Madden 12 Online Franchise Tips

No, this game plays quite a bit differently. Speed is no longer the gamebreaker, at least not as severe as it was in previous Madden games. That being said, my philosophy has had to change accordingly, as I throw about 40% more than in the last Madden game.

• Establish the running game to open up passing lanes. The more the defense commits in the "box", the easier it will be to find an open receiver.
• Offensive linemen are important, but good blocking tight ends are even better. It's difficult to stop a seven man rush with just your five linemen. Having a good tight end to block (i.e. Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui) is helpful, even if he just checks and releases.
  
  A good blocking halfback is also very handy when facing an aggressive defense. All they need to do is buy you just a little more time to let the play develop. The extra time can prove to be a killer of defenses.
• Not all rookie QB's suck. Last year, only the best rookies could be manageable for a season. The rest deserved to ride pine the first year or so to develop under a veteran. I've found good success with Jake Locker, who has a nice blend of pocket passing and mobility.
• I've converted for a 3-4 defense, but I'm still trying to get comfortable with zone coverage from that system. It's much easier for me to adjust to in the 4-3, but I guess I need to just adapt and overcome.
• Why blitz? If you have a good D-Line, blitzing is not necessary. The worst thing is getting beaten by overcommitting against the run. You never know when the opponent might break out a play action pass that sucks in what deep help you thought you may have had.
• Layering your defense helps to stop big gains. Overcommitting at the line of scrimmage leaves teams vulnerable to the big play. I'd rather give up five yards than fifty-five.

Preferred Playbooks:

Offense: Denver, Detroit, New England, Run Heavy, West Coast
Defense: 3-4, 4-3, St. Louis, Tampa Bay

There are always players that seem to come out of nowhere and be hot commodities for online franchises. Here are two of them.

CB Tommie Campbell - There are not too many cornerbacks that are as big and fast as Campbell. He may not be the smartest player, but his athleticism helps make up a lot of ground. It also doesn't hurt that he has 77 hit power for a cornerback, so forcing fumbles is a very real possibility. Also can play a good safety because of his speed and size. Who would want to throw over top of him?




WR Marques Colston - Yeah I know, he's a star in real life. However, people do not necessarily like him for online franchises because he isn't fast enough. But in the right system, he is beyond deadly, as he is proving in my league. His acceleration is good but his route running is immaculate. Press him at your own risk.

Note: CPU Generated Players have their draft year in parentheses

Offense (with slot receiver):

QB: Case Robinson (2013 Rookie Draft)
HB: Arian Foster
FB: Jed Collins
WR: Mike Thomas, Shamir Webster (2012), DeAnthony Carter (2013)
TE: Devin Molette (2013)
LT: Eugene Monroe
LG: Stefen Wisniewski
C: Evan Brooks (2013)
RG: Uche Nwaneri
RT: Nate Solder

Defense (with nickel back):

LE: Marcel Dareus
RE: Leo Mcfadden (2012)
DT: Blake Harris (2013)
LOLB: Justin Durant
MLB: Curtis Lofton, Rolando McClain
ROLB: Geno Hayes
CB: Devin McCourty, DeJoshua Pearson (2012), Rashawn Simmons (2013)
FS: Antioine Bethea
SS: Kenny Phillips