Madden '09 Official Game Guide - Excerpt

MIAMI DOLPHINS 

Division AFC East



Stadium Dolphin Stadium



Type Open



Capacity 74,916



Surface Grass

 2007 STANDINGS

Wins

Loses

Ties

PF

PA

Home

Road

vs. AFC

vs. NFC

vs. Div

1

15

0

267

437

1-7

0-8

1-11

0-4

0-6

 TEAM OVERVIEW

there. He gets the most out of players and has an excellent eye for talent. The Dolphins were almost dead last in every single category on both sides of the ball.

They did play the pass well by only giving up 188 yards in the air. The main problem was the weak offense. They only scored

16 points a game, which was 26th in the league. They averaged 189 yards in the air and 98 yards on the ground. In order to improve the defense, they need to be able to sustain drives to allow the defense to rest.

 OFF-SEASON UPGRADES

TYPE

ROUND

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

SCHOOL/ TEAM

POSITION

Trade

N/A

Jason

Ferguson

Cowboys

NT

Free Agent

N/A

Josh

McCown

Raiders

QB

KEY FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Free Agent

N/A

Randy

Starks

Titans

DT

Cap Room: $15.92M Key Rivals: • Bills, Jets, Patriots Philosophy: • Offense: Run with Play Action • Defense: 3-4 Highest Paid Players: • J. Long • J. Taylor Team Weapons: • J. Taylor – Finesse Move D-Lineman • R. Brown – Power Back Best Young Players: • S. Satele • J. Long

Draft

1

Jake

Long

Michigan

T

Draft

2

Phillip

Merling

Clemson

DE

122

STRENGTHS

 SCOUTING REPORT

WEAKNESSES

TEAM STRATEGY

FRANCHISE MODE STRATEGY The Dolphins have multiple young QBs, but a veteran back-up might be a good idea.

Consider dealing Jason Taylor for numerous players and/or draft picks. You have a lot of work to do here.

Miami has been going down since they lost Ricky Williams a few years ago.

Many coaching changes and aging players have hurt the Dolphins. Now that they have Parcells in charge, things are looking up. He has always left teams in a better position than they were before he got

DESCRIPTION

MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL

TIPS FOR OPPONENTS

Ronnie Brown is a solid back that can be a handful when healthy.

Feed him the ball and use packages to move him around.

Play the run until they show you they can establish the pass.

Jason Taylor is a Hall of Fame defensive He can play linebacker as well as end that generates good pressure outside. defensive end.

Make sure you send extra help to take him out and use slide protection.

The QB situation is awful. They were listed almost last in passing.

You need to run the ball to open up the pass.

Send pressure often to create turnovers. Make them show you they can pass.

The best defensive players they have are Taylor and Porter; exploit this weakness.

Use Taylor and Porter in pass rushing packages.

Run a well-balanced attack to keep them on their toes. They don’t have many playmakers.

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67 64 68

OV E R A L L

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins have nowhere to go but up, and under the guidance of the Big Tuna, the fish won’t flounder as much in 2008.

 ROSTER AND PACKAGE TIPS

KEY PLAYER SUBSTITUTIONS

TEAM STRATEGY

Position: FB Substitution: Ricky Williams When: Situational Advantage: We guarantee that if you play in an online league game, someone will move Ricky Williams to fullback at some point. He still has enough in the tank to be an effective ball carrier, especially when a fullback dive play is called.

Position: LE Substitution: Phillip Merling When: Global Advantage: The sub is made to give the Dolphins another pass rusher at the defensive end position. Matt Roth is better off being moved inside where he can push the pocket. Having Merling at LE gives the Dolphins a rock solid onetwo punch.

Position: CB Substitution: Andre’ Goodman When: Global Advantage: With a 93 speed rating, Andre’ Goodman is more than capable of covering most of the slot receivers in the game. That’s why we suggest moving him to the number 3 spot, so he can play nickelback and be on the field more.

123

MIAMI DOLPHINS #79 Jake Long Tackle (LT)  OFFENSIVE

Run Block Strength Run Block Footwork Pass Block Strength Pass Block Footwork

95 88 92 77

 OFFENSIVE STRENGTH CHART

STAR PLAYER

This is the number one pick this season for the Dolphins. When you rebuild, you want to make sure you have a solid line. Jake Long was listed as one of the best coming out this season. He has great size, good movement, seals off well, and punishes pass rushers.

