Nfl Head Coach 09 Prima Official Eguide

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NFL Head Coach 09 is a unique and complete NFL experience that gives you the power to make deci-sions that define your coaching career and the fate of your chosen franchise. With strategic game planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places you in the coach’s seat: You can scout oppo-nents, build playbooks, make trades, select draft picks, and develop a team that adapts to your franchise’s philoso-phy and goals.

You rule the sideline in NFL Head Coach 09: You can call plays, make adjustments and tweak your game plan as events occur in real-time. You can travel in the footsteps of your favorite NFL coach, or start your career from scratch with your own look, personality

and philosophy.“In NFL Head Coach 09, the gamer

has complete control of their fran-chise’s destiny,” says NFL Head Coach 09 Executive Producer Jeremy Straus-er. “From draft day to game day, the gamers’ decisions impact their team’s success and make or break a team’s road to the Super Bowl.”

The challenge will be immense, and the road to glory will be long and arduous—but if you have what it takes, you can build the ultimate NFL dynasty and forge your legacy as one of the greatest to ever roam the sidelines.

Fortunately, you’ve already taken a major step toward that goal: This guide provides everything you’ll need to mas-ter NFL Head Coach 09.

For those who’ve played the previ-ous installment of NFL Head Coach, you’ll quickly find out that this game will be a completely different experience.

Everything from the game interface to the artificial intelligence has been completely rebuilt—and it’s showcased with some of the most realistic graphics

ever seen in a next-gen football title.The following screen shots illustrate

some of the most important new fea-tures you’ll find in NFL Head Coach 09:

WELCOME, COACH…WELCOME, COACH…

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2009WHAT’S NEW FOR 2009

ON THE COVER: TONY DUNGY

Dungy is one of the NFL’s most-respected coaches. In 2007, he became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Since Dungy’s arrival in 2001, the Colts have had six playoff berths

and have won more than 70 regular-season games. Dungy has tallied an impressive .661 winning percentage over the

past 12 seasons.

Team Campuses: Each of the 32 NFL teams has their own campus, stadium and practice field. The weather will change from day to day, and you’ll be able to “travel” to different campuses for your away games.

1 Coach Clipboard: NFL Head Coach 09 features a brand new interface which you use to handle every new event that pops up while coaching. You can toggle a number of other menus via the Clipboard.

2 4 Approval Rating: This is the primary measure of your coaching success (or struggle), and it can affect everything from the game’s difficulty to your job security. Your actions on and off the field can increase or decrease your rating. Be careful: If it drops too low, you could lose your job!

Career Starting Point: One of the biggest new features for draft die-hards is the ability to start your coaching career during the 2008 off-season. Don’t like who your team drafted or traded for this year? You can now go “back in time” and rewrite history.

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Wear and Tear Injury System: Keep track of your players’ health and decide who to rest and who

to keep on the field. When a player gets hit, he’ll lose health points off the part of the body that was impacted. Lose too many points, and your player will get injured.

to keep on the field. When a player gets hit, he’ll lose health points off the part of the body that was impacted.

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The NFL Network: You’ll receive breaking news on trades, draft prospects and much more via special

NFL Network broadcasts featuring Adam Schefter.NFL Network broadcasts featuring Adam Schefter.

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Quick Subs and Play Edits: You can change the complexion of any play with a quick substitution.

This is a great way to sub in your superstar players (i.e. put your speedy wide receiver in the backfield) for key plays. You can also edit plays while on the sidelines.

This is a great way to sub in your superstar players (i.e. put your speedy wide receiver in the backfield) for key

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The NFL Draft: You’ll wield the same type of power that pro coaches have when it comes to the draft.

You’ll develop your draft board, trade up or down, and scout from a pool of more than 21,000 unique prospects. You’ll develop your draft board, trade up or down, and scout from a pool of more than 21,000 unique prospects.

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ASK EA SPORTS

How new are the various features in NFL Head Coach 09?

Nothing is carried over from the previous NFL Head Coach. The game-play engine we’re using is a tweaked version of Madden’s, but all of the logic and features have been rewritten from scratch.

The new logic doesn’t contain any code from Madden Franchise Mode or the previous NFL Head Coach.

We had a brand new design team this year that worked on other games previously, so we really didn’t intend to carry much over from the first game.

ASK EA SPORTS

In the 1950s, some football teams tried using clear plastic bands rather than metal bars for face masks.The plastic broke too easily to be used in NFL games, and the idea was eventually scrapped.

Play Creator: Not only can you edit your playbook and create new plays, but you can even adjust them during a game. Newly created

plays can be uploaded to EA SPORTS GamerNet or exported to Madden NFL 09—keeping the game fresh for many seasons to come.plays can be uploaded to EA SPORTS GamerNet or exported to NFL 09

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CPU-Initiated Trades: Watch the CPU try to trade with not just you but other CPU-controlled teams as well. 7 Expanded Rosters and Cut Days: Teams can have 75 roster play-

ers during the offseason, but cut days will trim that number down.8

The Clock is Ticking: Every coaching event—whether it’s a trade or free agency bid—occurs live with a countdown timer.

This will put even more pressure on your decisions, and if you wait too long, that trade opportunity of a lifetime may be gone forever…This will put even more pressure on your decisions, and if you wait too long, that trade opportunity of a lifetime may be gone forever…

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GAME CONTROLSGAME CONTROLS

PLAYSTATION® 3 XBOX 360™PLAYSTATION® 3 XBOX 360™

NoneBack

Toggle OptionFilter

Pause

Timeout(In-Game)

AdvanceSort

Player/StaffCard

NoneBackAdvanceSort

Player/Staff Card

Toggle OptionFilter

Pause

Timeout(In-Game)

Navigate

Navigate

GAME SETTINGSGAME SETTINGSBefore you start playing, you might

want to explore and/or change some of the game’s main settings. Access them from the main menu by going to My Coach > Settings (or pause a game in progress). Game settings include:

My Favorite Team: Select the team campus that appears when you first start up the game, as well as the default team when selecting “Coach Now” or starting a new career.

Game Controls: This shows you a map of the game controls.

Game AI: Increase or decrease AI settings for both the CPU and player. Use the LT button (L2 on PS3) to toggle between categories; use the RT button (R2 on PS3) to toggle between the CPU and player. The default is 50, but you can adjust each setting from 0 to 100.

AI settings on offense:• QB Accuracy• Pass Blocking• WR Catching• RB Ability• Run BlockingAI settings on defense:• Awareness• Knock Downs• Interceptions• Break Block• Tackling

AI settings on special teams:• FG Power• FG Accuracy• Punt Power• Punt Accuracy• Kickoff PowerIn general, you won’t need to mess

with the AI settings unless you want to make the game easier or harder.

Game Rules: This lets you change the quarter length (default is 15 min-utes), turn the play clock on (default) or off, and adjust the frequency of penal-ties called. Beginners might want the play clock off to have more time to call plays and make play adjustments.

For penalties, you can increase or

decrease how often they’re called by the referees. The default setting is 50, but you can adjust it from 0 to 100. The penalties include:

• Offside• False Start• Holding• Facemask• Offensive Pass Interference• Defensive Pass Interference• Kick/Punt Return Interference• Clipping• Intentional Grounding• Roughing Passer• Roughing KickerGeneral Options: Enable or dis-

able Auto Save (default is disabled), or activate or reset Popup Help. After your first season, turn off Popup Help.

Video Calibration: This lets you optimize the contrast on your screen.

Volume: This modifies the volume of the various audio game effects. For the master volume, the default is 100, and for the individual effects, the default is 90. You can adjust the volume from 0 (completely silent) to 100.

Coach Clipboard: When playing a game, you can choose which events to deal with, and which to delegate. This is a crucial part of the game, so we’ll go into more detail later in this guide.

Many options can be tweaked during a game in progress. However, you cannot

adjust the quarter length or turn the play clock on or off, so make sure to adjust those settings before starting a game.

adjust the quarter length or turn the play clock on or off, so make sure to adjust those

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COACH CAREERCOACH CAREER

‘So often you get to that point where you think, ‘We have to change, we have to do something different, we have to create a different way of life,’ but how we’ve won is by building on what we do and not getting bored with that. If we do that, I think we’ll be in good shape.’

—Tony Dungy on his outlook for the 2008 Colts season

STARTING YOUR CAREER 6

COACH SKILLS 12

STARTING POINT 15

COACH CLIPBOARD 16

ON THE SIDELINES 20

APPROVAL RATING 22


You have two options when start-ing an NFL coaching career: Play as an existing coach or create a new coach.

Most gamers will likely opt to create a coach so that they can control how their skills develop.

text. NEW CAREERTHE FIRST STEPS

The most important decision you’ll make is which team you want to coach. Use the NFL team profiles in the back of this guide to check out how good the current staff is, and how deep your roster is stocked with talent.

A first-time gamer might want to choose a team already in great shape (such as the Patriots or Colts) to make the difficulty factor a bit less severe. However, your best bet is to choose either a team you like best or a team you’re very familiar with.

If you’re creating a new coach, at the Coach Name screen, type in your coach’s first and last name, then choose an appearance.

text. SELECTING A PERSONALITYHOW OTHERS WILL PERCEIVE YOU

At the Personality screen, select your coach’s personality. This is im-portant because your personality will determine how other CPU-controlled parties (i.e. players, coaching staff and other teams) will measure you up and react to your decisions. It’s also impor-tant if you ever decide to simulate any portion of your season or offseason: the CPU will base its simulation on your personality type.

With that in mind, choose a person-ality that most closely matches how you expect to manage your team.

There is no statistical advantage choosing one personality over another as long as the decisions that you make on and off the field are generally con-sistent with your personality type.

There are 17 personality types; each personality comprises 10 personality traits. Some traits are shared by more than one personality type.

The coaching personality types to choose from are on the next several pages:

text. PERSONALITY: COMMANDERKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Commander is a driven indi-vidual that is team-oriented, depend-able and willing to take charge. Five current NFL head coaches have this personality—the most of any personal-ity type.

Personality traits include:• Driven: Strives to be one of the

best ever in the NFL. Tireless work ethic.

• Loyal: Tends to have a connection with his team. Would rather stay than go.

• Realistic: Knows to take the good with the bad. Doesn’t expect perfec-tion.

• Consistent: Rarely exhibits sur-prises in his demeanor or actions.

• Dependable: Rarely exhibits be-havior that is unexpected.

• Problem Solver: Quick on his feet. Can analyze a problem and come up with a solution quickly.

• Patient: Willing to wait on a decision. Doesn’t expect issues to be resolved immediately.

• Structured: Very rigid about his situations. Expects them to go as planned.

• Competitive: Winning is the goal always at the forefront. Doesn’t like to be shown up.

• Shrewd: Very adept negotiator. Gets what he wants or walks away.

STARTING YOUR CAREERSTARTING YOUR CAREER

If you plan to take control of an existing NFL head coach, here are a few tidbits from the developers:

Bengals: Coach Marvin Lewis will have lots to deal with. First, he’ll have to find out how to handle wide receiver Chad Johnson, who is not happy in Cincinnati and may ask for a new deal—without one, he may sit out training camp. On the plus side, you have the best trainer in the NFL, who’ll be a big asset through your career.

Patriots: If there were an easy mode in the game, taking control of this team would be it. You’ll have the best GM in the game as well as a talented roster and staff at your command. However, all that power comes at a price: Any-thing short of a Super Bowl win will be a disappointment.

Ravens: Rookie coach John Har-baugh has potential to be good across the board; build him up as his career unfolds.

Saints: Coach Sean Payton has one of the best QB coaches in the game. Pete Carmichael Jr. helped developed Drew Brees—so don’t be surprised to see other teams try to hire him in the off-season for an offensive coordinator position.

Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos has a Commander personality.

If you’re creating a new coach, there’ll be more than 160 different appearances to choose from.

The maximum number of seasons you can coach in a career is 15.

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text. PERSONALITY: SUPER STARKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Super Star is a highly ambitious perfectionist who knows he’s one of the best, and lets everyone else know it too. Two current NFL coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Driven (see Commander)• Calculating: Not always on the

same page as the rest of the team. Looks for opportunities to self-pro-mote.

• Competitive (see Commander)• Dramatic: Tends to overreact in

most situations. Can become a distraction.

• Perfectionist: Expects everything to be perfect and every situation to go right.

• Self Focused: Cares about himself and that’s about it. Feels like the world revolves around him.

• Materialistic: Wants the most regardless of the situation. Unwilling to make concessions.

• Loyal (see Commander)• Flexible: Rolls with the punches.

Doesn’t tend to overreact.• Problem Solver (see

Commander)

text. PERSONALITY: TRADITIONALISTKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Traditionalist is a well-rounded individual who doesn’t need to be the center of attention, but who loves to compete. One current NFL head coach has this personality.

Personality traits include:• Team Player: Only cares about

the team. Willing to help in any way, including pay cuts.

• Likes Rules: Appreciates knowing that everything is under control.

• Well Rounded: Has many inter-ests outside of football. Can leave the game to pursue them at any time.

• Loyal (see Commander)• Level Headed: Understands the

big picture and that the NFL is a busi-ness. Willing to accept his role.

• Structured (see Commander)• Competitive (see Commander)• Dependable (see Commander)• Values Tradition: Prefers tradition

over change. Has a hard time accept-ing new leadership.

• Thrifty: Conscientious in financial matters. Tries to save the team money at all costs.

text. PERSONALITY: LOYALISTKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Loyalist is the definitive team player who enjoys structure and trusts the decisions of his superiors implicitly. One current NFL head coach has this personality.

Personality traits include:• Dependable (see Commander)• Aggressive: Appreciates aggres-

sive decisions by the head coach. Tough negotiators who rarely budge from their demands.

• Structured (see Commander)• Energetic: Lives in the moment.

Loves big decisions made in drastic situations.

• Impulsive: Makes decisions in the spur of the moment. Hard to get a read on him.

• Loyal (see Commander)• Trusting: Believes that everyone

around him is doing the right thing.• Values Tradition (see Tradition-

alist)• Team Player (see Traditionalist)• Impatient: Doesn’t appreciate

waiting. Wants issues resolved imme-diately.

Herman Edwards of the Kansas City Chiefs has a Super Star personality.

Rod Marinelli of the Detroit Lions has a Traditionalist personality.

Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals has a Loyalist personality.

The advantage of using an existing coach is that you start off with higher attributes and some developed skill sets, depending on the

coach you select. However, you may be limiting your potential growth.coach you select. However, you may be limiting your potential growth.

Although there is no user-editable difficulty setting, the team you select will play a major role into how difficult it’ll be to win games

in your first season. Look at the Difficulty rating for each team.in your first season. Look at the Difficulty rating for each team.

In play diagrams, offensive players are usually marked by circles,and defensive players marked as upside-down triangles or Xs.

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PERSONALITY: GURUKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Guru is a humble, conserva-tive person who doesn’t say much, but commands attention when he does. Four current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Humble: Understands that he is a

piece of the puzzle. Willing to take less for the greater good.

• Generous: Tends to give up too much in negotiations.

• Conservative: Appreciates safe decisions by the head coach. Doesn’t like outbursts of public spectacles.

• Contented: Generally comfort-able as a whole. Doesn’t require much special attention.

• Team Player (see Traditionalist)• Reserved: Stays quiet about how

he feels. Doesn’t tip his hand.• Level Headed (see Traditionalist)• Intimidated: Tends to back down

in confrontations or tough negotiations.• Skeptical: Takes a while to trust

those around him.• Values Tradition (see

Traditionalist)

text. PERSONALITY: LONE WOLFKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Lone Wolf is an ambitious yet solitary person who enjoys change and will listen to anyone if the price is right. No current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Enterprising: Focused on improv-

ing self image and worth. Focused on financial aspects.

• Ambitious: Constantly looking for a better job or to sign with another team.

• Well Rounded (see Traditionalist)• Laid Back: Takes everything in

stride. Rarely overreacts in situations.• Efficient: Prefers to make conser-

vative decisions financially.• Likes Change: Prefers a chaotic

environment to work in.• Stingy: Unwilling to give up more

than the minimum. Always looking to save money.

• Patient: Willing to wait on a decision. Doesn’t expect issues to be resolved immediately.

• Realistic (see Commander)• Level Headed (see Traditionalist)

text. PERSONALITY: AMBASSADORKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Ambassador is a conservative team player who is uncompromising in his beliefs, but is willing to listen and cooperate. One current NFL head coach has this personality.

Personality traits include:• Expressive: Never shy about his

opinion. Takes issues public when ignored.

• Reserved (see Guru)• Team Player (see Traditionalist)• Conservative (see Guru)• Realistic (see Commander)• Cooperative: Willing to help out

in any situation. Rarely demands or disagrees.

• Trusting (see Loyalist)• Calculating (see Super Star)• Uncompromising: Won’t budge

once his mind is made up. Hard to deal with in negotiations.

• Opinionated: Never shy about his outlook. Wants the world to know how he feels.

Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers has a Guru personality.

Dick Jauron of the Buffalo Bills has an Ambassador personality.


Still not sure which team to choose? Want to learn basic game mechanics? Coach Now is a great way to do both. In this mode, you can quickly start a game against the CPU.

The Team Select screen will show both coaches’ overall ratings as well as their teams’ overall, offense and defense ratings. You can also press the LT button (R2 on the PS3) to select a team at random.

After teams are selected, you can

choose what stadium to play in (the default is the home team). Note that in stadiums with retractable domes, you can play with the dome open or closed. You can also opt to play at the site of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Given the one-time-only nature of a Coaching Now game, you might be wondering what it can offer. For begin-ners, it’s a great way to “test drive” a team to find out how well you like the level of talent and playbooks. For

advanced players, it’s a great way to scout out and simulate another CPU team’s playcall preferences. (However, as the seasons progress and teams evolve over time, the usefulness of this tactic will diminish.)

The process of playing a Coach Now game is similar to those in career mode, so we’ll cover the actual play mechanics later in this section.

COACH NOWCOACH NOW

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text. PERSONALITY: PROMOTERKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Promoter is a shrewd and enterprising individual who is flexible in dealings, but whose loyalty must be earned. Two current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Calculating (see Super Star)• Opinionated (see Ambassador)• Impatient (see Loyalist)• Enterprising (see Lone Wolf)• Shrewd (see Commander)• Flexible (see Super Star)• Trusting (see Loyalist)• Loyal (see Commander)• Dramatic (see Super Star)• Thrifty (see Traditionalist)

text. PERSONALITY: HEADLINERKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Headliner is an energetic and spontaneous person who is a natural in the spotlight when the pressure is on. One current NFL head coach has this personality.

Personality traits include:• Expressive (see Ambassador)• Dramatic (see Promoter)• Spontaneous: Loves to change it

up from time to time.• Ambitious (see Lone Wolf)• Impulsive (see Loyalist)• Likes Change: Prefers a chaotic

environment to work in.• Reckless: Has been known to

make rash decisions.• Energetic (see Loyalist)• Optimistic: Tends to look on the

bright side, no matter how bleak the situation.

• Passive: Can be bullied easily in pressure situations like negotiations. Tends to cave when pushed.

text. PERSONALITY: CAPTAINKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Captain is a strong and talented leader as well as a cooperative and consistent member of the team. Three current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Cooperative (see Ambassador)• Consistent (see Commander)• Competitive (see Commander)• Team Player (see Traditionalist)• Patient (see Commander)• Aggressive (see Loyalist)• Loyal (see Commander)• Sensitive: Tends to take things

personally and reacts to situations in that manner.

• Insecure: Lacks confidence. Wor-ries about what the fans and media think too much.

• Structured (see Commander)

Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a Promoter personality.

Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has a Headliner personality.

Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers has a Captain personality.

Other Coach Now options include uniform colors, stadium, play-books used, weather conditions and the game time. Poor weather

can degrade your passing and kicking game (especially if windy).can degrade your passing and kicking game (especially if windy).

The default teams that appear in Coach Now are your favorite team and your favorite team’s top rival. (For instance, if your

favorite team is the Bears, your top rival will be the Packers).favorite team is the Bears, your top rival will be the Packers).

The origins of the “tradition” in which the winning coach gets a bucket ofliquid and ice dumped on him in celebration dates back to Super Bowl XXI.

situation.

pressure situations like negotiations. Tends to cave when pushed.

Every figure in the game has a personality type: players, other coaches—even team owners. Personalities are a pivotal fac-tor when it comes to trade and contract negotiations as well as Emotional Reactions.

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Once you’ve set up the start of your coaching career, you’ll be tempted to jump right into the game. However, before you do that, you might want to review some other main menu options:

• Resume Career: This appears af-ter you have at least one saved career. This is a shortcut to your Quicksave game save.

• Coach Now: As previously dis-cussed earlier in this section, this lets you coach a game against the CPU with any two NFL teams.

• Xbox Live (Xbox 360 version only): This lets you connect to XBox Live if you have an account and online access. Your options here include:

Quick Match (Ranked or Unranked)

Custom MatchCreate SessionLobbyLeaderboardsOnline Coach (includes access to

My Career, EA SPORTS™ Nation, On-line Settings and Update Rosters)

• My Coach: View and edit play-books and rosters; adjust game set-tings; view Hall of Fame coaches and manage files. This is also where you can create/edit/export individual plays and access EA SPORTS™ GamerNet.

• Media World: View NFL news or other sports news (requires online con-nection), watch videos of upcoming EA SPORTS titles, or look through a list of NFL Head Coach 09 game credits.

text. PERSONALITY: ANALYSTKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Analyst is a highly logical and skeptical problem-solver who tends to keep to himself in most situations. Two current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Problem Solver (see

Commander)• Dependable (see Commander)• Passive (see Headliner)• Perfectionist (see Super Star)• Indifferent: Really isn’t concerned

about what anybody else things. Rarely reacts to any situation.

• Cautious: Very conservative in negotiations.

• Patient (see Commander)• Insecure (see Captain)• Skeptical: Takes a while to trust

those around him.• Structured (see Commander)

text. PERSONALITY: ENTHUSIASTKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Enthusiast is an optimistic and expressive person who loves to be a part of a group. One current NFL head coach has this personality.

Personality traits include:• Opinionated: Never shy about his

outlook. Wants the world to know how he feels.

• Cooperative (see Ambassador)• Loyal (see Commander)• Trusting (see Loyalist)• Sensitive (see Enthusiast)• Optimistic: Tends to look on the

bright side, no matter how bleak the situation.

• Insecure (see Captain)• Energetic: Lives in the moment.

Loves big decisions made in drastic situations.

• Dramatic (see Super Star)• Expressive (see Ambassador)

text. PERSONALITY: STOICKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Stoic is a wise and patient individual who seems emotionless at times, but that is sensitive to changes. Three current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Conservative (see Guru)• Humble (see Guru)• Realistic (see Commander)• Contented (see Contented)• Problem Solver (see

Commander)• Patient (see Commander)• Level Headed (see Traditionalist)• Shrewd (see Commander)• Sensitive (see Captain)• Uncompromising (see

Ambassador)

Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders has an Analyst personality.

John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens has an Enthusiast personality.

Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles has an Stoic personality.

EA SPORTS™ GamerNet allows you to go online and download plays other people

have created. You can also upload your plays to GamerNet so that people can rate them and download them. If you’re not interested in creating plays yourself, you can always download other gamers’ plays and add them to your playbook. Plays you design can also be transferred to Madden NFL 09.

have created. You can also upload your plays to GamerNet so that people can rate them


THE MAIN MENUTHE MAIN MENU

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text. PERSONALITY: ANCHORKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Anchor is a very relaxed indi-vidual who is as patient and depend-able as they come. Three current NFL head coaches have this personality.

• Patient (see Commander)• Humble (see Guru)• Passive (see Headliner)• Indifferent (see Analyst)• Contented: Generally comfort-

able as a whole. Doesn’t require much special attention.

• Laid Back: Takes everything in stride. Rarely overreacts in situations.

• Reserved: Stays quiet about how he feels. Doesn’t tip his hand.

• Stubborn: Refuses to budge in many situations.

• Values Tradition (see Traditionalist)

• Cautious (see Analyst)

text. PERSONALITY: TITANKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Titan is a tough-as-nails player whose joy in life comes from crushing the competition. Two current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Aggressive (see Loyalist)• Competitive (see Commander)• Reckless: Has been known to

make rash decisions.• Energetic (see Loyalist)• Self Focused (see Super Star)• Indecisive: Has a hard time com-

mitting to a direction. Changes his mind often.

• Ambitious (see Headliner)• Team Player (see Traditionalist)• Generous: Tends to give up too

much in negotiations.• Flexible (see Super Star)

text. PERSONALITY: VIRTUOSOKEY ATTRIBUTES

A Virtuoso is a talented and dra-matic person who makes even the most difficult task seem like a walk in the park. No current NFL head coaches have this personality.

Personality traits include:• Likes Change (see Headliner)• Flexible (see Super Star)• Sensitive (see Headliner)• Spontaneous: Loves to change it

up from time to time.• Dramatic (see Promoter)• Passive (see Captain)• Impulsive (see Loyalist)• Intimidated (see Guru)• Generous (see Guru)• Well Rounded (see Traditionalist)

text. PERSONALITY: ALLYKEY ATTRIBUTES

The Ally is a loyal and dependable team player who can fit in wherever he goes. One current NFL head coach has this personality: Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams.

Personality traits include:• Likes Rules: Appreciates knowing

that everything is under control.• Trusting (see Loyalist)• Competitive (see Commander)• Loyal (see Commander)• Dependable (see Commander)• Efficient: Prefers to make conser-

vative decisions financially.• Consistent (see Commander)• Sensitive: Tends to take things

personally and reacts to situations in that manner.

• Insecure: Lacks confidence. Wor-ries about what the fans and media think too much.

• Values Tradition (see Traditionalist)

COACH SKILLSCHOOSING YOUR FIRST SKILLS

While an existing head coach has all his skills predefined, a new head coach starts off with no overall skills nor any special skills.

You’ll have 25,000 points available to build up your skills to your liking. The next section has a full breakdown of skills, special skills and strategies for building them.

Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts has an Anchor personality.

Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals has a Titan personality.

Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams has an Ally personality.

Pay attention to your players’ personality traits. You can find these by accessing

their player card from the Roster screen, then filtering over to Personality. Player Personal-ity Traits affect everything from Defining Moments and Emotional Reactions to how a player responds when you draft a player in the 1st round as his replacement.

their player card from the Roster screen, then filtering over to Personality. Player Personal-

Although it’s never seen in today’s games, NFL rules permit the home team to place both teams’ bencheson the same side of the field. The other side of the field would be reserved for the chain crew and linesmen.

If a player has the Optimistic per-sonality trait, there’s a chance he’ll decide to re-work his contract during the year to save the team cap room.

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The second type of skills are Special Coach Skills. Think of them as skills that cover specific areas of interest.

There are 44 special skills to choose from; however, some of them require prerequisite skills before they can be chosen. As a result, various skills have different costs.

Here are the various skills available:

Ambition 10,000 Skill Points

Reduces the cost of all other Special Skills for this staff member by 15 percent. This is one of those “pay now to save later” skills that will hurt you in the short term but reap big benefits down the road. It’s highly recommended as the first Special Skill you purchase.

text. SPECIAL PASS SKILLSSKILL TREE

Quarterback Readiness 2,500 Skill Points

Increases quarterback’s awareness and evasion of defenders.

Improved QB Reads 5,000 Skill Points

Quarterbacks have an increased percent chance of finding the right receiver. Prerequisite: Quarterback Readiness.

Quarterback Passing Discipline

12,500 Skill PointsIncreases quarterback stats related to passing power and accuracy. Prerequi-site: Improved QB Reads.

Receiver Discipline 2,500 Skill Points

Increases receiver stats related to catching.

Improved Release 5,000 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully releasing. Prerequisite: Receiver Discipline.

Improved Catching 12,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully catching the ball. Prerequisite: Improved Release.

COACH SKILLSCOACH SKILLS

SPECIAL COACH SKILLSSPECIAL COACH SKILLSSPECIAL COACH SKILLS

There are two types of skills, the first being Coach Skills. Think of them as skills that cover the basics.

A new head coach starts off with Level 1 skills in all categories, but you can build each one to Level 5. Unless otherwise, noted, here’s how many points it takes to build up each skill:

• Level 2: 2,000 points• Level 3: 3,500 additional points• Level 4: 5,000 additional points• Level 5: 10,000 additional pointsHere are the various skill categories:

Team Chemistry Head Coach

Defines a coach’s ability to add innovative and effective plays to the team’s playbooks. If you plan on editing your playbook or tweaking plays during a game, this skill level should be raised.

Play Call Head Coach

Defines how good a coach is at calling plays. If you plan on letting the CPU take care of your play calls, this skill level should be raised.

Strategy Head Coach

Defines a coach’s ability to make worthwhile adjustments and suggestions on game day.

Performance Head Coach

A greater performance skill generally improves the gameplay success rates of all players that report to this coach. This is arguably the most important basic coaching skill—making your players better—so there is a premium in terms of points you need to spend to increase your skill level:

• Level 2: 3,000 points• Level 3: 5,000 additional points• Level 4: 7,500 additional points• Level 5: 10,000 additional points

Physical Development Head Coach

Defines how effectively this coach will assist in developing physical attributes for their players. This skill is position specific, so you’ll find separate skills for these positions: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, K and P.

Intangibles Development Head Coach

Defines how effectively this coach will assist in developing intan-gible attributes (i.e. awareness) for their players. This skill is position specific, so you’ll find separate skills for these positions: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, K and P.

Learning Development Head Coach

Defines how effectively this coach will assist in developing play knowledge for their players. This skill is position specific, so you’ll find separate skills for these positions: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, K and P.

coach will assist in developing physical attributes for their players. This skill is position specific, so you’ll find separate skills for these positions: QB, RB, WR,

Warning: Any skills purchased are permanent and cannot be changed later. If you make a mis-take, you must restart the game.

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Passing Game Discipline 20,000 Skill Points

The culmination of this skill tree increases the stats of the quarterback and receivers that involve passing and catching. Prerequisites: Quarterback Passing Discipline and Improved Catching.

text. SPECIAL RUN SKILLSSKILL TREE

Running Back Discipline 4,000 Skill Points

Increases halfback stats which relate to carrying the ball.

Improved Ball Carrier Moves 2,500 Skill Points

Increases player stats which impact high-finesse moves and fancy footwork for ball carriers.

Improved Break Tackle 7,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully breaking tackles. Prerequisites: Running Back Discipline and Improved Ball Carrier Moves.

Improved Carrying 10,000 Skill Points

Players have a reduced percent chance of fumbling the ball. Prerequi-site: Improved Break Tackle.

Running Game Discipline 20,000 Skill Points

Generally increases player stats that relate to the running game. Prerequisite: Improved Carrying.

text. SPECIAL RUN BLOCK SKILLSSKILL TREE

Run Blocking Discipline 3,500 Skill Points

Generally increases player stats that relate to blocking for the run.

Pass Blocking Discipline 3,500 Skill Points

Improves the ability of the offense to block effectively for the pass.

Improved Blocking 7,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully blocking. Prerequisites: Run Blocking Discipline and Pass Blocking Discipline.

Offensive Line Discipline 12,500 Skill Points

Generally improves the stats of offensive linemen. Prerequisite: Improved Blocking.

text. TRAINING SPECIAL SKILLSSKILL TREE

Speed Training 5,000 Skill Points

Increases player speed, acceleration and agility.

Strength Training 5,000 Skill Points

Increases player strength and magnifies hitting power.

Disciplined Routine 7,500 Skill Points

Increases player stats that impact the ability to learn and remem-ber plays. Prerequisites: Speed Training and Strength Training.

Game Film Analysis 3,500 Skill Points

Increases intangible player stats that impact the ability to assess the situation on the field and remain aware of the opponent’s maneuvering.

Gameplan Analysis 5,000 Skill Points

Increases your coordinators’ playcalling skills by one level. Warning: This effect only occurs one at the time the skill is purchased! Prerequisite: Game Film Analysis.

Innovator 8,500 Skill Points

Directly impacts how quickly a player’s stats will develop. Prerequi-sites: Disciplined Routine and Gameplan Analysis.

Superb Strategist 12,500 Skill Points

Increases the strategy skill level of all coaches that report to the coach by two levels. WARNING: This effect only occurs once at the time the skill is purchased! Prerequisite: Innovator.

text. SPECIAL BLOCK SHED SKILLSNO TREE (STAND-ALONE SKILL)

Improved Block Shedding 7,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully shedding blocks.

text. SPECIAL DEFENSIVE SKILLSSKILL TREE

Improved Press 2,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully pressing.

Coverage Analysis 2,500 Skill Points

Increases stats which impact the defense’s ability to employ effective coverage.

Interception Training 10,000 Skill Points

Increases player stats that relate to intercepting passes. Prerequisites: Improved Press and Coverage Analysis.

Defensive Back Discipline 15,000 Skill Points

Improves player stats that impact a defensive back’s ability to effectively cover the opponent’s receivers. Prerequisite: Interception Training.

Improved Tackling 2,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully tackling.

Improved Forced Fumble 7,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully forcing fumbles. Prerequisite: Improved Tackling.

Official game time is kept by the home stadium’s electric clock, and supervised by the line judge.If the electric clock malfunctions or is incorrect, the line judge becomes the official timekeeper.

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Hard Hit Training 5,000 Skill Points

Teaches defensive players how to find the ball, lay down huge hits and tackle effectively.

Blitz Discipline 7,500 Skill Points

Improves defensive player stats to increase the effectiveness of blitz defenses. Prerequisite: Hard Hit Training.

Linebacker Discipline 15,000 Skill Points

Generally improves linebacker stats. Prerequisites: Blitz Discipline and Improved Forced Fumble.

Improved Defending 22,500 Skill Points

Players have an increased percent chance of successfully making a play on the ball. Prerequisites: Defensive Back Discipline and Linebacker Discipline.

text. SPECIAL PERSONALITY SKILLSSKILL TREE

Charisma 7,500 Skill Points

Increases the effects of positive Approval changes and decreases the effects of negative Approval changes.

Leadership 12,500 Skill Points

Increases all coach skill levels related to developing player attributes for each staff member reporting to this coach, while the staff member is on the team. Prerequisite: Charisma.

Charm 3,500 Skill Points

Makes the effects of all Emo-tional Reaction decisions slightly more positive in terms of Approval.

Motivator 40,000 Skill Points

Increases the Potential (Max) value for all attributes for players that report to this coach. Prerequisite: Charm.

Mentor 50,000 Skill Points

Adds one level to the highest available skill level for every regular skill for every coach. WARNING: This effect only occurs once at the time of purchase! Prerequisites: Leadership and Motivator.

Educator 60,000 Skill Points

Permanently increases every skill level by one level for every coach except the head coach. WARNING: This effect only occurs once at the time the skill is purchased! Prerequisite: Mentor.

text. SPECIAL LEARNING SKILLSSKILL TREE

Offseason Seminar 3,500 Skill Points

Decreases the rate at which players lose play knowledge during the offseason.

Regular Season Seminar 5,000 Skill Points

Decreases the rate at which players’ play knowledge degrades during the regular season.

Playbook Training 10,000 Skill Points

Increases the rate at which the players that report to this coach will learn plays. Prerequisites: Offseason Seminar and Regular Season Seminar.

text. WHICH SKILLS TO GET?ADVICE FOR NEW COACHES

Your initial allotment of skill points can get used up very quickly. All things considered equal, this is one recom-mended breakdown:

1. Avoid buying any special skills at the start; later on, the first special skill you acquire should be Ambition.

2. Take the Performance skill to Level 5; you’ll have 17,000 points left. If your team is in great shape and you have a great coaching staff (i.e. the Pa-triots or Colts), you can consider saving those points to acquire Ambition later on. If not, continue to step 3.

3. Focus on two key positions, de-

pending on what you want to focus on and/or improve during your first season (the primary position is listed first):

The run game: RB and OLThe pass game: QB and WRThe run defense: DT and LBThe pass defense: DB and LB(It may help to examine your team

profile to see where coaching help is needed most).

4. Take Physical Development to Level 3 for the primary position (i.e. RB for the run game) and Level 2 for the secondary position (i.e. OL for the run game). You’ll have 9,500 points left.

5. Go back to step 3 and choose the next most-important focus. Take the remaining points and spend them on Physical Development in the same manner as in step 4 for your next-most important focus.

6. In steps four and five, you can opt to choose a different skill set, such as Intangibles Development or Learning Development instead.

Whatever skills you pick, don’t leave too many skill points unused—espe-cially if you have a struggling team. You’ll need to build any edge you can get as quickly as possible.

text. OTHER SKILL STRATEGIESMORE IDEAS FOR NEW COACHES

Here are other suggested approach-es to distributing your skill points:

Compensate for Your Training Staff: Find out which of your position coaches are weakest (using the team profiles in the back) and spend points on that position. For instance, if your QB coach has the lowest overall score on your staff, spend points on skills that will help boost the QB position.

Focus on Special Skills: Pick up Ambition first, which is expensive but will save you big in the long run. With a 15 percent discount at hand, focus on a specific skill tree or spread out evenly. For instance, 15,000 can net you a well-rounded skill set that com-prises five special skills that cost 2,125 (after discount) and one special skill that costs 4,250. The skills you choose, of course, should address your team’s most pressing needs.

SPECIAL COACH SKILLSSPECIAL COACH SKILLS

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CHOOSING PLAYBOOKSCHOOSING PLAYBOOKS

STARTING POINTSTARTING POINT

After your skills are chosen, you’ll get to choose your offensive and de-fensive playbooks. Every team has two default playbooks—one offense and one defense—based on their current playing style, coaching philosophies and default personnel strengths.

For each playbook, you’ll get to see its strength, which can range from Very Weak to Very Strong (the categories in between are Weak, Average and Strong).

You’ll also get to see the total play count and breakdown by type of play. On offense, there are passing, running and special teams plays. On defense, there are blitz, zone and man plays.

You are free to choose any playbook you want, but if you choose anything other than the default, your players will have to learn all the plays from scratch. That will put you at an major disad-vantage initially. Obviously, you do not

want to get into the habit of switching playbooks on a regular basis. In ad-dition, if you’ve selected a good team with Average or better playbooks al-ready, there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken. (Remember, you can always add new plays later on).

Which playbook to choose? Ultimately, it depends on the type of scheme you want your team to run. For instance, if you want to transform the Bills into a power run team, you’d

probably want to base your offense on the Steelers’ default offensive playbook (Steelers Smashmouth).

All the offensive and defensive playbooks (including ones not used by any NFL teams) are covered in greater detail later in this guide, so jump to the Playbook Strategy section if you want to delve into the myriad possibilities.

However, if you are starting your career for the first time, your best bet is to stick to the default playbooks just to find out how good (or terrible) your play selections really are after one NFL draft and subsequent season.

By then, you’ll know whether your playbook just needs a few new plays to be thrown in—or if you need to totally scrap the system. (The caveat to that rule is if the strength of your default playbook is Weak or Very Weak—in that case, you may not lose much by starting from scratch).

One of the coolest features in NFL Head Coach 09 is the ability to choose one of two starting points for your ca-reer: the off-season (February 2008) or the pre-season (July 2008). If you start in the off-season, you’ll get to redo the NFL Scouting Combine, free agency and the 2008 NFL Draft.

If you start in the NFL pre-season, you’ll go straight to training camp with either the game’s current roster or a previously saved roster for that team.

Which starting point is best for you? Here are some strategies that should help with your decision-making process.

Reasons to start your career in the NFL off-season:

1. You Really Know the Team You Selected: If you are really familiar with your team’s depth chart and how they fared the previous season, you’ll have a good idea of the type of personnel you need to bring in via the draft and/or free agency.

2. Your Team Made Bonehead Moves in the Off-Season: If you are not happy with who your team drafted (or didn’t draft), or are miffed that they didn’t pursue a certain free agent, you can “fix” those mistakes.

3. You Want to Create an Alter-nate NFL Universe: What if the Bears drafted RB Rashard Mendenhall to keep him in the Land of Lincoln? What if Atlanta decided to pick up Darren McFadden? These are just a few of the “what if” scenarios that can occur only if you redo the off-season.

Reasons to start your career in the NFL pre-season:

1. You’re a Beginner or are Un-familiar with Your Team: You’ll be utterly lost in the off-season unless you truly understand your personnel needs from day one. Live trade or free agency events will pop up randomly, and you won’t have time to research them. At least with the pre-season, you’ll have a season’s worth of games to learn more about your franchise and personnel.

2. You Like Your Team’s Off-Season Moves: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you’re happy with your pre-season line-up—especially if your team brought in a big free agent or valuable draft pick.

3. You’re In a Hurry: If you’re not big on off-season activities but are itch-ing to get on the sidelines, this’ll save you some time.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you and your preferences—but if you decide to start in the off-season, make sure you’re completely up to speed on your team’s most pressing personnel needs (the NFL team profiles later in this guide can help).

text. SELECTIONS SUMMARYTHE FINAL STEP

The Selections Summary screen lists your name, playbooks, skills, per-sonality and starting point. Press the A button (X on the PS3) to start your career at the starting point you chose. Good luck!

probably want to base your offense on the Steelers’ default offensive playbook (Steelers Smashmouth).

playbooks (including ones not used by any NFL teams) are covered in greater detail later in this guide, so jump to the Playbook Strategy section if you want to delve into the myriad possibilities.

career for the first time, your best bet is

If you peruse through the playbook selections but change your mind and want the defaults instead, press the B button (Square on PS3) to go back, then the A button (X on PS3) to return to the Playbook Select screen. The default choices will be reset automatically.

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The Coach Clipboard is the primary interface to manage all the events that occur while playing. Each event has a green “deadline” timer that shrinks depending on the current game speed.

As events stack up, they’ll appear in descending order in the Clipboard. You can press up or down on the directional stick to choose which events to handle first—just keep an eye on the timers.

When an event appears, press the A button (X on PS3) to address it or B button (Circle on PS3) to dismiss it. In general, you should never dismiss any event unless you’re 100 percent sure you won’t need to worry about it.

If you dismiss the event or fail to press any button, the event will be ignored or delegated to your coaching staff depending on your game settings. This is akin to you not doing your job as coach, so it’s never recommended.

On the following pages is a com-plete list of events you may encounter during your career.

COACH CLIPBOARDCOACH CLIPBOARD

EVENT NOTIFIES THE USER THAT…

ALL Controls all events (i.e. universal setting)

Game Reminder (Season or Preseason) A game is about to start

Cut Player Confirmation Confirm player cut to meet salary cap

Free Agent Bidding Announcement A free agent is about to start taking offers

Injury Diagnosis An injury diagnosis is available

Player Demands (Trade or Release) Player demands either a trade or releasePlayer Demands (Trade or Release) Player demands either a trade or release

Injury Report An injury report is available

Sub String (1st, 2nd and 3rd) Offers option to sub in the first, second or third string players

Team Roadmap The Team Roadmap has been completed

Play Call (Delegate Required) Select a play during a game

Instant Replay Instant replay can now be viewed

NFL Draft Day 1 (Delegate Required) The first day of the NFL Draft is starting

Start or Sit? A new depth chart scenario can be activated

Develop Staff A staff member can afford a skill

Regular Season College Scouting Regular season scouting selections should be made

Season Expectations (Delegate Required) The owner’s season expectation has been chosen; set your goal as well

Regular Season Scouting Result Display the scouting result

Timeout It’s a good time to take a timeout

Senior All-Stars Game Scouting Choose All-Star Seniors to scout

Staff Status You can view how staff members are performing

NFL Combine Workout Results Display the NFL Combine Workout results

NFL Combine Scouting Select players to interview from the NFL combine

The only way to freeze time

is to pause the game. Time will continue to tick while navigating other menus.

is to pause the game. Time will

Important events (i.e.

ones you shouldn’t really skip) are marked with a yel-low warning icon.

ones you shouldn’t really skip) are

When you navigate the Clipboard, keep a close eye on the box that displays the

game speed and week display. It will flash white when a new event appears—and its event timer will begin to shrink, even when hidden from view. That white flash and event status bar will help you from missing events.

game speed and week display. It will flash white when a new event appears—and its

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Penalty You can display the pop-up to accept or decline a penalty

TO Suggestion The coaching staff suggests a timeout

Cut Player Confirmation Confirms that a player has been cut

Contract Talks A player is ready to start contract negotiations

Player Wants Cheaper Deal A player wants to take a cheaper deal to help the team

Player Continues Negotiations A player wants to continue contract negotiations

Player Wants Rookie Deal A rookie is ready to start contract negotiations

Player Continues Rookie Deal A rookie wants to continue contract negotiations

Pro Day Scouting Choose a pro day school to scout

Kick Play Call (Delegate Required) Play call for kickoffs

NFL Draft Day 2 (Delegate Required) The second day of the NFL Draft is starting

Gameplan Agendas (Delegate Required) Agendas are ready to be selected

Individual Workouts Select an individual workout participant

Draft Recap You can display the draft recap screen

Franchise Tag You can place the franchise tag on one of your players

Game Day Adjustments You can display the gameday preplay adjustments screen

Staff Bidding Announcement A coach is about to start taking offers

Steal Plays You can steal plays from the other team

Sub Player (Fatigue or Health) A player is below either the fatigue or health level

Free Agency Contract Negotiation A free agent won during bidding is ready to begin contract negotiations

Trade Proposal Another team is interested in trading for a player

Trade Negotiation A trade negotiation is occurring for a player you might be interested in

RFA Decision A restricted free agent needs to have their tender selected

Suggested Pick Allows you to draft the staff suggested pick for this round

RFA Bidding Announcement You can join biding on a restricted free agent

Low Roster Size Warning You do not have the recommended number of players

Draft Preview You can display the draft previewDraft Preview You can display the draft preview

Mock Draft You can display the mock draft results

Staff Evaluation Announcement (Delegate Required) Staff evaluations will occur

Draft Pick the Pick Display the Draft Pick the Pick

Player Retires One of your players has retired

RFA Match Offer Announcement There is a restricted free agent offer to either match or dismiss

Head Coach Evaluation Head coach evaluations will occur

Draft Previous Pick Displays the last pick results

Box Score The box score for the game last played can be viewed

Scouting Report Your opponent’s play call history can be viewed

Approval Rating Change The reason for a change in your approval rating can be viewed

Jump to SuperSim You can go from the normal play mode to SuperSim

Challenge Suggestion Your staff is notifying you that a challenge is a good idea

Player Disruption You can bench a player who complained to the media

Bench Skip Practice You can bench a player who skipped practice

Bench Player You can bench a player who is struggling

Challenge The option to challenge a call on the field is available

Both teams are required to be on the field at least 15 minutes prior to the start of a game. Thepenalty for delaying the start of the game includes the loss of being able to participate in any coin toss.

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HB Replacement You might want to consider switching a struggling starting halfback with a younger player

QB Replacement You might want to consider switching a struggling starting quarterback with a younger player

Young HB Starts Suggests starting a rookie halfback for the regular season

Young QB Starts Suggests starting a rookie quarterback for the regular season

Youth Movement Suggests a depth chart change

Staff Is Leaving Staff is leaving the team

Staff Was Fired A coach was fired

Draft Day Trade Negotiation A draft day trade is occurring that might be of interest

Staff Is Retiring A coach retired

Hint Screens (13 total) Shows hints for topics such as glossary depth chart, play creator, player status, etc.

Depth Chart Alert Shows a depth chart alert

Injury Alert An injury is over a length limit

Draft - Trade Down You can attempt to trade away the current draft pick

Practice Recap Practice results are ready to be viewed

Staff Recap A recap of all staff changes in a season can be viewed

Help Screens (9 total) Shows help screens for topics such as free agency, contracts, scouting, etc.

