SB Nation - Ruvell Martin

Rams VP Kevin Demoff covers the cap, free agency, TST and more in his chat today.

VanRam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:34 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

The St. Louis Rams would like to see safety Oshiomogho Atowgwe in their future.

St. Louis Rams VP of Football Operations and COO Kevin Demoff held a live chat with fans today. Some highlights, with comment:

If there is a salary cap in 2010, the Rams will be approximately 35m under the salary, which would be the third most room under the cap in the NFL. There has been some pain this year, but the salary cap should not be the driving force behind any personnel decisions moving forward. This year, we were forced to create a dollar of salary cap room for every dollar of salary cap room spent. That meant making difficult decisions with some talented players, but we made the decisions that we thought were best for the long-term future of this organization.

Though I don't believe there will be a cap, having $35 million worth of space under the cap is great news. It means that the Rams can really make some strides to fill the big holes on the roster, without having to choose between one position at the expense of the other in the draft. Of course, if it is an upcapped year that means...

However, if 2010 is uncapped, there will be a limited free agent pool consisting of players with 6 years or more of experience. That will make it harder to sign young, talented players in free agency, the type of player every team wants in free agency. As a result, in an uncapped year, the draft will be paramount, which is one of the reasons we are trying to stockpile picks in the 2010 draft.

I don't know what his definition of stockpiling is, but so far the Rams have added a 5th round pick from the Eagles in the Witherspoon trade and a 7th round pick from the Falcons in the Tye Hill trade. Those could be packaged to move up in other rounds, of course. I don't know that they'll have much in the way of compensatory picks, since they really didn't lose many free agents of note.

Which players are up for free agency this year? It depends on the cap situation. Here's the list from Demoff:

...eight players...[that] would normally be Unrestricted Free Agents in 2010 who will be Restricted Free Agents in 2010 if there is no salary cap. Those players are as follows: Victor Adeyanju, OJ Atogwe, Alex Barron, Samkon Gado, Gary Gibson, Richie Incognito, Ruvell Martin, Mark Setterstrom. We would have the right to "tender" all of those players as RFA's. There are 6 players who will be UFA's no matter what the cap situation is: Kyle Boller, James Hall, Paris Lenon, Leonard Little, Chris Massey, Randy McMichael.

We'll talk plenty more about these guys down the road. For now, I'd say you can count on the Rams making an effort to hang onto Atogwe, Gibson, Incognito, Setterstrom, and some combination of Hall and Little. Those last two guys will surely be considering retirement, though they could still be useful as part timers.

The highlight of the chat...a TST shout out from Demoff. Check it out:

I couldn't let the good guys at TurfShowTimes go unrewarded for their drive to send in questions for this chat.

Hell yeah! Anyway, he answered our question about re-signing Atogwe, and it sounds like the team plans to keep him in the picture for the future.

Alright, go read the whole thing. It's pretty informative.

The future is delayed

VanRam — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:59:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

left tackle of the future, right tackle of the present.

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Some disappointing news from the St. Louis Rams practice yesterday. Let's start on the non-injury front.

With RG Richie Incognito out, Adam Goldberg worked with the first team at RG. Fine. Goldberg's a good lineman who has earned his playing time. I wish the Rams had more players like him. The disappointing news here was that Alex Barron was at LT and Jason Smith was at RT. The Rams continue to cling to an outdated mode of thinking, i.e. that they can win games with their current configuration.

The fact is that Jason Smith has talent, and has proven to be a quick learner. Remember how far he came after struggling early in the preseason? I'm not naive enough to think that he won't get schooled by guys like Dwight Freeny, but he's not going to be as bad as you think. Secondly, has Alex Barron done anything to give the Rams confidence in retaining him beyond this season, as anything more than a backup? After his half game benching he came out strong the next week, but quickly reverted to form against the Colts. Are those the kind of players you want at the foundation of your rebuilding team? Their stuck this week and have to use Barron in the starting lineup, but there's no reason not to start Smith's future on the left side...especially against Detroit.

Why is there even a question about whether or not Ruvell Martin "and/or" Brandon Gibson will dress this week? We know niether guy is the answer at receiver, but we need help at that position, with warm bodies qualifying as help at this point in time.