OL

WR # 19

# 79

OL

# 65

TEAM STRATEGY

STAR PLAYER

Brown is a decent back that has all of the tools needed for success in the NFL. Parcells loves big backs that run hard. Brown was having a good season until he got injured. He had 602 yards, 119 carries, and 4 touchdowns in 7 starts.

 OFFENSIVE

124

TE

# 82

WR # 18

FB

# 45

I-Form Pro Pro Twins Tight Tight Pair

3 RECEIVER SET OL

WR # 19

# 79

WR

# 82

OL

# 65

OL

# 64

OL

# 76

STAR PLAYER

Ted was the first round pick from last year that the team had great hopes for. He only had 420 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. He is the best wideout they have and he has plenty of upside.

His speed and agility makes him a threat to score at any time.

OL

# 72

WR # 81

QB #4

Singleback Ace Ace Pair Bunch Doubles F Wing Spread Flex Y-Trips Strong Pro Pro Twins Weak Pro Slot Tight Pair

WR # 18

HB

# 23

■ OVR less than 80 ■ OVR between 80-89

#19 Ted Ginn Wide Receiver (WR)

Player Weapon: Speed

OL

# 72

# 23

Player Weapon: Power Back

98 82 74 83

OL

# 76

Gun Wk Doubles Doubles Wk Empty Trey Split Slot Y-Trips

HB

 OFFENSIVE

Speed Catch Catch Traffic Route Run

OL

# 64

QB #4

#23 Ronnie Brown Halfback (HB)

91 91 94 84

 OFFENSIVE FORMATIONS

2-BACK SET

Player Weapon: Crushing Run Blocker

Speed Agility Trucking Elusiveness

OFFENSE

■ OVR 90 or greater

 RECOMMENDED OFFENSIVE AUDIBLE PACKAGES

Singleback

I-Form

I-Form

Gun

Gun

HB Slam

Quick Slants

Power O

Strong Flood

Smash

 OFFENSIVE PLAYCOUNTS

Quick Pass: Standard Pass: Shotgun Pass: Play Action Pass:

23 85 58 63

Screen Pass: Hail Mary: Inside Handoff: Outside Handoff:

12 1 34 16

Pitch: Counter: Draw:

9 9 11

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OFFENSE KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYS 1

2

3

SINGLEBACK F WING POWER O Ronnie Brown of the Dolphins is a good running back. Use the Power O and the auto motion in it, to help him shred the defense for big yards.

The backside guard will pull around the right side to add some blocking.

Brown also has the FB as a blocker.

2

Brown picks up the block from the fullback and then has all the running room he needs down the sideline.

3

TEAM STRATEGY

1

Brown has the ball with room to breathe. Now he has to set up his blocks to get the maximum gain.

SINGLEBACK SPREAD FLEX SHORT INS N OUTS Sometimes the best way to attack zone coverage is by trying to stretch it to the limit. The Spread Flex Ins N Outs gives the offense a way to attack zone coverage.

The safety and linebacker both drop to the middle of the field, letting the quarterback know to attack the seam.

1

The slot receiver has a lot of room to roam because of the way the safety and linebacker dropped into coverage.

2

The quarterback puts the ball perfectly on the spot and gives him a chance to pick up yards after the catch.

3

GUN ACE PAIR WK WR CORNER Attack the defense with plays that will always give the offense an advantage. The WR Corner uses routes that attack the defense in multiple areas and are sure to get open.

At the snap both tight ends run up field to move the linebackers out of the way so that the flanker can run underneath.

With the void that the tight ends created by running off the linebackers, Ginn is wide open.

Ginn is already fast enough to beat defenders by himself, but by working off other routes he is more effective.

125

MIAMI DOLPHINS #99 Jason Taylor Defensive End (RE)  DEFENSIVE

Speed Strength Power Moves Finesse Moves

85 77 75 96

 DEFENSIVE STRENGTH CHART

STAR PLAYER

FS

LB # 55 RE

TEAM STRATEGY

82 91 92 80

STAR PLAYER

#91 Vonnie Holliday Defensive Tackle (DT)

Speed Strength Power Moves Finesse Moves

Player Weapon: None

126

63 86 86 74

DT

# 95

FS

STAR PLAYER

Holliday was brought in to help with the pass rush. Holliday didn’t have a great season last year, but he is still a useful pass rusher. He plays the run well, and can still get at the QB. He had only 2 sacks, 56 tackles, and one forced fumble.