Inactive Notification A list of an upcoming opponent’s inactive players can be viewed

Inactive Selection (Delegate Required) Select inactive players for that week

Undrafted Rookies Undrafted rookies can be viewed

Free Agency Preview A preview of upcoming free agents can be viewed

Activate Gameplan A gameplan agenda is available for use

Season Goal (Completed or Failure) A season goal has either failed or has been accomplished

Keep Created Plays When the in-game play creator is used, asks if the new play should be saved

Training Camp Invite Invitees for the start of training camp can be viewed

Training Camp Rookie Progression Training camp rookie progression can be viewed

Training Camp Cut Day (Delegate Required) Players must be cut to meet the maximum player count

Cut Dead Weight Dead weight on the team can be cutCut Dead Weight Dead weight on the team can be cut

Free Agency Recap The free agents recap screen can be viewed

Season Recap The season has ended

Gameplan Suggestion A coordinator is suggesting a gameplan agenda

Offensive CPU Download Plays Offensive CPU plays can be downloaded

Defensive CPU Download Plays Defensive CPU plays can be downloaded

Draft - Trade Up You can attempt to trade up for the current draft pick

New Hire Playbook You can view the old playbook of a newly hired coach

COACH CLIPBOARDCOACH CLIPBOARD

CLIPBOARD MANAGEMENTADVANCED SETTINGS

If you’re tired of dismissing the same events over and over again, or if you want to focus only on certain aspects of coaching, you can manage which events will appear on your Clipboard.

To do this, pause your career and select Coach Clipboard. A long menu of events will appear with two check

boxes for each event: Show Me and Delegate. The default for nearly all events is “Show Me”—meaning that every event of that type will appear in your Clipboard.

The other check box is Delegate, which means that your coaching staff will make decisions for you if you dis-miss or ignore such events. Some Del-egate check boxes are locked, which

means that they will be taken care of no matter what.

When only the Show Me box is checked, it is up to you to act on the event. Ignoring or dismissing it means that it will disappear without any action being taken. This gives you total con-trol—but if you miss out, your coaching staff won’t be available to help unless required to do so.

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When only the Delegate check box is selected, your coaching staff will take care of it automatically, and it won’t appear in your clipboard. You give up some control when you go this route.

When both boxes are checked, you get the option to either act on the event manually or make your coaching staff deal with it if you ignore or dismiss it.

CLIPBOARD CATEGORIESOTHER STUFF TO DO

Press left or right on the directional pad or stick, or press either the LB or RB buttons (L1 and R1 on the PS3) to toggle between other categories to choose from, including:

1. Draft: Review draft picks, draft results and draft recap.

2. NFL: Review the NFL sched-ule, standings, news, injuries, various

stats, important dates and free agency preview.

3. Team: Review all the important data for your team, including approval rating, team schedule, season goals, staff status, staff development, player status, team philosophy, team needs, team roadmap, and salary cap status.

In this submenu, Player Status gives you a snapshot of each player’s approval of you and of any issues he might have.

4. Roster: Review your roster, depth chart, injury report, player roadmap, progression, free agents, trade and roster breakdown.

5. Playbook: View your playbook, manage plays, export plays and view your play call history.

6. Glossary: View help screens of various game-related topics.

7. Sim To: The points to which you can simulate play to will change depending on what point of the season you’re at.

You can simulate gameplay at any time in the “SIM TO” section of the coach’s Clipboard. You can simulate through the Pre-Season, Next Game, Regular Season, Playoffs, Next Off- Season or Senior Bowl (the actual choices may vary depending on what part of the season you’re at).

Some of these selections are also events in themselves; we’ll go into further detail later in this guide on many of them.

The first indoor NFL game took place in 1932 at Chicago Stadium. Because of thestadium size and configuration, the teams were forced to play on an 80-yard field.

ASK EA SPORTS

Are there opportunities to schedule activities at all, or has that whole system been completely done away with?

We did away with the scheduling system for NFL Head Coach 09.

We know scheduling meetings in our lives is an annoyance, so we felt like it would be a good idea to save you that trouble.

ASK EA SPORTS

While navigating the Clipboard, you can change how fast the game progresses at any time by using

the LT and RT buttons (L2 and R2 on the PS3). For begin-ners, the slowest speed is recommended: Events can pile up quickly, and you may get flustered if you’re not monitoring events very closely.

the LT and RT buttons (L2 and R2 on the PS3). For begin-ners, the slowest speed is recommended: Events can

Simulation may be a good time-saver, but you’ll certainly miss out on important events or key deci-

sions that may occur during the simulation. As a result, use this feature with care. Stop a simulation in progress by pressing the A button (X button on the PS3).

sions that may occur during the simulation. As a result, use this feature with care. Stop a simulation in progress

If neither the Show Me or Delegate check box is se-lected, the event will be ignored and never be seen.

Obviously, be very careful when trying this—you don’t want to miss out on important events. A good example of items to turn off completely are game hints and help screens once you’ve got a feel for what’s going on.

Obviously, be very careful when trying this—you don’t want to miss out on important events. A good example

You’ll notice the clock in the upper right progress as the simulation runs; your approval rating will

change accordingly as events occur. Also, as you travel to different team cities, the background setting will change accordingly.

change accordingly as events occur. Also, as you travel to different team cities, the background setting will

19


Your first Coach Now or pre-season game can seem intimidating—there is so much going on at once, it’s easy to lose focus. Compounding that chal-lenge is that the clock keeps ticking no matter what, giving you a limited win-dow to call plays, make adjustments, and react to events on the field.

Visually, you’ll have multiple camera game views that you can switch by pressing LT or RT (L2 or R2 on PS3).

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when playing any game:

text. YOUR GAMEPLAN AGENDASETTING UP YOUR IN-GAME ADVANTAGES

Before any game, you can opt to choose a Gameplan Agenda: In a Coach Now game, you can choose up to three strategic advantages or development goals you want to have during the game. (You can opt to choose less than three, but that is not recommended.) In Career Mode, your agenda is determined by your practices that week.

When you choose to use a Game-plan Agenda during a game, your players will receive a boost in stats. The exact number of boosts per agenda item depends on how you’ve set up your gameplan and your coaching staff’s ability.

While you can activate your Game-plan Agenda at any time, they’re best saved for key situations, such as near the end of scoring drives, key third- or fourth-down plays, and near the end of a close game or overtime. You might also want to choose agenda items that’ll help you achieve season goals.

text. THE COIN TOSSWHO GETS THE BALL FIRST—AND MUCH MORE

The visiting team gets to call the coin toss, which determines who gets the ball first and which end zone is defended by each team.

Most coin toss winners opt to kick off (defer possession) so that the team gets the ball to start the second half. A notable exception is when it’s very windy: Teams instead pick an end zone to defend so that they’ll have the wind to their back in the 4th quarter. This helps kickers kick field goals, which can become crucial in close games.

text. COACH CLIPBOARD REVIEWWHAT YOU CAN DO DURING A GAME

Other Clipboard categories during a game comprise the following:

• Gameday: Jump to SuperSim mode, sub in your 2nd or 3rd string players, call a timeout, and (when appli-cable), review instant replay or chal-lenge a call on the field.

• Gameday Info: Check your Depth Chart, and review drive/score summa-ries as well as player/game statistics.

• NFL: Review injured players.• Roster: Review the health and

fatigue of your players.

text. ACCELERATED CLOCKMAKE THE GAME GO FASTER

The Accelerated Clock is a built-in feature that quickly runs off time when no active items are on your Clipboard. This is intended to speed up “lulls” in the game, which keeps the gameplay pace fast. This feature is disabled in the last 2:30 of the second quarter, the last 5:00 of the fourth quarter, and overtime.

text. CALLING PLAYSTHE BRAINS BEHIND THE BRAWN

Your most important task during a game is to call offensive and defensive plays. Although you can press the B

button (Circle on PS3) on any play call to let the CPU handle it, doing it your-self gives you a better grasp of your playbook. During a game, you’ll have a wide variety of ways to call plays: By Formation, By Play Type, By Success, By Agenda, Ask Coach, By Play Knowl-edge, Recent Plays and Created Plays. Use whichever option works best and fastest for you.

t. COACH ADVANTAGEANALYZING THE ODDS

For each play, the Coach Advantage pops up at the bottom of the screen. This shows you the boosts that you’ll be getting (if any) on that play. It also shows the boost your opponent is re-ceiving. Boosts come from play knowl-edge, gameplans and coach skills.

text. SUPERSIMFLY THROUGH THE GAME

Supersim Mode is a fast way to play through a game. After activating Super-sim Mode, you’ll see a representation of the field to monitor the progress of the drive currently in progress.

You’ll be able to call plays (but not make adjustments) while in Supersim Mode, and you can resume normal play mode by pausing the game and select-ing “Jump to Gameplay.”

ON THE SIDELINESON THE SIDELINES

This lists the many different

options for selecting a play.options for selecting a play.

On defense, you can ana-

lyze your opponent’s playcall tendencies.lyze your opponent’s playcall tendencies.

Any play can be flipped. You can also make player substitutions and edit the

play—but don’t spend too much time choos-ing, or you’ll be penalized for delay of game.play—but don’t spend too much time choos-ing, or you’ll be penalized for delay of game.

20



text. EDITING PLAYS IN-GAMETWEAK PLAYS ON THE FLY

Before confirming a playcall selec-tion, you can edit it on the sideline. This is a powerful feature: Change blocking assignments, pass routes or experi-ment with variations of the same play.

Many of the tactics used to edit plays apply to conventional play design, which is covered fully in the Playbook Strategy section of this guide.

text. ADJUSTMENTSTWEAKING YOUR PLAY CALLS

Offensive or defensive adjustments are made to enhance your playcall based on what you see on the field. On defense, you often have a limited time to make adjustments.

The chart to the right shows the different offensive defensive adjust-ments you can make before the ball is snapped, and why you’d make them.

EMOTIONAL REACTIONSREACTING TO IN-GAME SITUATIONS

During each game, you’ll have Emotional Reactions appear. This is your opportunity to react to a big play that just happened (either good or bad). Choose a reaction and you’ll see your coach respond.

Depending on your players’ person-alities, they could like or dislike your choice. As a general rule, the more you know your players’ personalities, the better you can guess which reaction will be most “compatible” with your players. If you don’t know your players’ personalities, guess the reaction most in line with your own personality, then see how your players react. If favor-able, then try to stay consistent with your personality type.

PENALTIESACCEPT OR DECLINE

When a penalty is committed, a screen will appear to show you the ef-fect of accepting or declining it.

QUICK SUBSANOTHER POWERFUL FEATURE

Before confirming a playcall selec-tion, you can make a quick player sub-stitution at any position on the field by pressing the X Button (Square on PS3)

before confirming a playcall. The play clock will count down, so you must choose your subs very quickly.

INJURIES & FATIGUEKEEPING PLAYERS FRESH

When injuries occur or when players on your squad are fatigued, you’ll be notified. For fatigued players, you’ll get to choose to rest them or keep them playing. Dealing with injuries and fatigue is covered later in this guide.

OFFENSIVE ADJUSTMENT WHAT IT DOES

Flip Play Flips the play diagramFlip Play Flips the play diagramFlip Play

Call this when you want to run a play to a certain side of the field; this is usually done for plays such as sweeps so that they’re run to the wider side of the field.

Hot Routes Changes the assignment of a specific receiver

Hot route options include these pass routes: Streak, Curl, In, Out, Drag, Slant In, Slant Out and Fade. You can also tell the receiver to Block Left or Block Right.

Reset All Negates all offensive adjustments

Call this when you want to revert to your original offensive play called

DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENT WHAT IT DOES

DL Shift Left Shifts defensive linemen left of where they’d usually line up

Call this when you expect a play to the left side of the field

DL Shift Right Shifts defensive linemen right of where they’d usually line up

Call this when you expect a play to the right side of the field

DL Pinch Moves defensive linemen closer together

Call this when you expect a play between the offensive tackles (i.e. dive run)

DL SpreadDL Spread Spreads defensive linemen farther apart Spreads defensive linemen farther apart

Call this when you expect a play to the sidelines (i.e. sweep run)

LB Shift Left Shifts linebackers left of where they’d usually line up

Call this when you expect a play to the left side of the field (run or short pass)

LB Shift Right Shifts linebackers right of where they’d usually line up

Call this when you expect a play to the right side of the field (run or short pass)

LB Pinch Moves the linebackers closer together

Call this when you expect a play between the offensive tackles (i.e. dive run)

LB Spread Spreads linebackers farther apart

Call this when you expect a play to the sidelines (i.e. sweep run or short out)

Press Moves the cornerbacks closer to the receivers

Call this when you expect a shorter pass or run; may disrupt timing routes

Release Backs the cornerbacks off the receivers

Call this when you expect a long pass; gives CBs room to keep pace with WRs

Show Blitz Shows blitz regardless of whether you called it or not

May trick/pressure the QB into thinking blitz even if you didn’t call for a blitz

Reset All Negates all defensive adjustments

Call this when you want to revert to your original defensive play called

All NFL officials wear black hats, exceptfor the referee, who wears a white cap.

For Emotional Reactions, move the left direction stick up or down to choose one of the options listed on screen.

21


ON THE SIDELINESON THE SIDELINES

APPROVAL RATINGAPPROVAL RATING

DEFINING MOMENTSREACTING TO CRITICAL IN-GAME SITUATIONS

Defining Moments occur during key “win or lose” situations in your games. Your choice, and its subsequent suc-cess or failure, will have a huge impact on your approval rating.

When the Defining Moments screen pops up, you’ll be given a list of choic-es, and how each choice could impact your approval rating.

As head coach, your job is to win football games—not win a popularity contest. Worry less about your approv-al rating and more on the choice that’ll give you the best chance at winning the game at hand—even if the fans won’t agree with your call.

BOX SCOREREVIEW THE GAME

After the game, you’ll get to review the Box Score, from which you can ac-cess many statistics to analyze.

Success and failure in NFL Head Coach 09 is measured by your Approv-al Rating, which is the large number on the lower right corner of the screen when you begin your career.

Every action you take can affect your Approval Rating—play calls, games played, trades, etc.—and some groups may react more strongly than others to events affecting your team.

Your Approval Rating can range from 0 to 99. If it drops too low (i.e. 20 or lower), you run the risk of being fired. If your approval rating is high, not only will you have job security, but you’ll have an easier time negotiating contracts and dealing with players.

Achieving team goals, fulfilling your preseason promise, winning games, and successful Defining Moments can all boost your Approval Rating sharply.

When major rating changes

occur, you’ll find out why on this screen.occur, you’ll find out why on this screen.

If this score drops to 20,

your job security may be in jeopardy.your job security may be in jeopardy.

The rating is actually a composite score based upon the approval of different

groups of people: players, coaching staff, fans, your team owner and the media.groups of people: players, coaching staff, fans, your team owner and the media.

ASK EA SPORTS

How will CPU opponents call plays?

Teams track how successful their plays are, and that—along with personnel and team tendencies—drives what they call. For instance, if you play against the Colts, you’ll notice they call the stretch play 90 percent of the time when they run the ball. The Bucs run Cover 2 on defense. The Patriots come out in 5-wide sets.

ASK EA SPORTS

When you edit a play from the sidelines, time

freezes to give you a chance to modify an existing play as you see fit. After making your modifications, press the X but-ton (Square on PS3) to call the play. After you watch the play unfold, you’ll get the option of saving it to your playbook.

freezes to give you a chance freezes to give you a chance to modify an existing play as

Quick Subs are a good way to give a specific

player enough reps in a game; you can also use the Gameday portion of the Clipboard to substitute your 2nd and 3rd string players as a group. To make permanent substitution changes, adjust your Depth Chart as needed.

player enough reps in a game; you can also use the Gameday

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THE OFF-SEASONTHE OFF-SEASON

‘I’m a lot better at holding thoughts inside than I was when I was younger. It’s something I do consciously. No. 1, I’m trying to think ahead to the next situation. No. 2, I’m trying to show my team that I’m in control and that I’m poised out there, even when I’m not.’

—Tony Dungy in January 2007, describing his demeanor while on the sidelines

TEAM PHILOSOPHY 24

FRANCHISE TAGS 24

OFF-SEASON EVENTS 25

FREE AGENCY 26

RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY 27

TRADES 28

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS 32

PLAYER GRADES 32


Team Philosophy determines your organization’s direction in many cat-egories ranging from player manage-ment to drafting and contract negotia-tions. Some of these may be locked (meaning you can’t change them) if you gave up control of a specific philoso-phy when hiring coaches. It’s important to review and adjust your Team Phi-losophy to make sure your off-season moves sync up with your team’s plan for the season ahead. You can find your Team Philosophy in the Team sec-tion of your Clipboard.

THE SALARY CAPHOW TO KEEP YOUR TEAM UNDER THE CAP

The salary cap is essentially your team’s yearly spending budget when it comes to player contracts.

The salary cap increases slightly each year as your career progresses. Be careful when you sign players to big contracts: You may eventually have to cut other players to stay under the cap.

A tiny cap space will limit your ability to negotiate trades or free agency bids. If for some reason you bust your cap, your team will be fined and/or you will lose draft picks. Obviously, you never want to go over your salary cap.

PLAYER STATUSHOW YOUR PLAYERS MEASURE UP

Your team’s Player Status (also found in the Team section of the Clip-board) shows an overall evaluation of every player on the team, their approval rating and current status.

TEAM ROADMAPPLOTTING YOUR FRANCHISE’S FUTURE

The Team Roadmap is an important tool comprising several key elements:

• Salary Cap Status lets you review your salary cap levels.

• Team Needs lists the positions you need to fill from highest to lowest.

The Team Philosophy guides many aspects of the Team Roadmap—not just for your team, but for all teams.

• Team Gameplan lists all available players at each position, including free agents, rookies and trade candidates. This gives you an idea of who to target. This can be sorted by player position.

Find Team Roadmap in the Team section of the Clipboard.

The franchise tag is a special desig-nation given to a player by a team that guarantees that player a contract the average of the five highest-paid play-ers of that same position in the entire league, in return for retaining rights to that player for one year.

When the Apply Franchise Tag event occurs, you’ll get to choose one player to slap the tag on. You’ll see the tag price—which is the one-year contract cost to keep that player.

The Team Philosophy guides the use of franchise tags for CPU teams: Some teams will tag players frequently, others rarely.

An NFL franchise may only desig-nate one player a year as having the franchise tag, and may designate the same player for consecutive years.

The tag allows you to keep a player for one year even if that player doesn’t want to re-sign with your team. Howev-er, be careful—if you tag a player who

doesn’t want to be on your team, that player’s approval will drop drastically. Depending on the personality type, that player may also demand a trade.

In theory, you never want to use the tag—all your players should be happy and want to stay. In reality, you need to protect yourself from other teams who’ll try to lure a player away from you, and this keeps them locked on your roster.

TEAM PHILOSOPHYTEAM PHILOSOPHY

FRANCHISE TAGSFRANCHISE TAGS

Team Philosophy categories include Coach Hire, Injury, Depth Chart, Playcall, Evaluation, Trade, Draft, Contract, Career Develop-

ment, and Philosophies for all positions—take the time to review it all.ment, and Philosophies for all positions—take the time to review it all.

Franchise tags are often used to prevent superstars from leaving; in general, they’re saved for players with an overall rating of 85 or

higher. However, you can tag any player you wish (or none at all).higher. However, you can tag any player you wish (or none at all).

24



OFF-SEASON EVENTSOFF-SEASON EVENTSHere’s a list of some non-scouting

related events that occur during the off-season. (Scouting events such as the Mock Draft, NFL Combine and Pro Days are covered in the NFL Draft sec-tion of this guide.)

Not on this list are events related to free agency and trades—those major topics are covered later in this section.

NEW SEASON GOALSOFF-SEASON BENCHMARKS TO ACHIEVE

You’ll review goals at many points during each season; at the start of the off-season, these goals are usually related to finding solid draft picks or acquisitions at specific positions.

A more comprehensive review of New Season Goals is in the Pre-Season section of this guide.

You can review your Season Goals at any time by navigating to Team > Season Goals.

CUTTING DEAD WEIGHTCLEAR YOUR ROSTER BEFORE FREE AGENCY

Before free agent bidding begins, all NFL teams will evaluate their rosters and cut dead weight. Teams often cut overpaid, older players to free up salary cap room.

COACH BIDDING LIVE EVENTGIVING UP CONTROL TO IMPROVE YOUR STAFF

As your first season ends, struggling teams will begin to clean house and fire coaches or staff while college coaches look to go pro. This puts them all on the market for hire.

During Coach Bidding, you’ll have the opportunity to give up control to the coach you want to hire to increase his interest in your team. If you’re the team left with the highest interest, you’ll be able to hire that coach. Control changes range from replacing play-books to cutting specific players. You may even have to revamp your team’s philosophy. If you successfully hire an offensive or defensive coordinator, you’ll be allowed to choose plays from his playbook to add to yours.

Pay special attention to coaches who can bring new playbooks to the table, such as those featuring the op-tion, run and shoot or the wishbone. If you’re the type of person itching to bring college tactics to the NFL, it’ll be easier to hire a college coach with a proficient playbook than draw one up from scratch. (A list of those playbooks can be found in the Playbook Strategy section later in this guide).

text. ROOKIE SIGNINGSAFTER THE DRAFT

Rookie signings begin just before Training Camp; look in the Pre-Season section of this guide for a full review of negotiation tactics with rookies.

text. UNDRAFTED ROOKIESANOTHER EVENT AFTER THE DRAFT

Undrafted Rookie Free Agent sign-ing allows you to bid on players who slipped through the cracks during the NFL Draft. You can only sign five play-ers, so be careful who you bid on.

Players are ranked from highest to lowest overall score.

The clock begins ticking on players who’ve been bid on, so you must eval-uate players quickly and monitor them closely to make sure you don’t get outbid before time runs out (a beeping sound will occur so you know when a bidding process is about to end).

Sort players by position if you want to target specific team needs. This is a cheap way to fill glaring roster holes.

You’ll go down the list of rookies until your five slots are filled or exit the process early (you don’t have to use all five slots, but that’s not recommended).

DATES & SCHEDULESFRIENDLY REMINDERS

The Important Dates event will pop up occasionally during your career as a reminder of what’s ahead. You can review your schedule (and other teams) at any time by choosing Team > Team Schedule in the Clipboard.

Each undrafted rookie’s bid timer is activated when a first bid is placed. The team bidding is shown to the right. You must scroll

fast through prospects to make sure you don’t miss out on any bids.fast through prospects to make sure you don’t miss out on any bids.

When reviewing your Season Goals, you can use the LT button (L1 on PS3) to sort through your them. You can view All Goals, Goals in

Progress, Successful goals and Failed Goals.Progress, Successful goals and Failed Goals.

Training Camp; look in the Pre-Season section of this guide for a full review of negotiation tactics with rookies.

ing allows you to bid on players who slipped through the cracks during the NFL Draft. You can only sign five play-ers, so be careful who you bid on.

When considering a bid for a new staffer, giving up control shouldn’t bother you if you’re pursuing a very skilled (rated 85-plus) coach. Also bid aggressively if you want to fulfill a related season goal.

It takes longer for a GM or trainer’s skill points to build, so hiring a great one is faster than developing one. If you see a 99-rated trainer on the market, hire him at all costs!

25


The NFL off-season is dominated by free agency, in which players with expiring contracts try to find new teams to join. Here’s what you need to know:

THE FA PREVIEWA SNEAK PEEK OF PLAYERS ON THE MARKET

The FA Preview shows you every free agent that might be available in the off-season and in the years to come. This is a great way to help you plan for pursuing talent you’d like to see on your squad. It will appear in your Clipboard before free agency begins, but you can review it at any time by ac-cessing NFL > FA Preview.

FREE AGENT BIDDINGHOW THE BIDDING PROCESS WORKS

When a free agent appears in your Coach Clipboard, you’ll have a limited time to decide whether to bid on him or not. There is no harm in joining in, even if you’re not interested at all: You can just “browse” to see (without making

any bids, of course) which other teams are interested in this player and what the going price winds up being.

If you agree to bid, you’ll be shown the Free Agent Auction screen, which will show you the player’s name, position, overall score and age—all of which should be taken into account before making a bid.

Underneath, you’ll see the icons of all the teams participating in the auc-tion with you.

Below that is your bid, your cap room, your cap hit, and the time re-maining in the auction. At the bottom,

you’ll see which team is in the lead and the amount of their highest bid.

You can raise your bid or exit the bidding process at any time—but if you leave, you can’t return.

You’ll also see CPU teams bid for the player. If two teams really want the same player, you’ll see the bids rise dramatically from their starting point.

You should expect to pay a lot of money for premium free agents—in some cases, up to $70 million! Obvi-ously, the worst thing you can do is win a bid for a player you don’t really need or want—so bid with caution and a sharp eye on your cap room.

The flip side of that is that you shouldn’t be afraid to put up a little extra money to get a player you des-perately want.

The winner of a free agent bid gets to negotiate a contract with that player, which is an important step. The contract value will be based on the bid amount, but the particulars will be open

FREE AGENCYFREE AGENCYyou’ll see which team is in the lead and the amount of their highest bid.

bidding process at any time—but if you leave, you can’t return.

the player. If two teams really want the same player, you’ll see the bids rise dramatically from their starting point.

When controlled by the CPU, the following teams have a default philosophy of building their rosters through free agency: Broncos, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers, Giants, Packers, Raiders, Redskins and Saints.

ASK EA SPORTS

Will teams overpay for players?

Sometimes a team will overpay depending on how deep the free agent market is.

If a team likes that type of player, they’re willing to spend some money to get him, depending on who they already have.

As far as value goes, our system is pretty robust. Ratings are just a small part of a player’s value to a team. Value takes into account a number of things including his upside remaining, his cap hit, how much of the playbook he knows, and so forth.

ASK EA SPORTS

Monitor your Clipboard carefully for free agent names to pop up. Ideally, you’ve created a “wish

list” of players to pursue. That’ll help you make sure you don’t accidentally miss out on any prospects.list” of players to pursue. That’ll help you make sure you don’t accidentally miss out on any prospects.

1

The only 100-percent-sure way to win a bid is to aggressively bid until all other teams drop out. This

can get expensive, so use this approach only for must-have players. You’ll negotiate the contract after winning.can get expensive, so use this approach only for must-have players. You’ll negotiate the contract after winning.

3

As the bidding price increases, you’ll start to see teams drop out. Make an early bid, then lurk in the

background and wait for other teams drop out before bidding again to find out who’s seriously in the running.background and wait for other teams drop out before bidding again to find out who’s seriously in the running.

2

If you do not tender a Restricted Free Agent, you release him from the team and he becomes a Free

Agent. Tendering an RFA will give you compensatory picks if you don’t choose to match another team’s offer.Agent. Tendering an RFA will give you compensatory picks if you don’t choose to match another team’s offer.

26



for negotiation (covered later in this section).

Although there is less of a chance that a player will walk away from his negotiation, if he does, the penalty is severe. That player will return to the open market, and you will lose the right to negotiate with him.

FREE AGENCY RECAPAT THE END OF THE OFF-SEASON

You can review most free agency moves when this event appears.

FREE AGENCY TACTICSHOW TO PROTECT YOUR SALARY CAP SPACE

It’s way too easy and tempting to annihilate your salary cap in free agency. Avoid impulse buys by making a must-buy “shopping” list—and stick to it no matter what.

Many of your team’s off-season goals are related to acquiring players rated 85 or higher overall at specific positions.

When the FA Preview appears before free agency kicks off, sort the preview by each of those positions, and write down the name of the best (or youngest if the talent gap is narrow) 85-plus rated player available. Ignore names of players you deem as too old (personally, this writer limits the search only to players in their 20s). If there are no qualified names, you’ll have to achieve the goal via the draft.

During free agency, look for those names on your list and win as many bids as your salary cap can comfort-ably handle. If you have lots of cap space, be aggressive: Remember, every young free agent you acquire is one less draft pick you have to use.

If you have a top-five position of need that isn’t linked to season goals, you can investigate free agents for that position, but join an auction only if all three criteria apply:

1. You have enough cap space after considering the money needed for players on your season-goal list as well as your top draft picks. If you’re not sure, don’t risk it.

2. The free agent has an overall rat-ing higher than your current starter at that position.

3. That player is in his 20s AND younger than your current starter.

4. You have space on your roster. (To release a player, go to Roster > Roster on your Clipboard and press the A Button (X on PS3). A series of options will appear, including one to release.)

Most importantly, ignore every other free agent that’s not a top-five needs position. Your salary cap will thank you later.

Restricted Free Agents are players on your team that have been in the NFL three years and their contract is expiring. Unlike free agents, you can exercise a little control over whether they can stay or go.

TENDER RFAsCHOOSING YOUR TENDER LEVEL

During the Tender Restricted Free Agents event, you’ll get to choose a Tender Level for that player. If you do not tender that player (i.e. you definitely no longer want that player), he’ll be released to free agency. Otherwise, you can choose a Tender Level between 1 and 4—the higher the level, the more valuable you deem the player.

If you make the Tender Level too high, other teams probably won’t ne-gotiate a deal with that player, and then you’ll be stuck with that player with a contract priced at that previously cho-sen tender level (ranging between $0.9 million and $2.6 million in 2008).

This is a timed deadline event, so you’ll need to make a quick decision. When in doubt, follow the recommend-ed course of action next to the player’s name.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTSMATCHING OTHER TEAM OFFERS

Like Free Agents, Restricted Free Agents can also accept bids from vari-ous teams to negotiate the best con-tract for themselves. However, RFAs are required to let their current team match whatever offer they receive. In other words, you’ll get “right of first refusal” for any RFA on your team.

When considering an RFA match, key factors include how it’ll affect your salary cap, the player’s age, and the importance of that player to your depth chart. For instance, if that player is old-er, and you plan to draft a replacement, you probably don’t want to match if the deal is expensive.

If you don’t match your player’s RFA

offer, you’ll receive compensatory draft picks based on the tender level previ-ously chosen.

There’ll be a time limit to decide (usually one minute), so you’ll need to have back-up scenarios plotted out in advance for your team’s RFAs before free agency kicks off.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTSRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

For the 2008 NFL off-season, here is the nitty-gritty about how the four tender levels translate to compensatory draft picks:

Level 1: Draft pick equal to the round the restricted free agent was originally drafted at.

Level 2: Second-round draft pick

Level 3: First-round draft pick

Level 4: First and third-round picks

Eagles Hall of Fame coach Earle Neale also was a baseball playerfor the Cincinnati Reds and played in the 1919 World Series.

27


When you decide to activate a trade negotiation event, you’ll have a timed deadline (two minutes) to decide whether to negotiate or to say you’re not interested. Trade negotiations usu-ally occur in the off-season, but they can continue into the pre-season and even into the regular season.

The trade screen will show you the team that’s looking to trade with you (which you’ll have to glean from the player’s team background and helmet logo), what the team is looking to trade for, and your current depth chart at the position for the player being offered.

Here are key considerations when negotiating any trade:

1. Player Age: How many years left before he’s likely to retire? The aver-age NFL retirement age varies from position to position, but generally, the more physical the position, the shorter the career. (That’s usually why quar-terbacks and kickers can play well into their 40s, while linesmen and running backs cannot).

2. Depth Chart: How will your depth chart look after the trade? In general, you should avoid getting too thin or thick at any one position. On the other hand, if you have multiple players with low talent level, a trade might be to your benefit.

3. Overall Talent: Is this a superstar deal (i.e. a player with 90-plus overall score) or a lower-tier trade? Obviously, the better the player, the more you should consider negotiating.

4. Salary Cap: How will this trade affect your salary cap—not just for this season, but for future seasons as well? This is especially important when trad-ing for superstar players: A big-name player might help your team in the short run, but it may also hamper your salary cap in the long run.

5. Goals: Obviously, if a player trade comes up that matches one of your goals in progress, you should pursue it.

INITIATING A TRADEGETTING THE BALL ROLLING

You are always free to initiate a trade with any other team. You can do it solely on your own preferences,

or you might want to initiate talks to try and meet a season goal set by the team owner.

To initiate a trade, select Roster > Trade in your Clipboard.

Be careful about being too greedy: Any unreasonable demands can abruptly terminate a trade negotiation. It is wise to know the negotiation pref-erences of the team you’re negotiating with (a list of the default CPU prefer-ences is available later in this section). The more stubborn and stingy the negotiator, the less likely he’ll budge on terms of a deal.

THE TRADE SCREENTHE CLOCK STARTS TICKING…

If you decide to negotiate, the trade screen will appear. You’ll hear the clock start ticking, but don’t panic.

The trade screen will reveal a lot of information you’ll need to process quickly. The top bar shows the head coach of the team you’re negotiating with, and their comments to you as the negotiations progress.

Below that is a black bar listing the team (or teams) currently at the negoti-ating table. Remember that CPU teams will also be bidding at the same time. You won’t see their bids, but if a team makes a bid better than yours, you’ll be

TRADESTRADESor you might want to initiate talks to try and meet a season goal set by the team owner.

Trade in your Clipboard.

Any unreasonable demands can abruptly terminate a trade negotiation. It is wise to know the negotiation pref-erences of the team you’re negotiating with (a list of the default CPU prefer-

It’ll be fairly common for CPU teams to trade between each other without your participation. When a CPU-to-CPU trade involves a player that your team may be inter-ested in, you may receive an event notice that a trade negotiation is taking place.

The initial Trade Player screen has a lot of infor-

mation that’ll help you decide whether to start negotiations. The first thing you want to do is to see how that trade candidate would improve your depth chart.

mation that’ll help you decide whether to start negotiations.

If you’re the only team participating in the trade,

you can haggle a bit more. If another team is in the mix, your bid will have to beat other offers AND satisfy the team initiat-ing the trade. If a lot of teams are involved, you might have to sweeten your offers a bit more to be taken seriously.

you can haggle a bit more. If another team is in the mix, your

Make sure to take age into account—a player with a

lower Overall score may be pref-erable to an older player with a higher score. The younger player has more time to develop and may have more potential.

lower Overall score may be pref-erable to an older player with a

It’s tough to lowball other NFL teams when it comes

to trades. If you see the words “Are you serious?” or “That’s absurd.” after you make your first offer, that often means that you’re way too low. Another lowball offer from you will most likely terminate trade discus-sions immediately.

to trades. If you see the words “Are you serious?” or “That’s

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out of luck once the timer runs out. If there are no other teams bidding, you may have more leverage when it comes to negotiating a more favorable deal.

Below that are three boxes: The cur-rent best offer you’ve made, the player being traded (listed with position and overall grade), and the time remaining with trade negotiations.

The first thing you should always do is review your roster breakdown by pressing the Y button (Triangle on PS3). That will reveal how many players you have at that position, the desired level, and your current grade at that position. Any grade lower than a B should make you seriously consider a trade.

Below that are the packages that you can offer the other team. Each package to offer comes with a five-point scale that indicates the relative value of your offer—one star is a low offer, five stars is a very generous offer. These offers can include draft picks and players, or a mix between the two.

Once you select an offer, the other team will most likely decline and ask for a better deal from you (in fact, if they accept right away, your first offer was probably more than what they were looking for). You can continue to make the same offer or choose a different one. Negotiations will continue until time runs out, they get tired of your offers, or they agree to your terms (or another team’s terms).

Any successful trade will likely impact your approval rating positively or negatively, depending on how well it matches up with your team’s road map and owner expectations. You shouldn’t worry if your approval falls with one or two trades—think of it as short-term pain for long-term gain (assuming you made a good trade, of course). However, if you’re consistently getting negative approval, you may be making too many bad trades.

TRADING TIPSSOME RULES OF THUMB TO LIVE BY

It’s tough to determine whether a trade is fair or not. Here are some tips that may help at the negotiating table:

1. Calculate Gain and Loss: All things being equal, any drop in overall score should be offset with a gain in

When you initiate a trade, you can “Trade For” a certain player, or “Trade Away” someone on your roster. You’ll only

be able to trade for players who have their Trade boxes checked.be able to trade for players who have their Trade boxes checked.

1

When you “Trade Away” a player by clicking their Trade box, you’re actually just adding him to your trading block. Nothing

will happen until a CPU team approaches you about that player.will happen until a CPU team approaches you about that player.

2

Keep an eye on both the NFL Network pop-ups and the news ticker at the bottom of the screen. Both will keep you abreast

of all the major trades, player updates and signing news as the off-season progresses.of all the major trades, player updates and signing news as the off-season progresses.

ASK EA SPORTS

What can you tell us about the CPU logic for picking up free agents and trading?

All CPU teams have a plan with each free agent and each trade negotiation that comes along. It’s called the Team Roadmap, and it basically provides a plan for each team at each position for the entire year. Sometimes teams won’t sign a free agent knowing they can draft a player to fill the spot instead.

If they do decide to go after a free agent, how much a team will spend depends on how severe the team need is versus how much cap room they have to spend. If a team has a lot of money and they really need a player at a particular position, expect to be in a bidding war for that player.

With trades, person-alities will dictate how much the team you are dealing with is willing to take. They may walk away if you counter too many times or they may cave in because their GM is a pushover. It all depends on the GM’s personality. The same concept also applies to contract negotiations with players.

ASK EA SPORTS

Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen coached for theNew York Giants without ever signing a contract.

You can Quicksave your game at any time during your career whenever you see the Quicksave button icon as an option in the lower left corner of the screen (to activate Quicksave, depress the left directional stick on your con-troller). Whether you use Quicksave or not, make it a point to save before any big event or game that you might wish to redo.

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TEAM GM NAME TRADE FREQUENCY PHILOSOPHY TRADE MINDSET PHILOSOPHY TRADE FUTURE PICKS PHILOSOPHY

Bears Jim Andrews Light Trader Over Offer Neutral

Bengals Marvin Louis Light Trader Low Ball Neutral

Bills Noah Body Neutral Over Offer Neutral

Broncos Jim Treadway Heavy Trader Normal Neutral

Browns Bill Savant Heavy Trader Normal Trade Away Future Picks

Bucs Ben Allens Neutral Normal Neutral

Cardinals Red Grave Light Trader Low Ball Acquire Future Picks

Chargers Jay Smits Light Trader Normal Neutral

Chiefs Karl Potts Neutral Normal Neutral

Colts Phil Foliage Heavy Trader Normal Trade Away Future Picks

Cowboys Gary Jones Heavy Trader Over Offer Acquire Future Picks

Dolphins Gil Darnell Heavy Trader Over Offer Neutral

Eagles Tim Heckle Heavy Trader Normal Acquire Future Picks

Falcons Don Ross Neutral Normal Neutral

49ers Josh McClout Heavy Trader Low Ball Neutral49ers Josh McClout Heavy Trader Low Ball Neutral

Giants Gary Meese Light Trader Normal Neutral

Jaguars Jerry Harless Neutral Low Ball Neutral

Jets Guy Torrent Heavy Trader Normal Neutral

Lions Mack Miller Heavy Trader Over Offer Trade Away Future Picks

Packers Tom Tedson Light Trader Low Ball Neutral

Panthers Marvin Hurley Light Trader Normal Neutral

Patriots Sam Polo Heavy Trader Over Offer Neutral

Raiders Alan David Neutral Over Offer Neutral

Rams Ray Zest Light Trader Normal Neutral

Ravens Oswald Newberry Heavy Trader Normal Acquire Future Picks

Redskins Danny Spyder Heavy Trader Over Offer Trade Away Future Picks

Saints Mikey Lewis Neutral Low Ball Neutral

Seahawks Tom Russell Heavy Trader Normal Neutral

Steelers Kyle Corbert Neutral Low Ball Neutral

Titans Johnny Paycheck Light Trader Normal Neutral

Texans Riley Smithe Light Trader Normal Acquire Future Picks

Vikings Ron Spielberg Light Trader Low Ball Neutral



































































TRADESTRADESwhat you are trading for.

For instance, if you’re trading for a tight end with an 89 overall rating, and your second-string player has a rating of 80, you’re gaining 9 points of production. Your trade offer should not give up more than 9 points on your end. Of course, you should also take into account player age and possible potential growth when making such calculations.

2. Calculate Gain and Loss with Draft Picks: How can you use the first rule when you’re giving up draft picks

in exchange? It is hard to do, but it may help to create guidelines that equate draft picks to player overall grades. Here is one example:

1st round draft pick: 90 overall2nd round pick: 85 overall3rd round pick: 80 overall4th round pick: 75 overall5th round pick: 70 overallChange the numbers to values you

deem best. The key here is this: When you start thinking of draft picks as potential players, it can make it easier to determine trade value.

3. Always negotiate: Never take the first deal the CPU offers you. Almost as important is to never low-ball your first counteroffer. You want to be conser-vative with your first counteroffer, but don’t insult the CPU with a way-too-low offer that may make him walk away from the negotiating table prematurely.

CPU teams base their free agent and trade strategies on their Team Roadmaps, which dictate how teams expect to fill positions for the entire year.

For instance, a CPU team won’t

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TEAM NEGOTIATION TONE COUNTERING IN NEGOTIATION SPENDING MONEY PHILOSOPHY PLAYER ROADMAP PHILO.

Bears Haggle Cheap Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Bengals Give In To Player Demands Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Bills Low Ball Normal Spend on Biggest Need Favor Role

Broncos Low Ball Normal Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Browns Overpay Generous Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Role

Bucs Overpay Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Cardinals Low Ball Cheap Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Contract

Chargers Haggle Normal Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Chiefs Low Ball Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Role

Colts Overpay Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Play Knowledge

Cowboys Overpay Generous Spend on Biggest Need Favor Grade

Dolphins Overpay Generous Spend on Biggest Need Favor Grade

Eagles Haggle Cheap Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Falcons Give In To Player Demands Normal Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Upside

49ers Overpay Generous Spend on Biggest Need Favor Grade49ers Overpay Generous Spend on Biggest Need Favor Grade

Giants Overpay Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Jaguars Low Ball Cheap Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Jets Give In To Player Demands Normal Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Lions Overpay Normal Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Role

Packers Low Ball Cheap Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Panthers Give In To Player Demands Normal Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Patriots Haggle Cheap Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Play Knowledge

Raiders Overpay Generous Distribute Evenly Favor Upside

Rams Low Ball Cheap Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Ravens Give In To Player Demands Normal Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Upside

Redskins Overpay Generous Spend on Biggest Need Favor Grade

Saints Low Ball Cheap Spend on 3 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Seahawks Give In To Player Demands Normal Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Grade

Steelers Low Ball Cheap Distribute Evenly Favor Grade

Titans Low Ball Cheap Distribute Evenly Favor Upside

Texans Give In To Player Demands Normal Spend on Biggest Need Favor Role

Vikings Give In To Player Demands Generous Spend on 2 Biggest Needs Favor Grade



































































sign a free agent if their Team Road-map projects that the team would be better off by drafting a player instead. The current state of each CPU team’s salary cap also affects this strategy; essentially, the more room under the salary cap, the more “freedom” a team will have to pursue free agents. (Team Roadmaps are also affected by Team Philosophies: A team that historically prefers to rebuild through draft picks rather than free agency will tend to stick to that approach.)

Negotiations with the CPU (whether

it’s a proposed trade with a GM or a contract dispute with a player) will also be affected by the personalities of those you have to deal with.

4. Study Your Losses: You will not emerge as the winner in every trade negotiation you participate in. (In fact, if you find yourself winning too many trade deals, you’re probably destroying your salary cap space in the long term.)

After trade negotiations end for a player, carefully check the ticker for which team made the winning bid—and more importantly, what they gave

up. Of course, needs vary from team to team, so one franchise may give up more if they really need that player. Still, it’ll give you an idea of how CPU teams value players and what they’ll give up to land players of specific talent levels.

CPU DEFAULT PHILOSOPHIESTRADING, NEGOTIATION AND PLAYER ROADMAPS

The charts on these two pages show the GMs for each team and their default CPU trading, negotiation and Player Roadmap philosophies.

When it rains during a game on natural grass, you’ll seethe middle of the field get muddy as the game progresses.

31


While trades are between you and another team, a contract negotiation is between you and another player. When a Package Negotiations event begins, a screen will appear with a timer and a list of packages from least to most at-tractive. Every contract contains:

• Total Value: The cost of the pack-age, including extras. Some packages can list a higher total value but be con-sidered “cheaper” depending on the signing bonus and/or incentives.

• Length: How many years that player will be signed for.

• Signing Bonus: The extra amount that goes to the player immediately; to minimize its salary cap impact, the bo-nus is prorated over the life of the con-tract. Try to limit big singing bonuses to your franchise superstars. Cutting or trading a player you gave a big signing bonus to will hurt your salary cap.

• Incentive(s): Extra money paid per year only if certain conditions are met. Given two contracts of equal total value with no signing bonuses, GMs will prefer the one with incentives.

Negotiations are similar to other trade-type events in that there’s a time limit involved, and either party can counteroffer, accept a proposed pack-age or leave the negotiating table.

CONTRACT TACTICSTIPS FOR SMOOTH NEGOTIATIONS

1. Personalities Matter: Negotia-tions are very different from player to player. Some players may walk away after one counteroffer, others won’t leave until the deal is done. Looking up their personality type before negotiating may help you understand their tactics.

2. Be Firm: Never overpay for a player. Try to calculate that player’s value (it may help to see how similar players on other teams are valued), and stick to it. Giving up too much too

easily just to wrap up negotiations will eventually eat up your salary cap.

3. Ignoring Players: Ignored nego-tiations will hurt your approval rating slightly, so be careful. Ignore negotia-tion requests only when you’re sure you don’t want that player back.

4. Timing: Players seeking longer-length contracts usually indicate that they would like to stay; players seek-ing shorter contracts are more likely to leave after their contracts expire.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONSCONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiations are similar to other

Incentives in contracts do not count into a player’s salary until they are met. At that point, they become part of the player’s salary for the year.

Those familiar with Madden NFL 09 will recognize many of the player at-tributes used to evaluate players.

However, NFL Head Coach 09 features some additional attributes, and players are evaluated under a new grade system that mirrors how NFL scouts grade players. Players are graded in athletic and intangible abilities, production, durability, learning ability, potential and size. (Production is a noteworthy inclusion, because it takes into account players who may have talent but haven’t yet produced on the field, or for players who’ve been injured and haven’t put up numbers you’d normally expect.)

Other factors include how much a player knows the playbook, how expensive his contract is relative to his talent level, and how much upside potential remains to be discovered. Those various grades are weighted to

make up an overall grade that will vary from franchise to franchise depending on the type of players the coach needs to match the team philosophy. Some of the more important grades include:

• The Intangibles Grade is deter-mined by attributes such as ball carrier vision, man-to-man pass coverage or throw accuracy.

• The Athletic Grade is determined

by physical attributes such as speed, agility or throw power.

• The Durability Grade is deter-mined by the player’s health at each body part.

• The Potential Grade is deter-mined by the player’s maximum abili-ties. This is by far the most important stat to focus on. Older players won’t have a lot of potential.

PLAYER GRADESPLAYER GRADESEvery player has a potential rating that he can progress up to. That’s done through practice time, play-ing time and game performance. That rating determines how good he’ll get at the peak of his career, assuming he stays healthy. The only two things that can increase potential are a coach’s special skills or Game Changer events. You can check grades by looking at each

player’s card from the Roster screen.

When you view the details of a package, you can analyze how it will impact your

salary cap in the years ahead. Most NFL sala-ries are back-loaded; in other words, more money is paid at the end of the contract.

salary cap in the years ahead. Most NFL sala-ries are back-loaded; in other words, more

32


THE NFL DRAFTTHE NFL DRAFT

‘Your goal is to only pick in the top 10 once. When you’re there, you’ve got to make it work.’

