I'm far from the best player ever when it comes to picking up the Madden or NCAA sticks. I'll probably never be able to break down a play in the same way that you see weekly in Kobra's Corner, but I've seen a positive response to some of the earlier tips I've posted so I've got another strategy related top 5 for my Madden/NCAA junkies. Even without the depth of knowledge when it comes to the Xs and Os of football, there's something to be said for a common sense approach to becoming a better player. Here are 5 common sense tips that have helped me become a better passer over the years in both NCAA and Madden.



#5 Run to set up the pass. It works in the NFL and it works it's Madden. If it's in the game, it's in the game right? Back when I first started playing Madden online with Madden 2003, I found out really quickly that I didn't have the offensive skills of some of the other players and that my passing game in particular was pretty weak. In fact, I relied on my skills running the ball for years as the staple of my offense and it wasn't until Madden NFL 06 or 07 that I felt my passing game caught up. But you've got to throw the ball some to win and the play-action became the staple of my air attack. I pounded the ball on the ground and then tested my opponents deep with play-action, occasionally making big plays even though I wasn't the strongest passer. If your passing game is really struggling, running a much more basic offense and tying in play-action to throw off the defense. Be sure to call play-action passes that look very similar to running plays that you call most often during the course of a game.



#4 Pass on running downs. This is another example of Madden imitating real life sports and goes hand in hand with #5. If you're going to run the ball to set up the pass, it makes a lot of sense to keep your opponent guessing by throwing the ball on downs where your opponent expects a run. Picking up 7-8 yards on first down and end up in second and short? A lot of players will use the next two downs to try and pound out those last 2 yards (which is smart), but that's a situation that's just begging for a passing play. This is your best bet for an opponent to stack the line or better yet use run commit, leaving the opportunity for a big play down the field. I sometimes like to set up my opponents by running on first and short initially to get them comfortable with the notion that I like to be conservative in those situations and then take a shot with the deep ball when I feel I've lulled them in.



#3 Minimize mistakes. If you're not a good passer, the one thing you absolutely can't afford to do is turn the ball over. It's always a better option to take a sack or punt the ball and play for good field position than it is to risk throwing a pick. If you're back in the pocket and aren't totally sure you can make the throw, don't force it. Even as a bad passer I won a lot of close games because I won the turnover battle. Even in the NFL sometimes it's better to have a QB who can manage the game and not make mistakes, and if you're not a great passer and can run the ball and play defense, sometimes that's the way to go.



#2 Play to the strengths of your offense. If you want to pass the ball well, you have to know what you're working with personnel-wise in the passing game. Do you have a pocket passer or a mobile QB? Is your QB extremely accurate or not so much? Each of these are really important questions because they can affect what kind of plays to call for your offense. It's key to make sure that what you do on the field matches the capabilities of your team. This goes for the WRs and TEs in your offense as well. If you don't have players that can get down the field, a vertical offense may not be for you. I almost always play with the Redskins online and because the personnel has changed so much over the years, it's caused me to completely change my offensive schemes as well. I've gone from a pound the rock play-action passing game to spreading out and using the speed of my receivers, to somewhere now that's probably somewhere in between. As the Redskins change, I change too.. and that's made a big difference.



#1 Know your progression.  This is a tip that I feel is sort of underrated and that a lot of people overlook when it comes to the passing game.  A lot of people who play Madden drop back to pass and look for whoever is open to get them the ball.  It seems logical and it's the way I played Madden for probably 10 years before I started playing online.  But through a lot of trial and error and practice I realized this wasn't going to work for me.  Having a proper progression in a passing play helps you focus on what you're trying to do and make better and faster decisions on the field of play.  In a given play I usually have three reads once the ball is snapped, because that's about the most time I'm going to get before I see pressure.  I know before I snap the ball which receiver I want to look to first, then second, and finally third before I get rid of the football.

The first read is the receiver I think is most likely to be open when I'm standing at the line of scrimmage.  Sometimes I make an adjustment and hot route someone because I see something that makes me think they are best to throw the ball to.  The second option is the next best option when I'm at the line, and the third option is usually a safe option like a running back or tight end that I can dump the ball off to for a short gain if things don't work out.  The third option is really helpful because it gives me a way to get out of the play without throwing the ball away or being sacked.  I wouldn't recommend on funneling the passing game through a running back though as it can make you lazy settling for the dump-off.  Some folks also don't like that style of play.

Limiting yourself to three options is great because you don't have to scan the whole field and try and find someone.  You know who you will look to and in what order, so it simplifies the decision making process.  It's important to realize though that you might not always get three reads when there's a blitz, and if you get to the line and see pressure coming you may want to think about cutting your progression to two players.



So once again we're not talking about rocket science or any magical formula for passing the football.  But these basics concepts are all things you'll want to keep in mind and run off in your mental check-list when you're thinking about your skills as a passer.  I hope you all have a great weekend.  As always, drop me some comments and some of your own passing tips.

-raczilla