CB # 25

LE

# 97

CB

CB

# 22

CB

# 52

RE

# 99

DT

# 91

# 21

DT

# 95

Dime Flat Normal

Nickel 3-3-5 Normal Nickel Strong

# 37

LB

# 29

Quarter Combo

Dollar Normal

SS

# 32

■ OVR less than 80 ■ OVR between 80-89

Player Weapons: Big Hitter, Brick Wall Defender

 DEFENSIVE

DT

# 91

LB # 53

DIME DEFENSE

#55 Joey Porter Linebacker (ROLB)

Speed Tackling Pursuit Play Recog.

# 37

LB # 52 # 99

Player Weapon: Finesse Move D-Lineman

4-3 Normal Over Under

SS

# 32

CB # 22

Joey was once one of the best OLBs in the game. Injuries and age have taken a toll on him, but he is still a great player. He had 65 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions.

When he is healthy he can still bring it.

 DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS

4-3 BASE DEFENSE

Taylor is the face of Miami, and one of the best pass rushers in the league. He had a great season (his 12th). He had 56 tackles, 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 interception, and hasn’t missed a start since 1999.

 DEFENSIVE

DEFENSE

CB

# 25

LE

# 97

■ OVR 90 or greater

 RECOMMENDED DEFENSIVE AUDIBLE PACKAGES

4-3

4-3

Nickel

Dime

Quarter

2 Man Under

Fire Man

Cover 3

Cover 2

Man Up 3 Deep

 DEFENSIVE PLAYCOUNTS

Man Coverage: Man Zone: Combo Coverage:

45 34 7

Cover 2 Zone: Cover 3 Zone: Deep Zone:

14 26 18

Man Blitz: Zone Blitz: Combo Blitz:

55 64 13

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DEFENSE KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS 1

2

3

4-3 UNDER ZONE BLITZ Zone Blitz schemes have been used to stop the run, such as the 4-3 Under Zone Blitz from the Dolphins defensive play.

Both the left outside linebacker and middle linebacker are sent in on a blitz.

2

If the offense tries to run towards their side, one of them will be in position to make the tackle.

3

TEAM STRATEGY

1

The strong side defensive tackle will throw the offensive linemen’s blocking off by dropping back in a zone.

4-3 UNDER SLANT CRASH LEFT The 4-3 Under Slant Left is a good defense to call against play action because the defensive line is crashing towards the left side of the defensive line.

The right end is generally left unblocked and goes straight after the quarterback if he doesn’t bite on the play fake.

1

The Jets quarterback tries to roll out after the fake and avoid being sacked.

2

The problem for the quarterback is the right end doesn’t bite on the play fake.

3

DIME NORMAL STRIKE 2 DEEP The Dolphins have to be creative with their blitz schemes because the defense as a whole is not very strong. A creative zone defense to call is Dime Normal Strike 2 Deep.

This zone blitz sends the inside defensive backs in on blitzes from both sides of the field.

In most cases, the quarterback won’t have much time to look deep down the field.

The quarterback is unable to get rid of the ball and the result is a date with the grass.

127

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 

Division NFC West



Stadium Candlestick Park



Type Open



Capacity 70,207



Surface Grass

 2007 STANDINGS

Wins

Loses

Ties

PF

PA

Home

Road

vs. AFC

vs. NFC

vs. Div

5

11

0

219

364

3-5

2-6

1-3

4-8

3-3

 TEAM OVERVIEW

Cap Room: $21.69M Key Rivals: • Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks Philosophy: • Offense: Pass Heavy • Defense: 3-4 Highest Paid Players: • N. Clements • A. Smith Team Weapons: • A. Lee – Big Foot Kicker • P. Willis – Brick Wall Defender Best Young Players: • P. Willis • V. Davis

140

they gave up 22.8 points per game (26th), 227 passing yards (22nd), and 118 on the ground (22nd ). They really need to improve on the defensive side and hope that they get more consistency from the quarterback spot.