—Tony Dungy on the importance of making the most of a top-10 draft pick

ABOUT THE DRAFT 34

SCOUTING PLAYERS 35

INDIVIDUAL WORKOUTS 36

TRADING UP OR DOWN 36

DRAFT TACTICS 37

THE FUTURE 50 38

CPU DRAFT PHILOSOPHY 48


The NFL Draft is how your team will discover its next superstars. During your career, you’ll be able to scout, evaluate and draft from a pool of more than 20,000 rookies with unique rat-ings, stories and personalities.

Just like in the real NFL, the draft will be full of surprises: You’ll get your first-round busts and your sixth-round surprises, and it’ll be your job to sepa-rate the wheat from the chaff.

The NFL Draft consists of seven rounds over two days. The first day comprises rounds 1 and 2. The second day covers rounds 3 through 7. There is a time limit (which varies between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the round) for each team “on the clock” to make their draft move.

text. EVENTS BEFORE THE DRAFTOFF-SEASON DRAFT EVENTS

Draft Board: The Draft Board lists all the draft picks from highest overall to lowest; you can also screen by po-sition. Move the players up and down the board as you see fit. Press the X button (Square on PS3) to review the details of a specific prospect.

Mock Draft: You’ll occasionally review your Mock Draft during the off-season. The Mock Draft projects which players each franchise will draft in the first round. This will give you some sense of the players who’ll be unavailable by the time your first draft slot rolls around.

text. SEASON GOALS & THE DRAFTMAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DRAFT PICKS

Just prior to the draft, your GM or team owner will probably throw out some new season goals specifically when it comes to drafting players, such as finding a sleeper pick in a late round or avoiding a bust.

Depending on how well you’ve scouted prior to the draft, your goals may be easy or difficult to reach. It is important to try and achieve those goals—they’ll benefit your team as well as your career.

text. DRAFT DAYSSURVIVING DRAFT WEEKEND

When the first draft day begins, you have the option of running through it or simulating that day.

Drafting occurs in real time, but you can “speed up the pace” by selecting Advance Pick in the Clipboard.

You can also review the Previous Pick in the Clipboard. To simulate any part of the draft, navigate to Draft > Advance Draft. You’ll have multiple op-tions to choose from.

When going through players to draft, press the X button (Square on PS3) to show details of a given player, including scouting details (pluses and minuses), stats, and comparison to a current NFL player. The clock will keep ticking, so use your time wisely.

When it comes to choosing a play-er, always focus on either team needs, team goals or best available talent. You’ll be better prepared if you create a list of “wanted” players in advance.

You’ll also get a chance to trade up or down, which is a topic covered later in this section.

A Draft Recap appears at the end of each round; the draft selection process continues from the 1st through the 7th round until all draft picks are mode.

ABOUT THE DRAFTABOUT THE DRAFT

ASK EA SPORTS

Will there be some definitive way to tell a draft bust or a gem?

Our scouting and draft are set up pretty dif-ferently than anything you’ve seen before. Players get grades (just like scouts give), and they are then sorted by overall grade. For 2008, Darren McFadden has a grade of 99, Chris Long is a 98 and Glenn Dorsey is a 97.

We do have busts and gems, and we can have those players drafted in the top 5 or at the end of the 7th round. The easiest way to find out how good a player will be is to scout him in an individual workout—that is the only way to unlock that draft pick’s true potential for growth (assuming he stays healthy).

ABOUT THE DRAFT

ASK EA SPORTS

The main draft screen features three data screens that con-stantly change to give you the latest info on the draft as well

as the team on the clock (the upper right corner).as the team on the clock (the upper right corner).

1

When your pick rolls around, your GM and staff will usually recommend a specific player. Your Approval Rating will

probably suffer if you don’t follow their suggestion—but the final choice is always up to you.probably suffer if you don’t follow their suggestion—but the final choice is always up to you.

2

draft, press the X button (Square on

including scouting details (pluses and minuses), stats, and comparison to a current NFL player. The clock will keep ticking, so use your time wisely.

During the NFL Draft, you’ll have the optional chance to “pick the pick” when not on the clock. If you can guess who the team on the clock will draft, you’ll get an ap-proval rating boost.

34



Scouting is all about unlocking as much information as you can about a player to discover their true overall rat-ing and potential.

The easiest way to determine a player’s ultimate potential is to scout him in an Individual Workout. That workout unlocks his potential grade, which basically tells you how good he could become if he has a productive career and stays healthy.

Another key metric to check is a player’s Learning Grade, which plays a major role in determining how well he can learn your playbook. Some rook-ies come in with a very high Learning Grade, while others come in with a very low rating with the potential to get much better. Other rookies will just never improve; of course, those are players to avoid or cut.

Your GM’s skills play a major role in scouting. The better his scouting skill level, the better this scouting ability—both in quantity of players scouted and amount of info unlocked. If you have a great GM, he may have special skills that reveal even more player data than an average GM can.

These key events during the off-season will help you discover the player info you’ll need for draft day.

SENIOR ALL-STAR GAMETHE FIRST SCOUTING OPPORTUNITY

The Senior All-Star Game is much like the Pro Bowl: The top college seniors play in an exhibition game once the college season is completed. Obvi-ously, this game is heavily attended by NFL scouts and is the first event in the off-season scouting process.

Players you scout at this game will have their intangible attributes un-locked, including Awareness (arguably the most important intangible stat).

You will get to scout players at vari-ous positions, so focus on players likely to still be on the draft board when your first and second picks take place.

The player list displays some key in-formation about each player, including name, player position, school, percent of teams that have scouted this player (an indicator of interest level), and over-all score. (The school will be important to remember if you plan to do addition-

al scouting during that school’s sched-uled Pro Day.) The number of players available to scout will be shown at the top of the player list. That number is based on your GM’s scouting ability for each position.

NFL COMBINEA YEARLY TRADITION

The NFL Combine is where top draft prospects participate in a series of athletic tests, workouts, drills and in-terviews for NFL scouts and the media who attend.

Players at the combine automatically have their height, weight and size grade unlocked. They also have their athletic grade and attributes unlocked. Choos-ing to scout them also unlocks their personality type.

Some players may choose not to at-tend the combine. Usually, these play-ers are top draft choices who can only be scouted via Individual Workouts.

The player list and player selection interface (to add and remove players off your list) is the same as that used for the Senior All-Star Game.

Similar to the Senior All-Star game, the number of players available to scout will be shown at the top of the player list. That number is based on your GM’s skill level.

Focus your player choices on posi-tions of need and most likely selections still on the board based on your current draft pick spots. It is useless to scout players who’ll likely be off the board when your draft pick rolls around un-less you definitely plan to trade up prior to or during the draft.

PRO DAYSHIT THE COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Pro Days let you choose a college to visit and scout out potential players. This is a good way to discover sleeper picks. Players scouted during Pro Days unlock every piece of information except for potential.

The Pro Days screen will show a list of schools to the left. Each will show the number of total prospects at that school, the percent of player data that you have unlocked, and the average rating of the scouted players there.

There is also a green deadline timer bar at the top, so you’ll need to make your selection before time runs out.

The schools you pick should be based upon your roster needs; don’t visit a school unless they have pros-pects at positions you plan to draft for.

Another consideration is your GM skills: Some GMs have special skills that allow them to unlock more infor-mation when visiting small, mid-major and/or major universities. To Find out if your GM has any of those special skills, navigate to Team > Develop Staff in your clipboard and select your GM.

Various schools hold their Pro Days at different times of the year to reduce scheduling conflicts. Each school holds only one Pro Day per off-season. If you want to visit two schools who are hold-ing their Pro Days at the same time, you’ll have to make a tough decision as to which school has the more important prospects for you to scout.

SCOUTING PLAYERSSCOUTING PLAYERS

When scouting, choosing a player by pressing the A button (X button on PS3)

moves him to your team’s selected list. If you change your mind, you can remove a player by pressing the A button (X button on PS3) on that player in your selected list.

moves him to your team’s selected list. If you change your mind, you can remove a player

To get more information about the pros-pects at each school for Pro Day, press

the X button (Square on PS3). Remember, you can only pick one school, so if you don’t have any idea which school to target, choose the school with the most prospects.

the X button (Square on PS3). Remember, you can only pick one school, so if you don’t have

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Trading up and down is common during both draft days. CPU teams will follow their draft philosophies when it comes to trading up or down, but for your team, you’ll be in charge of mak-ing such moves. You can try to trade up at any time by selecting that option in your Clipboard. Trading up to very high draft picks almost always requires you to put players on the trading block that the other team would like to get (to do this, go to Draft > Trade Block).

The CPU may approach you with proposed trades as well; those will ap-pear as events in your Clipboard.

When it’s your turn on the clock, you can select the Trade Down event to review what teams are offering for your selection level. Reasons for trading down in the draft include the following:

1. Another Team Snapped Up Your Top Prospect: If you expect your first alternate to be around for a while (i.e. at least through the next round), you can trade down and gamble with the expectation that your first alternate will still be available with your next pick.

2. Draft is Weak at Your Position of Need: No use using a 1st round pick on a player worth only a 2nd round pick. That may be the case if the draft class is weak at a needed position.

3. Your Salary Cap is Tight: A top draft pick might actually hurt you if you have no cap space to pay that player from. In those extreme cases, it might be best to trade down for future draft picks in years where you expect to have more cap space.

There’s usually only one reason for trading up: You want a specific player and you’re scared that someone ahead of you is going to draft him. You’ll need to strike a deal with a franchise who picks ahead of that other team—and pray that your move will be enough to draft that prospect.

INDIVIDUAL WORKOUTSINDIVIDUAL WORKOUTS

TRADING UP OR DOWNTRADING UP OR DOWN

ASK EA SPORTS

How do CPU teams handle the draft?

When teams get into the draft, they’ll take a look at the highest graded players and draft the player that fills their most severe need. If no player fills that need, they’ll try to trade down. This solves problems with teams drafting players two rounds too early or seeing a kicker or FB get drafted in the 1st round.

ASK EA SPORTS

Superstar players on your team may get upset when you draft a player at their position, so be care-ful during the draft.

The number of indi-vidual workouts you get

is directly tied to your general manager’s scouting skill level. A GM with a Level 1 scout-ing skill can only have a few workouts while a Level 5 skill level can result in more than 20 individual workouts.

is directly tied to your general manager’s scouting skill level.

Don’t waste your work-out selections on players

that will likely be off the draft board before your first pick unless you plan to trade up on draft day.

that will likely be off the draft board before your first pick

You usually won’t get a team to trade a high draft pick without putting some

good players on the trading block.good players on the trading block.

When you Trade Down, you can tell any interested CPU team to increase their

offer, request a specific package, end negotia-tions, or accept their initial offer.offer, request a specific package, end negotia-tions, or accept their initial offer.

Individual Workouts give you a chance to unlock every single piece of scouting information about a player, in-cluding their potential. In fact, Individual Workouts are the only way to unlock a rookie’s potential.

Obviously, you want to use your workout selections on your most likely first-round picks—not just your first choices but also back-up selections. You’ll be spending a lot of money on your top draft prospects, so you want as much information as possible to make an informed decision.

It helps to have a list of likely draft candidates written down in advance of these workouts. You should also create as list of players who’ve had individual workouts for draft day so you know which prospects have their potential grades unlocked.

36



DRAFT TACTICSDRAFT TACTICSThere is one key strategy to becom-

ing a draft wizard: Always use your top three picks to fill your team’s three biggest holes that you won’t (or can’t) fill through free agency.

You can easily view your top needs by looking at your Team Needs chart.

During a draft, it’s tempting to forsake team needs to pick up a high-profile superstar—but if you’re already well-stocked at that position, it’ll create salary cap and depth chart headaches later on. In layman’s terms: Buy your meat and potatoes first before looking for gravy.

TEAM NEEDS AND SCOUTINGHOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM

The great benefit of a strategy that focuses on Team Needs is that it gives you a road map to planning your scout-ing efforts:

• Regular-season scouting: Scout positions of need at all schools (small, mid and major) to 100 percent, start-ing with your biggest need, then your second biggest, and so on.

• Combine: Scout the highest-over-all-rated prospects at your top two po-sitions of need. (If you have a very low first draft pick, ignore the top one or two candidates if you think other teams will take them before you.) For Team Needs ranked third or lower, focus on players around 50 to 80 or so—in other words, the players that you expect will still be around after you make your first two draft picks.

• Pro Days: Look at your Combine reports and write down the schools where the prospects for your top three needs attended (it helps to sort your Draft Board by position). Prioritize and visit those schools first. For Pro Days where none of those schools are listed, visit the school with the most prospects or the school with the highest average rating (your preference). Also keep an eye out for players you haven’t scouted at all (0 percent); if you’re a gambler, visit those schools to possibly discover hidden gems.

• Individual Scouting: Save these workouts for players you project to draft in the first or second round. Since you won’t know which players are going to be available when your draft

picks roll around, you’ll have to do some educated guesswork and create pools of key players (three or four per position of need) that you realistically expect to be available for those high draft picks.

Many draft-related season goals require you to select players with high potential in the first round or two; there’s no reason to gamble on a player if you don’t know his Potential Grade.

TOP PICK TACTICSMANAGING YOUR FIRST PICKS

By draft day, you should have had Individual Workouts with (and Potential Grades for) the top players of need projected to still be available when your first two draft picks roll around.

If you scouted properly, your staff’s first Draft Suggestion should match one of the players you had an Individual Workout with. Feel free to follow their suggestion to get a small approval boost from them.

However, if your top two needs are relatively equally important, you can opt to use your first pick on the player with the biggest Potential Grade instead—especially if there’s a big grade gap.

Ideally, by the time your second draft pick comes around (usually in the second round), you’ll have a player with a high Potential Grade still available to fill that second need. If you discovered a must-have player with a great Poten-tial Grade, consider trading up to help guarantee that selection.

BOTTOM PICK TACTICS WHAT TO DO WHEN DATA IS MISSING

After your first two picks or so, you’ll begin to make draft choices with key player data missing, starting with Potential Grade. During the middle rounds, you’ll still be able to use a player’s Overall Grade to evaluate tal-ent. However, at some point, you’ll find players with not enough scouted data to have a meaningful Overall Grade.

You can always default to your staff’s Draft Suggestions, especially if they fill Team Needs. However, Staff Suggestions may not take into account poorly scouted players with hidden potential.

During the final rounds when player data can be scarce, your picks will be-come educated guesses at best, pure gambles at worst. But here are some tips that may increase your chances of finding a sleeper:

• Bypass Overall Grade: When data is missing, ignore the Overall Grade, as it can be misleading. Dig into the player’s scouting details instead to get the raw numbers.

• Future 50: If the prospect’s name is listed in the Future 50 (the next section of this guide), that’s a dead giveaway of superstar potential.

• NFL Comparison: Hidden draft gems always have a comparison to an elite superstar or top-grade player.

• The “Double 90” or “Triple 90” rule: Look at the player’s Physical and Durability grades (two grades you’ll most likely have to work with).

If both are in the 90s (especially high 90s), you might be on to something. For positions where size is beneficial, look at the Size Grade to make sure that’s in the 90s as well.

Of course, a “Double 90” or “Triple 90” is not a guarantee of success, but at least you have found a player who is strong, big (if applicable) and healthy. If you can combine such stats with an extremely favorable NFL Comparison, you have the formula for a potential sleeper pick.

The Draft Preview screen shows the overall talent level at each position as

well as a sleeper and overrated pick. For your positions of need, make note of each sleeper pick’s name and school, and try to scout each one rather thoroughly.

well as a sleeper and overrated pick. For your positions of need, make note of each sleeper

A list of the top 2008 NFL pros-pects by position can be found in the Data Compendium section.

37


We know the NFL superstars of today, and we can guess who’ll be the stars of tomorrow—but who’ll be the big stars five or 10 seasons from now?

That’ll be your big challenge as your

career progresses, and you’ll need to rely on your instincts, skills and your GM to draft a future NFL Hall of Famer.

Fortunately, the NFL Head Coach 09 development team has given us a

“crystal ball” that’ll give us a glimpse of some of the most promising youth prospects in the years to come. Here are 50 top-ranked prospects to keep an eye out for: The Future 50.

THE FUTURE 50THE FUTURE 50

BoarJackson6’1” 224 lbs.Auburn

Earlydraft report:

Boar Jackson got his name from his dad, who used to take him hunting in southern Alabama when he was a kid. Jackson is a nasty player that can either run over you, around you or through you.

He ran a 4.31 forty at the combine, benched 225 pounds 36 times and had a 38-inch vertical. Scouts have never seen a back this talented coming out of college.

Boar isn’t some finesse back like Reggie Bush and he’s not a big bruiser like Brandon Jacobs. He’s somewhere in between, and that has to terrify defensive coordinators.

Outlook: Could be best running back to come out in the draft in this game

HB

LeRonJames5’10” 222 lbs.Northern Arizona

Earlydraft report:

LeRon James is the guy nobody knows anything about, but some scouts have a feeling that will change very soon.

This kid was dominant at Northern Arizona, finishing his career with 5,678 rushing yards. His greatest game came during his junior year when he rushed for 411 yards and seven touchdowns against Portland State.

He’s got it all. Don’t be surprised if James is the premier back in the NFL in 2-3 years.

Outlook: Could become the next LaDainian Tomlinson

HB

DaneMorrow6’4” 218 lbs.Penn State

Earlydraft report:

While every scout has been praising Jack English and Kelly James for the last nine months, one quarterback has quietly gone unnoticed.

Scouts have heard comments about his throwing motion, his mobility, you name it … but there’s definitely something special about this kid.

He reminds scouts a lot of a young quarterback out of Pitt that went on to become the greatest player in Miami Dolphins history.

Outlook: Could become the next Dan Marino

QB

PatrickBoma6’3” 319 lbs.NW Okla. St.

Earlydraft report:

Patrick Boma is a favorite of some scouts. He might have been overlooked by some scouts after playing at such a small school, but this kid is special.

After escaping war-torn Darfur as a child, his family settled in Oklahoma to provide a better life for Patrick and his brothers.

He didn’t try out for organized football until his senior year and because of that, he wasn’t heavily recruited by the bigger colleges.

Outlook: Could become a Pro Bowl player

RG

JackEnglish6’3” 229 lbs.Stanford

Earlydraft report:

Need a franchise quarterback? You just got one.

Jack English is the type of player that only comes around once in a generation.

His rocket arm, football IQ and poise remind every scout of another Stanford QB from the Class of ’83 (John Elway).

English has real Hall of Fame potential. We’ll just have to see how many Super Bowls he wins before he gets there.

Outlook: Could become the next John Elway

QB

The profiles of the players on the following pages illustrate the level of realism and detail that the game developers went to when creating the game’s 20,000-plus future draft prospects.

38



KellyJames6’3” 225 lbs.Miami

Earlydraft report:

Kelly James may be getting overshadowed by the Jack English hype machine, but he’s just as talented.

He’s led Miami to some huge wins in his career, and he’s got all the tools to be an elite player in this league.

He may need a year or two to develop, but no one will be surprised to see him in the Pro Bowl in the very near future.

Outlook: Could become the next Jim Kelly

QB

JuranRiley6’0” 204 lbs.Texas

Earlydraft report:

Juran Riley played his entire career for the Longhorns at cornerback, but he might be better suited for safety in the NFL.

The 6-foot-tall, 204-pound corner is very physical and aggressive. He provides a tough match-up for receivers at the line of scrimmage.

He has very good hands, he’s fast, and he is very solid in run support.

Riley does tend to be a little bit inconsistent, but most of the time he’s a very solid defender. He is projected to be a very good lockdown corner for any NFL squad.

Outlook: Very good run-stopping corner similar to Quentin Jammer

CB

Jamarion Bellows6’0” 190 lbs.Grand Valley St.

Earlydraft report:

This could be a draft steal that could be remembered for years to come.

Bellows is a 6’0”, 190-pound receiver out of tiny Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., but he’s got the ability to start and maybe even dominate in the NFL.

He wasn’t invited to the combine or the Senior All-Star Game. Few scouts have even seen him play in person.

Outlook: Could be a big sleeper pick; reminds scouts of a smaller version of Terrell Owens

WR

Javon Jackson6’7” 327 lbs.Florida

Earlydraft report:

Jackson possesses enormous size. Jackson did not allow any sacks throughout his entire college career with the Gators. He’s the premier pass blocking tackle in the draft. Jackson has excellent quickness to prevent rushers getting around him, and he presents excellent poise in the pocket.

During his freshman season, Jackson shifted from DT to the offensive side of the ball because his coaches needed to fill a gap with an injury-plagued line. He’s received All-SEC honors each season, and he was named SEC Player of the Year. Expect him to start on Sundays.

Outlook: Could become the next great left tackle similar to Orlando Pace

LT

JakeScott6’3” 221 lbs.Texas State

Earlydraft report:

Jake Scott played all four years at Texas State University, which is less than an hour from the University of Texas.

Coming out of high school, Jake received only one scholarship offer. After signing his letter of intent, he proceeded to break seven school passing records.

Jake Scott has the size, mental capacity and arm to be a star in the NFL. Does it really matter what school he went to?

Outlook: Could be an amazing late-round sleeper pick

QB

Use the Draft Class Score to review the quality of prospective players at each position. These grades

will change for every new draft class.will change for every new draft class.

Numbers on all players’ NFL jerseys must beat least eight inches high and four inches wide.

39


Mack ‘Truck’ Jackson5’11” 226 lbs.New Mexico

Earlydraft report:

You know who Mack Jackson reminds scouts of? Brian Urlacher.

Mack “Truck” Jackson is 5’11”, 226 pounds, and very proud to have gone to the same school that his idol attended.

It’s uncanny how similar he is to the Bears Pro Bowler. He’s smart, mean and flies to the ball like a bee to honey. He never returned any kicks for the Lobos, but when he hit somebody, you heard it in the upper deck.

Outlook: Could become the next Brian Urlacher

MLB

OzzieJones5’7” 190 lbs.Oklahoma State

Earlydraft report:

Ozzie Jones reminds many of another running back out of Oklahoma State who turned out to be one of the best ever: Barry Sanders.

He is listed at 5’7” and 190 pounds, but he may even be shorter than that. He is very fast and agile, and he has great hands coming out of the backfield. This guy can really make you miss.

He’s a big home-run threat: He had 24 carries for more than 20 yards last season, and he can find the end zone between the tackles or as a return man.

Some teams question this kid’s durability to be an every play back, but he has enough talent to be worth a top draft pick.

Outlook: Could become the next Barry Sanders

HB

CooperReno6’3” 229 lbs.UNLV

Earlydraft report:

Cooper Reno reminds scouts so much of Peyton Manning that it’s scary.

He’s a tireless worker in the film room, has a very strong arm and his accuracy is unparalleled.

A lot of scouts are split between him or Rob Lane being the best QB in the draft—but look beyond the arm strength and pay attention to his leadership skills. This is a guy who will never call out his teammates or complain about his salary.

Bottom line: Whichever team drafts Reno could wind up with a franchise QB for the next 15 years.

Outlook: Could become the next Peyton Manning

QB

Jemarcus Boone6’2” 323 lbs.UCF

Earlydraft report:

Jemarcus Boone is a defensive tackle out of the University of Central Florida. There hasn’t been this much hype about a player from UCF since Daunte Culpepper.

Boone can beat you in a variety of ways; he doesn’t have any one particular strength.

He is very solid against the run, very good in the pass rush, and is really just an overall solid player.

Boone was a very respected player at UCF and a unanimous All-American selection in his final two years at the school. The junior wisely decided to pass up his senior year for a chance to be a top pick in this year’s draft.

Outlook: Could become a great defensive tackle

DT

Dravannti Jordan6’1” 208 lbs.Notre Dame

Earlydraft report:

Dravannti Jordan is a track star turned WR out of Notre Dame. He might become the fastest player in the NFL.

He was clocked at a 4.19 at the combine in February; rumor has it that some scouts have clocked him at a 4.18. He has decent hands for such a fast guy, and he can go up and get the ball at its highest point.

Jordan would be an elite prospect except for two issues. First, he can’t get off the line when pressed to save his life. Second, he’s going to spend most of his career in the training room. He’s missed all or part of the last four seasons, and he seems to get hurt every time he’s popped. If he stays healthy, he could be dangerous.

Outlook: Very fast but injury-prone

WR


40



DevinGilbert6’5” 328 lbs.USC

Earlydraft report:

Devin Gilbert, the next great defensive tackle from the acclaimed USC Trojan program, is an elite pass rushing force.

He’s an explosive interior lineman who plays with a relentless motor.

He has an amazing first step, possesses a closing burst of speed, and gets a lot of penetration in the backfield.

He’s also quick to read the play and locate the ball. His sub-4.6 forty was one of the fastest times ever recorded for a defensive tackle.

This guy has the potential to be one of the most dominant defensive tackles ever.

Outlook: Projected to become an elite pass-rushing DT

DT

DariusPryor6’5” 221 lbs.Texas

Earlydraft report:

Pryor came back and had a solid senior year after a subpar junior season. Last year’s loss against Oklahoma haunted him for the rest of the season, and he seemed to have trouble shaking off that pick he threw to first-round pick Rakeem Jordan.

This year, he avenged those demons by beating OU and Texas A&M, really showing poise under pressure.

He grades out as a 2nd rounder, but I think he has the potential to be a good QB in this league.

Outlook: A very mobile QB with a playing style similar to Vince Young

QB

Demetrius Grimes6’0” 190 lbs.Arkansas

Earlydraft report:

Demetrius Grimes from Arkansas is the premier corner in the draft.

At Arkansas, Grimes showed his versatility by spending time on both sides of the ball at receiver and cornerback, and he was arguably the best punt returner in the nation. His college career reminds many of Charles Woodson.

He has great speed and acceleration, excellent hands, and he can leap out of the stadium. His only setback is that he tore his ACL in both knees during his college career. Scouts have watched him at some private workouts, and it hasn’t seemed to have slowed him down at all.

Outlook: Could develop into a dominant shutdown corner similar to Champ Bailey

CB

FlashGorden6’5” 221 lbs.LSU

Earlydraft report:

Could this kid have a better name? It’s almost like his parents knew he’d be fast when he was born. However he got his name, it fits.

The only thing to remember here is speed. He ran a 4.19 at the combine and a 4.18 at his Pro Day. He’s got good size at 6’5” and 221 pounds, and he can jump out of the room. In fact, he had a 39 inch vertical at the combine, too.

The only issue scouts have heard about him is his attitude at times. As long as a team puts him in the right environment, he should be fine.

Outlook: With 99 speed and 99 acceleration, this is a lightning-fast wide receiver

WR

AlexHurst6’5” 231 lbs.Alabama

Earlydraft report:

Alex Hurst passed up millions after his Heisman Trophy-winning junior year to come back and have one more shot at winning a national championship.

Hurst has great poise back in the pocket, a great arm, and is incredibly accurate on his passes.

The 6’5” quarterback was slated to be a top three pick in last year’s draft, and he’s expected to draft very high once again.

Hurst is your typical dropback passer with very limited mobility, but has an incredible sense under pressure. He is a QB you could build a franchise around.

Outlook: Expected to develop into a great QB

QB

THE NFL DRAFT

While this is open to debate, in general, these are the most valuable positions when it comes to drafting solely on talent: Quarterback, offensive (left) tackle, defensive end. If you were building a team from scratch, you’d use your top three picks on these positions in order.

The first joint AFL-NFL draft took place in 1967, threeyears before the leagues officially merged in 1970.

41


TalonTolliver6’3” 218 lbs.San Diego State

Earlydraft report:

At first glance, Tolliver looks like every other kid from the O.C. (Orange County, Calif.), but when you look past the surfer haircut and laid-back demeanor, you’ll find a fierce competitor who’s been overlooked his entire life.

Tolliver was raised by his grandparents after his mother abandoned him at age 3. He grew up on the beach, surfing every spare moment of the day. Coming out of high school, he only received one scholarship offer, and that was from nearby San Diego State. He took the scholarship and started all four years for the Aztecs.

This is a good pick; he has a chance to shine in the NFL.

Outlook: Sleeper-pick QB who might become really good

QB

JohnOnken6’3” 311 lbs.Texas A&M

Earlydraft report:

John Onken, twin brother of Blake Onken, started all four years on the offensive line at Texas A&M.

He’s a huge kid at 6’3” and 311 pounds. When he makes an impact, you always feel it. He grew up in Austin, Texas, and it was expected that he would go to the University of Texas with his brother, but he changed his mind at the last minute on signing day. John and his brother were quite a tandem on the line in College Station, paving the way for three straight 1,000-yard rushers.

Outlook: A tough, hard nosed lineman who should have a long, productive career in the NFL

LG

QuincySims6’6” 300 lbs.Miami

Earlydraft report:

Quincy Sims is possibly the best defensive tackle to ever come out of college into the NFL. There really isn’t any knock on him. He has good size at 6’6” and 300 pounds, and he has freakish speed for his frame, running in the low 4.7 range.

He can play any position on the defensive line. He is quick enough to beat defenders on the outside, and strong enough to push back guards on the inside. He even has enough awareness to drop back into coverage on a zone blitz if he needs to.

He is a huge trash talker, but there is no one on the field who can back it up more.

Outlook: Will likely be an awesome DT. Expect him to be one of the highest-paid draft picks in the history of the league

DT

Jermail Rucker6’4” 238 lbs.Cincinnati

Earlydraft report:

Jermail Rucker is the kind of guy you’d want your sister to marry. He’s the ultimate team player and a great guy. Fans have seen Rucker working in soup kitchens and delivering meals to the homeless all over Cincinnati. All that and he’s got talent, too?

His stock rose dramatically after he ran a 4.49 at the combine and notched a 36-inch vertical.

The biggest positive was his interviews, though. A few teams told me they’d be shocked to see Rucker ever hold out for a bigger deal or complain about playing time.

Outlook: Could become the next Antonio Gates

TE

BlakeOnken6’3” 308 lbs.Texas A&M

Earlydraft report:

Like his brother John, Blake started all four years on the offensive line at Texas A&M.

He’s slightly smaller than his brother at 6’3”, 308 pounds, but he’s just as good.

He loved the Texas Longhorns growing up, and it’s still a shock that he went to Texas A&M as a freshman.

Blake has a great first step, and he can pack a powerful punch in a phone booth.

Outlook: Just like his brother, should have a long, productive 10-12 year career as an NFL lineman

RG


A “sleeper” draft pick is a player with possible potential to be a great player, but is not expected to draft high because he is not well known and/or was poorly scouted. By definition, sleepers are always more valuable than the draft position they’re selected at.

42



PeterBoma6’4” 316 lbs.NW Oklahoma St.

Earlydraft report:

Peter Boma, little brother of NFL lineman Patrick Boma, is a great pick.

He reminds scouts a lot of his older brother. Patrick is a little stronger, but Peter has better footwork on passing downs.

It’s great to see kids like Boma make it to the NFL. He really put on a show during his Pro Day, wowing scouts with his athleticism and strength.

Outlook: Expected to become a solid offensive lineman

RG

JelaniOkoye6’4” 333 lbs.Oregon State

Earlydraft report:

Jelani Okoye has only been playing organized football for three years, and he’s already projected as a top 10 pick in the draft. Jelani is an amazing physical specimen with great speed, a great burst, good strength, and a non-stop motor.

At 6’4” and a daunting 333 pounds, Jelani was spotted in the weight room by one of the assistants at Oregon State, and he was asked to walk on to the team. By his sophomore year, he was getting some playing time and learning the offense, and last year he burst onto the scene, going from a raw prospect to a polished football player. Jelani will be a nightmare for defenders trying to bring him down in the NFL.

Outlook: Could become the next Christian Okoye

HB

DarbyMiles6’0” 225 lbs.Missouri

Earlydraft report:

Darby “Run for” Miles has been ready for the NFL since his freshman year. He was a two-time Heisman runner-up.

As a freshman, he eclipsed 1,500 yards, and in his senior year he passed the 2,000 yard plateau. He’s a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year, and he’s a very dangerous runner.

Darby has a good frame at 6 feet and 225 pounds. He has great speed, and he will hit you like a train. He was ruled academically ineligible during his sophomore year, and if not for that, he probably would’ve left school as the nation’s all-time career rushing leader. There’s no doubt that he is ready right now to make an impact for a team needing an every-down running back.

Outlook: Could be an excellent HB

HB

TristanRiley6’5” 215 lbs.Ole Miss

Earlydraft report:

Tristan Riley is a kid who many compare to Tom Brady.

Riley never really got to show what he was made of at Ole Miss, but when he did play, he showed the intangibles required to play the quarterback position in the NFL. He’s accurate, he’s got a strong enough arm, and his coaches say he’s the smartest player they’ve ever been around.

Outlook: Could become the next Tom Brady

QB

DonsaySmith5’11” 240 lbs.Georgia Southern

Earlydraft report:

Donsay Smith is a bulldozer of a running back out of Georgia Southern. This kid is as tough as they come. A couple years ago, he was breaking up a fight outside of campus and he was hit with a wooden bat. The bat took most of the punishment and broke in two. Smith wasn’t injured.

He possesses great speed and is very hard to bring down. At the 1-AA level, it wasn’t unusual to see him carrying 3 or 4 defenders up the field. He’s a great player with a good work ethic, and he should be able to join any franchise and become a solid starter at running back.

Outlook: Expected to emerge as a big-bruiser-type running back

HB

If you want to draft the best talent regardless of position, choose a player shown on the Best Avail-

able screen. But be warned: You could be taking a major risk if you didn’t adequately scout that prospect.able screen. But be warned: You could be taking a major risk if you didn’t adequately scout that prospect.

In 1962, the Cleveland Browns drafted John Havlicek in the seventh round, who later becamea Hall of Fame player … in the National Basketball Association (playing for the Boston Celtics).

43


Marcus Jackson5’11” 208 lbs.Colorado

Earlydraft report:

Marcus Jackson is one half of the twin brother combo from Colorado.

He is an amazing prospect at running back. He’s got great vision, and that allows him to choose a hole and get through it quickly.

Jackson has great hands, and he’s a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield. Even though he’s a little undersized, Marcus can handle the ball 25-30 times a game. He did it his entire career at Boulder, and he should be able to do it in the NFL. Both Marcus and JerMarcus have star written all over them.

Outlook: Expected to become a great running back

HB

KavenDuncan6’3” 229 lbs.Nevada

Earlydraft report:

Kaven Duncan, son of former NFL QB Dan Duncan, is a great pick.

Duncan won more games than any other QB at Nevada in his three years there, and he’s smart to have declared for the NFL draft. He’s got an above-average arm and he’s very accurate.

The biggest positive with this kid is how he conducts himself off the field. Duncan studies film as much as Peyton Manning does, and he’s a very quick learner.

This is a nice selection for a team that needs a quality starting QB.

Outlook: Could be a quarterback to build a franchise around

QB

MikeZazzali6’3” 235 lbs.Arizona

Earlydraft report:

Arizona’s Mike Zazzali is a truly outstanding athlete. He’s an unbelievably strong runner who will run through linebackers’ tackles on one play, then throw a 50-yard rope to the receiver for a TD on the next.

His rushing skills at the QB position have really never been seen before at the pro level: 1,100 yards and 22 rushing scores to go along with his 25 passing scores.

What Zazzali does is simply bull over defenders—he could even be effective as a short yardage runner.

His technique needs some work, but that will come with pro coaching.

Outlook: Left-handed passer has a great arm—but can also truck defenders like a FB; a versatile scoring threat

QB

JerMarcus Jackson6’3” 245 lbs.Colorado

Earlydraft report:

JerMarcus Jackson is the other half of the twin brother combo from Colorado.

He is also an amazing prospect. He played outside linebacker for the Buffaloes while his brother played running back.

Jackson led the Big 12 in tackles last year, and his forced fumble in the Big 12 Championship game sealed the victory.

The scary thing about JerMarcus is his athletic ability. He’s as fast as his twin brother, but he plays linebacker.

Outlook: Expected to become a great linebacker

LOLB

Maceo Sweetney6’0” 225 lbs.Tennessee

Earlydraft report:

A talented three- down back, Maceo Sweetney from Tennessee is the complete package at tailback.

He is well built at 6 feet and 225 pounds. He has great break tackle power along with his game breaking speed and moves.

He catches the ball out of the backfield very well, as evidenced by his 70 receptions and 950 yards last season.

Sweetney is versatile, lined up at quarterback in high school and is actually a halfway decent passer. Look out for trick plays galore when Sweetney is lined up in the backfield.

Outlook: Could emerge as the top RB in his draft class; playing style reminds many of LaDainian Tomlinson

HB


Given the rise of multiple receiver sets in the NFL, your third (nickel) and fourth (dime) cornerbacks are becoming as valuable as your starters. You must draft for depth at corner to make sure your nickel package is a strength, not a weakness.

44



Demario Waddell6’1” 205 lbs.Washington

Earlydraft report:

This Heisman Winner from Washington is a throwback player—a modern day iron man.

Starring at four roles this season, his primary job was at cornerback. With six interceptions, the Huskies led the Pac-10 in passing defense.

His offensive starting job was at the X receiver. He tallied 45 catches, 800 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Waddell was also a starting kickoff and punt returner; combined four return TDs.

Waddell does it all; he has been telling GMs that he wants to play both sides of the ball.

Outlook: Could wind up as a star on both offense and defense; could fill roles of WR, CB, KR and/or PR

CB/WR

Drew Thompson6’4” 225 lbs.UCLA

Earlydraft report:

Drew Thompson started all four years at UCLA and ended up as the career passing yard and touchdown leader of the Pac-10, breaking Matt Leinart’s longstanding records.

Thompson spurned the NFL last year after his junior season, saying he wanted to bring a national championship back to UCLA. He fulfilled that promise by taking UCLA to the championship game and taking home MVP honors.

With his arm and leadership skills, Thompson will be a multiple Pro Bowl type of NFL QB when it is all said and done.

Outlook: Great senior QB prospect; complete package with no weaknesses

QB

AntonioBoxx6’2” 208 lbs.Tennessee

Earlydraft report:

Antonio Boxx (or “A-Boxx” as all of the Tennessee internet message boards call him) is an elite NFL safety prospect with his 4.4 speed and ferocious hitting reputation.

Boxx was famous in Tennessee for going through eight or nine helmets from the hard-hitting he was dishing out during games.

Outlook: Promising big-hit safety; just make sure to buy him extra helmets

FS

TravianDavis6’9” 350 lbs.Florida

Earlydraft report:

Travian Davis is the best offensive tackle prospect to come along since Orlando Pace from Ohio State in the 1997 NFL Draft.

An absolute monster in terms of size and quickness at 6’9”, 350 lbs., and freakish, sub-5.0 speed, Davis may be one of the best athletes in NFL Draft history.

He’s excellent at using his long arms and strong hands against any type of pass rusher.

Outlook: Could become the next Orlando Pace

LT

JohnScotland 6’4” 210 lbs.Oklahoma

Earlydraft report:

Due to the left shoulder blade injury John Scotland suffered in Oklahoma’s bowl game, he was not able to attend the NFL Combine, which has hurt his draft stock. Before the injury, Scotland had already announced his intentions of entering the draft. Most doctors think the injury will have little to no long-term effects on his non-throwing arm.

Scotland has a huge arm and looked like one of the best QB prospects around despite being a redshirt sophomore.

He will be a fun player to watch throughout his NFL career—if he stays healthy.

Outlook: Big risk as a draft pick due to injury history, but still has huge upside

QB

The most recent number two NFL Draft pick who’s also in thePro Football Hall of Fame: Eric Dickerson (chosen in 1983).

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Enoka Oshinowo7’0” 370 lbs.Nebraska

Earlydraft report:

Corn isn’t the only thing that grows tall in Nebraska: Once drafted, Oshinowo will officially become the tallest player in NFL history.

Standing at 7’0” and weighing 370 lbs., Oshinowo will tower over even the tallest NFL defenders by almost half a foot.

At Nebraska, he simply engulfed defenders at the point of attack and wore them down so much that Nebraska just steamrolled over their opponents late in the second half of games.

Some scouts have a problem with Enoka’s weight— they actually want to put 20-30 more pounds on him. Enoka likes where he’s at now. He amazingly cracked a sub-5.0 forty; at the combine he had a 4.97.

Outlook: Will be the tallest NFL player in history

LT

CletisParker5’5” 175 lbs.LSU

Earlydraft report:

Cletis “The Gimmick” Parker stands only at 5’5”, so he is always going to be looked at as a specialty back.

At LSU, “The Gimmick” nickname stuck after opposing SEC head coaches started to refer to Parker as a gimmick any time they were asked questions by the media about him.

Parker had a great senior season with 1,400 total yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s got great hands out of the backfield as well. He is not your typical third-down back, but his skills make him the ultimate weapon.

He also logged a 4.30 speed at the combine—blazing fast quickness.

Outlook: An even smaller version of an RB similar to Maurice Jones-Drew; has unbelievable moves

HB

Jervonte Johnson6’9” 245 lbs.San Diego State

Earlydraft report:

At 6 foot 9 inches, you might assume Jervonte Johnson starts on the San Diego State basketball team at power forward, but you’d be wrong: Johnson has been San Diego State’s breakout WR star this year, catching more than 65 balls for 1,000 yards and 12 scores.

He has emerged as the ultimate red-zone jump-ball threat: it’s almost unfair to see Johnson lined up against a cornerback who’s almost a foot shorter than him.

Johnson lacks top-end speed, but still managed to run under 4.6 at the combine, proving he can move awfully well for a big man.

Outlook: Impressive receiver with unreal size; could line up as either a WR or TE

WR

ChadGunn6’5” 250 lbs.Texas Tech

Earlydraft report:

When you hear Texas Tech besides Chad Gunn’s resume, you might think inflated numbers due to the gimmick offensive scheme that only works at the college level. You’d be very wrong to make those assumptions with this particular Red Raider gunslinger.

He has a rocket launcher for a right arm and uses it to throw one of the best deep balls ever seen.

The knock on Gunn is his lack of mobility; he’s not going to get away from many defensive ends. Still, that didn’t matter much when he threw for over 5,000 yards and 56 touchdowns last year, both of which led the nation.

Outlook: Amazing arm from Texas Tech who broke all kinds of records—but will it translate into NFL success?

QB

Vince McGrady6’5” 275 lbs.Alabama

Earlydraft report:

Vince McGrady is an absolute monster at the MLB position with his 6’5”, 275-pound frame.

McGrady is most often compared to former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Ray Lewis when scouts review his film.

He is a very instinctive player; his play recognition is already at an elite NFL level.

McGrady is a high- energy player who never leaves the field willingly. He was also voted by the players as Alabama’s defensive captain the last two seasons, which shows his leadership skills and the amount of respect his teammates gave him.

Outlook: Could become even bigger and stronger than Ray Lewis at the peak of his career

MLB


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TeeMorgan5’8” 180 lbs.Tennessee

Earlydraft report:

Four years ago, 16-year-old Tee Morgan was known as “TeeMorgan422” when he played Madden NFL 08 online. Tee was one of the best, winning competition after competition—including the biggest one of them all, the Madden Challenge. He now admits playing Madden helped him understand the basic concepts of the Cover 2 defense, which he in turn applied on the field in real life.

Morgan now spends his time playing real football, and he locks down wide receivers that usually tower over him. He stands 5’8” at 180 pounds, which is not your prototype CB size, but his 4.22 in the 40-yard dash makes up for it.

Outlook: Small but speedy prospect

CB

PhillipOkafor6’2” 250 lbs.Texas A&M

Earlydraft report:

“Okafor the Great” is what Aggies call super sophomore running-back sensation Phillip Okafor.

When scouts saw the 6’2”, 250-pound back run a 4.42 at the combine, they almost fell out of the stands—the hype machine is rolling and for good reason.

Watch out for “Okafor the Great,” coming to an NFL stadium near you.

Outlook: Some scouts have already compared him to Jerome Bettis; a power runner with tremendous speed

HB

J.J.Sunday6’3” 215 lbs.Notre Dame

Earlydraft report:

J.J. Sunday has been the guy since he was a midget football star in the 3rd grade.

After excelling as a four-year starter at Notre Dame, Sunday has become very experienced in the country’s most visible, high-profile college program.

He’s proven he can handle the pressure of being the face of a franchise as evidenced by his 41-5 career record as starting quarterback for the Irish.

Sunday has delivered the TKO punch to opposing teams time and time again on Saturday afternoons—now it’s time for him to do it on Sunday.

Outlook: Ideal QB prospect; most likely a #1 overall pick in the draft

QB

Vonteego Cross6’6” 285 lbs.South Carolina

Earlydraft report:

Vonteego Cross is a playmaking defensive end with an explosive first step and powerful bull rush move.

South Carolina won the SEC title this year thanks to Cross and a suffocating defense that led the nation in sacks and turnovers. Cross led the team and the nation with 21 sacks. He was the emotional leader on the team, and he’s a workout warrior who is always the first and last to leave the gym.

Despite his success rushing the passer at South Carolina in his final season, the rest of his game is raw; he’s not much help against the run.

Outlook: Could be a future Hall of Famer if you can develop his run defense skills

DE

Darrent Boulware6’2” 215 lbs.Texas

Earlydraft report:

Texas star wideout Darrent Boulware reminds scouts a lot of former Longhorns legend Roy Williams.

He’s got great size, excellent straight-line speed, and he’s so strong that he cannot be pressed by corners.

Boulware has excellent body control, and he can make some of the most acrobatic catches you’ve ever seen.

He cemented his status as the #1 WR in the draft after an amazing New Year’s Day Bowl performance. His 12 catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns against the Florida Gators and All-American corner Marcus Carroll told scouts that he deserved to be a top pick.

Outlook: Could become the next Roy Williams

WR

The number one NFL Draft pick with the most Pro Bowl appearances is BruceSmith of the Buffalo Bills (with 11), closely followed by John Elway (with 10).

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The chart below lists the default CPU team philosophies for the 2008 season when it comes to the NFL Draft and scouting players.

This is open to debate, but the best philosophy across the board is to draft based on need. It’s a good idea to manually adjust to that philosophy because scouting the best available players does you little good if you don’t plan on drafting them.

Also, if you have a weak GM, the need to narrow your scouting focus becomes that much more important.

CPU DRAFT PHILOSOPHYCPU DRAFT PHILOSOPHY

TEAM DRAFT PHILOSOPHY DRAFT DAY TRADE PHILOSOPHY INDIVIDUAL WORKOUT PHILOSOPHY REG. SEASON SCOUT FOCUS

Bears Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Bengals Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Bills Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Broncos Best Available Trade Up Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Browns Need Trade Up Scout Needs Small Schools

Bucs Need Trade Down Scout Needs Major Schools

Cardinals Need Trade Down Scout Needs Major Schools

Chargers Best Available Trade Up Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Chiefs Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Major Schools

Colts Best Available Trade Up Scout Best Available Needs

Cowboys Need Trade Down Scout Needs Mid-Major Schools

Dolphins Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Major Schools

Eagles Best Available Trade Up Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Falcons Need Trade Down Scout Best Available Major Schools

49ers Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools49ers Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Giants Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Jaguars Best Available Neutral Scout Needs Small Schools

Jets Best Available Trade Up Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Lions Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Packers Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Major Schools

Panthers Need Neutral Scout Needs Mid-Major Schools

Patriots Need Trade Down Scout Needs Mid-Major Schools

Raiders Need Trade Down Scout Needs Major Schools

Rams Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Ravens Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Redskins Best Available Trade Down Scout Best Available Major Schools

Saints Best Available Neutral Scout Best Available Small Schools

Seahawks Best Available Neutral Scout Best Available Mid-Major Schools

Steelers Need Trade Up Scout Needs Small Schools

Titans Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Texans Need Neutral Scout Needs Major Schools

Vikings Best Available Neutral Scout Needs Small Schools



































































Notable drafting trends for 2008 and beyond in the NFL include…

Running Back Platooning: Unless you have a superstar RB, many teams are relying on more than one back. The backs often have contrasting playing styles (i.e. one will be a quick and speedy slasher, the other a powerful up-the-gut runner). By rotating RBs as the play situation dictates, you’ll have better suited personnel in the backfield. As an added bonus, this reduces wear and tear on your players. Drafting a group of specialized backs may enhance your run game more than sticking to a single back.