And on the injury front...CB Bradley Fletcher is out and Justin King is limited. If any Rams CB gets hurt this week, they've got a total of three corners to work with and offense that just can't keep the defense off the field. Worried?

Avery playing; Hall not so much: Random Ramsdom, 10/24

VanRam — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:37:00 -0000

There's some good and not so good injury news to report with the St. Louis Rams set to take on the Indianapolis Colts in just over 24 hours. Let's jump right in.

Avery ready to play

Donnie Avery practiced and is ready to go this week. The Rams will obviously need him. Ron Bartell practiced and should play too. WR Ruvell Martin and DE James Hall are questionable and most likely out this week. I think it was Sando, but someone said that the Rams pass rush might not be much of a factor this week anyway, with or without Hall, as Manning is so good at getting the ball out in a hurry. Are you prepared for things to depend on our coverage?

James Butler and the system

The Rams are glad to have James Butler back this week, especially since they'll be playing in coverage most of the time. Will Butler help get the DBs in place? Does this reduce the number of big plays?

Focusing on pass protection

OTs Adam Goldberg, Alex Barron and Jason Smith will rotate this week, with Goldberg starting. Sando says the Rams are making a good move not exposing Smith in his first week back all along against a tough Colts defense. A fair point, but I'm not so sure Smith would give us a better line in place of Goldberg...or even Barron. It's interesting to note that Smith is expected to work more on the left side today. I wonder if they'll move Barron back to RT before the season ends?

Peter King's team most likely to move: Rams, Raiders, Chargers and Jags

The New York Times says the 49ers could be very likely to move too. The Bills? Not so much.

Avery likely to start Sunday, Burton questionable

VanRam — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:59:41 -0000

The St. Louis Rams top two wide receivers should both be in uniform to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Burton didn't go through 100% of the practice reps, but the team seems confident in his ability to play this week.

Nate Jones will most likely be suiting up to fill in for Ruvell Martin. I don't see this dramatically changing the Rams underwhelming passing game, but at this point shaking things up might be all they have left.

The QB Situation

I see it both ways, but I still have to ask: does that fact that Bulger is in good enough shape to suit up as the backup QB mean he's in good enough shape to start. Probably not, since neither QB seems to give the Rams an advantage.

The Spread

Vikings are a 10 point favorite. It seems like every team that plays the Rams is a 10 point favorite.

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Rams

Brandon — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:01:07 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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In the first two games this season, the Rams have been outscored 37 to 7. Allowing 37 points makes them tied for 13th in fewest points allowed. But no other team is close to their 7 points scored. Washington and Cleveland are tied for 2nd worst; both have only scored 26 points this season. Of course, the Bengals only managed 7 points in their first game before scoring 31 against the Packers last week.

The Rams offense is working with an unknown group of wide receivers. The group only has a combined total of 32 career starts, and 9 of those are by former Packer WR Ruvell Martin, who hasn't yet caught a pass as a Ram. QB Marc Bulger missed most of the preseason with a finger injury, so that in addition to inexperience and a new coaching staff, and it's easy to see why their pass offense has gotten off to a slow start. The Packers pass defense has given up some yards, but they've grabbed 6 INTs in the first two games. However, Bulger has yet to commit a turnover. Meanwhile, RB Steven Jackson has gotten off to a solid start; averaging 5.2 yards per carry. The Packers run defense has been Jekyll and Hyde; shutting down RB Matt Forte in week 1 and then struggling against RB Cedric Benson.

The Packers offense was great in the preseason, but it's been a slow start in the regular season. They only have 165 yards rushing, 23rd best this season, but that is somewhat self-inflicted since they've only attempted 40 rushes this season (2nd fewest this season). Only the Rams, with 39 rushing attempts, have attempted fewer. QB Aaron Rodgers has gotten off to a slow start, completing only 56.7% of his passes, but has yet to commit a turnover either. The big problem remains the pass protection which has allowed 10 sacks (and numerous hits) in the first 2 games, after only allowing 2 sacks/game in 2008. However, the Rams have only recorded 1 sack this season.

