[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
MADDEN

I'm not kidding at all

[/ QUOTE ]

Madden is seriously a good way to get an idea of formations and patterns, at least for offensive skill positions. that is, if you are interested in calling a play, and then replaying it over and over to see where each guy went.

it's kind of hard to see the DLine and LB's this way, and it won't really teach you anything about Oline play. defensive backfield play, in vanilla formations, isn't that difficult. it's the nickel and dime and 2-3-6 and exotic packages that are very difficult to learn unless you have a coach explain it to you.

LB play is very difficult, b/c so much of it is read based.

I never advanced beyond high school football, but I have at least some understanding of X's and 0's. but even as a player (unless you are the QB) you really don't know where everyone else on the field is doing. the lineman only know what the lineman are doing, the WR maybe only what he is doing, etc. as a corner I knew what the other dbacks were doing, and some of the LB's. if forced I could have probably told you what the dlineman were doing, but it's not something that really affects your responsibilities.

I would imagine this holds less true as you move up the levels. but even when Adalius signed with the Pats this year, he was lauded as "a guy who knew where everyone on the field was supposed to be on every play" which is a rarity for a non QB/ILB.

but anyways, it's far more complicated than any other sport I ever played. in basketball you really need to know where everyone else is, baseball it matters only a bit, etc