Getting Bigger: Draft choices have gotten heavier at almost all positions. In 1988, the average player drafted was 231 pounds. In 2007, the average player was 243. QBs and WRs have also grown an inch taller on average.

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THE PRE-SEASONTHE PRE-SEASON

‘Once you get here, it doesn’t matter if you’re the No. 1 pick or a free agent. Everybody gets the same opportunity and hopefully they’ll take advantage of it.’

—Tony Dungy at the Colts 2008 rookie minicamp

OFF-SEASON EVENTS 50

DEVELOP STAFF 52

CUT DAYS 54


The pre-season begins at the end of July, roughly a week or two before your first pre-season game.

If you’re starting a career at the pre-season, you’ll have the chance to start your team with the default roster, current roster or load a saved roster.

Here are some of the various events that you’ll encounter during the pre-season. Two specific events, Cut Days and Develop Staff, are featured as separate topics later in this section.

Events related to game preparation and player health are covered in the Regular Season section.

NEW SEASON GOALSSETTING BENCHMARKS FOR YOUR SEASON

The first task of the pre-season is to review any new Season Goals that appear during the pre-season.

Goals can be viewed by one of four categories (hold down the LT button (L2 on PS3)), then use the directional stick to select: All Goals, Success-ful Goals, Failed Goals and Goals in Progress. The categories are fairly self-explanatory, and for those start-ing a career in the pre-season, the only goals available for view will be those in progress.

Each goal consists of four items:1. Description: A note from your

team owner about what he or she would like to accomplish.

2. Action(s): Below the description is what you need to do to meet that goal. Depending on the goal, you may have multiple options. For instance, if

you need to update the playbook with new plays, you can create new plays or download them.

3. Upside: The green box shows what will happen to your approval rat-ing. For instance, a “GM +40” means the approval rating of your GM will go up by 40 points if you meet the goal.

4. Deadline: The date you need to have this goal achieved.

5. Downside: The red box shows what will happen to your approval rat-ing if you fail to meet your goal by the deadline. For instance, a “Players -20” means the approval rating of your play-ers will go down by 20 points if you fail to meet the goal.

If you have to prioritize goals, focus first on the ones with the most negative downside. Give lower priority to those with no downside (in other words, the penalty for failure is 0). Of course, your goals should also be prioritized by deadline as well.

You will get an event notice when you fail to reach a goal.

TRAINING CAMP INVITEWHO’S ATTENDING YOUR TRAINING CAMP

This screen shows who’ll be at-tending your training camp this year. Attendees fall into two categories:

1. Rookies: You may or may yet have an idea of their potential or their skill levels just yet. It’ll be your job to find that information out as the season progresses.

Rookies are denoted by a large ‘R’ in the upper right corner of their player profiles.

2. Veterans: You’ll have an idea of their potential right off the bat. Obvi-ously, many of these players will be from your current squad.

You can sort this list by attribute, playing position and category.

STAFF RECAPREVIEWING YOUR HELP ON THE SIDELINES

The Staff Recap lets you review team by team the various staff moves done during the pre-season. If this is your first season as head coach, you probably won’t see much movement.

ROOKIE NEGOTIATIONSHOW TO AVOID HOLDOUTS

Rookie contract negotiations kick off before and during training camp. The higher the rookie was drafted, the more money he’ll expect: First-round draft picks can command multimillion-dollar signing bonuses (i.e. $30-40 million) while 7th rounders rate only the mini-mum total at best.

In general, the bigger the contract,

PRE-SEASON EVENTSPRE-SEASON EVENTS

you need to update the playbook with

tending your training camp this year. Attendees fall into two categories:

have an idea of their potential or their skill levels just yet. It’ll be your job to find that information out as the season progresses.

Some examples of goals include:

• Execute a specific trade

• Increase average play knowledge for a specific player

• Add new plays to the playbook

Season Goals that appear in the pre-season usually involve adding plays to the playbook or increasing play knowledge for a specific

player on your roster.player on your roster.

Your GM is in charge of finding and inviting players (both un-drafted rookies and unsigned free agent veterans) to fill out your

training camp roster.training camp roster.

50



the bigger the headache. Depending on the personality you’re dealing with, negotiations can break down quickly. When that occurs, the player will wait a week before returning to the nego-tiating table. If that occurs more than once, you’ll wind up with a holdout.

The quicker you can get players into camp, the sooner they’ll learn the playbook, so it’s to your advantage to wrap up deals expeditiously.

There is one very important strategy when it comes to rookie negotiations: They’ll always ask for way more than they deserve. In fact, most non-high-profile rookies deserve merely the low-est salary available. In such cases, play hardball in your initial rookie negotia-tion: Don’t budge and offer the lowest or second-lowest package twice in a row to see if the rookie will cave in. You can readjust your tactics if the player walks away immediately.

It’s also a bad idea to finalize a deal with an unknown rookie until you un-lock enough info about their stats and overall score to make an informed offer.

PRE-SEASON PROMISEDEFINING SEASON EXPECTATIONS

The Pre-Season Promise is a con-versation between you and the team owner about what you expect your team to accomplish this season.

When this event appears, you get to see your current job status and your owner’s season expectation—consider the latter the “miminum” accepted performance level.

Each promise shows an increase in your approval rating if you choose that given promise. Promises range from winning a certain amount of games (as little as 3 for struggling teams) to win-ning the Super Bowl.

When choosing a promise, set realistic goals but try to pick one that exceeds your owner’s expectation: After all, the owner sets that bar for the CPU coach—and you can do better than that.

Failing to meet this promise wil severely hurt your Approval Rating; if you’re on the hot seat, it may even get you fired.

BOX SCOREREVIEW YOUR PRE-SEASON GAMES

This event will appear after each pre-season game; you can review your game and player stats.

PROGRESS REPORTUNLOCKED INFO

Before each Cut Day, you’ll get to review some of the stats your GM was able to unlock for rookies in training camp. The longer you keep a player in camp, the more information you’ll be able to discover. A player’s Overall rating may go up or down as more in-formation on that player gets released.

PLAY CREATORADD TO YOUR PLAYBOOK

Your first opportunity to develop your playbook occurs after your first pre-season game. Although you’ll get additional opportunities in the regular season, if you have creating new plays as one of your Season Goals, take ad-vantage of these chances to get closer to achieving those goals.

ASK EA SPORTS

Will CPU teams evolve from one season to the next?

CPU teams will certainly change styles throughout your coach’s career. When a CPU team has a bad year, the owners will shake things up and bring in new coaches.

Some elite coordinators may even demand that the CPU fire the rest of the coaching staff—and some NFL teams might comply.

Other coaches will bring in their personal playbooks and revamp their rosters to find players who fit in with the new system. As a result, your opponents will constantly evolve as the seasons progress.

ASK EA SPORTS

Most rookies don’t have negotiation leverage because they have yet to prove their potential. As a result, you can afford

to offer only the minimum (or second) package—and stay firm.to offer only the minimum (or second) package—and stay firm.

In addition to your owner’s current expectation for the season ahead, you’ll also get to see your current job status.

If you’re on the hot seat, you’ll need to turn things around this season—you might not have a second season to work with.If you’re on the hot seat, you’ll need to turn things around this season—you might not have a second season to work with.

Once players start considering retirement, theycan retire at any time in the offseason or pre-season.

You have to keep a rookie around until the start of the regular season to unlock

that player’s final Overall rating.that player’s final Overall rating.

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DEVELOP STAFFDEVELOP STAFFOne of the most important things

to learn in NFL Head Coach 09 is that your assistant coaches and staff will make a great impact on your players’ development. The better your staff, the faster you’ll be able to turn a franchise around and improve players’ skills.

For instance, for 2008 the Rams have an excellent wide receiver coach in Henry Ellard—among the league’s top five, in fact. A coach like Ellard boosts his receivers’ intangible ratings (i.e. route running and catching) during practices and enhances their progres-sion. So how do you turn your WR coach into the next Henry Ellard?

Skill Points are the key to develop-ing not only your skills, but those of your coaching staff as well.

Skill Points are earned through vari-ous accomplishments, such as game wins or outstanding player stats in a game (i.e. rush for 200 yards or pass for 400 yards). Specific coaching staff positions can earn points for special tasks: A GM who drafts a great player or a trainer who heals a key player quickly can earn points.

STAFF DEVELOPMENTTHE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR TRUE SUCCESS

Improve a player, and you get one better player. Improve a coach, and ev-eryone that coach manages improves.

It’s no wonder why staff develop-ment will play a crucial role during the season.

When you evaluate your staff skills for the first time, there are some impor-tant things to look at:

1. Your Trainer’s Philosophy: This will help determine the type of recom-mendations you can expect from your trainer when evaluating health and fatigue reports. Pay careful atten-tion to the last philosophy attribute: Injury Playing Status. You may need to manually adjust your injury and fatigue decisions based on how aggressive or conservative your trainer is.

2. Your General Manager’s Skills: Look especially hard at how well he can evaluate rookies and potential for given positions. Your scouting knowledge will come from your GM, so you need to evaluate how much info you’ll actually get from him.

Whenever you or someone on your staff earns skill points, use them imme-diately, and focus on skills that address your team’s top priorities or compen-sate for your staff’s deficiencies.

When it comes to basic skills, all coaching staff (excluding the GM and trainer) share similar skill categories such as Team Chemistry, Play Call, Strategy, Performance, Physical Devel-opment, Intangibles Development and Learning Development. The differences will be in the positions those skills ap-ply to (i.e. the defensive back coach only has basic skills that apply to DBs).

Here’s a breakdown of notable skills that other staff members possess:

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR28 SPECIAL SKILLS

All are based on offensive special skills of the head coach except for the following:

Play Stealing 4,500 Skill Points

Guarantees that the coordinator will be able to steal plays from the opponent at the end of every game.Prerequisite: Playbook Training.

Advanced Playbook Training 22,500 Skill Points

All newly created or download-ed plays come into the playbook at the Learned level for all players.Prerequisite: Play Stealing.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR23 SPECIAL SKILLS

All are based on defensive special skills similar to the head coach except for Play Stealing and Advanced Play-book Training (as previously shown).

SPECIAL TEAMS COACH4 SPECIAL SKILLS

Kick Power Training 3,500 Skill Points

Increases kicker and punter kicking power.

Kick Accuracy Training 6,500 Skill Points

Increases kicker and punter accuracy.

Kicking Discipline 10,000 Skill Points

Generally improves kicker and punter stats. Prerequisites: Kick Power Training and Kick Accuracy Training.

Kick Return Discipline 7,500 Skill Points

Gives the kick returner boosts to speed and ball carrying stats when returning a kickoff or punt.

POSITION COACHESSPECIAL SKILLS

Quarterback Coach• 7 Special Skills (all are based on

skills similar to the head coach)

Running Back Coach• 8 Special Skills (all are based on


Wide Receiver Coach• 7 Special Skills (all are based on


Offensive Line Coach• 7 Special Skills (all are based on


Linebacker Coach• 8 Special Skills (all are based on


Defensive Back Coach• 7 Special Skills (all are based on


skills similar to the head coach except for book Training

kicking power.

Here’s how basic skills are rated from a scale of 1 to 5:

Level 1: Poor (one of the worst)

Level 2: Decent (not the worst but close to it)

Level 3: Average (middle of the pack)

Level 4: Good (does a great job)

Level 5: Great (one of the best)

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Defensive Line Coach• 5 Special Skills (all are based on


GENERAL MANAGERSKILLS AND SPECIAL SKILLS

Basic skills:• Trade Negotiation: Defines how

effectively a GM negotiates trades.• Contract Negotiation: Defines

how effectively a GM negotiates con-tracts.

(The next two skills are broken down by position: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, P and K)

• Potential Evaluation: Defines how accurately this GM will evaluate a player’s potential during scouting for a given position (10 total)

• Rookie Scouting: Defines how well this GM scouts rookie players for a given position (10 total)

Special skills: Accommodation 6,000 Skill Points

Increases a free agent coach’s compatibility with the team going into the hiring process.

Small School Insider 4,000 Skill Points

Unlocks additional scouting information about players from small schools during the scouting process.

Mid Major School Insider 6,000 Skill Points

Unlocks additional scouting info about players from mid-major schools during the scouting process.

Major School Insider 8,000 Skill Points

Unlocks additional scouting information about players from major schools during the scouting process.

Draft Intuition 10,000 Skill Points

Instantly unlocks ALL scouting information for some top players in the Draft Class—occurs at the start of each scouting period. Prerequisites: Small School Insider, Mid Major School Insider and Major School Insider.

Potential Intuition 10,000 Skill Points

Adds the Potential Grade to the information unlocked about any players scouted during Pro Day Scouting in the off-season. Prerequisite: Draft Intuition.

TEAM CAREER DEVELOPMENT PHILO.

Bears Balanced

Bengals Balanced

Bills Balanced

Broncos Balanced

Browns Balanced

Bucs Balanced

Cardinals Balanced

Chargers Important Abilities First

Chiefs Balanced

Colts Important Abilities First

Cowboys Balanced

Dolphins Balanced

Eagles Balanced

Falcons Balanced

49ers Balanced

Giants Balanced

Jaguars Balanced

Jets Balanced

Lions Acquire Special Skills

Packers Balanced

Panthers Balanced

Patriots Acquire Special SkillsPatriots Acquire Special Skills

Raiders Balanced

Rams Balanced

Ravens Important Abilities First

Redskins Balanced

Saints Balanced

Seahawks Acquire Special Skills

Steelers Balanced

Titans Balanced

Texans Balanced

Vikings Balanced

Super Bowl XLII (in which the Giants beat the Patriots 17-14) was the most-watched Super Bowl ever; it was seen by more than 97 million viewers. It broke the 1996 record of 94 million who watched the Cowboys defeat the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

GM DEVELOPMENT PROFILESHOW GMS DEVELOP THEIR OWN SKILLS

The chart below lists the default 2008 Team Philosophies for each team when it comes to career development.

If you see the Develop Staff event pop up constantly, it’s probably because you have a large amount of unused Skill Points to spend.

Just like players, staff members may have limited potential when it comes to

basic skills. You might need to replace staff members with very low potential.basic skills. You might need to replace staff members with very low potential.

When it comes to scouting and potential evaluation, many General Managers

usually are very effective at analyzing certain positions—but less effective at others.usually are very effective at analyzing certain positions—but less effective at others.

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DEVELOP STAFFDEVELOP STAFF

CUT DAYSCUT DAYS

First Round Intuition 12,500 Skill Points

Instantly unlocks ALL scouting information for every projected first round draft pick. Prerequisite: Potential Intuition.

TRAINERSKILLS AND SPECIAL SKILLS

Basic skills:• Injury Evaluation: Defines how

accurately the trainer can assess re-covery length for a player’s injury.

• Rehabilitation: Defines how long it will take injured players to recover from all types of injuries.

• Fatigue Recovery: Defines how efficiently the trainer assists players in recovering fatigue.

Special Skills: Off Season Rehab 3,500 Skill Points

Players will recover health faster during the off-season.

Cardio Training Program 6,500 Skill Points

Reduces the negative impact to a player’s stats that is normally associated with low levels of health and fatigue.

Long Term Rehabilitation 10,000 Skill Points

Reduces or negates the permanent impact to a player’s attributes that can be caused by severe injuries. Prerequisites: Off Season Rehab and Cardio Training Program.

Specialized Rehabilitation 10,000 Skill Points

Players coming off of injury status will return with the injured body part at maximum health. Prerequisite: Long Term Rehabilitation.

Cut Days are a difficult but neces-sary part of the NFL pre-season. Every head coach has to whittle down their roster as the pre-season progresses, and usually, players that can’t prove their potential in pre-season games are the first to go.

Just like in real life, the longer your players stay in training camp, the more information you’ll unlock about each one. That’ll make your decisions a little easier as the pre-season progresses.

As far as NFL Head Coach 09 goes, there are two approaches to Cut Days:

1. Cut Based on Overall Talent: This is the easiest approach; cut the

players with the lowest overall ratings.2. Cut Based on Roster Break-

down: Press the Y button (or Triangle button on PS3) to display the Roster Breakdown. Make a list of positions where you have excess personnel, then cut the lowest-rated personnel at those positions.

3. Cut Based on GM Suggestions: Press the X button (or Square button on PS3) to get the GM’s suggestions. Remember that his suggestions may only be as good as his evaluation skills, so don’t treat them as gospel unless you have no clue who to cut.

Regardless of what approach you

take, make sure you don’t create any depth chart holes.

Could you be cutting a “diamond in the rough” using either of these ap-proaches? Possibly—but remember, you can only work with the best data at hand, even if it may not be complete. If you’re stuck with missing data, sort by athleticism or speed and weed out the lowest scores.

If you find yourself cutting high draft picks, you must seriously re-evaluate how well you’re scouting your draft picks—it’s something that should never happen, and if it does, it could wreck any season goals related to the draft.

The Cut Players screen lists players and their positions in reverse order of their Overall grades. Each player listed shows how cap

space be saved (or penalized) by cutting a given player.space be saved (or penalized) by cutting a given player.

1 Press the Y button (Triangle on PS3) to view your team’s Roster Breakdown. This will help you figure out your depth at various

positions—try not to cut below your desired levels.positions—try not to cut below your desired levels.

2

54


THE REGULAR SEASONTHE REGULAR SEASON

—Tony Dungy on the end of the 2007 season after a playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers

‘The finality of not playing any more, of the season just being over with no warning, is what makes the NFL playoffs so special. There are no second chances and no excuses accepted. But when you lose, there is nothing to do but look to next year.’

WEEKLY GAMEPLAN 56

PLAYBOOK EVOLUTION 57

DEALING WITH INJURIES 58

OTHER EVENTS 59


The weekly Gameplan is your key for preparing for your next opponent. Although you first develop Gameplans in the pre-season, it’s in the regular season where they really matter.

Your Gameplan can focus on increasing the effectiveness of certain offensive or defensive plays, or in some cases, training a player you’ve invited to camp. Your Gameplan will dictate your Gameplan Agenda before a foot-ball game begins, so smart gameplan decisions are crucial to success.

DETERMINE YOUR GAMEPLANMAPPING OUT YOUR STRATEGY

Before your next game, your general manager will assemble the coaching staff and outline your practice strategy for the current day. Choosing a game-plan prepares your team for the game, and it can give your players a boost when you choose to use it.

The better your coaches are, the more opportunities you’ll get to use the Gameplan(s) during a game. The high-est-level coordinator will let you use each Gameplan six times in a game, while the lowest-level coordinator will let you use each one only twice.

Gameplan choices may include:• Train player: Increase playbook

knowledge for a specific player. In training camp, this will usually involve a rookie.

• Improve an offensive or defen-sive play: Increase the effectiveness as well as mastery of a specific offensive and defensive play or scheme.

• Cancel practice: Rest your play-ers to fix their health and fatigue.

Some other considerations when determining your gameplan:

1. Select Gameplans that have the added benefit of achieving goals. For instance, work with specific players to increase their play knowledge.

2. Try to balance gameplan choices between offense and defense to avoid undue fatigue to a specific squad or player. Also balance choices so you have a good variety at your disposal.

3. Select Gameplans that exploit your opposing team’s weaknesses. For example, if your next opponent can’t stop the run, work on run plays. When the NFL Network cut-ins appear, listen

for clues that may help you choose the best Gameplans. For instance, if your opponent is working on the inside run, choose a plan to stop such plays.

4. Choose Cancel Practice to let players rest; set up a schedule to keep players fresh (i.e. one canceled practice after a win or every other game). Play-ers love time off, so you’ll get a small approval boost whenever you do this.

PRACTICE RECAPTHE RESULTS OF YOUR GAMEPLAN

The Practice Recap screen illus-trates how your team’s knowledge im-proved for the play you chose to focus on in practice.

The left side of the window shows the actual play layout, play name, aver-age success score and yards gained. You want the success score to be as close to 100 percent, of course. On offense, you want a high yards gained average; on defense you want an aver-age as close to zero as possible.

The right side of the window shows the before vs. after change as a result of practice of the percent of players who have mastered the play, learned the play or unlearned the play. Here are these categories in detail:

• Mastered: Players with this level of knowledge will get a huge boost

when this play is run. In many cases, these will be your veterans and your quick-learning superstars.

• Learned: Players with this level of knowledge will run your play mistake-free but won’t get any boosts.

• Unlearned: Players who haven’t learned the play may make mistakes (i.e. run the wrong route or blitz instead of play zone) and will have a drop in key attributes when the play is run.

Obviously, the goal is to have mas-tery of a given play; the secondary goal is to have your players at least learn the given play. Various schools of thought exist when it comes to mastering plays; a good rule of thumb is to completely master plays you plan to call frequently during a game, and master plays that you label as “high consistency”—i.e. runs that regularly net you the same amount of yards each time it’s called.

Players will “forget” a play over time if it’s not practiced or used in a game. Players with higher learning ratings will remember plays longer than those with lower ratings (another reason why that stat is important to scout for).

For practice as it relates to health and fatigue, don’t put too much stress on your offense or defense by practic-ing similar plays in repetition. Mix up reps between offense and defense, run and pass, zone and blitz. This will also develop a well-rounded playbook.

WEEKLY GAMEPLANWEEKLY GAMEPLAN

You’ll have more time to develop your gameplan (i.e. more practice opportunities) during regular sea-son and playoff bye weeks.

for clues that may help you choose the

when this play is run. In many cases, these will be your veterans and your quick-learning superstars.

A player’s learning rating has a big effect on your team. Players with learning ratings greater than 90 will learn plays very quickly. Play-ers with less than 50 may never learn your plays quickly enough to execute them properly.

When it comes to Gameplans, try to de-velop rookies in the pre-season. During

the regular season, focus on plays that exploit your upcoming opponent’s weaknesses.the regular season, focus on plays that exploit your upcoming opponent’s weaknesses.

1 The effects of your team practice are revealed in the Practice Recap; you’ll get

to see first-hand what percent of players have learned or mastered the play(s) shown.to see first-hand what percent of players have learned or mastered the play(s) shown.

2

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PLAYBOOK EVOLUTIONPLAYBOOK EVOLUTIONThink of your playbook as a liv-

ing being: always changing, always growing—but never static. You’ll have many reasons to evolve your playbook: Injuries, new players, stolen plays and season goals to devise new plays.

PLAYCALLING ADVICEADDITIONAL INSIGHT

Weather Watch: Always take weather into account when calling plays: If it’s rainy or snowy, it may be more difficult to complete passes. If it’s windy, it may be easier or harder to convert field goals and kick punts. Make sure your play calls work well with weather conditions.

How the CPU Operates: When you let the CPU take over playcalling for your team (i.e. if you play games in sim mode), the CPU will take a look at your playcalling history and follow the trends you’ve set.

In a Hurry? Keep It Simple: Make sure to not get caught in an exotic defense playcall when the opposing offense kicks into hurry-up mode. You may not be able to change your play-call without calling a timeout.

Quality Trumps Quantity: A small playbook with good plays always trumps a big playbook with average plays. If you plan to simulate playcall-ing, having CPU coaches pick from a smaller pool of good plays is essential.

Mastery Trumps Everything: A weak playbook gets a whole lot stron-ger if your team can master it. Likewise, a very strong playbook loses its punch if your players can’t learn it or don’t have the talent to execute it effectively.

PLAYCALL HISTORYREVIEWING YOUR TENDENCIES

The Playcall History screen (in the Playbook section of the Clipboard) tracks your history of called plays. You can filter called plays to see what you’ve called in different situations. It’s a good way to track tendencies and to see if you’re being too predictable with your calls (remember, if you can see it, so can your CPU opponents).

Each week prior to a game, you’ll

To find out how much your players know your plays, go to View Playbook in the Clipboard. Find the play you want to

see, then press the A button (X on PS3) to view play knowledge.see, then press the A button (X on PS3) to view play knowledge.

When you get your playcalling scouting report for your upcoming opponent, you can get all sorts of useful data from

it: Not only the pass/run ratio and most successful plays, but also play diagrams. If you see a play that looks cool, sketch out and copy the design to create your own version of it in your playbook.

it: Not only the pass/run ratio and most successful plays, but also play diagrams. If you see a play that looks cool, sketch out and

Stealing Plays is a fast way to build your playbook with mini-mal effort. The number of plays available to steal depends on

your coordinators’ skill levels.your coordinators’ skill levels.

ASK EA SPORTS

What do the different colors stand for when looking at defensive play diagrams?

The colors are similar to those used in Madden NFL 09. Colored ovals represent areas of zone coverage; lines to an oval show the defend-ers’ movements into their zones.

Light blue: Covers the flats (shallow zone)

Dark blue: Deep zone

White: Spy coverage

Orange arrow: Blitz

Yellow: Hook zone (in general, zone areas near the hash marks)

Purple: Buzz zone (in general, zone areas close to the sidelines)

ASK EA SPORTS

get a scouting report on your opponent with that team’s playcall tendencies. Analyze that report carefully to get a feel for what plays you can expect.

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all health and fatigue. However, you should also focus on the specific areas listed: head, right arm, right leg, torso, left arm, and left leg. A diagram to the left shows those areas, and injured parts will show up in red.

WHEN A PLAYER IS INJUREDWHAT TO DO WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

When a player gets injured, you can adjust your depth chart, hire a free agent to take his spot, or put the player on injured reserve (IR). For minor injuries, you don’t need to do anything; the player will be pulled to the sidelines and return once healthy. If you’re thin at that position, you can hire a free agent—but it’s not necessary to do so until your staff informs you of a Low Roster Alert. If the injury is likely to end

that player’s season, you should place the player on IR. Players on IR are gone for the season and cannot return, so use IR with extreme care. (IR also opens up cap space equal to that hurt player’s salary for that season.)

SUBSTITUTIONSPREVENT INJURIES BEFORE THEY OCCUR

Frequent substitutions can keep players fresh and reduce the chance of injury. Either make a point of manually subbing in players during a game, or adjust your team’s philosophy to boost health/fatigue substitution levels.

Another substitution tactic is to edit a play in your playbook to alter the depth chart so that certain players are more likely to run that given play.

DEALING WITH INJURIESDEALING WITH INJURIESNFL Head Coach 09 features an in-

novative “Wear and Tear” injury system, in which a player loses health points each time he gets hit—and the body parts affected depend on where the player receives the contact. This dam-age builds up over time, so you’ll be responsible for dictating when players should rest and recover.

INJURY REPORTSWHO TO PLAY OR SIT

The injury report screen lists the health status of all the players on your roster, so you can decide who to sit and who to play. You’ll get your first injury report as you start the preseason.

You can sort players by position using the RT button (R2 on PS3). You can also sort players by the following categories:

• All: All players• Healthy: Healthy players only• Probable: Should be healthy

enough by game day• Questionable: May or may not be

healthy enough by game day• Doubtful: Will likely not be healthy

enough by game day• Out: Not available due to injury• Low Fatigue: Players with low

fatigue

HEALTH & FATIGUE REPORTSKEEP YOUR PLAYERS FRESH

You will regularly receive these reports, which list all the players who are banged up or hurt. You can then choose to sit out or play them.

If you’re not sure what to do, fol-low the recommendation given by the trainer. However, you can override any recommendation depending on the situation. For instance, you should rest fatigued players if the upcoming game is meaningless to your playoff picture. If you have a must-win game ahead, play your superstars no matter what.

However, from a long-term franchise standpoint, it’s almost always wisest to err on caution and keep your players fresh and develop your back-ups rather than risk key personnel to season- or career-ending injuries (which can also hurt their trade value down the road).

On the “Injury Report Action” screen, you’ll see the main bars that show over-

ASK EA SPORTS

How often will players be injured, and how long will they need to recover?

Players will get injured as often as they do in the NFL, and your trainer’s ability will determine how quickly they’ll rehab. Some inju-ries can knock a player out for a year or more.

ASK EA SPORTS

Severe injuries can affect your player’s overall rating. For instance, a severe concussion could make a player with a 99

overall rating drop to 92. Obviously, you don’t want to overwork players to the point where they run a high risk of a career-threat-ening injury, so when you get reports during a game of fatigued players, think twice before forcing them to stay on the field.

overall rating drop to 92. Obviously, you don’t want to overwork players to the point where they run a high risk of a career-threat-

Review the health of all players with the Fatigue and Injury Report. You’ll also get

these reports during games as certain players tire. The options are simple: Let the player play or keep him out to rest. If you’re not sure, either follow the recommendation of your trainer or play it safe and keep him out.

these reports during games as certain players tire. The options are simple: Let the player

The best way to avoid fatigue is to be proactive with substitutions. For

instance, bring in your 2nd and 3rd stringers when you have a comfortable lead. Another useful tool is to Quick Sub when choosing a play—this is the easiest way to sub in running backs if you’re trying to platoon them.

instance, bring in your 2nd and 3rd stringers when you have a comfortable lead. Another

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OTHER EVENTSOTHER EVENTSIn addition to your weekly game

preparation and roster management tasks, here are other events you’ll see as the regular season unfolds:

NEW SEASON GOALSREGULAR SEASON

You’ll usually see a deluge of new Season Goals once the regular season begins. Some examples include:

• Win a certain number of games• Win a specific game against a rival• Re-sign specific players• Replace certain members of your

coaching staff• Reach a specific approval level by

the end of the season.

GAME CHANGERSUNEXPECTED BIG MOMENTS

Game Changers are unexpected events that every coach must deal with. In actuality, these can occur at any time of the year—but you probably won’t encounter any of these events until after your first regular season begins.

A few examples:• The Accounting Error Game

Changer causes the league to wipe your cap penalties clear due to an ac-counting error.

• The Approval Boost Game Changer gives you a small increase in approval.

• The Approval Drop Game Changer gives you a small decrease in approval.

• The Change of Heart Game Changer causes a staff member with locked philosophies to unlock them.

• The Coaching Retreat Game Changer cause your coaches to gain skill points after a weekend retreat.

• The Coaching Seminar Game Changer causes your coaches to gain skill points after that seminar.

• The Continue Career Game Changer causes one NFL player to come out of retirement and return to the league.

• The Development Breakthrough Game Changer causes a player to gain some progression points.

• The Inside Info Game Changer causes a team to unlock all scouting information about an individual player in the draft.

• The Teaching Breakthrough Game Changer causes every player on the team’s learning ability to increase by 10 percent.

• The Max Fatigue Game Changer causes a player to regain his max fatigue immediately.

• The Miracle Recovery Game Changer causes an injured player to recover instantly from an injury.

• The Unexpected Injury Game Changer causes a player to be injured off the field, whether it’s cutting their hand making a sandwich or receiving a sprained back from a violent sneeze.

• The Unexpected Retirement Game Changer forces a player to walk away from the NFL early.

CONTRACT RE-SIGNINGSNEGOTIATIONS

Starting in the first month of the regular season, players in the final year of their deal will seek a new contract if they want to stay with the team.

If talks break down, they’ll come back as the season comes along—but be warned: Some personality types will decide to leave the team if contract talks break down. It’s imperative to settle contracts with your key super-stars that you wish to keep.

UNDERPAID PLAYERSNEGOTIATIONS

Players who believe they’re currently underpaid (whether justified or not) will often seek to renegotiate their contract even though they may have years left on their deal. This is never good for your salary cap, but it may require you to “bite the bullet” and pony up more dough to keep that player happy.

Personality type plays a big role in this—so when bringing in new players, watch out for personality types and traits (i.e. Materialistic, Self-Focused) that might cause contract headaches. down the road.

ACTIVE ROSTERPRE-GAME REQUIREMENT

Before each game, you’re required to submit a 45-player list of active players from your full 53-player roster. The CPU does this for you automati-cally based on your team’s injuries and depth chart, but you can review it if you

Game Changers are purely random events that are out of your control—whether good or bad, you’ll have to take them in stride.

You’ll get additional opportunities during the season to create plays. If you’re just making plays to fulfill season goals, but aren’t

really into the whole process, choose an existing play and edit it only slightly, such as changing a pass route, then rename and save it.really into the whole process, choose an existing play and edit it only slightly, such as changing a pass route, then rename and save it.

59


OTHER EVENTSOTHER EVENTSwish. You can also review other teams (including your next opponent) so see if there are any key injuries that you might be able to take advantage of.

AWARDSTHE BEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK & THE YEAR

After each week of games, the NFL names the offensive and defensive players who had the best performanc-es. At the end of the season, the NFL hands out awards such as offensive and defensive players of the year as well as coach of the year.

to this type of behavior.IN-SEASON SCOUTINGTHE HUNT FOR TALENT NEVER CEASES

Scouting is a year-long event: Your scouts and GM will scout colleges dur-ing the fall to evaluate talent for next year’s draft. Players scouted during the regular season will have their strengths and weaknesses, production grade and NFL comparisons unlocked. Players’ production grades will go up or down as the season progresses.

to this type of behavior.DEPTH CHART SCENARIOSRECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOUR STAFF

Occasionally, your coaching staff will approach you with requests to alter the depth chart.

Usually, the request is to bench a struggling player or to replace a veteran with a promising rookie. You get the final say in the decision, but usually, it’s best to follow their suggestions to see how it plays out.

TRADE DEADLINETIME TO FINALIZE YOUR ROSTER

The trade deadline usually falls be-fore mid-October, and it is an important date no matter what your situation is.

If you’re a possible playoff contend-er, you might want to trade to fill some holes to replace injured players or to bolster your depth chart with veteran talent to make a strong playoff run.

Conversely, if you’re looking to re-build a franchise with a multiyear plan, now might be the time to hear some trade offers for some of your older play-ers in exchange for future draft picks.

While you never want to dismantle your team in the middle of the season, you can always entertain trade offers by putting cap-killing players on the drafting block—just to see how much interest there might be out there.

COACH EVALUATIONMID-JANUARY EVENT

At the end of the season, you’ll meet with the owner to discuss your future with the team. At this evaluation, you’ll review your owner’s expectations, what expectations you actually reached, what you promised your owner, and how your approval changed.

Hopefully, you’ll be reviewing how great your season was, and how your approval increased accordingly.

Based on that data, the owner will either ask you to stay or go, and you’ll have the option of staying with the team, finding a new team, or retire.

If you are fired (or voluntarily choose to leave your team), you may have the chance to join a new team if any of them are interested in your services. If no team is interested, you may be forced to retire.THE BOWLS

ENDING THE SEASON

The Super Bowl is the game every NFL coach wants to participate in and win. The winner of the Super Bowl gets their team campus specially decorated in celebration of that victory.

The Pro Bowl is an exhibition game that features the best players in the NFL. It is the final NFL game played before the offseason begins; you’ll get to see how the fans voted for each position.

If you’ve made it this far with your job intact, congratulations! You’ve sur-vived your first season in the NFL!

Players from smaller schools usually get picked later in the draft, so you can gain an advantage by focusing on them to find sleeper

picks or “diamonds in the rough.” You’ll get a bigger boost if your GM has skills that specialize in scouting mid-majors and/or small schools.picks or “diamonds in the rough.” You’ll get a bigger boost if your GM has skills that specialize in scouting mid-majors and/or small schools.

If you can meet your Season Goal of being at a specific Approval Rating by the end of the season, you’ll be in great shape for keep-

ing your job for one more year. Even if your team owner wants you to stay, you’re free to leave or retire at the end of the season.ing your job for one more year. Even if your team owner wants you to stay, you’re free to leave or retire at the end of the season.

As the regular season progresses, you’ll begin to see small icons next to some

players’ names: Crutches indicate a player on injured reserve, a teardrop indicates low fatigue and a red arrow indicates an injury.

players’ names: Crutches indicate a player on injured reserve, a teardrop indicates low

60


‘It seems like you have to step it up to another level in the playoffs, but you really don’t. You just have to be able to play at high intensity, knowing how much is on the line, but still just execute and play basic, sound football.’

PLAYBOOK STRATEGYPLAYBOOK STRATEGY

—Tony Dungy on preparing for playoff games

EDITING/CREATING PLAYS 62

PLAY CREATOR OPTIONS 63

OTHER PLAYBOOKS 67

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWNS 68


One of the coolest features in NFL Head Coach 09 is the ability to tweak and create new plays. With the abil-ity to upload and download plays to GamerNet, the game will continue to evolve over time—and coaches will need to adapt accordingly.

The best way to begin creating plays is to take an existing play you are familiar with and tweak it slightly, such as changing a receiver route. Once you get a feel for handling small changes and evaluating their impacts (more on that later in this section), you can take a stab at plays drawn up from scratch.

. PLAY CREATION ADVICETIPS FROM THE PROS

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the myriad options for designing a play, so before you begin, here are some core coaching principles to build on:

1. Copy What Beats You: If a certain team’s plays beat your defense time and time again, study them and add them to your offensive playbook.

2. Name Plays Smartly: A naming system makes it easy for you to recog-nize plays in the heat of battle.

3. Bread and Butter vs. Wild Card: Your plays should fall into two catego-ries: The first are reliable “bread and butter” plays that provide consistent re-sults. The second are “wild card” plays that are unreliable, but when called in the right situation, can catch a defense completely off guard for a big gain.

You want to focus on mastering “bread and butter” plays, but not rely on them so much to the point of being predictable. On the other hand, don’t junk up your playbook with “wild card” trick plays—but it’s important to have those plays to keep defenses honest.

4. Every Run Play Has a Play Ac-tion Equivalent: This is an important secret of the pros—every run play you design must have a play-action pass off that exact same run play.

5. Your Personnel Dictates Your Playbook: Only create plays that take advantage of your team’s strengths, not weaknesses. Since your players’ skill levels (and roster) will change from season to season, your playbook must evolve to match.

5. Test, Evaluate, Edit and Repeat: An offensive play can only be truly suc-cessful if it can beat multiple defenses. It is vital to test plays against blitzes and zones, and run them multiple times to properly evaluate them.

6. Making Spaces: A successful run or pass creates space at the point of attack by drawing defenders away from that point—not toward it.

EDITING/CREATING PLAYSEDITING/CREATING PLAYS

If you select an offensive play, you’ll be asked whether you’re creating a pass or run play. Your

choice here will determine your editing options later on. choice here will determine your editing options later on.

4

To create a play, select ‘My Coach’ in the main menu, select ‘Playbooks’ and then ‘Create a Play.’

On the last menu screen, you’ll also see options to create and edit playbooks, export and import plays, and connect to GamerNet.

On the last menu screen, you’ll also see options to create and edit playbooks, export and import plays, and

1

No matter what option you chose in the previous step, you’ll be asked to select a formation to base

the play on. If you chose to edit an existing play, you’ll also be asked to pick the specific play to edit. Press RB (or R1 on the PS3) to see more plays to choose from.

the play on. If you chose to edit an existing play, you’ll also be asked to pick the specific play to edit. Press RB

6

Select the NFL team you’ll use to test the play that you’re about to edit or create from scratch.2

You’ll be sent to your team’s practice field, then be asked to select an offensive or defensive play.3

You’ll then be asked to either create a new play or choose an existing play to edit.5

choice here will determine your editing options later on. choice here will determine your editing options later on.

create and edit playbooks, export and import plays, and connect to GamerNet.

ASK EA SPORTS

What do the differently colored arrows on a pass play stand for?

The arrow colors are the same as those found in Madden NFL 09 plays:

Light blue: Block and release route

Orange: Primary pass receiver (on a run play, the person getting the ball)

Yellow: Pass route (not primary receiver)

Green: Auto motion route (receiver goes into motion before the ball is snapped)

Multiple arrows: Option pass route (receiver chooses his route based on defensive coverage)

ASK EA SPORTS

62



. PLAY CREATOR OPTIONSOFFENSIVE PLAY ICONS

Here are icons you might see when creating an offensive play:

Step Drop QB

Denotes how many steps back (1, 3, 5 or 7) the quarterback takes after taking the ball from the center. When used for pass plays; the rule of thumb is the longer the pass, the deeper the drop so that the quarterback has time to make reads and avoid defensive pressure.

Block (Run Block) Any position

The blocker moves forward to block the closest defender.

Block and Release RB, TE, WR

The offensive player blocks the defender in front of him, then releases either left or right.

Counter RB

Sends the player in a direction opposite the general blocking direction. You can counter left or right.

Cross (Left or Right) TE, WR

A pass route that cuts roughly five yards behind the defensive line.

Curl (Long) (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver runs straight down the field be-fore stopping and turning around.

Curl (Medium) (Left or Right) Any receiver

A shorter-yardage version of the previously described curl pass route.

Curl & Go (Left or Right) Any receiver

The receiver runs a curl route before streaking down the field for a long pass. A quarterback will need a deeper drop or good pass protection to let this route develop.

After creating or editing a play, you’ll have the option to test it, edit it again,

save it or start over. Most likely, you’ll want to test it against a variety of defenses.save it or start over. Most likely, you’ll want to test it against a variety of defenses.

8

If testing, you’ll watch the action on the field as the play is run repeatedly. Make

note of the kind of yardage you’re getting.note of the kind of yardage you’re getting.

9

If you want to keep a play

you’ve edited or cre-ated from scratch, select ‘Save Play’ (as shown in the previ-ous screen) and type in a play name.

you’ve edited or cre-ated from scratch,

10 Select a name that will make

it easy to remember what type of play it is. Consider using a consistent play nam-ing system like pro coaches use.

it easy to remember what type of play it

Finally, select how often you

want this play called by your computer-controlled coaches:infrequently, some-times or frequently.

want this play called by your computer-

11 Unless you’ve tested a play

extensively and are confident it works against many defenses, choose “infrequently” to be on the safe side.

extensively and are confident it

An orange arrow indicates the main

ball handler on a run play or the primary receiver on

a pass play.

ball handler on a run play or the primary receiver on

Use the directional pad to switch from

one player to another.one player to another.

The position of the currently selected

player (shown on the field in a blue circle) is here.

player (shown on the field in a blue circle) is here.

This is the main play editing screen.7 Assignment options

vary depending on position and where they’re lined up in the formation (for instance, linesmen can’t go into motion). A full list of the options can be found in this section.

on position and where they’re lined up in the

Tony Dungy was the first head coachto defeat all 32 modern-day NFL teams.

63


EDITING/CREATING PLAYSEDITING/CREATING PLAYS Dive Any ball carrier

The dive is a standard rushing route that splits two offensive linesmen (usually the center and guard).

Drag (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route with a first move at a 45-degree angle, then a cut to the interior of the field behind the defensive line.

Draw RB

A dive-type run by the running back on a play (usually in shotgun formation) designed to look like a pass.

Flat (Left or Right) RB

A pass route that begins in the backfield that sends the receiver toward the sidelines near the line of scrimmage. This is usually the last-read receiver on a pass play.

Hitch (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver takes a few steps then immediately turns around to expect a pass. Ideally, some blocks are set up around this receiver to enable him to run after the ball is caught.

Hitch and Go (Left or Right) Any receiver

Essentially a “fake” hitch route in which the receiver streaks down the field after executing the hitch.

In (Deep) (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the reciever runs down the field, then executes a 90-degree cut to run toward the middle of the field. You can run this route left or right depending on the receiver’s position.

In (Middle) (Left or Right) Any receiver

Same concept as the deep in route, but the 90-degree cut is made earlier.

In (Short) (Left or Right) Any receiver

Same concept as the middle in route, but the 90-degree cut is made even earlier.

In and Up (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route that starts like an in route, but the receiver cuts a second time to resume running down the field.

Option Route Any receiver

A “smart” route; the reciever will analyze the defensive coverage (to the extent that his ability and training allow) and run what he believes is the best route to get open.

Out (Deep) (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the reciever runs down the field, then executes a 90-degree cut to run toward the sideline.

Out (Middle) (Left or Right) Any receiver

Same concept as the deep out route, but the 90-degree cut is made earlier.

Out (Short) (Left or Right) Any receiver

Same concept as the middle out route, but the 90-degree cut is made even earlier.

Out and Up (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route that starts like an out route, but the receiver cuts a second time to resume running down the field.

Out and Up Comeback (Left or Right)

Any receiverAn even more complex route based on the out and up; when the receiver runs down the field a second time, he abruptly stops and cuts sharply toward the sideline.

Pass Block Any player

Assigns that player to step back and block the closest defender approaching him.

Play Action QB

Makes the quarterback fake a handoff (usually to a running back); it’s designed to freeze the defense.

Play Action (I Form) RB

Positions the running back behind the quarterback before a fake handoff occurs.

Play Action (Offset) RB

Positions the running back to the left or right behind the quarterback before a fake handoff occurs.

Play Action (Shotgun) RB

Positions the running back and quarterback next to each other (usually in shotgun formation) before a fake handoff occurs. The running back can be positioned left or right of the quarterback.

Post Corner (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver runs down field, makes one 45-degree cut toward the center of the field, then makes another cut toward the corner of the end zone.

Post (Deep) (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver runs down field, then cuts toward the middle of the field (or to be precise, toward the goal post behind the end zone).

Except when otherwise noted, most pass routes can be flipped left or right depending on the player’s position on the field.

64



Post (Middle) (Left or Right) Any receiver

Similar to the deep post, but the cut toward the middle is made sooner. This pass route can be flipped left or right depending on the receiver’s position on the field.

Post Stop (Left or Right) Any receiver

Similar to a post route; however, the receiver abruptly stops his post route, turns around and takes a step or two back toward the quarterback. This pass route can be flipped left or right depending on the receiver’s position on the field.

Pull Any player

A block in which the player moves left (or right) before blocking the defender closest to him.

Quarterback Draw QB

A dive-type run by the quarter-back on a play (usually in shotgun formation) designed to look like a pass.

RB Angle (Left or Right) RB

A pass route in which a running back cuts around the offensive tackle to return back toward the middle of the field.

RB Flat (Left or Right) RB

A pass route in which a running back immediately cuts left (or right) before moving down the sideline.

RB Screen (Left or Right) RB

A pass route in which a running back (and a corresponding lineman) move behind the line of scrimmage to receive a pass. The lineman then acts as a blocker for the running back.

Receiver Progression Any receiver

Defines for the QB the order (from one through five, depending on the number of receivers on the field) in which he looks for open pass catchers.

Generally, the first progression is the primary receiver the play is designed for; if the QB deems that person open, he’ll pass the ball. If not open, the QB will continue down the order of progression until he finds an open receiver. Generally, the last progression is the “dump-off” receiver (usually an RB in the flats) who acts as a “safety outlet” if no other receiver is open.

Remove Motion Any eligible player

Cancels a player’s motion.

Roll Out QB

Makes the player execute a curved run backwards toward the left (or right), ostensibly to give the player a way to avoid a pass rush and give him more time to look for an open receiver.

Set Motion Any eligible player

Puts a player in motion before the ball is snapped.

Set Receiver Progression QB

Select this icon to create or edit the quarterback’s receiver progression on a pass play (see Receiver Progres-sion for more details).

Slam RB

An interior run route in which a lead blocker (usually the fullback) runs ahead of the ball carrier (the tailback) to block the first defender he runs into.

Slant (Left or Right) RB

A pass route in which the receiver runs downfield, then makes a 45-degree cut toward the opposite side of the field.

