Madden NFL 12 Walkthrough Primer

Offensive Training Camp

This section focuses on the offensive side of the ball.

Getting Started: Setting Audibles

One of the most frustrating things about Madden is setting your audibles before each game. This is especially frustrating when you play online, and you have to pause the game, and set your audibles while you opponent does the same. This can take several minutes, and can be annoying for both you and your opponent. Luckily, there is a way to set your audibles to your profile. From past online experience, I'd imagine only about 10% of people take advantage of this technique. This should be a much higher number! If you don't like wasting your time on audibles, follow the instructions below.

Proceed to the main Madden menu. To set your audibles, move down to the "My Madden" tab. After clicking on the tab, you want to move down to the "Strategy" tab. Now you can see that there are options for your audibles. Click the "Offensive Audibles" tab. You can actually set both Offensive and Defensive Audibles from here. Now that you're in the Offensive Audible tab, make sure you pick the playbook that you typically use. These audibles will only be set if you use that particular playbook during the game. So if you always use the Chicago Bears playbook, for instance, you will need to select that particular playbook and click on it.

Now you can set five audibles to correspond to the Y, A, X, RB, and LB buttons (using an Xbox 360 as the example). When you're done setting your offensive audibles, you can click the RB button to set your defensive audibles. When you're finished, simply save your settings. Whenever you play a game, regardless of what team you choose, you won't have to waste time setting your audibles anymore. Just remember it's tied to the playbook!

Leaning to Run: FB Dives

Fullback dives were the most effective runs in Madden last season and they'll be the most effective runs in Madden this season. The fact remains that these runs simply develop so much quicker than every other run in the game. Some fullback dives are faster than others, but the ones that are the quickest to develop are by far the most difficult runs to stop in the game.

In this example, we've chosen to use a split back formation on the Washington Redskins to demonstrate the effective of the fullback dive. On these particular runs you don't need a lead blocker because they develop so quickly. Redskin running back Clinton Portis goes in motion and quarterback Jason Campbell prepares to receive the snap. Even if our opponent knows that the fullback dive is coming it is still extremely difficult to stop for as loss. The worst result we could possible ever see is a loss of one yard or no gain because the exchange from the quarterback is so quick and so close to the line of scrimmage-a big key to the running game.

In the FB Dive play, the fullback receiving the ball just three yards shy of the line of scrimmage. The holes in the Offensive Line may look easily exploitable, but these runs actually have very good protection up front and losses on the play rarely ever happen. Tight end Chris Cooley (who can be packaged in at fullback and become the ball carrier) crosses the line of scrimmage as the defenders are engaged with our linemen. In our example, we already have at least five yards on the play and the defense is just now beginning to close in. Cooley's finally taken down to the ground after a gain of 11 yards on the play.

Another quick developing fullback dive can be found in the Weak formation. This time we're going to run the play with our normal fullback Mike Sellers, despite him being much slower than Cooley. The snap is taken and this time the exchange takes place just two yards deep in the backfield. It's almost impossible to lose yardage when running this particular play.

Stay in tight behind the linemen as continue to push forward for extra yardage. In our example, we slide off our linemen with Sellers and he's finally taken down after a gain of almost five yards on the play.

There's no doubt that the fullback dive should be a part of every single Madden player's offense. There simply aren't that many runs in the game that develop as quickly, or are as consistent. When you figure out which formations you'll be using this season be sure to make sure that there's at least one fullback dive available to you.

Learning to Run: Tosses

Tosses and sweeps are a great way to provide your running back with a little bit of freedom in the backfield. Once your runner receives the pitch you can look to cut it up field at any point-good stick skill is certainly a plus so you can maneuver around blockers or dodge an incoming tackler. You'll want to use tosses and sweeps with a running back that has exceptional speed because you never know when a defender might get instant penetration into the backfield. Let's take a look an example.

To get the best results when using a toss or a sweep you may want to call the play out of a Twin WR set. Calling a toss out of a Twin WR set will open up the opposite side of the field if the opponent is in man-to-man defense.

In our example, the Atlanta Falcons have seven defenders in the box-but that's exactly what we want because we know that this play is headed for the outside. New Orleans' quarterback Drew Brees pitches the ball out wide to running back Reggie Bush, one of the fastest running backs available in Madden 12. Bush hauls in the easy pitch and is already on his way up the field with a lead blocker clearing the path in front. Bush uses his great speed to quickly get to the line of scrimmage while the linemen continues to look to make a block downfield. Bush is finally dragged down after an easy gain of five yards on the play.

Sweeps and tosses are good choices if you have a speedy running back and you're having trouble finding room up the middle of the field. However, there's always a risk that you could lose yardage on these types of runs because they start so deep in the backfield. If you feel that you've got the vision and the stick control to succeed with sweeps and tosses, then incorporate them into your game this season.