Playbooks
Indianapolis, Grade: A+
Runs
Run 1 - Generic Run (Inverted). With a stud like E.D. in the backfield the more generic runs the better. Since Run 1 goes down it is a weak-side run against most teams, so it will be your secondary run you use in short yardage situations. A very good run to have when you have Dickerson.
Run 2 – Generic Run. Powerful Run 2. If the defense doesn't call Run 2 and is being a player on the top half of the screen it is big gains for Indy. Very big. These running plays are great. Literally could not be better.
Running Grade: A+.
Passes
Pass 1 –Weird Stuff. A totally unique play exclusive to Indy, this play is huge for them to have since Jack Trudeau has 0 arm. The top WR goes deep, taking the human defender with him. That leaves rainbow-armed Trudeau to choose between throwing to Dickerson coming out of the backfield for a solid 8 yard gain, or to super slug slow Pat Beach (the TE) for a 5-6 yard pick-up. If Beach was a Bavaro or Christenson Indy would destroying with this play, but even with Beach it is extremely effective. It should also be noted that Beach is never covered when the defense picks this play, nobody is sure why but he is wide open. You aren't allowed to throw to him when this occurs.
Pass 2 – That Damn Pass (Variation). Excellent pass. This version is slightly varied (the WR is the man making the cut and is the main target), while the TE doing the slant is the deep man. The top WR does not go as deep as indicated, and is usually covered. The plan here is to make sure the human respects the deep man, then dump it off to the WR for an easy 7-8 yards. Again this really saves Indy because the WRs are so spread out. If they had say Curls or Slants Indy would be dead. Totally dead.
Passing Grade: A+.
Miami, Grade: B
Runs
Run 1 – Draw Play. Ok so you’re Miami’s offensive coordinator, you have an awesome QB giving your passing attack tremendous upside that has defenses calling a lot of pass. You have a clinically dead running back that has no speed or ability of any kind, and doesn’t even have upside. What do you do? You draw up a unique play to Miami that provides maybe the best blocking scheme in the whole game, The Draw Play. Smart move. Now you have Lorenzo Hampton being able to break off a run for more then 7 yards. Very smart. Only an Outside Linebacker can stop you now. The grade is a tough call since Hampton sucks but the play saves him and is perfect for what they have, let’s split the difference and say…
Running Grade: B-.
Passes
Pass 1 – Curls. A terrible play for most teams, but with Dan Marino at the helm suddenly Curls kicks ass. An experienced QB can gun pass after pass to the open man for easy 10-yard gains. But not even Marino can land this pass once the routes are finished, make sure you get the ball out early.
Pass 2 – Park & Run. A terrible play for most teams, but with Dan Marino at the helm suddenly Park & Run kicks ass. An experienced QB can gun pass after pass to the open man for easy 10-yard gains. Once the routes are finished it is extremely difficult to land a pass so throw early.
Pass 3 – Shotgun (Miami Variation). A good play once it develops, usually sees a deep man open and two quick receivers over the middle open waiting for the pass and an easy gain. Marino’s gun can keep the defender honest on the deep man and allow the middle receivers to have a lot of open field and good gains. Rock solid play.
Passing Grade: A-. Without Dan Marino you’re looking at about a C-. Yeah Marino is awesome.
Cleveland, Grade: A
Runs
Run 1 – Power I Generic (Inverted). It’s a generic run but it goes to the bottom instead of the top, which is very strange, only 2 teams have this. This play works alright but it is your weak side run so it is secondary and you hardly ever call it. Unless of course you are Kyle, then you can’t get enough weak side run, weak side run for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Weak side run while you sleep and weak side run while you’re doing homework. Basically you live for weak side run.
Run 2 – Power I Generic. This is where Mack really gets to break loose and make that patented popcorn. Powerful strong side run can be very dangerous when Mack gets a little open field and then starts running right through useless computer player defenders. Doesn’t even have to avoid them, just runs right over them and they popcorn out of the way. This makes this running play pretty effective, Mack isn’t the fastest so it doesn’t kill teams dead but they have to respect your running game. The 2 generic plays really help Cleveland because Mack probably wouldn’t have enough speed to be able to run outside with a sweep or something like that. Very well designed for them.
Running Grade: A.
Passes
Pass 1 – Half-Back Dump. For Cleveland this play can be effective. The key to the play is whether the deep man is open or not. If he is than you also have a short man option at the top of the screen and the halfback dump-off, impossible for anyone to cover all 3. However there is a high percentage chance that the defence just calling run will give them the deep man coverage they need. On this play there is a defender (bottom DE) coming for your quarterback. If the deep man does get covered and your halfback runs out instead of parking near the sideline then you really can’t throw on this play. So it’s good that it is rare for Mack to run out.