Slant and Go (Left or Right) RB

A pass route in which the receiver runs downfield, then makes a 45-degree cut toward the opposite side of the field. Before reaching the other side of the field, the receiver makes a second 45-degree cut to run straight down the field again.

Streak (Left or Right) Any eligible receiver

A pass route in which the receiver runs downfield at full speed; also known as a go route.

Stretch RB

A run route in which the lead blocker (usually the fullback) runs to block between two linemen similar to a dive run. However, the running back does not follow the lead block but instead tries to run around the offensive line and reach open space outside the hash marks.

Sweep (Left or Right) RB

A run play in which the running back tries to find an opening just outside the left (or right) tackle.

Swing (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver takes a curved path toward the middle of the field.

Wheel (Left or Right) Any receiver

A pass route in which the receiver cuts across the field behind the defensive line before making a 90-degree turn to run downfield.

Whip Out (Left or Right) Any receiver

Makes the receiver run 45 degrees toward the middle of the field, then curve back slightly behind the defensive line.

John Madden’s .759 regular season winning percentage is the highest among coacheswith 100 career victories. Under Madden’s coaching, the Raiders never had a losing record.

receiver runs downfield, then makes a 45-degree cut toward the opposite side of the field. Before reaching the other side of the field, the receiver makes a second 45-degree cut to run straight down the field again.

When it comes to Receiver Pro-gression, if none of the reads are open, your QB may opt to run if he’s a scrambler. If not, he’ll try to hold the ball as long as possible until a receiver gets open.

65


WR Screen Any receiver

A pass route in which a wide receiver (and a corresponding lineman) move behind the line of scrimmage to receive a pass. The lineman then acts as a blocker for the wide receiver.

PLAY CREATOR OPTIONSDEFENSIVE PLAY ICONS

Here are icons you might see when creating a defensive play:

Assignment Any player

Assigns your player to a specific receiver no matter where that player lines up on the field.

Blitz Any position

Causes that player to blitz.

Contain Any position

Causes that player (usually a defensive end) to try and prevent any ball carrier from reaching the sidelines. In effect, tries to keep the ball carrier between the hash marks. You can contain left or right.

Line Moves Defensive line

Makes the defensive line move around prior to the snap of the ball.

Lock DB

Assigns your player to a specific receiver location regardless of who that receiver is; basically the opposite of the Assignment icon.

Man DB

Assigns your defensive back to man-to-man cover with the closest receiver to him.

Man Strategy DB

Assigns man-to-man cover assignments to all your relevant defense personnel.

Play Off Any player

Causes that player to cover a receiver loosely from the line of scrimmage. This is done to help protect against a deep pass.

Press Any player

Causes that player to cover a receiver tightly from the line of scrim-mage. This is done to help protect against a short pass or to assume an aggressive defensive posture.

Rush Left Any defensive player

Makes the player attempt to the shoot the gap to the left of the offen-sive player in front of him.

Rush Middle Any defensive player

Makes the player attempt to directly lock up the offensive player in front of him.

Rush Right Any defensive player

Makes the player attempt to the shoot the gap to the right of the offensive player in front of him.

Show Blitz Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player look like he’s going to blitz; you can use this to fake a blitz.

Spy Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player shadow a specific player in the backfield (usually the quarterback, but can also be a running back or wide receiver as well) to prevent that person from running past the line of scrim-mage. For example, a spy is useful when trying to contain quarterbacks who like to run with the ball.

Stunt Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player swing behind another defensive player (either moving left or right) to try and generate a rush.

Zone Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage.

Zone Curl Flat (Left or Right) Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back slightly then curling back into his coverage location (the flats).

Zone Deep 2 (Left or Right) Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back fairly deep before curving left (or right) into his coverage location (downfield along the left or right half of the field).

Zone Deep 4 In (Left or Right) Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back fairly deep before curving left (or right) into his coverage location, which is the either the left or right side of the middle of the field. Should be used with Zone Deep 4 Out.

Zone Deep 4 Out (Left or Right)

Any defensive playerMakes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back fairly deep before curving left (or right) into his coverage location, which is the either the left or right sideline. Should be used with Zone Deep 4 In.

Zone Deep 3 Left Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location (the left third of the field). Should be used with other Zone Deep coverages.

Zone Deep 3 Middle Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location, which is the middle third of the field. Should be used in conjunction with other Zone Deep coverages.

EDITING & CREATING PLAYSEDITING & CREATING PLAYS

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Zone Deep 3 Right Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location (the right third of the field). Should be used with other Zone Deep coverages.

Zone Flat (Left or Right) Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location, which is the left or right flat.

Zone Hook (Left or Right) Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location and curling into it (either left or right).

Zone Hook Middle Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping back into his coverage location and curling into the middle of the field.

Zone Prevent Any defensive player

Makes the defensive player execute zone coverage by dropping deep downfield to prevent a long pass.

. PLAY CREATOR OPTIONSICONS FOR BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Move Player Any player

Use this option to move where a player is positioned before the ball is snapped. A “live” area will appear to show the limits of where that player can be positioned.

Normal Any player

Reverts a player’s assignment.

Depth Chart Any player

Assigns a specific roster player to run that play.

According to NFL rules, all helmets must havea small NFL logo on the rear lower left side.

OTHER PLAYBOOKSOTHER PLAYBOOKSWhen you start a new career, you

can choose a playbook not being used by any NFL franchise.

On offense:• Spread Option• Pistol Attack• Michigan Spread• Miraldi Tech Passing• Wishbone• Option Attack• Wing T

• Sanders Army Run• West Coast• College Attack• Run & ShootYou’ll also see playbooks that be-

long to specific offensive coordinators.On defense:• 4-2-5 • 3-3-5 Mustang• 3-2-6• 3-4 Pressure

You’ll also see playbooks that be-long to specific defensive coordinators.

Many of these playbooks are based on schemes used at the college level.

During your coaching career, you will encounter fantasy college coaches interested in bringing one of these unique playbooks to your team (a full list is below). When you hire a college coach as a coordinator, you can add some of his plays to your playbook.

FICTIONAL COLLEGE COACH FROM PLAYBOOK DESCRIPTION

Larry Widebacker Florida Brings the Spread Option with a lot of QB Runs into the NFL

Anthony Dubb Memphis Brings the college ‘Pistol’ attack into the NFL and runs the 4-2-5 on defense

Gary Hammermill Michigan Brings the West Virginia/Michigan spread attack into the NFL

Don Miraldi Texas Tech Brings the ‘Air Raid’ Texas Tech passing attack into the NFL

Tom Bosco Middle Tennessee State Brings the ‘Wishbone’ offense into the NFL

General Sanders Army Brings the Army running attack into the NFL and runs the 4-2-5 on defense

Chris Staymates Florida Brings the Spread Option with a lot of QB Runs into the NFL

Greg Hart Old NFL Coach Brings the Run and Shoot back to the NFL

Joe Gibson Texas State Brings the Wing T to the NFL

J.R. Scarpati Navy Brings the Option Attack into the NFL

Lake Watterson UCLA Brings the College Attack Playbook into the NFL

Tony Dyal Kansas State Brings the Wishbone and the 3-3-5 into the NFL

Eric Gruber Toledo Brings the Pressure 3-4 defense into the NFL

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On the following pages are the de-fault offensive and defensive playbooks in NFL Head Coach 09. Playbooks are broken down by play type, and a sig-nature play—usually a playbook favor-ite or one well suited to the team using that playbook—is shown for each.

These comparisons may help you decide whether you want to stick to a playbook or try out someone else’s.

CREAM OF THE CROPTHE STRONGEST PLAYBOOKS AVAILABLE

All the playbooks below are rated Very Strong. If you’re looking for a new playbook, here’s the best of the best.

On offense:• Tom Moore Pass Attack: Home

of the Colts’ difficult-to-stop stretch play

• Garrett Pass Attack and Martz Air Attack: Perfect for teams with mul-tiple talented and quick WRs

• Patriots Air Strike: A smart QB and smart adjustments/playcalling make this defense-dismantling play-book work

• Holmgren West Coast: The strongest playbook for those wanting to run a (you guessed it) West Coast offense

On defense:• Tampa 2: The most widely used

defense in the NFL• Jim Johnson Blitz: Look for some

unique blitzes• Jags Physical D: Proven effective

at stopping the run• Patriots Pressure: A proven

defensive playbook• LeBeau Zone Blitz: One of the

NFL’s top attacking-style defenses• Rex Ryan 46: Playbook has an

excellent pedigree and a good reputa-tion for totally shutting down offenses

Other innovative playbooks worth looking over:

• Shanahan Zone Block: The Broncos have revolutionized run block schemes

• Gruden West Coast and Mc-Carthy West Coast: Two other strong playbooks for building a West Coast offense

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWNSPLAYBOOK BREAKDOWNS

CHICAGOBEARSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBears Power Run (Weak)Wear down the defense and control the clock with inside and off-tackle runs that set up play-action passes.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > 90 H DiveUse your All-Pro C to block; when defenses put eight in the box, try Fake 90 Y Shallow to play action.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

717171PASS

383838RUN

191919SPEC.

111282828TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKLovie Cover 2 (Average)Smith’s version of the Tampa 2: Ag-gressive, controlled blitzes, attack gaps, and have CBs reroute WRs.

SIGNATURE PLAYTampa 2 > 2 Deep Gap ShootThis effective blitz uses some stunting and your quick star MLB to find gaps and pressure the QB.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

121212BLITZ

505050ZONE

888MAN

707070TOTAL

CINCINNATIBENGALSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBengals Vertical Pass (Strong)Relies on WR-CB mismatches and deep passes; run the ball to keep the defense honest.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > Fake 20 864 SmashPlay action to give the WRs time to separate and work their way down the field; throw to whoever’s open.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

595959PASS

313131RUN

191919SPEC.

109109109TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKZimmer 4-3 (Very Weak)The playbook may be poor, but if the defense has time to master it and stay healthy, there is hope.

SIGNATURE PLAYNickel > CB3 BlitzThe secondary is the strength of the defense in 2008; CB blitzes will help pressure opposing QBs.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

212121BLITZ

383838ZONE

212121MAN

808080TOTAL

68



Field goal posts in the NFL are 30 feettall and are spread 18-1/2 feet apart.

BUFFALOBILLSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBills Balanced (Very Weak)It is neither creative nor takes too many risks, but a talented QB and speedy RB can make it work.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > 15 PowerThis play takes advantage of the left side of the Bills offensive line, which is stronger than the right.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

585858PASS

373737RUN

191919SPEC.

114114114TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBills Cover 2 (Average)Jauron is an underrated defensive mind; then again, it’s hard to mess up any variation of the Tampa 2.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 Tampa 2 > Free FireLeverage your free-agent pick-ups (DT Stroud and LB Mitchell) to develop pass pressure.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

111111BLITZ

454545ZONE

101010MAN

666666TOTAL

DENVERBRONCOSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKShanahan Zone Block (Strong)Innovative runs in which blockers focus on the defenders nearest to them. Requires talented linemen.

SIGNATURE PLAYSinglebk. > Boot Rt U Deep CrossMobilize the QB with a rollout and use his strong arm to stretch the defense vertically.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

747474PASS

373737RUN

191919SPEC.

111303030TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBroncos Man Cover (Weak)The Broncos’ defensive scheme fizzled in 2007. A new coordinator will want a different playbook…

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Safety BlitzThe Broncos couldn’t stop the run in ’07, so they had to pull up the safety for interior run support.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

272727BLITZ

333333ZONE

212121MAN

818181TOTAL

CLEVELANDBROWNSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKChudzinski Balanced (Average)The “balance” focuses on smart situational playcalls rather than an arbitrary 50/50 run/pass split.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > Scram Rt 870 HitchGive your QB lots of WR options—but quick reads—to attack the defense’s weaknesses.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

595959PASS

383838RUN

191919SPEC.

111161616TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKBrowns Rush Passer (Weak)The 3-4 base provides lots of flex-ibility, but it’s tough to scout for when the 4-3 dominates in college.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > Cross Fire 3Stunting the LBs takes advantage of the Browns’ off-season pick-ups and bolsters pressure up front.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

343434BLITZ

343434ZONE

161616MAN

848484TOTAL

69


TAMPA BAYBUCCANEERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKGruden West Coast (Strong)Takes pass-sets-up-run concepts to a higher level; if you want to try West Coast, steal this playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > 320 Dragon SlantShort drops, quicker reads and tim-ing routes help keep the QB from getting sacked or hurried.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

757575PASS

434343RUN

191919SPEC.

111373737TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTampa 2 (Very Strong)Many NFL defenses have picked up or copied this effective scheme; it’s a great playbook to rebuild with.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Cover 3Speed on defense is vital for the Tampa 2; drop the MLB to convert to Cover 3 on long pass situations.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

888BLITZ

474747ZONE

555MAN

606060TOTAL

ARIZONACARDINALSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKWhisenhunt Power Run (Average)Don’t let the name fool you: You pound the ball frequently mainly to open up deeper pass routes.

SIGNATURE PLAYSinglebk. > Ride 338 Naked Y C...This naked bootleg attacks the left side of the field. The QB can run if there’s no one open.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

676767PASS

343434RUN

191919SPEC.

111202020TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKCardinals Blitz (Strong)Can’t get a consistent pass rush up front? Blitz frequently to help your front four apply pressure.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Free FireThis fairly standard blitz puts a lot of pressure on your secondary to play close to the wideouts.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

494949BLITZ

282828ZONE

888MAN

858585TOTAL

SAN DIEGOCHARGERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSuper Chargers Attack (Strong)The Chargers’ wealth of talent makes this playbook look good—if their superstars stay healthy…

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > 50 Counter TrapGive the ball to Tomlinson, have your tackle open up a lane, and let your star RB read the defense.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

505050PASS

272727RUN

191919SPEC.

969696TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKChargers Pass Rush (Average)The Chargers rely on a 3-4 base; a top-notch front line is required for this scheme to succeed.

SIGNATURE PLAYAttacking 3-4 > 2 Man UnderAs the front three put pressure on the QB, the LBs are free to adjust to either the pass or run.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

323232BLITZ

313131ZONE

333MAN

666666TOTAL


70



KANSAS CITYCHIEFSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKChiefs Grind It Out (Very Weak)Fewer plays, better mastery. That’s the Chiefs philosophy for 2008. Downhill run plays are a priority.

SIGNATURE PLAYStrong > 28 StretchWhen in doubt, give Larry Johnson lots of blockers and let him run—but keep him healthy as well…

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

464646PASS

242424RUN

191919SPEC.

898989TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKChiefs Old School (Very Weak)The Chiefs desperately want to re-turn to the glory days of the 1990s. They won’t with this thin playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Cover 2 StuntThis play reflects the Chiefs’ bend-but-don’t-break mentality: when talent’s lacking, keep things simple.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

121212BLITZ

393939ZONE

777MAN

585858TOTAL

INDIANAPOLISCOLTSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTom Moore Pass Attack (Very Strong)Tom Moore exploits his biggest asset—QB Peyton Manning—and keeps defenses off-balance.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > Colts Stretch 18The stretch play is a Colts special-ty: You can run or pass from it, so it always freezes the defense.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

101101101PASS

383838RUN

191919SPEC.

111585858TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKDungy Cover 2 (Strong)Dungy’s schemes reflect his playing days with the Steel Curtain in the 1970s—a very wise choice…

SIGNATURE PLAYDungy 4-3 Cover 2 > Under 2Not as many blitzes compared to other Cover/Tampa 2s; Dungy pre-fers simpler zone Ds like this one.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

121212BLITZ

414141ZONE

444MAN

575757TOTAL

DALLASCOWBOYSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKGarrett Pass Attack (Very Strong)This playbook relies on a platoon of RBs and dominant WRs to give the QB plenty of targets.

SIGNATURE PLAYSinglebk. > Zip Scram Rt 76 Z S…Have the WRs stretch the field. Hit one if open, otherwise, dump off to the RB in the void left by the WR.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

696969PASS

424242RUN

191919SPEC.

111303030TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPhillips 3-4 (Strong)The cornerbacks must improve their cover skills to give the 3-4 a chance to succeed.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > 2 Deep MLB SpyPrevent defenses from converting on third-and-long by rushing one LB and dropping the rest back.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

242424BLITZ

343434ZONE

999MAN

676767TOTAL

Each row of hashmarks in the middle ofthe field is 70-3/4 feet from the sideline.

71


MIAMIDOLPHINSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSparano Balanced (Weak)Tony Sparano will be starting from scratch, so a balanced playbook is the safest route to start.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > 22 H CounterA signature play has yet to be found; this left-side run makes use of the team’s top pick, Jake Long.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

616161PASS

303030RUN

191919SPEC.

110110110TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPasqualoni Pass Rush (Weak)This team has tried many different defenses as coaches come and go; is year is no exception.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > Storm Brave 1DE Jason Taylor is the defense’s biggest asset; so let him loose with this pass rush play.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

242424BLITZ

343434ZONE

999MAN

676767TOTAL

PHILADELPHIAEAGLESOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKReid All Passing (Strong)Andy Reid will pass anywhere on the field to anyone—including RBs into the flats. It’s a potent playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > 41 DrawDefenses focus so much on the Eagles pass attack that a simple draw can result in a big gain.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

929292PASS

434343RUN

191919SPEC.

111545454TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKJim Johnson Blitz (Very Strong)If you like blitzes, steal this play-book: aggressive and unpredict-able, anyone is a potential blitzer.

SIGNATURE PLAYNickel > CB BlitzThis CB blitz uses the element of surprise to (hopefully) attack the QB’s blind side and record a sack.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

454545BLITZ

262626ZONE

222MAN

737373TOTAL

ATLANTAFALCONSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKMularkey Power Run (Very Weak)Mularkey brings his run philosophy from the Buffalo Bills. Now all he needs are some powerful runners…

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > Flea FlickerMularkey is known for having a few trick/gadget plays up his sleeve. Here’s one example:

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

585858PASS

373737RUN

191919SPEC.

114114114TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSmith Physical D (Weak)Mike Smith did great with Jackson-ville’s defense, but his playbook may not fit with Atlanta’s talent.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Thunder SmokeStop the run and force the pass; that’s one of Smith’s trademarks. You need big OTs to pull this off.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

121212BLITZ

282828ZONE

222222MAN

626262TOTAL


72



When a turnover occurs, you might see an official throw a blue bean bag; it’s used to mark where thefumble or interception took place. Each blue bag has a number that identifies which official threw it.

SAN FRANCISCO49ERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKMartz Air Attack (Very Strong)Mike Martz will tailor this playbook to the offense’s talent level—but you can’t deny his passing genius.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > Liz Lft Deep AttackThis is a Martz-designed big pass play like the Rams used during their “greatest show on turf” heyday.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

646464PASS

222222RUN

191919SPEC.

111050505TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKNolan 3-4 (Very Weak)Nolan is trying to implement a 3-4 scheme that features both one- and two-gap approaches.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > Trio Whip ManNo signature plays yet, so here’s a 3-4 play that relies on man cover-age. Big, strong DEs are a must.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

282828BLITZ

242424ZONE

121212MAN

646464TOTAL

NEW YORKGIANTSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKGilbride Old School (Average)This is a safer if somewhat uninspir-ing playbook to work with—perfect for a young learning QB.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > 62 Z Dig Y OutEli Manning likes to throw the deep out to Plaxico Burress—especially in man-to-man situations.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

525252PASS

323232RUN

191919SPEC.

111080808TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSpagnuolo Pressure (Strong)Steve Spagnuolo loves to keep QBs off kilter by lining up pass rushers where they’re not expected.

SIGNATURE PLAYPressure Dime > Corner Crash 3Not one but two corners crash into the backfield as two linemen drop into zone coverage.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

373737BLITZ

262626ZONE

333MAN

666666TOTAL

JACKSONVILLEJAGUARSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKKoetter Ball Control (Average)The Jaguars love to run with a platoon of running backs. Pass to open up the run.

SIGNATURE PLAYI > 18 StretchWith a big QB and two great RBs, here’s one run play that tests the opposing team’s LBs.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

585858PASS

292929RUN

191919SPEC.

106106106TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKJags Physical D (Very Strong)A very potent playbook—but only if you have good-enough hard-hitting talent up front to make it work.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > DBL TE BracketThe Jaguars’ secondary can hold its own, so use an outside LB blitz to assist the team’s rookie DEs.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

191919BLITZ

292929ZONE

232323MAN

717171TOTAL

73


NEW YORKJETSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKShottenheimer Attack (Weak)Last season was rough on Brian’s playbook, devised by an ex-college QB and son of Marty Shottenheimer.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > Half Left Scram 617…The Jets have good possession WRs; this play lets them find zone gaps to exploit.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

363636PASS

252525RUN

191919SPEC.

808080TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKJets 3-4 (Average)Top pick Vernon Gholston and free agent Calvin Pace should beef up the LB depth for this defense.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > OLB Dogs Fire 2The Jets need to juice up their pass rush; this pressure play overloads the right side of the offensive line.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

212121BLITZ

252525ZONE

191919MAN

656565TOTAL

DETROITLIONSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKLions Ball Control (Weak)The Lions are looking to establish a power run game for 2008, then play action out of those same sets.

SIGNATURE PLAYShotgun > 40 DrawThe Lions are keeping these plays secret for 2008, but one will surely showcase rookie RB Kevin Smith.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

565656PASS

252525RUN

191919SPEC.

100100100TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKLions Cover 2 (Very Weak)After ranking last defensively in ’07, the Lions have nowhere to go but up. A Cover 2 scheme can’t hurt…

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Cover 3With all the new bodies expected in the secondary this year, a Cover 3 shift may help stop big passes.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

888BLITZ

424242ZONE

333MAN

535353TOTAL

GREEN BAYPACKERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKMcCarthy West Coast (Strong)It’ll be interesting to see how well this solid playbook fares without Brett Favre running the show.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > Curl FlatsWith a new QB, the Packers will need plays that use shorter drops (3 or 5 step) and quicker routes.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

828282PASS

525252RUN

191919SPEC.

111535353TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPackers 4 Across (Strong)The Packers have aging but still potent CBs; their talent makes this playbook effective.

SIGNATURE PLAYNickel > Corners Man ZoneThe Packers can get away with mixed coverage on the edges to put greater pressure on the QB.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

999BLITZ

363636ZONE

181818MAN

636363TOTAL


74



NFL referee uniformsused to include bow ties.

CAROLINAPANTHERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKDavidson Balanced (Weak)Jeff Davidson likes to keep play-book concepts to a minimum but show a lot of looks from each one.

SIGNATURE PLAYNear > Slant 21 BellyDavidson prefers “bread and but-ter” plays that he can rely on a consistent basis.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

717171PASS

434343RUN

191919SPEC.

111333333TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPanthers Pass Rush (Average)The team tried to get bigger and faster in the 2008 draft, which should help their playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Double XThe team is expected to have lots of depth at LB; look for a lot of pass blitzes from that position.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

111111BLITZ

444444ZONE

222222MAN

777777TOTAL

NEW ENGLANDPATRIOTSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPatriots Air Strike (Very Strong)The team likes using four WRs on first or second down, surprising de-fenses going base instead of nickel.

SIGNATURE PLAYZero > Fac H 140 ScissorsCombine motion behind the line with crossing routes to trip up opposing cornerbacks.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

737373PASS

313131RUN

191919SPEC.

111232323TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPatriots Pressure (Very Strong)This prolific playbook has a wide variety of blitzes; it’s tough to guess what the defense will give you.

SIGNATURE PLAY3-4 > Flash BlitzWith a great defensive line, the Patriots can execute exotic blitzes without hurting pass coverage.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

373737BLITZ

353535ZONE

151515MAN

878787TOTAL

OAKLANDRAIDERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKKiffin Pass Attack (Very Weak)Lane Kiffin’s playbook is about as shaky as his reportedly rocky rela-tionship with the Raiders’ owner.

SIGNATURE PLAYI > Fake 10 789 F FlatWith Darren McFadden in the mix, look for him as both a run/pass threat and decoy for the long pass.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

737373PASS

424242RUN

191919SPEC.

111343434TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKRaiders Rover (Average)The defense is in search of an identity; 3-4 didn’t work a few years back but may with new personnel.

SIGNATURE PLAYRaiders Rover > Pinch BlitzStopping the run is a big priority for the 2008 season; this play should help beef up the interior.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

383838BLITZ

282828ZONE

181818MAN

848484TOTAL

75


ST. LOUISRAMSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSaunders Big Book (Weak)Al Saunders has a reputation for big playbooks and big scoring—some-thing the Rams lacked last season.

SIGNATURE PLAYSingleback > 80 Power SweepSaunders may need to tap the TE as an extra blocker to revitalize the run game. O-line health is a worry.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

585858PASS

434343RUN

191919SPEC.

111202020TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKHaslett Physical D (Very Weak)The Rams’ top draft pick should help Jim Haslett rev up the pass rush and revive this playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Haslett BracketHaslett has this 4-3 blitz play in his playbook; the goal is to overwhelm the weak side of the offensive line.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

454545BLITZ

282828ZONE

777MAN

808080TOTAL

BALTIMORERAVENSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKCameron Power Run (Strong)Definitely a quality over quantity playbook; Cam Cameron definitely wants to run to set up the pass.

SIGNATURE PLAYSinglebk. > 98 Halfback Screen…Cameron has stated that RB Willis McGahee will carry the load both as runner and receiver.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

505050PASS

323232RUN

191919SPEC.

101101101TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKRex Ryan 46 (Very Strong)When you have the right person-nel (especially at LB), the 46 has proven to be nearly unstoppable.

SIGNATURE PLAY46 > LB Weak BlitzThe Ravens like to rotate DEs with LBs on the weak side to confuse the QB and enhance the pass rush.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

676767BLITZ

272727ZONE

666MAN

100100100TOTAL

WASHINGTONREDSKINSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKZorn West Coast (Weak)Zorn’s playbook strives to strike a good run/pass balance similar to his Seahawks days in 2004 and ’05.

SIGNATURE PLAYI > Fake 40 360 F FlatThe Redskins have quality RBs and a sharp TE who can find space in the flats, as this play shows.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

919191PASS

464646RUN

191919SPEC.

156156156TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKRedskins 4-3 (Weak)For 2008, the Redskins are looking to trim their playbook and make things simpler for their personnel.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Hog Buck 3The Redskins are rebuilding, so no signature play yet—but an effective pass rush is a top priority.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

303030BLITZ

323232ZONE

888MAN

707070TOTAL


76



If you look closely while watching a game, you may see an official wearing a wrist strapconnected to a finger loop. That device is used to keep track of downs and ball position.

NEW ORLEANSSAINTSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKPayton Spread Attack (Strong)By spreading the field both horizon-tally and vertically, it opens up gaps for a speedy RB to exploit.

SIGNATURE PLAYSinglebk. > Zebra Right 40 DrawWith an RB like Reggie Bush, you’ve got to give him touches and creative plays to establish the run.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

676767PASS

343434RUN

191919SPEC.

111202020TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSaints Basic D (Very Weak)A suspect secondary and LB corps in 2007 certainly didn’t help sell the merits of this shaky playbook.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > DE ContainThe Saints’ top draft pick, DT Sedrick Ellis, should help the team reinvigorate its front-line push.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

141414BLITZ

313131ZONE

242424MAN

696969TOTAL

SEATTLESEAHAWKSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKHolmgren West Coast (Very Strong)Holmgren’s playbook looked strong until he lost his key RB; there’s a good selection of plays to work with.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > 72 Scram Z DigSome say Holmgren passed too much in 2007—but what can you do when your run game fizzles?

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

575757PASS

363636RUN

191919SPEC.

111121212TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKHawks Multiple Blitz (Average)This playbook works because the Seahawks have the talent to pass rush effectively.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Strong Side Flat ZA reason for the team’s ability to stop the pass in 2007 was to make the QB think blitz—but call zone.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

282828BLITZ

313131ZONE

111111MAN

707070TOTAL

PITTSBURGHSTEELERSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSteelers Smashmouth (Strong)Spread the field and pass to grab the lead, then run mercilessly to keep the lead and chew up clock.

SIGNATURE PLAYI > Ride 31 BellyNo fancy tricks here: Follow your lead blocker and wear down the interior of the defense.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

464646PASS

424242RUN

191919SPEC.

111070707TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKLeBeau Zone Blitz (Very Strong)There’s talk that Tomlin would like to convert to the Tampa 2, but the Steelers’ 3-4 has proven potent.

SIGNATURE PLAYLeBeau 3-4 > Smash BlitzThe defense likes to hit hard and overwhelm the O-line with blitzes from unpredictable locations.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

353535BLITZ

272727ZONE

555MAN

676767TOTAL

77


HOUSTONTEXANSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTexans Power Run (Weak)The team needs to rethink this play-book or find healthy RBs to rely on; platooning may be an option in ’08.

SIGNATURE PLAYI Form > 20 Scat Y Option H…The TE was a welcome improve-ment for the offense in 2007; this play opens up options for him.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

575757PASS

232323RUN

191919SPEC.

999999TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTexans No Blitz (Average)If the defense can find more LBs to back up MLB Demeco Ryans, this playbook may have some promise.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > 2 Man UnderDE Williams and DT Okoye anchor the front four; use stunts to get them into the backfield.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

999BLITZ

424242ZONE

242424MAN

757575TOTAL

TENNESSEETITANSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTitans Power Run (Weak)The QB and RB talent in the back-field can execute this playbook; the passing game needs some help.

SIGNATURE PLAYGun > W Freeze EmThis play takes advantage of QB Vince Young’s athleticism as both a runner and scramble passer.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

575757PASS

464646RUN

191919SPEC.

111222222TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKTitans Blitz Heavy (Average)That blitz bias explains the team’s ability to stop the run in 2007, aver-aging less than 95 yards per game.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Mountainman BlitzThe Titans were able to put consis-tent pressure on the QB in 2007, thanks to blitzes like the one below.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

232323BLITZ

292929ZONE

151515MAN

676767TOTAL

MINNESOTAVIKINGSOFFENSIVE PLAYBOOKChildress Balanced (Average)If the Vikings can inject more pass verticality into this playbook, it will blow the run game wide open.

SIGNATURE PLAYStrong > F Short 31 Base1. Give Adrian Peterson the ball.2. Make a hole for him slip through.3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as needed.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

474747PASS

252525RUN

191919SPEC.

919191TOTAL

DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKVikings Cover 2 (Weak)This is a decent playbook for the Vikings—if the secondary can stay healthy for the entire season.

SIGNATURE PLAY4-3 > Cover 2It’s tough to balance pass rush with secondary support; try to man up to disguise your zone coverages.

PLAYBOOK BREAKDOWN

141414BLITZ

474747ZONE

777MAN

686868TOTAL


78


NFL TEAMSNFL TEAMS

‘He’s calm on opening kickoff, and he’s calm when you’re down 21-3. … He’s just a cool customer. I think that really spreads through the rest of the team, that it cannot be a panic situation and you can’t try to get it all back at once.’

—Colts quarterback Peyton Manning on Tony Dungy

AFC EAST

124

86

116

104

138

90

84

130

100

114

142

140

96

88

126

98

102

112

132

106

120

144

118

82

92

122

134

108

136

94

110

128

AFC NORTH AFC SOUTH AFC WEST NFC EAST NFC NORTH NFC SOUTH NFC WEST


USING THE TEAM PROFILESUSING THE TEAM PROFILESThis section is devoted to analyz-

ing the NFL’s 32 teams for 2008. The profiles on the following pages are de-signed to not only help you pick a team to play and learn more about, but also as a tool to help scout your opponents.

On the opposite page is an example team profile and some explanation of some of the more important elements to focus your attention on.

TEAM OWNERSTHE PEOPLE WHO SIGN YOUR PAYCHECK

Just like any other person in this game, each NFL team owner has a unique personality that plays a role in how their franchise develops from season to season.

While the team owner names may be fictional (including the Packers’ John Q. Public, which seems to be an hom-age to the fact that the team is publicly owned), their ownership style reflects how these franchises actually operate.

As you can imagine, some team owners are stubborn and demanding—the type of bosses who say “it’s my way or the highway.”

Other team owners will be passive and relatively weaker. They won’t be as demanding or tough when it comes to negotiations. You’ll probably have more leeway to operate—and more time to develop your squad.

To the right is a list of every team owner and their personality type, which will help you figure out the type of boss you’ll be dealing with.

ing the NFL’s 32 teams for 2008. The profiles on the following pages are de-signed to not only help you pick a team to play and learn more about, but also as a tool to help scout your opponents.

team profile and some explanation of some of the more important elements to focus your attention on.

game, each NFL team owner has a unique personality that plays a role in how their franchise develops from season to season.

be fictional (including the Packers’ John Q. Public, which seems to be an hom-age to the fact that the team is publicly owned), their ownership style reflects how these franchises actually operate.

owners are stubborn and demanding—the type of bosses who say “it’s my way or the highway.”

and relatively weaker. They won’t be as demanding or tough when it comes to negotiations. You’ll probably have more leeway to operate—and more time to develop your squad.

owner and their personality type, which will help you figure out the type of boss you’ll be dealing with.

ASK EA SPORTS

Will franchises shift to a new style of play?

Yes. This all depends on what types of coaches you bring onto the team and what types of philosophies they bring to your team. CPU teams will certainly change styles throughout the career.

When a CPU team has a bad year, the CPU owners look to shake things up and bring in new coaches to change the direction of the franchise. Some elite coordinators will actually demand that you fire the rest of the coaching staff. You might not be willing to do that as the user, but rest assured that at least one of the 31 other NFL teams will be willing to give up that control in order to have a Mike Martz-type of offensive coordinator on the coaching staff.

Some coordinators will demand that their playbook be used, to scrap the old system. This will also change the face of the offense or defense and what types of players are best suited for that system.

ASK EA SPORTS

OWNER NAME TEAM PERSONALITY TYPE

Edmund Farmer 49ers Commander

Vernon Van Alstyne Bears Anchor

Marshall D. Pickering Bengals Virtuoso

Bob Baines Bills Optimist

Donald Fisk Broncos Headliner

Sandy Burner Browns Guru

John Barclay III Bucs Stoic

Ben Bidless Cardinals Virtuoso

Alexis Spangler Chargers Promoter

Thomas Koop Chiefs Ambassador

Walter Kendrick Colts Captain

Randy Redstone Cowboys Super Star

Hyde Singer Dolphins Lone Wolf

William Kovner Eagles Analyst

Anderson P. Haskell Falcons Headliner

Alfred Linderman Giants Commander

Layne Cleaver Jaguars Ally

J.B. Booth Jets Loyalist

Don Bored Lions Optimist

John Q. Public Packers Optimist

Gary Richards Panthers Optimist

Henry Ross Hughes Patriots Commander

Charles G. Winningham Raiders Titan

Raymond P. Goodnight Rams Ally

Michael Diamond Jr. Ravens Promoter

Peter Ambrose Redskins Super Star

Jefferson Boudreaux Saints StoicJefferson Boudreaux Saints Stoic

Allen Paul Seahawks Analyst

Robert Meade Steelers Anchor

Cal Montgomery Texans Headliner

Alex Gold Titans Promoter

Mitchell R. Davidson Vikings Lone Wolf

A useful tool for evaluating your team is the Player Breakdown, accessible through your Roster. Check

it often to see which positions of need require attention.it often to see which positions of need require attention.

You’d be surprised to learn how much info there is available on your coaching staff. In your Clipboard,

go to Team > Develop Staff and view the Staff Cards.go to Team > Develop Staff and view the Staff Cards.

80


TEAM PROFILESTEAM PROFILES

Tackle Roosevelt Brown is the lowest-round draft pick ever elected to the Pro FootballHall of Fame. The New York Giants took Rosey in the 27th round (321st overall) in 1953.

Profile of the current Head Coach: Take

special note of his overall skill level as well as num-ber of special skills.

special note of his overall skill level as well as num-

Top 2008 Draft Picks: This is the

real-life list of players chosen by each team in the 2008 NFL Draft. While you may not agree with all the picks a team made, it’ll give you a better sense of the players that you might want to keep an eye on if you plan to redo the off-season.

real-life list of players chosen by each team in

Coach and Staff Overall Skill Rat-

ings: Look for coaching weakness or inexperience (anything under 25). Pay special attention to the trainer and GM. A skilled trainer can heal injuries faster; a skilled GM will be a more productive talent scout.

ings: Look for coaching weakness or inexperience

Default Playbooks: Each NFL team has a default offensive and defensive playbook; these are the

playbooks you’ll most likely encounter when playing against the CPU during your first season.

For this strategy guide, a full season was simulated for each NFL team, and a list of the most successful offen-sive and defensive plays was compiled. Obviously, many variables go into whether a play is successful or not, but these lists can give you a little insight into the type of plays and formations a CPU opponent might throw at you during a game.

playbooks you’ll most likely encounter when playing against the CPU during your first season.

By the Numbers: In addition to your 2007 team record and team ratings (up to a maximum of 99 for each), you’ll see the amount of cap space available for the 2008 season, and find out if it’s above or below the average NFL level ($39.8 million).

Depth Charts: Review your default 2008 pre-season roster at a glance. The depth chart at each position is read from left (the projected starter) to right. Positions in red are considered thin in either talent and/or total players on the roster at that spot.

Each player is listed with their jersey number and overall rating. In NFL Head Coach 09, overall ratings change based on the team philosophy and playbooks used—so the numbers you see on screen may be slightly different. Still, for compara-tive purposes, you can use these numbers to gauge the level of talent at each position.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: This is a partial overview of the team’s real-life free agency activity this off-season. The main focus was on players ranked 80+ OVR, although other positions of note are also included.

2008 Schedule: Re-view your schedule to see when your toughest and most important games will occur. Rest your starters before these big match-ups. Also look to see when your bye week oc-curs: It’s an extra week of practice (or rest) for your team.

81


HeadCoach

OFF DEFCoordinators Defense Position CoachesOffense Position Coaches

ST QB RB WR OL LB DL DB TrainerTrainerT GM

4848

1717 2323

7979

777 25253939 3232

55 111111 2525 44

4949

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Kansas City Chiefs 2 At Seattle Seahawks 3 San Francisco 49ers 4 At Cleveland Browns

REGULAR SEASON1 At Indianapolis Colts 2 At Carolina Panthers 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers4 Philadelphia Eagles 5 At Detroit Lions 6 At Atlanta Falcons 7 Minnesota Vikings 8 Bye Week9 Detroit Lions 10 Tennessee Titans11 At Green Bay Packers12 At St. Louis Rams13 At Minnesota Vikings14 Jacksonville Jaguars15 New Orleans Saints16 Green Bay Packers17 At Houston Texans

2008 SCHEDULE

CHICAGO BEARSCHICAGO BEARS

Season Outlook: The quarterback position lacks long-term promise, and the defense is aging. You’ll need to upgrade the offensive playbook, uti-lize Devin Hester in the offensive scheme, and stretch the field with longer pass plays. Overall Player Grade: B-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: You’d think QB would be an obvious need—and it is—but no passer will be safe if the Bears don’t find some fresh bodies for the team’s offensive line. The team has also had trouble establishing a “go-to” RB, and lost several WRs in free agency.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Bernard Berrian (WR) to Vikings, Ruben Brown (LG). Re-signed Lance Briggs (ROLB), Rex Grossman (QB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Olin Kreutz (C), Tommie Harris (DT)

COACH AND STAFF OVERALL SKILL RATINGS

TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:the defense is aging. You’ll need to upgrade the offensive playbook, uti-lize Devin Hester in the offensive scheme, and stretch the field with longer pass plays.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:obvious need—and it is—but no passer will be safe if the Bears don’t find some fresh bodies for the team’s offensive line. The team has also had trouble establishing a “go-to” RB, and lost several WRs in free agency.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Ruben Brown (LG). Re-signed Lance Briggs (ROLB), Rex Grossman (QB).

2009 Notable Free Agents:

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 7-9 • Home Record: 4-4• Away Record: 3-5• vs. NFC North: 2-4

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS

787878737373878787$23.4$23.4$23.4MILLIONMILLIONMILLION

2008 SALARY CAP ROOM

Current Approval: 76Personality: StoicDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 48Special Skills: 1 of 44

HEAD COACH

LOVIE SMITH

82



The Chicago Bears are probably the only team to ever draft two future Hall of Fame players in the same round. In the firstround of the 1965 draft, the Bears utilized back-to-back picks to select linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers.

DEFAULT ROSTER BREAKDOWN

CCCQB

DDD+++HB

BBB---FB

BBBWR

BBB---TE

FFFT

CCC---G

AAAC

AAAK

AAA---DE

BBBDT

BBBOLB

AAAMLB

AAA---CB

BBB+++FS

FFFSS

AAA---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Bears Power Run

Playbook Strength: Weak (128 plays)

Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I Form > Flea Flicker 79 2.8 yds.I Form > 98 H Pass 77 2.7 yds.Singleback > 96 H Counter 75 3.2 yds.I Form > Fake 92 Y Corner F Flat 72 3.2 yds.I Form > Fake 90 F Flat 71 3.0 yds.Gun > HB Flare 71 4.4 yds.I Form > Fake 34 F 97 Toss 71 3.1 yds.

Default Playbook: Lovie Cover 2

Playbook Strength: Average (70 plays)

Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Quarter > Prevent 63 2.1 yds.Tampa 2 > Cover 2 Stunt 55 3.1 yds.Tampa 2 > Gap Shoot Bucs 2 54 3.1 yds.Tampa 2 > Base Cover 2 53 3.3 yds.Tampa 2 > Bucs 2 52 3.4 yds.Tampa 2 > Bucs 2 Line Pinch 51 3.5 yds.Tampa 2 > Fire Cover 2 50 3.6 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Chris Williams OT / Vanderbilt

R2 Matt Forte RB / TulaneR3 Earl Bennett WR / VanderbiltR3 Craig Steltz S / LSUR4 Zackary Bowman CB / NebraskaR5 Kellen Davis TE / Michigan StateR5 Ervin Baldwin DE / Michigan StateR7 5 players chosen DE / G / OLB / T / WR

TOP 2008 PICKS

83


HeadCoach



3838

6767

3333 3838

6565

4141

7272 6868

2222 1414 111111

9999

3333

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Green Bay Packers2 Detroit Lions3 New Orleans Saints4 At Indianapolis Colts

REGULAR SEASON1 At Baltimore Ravens2 Tennessee Titans3 At New York Giants 4 Cleveland Browns5 At Dallas Cowboys6 At New York Jets7 Pittsburgh Steelers8 Bye Week9 Jacksonville Jaguars10 At Houston Texans11 Philadelphia Eagles12 At Pittsburgh Steelers 13 Baltimore Ravens14 At Indianapolis Colts15 Washington Redskins 16 At Cleveland Browns17 Kansas City Chiefs

2008 SCHEDULE

CINCINNATI BENGALSCINCINNATI BENGALS

Season Outlook: The Bengals are in disarray. While they have talent on offense, they’ve struggled to win games. Upgrades to the defense will be necessary to get this team back on track. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Focus on defense. You’ll need a defensive tackle to stiffen the run defense, and a defensive end as well as a safety to offset free agency departures. You can round out your off-season moves with a LB and a TE to augment the passing game.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Justin Smith (RE) to the 49ers. Franchised Stacy Andrews (LG). Signed Antwan Odom (LE).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Shayne Graham (K), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:offense, they’ve struggled to win games. Upgrades to the defense will be necessary to get this team back on track.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:a defensive tackle to stiffen the run defense, and a defensive end as well as a safety to offset free agency departures. You can round out your off-season moves with a LB and a TE to augment the passing game.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Franchised Stacy Andrews (LG). Signed Antwan Odom (LE).

2009 Notable Free Agents:(WR)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 7-9• Home Record: 5-3• Away Record: 2-6• vs. AFC North: 3-3

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 55Personality: TitanDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 38Special Skills: 0 of 44

HEAD COACH

MARVIN LEWIS

84



The football atop the Vince Lombardi Trophyis the exact same size as a real NFL football.


AAAQB

BBB+++HB

AAAFB

BBBWR

BBB---TE

BBBT

CCC+++G

BBB---C

AAAK

BBB---DE

BBB---DT

CCCOLB

BBBMLB

BBBCB

CCCFS

BBBSS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Bengals Vertical Pass

Playbook Strength: Strong (109 plays)

Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I > 989 F Screen Right 100 7.4 yds.Gun > X Screen 100 6.1 yds.I > Scram Right 22 Wheel 100 5.6 yds.Gun > Quick Scram Rt 770 Backs 100 5.4 yds.Gun > Fake 21 842 F Swing 100 4.1 yds.I > Read Right 939 H Post 97 13.0 yds.Gun > Quick Scram Rt 980 Flare 95 7.8 yds.

Defense: Zimmer 4-3

Playbook Strength: Very Weak (80 plays)

Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.4-4 > Double DE Spy 58 2.7 yds.4-4 > LB Fire 54 3.2 yds.4-4 > Cover 2 Man 49 3.9 yds.4-3 > Strong Flat 3 47 4.0 yds.4-3 > Over 3 Strong 46 4.2 yds.4-3 > Wildcat 45 4.3 yds.Dime > Zone Man X 45 4.4 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Keith Rivers LB / Southern CalR1 Jerome Simpson WR / Coastal CarolinaR3 Pat Sims DT / AuburnR3 Andre Caldwell WR / FloridaR4 Anthony Collins OT / KansasR5 Jason Shirley DT / Fresno StateR6 Corey Lynch FS / Appalach. StateR6 R7 3 players chosen TE / DE / WR

TOP 2008 PICKS

85


HeadCoach



4646

20203434

9999

777 1818

8181

999 1111113535 2828

5353

2424

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Washington Redskins2 Pittsburgh Steelers3 At Indianapolis Colts 4 Detroit Lions

REGULAR SEASON1 Seattle Seahawks 2 At Jacksonville Jaguars 3 Oakland Raiders 4 At St. Louis Rams 5 At Arizona Cardinals 6 Bye Week7 San Diego Chargers 8 At Miami Dolphins 9 New York Jets 10 At New England Patriots 11 Cleveland Browns 12 At Kansas City Chiefs 13 San Francisco 49ers 14 Miami Dolphins 15 At New York Jets 16 At Denver Broncos 17 New England Patriots

2008 SCHEDULE

BUFFALO BILLSBUFFALO BILLS

Season Outlook: The Bills last season came close to earning a playoff spot. The talent on this team is subpar overall but decent enough in spots to build upon, and the playbook is fairly weak. The team needs to break its recent history of slow season starts and stop blowing late-game leads. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Needs on offense include a tight end and some depth at running back. You also need a wide receiver: Either a possession-type wideout to enhance the pass game, or a speed-ster to open up run lanes. On defense, look to rebuild the CB position.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Kawika Mitchell (ROLB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: None


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:spot. The talent on this team is subpar overall but decent enough in spots to build upon, and the playbook is fairly weak. The team needs to break its recent history of slow season starts and stop blowing late-game leads. Overall Player Grade

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:end and some depth at running back. You also need a wide receiver: Either a possession-type wideout to enhance the pass game, or a speed-ster to open up run lanes. On defense, look to rebuild the CB position.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 7-9 • Home Record: 4-4• Away Record: 3-5• vs. AFC East: 4-2

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 81Personality: AmbassadorDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 46Special Skills: 5 of 44

HEAD COACH

DICK JAURON

86



Helmets were not required as mandatory gear until 1943; mosthelmets during that era were made out of leather and padding.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Bills Balanced


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Flea Flicker 100 3.3 yds.Singleback > 40 H Counter 73 3.4 yds.Strong > Fake 10 869 F Flat 73 3.3 yds.Singleback > 80 Stretch 72 3.2 yds.Singleback > Boot Rt. 819 U Cross 71 3.2 yds.Singleback > Scram Rt.709 H Swing 71 3.1 yds.Singleback > Boot Rt 879 Dig 71 3.2 yds.

