My Playbook Design

I really gotta get back to game notes, but I also want to keep posting (so my single reader stays happy).

I thought I would write a bit about my playbook design. I use Air Force's playbook as a base (because it has the power I Goal-Line set). I use Weak-I Twins, Strong-I Twins, I-Form Twins, I-Form Slot, Flexbone Normal, and Shotgun Normal, Spread, Trips, F-Wing.

I operate under two seemingly contrasting principles: simplicity and variety.

I aim for simplicity to reduce the stress of play-calling. I don't have more than nine plays in any of the formations, so all of my plays are available either on the initial playcalling screen or with one scroll. I also re-order my plays so similar concepts are in the same locations. For example, the A-button play on the first screen for all the non-Shotgun formations is a fullback dive; the X-button is a HB dive. This way I can change my formation but still execute a basic concept with ease.

More generally, I organize the entire playbook around basic concepts: FB/HB dives, outside options, HB swing/flare passes, TE crosses, deep attacking patterns (posts/go's/seams). No matter the formation, I am basically working with the same palette.

I spent the first several weeks with the game just editing the playbook down, which made me much more efficient in online matches; once my AOL began to go up, I found that I encountered situations where I needed more options.

To add variety, I first went back to my defensive playbook. I typically avoid slow developing blitzes, especially zone-blitzes, but I found that good opponents were able to patiently beat my conservative, 2-man under coverages. I added some odd blitzes that, under normal circumstances, I would avoid because of the incomplete coverages they offer, but, given the right circumstance, might just be confusing enough to produce a key 3rd down stop.

For my offense, I added some corner attack patterns and a few screen passes. I usually avoid both concepts (because they are very slow to develop, and leave the QB vulnerable), but they can both be situationally advantageous (screens when your opponent is either blitzing or playing soft zones, corner attack patterns when your opponent is playing a lot of cover-2).

I guess the most important thing is to arrange your playbook such that is has sufficient variety to attack any scheme, but in a way that you are able to call your favorite plays quickly and without scrolling for them.

Reflections on the HB Swing Pass

So I haven't taken any game notes recently, but I've been playing a good deal, and I have been incorporating the HB swing pass into my offense more and more.

First, in Shotgun Trips, there is an actual play called "HB Swing Pass"; the trips receivers all block, and the HB swings out behind them. The play works like a screen pass, but without the giveaway blocking and the slow development.

Second, the HB swing pattern is a part of a lot of pass plays; I've found the most success out of I-Form Twins, running WR Slants. The two receivers slant in, the TE opposite them slants out, the FB swings beneath the TE, and the HB swings beneath the receivers. Against man defense, the HB almost always beats the linebacker or safety to the outside; as the receivers are slanting in, the corners follow them, leaving the weak side of the field wide open for the HB to turn it up field.

A few players have sent me messages (or screamed via the in-game audio) that this is "cheese", because it seems to work every time. But the play really only works against man coverage, and can be at least contained if there are safeties playing over the top; a lot of players I've encountered, though, are running nearly constant man-blitzes. This not only takes away the safety support, but also often messes up the coverage assignments, so the HB is often being chased across the field by a linebacker that starts five or seven yards out of position. Against that defense, the play is good for at least twenty yards every time.

I guess my general thought here is that people rely on one type of defense, and then when you figure out how to exploit that defense, they accuse you of cheesing. Whatever: if you're gonna blitz me every down, and leave the HB uncovered every down as a result, then I'm going to keep scoring touchdowns.

Also, try the HB swing. It's a great, easy to install addition to any offense.

Userpick 2: Revenge of User Pick

So I've started up with NCAA 12; there are a million things I want to talk about. I will get to them sooner or later. For now, let's start simple. I'm playing with more or less only Florida.

Game 1

Opponent: xxjoespaugh42xx

Team: the Ohio State University

Record: 15-12 (27% DNF)

My record: 20-11

There was some lag in this game early on, and I asked for a Friendly Quit after like 30 seconds. Request denied. You may know how this is going to end.

I played a very conservative defense, mostly 2-man under, and JoeSpaugh couldn't get anything going underneath. He was pretty set on throwing deep, which isn't going to work with safety support and the pass coverage adjustment set to conservative.

Might as well talk about that a bit: I opt for the conservative adjustment on pass coverage because it helps prevent the deep ball. At the end of this game I had zero picks and ELEVEN deflections. That's a lot of ball-swatting (couldn't link to what I wanted to link to there). I rarely if ever end up with an interception (unless it's a user pick), but I also rarely give up deep completions.

Anyway, JoeSpaugh had one solid drive where he had something like 4th and 6 on my twelve; already down fourteen, he decided to go for it (bully for him). I called a blitz/zone package (not a zone blitz; my D-line didn't drop into coverage, I just happened to have zone coverage behind my blitz; I think it was NCAA blitz 3). Because I had neither run zone nor blitzed to that point, the coverage must've confused Joe, causing him to hesitate and resulting in a sack. If you mix up your coverages, only good things can happen.

Anyway, game ends 28-0. Joe was nice about it, and hung around til the end. But I can't resist: take the draw. TAKE THE DRAW.