TYPE

ROUND

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

SCHOOL/ TEAM

POSITION

Free Agent

N/A

Isaac

Bruce

Rams

WR

Free Agent

N/A

DeShaun

Foster

Panthers

RB

Free Agent

N/A

Bryant

Johnson

Cardinals

WR

Draft

1

Kentwan

Balmer

North Carolina

DT

Draft

2

Chilo

Rachal

USC

G

 SCOUTING REPORT

STRENGTHS

KEY FRANCHISE INFORMATION

players to help bring some leadership into the locker room. Last season, they ranked 32nd in total points (13.7), and racked up 237 total yards a game, 143 in passing, and 92 rushing yards (placing them 27th in the league). Defensively,

 OFF-SEASON UPGRADES

WEAKNESSES

TEAM STRATEGY

FRANCHISE MODE STRATEGY The 49ers have some good passing targets, but you might need to look for a QB if Alex Smith can’t get the job done.

Start looking for some younger secondary players and get help at defensive tackle.

The 49ers have a nice core of players, but are in the later part of rebuilding.

They have made moves to improve the defense and have some great young players on the offensive side. The 49ers have hit the market to get key veteran

DESCRIPTION

MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL

TIPS FOR OPPONENTS

Frank Gore is your workhorse back, so make him the foundation of your scheme.

Feed him the ball as much as possible. Show him extra attention at all times. You must contain him.

Patrick Willis is a beast. He made 174 tackles, 4 sacks, and forced numerous turnovers.

Move him around through packages to generate pressure on the field.

Stay out of this man’s way, and make sure you set your protection accordingly.

The quarterback situation is awful for the 49ers. This hurts Frank Gore’s running game.

Use big formations to get Davis involved in the passing attack.

Double Davis and play the run.

Make them go elsewhere to move the ball.

The 49ers’ run defense is quite poor.

They’re ranked 22nd in the NFL.

You need to use 4-3/46 types of formations to slow down the run.

Pound this defense until they can stop you. Then exploit the pass through play action.

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OV E R A L L

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

ď ą ROSTER AND PACKAGE TIPS

KEY PLAYER SUBSTITUTIONS

TEAM STRATEGY

Position: WR Substitution: Bryant Johnson When: Global Advantage: Bryant Johnson should be moved to the number 2 spot on the team’s depth chart for the following reason. He is faster, runs better pass routes, can jump higher, and is a few inches taller than Arnaz Battle.

Position: Slot Substitution: Vernon Davis When: Passing Situations Advantage: One of the faster tight ends in the game, Vernon Davis is a match up nightmare for linebackers, safeties, and in most cases, nickelbacks. By putting him in the slot, he can be even more effective in the red zone.

Position: LG Substitution: Chilo Rachal When: Global Advantage: If you plan on running a lot of plays that require the left guard pulling, then this move makes sense. Chilo Rachal has considerably more speed than starter Adam Snyder. If you make this move, be aware that Rachal is not a better run or pass blocker than Snyder.

Frank Gore remains the primary engine in the 49ers offense in 2008, but if key youngsters like QB Alex Smith and TE Vernon Davis step up this year, the Niners can be competitive.

141

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS #21 Frank Gore Halfback (HB)  OFFENSIVE

Speed Agility Trucking Elusiveness

92 93 92 88

 OFFENSIVE STRENGTH CHART

STAR PLAYER

Gore is one of the top ten running backs in the league. He’s the playmaker for this club, and a tough runner that breaks plenty of tackles and catches the ball well out of the backfield. All he needs is a passing attack to open lanes for him.

OL

WR

# 82

# 74

OL

# 68

TEAM STRATEGY

STAR PLAYER

Issac Bruce has been a great wideout over his career. The 49ers needed help at wideout, and brought him in with Jackson and Davis to help with the passing attack. In this stage of his career he will be more of a possession wideout, but he remains a great route runner.

3 RECEIVER SET OL

WR

# 82

# 74

WR

# 83

OL

# 68

OL

# 66

STAR PLAYER

Davis has all of the tools to be a top shelf tight end. He has hands, speed, strength, and is a handful in the seam. The main problem with him is that he has no one connecting with him. He is due for some help and this could be the season.