Defense: Bills Cover 2


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Quarter > Prevent 63 2.1 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > Cover 2 Stunt 57 2.8 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > SS Snake 3 Stay 56 3.0 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > Cover 2 Buc 55 3.1 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > Cover 2 QB Spy 55 3.1 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > 2 Man Under 51 3.5 yds.4-3 Tampa 2 > Cover 1 51 3.6 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Leodis McKelvin CB / TroyR2 James Hardy WR / IndianaR3 Chris Ellis DE / Virginia TechR4 Reggie Corner CB / AkronR4 Derek Fine TE / KansasR5 Alvin Bowen OLB / Iowa StateR6 Xavier Omon RB / NW Missouri St.R7 3 players chosen OT / WR / CB

TOP 2008 PICKS

87


HeadCoach



7979

2626 2525 2727121212

7373

111111 111111 1818 1616 999

6565

1919

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Houston Texans2 Dallas Cowboys 3 Green Bay Packers 4 At Arizona Cardinals

REGULAR SEASON1 At Oakland Raiders 2 San Diego Chargers 3 New Orleans Saints 4 At Kansas City Chiefs 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 Jacksonville Jaguars 7 At New England Patriots 8 Bye Week9 Miami Dolphins 10 At Cleveland Browns 11 At Atlanta Falcons 12 Oakland Raiders 13 At New York Jets 14 Kansas City Chiefs 15 At Carolina Panthers 16 Buffalo Bills 17 At San Diego Chargers

2008 SCHEDULE

DENVER BRONCOSDENVER BRONCOS

Season Outlook: The team has talent, but the scheme and coaching staff are starting to show their age. Quarterback Jay Cutler could blossom with more playmakers on offense, and the run defense needs to improve. The Broncos in recent years have assembled lackluster draft classes, so scouting efforts need to improve. Overall Player Grade: B

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Continue to build the defensive line as well as the offensive line. Consider using one of your higher draft picks on a wide receiver.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Jason Elam (K) to the Falcons.

2009 Notable Free Agents: John Lynch (FS) (Note: Lynch may consider retirement before 2009), Tom Nalen (C)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:staff are starting to show their age. Quarterback Jay Cutler could blossom with more playmakers on offense, and the run defense needs to improve. The Broncos in recent years have assembled lackluster draft classes, so scouting efforts need to improve.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:line as well as the offensive line. Consider using one of your higher draft picks on a wide receiver.


2009 Notable Free Agents:retirement before 2009), Tom Nalen (C)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 7-9• Home Record: 5-3• Away Record: 2-6• vs. AFC West: 3-3

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 83Personality: CommanderDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 79Special Skills: 6 of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE SHANAHAN

88



The NFL logo has been updated for 2008: The eight stars represent the eight AFC and NFC divisions;the football has been stylized to look more like the one atop the Vince Lombardi Trophy.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Shanahan Zone Block


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > P 91 Slam H Check 100 5.8 yds.Singleback > P 92 Dive Z Corner 100 5.1 yds.Singleback > Z Slip Screen 99 4.7 yds.Singlebk. > Fake 98 Boot Lt Y Cross 97 6.8 yds.I > Fake 98 Boot Left X Come 97 5.7 yds.Gun > 322 Semi 95 4.3 yds.Near > P 92 Y Flag 90 5.3 yds.

Defense: Broncos Man Cover


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > DBL Z Bracket 51 2.8 yds.Dime > 2 Man Under 51 3.5 yds.Dime > All Out Blitz 51 3.5 yds.4-3 > 2 Deep 51 3.5 yds.4-3 > 2 Man Under 50 3.6 yds.4-3 > Broncos Base D 50 3.7 yds.4-3 > Cover 1 49 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Ryan Clady OT / Boise StateR2 Eddie Royal WR / Virginia TechR4 Kory Lichtensteiger OG / Bowling GreenR4 Jack Williams CB / Kent StateR5 Ryan Torain RB / Arizona StateR5 Carlton Powell DT / Virginia TechR6 Spencer Larsen OLB / ArizonaR7 2 players chosen S / FB

TOP 2008 PICKS

89


HeadCoach



5252 5757

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 New York Jets2 At New York Giants 3 At Detroit Lions4 Chicago Bears

REGULAR SEASON1 Dallas Cowboys 2 Pittsburgh Steelers3 At Baltimore Ravens 4 At Cincinnati Bengals 5 Bye Week6 New York Giants 7 At Washington Redskins 8 At Jacksonville Jaguars 9 Baltimore Ravens 10 Denver Broncos 11 At Buffalo Bills 12 Houston Texans 13 Indianapolis Colts 14 At Tennessee Titans 15 At Philadelphia Eagles 16 Cincinnati Bengals 17 At Pittsburgh Steelers

2008 SCHEDULE

CLEVELAND BROWNSCLEVELAND BROWNS

Season Outlook: The Browns had a breakout season in 2007 and almost earned a playoff spot. This young team has playmakers, a promising QB in development, and a bright future. Overall Player Grade: B+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: A cornerback should be your top priority, followed closely by linebacker to augment depth for the team’s 3-4 scheme. On offense, look for a dependable back-up for running back Jamal Lewis.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Donte Stallworth (WR), Rex Hadnot (RG). Re-signed Derek Anderson (QB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Willie McGinest (LOLB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:earned a playoff spot. This young team has playmakers, a promising QB in development, and a bright future.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:priority, followed closely by linebacker to augment depth for the team’s 3-4 scheme. On offense, look for a dependable back-up for running back Jamal Lewis.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Hadnot (RG). Re-signed Derek Anderson (QB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 87Personality: StoicDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 52Special Skills: 5 of 44

HEAD COACH

ROMEO CRENNEL

90



One of the entertainment highlights at Super Bowl I was theflight of a pair of jetpack-strapped men into the stadium.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Chudzinski Balanced


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I > 20 Draw 100 5.3 yds.Singleback > Fake 38 Zone Z Cross 92 7.9 yds.Strong > 23 Belly 80 3.9 yds.Singleback > Zip 30 Dive 75 3.5 yds.I > Boot Rt Y Pivot X Over 75 3.2 yds.Strong > 470 Circle F Swing 72 3.1 yds.Strong > 78 Y Option H Angle 72 3.0 yds.

Defense: Browns Rush Passer


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > FS Sam Crash 53 3.4 yds.Nickel > SS Mike Cross 52 3.4 yds.Nickel > Inside Zone Blitz 50 3.7 yds.Nickel > Cover 2 50 3.7 yds.Nickel > 2 Man Under 46 4.2 yds.3-4 > Strike Spy 2 46 4.2 yds.Nickel > Man QB Spy 45 4.4 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR4 Beau Bell OLB / UNLVR4 Martin Rucker TE / MissouriR6 Ahtyba Rubin DT / Iowa StateR6 Paul Hubbard WR / WisconsinR7 Alex Hall DE / St. Augustine

TOP 2008 PICKS

91


HeadCoach



7474

4646

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34345353

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552727

7777 7676

1414 2121

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Miami Dolphins2 New England Patriots 3 Jacksonville Jaguars4 At Houston Texans

REGULAR SEASON1 At New Orleans Saints 2 Atlanta Falcons 3 At Chicago Bears 4 Green Bay Packers 5 At Denver Broncos 6 Carolina Panthers 7 Seattle Seahawks 8 At Dallas Cowboys 9 At Kansas City Chiefs 10 Bye Week11 Minneapolis Vikings 12 At Detroit Lions 13 New Orleans Saints 14 At Carolina Panthers 15 At Atlanta Falcons 16 San Diego Chargers 17 Oakland Raiders

2008 SCHEDULE

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERSTAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Season Outlook: The team surprised many NFL experts by clinching the NFC South last season. The running game needs to be revitalized, and the aging defense needs fresh blood. However, overall the team and coaching staff are both solid. Overall Player Grade: A

Draft Outlook: It probably wouldn’t hurt to find a talented wideout who can augment the veteran talent at that position. Top defensive needs are at DT to shore up the middle and at CB to replace free agency losses.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Eugene Wilson (FS), Jeff Faine (C), Warrick Dunn (RB). Unknown status for Jeremiah Trotter (MLB).



TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:the NFC South last season. The running game needs to be revitalized, and the aging defense needs fresh blood. However, overall the team and coaching staff are both solid.

Draft Outlook:can augment the veteran talent at that position. Top defensive needs are at DT to shore up the middle and at CB to replace free agency losses.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Faine (C), Warrick Dunn (RB). Unknown status for Jeremiah Trotter (MLB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 9-7 • Home Record: 6-2• Away Record: 3-5• vs. NFC South: 5-1

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 85Personality: HeadlinerDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 74Special Skills: 9 of 44

HEAD COACH

JON GRUDEN

92



NFL players can only wear tinted helmet visors or tintedeye shields if approved by a doctor. Clear visors are optional.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Gruden West Coast


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Strong > Fake 98 Boot Lt Y Cross 100 5.8 yds.Singlebk. > Fake 91 Boot Rt Y Pivot 99 7.2 yds.Gun > P 33 Bob X Dig 98 6.2 yds.Split > 20 Z Corner H Flow 98 5.0 yds.I Form > Fake 98 Boot Lt Y Cross 98 5.6 yds.Singlebk. > Fake 63 Boot Rt U Cross 97 7.2 yds.I Form > 22 Y Flag H Flare 96 4.8 yds.

Defense: Tampa 2

Playbook Strength: Very Strong (60 plays)

Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > Nickel 2 57 2.7 yds.Dime > Bucs 2 DT Spy 51 3.6 yds.4-3 > Base Cover 2 49 3.8 yds.Nickel > Kiffin 2 49 3.9 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 QB Spy 48 3.9 yds.4-3 > 2 Stunt 48 3.9 yds.Nickel > Dungy 2 Under Deep 48 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Aqib Talib CB / KansasR2 Dexter Jackson WR / Appalachian St.R3 Jeremy Zuttah OG / RutgersR4 Dre Moore DT / MarylandR5 Josh Johnson QB / San DiegoR6 Geno Hayes MLB / Florida StateR7 Cory Boyd RB / South Carolina

TOP 2008 PICKS

93


HeadCoach



39394949

7676

4444

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6464

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 New Orleans Saints 2 At Kansas City Chiefs3 At Oakland Raiders4 Denver Broncos

REGULAR SEASON1 At San Francisco 49ers2 Miami Dolphins3 At Washington Redskins4 At New York Jets5 Buffalo Bills6 Dallas Cowboys7 Bye Week8 At Carolina Panthers9 At St. Louis Rams10 San Francisco 49ers11 At Seattle Seahawks12 New York Giants13 At Philadelphia Eagles14 St. Louis Rams15 Minneapolis Vikings16 At New England Patriots17 Seattle Seahawks

2008 SCHEDULE

ARIZONA CARDINALSARIZONA CARDINALS

Season Outlook: The Cardinals started a new era in 2007 and showed signs of life at times. Unanswered questions persist at quarterback and on defense. The secondary unit is fairly solid. Overall Player Grade: B

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Look for a young running back who can deliver long-term consistency at that position. On defense, look for another defensive end who can pass rush. Also consider adding depth to the offensive line as well as at cornerback.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Franchised Karlos Dansby (ROLB). Unknown status for Mitch Berger (P).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Scott Player (P), Kurt Warner (QB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:signs of life at times. Unanswered questions persist at quarterback and on defense. The secondary unit is fairly solid.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:who can deliver long-term consistency at that position. On defense, look for another defensive end who can pass rush. Also consider adding depth to the offensive line as well as at cornerback.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Unknown status for Mitch Berger (P).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 8-8 • Home Record: 6-2• Away Record: 2-6• vs. NFC West: 3-3

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 77Personality: LoyalistDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 39Special Skills: 2 of 44

HEAD COACH

KEN WHISENHUNT

94



Eight of the last 10 top NFL Draft picks (1998-2007)were quarterbacks. The other two were defensive ends.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Whisenhunt Power Run


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I > 92 Slant H Shoot 75 3.5 yds.I > Jab 37 Kick 75 3.7 yds.Gun > 52 Post X Under 74 10.0 yds.I > Toss 38 G 73 3.6 yds.I > 64 Post Y Dig 72 3.3 yds.Gun > Z Slip Screen 72 2.8 yds.I > 64 Exxon Z Post 71 3.4 yds.

Defense: Cardinals Blitz


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.3-4 > Cover 3 62 2.2 yds.3-4 > Weak Side Surprise 55 3.1 yds.3-4 > Trio Whip Man 54 3.0 yds.Nickel > Stunt Blitz 54 3.0 yds.3-4 > Boom 53 3.4 yds.4-3 > SS Snake Blitz 52 3.4 yds.3-4 > Swoop Blitz 51 3.5 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB / Tennessee StateR2 Calais Campbell DE / MiamiR3 Early Doucet WR / LSUR4 Kenny Iwebema DE / IowaR5 Tim Hightower RB / RichmondR6 Chris Harrington DE / Texas A&MR7 Brandon Keith OT / Northern Iowa

TOP 2008 PICKS

95


HeadCoach



4949

2121

6060 5858 5151

8383

46465656

7979 8282

1616 1414

9292

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Dallas Cowboys2 At St. Louis Rams3 Seattle Seahawks4 At San Francisco 49ers

REGULAR SEASON1 Carolina Panthers2 At Denver Broncos3 New York Jets4 At Oakland Raiders5 At Miami Dolphins6 New England Patriots7 At Buffalo Bills8 At New Orleans Saints9 Bye Week10 Kansas City Chiefs11 At Pittsburgh Steelers12 Indianapolis Colts13 Atlanta Falcons14 Oakland Raiders15 At Kansas City Chiefs16 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers17 Denver Broncos

2008 SCHEDULE

SAN DIEGO CHARGERSSAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Season Outlook: The Chargers stumbled out the gate last year but rebounded and beat the Colts in the playoffs. This team is loaded with talent. Overall Player Grade: A

Draft Outlook: Other than a back-up running back, the team doesn’t have any truly pressing needs. You might want to consider adding depth to the front lines by drafting an offensive or defensive tackle, or seek a versatile player who can play either cornerback or safety.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Michael Turner (HB) to the Falcons.

2009 Notable Free Agents: Nick Hardwick (C), Mike Goff (RG), Tony Pape (LT)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:rebounded and beat the Colts in the playoffs. This team is loaded with talent.

Draft Outlook:have any truly pressing needs. You might want to consider adding depth to the front lines by drafting an offensive or defensive tackle, or seek a versatile player who can play either cornerback or safety.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Falcons.

2009 Notable Free Agents:Pape (LT)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 78Personality: GuruDifficulty: EasyOverall Skill: 49Special Skills: 6 of 44

HEAD COACH

NORV TURNER

96



According to NFL rules, a muff is defined as the touching of the footballby a player in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain possession of a loose ball.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Super Chargers Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > 89 Halfback Pass 100 8.1 yds.Weak > Half Right 670 China 100 6.7 yds.Weak > Scat Rt X Z Cross 100 6.3 yds.Gun > Scram Rt 525 Backs Swing 100 5.8 yds.Singleback > Scat Rt 519 Angle 100 5.6 yds.I > Scat Rt 70 Y Option 100 5.6 yds.Singleback > Rip Rt 215 Seam 100 5.4 yds.

Defense: Chargers Pass Rush


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Attacking Nickel > SS Mike Cross 53 3.2 yds.Attacking Dime > SS Mike Cross 53 3.2 yds.Attacking 3-4 > Strike Spy 2 49 3.8 yds.Attacking 3-4 > Strong Blitz 49 3.9 yds.Attacking 3-4 > Cover 3 48 3.9 yds.Attacking Nickel > SS Zone Blitz 48 3.9 yds.Attack. Dime > Outside Zone Blitz 47 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Antoine Cason CB / ArizonaR3 Jacob Hester FB / LSUR5 Marcus Thomas RB / Texas-El PasoR6 DeJuan Tribble CB / Boston CollegeR7 Corey Clark OT / Texas A&M

TOP 2008 PICKS

97


HeadCoach



4141 3636

6363 5858 5656

101010 1919 553030

8080

2323 11

5858

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Chicago Bears2 Arizona Cardinals3 At Miami Dolphins4 St. Louis Rams

REGULAR SEASON1 At New England Patriots2 Oakland Raiders3 At Atlanta Falcons4 Denver Broncos5 At Carolina Panthers6 Bye Week7 Tennessee Titans8 At New York Jets9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers10 At San Diego Chargers11 New Orleans Saints12 Buffalo Bills13 At Oakland Raiders14 At Denver Broncos15 San Diego Chargers16 Miami Dolphins17 At Cincinnati Bengals

2008 SCHEDULE

KANSAS CITY CHIEFSKANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Season Outlook: The team has a few superstars but not much talent after that. The offensive line needs help, and the starting QB situation is still up for grabs. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Rebuild the offensive line and look for cornerbacks on defense. Consider a wideout with one of the lower picks. If you’re worried about RB health, a back-up halfback might help ease the load on Larry Johnson.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Did not re-sign John Welbourn (RG). Signed Demorrio Williams (ROLB). Unknown status for John Carney (K).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Tony Gonzalez (TE), Rob Smith (C)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:after that. The offensive line needs help, and the starting QB situation is still up for grabs.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:look for cornerbacks on defense. Consider a wideout with one of the lower picks. If you’re worried about RB health, a back-up halfback might help ease the load on Larry Johnson.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Signed Demorrio Williams (ROLB). Unknown status for John Carney (K).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 52Personality: Super StarDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 41Special Skills: 4 of 44

HEAD COACH

HERMAN EDWARDS

98



Kansas City Chiefs kicker Jan Stenerud was thefirst kicker elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Chiefs Grind It Out


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Strong I > Rip Rt 414 F Check 100 5.3 yds.Singleback > Rip Rt 586 H Option 100 5.3 yds.Singlebk. > Scram Rt 819 U Shake 100 4.4 yds.Strong I > Fake 20 670 F Flat 94 7.3 yds.Singlebk. > Scram Rt 709 H Swing 92 4.2 yds.Gun > Fake 22 826 F Swing 91 4.5 yds.Singlebk. > Fake 28 86 H Flat 90 4.7 yds.

Defense: Chiefs Old School


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.4-3 > Free Fire 53 3.3 yds.Dime > Cover 2 Pinch 52 3.3 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 QB Spy 52 3.4 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 Edge 52 3.4 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 Buc 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > Cover 3 48 4.0 yds.Dime > Cover 2 48 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Glenn Dorsey DT / LSUR1 Branden Albert OG / VirginiaR2 Brandon Flowers CB / Virginia TechR3 Jamaal Charles RB / TexasR3 Brad Cottam TE / TennesseeR3 DaJuan Morgan S / North Carolina St.R4 Will Franklin WR / MissouriR1 R1 R1 5 players chosen CB / OT / WR / DE / TE

TOP 2008 PICKS

99


HeadCoach



9999 99998989 9292 9999

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9090 8888

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Washington Redskins2 At Carolina Panthers3 At Atlanta Falcons4 Buffalo Bills5 Cincinnati Bengals

REGULAR SEASON1 Chicago Bears2 At Minn. Vikings3 Jacksonville Jaguars4 Bye Week5 At Houston Texans6 Baltimore Ravens7 At Green Bay Packers8 At Tennessee Titans9 New England Patriots10 At Pittsburgh Steelers11 Houston Texans12 At S. Diego Chargers13 At Cleveland Browns14 Cincinnati Bengals15 Detroit Lions16 At Jacksonville Jaguars17 Tennessee Titans

2008 SCHEDULE

INDIANAPOLIS COLTSINDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Season Outlook: This is a great team for beginners, given the great coaching staff, wealth of talent, and solid playbooks. If the team can stay healthy at key positions, the Colts are poised for yet another division title. Overall Player Grade: A+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The Colts are rather thin at linebacker and could benefit from more depth on the defensive line. On offense, look for back-ups for both offensive tackle and running back. In real life, the Colts didn’t make any major moves in free agency—so you probably don’t have to either. Focus on the draft instead.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Re-signed Josh Thomas (DE).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Jeff Saturday (C)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:coaching staff, wealth of talent, and solid playbooks. If the team can stay healthy at key positions, the Colts are poised for yet another division title. Overall Player

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:linebacker and could benefit from more depth on the defensive line. On offense, look for back-ups for both offensive tackle and running back. In real life, the Colts didn’t make any major moves in free agency—so you probably don’t have to either. Focus on the draft instead.



TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 13-3• Home Record: 6-2• Away Record: 7-1• vs. AFC South: 5-1

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 98Personality: AnchorDifficulty: EasyOverall Skill: 99Special Skills: 12 of 44

HEAD COACH

TONY DUNGY

100



The first sudden NFL overtime game took place in 1958when the Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17.


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AAAP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Tom Moore Pass Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Gun > 505 X Post 100 6.2 yds.Singleback > 210 X Clown 100 3.7 yds.Singlebk. > 18 Pitch Halfback Pass 99 4.7 yds. Gun > 505 Z Smash 96 5.6 yds.Singleback > 210 Z Corner Y Flat 94 4.2 yds.Singlebk. > F Right Hot Weak Flood 92 11.0 yds.Singlebk. > 218 X Z Comeback 92 7.4 yds.

Defense: Dungy Cover 2


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.D. Dime Cvr 2 > Bucs 2 Norm. Pinch 59 2.3 yds.D. Nickel Cvr 2 > D. 2 Under Deep 54 3.2 yds.Dungy 4-3 Cvr 2 > Bucs 2 53 3.3 yds.Dungy 4-3 Cvr 2 > Cover 2 Edge 53 3.4 yds.D. Nickel Cvr 2 > Cover 2 QB Spy 53 3.4 yds.Dungy Dime Cvr 2 > Edge Buc 2 52 3.4 yds.Dungy 4-3 Cvr 2 > CVR 2 Stunt 50 3.7 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR2 Mike Pollak OT / Arizona StateR3 Philip Wheeler OLB / Georgia TechR4 Jacob Tamme TE / KentuckyR5 Marcus Howard OLB / GeorgiaR6 Tom Santi TE / VirginiaR6 Steve Justice C / Wake ForestR6 Mike Hart RB / MichiganR2 R2 2 players chosen WR / OL

TOP 2008 PICKS

101


HeadCoach



62628181

3232 3333 3030 27274545

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121212

66667878

5656 4848

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At S. Diego Chargers2 At Denver Broncos3 Houston Texans4 Minneapolis Vikings

REGULAR SEASON1 At Cleveland Browns2 Philadelphia Eagles3 At Green Bay Packers4 Washington Redskins5 Cincinnati Bengals6 At Arizona Cardinals7 At St. Louis Rams8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers9 At New York Giants10 Bye Week11 At Washington Redskins12 San Francisco 49ers13 Seattle Seahawks14 At Pittsburgh Steelers15 New York Giants16 Baltimore Ravens17 At Philadelphia Eagles

2008 SCHEDULE

DALLAS COWBOYSDALLAS COWBOYS

Season Outlook: Tony Romo came into his own, turning into a franchise quarterback. The team has talent, great coaches and a strong playbook. Overall Player Grade: A

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Look for a running back and a wide receiver on offense to add depth at both those positions, and build more depth at cornerback on defense.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Franchised Ken Hamlin (FS). Signed Cory Lekkerkerker (LG), Zach Thomas (LB). Re-signed Marion Barber (HB), Flozell Adams (LT).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Terrell Owens (WR), Zach Thomas (MLB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:quarterback. The team has talent, great coaches and a strong playbook. Overall Player

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:wide receiver on offense to add depth at both those positions, and build more depth at cornerback on defense.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Signed Cory Lekkerkerker (LG), Zach Thomas (LB). Re-signed Marion Barber (HB), Flozell Adams (LT).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 13-3• Home Record: 6-2• Away Record: 7-1• vs. NFC East: 5-1

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 85Personality: GuruDifficulty: Very EasyOverall Skill: 62Special Skills: 4 of 44

HEAD COACH

WADE PHILLIPS

102



The most recent number one NFL Draft pick who’s also inthe Pro Football Hall of Fame: Troy Aikman (chosen in 1989).


BBB+++QB

DDD+++HB

CCC+++FB

AAA---WR

BBB---TE

BBBT

BBB---G

BBB+++C

BBB+++K

BBB---DE

BBB---DT

BBB+++OLB

AAAMLB

BBB---CB

BBBFS

AAASS

AAA+++P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Garrett Pass Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singlebk. > Fake 20 Smash Z Pivot 100 4.8 yds.Gun > 25 Power 100 4.2 yds.Gun > Quick Scat Rt 496 H Opti 100 4.0 yds.I > Flea Flicker 100 5.7 yds.Near > 25 Counter 95 4.8 yds.I > Fake 20 Lead Q Naked 94 2.8 yds.Gun > Read Rt 426 Drag 93 6.3 yds.

Defense: Phillips 3-4


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 2 68 1.5 yds.Dime > 2 Man Under 65 1.5 yds.3-4 > SS Blitz 54 3.2 yds.3-4 > Pinch 53 3.4 yds.Dime > 3 Spy Blitz 52 3.5 yds.3-4 > Strike Spy 2 50 3.6 yds.3-4 > 2 Deep MLB Spy 49 3.8 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Felix Jones RB / ArkansasR1 F Mike Jenkins CB / South FloridaR2 F Martellus Bennett TE / Texas A&MR4 F Tashard Choice RB / Georgia TechR5 F Orlando Scandrick CB / Boise StateR6 F Erik Walden DE / Middle Tennessee State

TOP 2008 PICKS

103


HeadCoach



3737 34342020

5858

101010

6060

34341616 111111

27273737

1414

5454

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers2 At Jacksonville Jaguars3 Kansas City Chiefs4 At New Orleans Saints

REGULAR SEASON1 New York Jets2 At Arizona Cardinals3 At New England Patriots4 Bye Week5 San Diego Chargers6 At Houston Texans7 Baltimore Ravens8 Buffalo Bills9 At Denver Broncos10 Seattle Seahawks11 Oakland Raiders12 New England Patriots13 At St. Louis Rams14 At Buffalo Bills15 San Francisco 49ers16 At Kansas City Chiefs17 At New York Jets

2008 SCHEDULE

MIAMI DOLPHINSMIAMI DOLPHINS

Season Outlook: You’ll be starting from scratch with the Dolphins: meager talent, new coaching staff and a weak playbook. Prepare yourself for a big challenge. On the plus side: A relatively easier regular-season schedule for 2008. Overall Player Grade: C-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The Dolphins have a long shop-ping list to take care of, but the most pressing need is the offensive line. Use the team’s first pick on the best OT available (Jake Long of Michi-gan). After that, look for a DE or DT, and then perhaps a WR.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Cory Lekkerkerker (LG) to the Cowboys, Rex Hadnot (RG) to the Browns. Signed Josh McCown (QB).



TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:meager talent, new coaching staff and a weak playbook. Prepare yourself for a big challenge. On the plus side: A relatively easier regular-season schedule for 2008.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:ping list to take care of, but the most pressing need is the offensive line. Use the team’s first pick on the best OT available (Jake Long of Michi-gan). After that, look for a DE or DT, and then perhaps a WR.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Cowboys, Rex Hadnot (RG) to the Browns. Signed Josh McCown (QB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 80Personality: CaptainDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 37Special Skills: 4 of 44

HEAD COACH

TONY SPARANO

104



NFL coaches are reserved a special six-foot-wide walking area markedby a yellow line that separates the field from the players’ benches.


BBB---QB

BBBHB

CCC---FB

BBB---WR

BBB---TE

FFFT

FFFG

BBB---C

BBB+++K

BBB---DE

BBBDT

BBB---OLB

BBB+++MLB

CCC+++CB

CCC+++FS

BBB---SS

FFFP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Sparano Balanced


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Zip 20 Dive 74 3.5 yds.Singleback > Scram Rt 549 H Swing 74 3.3 yds.I > 24 Tight Zone 73 3.3 yds.I > 28 Toss Sweep 73 3.2 yds.Singleback > 28 Stretch 73 3.3 yds.Gun > Fake 22 615 Post 73 3.3 yds.Singleback > 25 G Toss 73 3.2 yds.

Defense: Pasqualoni Pass Rush


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Quarters Spy 52 3.3 yds.Dime > Zone Blitz 50 3.6 yds.3-4 > SS Blitz 50 3.6 yds.3-4 > Pinch 49 3.8 yds.Nickel > CB3 Blitz 47 4.0 yds.3-4 > Sting Pinch 3 46 4.2 yds.3-4 > 2 Man Under 46 4.2 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Jake Long OT / MichiganR2 Phillip Merling DE / ClemsonR2 Chad Henne QB / MichiganR3 Kendall Langford DT / HamptonR4 Shawn Murphy OT / Utah StateR6 Jalen Parmele RB / ToledoR6 Donald Thomas OG / ConnecticutR6 R7 2 players chosen RB / DE

TOP 2008 PICKS

105


HeadCoach



7777

4141

9999

1919

52526363

33334848

333030

55 1414

7373

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Pittsburgh Steelers2 Carolina Panthers3 At New England Patriots4 New York Jets

REGULAR SEASON1 St. Louis Rams2 At Dallas Cowboys3 Pittsburgh Steelers4 At Chicago Bears5 Washington Redskins6 At San Francisco 49ers7 Bye Week8 Atlanta Falcons9 At Seattle Seahawks10 New York Giants11 At Cincinnati Bengals12 At Baltimore Ravens13 Arizona Cardinals14 At New York Giants15 Cleveland Browns16 At Washington Redskins17 Dallas Cowboys

2008 SCHEDULE

PHILADELPHIA EAGLESPHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Season Outlook: The Eagles’ rebuilding effort is still a work in progress. The team hasn’t made inroads when it comes to upgrading talent. Overall Player Grade: B+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Fix the depth at safety imme-diately; follow up with some new blood at DE opposite Trent Cole. On offense, look for another WR and an OT to back-up some of your older veterans at that spot.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Asante Samuel (CB). Re-signed L.J. Smith (TE).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Brian Dawkins (FS), William Thomas (LT), Jon Runyan (RT)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook: The team hasn’t made inroads when it comes to upgrading talent. Pla

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:diately; follow up with some new blood at DE opposite Trent Cole. On offense, look for another WR and an OT to back-up some of your older veterans at that spot.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:signed L.J. Smith (TE).

2009 Notable Free Agents:Runyan (RT)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 83Personality: StoicDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 77Special Skills: 5 of 44

HEAD COACH

ANDY REID

106



Some people use the less-than-flattering term “Mr. Irrelevant”to describe the final person chosen each year in the NFL Draft.


AAAQB

AAA---HB

BBB---FB

BBBWR

BBB+++TE

BBB---T

BBBG

BBBC

AAAK

BBB---DE

CCC+++DT

BBB---OLB

CCC---MLB

AAACB

AAA---FS

CCC+++SS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Reid All Passing


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I Form > Fake 93 Boot Rt X Deep C 97 6.4 yds.I Form > 95 Counter 92 3.5 yds.Singlebk. > 2 Jet Scat H Opt. (var.) 91 5.2 yds.Singleback > 2 Jet Scat H Option 90 6.5 yds.Singleback > 2 Jet Scat H Choice 90 6.1 yds.I Form > P 94 Zone F Flat 89 4.3 yds.Split > 320 Y Drag Z Follow 88 5.9 yds.

Defense: Jim Johnson Blitz


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 3 74 0.7 yds.4-3 > Double Z 55 3.1 yds.4-3 > LOLB Blitz 52 3.5 yds.4-3 > Storm Blitz 52 3.4 yds.4-3 > OLB Fire Man 49 3.9 yds.4-3 > Safety Blitz 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > 3 Deep Eagle Swoop 49 3.8 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR2 Trevor Laws DT / Notre DameR2 DeSean Jackson WR / CaliforniaR3 Bryan Smith OLB / McNeese StateR4 Mike McGlynn OT / PittsburghR4 Quintin Demps FS / Texas-El PasoR4 Jack Ikegwuonu CB / WisconsinR6 Mike Gibson OT / CaliforniaR6 R7 3 players chosen ILB / OLB / OT

TOP 2008 PICKS

107


HeadCoach



36362222 2626

6363

323255

5656

1616 999

75759595

113838

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Jacksonville Jaguars2 Indianapolis Colts3 Tennessee Titans4 At Baltimore Ravens

REGULAR SEASON1 Detroit Lions2 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers3 Kansas City Chiefs4 At Carolina Panthers5 At Green Bay Packers6 Chicago Bears7 Bye Week8 At Philadelphia Eagles9 At Oakland Raiders10 New Orleans Saints11 Denver Broncos12 Carolina Panthers13 At S. Diego Chargers14 At N. Orleans Saints15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers16 At Minn. Vikings17 St. Louis Rams

2008 SCHEDULE

ATLANTA FALCONSATLANTA FALCONS

Season Outlook: The Falcons are desperate for talent and a beefed-up playbook. This will be a multiseason project to turn this team around.Overall Player Grade: C-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Whether through free agency (i.e. Michael Turner of the Chargers) or the draft, you need another halfback to develop the run game. Even more important is the need to find and develop a franchise-reviving QB and an OT to boost the offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Demorrio Williams (ROLB) to the Chiefs. Did not re-sign Morten Andersen. Signed Jason Elam (K), Michael Turner (HB). Re-signed Michael Boley (LOLB).



TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:playbook. This will be a multiseason project to turn this team around.Overall Player

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:Michael Turner of the Chargers) or the draft, you need another halfback to develop the run game. Even more important is the need to find and develop a franchise-reviving QB and an OT to boost the offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:the Chiefs. Did not re-sign Morten Andersen. Signed Jason Elam (K), Michael Turner (HB). Re-signed Michael Boley (LOLB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 75Personality: TitanDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 36Special Skills: 4 of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE SMITH

108



The Vince Lombardi Trophy is hand-craftedeach year by Tiffany & Co. out of sterling silver.


FFFQB

BBBHB

AAA---FB

BBBWR

CCC---TE

FFFT

BBB---G

BBB+++C

AAA+++K

BBB+++DE

BBB---DT

BBB+++OLB

FFFMLB

CCC---CB

BBBFS

BBB+++SS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Mularkey Power Run


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Strong > 40 Power O 74 3.0 yds.Strong > Fake Power 728 F Slide 70 2.8 yds.I > 40 Gut 69 3.4 yds.Singleback > 30 Gut 68 3.4 yds.Singleback > 40 Gut 68 3.4 yds.I > 80 G Toss 67 3.3 yds.Strong > Read Rt 718 H Angle 66 2.3 yds.

Defense: Smith Physical D


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.4-3 > Cover 1 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > Man QB Spy 49 3.8 yds.Nickel > 2 Man Under 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > 2 Man Under 47 4.0 yds.4-3 > Trio Wham Lurk 46 4.2 yds.Dime > Double Slot 45 4.3 yds.4-3 > Thunder Smoke 45 4.3 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Matt Ryan QB / Boston CollegeR1 Sam Baker OT / Southern CalR2 Curtis Lofton LB / OklahomaR3 Chevis Jackson CB / LSUR3 Harry Douglas WR / LouisvilleR3 Thomas DeCoud FS / CaliforniaR5 Robert James OLB / Arizona StateR5 R6 R7 4 players chosen OLB / RB / CB / TE

TOP 2008 PICKS

109


HeadCoach



3434

8383

20203535 4040

2525

5252

1818

9999

1414

3939

14143535

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Oakland Raiders2 Green Bay Packers3 At Chicago Bears4 San Diego Chargers

REGULAR SEASON1 Arizona Cardinals2 At Seattle Seahawks3 Detroit Lions4 At New Orleans Saints5 New England Patriots6 Philadelphia Eagles7 At New York Giants8 Seattle Seahawks9 Bye Week10 At Arizona Cardinals11 St. Louis Rams12 At Dallas Cowboys13 At Buffalo Bills14 New York Jets15 At Miami Dolphins16 At St. Louis Rams17 Washington Redskins

2008 SCHEDULE

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERSSAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Season Outlook: Besides Patrick Willis, Frank Gore and Nate Clements, there isn’t much talent on this roster. Build around those players to engi-neer a turnaround. Overall Player Grade: C

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: With Mike Martz now calling the shots on offense, expect the 49ers to open up the passing game. You’ll need speedy receivers to run Martz’s plays and more talent on the offen-sive line to keep the QB protected. On defense, look to add youth at CB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Isaac Bruce (WR), Justin Smith (RE). Re-signed Billy Bajema (TE).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Isaac Bruce (WR)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:there isn’t much talent on this roster. Build around those players to engi-neer a turnaround.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:shots on offense, expect the 49ers to open up the passing game. You’ll need speedy receivers to run Martz’s plays and more talent on the offen-sive line to keep the QB protected. On defense, look to add youth at CB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Smith (RE). Re-signed Billy Bajema (TE).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 5-11• Home Record: 3-5• Away Record: 2-6• vs. NFC West: 3-3

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 41Personality: PromoterDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 34Special Skills: 3 of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE NOLAN

110



Super Bowl I is the only Super Bowlto not sell out all of its stadium seats.


BBB---QB

AAA---HB

CCC+++FB

BBB+++WR

BBB+++TE

BBBT

CCC---G

CCC---C

BBB+++K

BBB---DE

FFFDT

BBB---OLB

BBBMLB

BBB+++CB

CCC+++FS

BBBSS

AAA---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Martz Air Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Scat Rt8 512 Hook 93 6.8 yds.Singleback > Scat Rt Hook 93 7.0 yds.Singleback > Liz Slot Post 91 7.7 yds.Singleback > Fake Gut 864 Smash 91 6.0 yds.Gun > Quick Read 239 Out 91 6.0 yds.Gun > Liz Left Slot Cross 91 7.3 yds. Singleback > 99 Halfback Screen Rt. 90 6.3 yds.

Defense: Nolan 3-4


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.3-4 > Pinch 55 3.0 yds.3-4 > Over Blitz 53 3.3 yds.5 DBs > 2 Man Under 52 3.5 yds.3-4 > CB Dogs Blitz 51 3.6 yds.3-4 > Double Man 50 3.6 yds.3-4 > Double Man 50 3.7 yds.5 DBs > LB Ram Dogs 50 3.7 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Kentwan Balmer DE / North CarolinaR2 Chilo Rachal OG / Southern CalR3 Reggie Smith DB / OklahomaR4 Cody Wallace OL / Texas A&MR6 Josh Morgan WR / Virginia TechR7 Larry Grant OLB / Ohio State

TOP 2008 PICKS

111


HeadCoach



83836767

9393

3333 3838

66668383

2828

5555

9191

36361414

6363

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Detroit Lions2 Cleveland Browns 3 At New York Jets4 New England Patriots

REGULAR SEASON1 Washington Redskins 2 At St. Louis Rams 3 Cincinnati Bengals 4 Bye Week5 Seattle Seahawks 6 At Cleveland Browns 7 San Francisco 49ers 8 At Pittsburgh Steelers9 Dallas Cowboys10 At Philadelphia Eagles 11 Baltimore Ravens 12 At Arizona Cardinals13 At Washington Redskins 14 Philadelphia Eagles 15 At Dallas Cowboys 16 Carolina Panthers 17 At Minneapolis Vikings

2008 SCHEDULE

NEW YORK GIANTSNEW YORK GIANTS

Season Outlook: The Giants came alive in the playoffs and stunned the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Despite that feat, doubts remain about QB Eli Manning and some of the coaching staff. Overall Player Grade: A

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: OLB is probably the biggest hole you need to fill, followed closely by S. The WR corps is still talented but getting older, so fresh legs will eventually be needed at wideout.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Kawika Mitchell (ROLB) to the Bills. Did not re-sign Zach Piller (LG). Re-signed Lawrence Tynes (K).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Michael Strahan (LE—likely to retire in the game, actually retired in 2008), Shaun O’Hara (C)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Despite that feat, doubts remain about QB Eli Manning and some of the coaching staff.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:you need to fill, followed closely by S. The WR corps is still talented but getting older, so fresh legs will eventually be needed at wideout.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Bills. Did not re-sign Zach Piller (LG). Re-signed Lawrence Tynes (K).

2009 Notable Free Agents:game, actually retired in 2008), Shaun O’Hara (C)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 95Personality: CommanderDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 83Special Skills: 7 of 44

HEAD COACH

TOM COUGHLIN

112



Each NFL game ball is known as “The Duke,” in honor ofNew York Giants football legend Wellington “Duke” Mara.


BBBQB

BBBHB

CCC+++FB

BBB+++WR

AAATE

BBBT

BBBG

BBB+++C

BBBK

AAA---DE

BBBDT

BBB---OLB

BBB+++MLB

BBBCB

DDD---FS

BBB---SS

BBB---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Gilbride Old School


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singlebk. > Ride 138 Curl T Deep Cro 100 14.0 yds.I > 40 H Draw 93 4.6 yds.I > H Out 72 Flood Z Cross 77 3.5 yds.Gun > 62 Comeback Y In 76 3.4 yds.Singleback > 76 Firm Diagonal Go 75 3.3 yds.Gun > 72 X Slant Hook 74 3.2 yds.Gun > 72 X Drag Y Post 74 4.0 yds.

Defense: Spagnuolo Pressure


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Pressure 4-3 > Safety Blitz 49 3.8 yds.Pressure 4-3 > Mike Fire 49 3.8 yds.Pressure 4-3 > SS Blitz 49 3.9 yds.Pressure 4-3 > Under Ram Buck 49 3.9 yds.Pressure 4-3 > Sam Blitz 49 3.9 yds.Pressure 4-3 > Edge Sting 48 4.0 yds.Pressure 4-3 > Free Fire 47 5.2 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Kenny Phillips FS / MiamiR2 Terrell Thomas CB / Southern CalR3 Mario Manningham WR / MichiganR4 Bryan Kehl OLB / BYUR5 Jonathan Goff LB / VanderbiltR6 André Woodson QB / KentuckyR6 Robert Henderson DE / Southern Miss

TOP 2008 PICKS

113


HeadCoach



6767

4343

78785959

2020

6262 6666

4242

7272

11

5656 6565

3535

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Atlanta Falcons2 Miami Dolphins3 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers4 At Washington Redskins

REGULAR SEASON1 At Tennessee Titans2 Buffalo Bills3 At Indianapolis Colts4 Houston Texans5 Pittsburgh Steelers6 At Denver Broncos7 Bye Week8 Cleveland Browns9 At Cincinnati Bengals10 At Detroit Lions11 Tennessee Titans12 Minneapolis Vikings13 At Houston Texans14 At Chicago Bears15 Green Bay Packers16 Indianapolis Colts17 At Baltimore Ravens

2008 SCHEDULE

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSJACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Season Outlook: The Jaguars are a solid and physical team with an im-posing defense and reliable running game. Overall Player Grade: A

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The Jaguars really need to find a dominant pass rusher at defensive tackle as well as defensive end. The team is also thin at safety. On offense, the Jaguars should look for a younger center. In real life, some argue that the team traded too much to the Ravens to get their first-round slot.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Drayton Florence (CB), Pierson Prioleau (FS), Jimmy Kennedy (DT), Jerry Porter (WR). Re-signed Maurice Williams (RG).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Fred Taylor (HB), David Gerrard (QB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:posing defense and reliable running game.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:a dominant pass rusher at defensive tackle as well as defensive end. The team is also thin at safety. On offense, the Jaguars should look for a younger center. In real life, some argue that the team traded too much to the Ravens to get their first-round slot.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Pierson Prioleau (FS), Jimmy Kennedy (DT), Jerry Porter (WR). Re-signed Maurice Williams (RG).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 88Personality: Super StarDifficulty: EasyOverall Skill: 67Special Skills: 8 of 44

HEAD COACH

JACK DEL RIO

114



All numbers on an NFL football fieldmust be six feet tall and four feet wide.


BBBQB

BBB+++HB

BBBFB

BBB---WR

BBBTE

BBB---T

BBB+++G

BBB+++C

BBB+++K

CCC---DE

BBB+++DT

BBBOLB

BBB+++MLB

BBBCB

BBBFS

BBB---SS

BBB---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Koetter Ball Control


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I > 317 Naked Y Pivot 78 3.3 yds.Strong > 35 Counter 78 3.4 yds.Strong > 317 Naked Z Comeback 77 3.3 yds.I > 34 Counter 77 3.3 yds.Strong > 34 Counter 77 3.2 yds.Strong > 18 Stretch 76 3.2 yds.Singleback > 73 Under A Seam 75 4.0 yds.

Defense: Jags Physical D


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 2 56 3.0 yds.Nickel > 2 Man Under S Back 53 3.3 yds.4-3 > Cover 1 52 3.5 yds.4-3 > Trio Wham Lurk 52 3.5 yds.4-3 > Double Z 51 3.6 yds.4-3 > Safety Blitz 49 3.9 yds.4-3 > DBL TE Bracket 48 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Derrick Harvey DE / FloridaR2 Quentin Groves DE / AuburnR5 Thomas Williams OLB / Southern CalR5 Trae Williams CB / South FloridaR7 Chauncey Washington RB / Southern Cal

TOP 2008 PICKS

115


HeadCoach



4444 35351717 44 2323

6262

292955

4747

1313 11 1414

6060

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Cleveland Browns2 Washington Redskins3 New York Giants4 At Philadelphia Eagles

REGULAR SEASON1 At Miami Dolphins2 New England Patriots3 At San Diego Chargers4 Arizona Cardinals5 Bye Week6 Cincinnati Bengals7 At Oakland Raiders8 Kansas City Chiefs9 At Buffalo Bills10 St. Louis Rams11 At New England Patriots12 At Tennessee Titans13 Denver Broncos14 At San Francisco 49ers15 Buffalo Bills16 At Seattle Seahawks17 Miami Dolphins

2008 SCHEDULE

NEW YORK JETSNEW YORK JETS

Season Outlook: The Jets floundered last season. A respectable pass defense masked a horrid run defense. Consistency at QB remains a major question mark going into training camp. Overall Player Grade: B-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Production levels at RB need to improve, so new faces at that position should be a top priority. Follow that with a WR. On defense, the Jets need to find a prospect flexible enough to line up as an LB or DE.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Alan Faneca (LG), Bubba Franks (TE), Tony Richardson (FB), Calvin Pace (LB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Kerry Rhodes (SS)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:defense masked a horrid run defense. Consistency at QB remains a major question mark going into training camp.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:improve, so new faces at that position should be a top priority. Follow that with a WR. On defense, the Jets need to find a prospect flexible enough to line up as an LB or DE.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Franks (TE), Tony Richardson (FB), Calvin Pace (LB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 75Personality: StoicDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 44Special Skills: 2 of 44

HEAD COACH

ERIC MANGINI

116



Although it’s never seen in today’s games, NFL rules still allow the use of a drop kick, whichis when a kicker drops the ball and kicks it as (or immediately after) it touches the ground.


BBBQB

BBB+++HB

BBB+++FB

AAA---WR

BBB---TE

BBB---T

BBBG

AAA---C

BBB+++K

BBB---DE

AAA---DT

CCCOLB

BBBMLB

BBB---CB

DDD+++FS

AAA---SS

BBB+++P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Shottenheimer Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singlebk. > Qk. Read Rt 202 Shoot 100 5.4 yds.Gun > Scram Rt 870 Hitch 100 4.9 yds.Gun > Flood Rt 562 Seam 100 5.5 yds.Gun > Liz Rt 628 Wheel 98 8.7 yds.Singleback > Flood Rt 424 Flat 97 4.7 yds.Singlebk. > Fake 50 Counter 86 Switc. 93 5.6 yds.I > Fake 20 869 F Flat 92 6.0 yds.

