a note at footballcommunity@ea.com and tell me what you think. -Raczilla
|
-
-
 As promised today's Raczilla Report is a recap of my second round playoff game in the EA SPORTS Tiburon Madden Marketing League. It may not have been quite as hyped as the Giants win over the Patriots in last night's Super Bowl, but it provided just as much drama for those who watched. I'll start off with a bit of background on my opponent Jerrold Smith. He's our NFL Tour product manager, a Chicago Bears fan, and lead his team to the second best record in the league 14-2. In fact, his only two losses came to divisional rival Green Bay who I beat in my wild card game. I lost a pretty disappointing game to Jerrold earlier in the year (don't kick to Devin Hester.. remember?) and felt like he might be the toughest guy to beat as I made a run at the Championship. He lived up to expectations and then some. Here's how it played out:
Right from the beginning of the game it felt like it could be a defensive battle. I moved the ball well on the ground on my first drive, taking up almost the entire first quarter before kicking a field goal. Jerrold matched my long drive with one of his own, also picking up three points. I got the ball back with a couple of minutes left in the first half and ran off tackle before managing to put the ball on the ground. It was promptly recovered by the Bears for the quick score. This was pretty discouraging as I only had a couple of minutes left in the half and would have to kick off to Jerrold at halftime. I then made what was my only big mistake of the game by throwing a pick deep into Bears territory. At this point things were looking pretty grim. I needed some kind of good fortune or the game could be put out of reach very quickly. Jerrold was determined to put me away, which ended up being a mistake. On a second down pass play I brought the pressure. He hit the wrong button and threw into triple coverage where Laron Landry was able to make the pick. With under a minute to go I executed one of my better drives of the year, scoring on a touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd with seven seconds left in the half. Tying the game right before the half swung the momentum in my favor even though I'd have to give the ball right back. All I wanted to start the third quarter was a three and out and I got it. On the punt return I moved the ball to the Bears forty where I was met by a hit stick, losing the ball once more. Jerrold returned the ball to my 26 yard line and mounted a quick drive, putting me down 17-10. My running game was just about unstoppable so far with Ladell Betts taking place of Clinton Portis who has been out since mid-season. I drove the field again and tied the game 17-17 with a few minutes to go in the fourth. If I could get the ball back once more I could end the game. I stuffed the run and pressured Rex Grossman, getting the ball back with plenty of time for a game winning drive. But with everything on the line I was stopped at the Bears 15 with about a minute and a half left. It was 4th and 1 and I had to make a decision. Take the points or try and end the game with no chance for Jerrold to score. I'm a conservative coach but I don't pass up a chance to put a game away. I ran a QB sneak and was stopped dead in my tracks, having potentially made a critical coaching mistake. But I had faith that my defense could hold if I needed them to and they did. On a third and long, Devin Hester caught a pass and was stopped four yards short of the first down. Still deep in his own territory, Jerrold punted the ball. His punt was on of the best I've seen, rolling its way to my 11 yard line. I wasn't able to get a drive going and punted the ball back with little time left. Jerrold heaved up a pass with no time left, but it was batted down just short of the end zone. We were headed to overtime. I felt like I could win the game if I was just fortunate enough to win the coin toss. With luck on my side I won the toss and proceeded to drive the field in just a handful of plays, getting into field goal position. Once inside the 20, I wasted no time and kicked the game winning field goal, sending myself on to the NFC Championship game against either the Bucs or 49ers (pending the results of that game.) Jerrold gave me all I could handle, but I had just enough luck to come out on top. Since I was 0-5 against human opponents in the regular season, I wasn't expected to go this far. Can I win one more for a chance at the Super Bowl? Find out in the next Raczilla Report.
|
-
-
It's Super Bowl Sunday and I'm back from Arizona, ready to watch the game from the comfort of my own home. Madden Bowl XIV concluded Thursday night, so I had some free time on Friday and headed over to the NFL Experience to see what it was all about. Here are some pictures and thoughts about my time there. 
These Giants and Patriots uniforms were two of many in an area that not only featured team uniforms, but some of the gear that coaches wear on the sidelines during game day as well.
My favorite part of the NFL Experience was the giant tent set aside for football memorabilia and art. I love sports cards so the Donruss area definitely caught my attention. 
This Packers helmet is a great example of some of the cool artistic stuff that was on display. 
We were showing off our new NFL Tour title in one of the tents. 
There were a ton of different activities to try out. You could kick a field goal, see how far you could throw a football, do running back drills, and even run a forty yard dash. This drill measures how fast you can throw a NFL regulation football. I won't embarrass myself by sharing my throwing velocity with you. 
An NFL Hall of Fame tent featured some game used equipment from the best ever to play the game. There were also opportunities to have your picture taken with future NFL stars. The people to the left were in line to meet Browns quarterback Brady Quinn. 
This football was part of a great display that showed game balls from every Super Bowl. There was even an area where you could watch how NFL game balls are made. I'm off to spend the rest of the day enjoying the Super Bowl, but I'll be back tomorrow with a new Raczilla Report where I'll give an update on my round two game in the EA Tiburon Madden NFL 08 marketing league. Have fun watching the game!
-Raczilla
|
-
-
Update from the finals. Lynch (Patriots) vs. McGahee (Redskins): First Quarter Lynch moves down the field quickly on his first drive, scoring on a Maroney run from two yards out. He's unphased by the Madden Bowl veteran and dances in his seat between plays. McGahee is focused and clearly wants to break his streak of tough Madden Bowl losses. Willis tries to answer quickly by running a no huddle offense, but is picked off inside the Patriots 15 yard line. Marshawn has a solid pass to Randy Moss, but is then sacked and forced to punt to end the quarter. Second Quarter After a couple of completions, Willis throws another pick that is returned to his 40 yard line. His defense holds but Lynch pins him at his own 1 yard line with a coffin corner punt. On his first play from scrimmage, WIllis makes Madden Bowl history with a 99 yard touchdown pass to Skins WR Randle El. Lynch continues to dance while Willis sits stone faced, focused on the game. Willis holds again on defense with a 3 and out and starts his two minute offense. He uses no huddle again and completes several passes including a screen pass to Santana Moss for a touchdown. Marshawn tries to mount a drive with only 30 seconds left, but makes a critical mistake by allowing a safety to end the half. The score is McGahee 16, Lynch 7. Third Quarter The third quarter starts the same way the second quarter ended, with Willis McGahee applying a ton of pressure. Faced with a fourth down. Lynch decides to go for it on his own side of the field and turns the ball over on downs. Willis doesn't wait long to score his next touchdown on a short run, but then fails to convert a two point conversion.. Marshawn is still dancing, but is starting to lose confidence, down 22-7. He's unable to do anything on his next drive and Willis ends the quarter with a long TD run by Ladell Betts. The championship is within reach for McGahee.
Fourth Quarter Willis continues his dominance in the fourth quarter with another quick score, but he's not done. He then creates yet another turnover and goes up 43-7 with 2:39 to play. Lynch fails to score on the next drive and Willis runs out the clock to win by a final score of 43-7. He's the 2008 Madden Bowl champion! 
EA SPORTS President Peter Moore and Trey Wingo present Willis McGahee his long awaited Madden Bowl trophy. 
Everybody wants to interview the champion. 
Two time Madden Bowl champ Alex Smith was pleased to see McGahee win, but did notice that this year's trophy was a bit larger than the two he previous won. I'm going to call it a night, but I'll try and post another update tomorrow with some additional thoughts and pictures. Stay tuned...
|
-
More Posts
|
|
|