Fluff E Bunny
09-15-2006, 04:07 PM
One of the biggest issues I have with the formations is their lack of completeness. By that I mean that the formations don't have all of the standard plays they 'should have'.
Let me give you an example, Shotgon Normal Offset Weak:
WR..............OT..OG..C..OG..OT..TE
.....WR........................................... .WR
....................RB..Q
From this set you would expect to have a pure dive play, where the OL charge hard and the RB picks an A-gap to run through. This doesn't exist in the formation.
To compliment the dive play, of course, you expect to have a counter play with the RG pulling, the RB faking to the right and then cutting back left behind the pulling guard. This doesn't quite exist in the formation (though the QB Wrap play is similar and pretty effective...just not to the left side gaps).
In order to run a power spread offense form the SG, you need to have a speed option play. This doesn't exist in the formation.
And, you'd expect that pretty much every formation would have a QB draw play. This doesn't exist in the formation.
What is really hard to understand is why they have two plays in the formation (HB Mid Draw and HB delay) that are both essentially the same play. So, for the running game - which teams like WVU have proven can be very effective - the SG formation has been severely crippled simply because EA didn't take the time to flesh out the plays.
The passing aspect of the game also suffers. Any time you have a twins or trips situation, you expect to have a quick WR screen play. This doesn't exist in the formation. It is a pretty critical play to have in the book if you've established a run game and the defense comes out in a 4-3 to try to stop that, giving you numbers on the edge. And also just a good play to have in general to set up deeper passes.
And, of course, you'd also expect to see a quick RB screen as well (like FSU uses in real life), but again, this doesn't exist in the formation.
Similar issues exist with the 2-back SG formations. Those should have a power option play available, but none do (SG Split in 2006 did have one, and it was effective). None of them have a speed option play either (they did last year, and you could flip the run to either side, which made it VERY effective with the twin HB package). That should absolutely be in the game, and it should acutally have a back-side shovel pass option to boot.
I could go on and on through every formation, since pretty much every formation is missing key, fundamental play-types that render the formation far less complete and effective than it should be. I know people have pointed out cases where they have a counter or fake play where the play that is supposed to be faked doesn't even exist in the playbook.
My suggestion would be that they look at starting every formation with the basic fundamental plays that you'd expect to find in those formations, especially the kind of plays that teams in real life put into EVERY formation. Just doing that would make the playbooks infinitely better. Then they can fill up the formations plays with other plays.
One last thing: if you have a play page that can hold six plays...FILL THE PAGE. There is NO excuse to have an empty spot on the play page for regular offensive formations (I don't care about special teams).
Let me give you an example, Shotgon Normal Offset Weak:
WR..............OT..OG..C..OG..OT..TE
.....WR........................................... .WR
....................RB..Q
From this set you would expect to have a pure dive play, where the OL charge hard and the RB picks an A-gap to run through. This doesn't exist in the formation.
To compliment the dive play, of course, you expect to have a counter play with the RG pulling, the RB faking to the right and then cutting back left behind the pulling guard. This doesn't quite exist in the formation (though the QB Wrap play is similar and pretty effective...just not to the left side gaps).
In order to run a power spread offense form the SG, you need to have a speed option play. This doesn't exist in the formation.
And, you'd expect that pretty much every formation would have a QB draw play. This doesn't exist in the formation.
What is really hard to understand is why they have two plays in the formation (HB Mid Draw and HB delay) that are both essentially the same play. So, for the running game - which teams like WVU have proven can be very effective - the SG formation has been severely crippled simply because EA didn't take the time to flesh out the plays.
The passing aspect of the game also suffers. Any time you have a twins or trips situation, you expect to have a quick WR screen play. This doesn't exist in the formation. It is a pretty critical play to have in the book if you've established a run game and the defense comes out in a 4-3 to try to stop that, giving you numbers on the edge. And also just a good play to have in general to set up deeper passes.
And, of course, you'd also expect to see a quick RB screen as well (like FSU uses in real life), but again, this doesn't exist in the formation.
Similar issues exist with the 2-back SG formations. Those should have a power option play available, but none do (SG Split in 2006 did have one, and it was effective). None of them have a speed option play either (they did last year, and you could flip the run to either side, which made it VERY effective with the twin HB package). That should absolutely be in the game, and it should acutally have a back-side shovel pass option to boot.
I could go on and on through every formation, since pretty much every formation is missing key, fundamental play-types that render the formation far less complete and effective than it should be. I know people have pointed out cases where they have a counter or fake play where the play that is supposed to be faked doesn't even exist in the playbook.
My suggestion would be that they look at starting every formation with the basic fundamental plays that you'd expect to find in those formations, especially the kind of plays that teams in real life put into EVERY formation. Just doing that would make the playbooks infinitely better. Then they can fill up the formations plays with other plays.
One last thing: if you have a play page that can hold six plays...FILL THE PAGE. There is NO excuse to have an empty spot on the play page for regular offensive formations (I don't care about special teams).