Defense: Jets 3-4


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.3-4 > Stud Fire Spy 53 3.3 yds.Nickel > Double Z 52 3.4 yds.3-4 > Pats Blitz 51 3.5 yds. 3-4 > OLB Swoop 49 3.8 yds.3-4 > SS Swarm 49 3.8 yds.3-4 > Line Pinch 48 3.9 yds.3-4 > Edge 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Vernon Gholston DE / Ohio StateR1 Dustin Keller TE / PurdueR4 Dwight Lowery CB / San Jose StateR5 Erik Ainge QB / TennesseeR6 Marcus Henry WR / KansasR7 Nate Garner OT / Arkansas

TOP 2008 PICKS

117


HeadCoach



3232 2929 3131 2828777

6464

101010 2525 1313 2020 55 1414 1818

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 New York Giants2 At Cincinnati Bengals3 Cleveland Browns4 At Buffalo Bills

REGULAR SEASON1 At Atlanta Falcons2 Green Bay Packers3 At San Francisco 49ers4 Bye Week5 Chicago Bears6 At Minneapolis Vikings7 At Houston Texans8 Washington Redskins9 At Chicago Bears10 Jacksonville Jaguars11 At Carolina Panthers12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers13 Tennessee Titans14 Minneapolis Vikings15 At Indianapolis Colts16 New Orleans Saints17 At Green Bay Packers

2008 SCHEDULE

DETROIT LIONSDETROIT LIONS

Season Outlook: The team has weapons on offense, notably at WR, but their defense is the team’s Achilles heel. The playbook probably needs a tune-up as well. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The Lions need to rediscover the glory days with Barry Sanders and find a franchise running back. The right side of the offensive line also needs new talent to improve pass protec-tion. On defense, the Lions need to upgrade at DT, LB and CB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Brian Kelly (CB), Travis Fisher (CB). Did not re-sign Ben Noll (RG).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Jason Hanson (K), Shaun McDonald (WR)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:their defense is the team’s Achilles heel. The playbook probably needs a tune-up as well.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:glory days with Barry Sanders and find a franchise running back. The right side of the offensive line also needs new talent to improve pass protec-tion. On defense, the Lions need to upgrade at DT, LB and CB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:(CB). Did not re-sign Ben Noll (RG).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 70Personality: TraditionalistDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 32Special Skills: 2 of 44

HEAD COACH

ROD MARINELLI

118



The 1950 NFL draft was filled with players with colorful nicknamessuch as “Muscles,” “Snakey,” “Dopey” and “Choo-Choo.”


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Lions Ball Control


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Shotgun > 414 H Circle 100 3.4 yds.I > Fake Dive 768 F Out 96 6.7 yds. Strong > Read Rt 97 X Drag 95 9.3 yds.Strong > Scram Rt 384 F Circle 94 5.9 yds.Singleback > Zip 692 Seam 94 4.2 yds.I > Fake Dive 683 H Check 93 5.5 yds.Singleback > Flood Rt 787 Seam 89 8.2 yds.

Defense: Lions Cover 2


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Bucs 2 Eye 55 2.8 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 QB Spy 54 3.1 yds.4-3 > Cover 2 Storm 51 3.5 yds.4-3 > Bucs 2 50 3.2 yds.4-3 > Bucs 2 Line Pinch 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > Under 2 48 3.9 yds.Nickel > Kiffin 2 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Gosder Cherilus OT / Boston CollegeR2 Jordon Dizon OLB / ColoradoR3 Kevin Smith RB / Central FloridaR3 Andre Fluellen DT / Florida StateR3 Cliff Avril OLB / PurdueR5 Kenneth Moore WR / Wake ForestR5 Jerome Felton FB / FurmanR7 2 players chosen DE / S

TOP 2008 PICKS

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HeadCoach



7070

4646 4646 4141

7474

3838 3131 3030

61614545 4040

1212123535

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Cincinnati Bengals2 At San Francisco 49ers3 At Denver Broncos4 Tennessee Titans

REGULAR SEASON1 Minneapolis Vikings2 At Detroit Lions3 Dallas Cowboys4 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers5 Atlanta Falcons6 At Seattle Seahawks7 Indianapolis Colts8 Bye Week9 At Tennessee Titans10 At Minneapolis Vikings11 Chicago Bears12 At New Orleans Saints13 Carolina Panthers14 Houston Texans15 At Jacksonville Jaguars16 At Chicago Bears17 Detroit Lions

2008 SCHEDULE

GREEN BAY PACKERSGREEN BAY PACKERS

Season Outlook: Obviously, Brett Favre’s retirement raises questions at not just quarterback, but also how the team’s offensive scheme may change. Regardless, the run game needs consistency to help open up the passing game. Overall Player Grade: A+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Quarterback depth needs to be fixed due to Favre’s departure, and on offense, positions of need include a tight end and a young tackle. On defense, the team’s CBs are accom-plished veterans but are getting older.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Re-signed Atari Bigby (S).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Ryan Grant (HB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:at not just quarterback, but also how the team’s offensive scheme may change. Regardless, the run game needs consistency to help open up the passing game.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:fixed due to Favre’s departure, and on offense, positions of need include a tight end and a young tackle. On defense, the team’s CBs are accom-plished veterans but are getting older.



TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 93Personality: CaptainDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 70Special Skills: 9 of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE MCCARTHY

120



The practice of having teams draft in reverse order oftheir win-loss records first took full effect starting in 1959.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: McCarthy West Coast


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Flea Flicker 100 8.0 yds.I Form > Fake 93 Boot Rt X Deep C 100 6.8 yds.I Form > Fake 98 Boot Left X Come 100 6.3 yds.Gun > P 45 Base Z Drag 100 4.7 yds.Singlebk. > P 98 Stretch X Z Curl 100 3.9 yds.Full House > Max Protect 100 3.5 yds.Full House > Flares 100 3.5 yds.

Defense: Packers 4 Across


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > Cover 1 69 1.3 yds.4-3 > Man Cover 56 2.9 yds.Nickel > 2 Man Under 50 3.0 yds.Dime > Cover 1 48 3.9 yds.4-3 > 4 Deep Quarters 48 3.9 yds.4-3 > Cover 1 48 3.9 yds.Dime > Quarters Man 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR2 Jordy Nelson WR / Kansas StateR2 Brian Brohm QB / LouisvilleR2 Patrick Lee DB / AuburnR3 Jermichael Finley TE / TexasR4 Jeremy Thompson DE / Wake ForestR4 Josh Sitton OT / Central FloridaR5 Breno Giacomini OT / LouisvilleR7 2 players chosen QB / WR

TOP 2008 PICKS

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HeadCoach



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4242 5151

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Indianapolis Colts2 At Philadelphia Eagles3 Washington Redskins4 At Pittsburgh Steelers

REGULAR SEASON1 At S. Diego Chargers2 Chicago Bears3 At Minn. Vikings4 Atlanta Falcons5 Kansas City Chiefs6 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers7 New Orleans Saints8 Arizona Cardinals9 Bye Week10 At Oakland Raiders11 Detroit Lions12 At Atlanta Falcons13 At Green Bay Packers14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers15 Denver Broncos16 At New York Giants17 At N. Orleans Saints

2008 SCHEDULE

CAROLINA PANTHERSCAROLINA PANTHERS

Season Outlook: Focus on fixing the playbook and revamping a defen-sive line that ranked last in the NFC in sacks. Some believe the Panthers will try to establish a power run game. Overall Player Grade: B

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Bulk up the offensive line with a solid tackle. If you buy the power-run philosophy, complement that OT with an RB. On defense, the team is getting older at DE and MLB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Franchised Jordan Gross (RT). Signed Toniu Fonoti (LG), D.J. Hackett (WR), Muhsin Muhammad (WR), Landon Johnson (LB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: John Kasay (K), Julius Peppers (LE)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:sive line that ranked last in the NFC in sacks. Some believe the Panthers will try to establish a power run game.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:solid tackle. If you buy the power-run philosophy, complement that OT with an RB. On defense, the team is getting older at DE and MLB.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Toniu Fonoti (LG), D.J. Hackett (WR), Muhsin Muhammad (WR), Landon Johnson (LB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 52Personality: CaptainDifficulty: Very HardOverall Skill: 44Special Skills: 5 of 44

HEAD COACH

JOHN FOX

122



During the 1960s, a common practice by teams was to keep prized prospects hidden inhotel rooms until they were drafted to ensure that they wouldn’t be drafted by someone else.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Davidson Balanced


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I > Slant 24 Zone 78 2.9 yds.Gun > 10 QB Draw 78 2.3 yds.Near > Jab 37 Counter 72 3.3 yds.I > 54 Drive Y Post 72 3.1 yds.Gun > 74 Flood 72 3.1 yds.Zero > 45 Exxon Z Post 71 3.1 yds.Zero > 92 Drag Slant 71 3.1 yds.

Defense: Panthers Pass Rush


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 3 69 0.4 yds.Nickel > Strong Zone 61 2.3 yds.Nickel > Cover 2 58 5.9 yds.4-3 > Free Fire 55 3.1 yds.4-3 > Double X 53 3.3 yds.4-3 > Buzz Weak 52 3.5 yds.4-3 > Cover 1 52 3.5 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Jonathan Stewart RB / OregonR1 Jeff Otah OT / PittsburghR3 Charles Godfrey CB / IowaR3 Dan Connor OLB / Penn StateR5 Gary Barnidge TE / LouisvilleR6 Nick Hayden DT / WisconsinR7 Hilee Taylor OLB / North CarolinaR7 2 players chosen OL / OG

TOP 2008 PICKS

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HeadCoach



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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Baltimore Ravens2 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3 Philadelphia Eagles4 At New York Giants

REGULAR SEASON1 Kansas City Chiefs 2 At New York Jets 3 Miami Dolphins 4 Bye Week5 At San Francisco 49ers 6 At San Diego Chargers 7 Denver Broncos 8 St. Louis Rams 9 At Indianapolis Colts 10 Buffalo Bills 11 New York Jets 12 At Miami Dolphins 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 14 At Seattle Seahawks 15 At Oakland Raiders 16 Arizona Cardinals 17 At Buffalo Bills

2008 SCHEDULE

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSNEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Season Outlook: This team has elite coaching, top-notch talent, and an impressive playbook—just avoid injuries. Overall Player Grade: A+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The word “need” is a relative thing with the Patriots, but you should consider free agency, the draft (or both) to find new CBs and a safety for the secondary. The linebacker corps is getting older, so that position will eventually need to be ad-dressed as well. Finally, boost depth along the offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Eugene Wilson (FS) to the Buc-caneers, Donte Stallworth (WR) to the Browns, Asante Samuel (CB) to the Eagles. Re-signed Randy Moss (WR).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Mike Vrabel (LOLB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:impressive playbook—just avoid injuries.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:thing with the Patriots, but you should consider free agency, the draft (or both) to find new CBs and a safety for the secondary. The linebacker corps is getting older, so that position will eventually need to be ad-dressed as well. Finally, boost depth along the offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:caneers, Donte Stallworth (WR) to the Browns, Asante Samuel (CB) to the Eagles. Re-signed Randy Moss (WR).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 96Personality: CommanderDifficulty: Very EasyOverall Skill: 99Special Skills: 19 of 44

HEAD COACH

HAL OPHAMER

124



NFL veterans have a Thanksgiving tradition: Tricking rookies into goingto a local business to pick up free turkeys that aren’t really available.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Patriots Air Strike


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Gun > 74 Z Spot Y Flag 95 7.3 yds.Gun > 52 Curl Z Choice 92 7.0 yds.Gun > 74 Comeback Y Return 92 6.9 yds.Gun > 74 Buffalo F OKie 91 6.9 yds.Zero > 72 Mesh H Angle 90 6.3 yds.Zero > 92 Slant 88 5.5 yds.Zero > 72 Z Choice X Flag 87 5.8 yds.

Defense: Patriots Pressure


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.5 DBs > Cover 2 72 -1.0 yds.5 DBs > Cover 3 Flat 55 3.1 yds.5 DBs > Under 7 Slice 54 3.2 yds.5 DBs > LB Contain 54 3.2 yds.5 DBs > Slant FS Storm 53 3.3 yds.5 DBs > 3 Overload Fire 50 3.5 yds.3-4 > Flash Blitz 50 3.7 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Jerod Mayo OLB / TennesseeR2 Terrence Wheatley CB / ColoradoR3 Shawn Crable OLB / MichiganR3 Kevin O’Connell QB / San Diego StateR4 Jonathan Wilhite CB / AuburnR5 Matt Slater WR / UCLAR6 Bo Ruud OLB / Nebraska

TOP 2008 PICKS

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HeadCoach



2626888

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 San Francisco 49ers2 At Tennessee Titans3 Arizona Cardinals4 At Seattle Seahawks

REGULAR SEASON1 Denver Broncos 2 At Kansas City Chiefs 3 At Buffalo Bills 4 San Diego Chargers 5 Bye Week6 At New Orleans Saints 7 New York Jets 8 At Baltimore Ravens 9 Atlanta Falcons10 Carolina Panthers 11 At Miami Dolphins 12 At Denver Broncos 13 Kansas City Chiefs 14 At San Diego Chargers 15 New England Patriots 16 Houston Texans 17 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2008 SCHEDULE

OAKLAND RAIDERSOAKLAND RAIDERS

Season Outlook: Despite some talent on defense, this team is still a work in progress. The offense and playbook need immediate help. For those starting in the pre-season, it’ll be interesting to see how Darren McFad-den will impact the offensive scheme. Overall Player Grade: C

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The team needs a speedy WR to stretch the field vertically and an RB to revitalize the run game—grab the best player available at either position with your first draft pick. If you do go with an RB, look next to build up your offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Did not re-sign Daunte Culpepper (QB). Franchised Nnamdi Asomugha (CB). Signed Gibril Wilson (S).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Shane Lechler (P), Mark Wilson (RT)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:in progress. The offense and playbook need immediate help. For those starting in the pre-season, it’ll be interesting to see how Darren McFad-den will impact the offensive scheme.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:stretch the field vertically and an RB to revitalize the run game—grab the best player available at either position with your first draft pick. If you do go with an RB, look next to build up your offensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:(QB). Franchised Nnamdi Asomugha (CB). Signed Gibril Wilson (S).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 43Personality: AnalystDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 26Special Skills: 2 of 44

HEAD COACH

LANE KIFFIN

126



When the Oakland Raiders drafted defensive tackle Richard Sligh in 1967, he became the tallest person ever (at seven feet) to play in the NFL.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Kiffin Pass Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Boot Rt 819 U Cross 100 6.4 yds.Singleback > Fake 20 884 Corner 96 6.9 yds.I > Fake 20 869 F Flat 95 5.6 yds.Weak > Fake Lead 568 H Check 90 4.8 yds.Singleback > 80 Power Toss 88 3.5 yds.Singleback > 50 Counter 87 4.2 yds.Singleback > Sprint Rt 979 Pivot 87 8.3 yds.

Defense: Raiders Rover


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.4-3 > Trio Wham Lurk 53 3.4 yds.4-3 > LOLB Blitz 51 3.6 yds.4-3 > Under Ram Buck 51 3.6 yds.4-3 > Hog Buck 3 50 3.7 yds.4-3 > Slant 1 OLB Fire 49 3.8 yds.Raiders Rover > Double X 49 3.9 yds.Raiders Rover > FS Blitz 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Darren McFadden RB / ArkansasR4 Tyvon Branch CB / ConnecticutR4 Arman Shields WR / RichmondR6 Trevor Scott DE / BuffaloR7 Chaz Schilens WR / San Diego State

TOP 2008 PICKS

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Tennessee Titans2 San Diego Chargers3 Baltimore Ravens4 At Kansas City Chiefs

REGULAR SEASON1 At Philadelphia Eagles 2 New York Giants 3 At Seattle Seahawks 4 Buffalo Bills 5 Bye Week6 At Washington Redskins 7 Dallas Cowboys 8 At New England Patriots 9 Arizona Cardinals 10 At New York Jets 11 At San Francisco 49ers 12 Chicago Bears 13 Miami Dolphins 14 At Arizona Cardinals15 Seattle Seahawks 16 San Francisco 49ers 17 At Atlanta Falcons

2008 SCHEDULE

ST. LOUIS RAMSST. LOUIS RAMS

Season Outlook: Injuries really hammered the Rams last season. Keep your players healthy and spice up the playbook. The team is starting to show its age at some positions, such as WR. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: You have lots of options to look at here. If you think the offensive line can stay healthy, look to focus your search on a DE or DT first, then a back-up LB. If not, then look for a starter-ready replacement at offensive tackle or guard.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Re-signed Adam Goldberg (RT) and Brett Romberg (C). Signed Josh Brown (K), Jacob Bell, (LG), Trent Green (QB). Unknown status for O.J. Atogwe (FS).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Steven Jackson (HB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:your players healthy and spice up the playbook. The team is starting to show its age at some positions, such as WR.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:at here. If you think the offensive line can stay healthy, look to focus your search on a DE or DT first, then a back-up LB. If not, then look for a starter-ready replacement at offensive tackle or guard.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Brett Romberg (C). Signed Josh Brown (K), Jacob Bell, (LG), Trent Green (QB). Unknown status for O.J. Atogwe (FS).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 3-13• Home Record: 1-7• Away Record: 2-6• vs. NFC West: 1-5

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 52Personality: AllyDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 28Special Skills: 2 of 44

HEAD COACH

SCOTT LINEHAN

128



The Rams were the first NFL team to put a logo design on theirhelmets. The original golden horn design is still in use today.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Saunders Big Book


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Gun > 524 F Cross 100 6.3 yds.Gun > Liz Rt 926 Out 100 4.3 yds.Gun > 40 Draw 100 4.2 yds.Singleback > 100 Rd Rt 212 Shoot 100 4.1 yds.Singleback > Scat Rt8 512 Hook 98 5.3 yds.Singleback > Fake Dive 685 Press 96 6.1 yds.Gun > Quick Read 239 Out 94 8.5 yds.

Defense: Haslett Physical D


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > Cover 2 72 0.9 yds.Dime > All Out Blitz 57 2.7 yds.4-3 > LB Blitz 54 3.2 yds.4-3 > OLB Fire Man 53 3.4 yds.4-3 > Double Z 52 3.4 yds.4-3 > Free Fire 52 3.4 yds.4-3 > Slant 1 OLB Fire 52 3.4 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Chris Long DE / VirginiaR2 Donnie Avery WR / HoustonR3 John Greco OT / ToledoR4 Justin King CB / Penn StateR4 Keenan Burton WR / KentuckyR5 Roy Schuening OG / Oregon StateR7 Chris Chamberlain DB / TulsaR7 David Vobora OLB / Idaho

TOP 2008 PICKS

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2727

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888

5050

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At New England Patriots2 Minneapolis Vikings3 At St. Louis Rams4 Atlanta Falcons

REGULAR SEASON1 Cincinnati Bengals2 At Houston Texans3 Cleveland Browns4 At Pittsburgh Steelers5 Tennessee Titans6 At Indianapolis Colts7 At Miami Dolphins8 Oakland Raiders9 At Cleveland Browns10 Bye Week11 At New York Giants12 Philadelphia Eagles13 At Cincinnati Bengals14 Washington Redskins15 Pittsburgh Steelers16 At Dallas Cowboys17 Jacksonville Jaguars

2008 SCHEDULE

BALTIMORE RAVENSBALTIMORE RAVENS

Season Outlook: In addition to finding a new quarterback, the team will have to revamp the offense and keep its players healthy. The Ravens defense is still potent—but getting older. Overall Player Grade: B-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The Ravens needs (in order of priority): quarterback, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebacker and cornerback.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Franchised Terrell Suggs (ROLB). Signed Brendon Ayanbadejo (LOLB) and Frank Walker (CB). Re-signed Nick Greisen (MLB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Ray Lewis (MLB), Matt Stover (K), Bart Scott (MLB)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:have to revamp the offense and keep its players healthy. The Ravens defense is still potent—but getting older.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:priority): quarterback, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebacker and cornerback.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Signed Brendon Ayanbadejo (LOLB) and Frank Walker (CB). Re-signed Nick Greisen (MLB).

2009 Notable Free Agents:(MLB)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 75Personality: OptimistDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 27Special Skills: 1 of 44

HEAD COACH

JOHN HARBAUGH

130



An NFL team can have up to six captains,all of which must be active players in uniform.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Cameron Power Run


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Far > 30 Fullback Dive 89 2.7 yds.Singleback > Fake Zone 55 Y Delay 76 3.1 yds. I Form > 40 Gut 72 3.3 yds.Singleback > Scat Rt 372 H Flat 72 3.2 yds.Singleback > 20 Dive 72 3.2 yds.Singleback > 60 Counter 72 3.1 yds.Singleback > 80 Wide Zone 71 3.0 yds.

Defense: Rex Ryan 4-6


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.3-4 > Blitz Storm 8 52 3.3 yds.Nickel > 3 Overload Fire 50 3.7 yds.3-4 > Wide Blitz 50 3.7 yds.3-4 > Storm Brave 1 49 3.8 yds.3-4 > Inside Blitz 49 3.8 yds.3-4 > ILB Blitz 48 3.9 yds.4-3 > SS Snake 3 Stay 48 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Joe Flacco QB / DelawareR2 Ray Rice RB / RutgersR3 Tavares Gooden OLB / MiamiR3 Tom Zbikowski FS / Notre DameR3 Oniel Cousins OG / Texas-El PasoR4 Marcus Smith WR / New MexicoR4 David Hale OT / Weber StateR6 R7 3 players chosen FS / WR / RB

TOP 2008 PICKS

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2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Indianapolis Colts2 Buffalo Bills3 At New York Jets4 At Carolina Panthers5 Jacksonville Jaguars

REGULAR SEASON1 At New York Giants2 New Orleans Saints3 Arizona Cardinals4 At Dallas Cowboys5 At Philadelphia Eagles6 St. Louis Rams7 Cleveland Browns8 At Detroit Lions9 Pittsburgh Steelers10 Bye Week11 Dallas Cowboys12 At Seattle Seahawks13 New York Giants14 At Baltimore Ravens15 At Cincinnati Bengals16 Philadelphia Eagles17 At San Francisco 49ers

2008 SCHEDULE

WASHINGTON REDSKINSWASHINGTON REDSKINS

Season Outlook: The Redskins aren’t a bad team, but they’re still a few smart draft picks or trades away from becoming a playoff contender. The playbook could use some help as well. This is the team’s first year with head coach Jim Zorn. Overall Player Grade: A-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: A taller wide receiver would add some spark to the Redskins’ passing game. On defense, a pass-rushing DE is probably the biggest priority, followed by LB and safety.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Re-signed Ryan Boschetti (DT), Rock Cartwright (HB), Todd Collins (QB), Derrick Frost (P).



TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:smart draft picks or trades away from becoming a playoff contender. The playbook could use some help as well. This is the team’s first year with head coach Jim Zorn.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:some spark to the Redskins’ passing game. On defense, a pass-rushing DE is probably the biggest priority, followed by LB and safety.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Cartwright (HB), Todd Collins (QB), Derrick Frost (P).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 80Personality: AnchorDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 25Special Skills: 1 of 44

HEAD COACH

JIM ZORN

132



In 1946, the Washington Redskins tried to draft Cal Rossi in the first round, only to find out he was ineligible. To makematters worse, when the Redskins tried again in 1947, they learned too late that Rossi didn’t want to play in the NFL.


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OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Zorn West Coast


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Gun > 222 F Slant 82 6.1 yds.Gun > H Screen Rt 989 82 4.8 yds.Gun > 382 Slot Seam 80 5.6 yds.Gun > 560 F Stick N Go 74 5.2 yds.Gun > 295 H Circle 73 5.4 yds.Gun > Scram 999 H Flare 71 5.7 yds.Gun > Screen H Right 979 60 3.2 yds.

Defense: Redskins 4-3


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 2 80 0.0 yds.4-3 > 2 Man Under 54 3.2 yds.4-3 > Storm Blitz 54 3.2 yds.4-3 > Safety Blitz 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > Man 3 Shoot Blitz 47 4.1 yds.Nickel > SS Blitz 46 4.2 yds.4-3 > Cover 1 46 4.2 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR2 Devin Thomas WR / Michigan StateR2 Fred Davis TE / Southern CalR2 Malcolm Kelly WR / OklahomaR3 Chad Rinehart OT / Northern IowaR4 Justin Tryon CB / Arizona StateR6 Durant Brooks P / Georgia TechR6 Kareem Moore DB / Nicholls StateR6 R7 3 players chosen QB / DE / FS

TOP 2008 PICKS

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2222 666

7777

19193737

33

6565

2222 777 1414

6565

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Arizona Cardinals2 Houston Texans3 At Cincinnati Bengals4 Miami Dolphins

REGULAR SEASON1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers2 At Washington Redskins3 At Denver Broncos4 San Francisco 49ers5 Minneapolis Vikings6 Oakland Raiders7 At Carolina Panthers8 San Diego Chargers9 Bye Week10 At Atlanta Falcons11 At Kansas City Chiefs12 Green Bay Packers13 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers14 Atlanta Falcons15 At Chicago Bears16 At Detroit Lions17 Carolina Panthers

2008 SCHEDULE

NEW ORLEANS SAINTSNEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Season Outlook: The defense needs attention, especially at linebacker and the secondary, to fix a less-than-potent pass rush. On the plus side, the passing game is sharp. Overall Player Grade: B

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Use free agency and/or the draft to find a talented CB, followed by a LB and DE. On offense, it wouldn’t hurt to get a younger TE to build depth at that position.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Jeff Faine (C) to the Bucca-neers. Re-signed Devery Henderson (WR), David Patten (WR), Eric John-son (TE), Aaron Stecker (HB). Signed Mark Brunell (QB), Randall Gay (CB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Jahri Evans (RG), Marques Colston (WR), Will Smith (RE)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:and the secondary, to fix a less-than-potent pass rush. On the plus side, the passing game is sharp.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:to find a talented CB, followed by a LB and DE. On offense, it wouldn’t hurt to get a younger TE to build depth at that position.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:neers. Re-signed Devery Henderson (WR), David Patten (WR), Eric John-son (TE), Aaron Stecker (HB). Signed Mark Brunell (QB), Randall Gay (CB).

2009 Notable Free Agents:Smith (RE)

TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 87Personality: GuruDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 48Special Skills: 7 of 44

HEAD COACH

SEAN PAYTON

134



According to NFL rules, the score of any forfeited game is2-0 (with the 2 points going to the team that did not forfeit).


AAAQB

AAA---HB

BBB+++FB

BBBWR

BBBTE

BBBT

BBB---G

CCCC

BBB---K

AAA---DE

CCC+++DT

BBBOLB

CCC---MLB

BBBCB

BBBFS

BBB---SS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Payton Spread Attack


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > Back Choice 93 7.1 yds.Singleback > Reggie Option 91 6.9 yds.Singleback > Back Out 91 6.8 yds.Gun > P45 Base Z Drag 84 6.5 yds.Gun > 82 All Go 84 7.1 yds.Gun > 20 Double Smash 79 4.9 yds.Singleback > 2 Jet H Wheel 79 3.8 yds.

Defense: Saints Basic D


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Double Slot 56 3.0 yds.4-3 > Man QB Spy 54 3.2 yds.4-3 > Free Fire 53 3.4 yds.4-3 > Man QB Spy (variant) 51 3.5 yds.4-3 > Trio Wham Lurk 50 3.7 yds.4-3 > DE Contain 50 3.7 yds.Nickel > Double X 48 3.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Sedrick Ellis DT / Southern CalR2 Tracy Porter CB / IndianaR5 DeMario Pressley DT / North Carolina StateR5 Carl Nicks OT / NebraskaR6 Taylor Mehlhaff K / WisconsinR7 Adrian Arrington WR / Michigan

TOP 2008 PICKS

135


HeadCoach



9292

6060 5151

9999

373711

2828

7676

14143030

8585

1414

7676

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 At Minneapolis Vikings2 Chicago Bears3 At San Diego Chargers4 Oakland Raiders

REGULAR SEASON1 At Buffalo Bills2 San Francisco 49ers3 St. Louis Rams4 Bye Week5 At New York Giants6 Green Bay Packers7 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers8 At San Francisco 49ers9 Philadelphia Eagles10 At Miami Dolphins11 Arizona Cardinals12 Washington Redskins13 At Dallas Cowboys14 New England Patriots15 At St. Louis Rams16 New York Jets17 At Arizona Cardinals

2008 SCHEDULE

SEATTLE SEAHAWKSSEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Season Outlook: The Seahawks won the NFC West in 2007 and is the favorite in a still-weak division in ’08. This team needs to find a long-term prospect at RB and upgrade the coaching staff. Overall Player Grade: A

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: If you plan to not re-sign Shaun Alexander (as the Seahawks did in real life), you’ll need to find a replace-ment HB eventually. Other positions of need include G, DT and WR.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Josh Brown (K) to Rams, D.J. Hackett to the Panthers. Did not re-sign Shaun Alexander (HB). Signed Olindo Mare (K). Re-signed Marcus Trufant (CB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Bobby Engram (WR)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:favorite in a still-weak division in ’08. This team needs to find a long-term prospect at RB and upgrade the coaching staff.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:Alexander (as the Seahawks did in real life), you’ll need to find a replace-ment HB eventually. Other positions of need include G, DT and WR.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Hackett to the Panthers. Did not re-sign Shaun Alexander (HB). Signed Olindo Mare (K). Re-signed Marcus Trufant (CB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

2007 SEASON• Overall: 10-6 • Home Record: 7-1• Away Record: 3-5• vs. NFC West: 5-1

OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 91Personality: CommanderDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 92Special Skills: 11 of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE HOLMGREN

136



NFL referees line up in the offensive backfield based shadedleft or right depending on the quarterback’s throwing arm.


BBBQB

BBB+++HB

BBB---FB

BBB+++WR

FFFTE

AAA---T

BBB+++G

BBB+++C

BBB---K

BBB---DE

BBBDT

AAA---OLB

AAAMLB

BBBCB

BBBFS

BBB+++SS

AAA---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Holmgren West Coast


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > 76 X Z Double Got 74 3.7 yds.Singleback > 76 Dbl. Shake Y Post 73 3.3 yds.Singleback > 376 Thunder X Shake 73 3.2 yds.Singleback > 2 Jet Hitch Z Pump 73 3.2 yds.Singleback > 33 Trap 73 3.2 yds.Singleback > 200 Jet Smoke 73 3.2 yds.Singleback > 376 Semi 73 3.1 yds.

Defense: Hawks Multiple Blitz


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Dime > Cover 2 56 3.0 yds.Nickel > FS Snake Blitz 3 52 3.4 yds.Dime > SS Zone Blitz 50 3.4 yds.4-3 > FS Zone Blitz 50 3.7 yds.Dime > WK Overload 3 50 4.8 yds.4-3 > Flat Thirds 49 3.8 yds.Dime > Strong Roll 3 48 2.9 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Lawrence Jackson DE / Southern CalR2 John Carlson TE / Notre DameR4 Red Bryant DT / Texas A&MR5 Owen Schmitt FB / West VirginiaR6 Tyler Schmitt LS / San Diego StateR7 Justin Forsett RB / CaliforniaR7 Brandon Coutu K / Georgia

TOP 2008 PICKS

137


HeadCoach



4545

2121

8686

36365555

38385656

69695252

9090

2020 101010

8383

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Philadelphia Eagles2 At Buffalo Bills3 At Minneapolis Vikings4 Carolina Panthers

REGULAR SEASON1 Houston Texans2 At Cleveland Browns3 At Philadelphia Eagles4 Baltimore Ravens5 At Jacksonville Jaguars6 Bye Week7 At Cincinnati Bengals8 New York Giants9 At Washington Redskins10 Indianapolis Colts11 San Diego Chargers12 Cincinnati Bengals13 At New England Patriots14 Dallas Cowboys15 At Baltimore Ravens16 At Tennessee Titans17 Cleveland Browns

2008 SCHEDULE

PITTSBURGH STEELERSPITTSBURGH STEELERS

Season Outlook: Overall, the Steelers have enough talent to return to the playoffs. The defense remains stout. The team needs to add some wrinkles to the playbook and avoid being too predictable when it comes to calling offensive plays. Overall Player Grade: A

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: If you don’t plan to keep Alan Faneca around (he may be too expensive to keep), you’ll need to find a replacement guard. WR could use an infusion of youth as well. Defen-sively, look to build depth at CB and along the defensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Alan Faneca (LG) to the Jets. Signed Justin Hartwig (C), Nate Washington (WR), Chris Kemoeatu (LG).

2009 Notable Free Agents: James Farrior (MLB), Marvel Smith (LT)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:the playoffs. The defense remains stout. The team needs to add some wrinkles to the playbook and avoid being too predictable when it comes to calling offensive plays.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:Faneca around (he may be too expensive to keep), you’ll need to find a replacement guard. WR could use an infusion of youth as well. Defen-sively, look to build depth at CB and along the defensive line.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Signed Justin Hartwig (C), Nate Washington (WR), Chris Kemoeatu (LG).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 87Personality: PromoterDifficulty: MediumOverall Skill: 45Special Skills: X of 44

HEAD COACH

MIKE TOMLIN

138



In 1955, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Johnny Unitas in the ninth round, but cut him from the roster before the season started.


AAA---QB

CCCHB

AAA---FB

AAA---WR

BBB+++TE

BBBT

CCC+++G

BBBC

BBB---K

BBB+++DE

AAA---DT

BBB---OLB

AAAMLB

BBBCB

BBBFS

AAASS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Steelers Smashmouth


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Gun > H Out 74 Smash 100 5.4 yds.Gun > 62 Flood X Curl 97 4.4 yds.Gun > Y Return T Slant 96 4.4 yds.Gun > 54 Comeback Y Post 92 8.0 yds. Gun > 62 Z Drag 94 5.3 yds.Singleback > 72 H Choice Y Post 93 10.0 yds.Singleback > Ride 32 X Close 92 5.6 yds.

Defense: LeBeau Zone Blitz


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.LeBeau 3-4 > SS Snake 3 Stay 54 3.2 yds.LeBeau 3-4 > 2 Deep MLB Spy 51 3.3 yds.LeBeau Nickel Blitz > FS Sam Crash 50 3.7 yds.LeBeau 3-4 > Flash Blitz 50 3.7 yds.LeBeau Nickel Blitz > SS Zone Blitz 49 3.8 yds. LeBeau 3-4 > Wide Blitz 49 3.9 yds.LeBeau Nickel Blitz > CB Fox Blitz 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKS

R1 Rashard Mendenhall RB / IllinoisR2 Limas Sweed WR / TexasR3 Bruce Davis DE / UCLAR4 Tony Hills OT / TexasR5 Dennis Dixon QB / OregonR6 Mike Humpal LB / IowaR6 Ryan Mundy FS / West Virginia

TOP 2008 PICKS

139


HeadCoach



4444

1111112929

6767

11

6666

3131

9999

40402525 3131

1414

4646

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Denver Broncos2 At New Orleans Saints3 At Dallas Cowboys4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

REGULAR SEASON1 At Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Baltimore Ravens3 At Tennessee Titans4 At Jacksonville Jaguars5 Indianapolis Colts6 Miami Dolphins7 Detroit Lions8 Bye Week9 At Minneapolis Vikings10 Cincinnati Bengals11 At Indianapolis Colts12 At Cleveland Browns13 Jacksonville Jaguars14 At Green Bay Packers15 Tennessee Titans16 At Oakland Raiders17 Chicago Bears

2008 SCHEDULE

HOUSTON TEXANSHOUSTON TEXANS

Season Outlook: The Texans have untapped potential. You’ll need to develop a running game, but Andre Johnson, Okoye and Mario Williams have talent. Overall Player Grade: C+

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The offensive line is in constant need of improvement to keep the QB protected—especially at tackle, which should be considered a high priority. The RB position needs depth. On defense, needs include LB, CB and S.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Re-signed Matt Turk (P). Signed Chris Brown (HB), Jacques Reeves (CB), Nick Ferguson (FS).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Jordan Black (LT), Chris White (C)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:develop a running game, but Andre Johnson, Okoye and Mario Williams have talent.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:need of improvement to keep the QB protected—especially at tackle, which should be considered a high priority. The RB position needs depth. On defense, needs include LB, CB and S.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Chris Brown (HB), Jacques Reeves (CB), Nick Ferguson (FS).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 80Personality: GuruDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 44Special Skills: 6 of 44

HEAD COACH

GARY KUBIAK

140



Byron “Whizzer” White, drafted into the NFL in the firstround in 1938, later became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.


BBBQB

BBB---HB

CCC+++FB

BBB+++WR

BBBTE

FFFT

CCC+++G

CCCC

BBB---K

BBB+++DE

BBB---DT

CCC+++OLB

DDD+++MLB

BBB---CB

BBBFS

CCCSS

BBBP

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Texans Power Run


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Singleback > 22 Scat H Y Cross 100 5.3 yds.I Form > Fake 98 Boot Left X Come 100 5.1 yds.Gun > A Left 322 Scat Y Shallow 100 4.5 yds.Weak > Mesh 100 4.1 yds.Gun > 22 Scat Semi Z Dig 100 3.9 yds.Gun > 15 Base 100 3.1 yds.Singleback > 2 Jet Z Return Y Flag 100 3.1 yds.

Defense: Texans No Blitz


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Nickel > Cover 3 72 0.9 yds.4-3 > Cover 3 51 3.5 yds.4-3 > Base 50 3.7 yds.4-3 > Man QB Spy 49 3.8 yds.4-3 > Trio Wham Lurk 48 3.9 yds.Nickel > Weak Zone 48 3.9 yds.4-3 > DE Contain 48 4.0 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Duane Brown OT / Virginia TechR3 Antwaun Molden CB / Eastern KentuckyR3 Steve Slaton RB / West VirginiaR4 Xavier Adibi LB / Virginia TechR5 Frank Okam DT / TexasR6 Dominique Barber FS / MinnesotaR7 Alex Brink QB / Washington St.

TOP 2008 PICKS

141


HeadCoach



8989

4242

7171

9595

4545 3838 4444 3939

9191

6161

2828

6565

3030

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 St. Louis Rams2 Oakland Raiders3 At Atlanta Falcons4 At Green Bay Packers

REGULAR SEASON1 Jacksonville Jaguars2 At Cincinnati Bengals3 Houston Texans4 Minneapolis Vikings5 At Baltimore Ravens6 Bye Week7 At Kansas City Chiefs8 Indianapolis Colts9 Green Bay Packers10 At Chicago Bears11 At Jacksonville Jaguars12 New York Jets13 At Detroit Lions14 Cleveland Browns15 At Houston Texans16 Pittsburgh Steelers17 At Indianapolis Colts

2008 SCHEDULE

TENNESSEE TITANSTENNESSEE TITANS

Season Outlook: The Titans are a decent team, led by talented quarter-back Vince Young and a swarming defense. The biggest need is for more talent on offense and in the secondary. The team also needs creativity with playcalling. Overall Player Grade: A-

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: Young needs wideouts who are genuine touchdown threats. Other offensive needs include back-ups at RB and G. You may need to find a DE to counter any free agency loss.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Lost Antwan Odom (LE) to the Ben-gals. Franchised Albert Haynesworth (DT). Re-signed David Stewart (RT), Rob Bironas (K). Signed Alge Crumpler (TE), Jake Scott (RG).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Craig Hentrich (P)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:back Vince Young and a swarming defense. The biggest need is for more talent on offense and in the secondary. The team also needs creativity with playcalling.

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:genuine touchdown threats. Other offensive needs include back-ups at RB and G. You may need to find a DE to counter any free agency loss.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:gals. Franchised Albert Haynesworth (DT). Re-signed David Stewart (RT), Rob Bironas (K). Signed Alge Crumpler (TE), Jake Scott (RG).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 92Personality: CommanderDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 89Special Skills: 6 of 44

HEAD COACH

JEFF FISHER

142



All NFL game balls are hand-crafted by Wilson and bear the commissioner’ssignature. Wilson has supplied footballs to the NFL since 1941.


AAA---QB

CCC+++HB

BBB---FB

CCC+++WR

BBBTE

BBBT

BBB---G

AAAC

AAAK

BBB---DE

BBBDT

AAA---OLB

CCC+++MLB

BBB---CB

BBB---FS

AAA---SS

BBB+++P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Titans Power Run


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Shotgun Pass > Read Flare 100 5.4 yds.Quick Pass > 91 Fade Y Under 100 4.7 yds.Standard Pass > 64 Z Option 100 4.1 yds.Shotgun Pass > 72 T Drag 100 4.1 yds.Pitch > Strong Toss 100 3.5 yds. Inside Handoff > 20 Lead Dive 100 3.5 yds. PA Pass > PA TE Drag 100 3.3 yds.

Defense: Titans Blitz Heavy


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Cover 3 Zone > 3 Deep Under 91 -1.4 yds.Man Blitz > Jam Middle 85 -0.7 yds. Combo Blitz > Blitz A 80 -0.7 yds.Man Cover > Jam Cover 1 80 0.0 yds.Man Blitz > Gaps Fire 79 0.1 yds.Man Blitz > Flat Buzz 74 0.8 yds.Combo Blitz > Blitz C 73 0.8 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Chris Johnson RB / East CarolinaR2 Jason Jones DE / Eastern MichiganR3 Craig Stevens TE / CaliforniaR4 William Hayes DL / Winston-Salem StateR4 Lavelle Hawkins WR / CaliforniaR4 Stanford Keglar OLB / PurdueR7 Cary Williams CB / Washburn

TOP 2008 PICKS

143


HeadCoach



34342020

38382020

32324545

1313

7777

34345353

1616 1414

7777

2008 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON1 Seattle Seahawks2 At Baltimore Ravens3 Pittsburgh Steelers4 At Dallas Cowboys

REGULAR SEASON1 At Green Bay Packers2 Indianapolis Colts3 Carolina Panthers4 At Tennessee Titans5 At New Orleans Saints6 Detroit Lions7 At Chicago Bears8 Bye Week9 Houston Texans10 Green Bay Packers11 At Tampa Bay Buccaneers12 At Jacksonville Jaguars13 Chicago Bears14 At Detroit Lions15 At Arizona Cardinals16 Atlanta Falcons17 New York Giants

2008 SCHEDULE

MINNESOTA VIKINGSMINNESOTA VIKINGS

Season Outlook: The Vikings boast a solid defense and a breakout superstar in running back Adrian Peterson. Build your team and playbook around those two things, and you’ll be in good shape for the future. Overall Player Grade: B

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice: The biggest concern is at defen-sive end, followed by a possession-type receiver and a backup quarter-back. Offensive line depth should also be improved.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves: Signed Bernard Berrian (WR), Jared Allen (DE), Madieu Williams (FS), Benny Sapp (CB).

2009 Notable Free Agents: Matt Birk (C), Darren Sharper (SS)


TEAM OVERVIEWSeason Outlook:superstar in running back Adrian Peterson. Build your team and playbook around those two things, and you’ll be in good shape for the future. Overall Play

Redoing the 2008 Off-Season Advice:sive end, followed by a possession-type receiver and a backup quarter-back. Offensive line depth should also be improved.

2008 Notable Free Agency Moves:Allen (DE), Madieu Williams (FS), Benny Sapp (CB).


TEAM OVERVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS


OVERALL RATING

OFFENSE RATING

DEFENSE RATING

BY THE NUMBERS



Current Approval: 74Personality: AnalystDifficulty: HardOverall Skill: 34Special Skills: 6 of 44

HEAD COACH

BRAD CHILDRESS

144



Running back Ed Marinaro, drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round in 1972, later became a star actor in the hit TV show “Hill Street Blues.”


CCC+++QB

BBB+++HB

CCCFB

BBBWR

BBB---TE

BBBT

BBB---G

CCC+++C

AAA---K

BBBDE

AAA---DT

BBB---OLB

BBB---MLB

BBBCB

CCCFS

AAASS

BBB---P

OFFENSE DEFENSE

DEFAULT OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKSOffense: Childress Balanced


Productive Offensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.I Form > Flea Flicker 100 8.0 yds.Weak > 22 Z Shallow Cross 100 5.3 yds.Gun > P33 Bob X Dig 100 4.7 yds.Goal Line > 80 Toss 100 4.3 yds.Gun > 33 Bob 100 4.2 yds.Singleback > 76 H Shallow Cross 100 4.1 yds.G. Line > Fake 10 Y Corner F Ang. 100 3.7 yds.

Defense: Vikings Cover 2


Productive Defensive Plays to Master:Play Success Avg.Cover 3 Zone > 3 Deep Under 92 -1.6 yds.Combo Blitz > Blitz C 86 -0.8 yds. Combo Blitz > Gaps Fire 80 0.0 yds.Combo Blitz > 3 Deep Blitz 78 -0.3 yds.Combo Blitz > Blitz A 77 0.3 yds.Cover 2 Zone > 2 Deep Zone 68 1.5 yds.Combo Blitz > Blitz B 68 1.5 yds.

TOP 2008 PICKSR1 Tyrell Johnson FS/ Arkansas StateR5 John David Booty QB / Southern CalR5 Letroy Guion DT / Florida StateR6 John Sullivan C / Notre DameR6 Jaymar Johnson WR / Jackson State

TOP 2008 PICKS

145


TEAM POSITION PHILOSOPHIESTEAM POSITION PHILOSOPHIESA major element of any team’s

philosophy is determining what kind of players that team wants. Teams can only win when their long-term goals and playbooks mesh well with the personnel on their rosters. For instance, at fullback some teams want a pure run blocker to enhance their run game, while pass-oriented teams want one who specializes as a receiver out of the backfield. Some teams will try to find a balanced fullback who can do both.

If you plan to simulate any part of your season—especially free agency and the draft—it’s vitally important that you review and adjust your team posi-tion philosophies so that they fit in with your playbooks and gameplans. Even

if you don’t simulate, key information such as scouting data, player ratings and draft recommendations will be based on these philosophies.

Depending on the level of control you’ve given up to others on your coaching staff, some of these philoso-phies could be locked; you won’t be able to change them.

The following pages reveal the default 2008 team philosophies for each player position. You can expect CPU-controlled teams to evolve these default philosophies over time, but for the first few seasons, it’ll give you an idea of how each CPU team crafts their roster. It’ll also help you find a team that best matches your coaching style.