Pass 2 – That Damn Pass. AKA Pass 2. Cleveland has Kosar throwing so it’s hard to pick off the short man pass, and their TE has decent speed but he isn’t burning anybody, but in general if the defence isn’t picking this play they will be getting chewed up for 7-8 yards every time.
Passing Grade: A.
Denver, Grade: B+
Runs
Run 1 - Abstract Sweep. This play is surprisingly effective for Denver. It can really chew up some teams badly and overall is very solid. Downside is it takes a little time to develop which hurts against faster defenders.
Run 2 – Generic Run (Inverted). Look at Denver go. Denver’s running game is rock solid, the defence has to respect it; Dorsett can chew them up with either run. This weak side run is effective because it is a generic and it’s good for an automatic 2-3 yards. It’s really crazy how good their running game is because HOF-er isn’t a complete monster but he is always big on game day.
Running Grade: B.
Passes
Pass 1 – That Damn Pass (WR Variation). Ya, it’s not fun to play Denver, pick run and you will be seeing a lot of this pass. On this play the bottom WR cuts down and the 2 other men go deep, forcing the defender to go deep and leaving the short man wide open for the patented 8 yard gain every time. Because Elway is throwing this it is very hard to pick it off. Easily one of the best plays in the game.
Pass 2 – Shotgun (Denver Variation). Like all shotgun plays there is a defender (bottom DE) on you right away, so run down and get him out of the way. This can be a very effective play, they have the bottom man going really deep and the top man cutting down across the screen. The other 2 men go to the top and don’t generally get passed to. However if the other guy calls Pass 1 then both the top and bottom man are covered and so the play generally goes nowhere. It isn’t known exactly where the 2 middlemen stop running, but the one who does go longer doesn’t always stop in the same place. It is very risky to pass to one of those men. But it’s great if you need big yards late and can afford to gamble.
Passing Grade: A-.
Seattle, Grade: B
Runs
Run 1 - Abstract Sweep. Your standard Abstract run with a pretty good running back.
Run 2 – Generic Run (Inverted). Your standard Generic (Inverted) run with a pretty good back. Seattle’s running game should really do more damage then it does based on what you see on paper but the less we talk about Seattle’s running back the better.
Running Grade: B.
Passes
Pass 1 – That Damn Pass (WR Variation). We covered the awesomeness of this play before. Every offensive co-coordinators dream, and every defensive co-coordinator’s nightmare.
Pass 2 – Congress Bomb. Unique to Seattle this is a pretty decent play. Steve “The Congressman” Largent goes deep, and the human defender along with him, leaving the TE to curl at about 8 yards for an easy gain. Their TE is slow, and struggles to pick up a 1st down in over 10 yard situations but this is a very strong play. The bottom WR running the slant is just there to look at, unless the defense has called Pass 1, then it’s time to either eat the ball or force in a very tough pass to the TE or bottom WR. You probably only want to try that when you’re desperate.
Passing Grade: B+.
Los Angeles, Grade: D-
LA's used to have the Best Playbook in the Game. Now they are hurting bad. And why is this do you ask? Because the Top Linebacker is not blocked on either running play. Not good.
Runs
Run 1 – Generic Run (Bo Jackson Variation) This play, while it looks a lot like the Generic run is the Bo Jackson Variation for 2 reasons. 1) LA uses a spilt-back formation, the only team in the game to do so, and thus screwing up the blocking scheme, and 2) Because it is BO JACKSON getting the ball. When on offense, you want to be making some monster jukes in hopes for getting the defender to hit a wall so you can pick up some decent yards.
Run 2 – Abstract Sweep (LA Variation). Damn, why couldn't this be a Bo play as well? Damn. Marcus Allen's Run 2 is pretty decent and can do some damage when everything goes right. Allen is quick but he really can't juke that pesky TOLB all that well. He needs Bo To Know Blocking to get big gains. Usually Allen can gain 3-4 yards except against LA destorying teams like the NYG or WSH. A decent run to have but come on, Bo Jackson is standing right next time!
Running Grade: D-.
