Why Madden NEEDS a Defensive Commit

I'm gonna take you back for a second. Remember when you and your boys used to play Tecmo Super Bowl? Tecmo was simply the first major sort-of simulation where football gamers got their taste of a really good football title. Tecmo was so good in fact, that many games today can benefit from the groundwork that it laid. Now don't get me wrong, no revisionist history here: Tecmo certainly benefited from releasing in an age when football gaming was in its infancy, but it had a great foundation. Doubt me? Look at the example it made regarding varying your playbook. My next question probably means you're 30 or older but think back to what happened to your defense when you guessed the play (in the four or eight play version) that your opponent was going to run.

That's right...That's right! That lil' defense got a hefty boost now didn't it? Hell, they turned into some blitzing monsters, went all "bat-outta-hell" and countered what the offense was doing, didn't they? At a basic level Tecmo Bowl said: "You WILL vary your gameplans mister football gamer guy--or you will suffer."


Madden? sigh..Madden doesn't BELIEVE in suffering. They're too nice I suppose. Nope, they'd rather have my 83 rated MLB fall for the same arrow route (the one that fakes outside and then has the receiver run back inside) any and all times its run. Wait..What?? Look at the state of one-play-all-day in Madden today. Its laughable. These are NFL level defenders? I watched a friend play online the other day and saw the same toss play run to max effectiveness countless times because the defenders were clueless. Don't even get me started on the crossing route run to the same receiver four times in a row. Wouldn't it be a good thing if we could tell our defenders what was coming?

The difference between knowing what's coming in football and basketball was evident when Spygate broke. NBA players and analyst were like "So what? Everyone knows each others plays in the NBA--you still have to stop it." They're right too. Its common practice in the NBA to run a play until the defense stops it. The NFL community however, was shocked and appalled. Being prepared beforehand gives the opponent a major advantage in football. This is basic stuff.

Sadly that isn't a football aspect that Madden displays well at all. The saddest part is that Madden HAD a Defensive Commit but they botched it by not having the user COMMIT (Pun very much intended) pre-snap. It was some clunky system where right after the snap you had to call run or pass and get some benefits from it. Huh? I don't even design games and I know that was crappy. Isn't a pre-snap system how it would work best with the way the gameplay is setup? Think about it..you think you know what's coming? Fine, put your money where you virtual mouth is before the snap and deal with the consequences or benefits thereof. Many defensively inclined players' ears just perked up, right? But here's the thing: Think about the far-reaching implications on offense. Now all of  a sudden I can bait this guy with a solid running game and setup my play-action? Get outta here...really? Enter chess-game and strategy redefined.

Ok smart guy, so how would it work? Well that's the easy part. Use the D-Pad in combination with the right analog. Press a button before the offense snaps that announces your "Commit" intention and then select between Down (run) Left (misdirection like screens, draws, delays and counters) Up (pass) and Right (reset to normal just in case you get cold feet if the QB start audibling all over the place) Savvy users could take it a step further if they're convinced they have the opponent completely figured out. Know this guys running another toss to the strong side? FINE. Press down and then push your analog to right and get ready to watch your linebackers tee off like a bunch of rabid dogs. Or as some would say: DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO (sorry, couldn't resist) Pretty sure Colston is running a hitch at the first down? Commit to pass and then a couple of option open up. You can push the analog to his side and then Down again for a short route, Right for intermediate or Up for deep (you didn't think we'd let you get away with just calling run or pass did we?) This way the more specific you are the greater your benefits. Simply calling pass or run could yield some solid results, but knowing your opponent is going deep or running a screen would yield good ones. We certainly like the options a Commit features offers, but we've got to stress that it shouldn't deal in absolutes. No automatic interception/fumble or sack foolishness. Just increase the chances for solid defensive plays. We'd like to see wrap-up tackles, hits that break-up catches, deflections, bat-downs by the DL and perhaps even instances where the offense still makes a play (extremely low percentage) we don't want to imbalance gameplay, just give players that guess right a greater chance for success.

On the flipside, guessing wrong must have consequences for balance-sake. And NOT in an automatic-TD-kind-of-way either. Thought they were running right and they went left or up the gut? Decent gain due to out of position defenders. Offensive players savvy enough to fool the defense have to be rewarded. In the end we think incorporating a Defensive Commit will do wonders for Madden football and for this reason, we need to see it in future versions of the game. Don't we Madden fans?