Browns

Field GeneralPower

Ball CarrierTall/Redzone Threat

PlaymakerRun Block SpecialistRun Block Specialist

Size/Strength/Mauler

Versatile/3-4Versatile/3-4

Pass Rusher/3-4 Blitzer3-4/Tackler

Strong/Press/Run SupportBalancedPrototype

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Bills

Strong Arm/ToolsWorkhorse

BlockingSpeed

BalancedRun Block Specialist

Size/Strength/MaulerBalanced

BalancedBalanced

Run Stopper3-4/Tackler

Cover 2PrototypePrototype

BalancedBig Foot/Distance

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Cardinals

Pure PasserBalancedBalanced

Tall/Redzone ThreatBalanced

Size/Strength/EngulferSize/Strength/Mauler

Smart/Mobile

Undersized Speed RusherBalancedPrototype

3-4/TacklerStrong/Press/Run Support

PrototypePrototype

Big Foot/DistanceBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Bengals

Strong Arm/ToolsPower

BlockingBalancedBlocking

Size/Strength/EngulferBalanced

Run Block Specialist

Run StopperBalancedPrototype

Power/BlitzerMan Coverage/Ballhawk

Man CoverageSmart/Productive


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Buccaneers

Pure PasserBalanced


Soft Hands/RoutesPass Block SpecialistSize/Strength/MaulerPass Block Specialist

PrototypePass Rusher/One Gap Penetrator

Coverage/Cover 2Coverage/Speed

Cover 2Centerfielder

Run Support/Big Hitter


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Broncos

Strong Arm/ToolsWorkhorseReceiving

Tall/Redzone ThreatSoft Hands/Routes

Smart/MobileSmart/MobileSmart/Mobile

Run StopperPrototype


PrototypeRun Support/Blitzer


Big Foot/DistanceBig Foot/Distance

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Chargers

Pure PasserBalancedBlocking

Tall/Redzone ThreatPlaymaker

Size/Strength/EngulferSize/Strength/MaulerSize/Strength/Mauler

Run StopperRun Stopper

Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerCoverage/Speed

Man Coverage/BallhawkBalancedBalanced


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

To change your team’s player position philosophies, go to Team > Team Phi-

losophy in your Clipboard. Press LB (or L1 on PS3) to toggle through the positions. For each position, you’ll also get to adjust your in-game and practice substitution preferences when it comes to managing health and fatigue. You can also set a minimum roster count (how many players you desire at each position).

losophy in your Clipboard. Press LB (or L1 on PS3) to toggle through the positions. For each

Bears

Pure PasserWorkhorse

BlockingSpeed

PlaymakerSize/Strength/Engulfer

Size/Strength/MaulerSize/Strength/Mauler

Undersized Speed RusherPass Rusher/One Gap Penetrator

Coverage/Cover 2Prototype


Smart/Productive

BalancedPinpoint Accuracy

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

146



Eagles

Mobile/SpeedReceivingReceivingBalanced

PlaymakerRun Block Specialist

Size/Strength/MaulerBalanced

Undersized Speed RusherPrototype

Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerPower/Blitzer



BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Jaguars

Strong Arm/ToolsMoves


BlockingSize/Strength/Engulfer

BalancedSmart/Mobile

Run StopperPrototypePrototype

Coverage/SpeedPrototype

Run Support/BlitzerRun Support/Big Hitter


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Chiefs

Field GeneralPower

BalancedStrong/Blocking

Soft Hands/RoutesRun Block SpecialistRun Block Specialist

Smart/Mobile

BalancedRun Stopper

PrototypeCoverage/Speed


Coverage

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

49ers

Strong Arm/ToolsMoves

BlockingStrong/Blocking




Prototype3-4/Tackler

PrototypeBalanced

Smart/Productive

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Lions

Pure PasserSpeed

BalancedTall/Redzone Threat


Run Block SpecialistPass Block Specialist

PrototypePass Rusher/One Gap Penetrator




BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Cowboys

Strong Arm/ToolsBalancedBlocking

SpeedPlaymaker

Size/Strength/EngulferBalancedBalanced

Versatile/3-4Run Stopper


PrototypeMan Coverage



POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Falcons

Field GeneralBalancedReceiving

SpeedPlaymaker

Size/Strength/EngulferSize/Strength/Mauler

Smart/Mobile

PrototypePrototypeBalanced


CenterfielderRun Support/Big Hitter

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Jets

Pure PasserBalancedBalanced

Quick/Route RunnerBalancedBalanced

Smart/MobileSize/Strength/Mauler

Run StopperVersatile/3-4

Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerCoverage/Speed


Smart/Productive

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Colts

Pure PasserReceivingReceivingBalanced

Soft Hands/RoutesPass Block SpecialistRun Block Specialist

Smart/Mobile





Pinpoint AccuracyBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Giants


BalancedTall/Redzone Threat

PlaymakerRun Block SpecialistRun Block Specialist

Size/Strength/Mauler

PrototypePrototypePrototypePrototypePrototypePrototypePrototype


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Packers

Strong Arm/ToolsWorkhorse

BalancedSpeed

BalancedPass Block Specialist

Smart/MobileSmart/Mobile

BalancedPrototypePrototypeBalanced

Strong/Press/Run SupportMan Coverage

Coverage

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Dolphins

BalancedBalancedBlocking

SpeedBalancedBalancedBalancedBalanced


Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerPrototype

Strong/Press/Run SupportPrototypeBalanced

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

In 1994, Tom Tupa of the Cleveland Browns became the first player in NFL history to score a two-pointconversion in a regular season game. He ran in a fake extra point kick against the Cincinnati Bengals.

147


TEAM POSITION PHILOSOPHIESTEAM POSITION PHILOSOPHIES

Ravens


BlockingQuick/Route Runner


Size/Strength/MaulerRun Block Specialist

Versatile/3-4Run Stopper

Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerPrototypePrototypePrototypePrototype


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Steelers

Field GeneralPower

BlockingStrong/Blocking

BalancedRun Block SpecialistRun Block SpecialistRun Block Specialist

Run StopperRun Stopper

Pass Rusher/3-4 BlitzerPower/Blitzer


Prototype

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Panthers

Field GeneralMoves

BlockingBalancedBlocking

Pass Block SpecialistSize/Strength/Mauler

Balanced

PrototypePrototype

Coverage/Cover 2Prototype


Balanced

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Saints

Pure PasserBalancedBalancedBalancedBalancedBalancedBalancedBalanced

PrototypeRun StopperRun Stopper3-4/Tackler


Coverage

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Titans

Mobile/SpeedSpeed

BlockingBalanced

PlaymakerBalanced

Run Block SpecialistSmart/Mobile

BalancedPrototypePrototype


CenterfielderBalanced

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Raiders

Strong Arm/ToolsSpeed

Ball CarrierSpeed




Balanced3-4/Tackler

PrototypePrototypePrototype


POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Redskins

Strong Arm/ToolsWorkhorseReceiving

SpeedH-back

Size/Strength/EngulferPass Block Specialist

Balanced

Run StopperBalancedPrototype

3-4/TacklerMan Coverage/Ballhawk

PrototypePrototype

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Texans

Field GeneralWorkhorse

BalancedSpeed

Soft Hands/RoutesSmart/MobileSmart/MobileSmart/Mobile

PrototypeRun Stopper

BalancedPrototype

Man Coverage/BallhawkCenterfielder

Coverage

BalancedBalanced

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Patriots

Field GeneralWorkhorseReceiving

Tall/Redzone ThreatPlaymaker

Smart/MobileBalancedBalanced



BalancedBalanced



POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Seahawks

Field GeneralBalancedBalanced

Quick/Route RunnerPlaymaker

Size/Strength/EngulferSize/Strength/MaulerPass Block Specialist

Undersized Speed RusherPrototypePrototypeBalanced




POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Vikings

Strong Arm/ToolsBalancedBalanced

SpeedBalanced

Pass Block SpecialistSize/Strength/MaulerPass Block Specialist

Run StopperPrototypeBalanced

3-4/TacklerCover 2

CenterfielderCoverage

BalancedBalanced P

POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

Rams

Pure PasserBalanced

Ball CarrierQuick/Route Runner

PlaymakerBalanced

Run Block SpecialistSize/Strength/Mauler

Undersized Speed RusherBalanced





POS. TEAM PREFERS

QBHBFBWRTETGC

DEDT

OLBMLBCBFSSS

KP

148


DATA COMPENDIUMDATA COMPENDIUM

‘We talked in the locker room at halftime that we just had to keep our poise and continue to play, and we’d have a chance in the 4th quarter.’

—Tony Dungy after the Colts overcame an 18-point halftime deficitto beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in January 2007

FOOTBALL GLOSSARY 150

2008 DRAFT/FREE AGENTS 158

EASTER EGGS 159

XBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENTS 160

THE LAST WORD 160


FOOTBALL GLOSSARYFOOTBALL GLOSSARY

150

0-9

3-3 (or 3-3-5) defenseA defense with three lineman, three linebackers and five defensive backs. Often called a 3-3 stack. In NFL Head Coach 09, the 3-3-5 is a playbook that a college coach might bring to the pro level.

3-4 defenseA defensive formation with three line-men and four linebackers.

4-3 defenseA defensive formation with four linemen and three linebackers. Several varia-tions are employed.

4-6 defenseA defense with four down linemen and six linebackers. Pronounced “four-six defense.”

46 defenseNot to be confused with the 4-6 (four-six) defense; a formation of the 4-3 de-fense (four linemen and three lineback-ers) in which three defensive backs (the two cornerbacks and the strong safety) crowd the line of scrimmage. The remaining safety, who is the free safety, stays in the backfield. It is also known as the “Bear” defense because it was popularized by Buddy Ryan while coaching for the Chicago Bears. Pronounced “forty-six defense.”

A

audibleA play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to change the play originally called in the huddle. An audible is usually called after the quarterback sees how the defense lines up, and calls a new play to counter that defense.

automatic first downFor several of the most severe penal-ties, including pass interference and all personal fouls, an automatic first down is rewarded to the offense even if the yardage of that penalty is less than what’s needed for a first down.

B

blitzA defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage, instead charge into the opponents’ backfield. (Exception: In the 3-4 defense, when one linebacker rushes the passer with the three down linemen, it is not considered a blitz.)

blind sideThe back side of a player; for QBs, it’s the side opposite the throwing arm (i.e. a right-handed QB has a blind left side).

blockingWhen a player obstructs another player’s path with his body.

booth (or review booth)A location where NFL officials conduct instant replay activities such as review-ing footage and coordinating with on-field officials.

bootlegAn offensive play based upon misdirec-tion in which the quarterback pretends to hand the ball to another player, then carries the ball in the opposite direc-tion of the supposed ball carrier with the intent of either passing or running. A naked bootleg is a risky variation of this play when the quarterback has no blockers pulling out with him.

boxAn area on the defensive side of the ball opposite the offensive linemen and about five yards deep. Having eight players in “the box” means bringing in a defensive back, normally a safety, to help stop the offense’s running game.

bustA highly touted draft pick that fails to live up to expectations.

bye weekAn NFL team’s week off during the regular season.

C

centerA player position on offense. The center snaps the ball.

chainsThe 10-yard-long chain used by the chain crew to measure for a new series of downs.

check offA synonym for audible.

chuck and duckA style of offense with minimal pass protection requiring the quarterback to “chuck” the ball, then “duck” to avoid a defensive lineman.

clippingAn illegal block in which the victim is blocked from the back and below the waist. Originally, clipping was defined as any block from the back, but is now restricted to blocks below the waist.

coffin cornerThe corner of the field of play. Punt-ers often attempt to kick the ball out of bounds toward the “coffin corner” to pin the receiving team near their own end zone and/or prevent a punt return.

containA defensive assignment. On outside runs such as a sweep, one defensive player (usually a cornerback or outside linebacker) is assigned to keep the rusher from turning upfield. If executed properly, the rusher has to either cut back inside or turn upfield before the play calls for it, giving the linebackers a better chance of stopping the play.



Coach Hank Stram was the first to use plays featuring two tight ends on offense, andstacked linebackers on defense (in which the linebackers lined up directly behind the linemen).

151

cornerback (CB)A defensive back who lines up near the line of scrimmage across from a wide receiver. His primary job is to disrupt passing routes and to defend against short and medium passes in the pass-ing game, and to contain the rusher on rushing plays.

counterA running play in which the running back takes a step in the apparent direction of the play (i.e., the direc-tion the line is moving), only to get the handoff in the other direction. Weak-side linemen sometimes pull and lead the back downfield (sometimes called a counter trap). The play is designed to get the defense to flow away from the action for a few steps as they follow the linemen, allowing more room for the running back.

cut (or cutback)A sharp change of direction by a run-ning player.

D

dead ballA ball that is no longer in play.

defensive backA cornerback or safety position on the defense; commonly covers wide receiv-ers on passing plays. Many defenses use four defensive backs but some use five or six; see nickel back and dime back.

defensive end (DE)A player position on defense who lines up on the outside of the defensive line.

defensive tackle (DT)A player position on defense on the inside of the defensive line. When a de-fensive tackle lines up across from the center, he is known as a nose tackle.

defensive teamThe team that begins a play from scrimmage not in possession of the ball.

dime backThe second extra, or sixth total, defen-sive back. Named because a dime has the same value as two nickels.

direct snapOften refers to a play in which the center snaps to someone other than the quarterback (usually a running back). Such a snap eliminates the need for a handoff from the quarterback and is usually designed to confuse the defense.

double reverseA play in which the ball reverses direc-tion twice behind the line of scrim-mage. This is accomplished by means of two or three handoffs, each handoff going in an opposite direction as the previous one. Such a play is infrequent in football.

downOne of a series of plays in which the offensive team must advance at least 10 yards or lose possession. First down is the first of the plays; fourth is the last down in the NFL. A first down occurs after a change of possession of the ball, after advancing the ball 10 yards following a previous first down, or after certain penalties.

down linemanA player stationed in front of the line of scrimmage and who has either one (three-point stance) or two (four-point stance) hands on the ground.

draw playA play in which the quarterback drops back as if to pass, then hands off to a running back or runs with the ball himself. Contrast with scramble.

drive1. A continuous set of offensive plays gaining substantial yardage and at least one first down.2. A blocking technique (drive block) in which an offensive player (through angle of attack or with assistance from teammates) drives a defender out of position, creating a hole for the ball carrier.

drop kickA kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked after it hits the ground and before it hits it again; a half-volley kick. Such kicks are virtually non-existent in modern-day NFL games.

exhibition gameA game that does not count toward a team’s season record; all pre-season games are technically exhibition games.

E

eligible receiversPlayers who may legally touch a for-ward pass. While only certain players on an offense are considered eligible, all defensive players are technically eligible receivers. After a forward pass is touched by a player on defense, all players on the field become eligible.

encroachmentAn illegal action by a player to cross the line of scrimmage and make con-tact with an opponent before the ball is snapped, or to line up offside and re-main there when the ball is put in play.

empty backfieldRefers to a formation that has only the quarterback in the backfield; such a formation dictates five receivers on or near the line of scrimmage.

end zoneThe area between the end line and the goal line, bounded by the sidelines.

extra pointA point scored in a conversion attempt by making what would be a field goal or a safety during general play.

F

fair catchAn unhindered catch of an opponent’s kick. The player wanting to make a fair catch must signal for it by waving an arm overhead while the ball is in the air.



152

After that signal, if he gains possession of the ball, it is dead immediately, and opponents are penalized for hitting him.

fakeAn adjective used to describe an action on the field that is expected to occur but does not (such as a fake punt or blitz), or is intended to deceive the op-posing team (such as a fake handoff).

false startA penalty in which the offense moves illegally before the ball is snapped.

fantasy footballA game in which the participants (called “owners”) each draft (on their own or with the aid of software) a team of real-life NFL players, then score points based on those players’ statisti-cal performance.

field of playThe area bordered by both the goal lines and the sidelines.

field goalScore of three points made by place kicking (or drop kicking) the ball through the opponent’s goal other than via a kickoff or free kick following a safety.

flankerA player position on offense. A wide receiver who lines up one or more yards off the line of scrimmage outside of another receiver.

flatAn area on the field between the line of scrimmage and 10 yards into the de-fensive backfield, and within 15 yards of the sideline. Running backs often run pass routes to the flat when they are the safety valve receivers.

flea flickerA trick play in which a running back laterals the ball to the quarterback, who then throws a pass to a receiver.

floodA strategy in which an offense sends many players (usually wide receivers) to a specific part of the field to try and outnumber the defenders there.

formationAn arrangement of the offensive play-ers. A formation is usually described in terms of how the running backs line up and/or how the wide receivers line up. Rules limit what is legal in a formation: All five offensive linemen must be on the line of scrimmage (a small amount of leeway is given to tackles when lined up for pass protection). Also, there must be one receiver (usually one tight end and one wide receiver) lined up on the line on either side of the offensive line. A receiver who is on the line may not go in motion.

forward passA pass that touches a person, object, or the ground closer to the opponent’s end line than where it was released from, or is accidentally lost during a forward throwing motion.

four-point stanceA down lineman’s stance with two feet and two hands on the ground.

free agentA prospective player not drafted by or exclusively contracted to any team.

free kickA kick made to put the ball in play as a kickoff or following a safety.

free safety (FS)A player position on defense. Free safeties often have the responsibility of assisting other defensive backs in deep coverage (compared to strong safeties, who usually have an assigned receiver and run support responsibilities).

fullback (FB)A player position on offense. Originally, lined up deep behind the quarterback in the T formation. In modern forma-tions this position may be varied, and this player has more blocking responsi-bilities in comparison with the halfback or tailback.

fumbleA ball that a player accidentally loses possession of.

G

GMIn this guide, this is an abbreviation for general manager. In the NFL, the general manager is responsible for scouting players, negotiating contracts, and overseeing front office operations.

goalA surface in space marked by a struc-ture of two upright posts 18-1/2 feet apart extending above a horizontal crossbar whose top edge is 10 feet off the ground. The goal is the surface above the bar and between the lines of the inner edges of the posts, extending infinitely upward, centered above each end line in the NFL.

goal lineThe front of the end zone.

guardOne of two player positions on offense (see lineman). A five-player defensive line has one guard, a defensive line of six or more players has two guards, and a defensive line of fewer than five players has no guard.

H

Hail MaryA long pass play, thrown toward a group of receivers near the end zone in hope of a touchdown. Used by an of-fense as a last resort when time is run-ning out in either of two halves (usually by a team trailing in the second half). Refers to the Catholic prayer.

halfbackA player position on offense. Also known as a tailback.



George Halas was the first pro football coach to hold daily practice sessions,study opponents’ game film, and set up radio broadcasting of his team’s games.

153

halfback option passA trick play in which the halfback can either throw a pass or run with the ball if no receiver is open.

handoffA player’s handing of a live ball to another player. The handoff goes either backward or laterally, as opposed to a forward pass.

hash marksLines between which the ball begins each play. The lines are parallel to and a distance in from the side lines and marked as broken lines.

holderA player who holds the ball upright for a place kick. Often backup quar-terbacks are used for their superior ball-handling ability (as well as their ability to pass in case of a fake kick or botched hold).

holding1. Offensive holding: Illegally blocking a player from the opposing team by grabbing and holding his uniform or body. 2. Defensive holding: called against defensive players who impede receiv-ers more than five yards from the line of scrimmage, but who are not actively making an attempt to catch the ball (if the defensive player were to impede an offensive player in the act of catching the ball, that would be the more severe penalty of pass interference).

huddleAn on-field gathering of members of a team in order to secretly communicate instructions for the upcoming play.

I

I formationA formation that includes a fullback and tailback lined up with the fullback directly in front of the tailback. If a third back is in line, this is known as a “Full House I.” If the third back is lined up alongside the fullback, it’s known as a “Power I.”

incomplete passA forward pass of the ball that no player legally caught.

inside1. Of a player’s path: relatively close (in reference to the sides of the field) to where the ball was snapped from. Thus, a ball carrier’s path in crossing the neutral zone may be said to be “inside” of an opponent, or an “inside run” in general, and a rushing defensive player may be said to put on an “inside move” or “inside rush.”2. Of the movement of the ball between players: directed toward a player who cuts between a player in the backfield who throws or hands the ball and the place from which it was snapped. Thus, an “inside pass” or “inside handoff.”

intentional groundingAn illegal forward pass thrown be-yond the line of scrimmage without an intended receiver and no chance of completion to any offensive player. In-tentional grounding is not called in the case of a spike or if the QB is outside the tackle box at the time of the pass.

interceptionThe legal catching of a forward pass thrown by an opposing player.

J

JumboAn offensive package that includes two tight ends, a fullback, and a halfback. Similar to heavy jumbo, in which either the halfback or the fullback is replaced by another tight end. Often one (or more) “tight ends” is actually a line-backer or offensive lineman. In those cases, the player must report to the game officials as an eligible receiver.

K

kickAs a verb, to strike the ball deliberately with the foot; as a noun, an action pro-ducing a punt, place kick, or drop kick.

kickoffA free kick that starts each half, or restarts the game following a touch-down or field goal. The kickoff may be a place kick or a drop kick.

kick returnerA player on the receiving team who specializes in fielding kicks and run-ning them back. On some NFL teams, talented wide receivers or defensive backs will also return kicks.

kneel-downA low-risk play in which the quar-terback kneels down after receiving the snap, ending the play. It’s almost always used to run out the clock.

L

lateralA pass thrown to the side or backward. Also called a “backward pass.”

line of scrimmage/scrimmage lineOne of two vertical planes parallel to the goal line when the ball is to be put in play by scrimmage. For each NFL team, the line of scrimmage is through the point of the ball closest to their end line. The two lines of scrimmage are called the offensive line of scrimmage and the defensive line of scrimmage.

linebackerA player position on defense. Lineback-ers typically play one to three yards behind the defensive linemen and have both run and pass defense responsibili-ties. They are often called on to blitz.

linemanA defensive or offensive position on the line of scrimmage.1. On offense, the player snapping the ball is the center. The players on either side of him are the guards, and the players to the outside of him are tackles. The players on the end of the line are the ends. This may be varied in an unbalanced line.



154

2. On defense, the outside linemen are ends, and those inside are tackles. If there are five or six linemen, the in-nermost linemen are known as guards. The latter is rarely seen in the NFL except for some goal-line defenses.

live ballAny ball in play, whether it is in a player’s possession or not. The ball is live during plays from scrimmage and free kicks, including kickoffs.

long snapperA center who specializes in long, accu-rate snaps required for punts and field goal attempts. Most NFL teams employ a specialist long snapper instead of the starting center to perform this duty.

loose ballAny ball that is in play and not in a player’s possession. This includes a ball in flight during a lateral or forward pass.

M

man in motionA player on offense who is moving backward or parallel to the line of scrimmage just before the snap. In the NFL, only one offensive player can be in motion at a time, cannot be moving toward the line of scrimmage at the snap, and may not be a player on the line of scrimmage.

man-to-man coverage(also known as man coverage)A defense in which all players in pass coverage, typically linebackers and defensive backs, cover a specific player. Pure man coverage is very rare; defenses typically mix man and zone coverage.

mock draftA simulated draft that attempts to predict the prospects each team will select, based on their needs. Each NFL team has its own mock draft to figure out which players will likely be available when its draft slot rolls around.

muffA loose ball that’s dropped or mis-handled while a player attempts to gain possession; the term is most often used when a punt or kick isn’t caught cleanly.

N

National Football League (NFL)The largest professional football league in the United States, if not the world.

neutral zoneThe region between the lines of scrim-mage or between the free kick restrain-ing lines.

nickel backAn extra, or fifth, defensive back. Named after the coin. Popularized by the Miami Dolphins in the 1970s; now common.

no-huddle offenseA tactic in which the offense quickly forms near the line of scrimmage without huddling before the next play. Offenses go “no huddle” to establish momentum, save time on the game clock, and/or prevent the opposing defense from regrouping or substituting personnel.

nose tackleA tackle in a three-man defensive line who lines up directly opposite from the center on offense.

0

offsideAn infraction of the rule that requires both teams to be on their own side of their restraining line as or before the ball is put into play. Offside is normally called on the defensive team.

one-back formationA formation in which the offensive team has one running back in the backfield with the quarterback. Other eligible re-ceivers are near the line of scrimmage.

onside kickA play in which the kicking team tries to recover the kicked ball.

optionUsually, a type of play in which the quarterback has the option of handing off, keeping or laterally passing to one or more backs. Often described by a type of formation or play action, such as triple option, veer option, or counter option. Teams running option plays often specialize in them. Less often, a play in which a back may either pass or run.

outsideOpposite of inside (see inside).

P

packageThe group of players on the field for a given play. For example, the nickel package substitutes a cornerback for either a linebacker or a defensive line-man (the latter is referred to as a 3-3-5 nickel), or the jumbo package substi-tutes a wide receiver with a tight end.

pass interferenceWhen a player illegally hinders an eligible receiver’s opportunity to catch a forward pass.

passing playA play in which a forward pass is at-tempted by the offense.

pistolThe pistol is essentially a modified shotgun formation that has the QB three or four yards behind center, and an HB lined up behind the quarterback. The advantage of the pistol for the running game is that the HB can build speed, have more time to read the offensive line, and pick a hole to burst through. It can also be used to run the option. However, with four WRs and the QB in shotgun, passing options remain available on every play. In NFL Head Coach 09, the pistol is a play-book that a college coach might bring to the pro level.



There are 21 coaches inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; thefirst coaches to be inducted in 1963 were George Halas and Earl Lambeau.

155

place kickKicking the ball from where it has been placed stationary on the ground or, when legal, on a tee.

play1. The action between the snap of the ball and the end of play signaled by the official’s whistle for a tackle or out of bounds.2. The plan of action the offensive team has for each snap.

play actionA tactic in which the quarterback fakes either a handoff or a throw to draw the defense away from the intended play.

play clockA timer used to increase the pace of the game between plays. The offensive team must snap the ball before the time expires. Currently, the NFL uses 40 seconds (25 seconds after a time out).

playbookA collection of plays designed for a specific team’s offense or defense.

pocketAn area on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage where the offensive linemen attempt to prevent defensive players from reaching the quarterback during passing plays. When a quarter-back remains between the hash marks during a pass play, he’s generally considered “in the pocket.”

prevent defenseA conservative defensive strategy that uses deep zone coverage to prevent big pass plays, at the expense of giving up yards at shorter distances. Often used against Hail Mary plays, or at the end of the game when the defending team is protecting a lead.

pullingA term used to describe an offensive lineman who, instead of blocking the player in front of him, moves down the line to block another player.

puntA kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked before it reaches the ground. Used to give up the ball to the opposi-tion after offensive downs have been used, as far down the field as possible.

punterA kicker who specializes in punting as opposed to place kicking.

Q

quarter defenseDefensive formation with seven defen-sive backs, three down linemen, and one linebacker. This is a pass-oriented defense.

quarterback (QB) An offensive player who lines up behind the center, from whom he takes the snap.

quick kickAn unexpected punt; it is often per-formed on third down by the quarter-back (or another player in the backfield with kicking skill) to catch the defense by surprise and prevent a return.

R

receiverA wide receiver.

receptionWhen a player catches the ball.

red zoneThe area between the 20-yard line and the goal of the defensive team. Of-fenses are often judged by their ability to score after reaching the red zone.

refereeThe official who directs the other of-ficials on the field. He is one of seven officials.

reverseAn offensive play in which a ball car-rier going toward one side of the field hands or tosses the ball to a teammate running in the opposite direction (if the second ball carrier is an end, it is also referred to as an “end around”).

rolloutA designed movement by the quar-terback toward one side of the field, usually to give the passer more time to locate receivers downfield and/or the option to run if no one is open.

run and shootAn offensive philosophy designed to force the defense to show its hand prior to the snap of the ball by split-ting up receivers and sending them in motion. Receivers often run patterns based on how defenders react to their offensive set-up, rather than a prede-termined plan.

running backA player position on offense. Although the term usually refers to the halfback or tailback, fullbacks are also consid-ered running backs.

running playA play where the offense attempts to advance the ball without passing.

rush1. Trying to tackle or hurry a player before he can throw a pass or make a kick.2. A running play.

S

sackTackling a ball carrier who intends to throw a forward pass. A sack is also awarded if a player forces a fumble of the ball, or the ball carrier to go out of bounds, behind the line of scrimmage on an apparent intended forward pass play.



156

safety1. A player position on defense (see free safety and strong safety).2. A method of scoring (worth two points) by downing an opposing ball carrier in his own end zone, forcing the opposing ball carrier out of his own end zone and out of bounds, or forcing the offensive team to fumble the ball so that it exits their own end zone. A safety is also awarded if the offensive team commits a penalty within its own end zone. After a safety, the team that was scored upon must kick the ball to the scoring team from its own 20-yard line. A safety scored during a try scores one point and is followed by a kickoff.

scrambleOn a called pass play, when the quarterback runs from the pocket in an attempt to avoid being sacked, giving the receivers more time to get open or attempting to gain positive yards by running himself. Generally a scramble is improvised by the quarterback; if it’s part of the play design, it’s known as a rollout.

screen passA short forward pass to a receiver who has blockers in front of him. The receiv-er in this play is usually a running back, although wide receiver and tight end screens are also used. Although they are both called screen passes, the wide receiver screen and the running back screen are used for different reasons. In the case of a running back screen, the play is designed to allow the pass rush-ers by the offensive linemen, leaving the defender out of position to make a play. The play is employed to defuse the pass rush in the case of a running back screen. The wide receiver screen is a faster-developing play, designed to catch the defense off guard.

shotgun formationFormation in which offensive teams may line up at the start of a play. In this formation, the quarterback receives the snap five to eight yards behind the center.

sidelineOne of the lines marking each side of the field. As adjective: on the field near a sideline.

signature playA play (usually offensive) or type of play repeatedly run by a team that uniquely defines that team’s playing style.

slotThe area between a split end and the offensive line. A pass receiver lined up in the slot at the snap of the ball may be called a slotback or slot receiver.

snapThe handoff or pass from the center that begins a play from scrimmage.

sneakAn offensive play in which the quar-terback, on receiving the snap, dives forward with the ball.

special teamsThe units that handle kickoffs, punts, free kicks, and field goal attempts.

spikeA play in which the quarterback throws the ball at the ground after the snap. An incomplete pass, it stops the clock. A spike is not intentional grounding.

splitsThe distance between the feet of adjacent offensive linemen. Said to be wide, if there is a large gap between players, or narrow, if the gap is small.

squib kickA type of kickoff in which the ball is intentionally kicked low to the ground, bouncing on the ground a few times before being picked up. This is done in the hopes of preventing a long return, as the ball is picked up by one of the upmen as opposed to the designated kickoff returner.

stiff-arm or straight-armA ball carrier warding off a would-be tackler by pushing them away with a straight arm.

strong IA formation wherein the tailback is lined up deep directly behind the quar-terback, and the fullback is lined up off-set to the strong side of the formation.

strong safety (SS)A kind of safety on defense, as op-posed to a free safety. This is a central defensive back; originally, the term indicated that he lined up on the strong side of the field and covered the tight end. However, the modern usage of the term now indicates a central defensive back with responsibility for run and pass support.

strong sideThe side of the field (left or right) that has the most players, but it depends on the formations of the teams. When a team uses one tight end, the strong side is the side of the field where the tight end lines up. If the offensive pack-age uses no tight end, or more than one tight end, the strong side is the side of the field with the most offensive players on or behind the line of scrim-mage.

stuntA tactic used by defensive linemen in which they switch roles in an attempt to get past the blockers. Both defenders start with power rushes, with the stunt-ing defender getting more of a push. The other lineman then goes around him, ideally using him as a pick to get free from his blocker.

sweepA running play in which several block-ers lead a running back on a designed play to the outside.

T

tackle1. The act of forcing a ball carrier to the ground.2. A player position on the line, either an offensive tackle or a defensive tackle (see lineman).



The first round of the 1983 NFL draft is considered by many to be the greatest pool of talent ever chosen in asingle round. It included quarterbacks John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly as well as running back Eric Dickerson.

157

three-and-outWhen an offensive team fails to gain a first down on the first three plays of a drive, and thus is forced to punt on fourth down.

three-point stanceA down lineman’s stance with three points (his two feet and one of his hands) on the ground.

tight endA player position on offense, an eligible receiver lined up on the line of scrim-mage, next to the offensive tackle. Tight ends are used as blockers during running plays, and either run a route or stay in to block during passing plays.

touchbackThe act of downing the ball behind one’s own goal line after the ball had been propelled over the goal by the opposing team. After a touchback, the team that downed it gets the ball at its own 20-yard line.

touchdownA play worth six points, accomplished by gaining legal possession of the ball in the opponent’s end zone. It also al-lows the team a chance for either one extra point by kicking the ball or a two-point conversion.

trapA basic blocking pattern in which a defensive lineman is allowed past the line of scrimmage, only to be blocked at an angle by a “pulling” lineman. Traps are designed to gain a preferred blocking angle and create a larger hole in the line.

tripsA formation in which three wide receiv-ers are lined up close to one another on the same side of the field. Also refers to those receivers. Used to create poten-tial for confusion or collision between defenders as these receivers split up.

two-point conversionA play worth two points accomplished by gaining legal possession of the ball in the opponent’s end zone after a touchdown has been made.

U

unbalanced lineRefers to an offensive formation that does not have an equal number of line-men on each side of the ball. Done to gain a blocking advantage on one side of the formation; typically one tackle or guard lines up on the other side of the ball. For example, a common alignment would be E-G-C-G-T-T-E.

upmanDuring a kickoff, every player on the re-turn team is called an “upman” with the exception of the one or two designated kickoff returners, who stand farthest away from the starting point of the kicking team.

W

war roomThe term for the location where a team’s coaches and staff gather to strategize and make their picks during the NFL Draft.

weak IA formation wherein the tailback is lined up deep directly behind the quar-terback, and the fullback is lined up off-set to the weak side of the formation.

weak sideWhen one tight end is used, the side of the field opposite the tight end. In other offensive packages, the side of the field with the fewest offensive players on or behind the line of scrimmage.

West Coast offenseAn offensive philosophy that uses short high-percentage passes as the core of a ball-control offense. A main com-ponent of this offense is use of all the eligible receivers in the short passing game.

wide receiverA player position on offense. He is split wide (about 10 yards) from the forma-tion and plays on the line of scrimmage as a split end or one yard off as a flanker.

wild cardAn NFL team that makes the playoffs by having one of the top two records among non-division winners in its con-ference (AFC or NFC).

wing backA player position in some offensive for-mations. Lines up outside the tight end and one yard off the line of scrimmage. May be a receiver but is more typically used as a blocking back.

X

Xs and OsIn a play diagram, Xs signify defensive players, Os signify offensive players.

Y

Y receiverTerm often used in offensive play call-ing to refer to the tight end.

Z

zone defenseA defense in which players in pass cov-erage cover zones of the field instead of individual receivers. Pure zone pack-ages are seldom used; most defenses employ some combination of zone and man coverage.

zone blitzA defensive package combining a blitz with zone pass coverage. Allows the defense to choose the blitzer after the offense shows formation and pass coverage requirements, and features unpredictable blitzes from different linebackers and defensive backs.


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2008 DRAFT/FREE AGENTS2008 DRAFT/FREE AGENTSFor players redoing the 2008 draft,

here’s a look at the top five players at each position as rated by the NFL Head Coach 09 development team:

TOP OFFENSIVE PROSPECTS2008 DRAFT CLASS

Quarterback1. Matt Ryan / Boston College2. Joe Flacco / Delaware3. Brian Brohm / Louisville4. Chad Henne / Michigan5. Dennis Dixon / Oregon

Halfback1. Darren McFadden / Arkansas2. Jonathan Stewart / Oregon3. Rashard Mendenhall / Illinois4. Chris Johnson / E. Carolina5. Felix Jones / Arkansas

Fullback1. Jacob Hester / LSU2. Owen Schmitt / West Virginia3. Jerome Felton / Furman4. Peyton Hillis / Arkansas5. Carl Stewart / Auburn

Wide Receiver1. Jordy Nelson / Kansas State2. Devin Thomas / Michigan State3. Donnie Avery / Houston4. James Hardy / Indiana5. Jerome Simpson / Coastal Carolina

Tight End1. John Carlson / Notre Dame2. Dustin Keller / Purdue3. Fred Davis / USC4. Martellus Bennett / Texas A&M5. Brad Cottam / Tennessee

Guard (Left)1. Branden Albert / Virginia2. Chad Rinehart / Northern Iowa3. Shawn Murphy / Utah State4. Eric Young / Tennessee5. Kalvin Black / Appalach. State

Guard (Right)1. Chilo Rachal / USC2. Oneil Cousins / UTEP3. Jeremy Zuttah / Rutgers4. Michael McGlynn / Pittsburgh5. Roy Schuening / Oregon State

Tackle (Left)1. Jake Long / Michigan2. Ryan Clady / Boise State3. Chris Williams / Vanderbilt4. Duane Brown / Virginia Tech5. Sam Baker / USC

Tackle (Right)1. Gosder Cherilus / Boston College2. Jeff Otah / Pittsburgh3. John Greco / Toledo4 Breno Giacomini / Louisville5. Carl Nicks / Nebraska

Center1. Mike Pollak / Arizona State2. Cody Wallace / Texas A&M3. K. Lichtensteiger / Bowling Green4. John Sullivan / Notre Dame5. Steven Justice / Wake Forest

TOP SPECIAL TEAMERS2008 DRAFT CLASS

Kicker1. Taylor Mehlhaff / Wisconsin

Punter1. Durant Brooks / Georgia Tech

TOP DEFENSIVE PROSPECTS2008 DRAFT CLASS

Defensive End (Left)1. Derrick Harvey / Florida2. Lawrence Jackson / USC3. Kendall Langford / Hampton4. Chris Ellis / Virginia Tech5. Bryan Smith / McNeese State

Defensive End (Right Side)1. Chris Long / Virginia2. Philip Merling / Clemson3. Jason Jones / Eastern Michigan4. Quentin Groves / Auburn5. Calais Campbell / Miami

Defensive Tackle1. Glenn Dorsey / LSU2. Sedrick Ellis / USC3. Kentwan Balmer / North Carolina4. Trevor Laws / Notre Dame5. Pat Sims / Auburn

Middle Linebacker1. Curtis Lofton / Oklahoma2. Dan Connor / Penn State3. Tavares Gooden / Miami4. Philip Wheeler / Georgia Tech5. Beau Bell / UNLV

Outside Linebacker (Left)1. Jerod Mayo / Tennessee2. Jordan Dizon / Colorado3. Shawn Crable / Michigan4. Bruce Davis / UCLA5. Clifford Avril / Purdue

Outside Linebacker (Right)1. Vernon Gholston / Ohio State2. Keith Rivers / USC3. Stanford Keglar / Purdue4. Erin Henderson / Maryland5. Alvin Bowen / Iowa State

Cornerback1. Leodis McKelvin / Troy2. Dominique Cromartie / Tenn. St.3. Mike Jenkins / USF4. Aqib Talib / Kansas5. Antoine Cason / Arizona

Safety (Strong)1. Kenny Phillips / Miami2. Tyrell Johnson / Arkansas State3. Tom Zbikowski / Notre Dame4. DeJuan Morgan / N.C. State5. Domonique Barber / Minnesota

Free Safety1. Thomas DeCoud / California2. Quintin Demps / UTEP3. Ryan Mundy / West Virginia4. Corey Lynch / Appalach. State5. Haruki Nakamura / Cincinnati

When viewing draft prospects, press the X button (Square on PS3) to view a

player’s grades and various scouting details.player’s grades and various scouting details.


DATA COMPENDIUMDATA COMPENDIUM 159

EASTER EGGSEASTER EGGSEaster Egg #1: NFL Players Who

Eventually Become CoachesA special group of players who retire

will enter into the coaching ranks. A notable example of this is safety Corey

Chavous: He’ll become a General Man-ager after his playing days are over! He has said that he wants to get into front office management after he retires—so EA SPORTS thought it would be cool

to give him his first shot in NFL Head Coach 09!

The list below shows the NFL play-ers who’ll become coaches, and what coaching positions they’ll be hired for:

CoreyChavousGM

RondeBarberDB Coach

DonovinDariusDB Coach

JohnLynchDB Coach

RodneyHarrisonDB Coach

TyLawDB Coach

SamMadisonDB Coach

MikeRuckerDL Coach

MichaelStrahanDL Coach

HollisThomasDL Coach

KeithTraylorDL Coach

ZachThomasLB Coach

JuniorSeauLB Coach

WillieMcGinestLB Coach

JeremiahTrotterLB Coach

RayLewisLB Coach

DonnieEdwardsLB Coach

DerrickBrooksLB Coach

MikeVrabelLB Coach

TedyBruschiLB Coach

TomNalenOL Coach

JonRunyanOL Coach

JeffSaturdayOL Coach

JeffGarciaQB Coach

TrentGreenQB Coach

CharlieBatchQB Coach

JakeDelhommeQB Coach

TrentDilferQB Coach

JimSorgiQB Coach

KurtWarnerQB Coach

AnthonyThomasRB Coach

WarrickDunnRB Coach

LorenzoNealRB Coach

TonyRichardsonRB Coach

JasonHansonSpecial Teams

AdamVinatieriSpecial Teams

MarvinHarrisonWR Coach

IsaacBruceWR Coach

BobbyEngramWR Coach

CoreyChavousGM

RondeBarberDB Coach

Ronde

DonovinDariusDB Coach

Donovin

JohnLynchDB Coach

John

RodneyHarrisonDB Coach

Rodney

TyLawDB Coach

Ty

SamMadisonDB Coach

Sam

MikeRuckerDL Coach

Mike

MichaelStrahanDL Coach

HollisThomasDL Coach

Hollis

KeithTraylorDL Coach

Keith

ZachThomasLB Coach

Zach

JuniorSeauLB Coach

Junior

WillieMcGinestLB Coach

Willie

JeremiahTrotterLB Coach

Jeremiah

RayLewisLB Coach

Ray

DonnieEdwardsLB Coach

DerrickBrooksLB Coach

Derrick

MikeVrabelLB Coach

Mike

TedyBruschiLB Coach

Tedy

TomNalenOL Coach

Tom

JonRunyanOL Coach

Jon

JeffSaturdayOL Coach

Jeff

JeffGarciaQB Coach

Jeff

TrentGreenQB Coach

CharlieBatchQB Coach

Charlie

JakeDelhommeQB Coach

Jake

TrentDilferQB Coach

Trent

JimSorgiQB Coach

Jim

KurtWarnerQB Coach

Kurt

AnthonyThomasRB Coach

Anthony

WarrickDunnRB Coach

Warrick

LorenzoNealRB Coach

TonyRichardsonRB Coach

Tony

JasonHansonSpecial Teams

Jason

AdamVinatieriSpecial Teams

Adam

2008 FREE AGENCY IN REVIEWREDOING THE OFF-SEASON

Here’s a look at the biggest free agents (both unrestricted and restrict-ed) that were on the market in 2008.

Although some are likely to be fran-chise tagged, some may not. (Players that were tagged in real life for the 2008 season are marked with an asterisk):

QuarterbacksDerek Anderson / Browns (RFA)Josh McCown / Raiders (UFA)Daunte Culpepper / Raiders (UFA)Rex Grossman / Bears (UFA)

Running BacksMarion Barber / Cowboys (RFA)Michael Turner / Chargers (UFA)Julius Jones / Dallas Cowboys (UFA)

Receivers and Tight EndsRandy Moss / Patriots (UFA)Bernard Berrian / Bears (UFA)D.J. Hackett / Seahawks (UFA)Dallas Clark* / Colts (UFA)L.J. Smith* / Eagles (UFA) Bryant Johnson / Cardinals (UFA)

Offensive LineAlan Faneca / Steelers (UFA)Flozell Adams / Cowboys (UFA)Jake Scott / Colts (UFA)Stacy Andrews* / Bengals (UFA)Jordan Gross* / Panthers (UFA)

Defensive LineAlbert Haynesworth* / Titans (UFA)Jared Allen* / Chiefs (UFA)Corey Williams* / Packers (UFA)Justin Smith / Bengals (UFA)Mike Rucker / Panthers (UFA)

LinebackersLance Briggs / Bears (UFA)Kawika Mitchell / Giants (UFA)Tedy Bruschi / Patriots (UFA)Carlos Dansby* / Cardinals (UFA)Terrell Suggs* / Ravens (UFA)

Defensive Backs and SafetiesAsante Samuel / Patriots (UFA)Nmandi Asomugha* / Oakland (UFA)Marcus Trufant* / Seattle (UFA)Gibril Wilson / Giants (UFA)Ken Hamlin* / Dallas (UFA)

Special TeamsRob Bironas / Titans (RFA)Josh Brown / Seahawks (UFA)Jason Elam / Broncos (UFA)

MarvinHarrisonWR Coach

Marvin

IsaacBruceWR Coach

Isaac

BobbyEngramWR Coach

Bobby


160

The Xbox 360 version of NFL Head Coach 09 uses the same achievement system used in all Xbox 360 titles. Achievements are awarded after completing a specific in-game task. Here’s a list of all the achievements (1,000 points total):

XBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENTSXBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENTS

ACHIEVEMENT POINTS DESCRIPTION

A Cut Above 10 Highest overall approval in the league

Best Ever 250 Win the Super Bowl 3 times

Best of All Time 100 Perfect 19-0 Season

Drawing Some Plays in the Dirt 10 Create 10 custom plays with the Play Editor

Gameday Guru 50 Complete 10 online head-to-head games

Goal Oriented 15 Achieve all season goals

Gold Miner 10 A player with a 90+ Overall rating who you invited to training camp makes the team

Man of the People 10 Player approval of 80+

Master of Plays 10 Get at least 50 plays to Mastery play knowledge level

Media Darling 10 Media approval of 80+

Mr. Popularity 10 Fan approval of 80+

Nerves of Steel 10 Make 20 successful Defining Moment decisions

One Big Happy Family 10 Staff approval of 80+

One for the Mantle 50 Win Coach of the Year

Repeat Offender 100 Win back-to-back Super Bowls

Teacher’s Pet 10 Owner approval of 80+

We Like You 25 Overall approval of 85+

We Love You 50 Overall approval of 90+

We Idolize You 75 Overall approval of 95+

Welcome to the Club 125 Win 100 games with a created coach

Xs and Os Guy 20 Create 25 plays

You Are So Emo 10 Get all perfect emotional reactions during a single game

You Arrived 30 Win your first Super Bowl

ACHIEVEMENT POINTS DESCRIPTION

A Cut Above 10 Highest overall approval in the league

Best Ever 250 Win the Super Bowl 3 times

Best of All Time 100 Perfect 19-0 Season

Drawing Some Plays in the Dirt 10 Create 10 custom plays with the Play Editor

Gameday Guru 50 Complete 10 online head-to-head games

Goal Oriented 15 Achieve all season goals

Gold Miner 10 A player with a 90+ Overall rating who you invited to training camp makes the team

Man of the People 10 Player approval of 80+

Master of Plays 10 Get at least 50 plays to Mastery play knowledge level

Media Darling 10 Media approval of 80+

Mr. Popularity 10 Fan approval of 80+

Nerves of Steel 10 Make 20 successful Defining Moment decisions

One Big Happy Family 10 Staff approval of 80+

One for the Mantle 50 Win Coach of the Year

Repeat Offender 100 Win back-to-back Super Bowls

Teacher’s Pet 10 Owner approval of 80+

We Like You 25 Overall approval of 85+

We Love You 50 Overall approval of 90+

We Idolize You 75 Overall approval of 95+

Welcome to the Club 125 Win 100 games with a created coach

Xs and Os Guy 20 Create 25 plays

You Are So Emo 10 Get all perfect emotional reactions during a single game

You Arrived 30 Win your first Super Bowl

Before you finish reading this guide, here are a few small game-related tid-bits that you might find interesting:

Patriots Head Coach: The Patri-ots’ head coach opted not to use his likeness in this game; in his stead is Hal Ophamer. Did you notice that this fictional coach’s name sounds a lot like “Hall of Famer”? A pretty fitting resemblance…

Passing Game Discipline Special Skill Icon: Did you notice that in the icon, the quarterback is about to throw a rocket instead of a football?

Notable Landmarks: Did you notice some of the landmarks as you toured the campuses of the NFL?

• Chicago: Sears Tower• New York City (Jets and Giants):

Both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building (Bonus question: Can you tell which building is which?)

• Oakland: Oakland Bay Bridge• Seattle: Space Needle• St. Louis: Gateway Arch• Washington D.C.: Washington

Monument

The team that wins the Super Bowl gets special decorations for their campus.

If you visit the Giants team campus in 2008, you’ll see special banners as well as a large sculpture of the Vince Lombardi Trophy!

If you visit the Giants team campus in 2008, you’ll see special banners as well as a large

THE LAST WORDTHE LAST WORD

Documents

Nfl Head Coach 09 Prima Official Eguide