Passes
Pass 1 – TAFKA the Best Passing Play in the Game. LA’s Pass 1 used to be five kinds of awesome. The fast TE Christensen goes very deep, and Tim Brown comes over the middle for an easy 8-9 yards even when the defender is cheating up. Brown can take huge advantage of open field with his uncanny juking ability. And as a bonus Marcus Allen comes out of the backfield and runs pretty deep as well, but he is really a non-factor on this play. A great play ruined by LA's dummy blocking scheme on runs.
Pass 2 – Half-Back Dump (Inverted). Basically a variation of Chicago’s Dump Play this is LA’s secondary pass. If the defense calls Pass 1 you can’t throw the ball to anyone but Allen for minimal gain on this play. Really it’s a pretty good play but teams get epic coverage on it against LA if they call Pass 1, which they do.
Passing Grade: D-.
San Francisco, Grade: A-
Runs
Run 1 - Generic Run (Inverted). If this was a strong side run I would’ve started with the sentence “Welcome to the Best Playbook in The Game.” Craig is a good back who would be dangerous with two running plays; he does all he can with his one weak-side run.
Running Grade: C-.
Passes
Pass 1 – That Damn Pass (WR Variation). It’s your standard great That Damn Pass but it’s the play that defenses call the vast majority of the time so its gaining of positive yards is rare.
Pass 2 – Half-Back Dump. A good play for San Fran’s personal, with Rice going deep, and Roger Craig in the backfield ready to pick up 5-6 yards. Ass Wilson runs a curl but doesn’t factor in a lot. Same goes for the receiver running the slant. This is the same play that Cleveland has but with better personal to run it.
Pass 3 – Shotgun (San Fran Variation). A devastating shotgun play. Jerry runs deep, and Craig slants across the middle, the TE runs a curl and rarely gets any ball as if you're going to pass it to him you might as well pass it to Wilson or Craig further down the field. This play is a minimum12-15 yard gain if the defense calls Run 1 or Pass 2. This play can also be used effectively in a quick strike situation near the endzone or with time winding down and you have to beat the clock into FG range. It does it all!
Passing Grade: A.
Washington, Grade: F
Runs
Run 1 - Generic Run Ok, a generic run that’s fine. Your RB kind of stinks but you need a ground attack, and a generic run is as good as anything else you could put here.
Run 2 – WR Reverse. OH DEAR GOD NO! Well now you’ve done it. You’ve ruined Washington’s offense, made The Doom Combo of Manley and Mann a mute point, and broken the hearts of children everywhere. It was a sad day in Washington when they decided to use the WR Reverse. A sad day indeed.
Running Grade: F.
Passes
Pass 1 – Curls. A bad play, made even worse by the defense always calling pass thanks to WR Reverse. Thanks WR Reverse. Williams can make this pass work occasionally but it’s like playing Russian roulette.
Pass 2 – Slants. A good play, too bad it’s getting called 95% of the time thanks to WR reverse. I hate you WR Reverse. And your family.
Passing Grade: D-.
Washington Overall: F
Dallas, Grade: B
Runs
Run 1 - Generic Run Which is an excellent thing when you have Hershel Walker back there.
Run 2 - The Hybrid. Dallas' running play book is the exact same as the New York Giants. But keep in mind Dallas has Walker on these plays, making them way more effective then the Giants. A key point to remember is the hybrid run makes the blocking schemes against the middle linebackers weird, allowing you to take star defenders in those positions out of the game if you stick to the running game.
Running Grade: A. About a B for the plays but having Walker makes them that much more important to have.
Passes
Pass 1 –Park & Run. This play gives Curls a run for it's sucky money. The top WR does go deep, but the other two WR PARK RIGHT BESIDE each other after finishing their routes. If the Top WR is covered and you have no choice but either super quickly switch to the bottom WR and fire, since once the other 2 have finished their routes they really can't be passed to. Usually the bottom man is covered, leaving the other two. This play can be gambled on for picks, since the check down is at the edge of the screen. A bad play.
Pass 2 – Shotgun (Dallas Variation). All the shot-gun passes in the game (4) are unique. All of them good. Both top and bottom WR go deep (usually one of them is covered) and then you got 2 receivers over the middle for solid gains. The 3rd WR (doing the curl) is Walker. This guy is extra blazing when he gets the pass and can break loose for huge gains. The drawback on this play is that the QB faces strong right-side pressure and can easily be sacked if indecisive, and since White isn't exactly Joe Quarterback this play can be picked off by a human defender in a gambling mode.
Passing Grade: C.