I-Form Pro Tight Tight Pair

Snugs Flip Spread Flex Trey Open Y-Trips

Rifle Doubles Doubles Y-Slot Snugs Flip Spread Flex Wk Y-Trips

Split Slot

WR

# 80

OL

OL

# 64

# 75

Singleback Ace Ace Pair Bunch Doubles F Wing

TE

# 85

QB # 11

WR

# 80

Strong Pro Pro Twins Tight Pair Weak Pro Tight Pair

HB

# 21

■ OVR less than 80 ■ OVR between 80-89

 OFFENSIVE

142

TE

# 85

HB

#85 Vernon Davis Tight End (TE)

Player Weapon: None

OL

# 75

# 21

Player Weapon: Hands

92 84 53 49

OL

# 64

FB # 44

 OFFENSIVE

Speed Catch Run Block Pass Block

OL

# 66

QB # 11

#80 Isaac Bruce Wide Receiver (WR)

87 92 82 90

 OFFENSIVE FORMATIONS

2-BACK SET

Player Weapon: Power Back

Speed Catch Catch Traffic Route Run

OFFENSE

■ OVR 90 or greater

 RECOMMENDED OFFENSIVE AUDIBLE PACKAGES

I-Form

Singleback

Strong

Singleback

Rifle

HB Power O

Slants

HB Dive

Short Ins N Outs

Corner Strike

 OFFENSIVE PLAYCOUNTS

Quick Pass: Standard Pass: Shotgun Pass: Play Action Pass:

25 86 40 63

Screen Pass: Hail Mary: Inside Handoff: Outside Handoff:

11 1 29 16

Pitch: Counter: Draw:

7 12 10

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OFFENSE KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYS 1

2

3

RIFLE SNUGS FLIP PA X CLOWN The PA X Clown has some tricky routes in it that can beat a variety of coverages. The double move route is especially nice.

While the quarterback is faking the handoff you should already be looking at the coverage to see what comes open.

2

We fire a strike and our receiver goes up to grab the pass.

3

TEAM STRATEGY

1

We have time to wait for the deep cross to open up. Wait until the receiver ďŹ nds a window in the zone.

SINGLEBACK F WING F WEAK LEAD The F Weak Lead uses auto motion by the fullback to bring him inside as a lead blocker. You can run a strong inside attack with this play.

As the line engages, we already can see that a hole will open up outside.

1

We have to hit the Sprint button to escape the defender shooting into the backfield.

2

Once we make our escape, we are off to the races down the sidelines.

3

SPLIT SLOT SLOT Z OUT Split back sets scream West Coast Offense. This play has some really nice route combinations with a backside curl and a flood on the right.

We really like to hit the angle route over the middle against man coverage. This route is very tough for defenders to follow.

As you can see, your fullback has eluded his defender and is running wide open over the middle.

We hit him with a pass and let him lower his shoulder on the secondary.

143

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS #52 Patrick Willis Linebacker (MLB)  DEFENSIVE

Speed Tackling Pursuit Play Recog.

91 96 98 85

 DEFENSIVE STRENGTH CHART

STAR PLAYER

Patrick Willis had an outstanding season last year, in which he made 174 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He is a young animal that has a nose for the ball and is a decent pass rusher. Willis also covers well from sideline to sideline, and is the playmaker on the defensive side.

FS

CB

LB

# 22

RE

TEAM STRATEGY

92 92 85 92

STAR PLAYER

#94 Justin Smith Defensive End (RE)  DEFENSIVE

Speed Strength Power Moves Finesse Moves

Player Weapon: None

144

75 82 88 79

STAR PLAYER

Smith is the best pass rusher they have on the line. He had 2 sacks last season, but he made 78 tackles. He’s a steady pass rusher that contains the run well and gives you a steady rush. He overpowers tackles to get pressure on quarterbacks and uses stunts.

LB

LB

# 52

CB

# 99

DT

# 27

LE

# 92

# 90

FS

CB

CB #3

# 27

LB

RE

DT

# 93

CB

# 36

DT

CB

# 22

LE

# 92

■ OVR less than 80 ■ OVR between 80-89

Dime Normal

Nickel 2-4-5 3-3-5 Strong

# 32

# 52

Quarter Combo

Dollar Normal

SS

# 26

# 94

Player Weapon: Shutdown Corner, Press Coverage Corner

# 32

DIME DEFENSE

#22 Nate Clements Cornerback (CB)

Speed Man Cover Zone Cover Press

LB

# 53

# 95

3-4 Normal Over Solid Stack

SS

# 26

# 94

Clemens was brought in to fill the 49ers’ need for a shutdown corner. Nate is a tough corner that plays all top wideouts. If you caught the ball against him, you earned it. He had 92 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 sack, and 4 interceptions.

 DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS

3-4 BASE DEFENSE

Player Weapon: Big Hitter, Brick Wall Defender

 DEFENSIVE

DEFENSE

# 90

■ OVR 90 or greater

 RECOMMENDED DEFENSIVE AUDIBLE PACKAGES

3-4

3-4

Nickel

Dime

Quarter

2 Man Under

Storm Brave 1

Cover 3

Cover 2

Man Up 3 Deep

 DEFENSIVE PLAYCOUNTS

Man Coverage: Man Zone: Combo Coverage:

44 35 6

Cover 2 Zone: Cover 3 Zone: Deep Zone:

20 16 11

Man Blitz: Zone Blitz: Combo Blitz:

54 55 7

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DEFENSE KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS 1

2

3

3-4 STACK OLB FIRE MAN The Stack set from the 3-4 formation is one of the better run stoppers in the game. The stacked linebackers are protected from blockers and can get in to make plays.

Already you can see our defensive end scrape off the line. The left tackle had to pick up our blitzing linebacker.

2

We make an easy tackle and get a loss on the play courtesy of the OLB Fire Man.

3

TEAM STRATEGY

1

The running back gets the ball, but our defender has already gotten into the backfield.

DOLLAR NORMAL LIGHTNING 0 The Dollar Normal Lightning 0 is a high risk/high reward style of defense. You are bringing three additional blitzers with no safety help deep.

As we come to the line of scrimmage we see that the offense is in an empty set. This is tailor-made for our attacking defense.

1

The QB has just set his feet and already the heat is coming right into his face. He can’t step up to throw.

2

Leinart tries to roll out, but is hammered by our defense. He lays the ball on the ground for a turnover.

3

NICKEL 2-4-5 COVER 2 SINK The purpose of this defense is to lock up the short areas of the field.

The linebackers and cornerbacks blanket the field with two safeties helping out up top.

After the snap, you can see that the field is clogged up with defenders.

There is nowhere for Leinart to go.

The quarterback sees a possible opening and tries to thread the pass in to his receiver.

Zone coverage is beefed up in Madden NFL 09. The Niners linebacker steps in and picks off the pass.

145

PRIMA Official Game Guide An Imprint of Random House, Inc. 3000 Lava Ridge Court, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95661

The Prima Games logo is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Primagames.com is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., registered in the United States. Prima Games is an imprint of Random House, Inc. © 2008 Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Important: Prima Games has made every effort to determine that the information contained in this book is accurate. However, the publisher makes no warranty, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, effectiveness, or completeness of the material in this book; nor does the publisher assume liability for damages, either incidental or consequential, that may result from using the information in this book. The publisher cannot provide any additional information or support regarding gameplay, hints and strategies, or problems with hardware or software. Such questions should be directed to the support numbers provided by the game and/or device manufacturers as set forth in their documentation. Some game tricks require precise timing and may require repeated attempts before the desired result is achieved.

ISBN: 9780-7615-5924-5

Written by Mojo Media and VG Sports Editor: Joe Funk Creative Director: Jason Hinman Art Director: Daniel Tideman

VG Sports President: Bert Ingley Staff Writers: Paul Gleason, Bernie Hayes and Ron Jackson

PRIMA OFFICIAL GAME GUIDE

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CONTENTS What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Offensive Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Defensive Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Team Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Franchise Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 Online Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 Depth Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 Roster Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268 Advanced Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280

56 62 68 74 80 86 92 98 104 110 116 122 128 134 140 146 152 158 164 170 176 182 188 194 200 206 212 218 224 230 236 242

Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Buffalo Bills Denver Broncos Cleveland Browns Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arizona Cardinals San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs Indianapolis Colts Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Philadelphia Eagles Atlanta Falcons San Francisco 49ers New York Giants Jacksonville Jaguars New York Jets Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Carolina Panthers New England Patriots Oakland Raiders St. Louis Rams Baltimore Ravens Washington Redskins New Orleans Saints Seattle Seahawks Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Texans Tennessee Titans Minnesota Vikings 3

s ’ a m i r p d a e R

! g o l b g n i m a g y snapp ns, history, Private confessido geekery galore! , an personal t riumphgasming industry news and tips. of With a smattering

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