The Classroom: Football Gaming 101, Offensive Basics

Welcome to the lecture hall. Please bring out notebooks or laptops to take notes with; this will be on the test.

We used to suck at football games - it's true. Other soon-to-be contributors to Dynasty Mode can contribute to this, but I was terrible - Charles Barkley would say we were "turrible." But with learning some things about football, learning how to manage the game a bit better, and getting more seat time with NCAA and Madden, now we're capable - dominating the computer, and competitive online. We might not be a hardcore offensive genius, but we're definitely good, and you can be too.

So we kick off The Classroom, a series of articles on how to be a better sports gamer. This first issue starts with the basics of running a successful offense in football games, namely the NCAA and Madden series.

The biggest piece of advice we can give right now: Play it like real life. Since picking up some tips and thinking about how successful offensive coordinators call games, we're doing much, much better in both NCAA 09 and Madden 09. This applies to both sides of the ball, but we're focusing on offense, so keep some of these keys in mind:

1. If you can, run on first and second down. This is especially true offline in Madden, where the pro-style offenses are better suited to running the ball then the college spread. You can still run out of the spread, but most NCAA 09 playbooks contain just sweeps and speed options.

Sure, if you can connect for 8-12 yard pass plays all day long, keep your offense rolling; however, sooner or later, an online player is going to drop into a dime prevent package and limit your pass game. Lining up to run the ball and give yourself options on second and third downs is much better than skying a home-run ball on first down.

2. Play within yourself and your team. Don't try to go for the deep, home-run ball if you don't have a big play wide receiver or a quarterback with a huge, accurate arm. Same goes for running - don't try and press the issue if your offensive line isn't great, or you're reduced to a second or third-string running back. Know your team's strengths.

Also, don't try and do too much. You don't win or lose the game on the first play; move your offense and get points on the board.

3. Use your passing "safety valves". Most every route has a tight end or running back on a short route; if you can't go to one of your receivers, these guys will often be open. Shorter yards, perhaps, but a completion still moves your team.

4. Don't game the game, game your opponent. Don't try and find a money play; very few plays work over and over again by now in NCAA or Madden, and using them repeatedly makes you overly predictable. However, whether it's the computer or a human, you want to bait and switch and read your opponent.

A classic, tried-and-true example: You're in the middle of a long drive and you've run the ball on first down three or four times. They might not have been successful, but they've all been runs. This is where you dial up one of the run formations and go for the play-action pass. CPU and human opponents both expect the run; this is where you fake 'em out.

Same with passing: If you establish that you're passing out of 3- or 4-wide receiver sets, throw a draw on second down into the mix. Which leads me to the next point:

5. Use your damn head. If you line up to pass with a 4-wide shotgun set, and see the defense lined up in a dime package with just three down linemen and the safeties and linebackers deep, audible to a run. It works the other way, too: Audible to a pass or play-action play out of your running set if you see there are seven or eight men tight on the line of scrimmage.

Take a second to read the defense and learn how to make quick adjustments on the line. In a game yesterday, we converted on a 4th and short; it was a play-action pass out of a goal line set, and the pass went to a tight end who we hot-routed to an out route and who was wide freaking open. It's not luck, it's skill, and you, too, can learn that skill.

Close your books for now, class. We'll return with more - not only more on football game strategies and suggestions, but also on success at soccer, basketball, racing, and more.

Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve? Tips, tricks, suggestions? Get in touch with the editor, send an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you.