New York, Grade: B-
Runs
Run 1 - Generic Run. This is a fine. If the defence is not careful this run can do some damage. Notice how this run goes upwards? This is known as the Strong-Side run because 9 times out of 10 the human defender will be playing with a man on the upper half of the screen (usually the top safety or RE), what this means is that if they haven't called the strong side run their man will be blocked. This is big.
Run 2 - The Hybrid. The Giants Run 2 is a weak-side hybrid of the Generic Run and the Sweep. A sound play but against almost every team this is your secondary run that is rarely gone to, and when it is, it's for short yardage (2-3 yards).
Running Grade: B.
Passes
Pass 1 - Curls. Ugh. A very bad passing play for QBs not named Dan Marino to have. With Curls it is either throw it right away or not at all. Repeat: NOT AT ALL. Once the 3 WRs have finished their curl patterns they are all within 4 yards of each other, very easily picked by defenders. So to recap: Pass 1 stinks. This is the secondary pass for the Giants, and you have to be gutsy to throw it. Luckily for the Giants Simms is one of 5 or 6 QBs that can actually make this pass work for the bold.
Pass 2 - That Damn Pass. A money pass in every sense of the word. Essentially guaranteed 7-8 yards when the defence does not choose it, Pass 2 is your key pass when controlling the Giants. Watch as your bottom WR goes deep, taking the human defender with him. And watch how Bavaro cuts out at about 7-8 yards and waits for the easy pass. You can basically forget your Top WR because he is covered a large percentage of the time, and you don't need him. This is the play that gets the Giants downfield. Just make sure you have the defence respecting Run 1.
Passing Grade: C+.
Chicago, Grade: B-
Runs
Run 1 - Abstract Run. Since this is your topside run (usually your main run) it would be a lot better if it were a generic run 1. However since it is Walter Freaking Payton running it, if the defense is caught calling pass it can chew them up in a huge way.
Run 2 - The Hybrid. Hybrid would be a lot better if it was switched up with run 1 so the hybrid went to the top. But this is a solid play with Payton running it.
Running Grade: B+.
Passes
Pass 1 – Half-Back Dump (Variation). This is Chicago’s money pass, it is a pretty good pass but it really gets hurt by the suckiness of pass 2. On this play you have a man going deep and Payton pulls up very short. You end up dumping off to Payton 90% of the time, which is good; Payton can usually run for 9 yards on the play (rarely a first down though). Payton will always stop short on this play, he will NEVER keep running unlike every other RBs in the game on the dump off play, which limits it’s big play potential since Payton in open field would be a monster. It does however make the play the most un-interceptable in the game. The TE gets covered a lot making him useless. It’s deep to Gault or short to Payton depending on what the defender is doing.
Pass 2 – Park & Run. This play stinks and is rarely gone too, both by the offence and the defence. It makes Chicago’s air attack one-dimensional but Chicago has the skill to overcome. You simply cannot throw on this pass, as the deep man is usually covered giving you no options. This makes Chicago predictable, with only 1 pass to go, allowing the defence to gamble a lot.
Passing Grade: C+.
Minnesota, Grade: F
Runs
Run 1 - Abstract Sweep. This play is average. For it to work well you need good personal and a strong other running play. Overall this play is not good for a weak running team like the Transformers to have. Minnesota really sullies the name of Transformers though; I might have to start calling them the Go-Bots. This play can gain small yards, 2 or 3, but you need Minnesota’s Hidden Blocker of Doom to make one of his rare appearances to really do some damage.
Run 2 – WR Reverse (Down Version). The WR reverse is the worst play in the game. Thanks to this play the Giants and just about everyone else can totally own this offense.
Running Grade: F.
Passes
Pass 1 – Slants. A high-risk, high-reward play, Slants gives you the deep man option that the man usually looks after and always gives you a man over the middle for a 8-9 yard check down. But be warned the defense player can cheat for picks rather easily with this play because of the middle WRs close proximity to the edge of the screen. The defender can just pop out of the woodwork for the devastating INT. Plus Minnesota can’t pass because the defence always calls pass. That stings.
Pass 2 – Half-Back Dump. In theory a great play because you got your bottom WR going long, lots of options over the middle and if nothing looks good you can just dump it off to the HB for some gain. Theory however, is wrong. HB Dump is a pretty ineffective play. The cost of having 4 WRs is pretty steep, as the QB will be facing a heavy blitz from the right side as the LE comes in untouched. So to buy time the QB has to go grapple this guy and send him flying then look for a target. More often then not the QB settles for the dump pass to the HB that only picks up a handful of yards. Plus Minnesota can’t pass because the defence always calls pass. That stings.
Passing Grade: C.