The Rams have the added advantage of playing in their home opener and the fans might be excited to watch new head coach in Steve Spagnuolo, who's made a good impression in St. Louis, for the first time in person. But the fans and coaches won't be playing on the field. The Rams have still only managed to score over 20 points twice in their last 18 games. The Rams anemic pass rush will help the offensive line catch it's breath, but it's not time to get carried away as the Rams defense is improving. Packers 21, Rams 9.

Rankings by yards gained/allowed from NFL.com:

Teams	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	23	25	18	15
Rams	20	31	25	25

Where's Admiral Ackbar When You Need Him?

Mitchell_M — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:32:08 -0000

Because you know he's got the warning for this week.

Hmm, maybe that didn't get the point across like I wanted it to.

Not quite. It's urgent enough, but just not enough repetition...

Ah, here. This is exactly how I want to say it.

Packers. Rams. Week 3. Other short statements. After the jump.

Green Bay put up an uneven performance in week 1 against Chicago. Then they followed that with a positively dismal performance (Charles Woodson excluded, of course) against Cincinnati. Now, they sit at 1-1, and I'm sure many eyes are looking forward to the October 5th showdown between Green Bay and division-leading Minnesota.

But the NFL season, much like the flow of time, is completely chronological and cannot be disturbed. Unless of course your home city suffers a major catastrophe and you're awarded a "home" game in New York. But lets hope that doesn't happen.

The point of this mini-diatribe is that Green Bay has to play the St. Louis Rams before even thinking about the Vikings. And yes, I know, St. Louis has been dreadful for years, but so was Cincinnati (excluding 2006). They started out the year by getting shut out 28-0 to Seattle, and last week lost in an ~~epic~~ ~~entertaining~~ ~~watchable~~ ~~tolerable~~ ~~mediocre~~ awful 9-7 game against Washington. This team has problems. But do you want a repeat of last week? Me neither. So without further delay, let's get to it.

STL rushing vs. GB defense: Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson. The first-round pick in fantasy drafts everywhere has struggled over the last few years, usually because of injuries to St. Louis' sorry excuse for an offensive line and virtual lack of any semblance of a passing game. It's hard to run the ball when you're going up against 10 in the box.

That said, Jackson is still one of the top RBs in the game in terms of athleticism, versatility, and talent. Over two games, Jackson has amassed 171 yards on 33 carries, resulting in an excellent 5.2 ypc. He's been kept out of the end zone and hasn't had his usual impact on the passing game, but the potential is always there. Jackson had several injuries hampering his production in 2008, and he seems to have bounced back and looks healthy.

Up front is where St. Louis has suffered so much in recent years. On the left side, Alex Barron is a man who, as some critics put it, looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. He is a monster at 6'7", 300+ lbs, and has the strength, agility, and quickness to dominate in both run and pass blocking. Unfortunately, Barron's biggest deficiency is work ethic, which undermines his consistency and keeps him a marginal starter (at best). The rest of the line (from LG to RT) is manned by Jacob Bell (6'5", 300), Jason Brown (6'3", 328), the ever mysterious Richie Incognito (6'3", 324), and Adam Goldberg (6'7, 309). Goldberg is starting in place of the injured rookie Jason Smith.

Green Bay did an excellent job in keeping Matt Forte under wraps in week 1, but then imploded when faced with the powerful blocking of Cincinnati's special run-blocking sub package of offensive linemen. The clever coaching maneuver torched the Packers to the tune of 141 yards on 29 carries. Naturally, this was helped by Green Bay's inability to wrap up on tackles, taking good angles towards ball carriers, and converging on the running back whenever a hole opened up.

Advantage: Push. Does Green Bay have a dominant run defense that had a bad day against Cincy? Or do they have a poor run defense that had a good day against Chicago? That debate, along with the juxtaposition of Steven Jackson's talent against his offensive line's limitations makes this matchup a complete draw.

STL passing vs. GB defense: For Steven Jackson, the offensive line made life in the NFL a nightmare. However, nobody suffered more than Marc Bulger. You think Aaron Rodgers has happy feet after two games? Imagine getting pounded into mush week in and week out for at least 3 seasons. Marc Bulger was the conductor of the second phase of the Greatest Show on Turf, and was fairly effective until his protection vanished. He is still an above-average quarterback with decent accuracy, decent arm strength, average mobility, and the ability to read coverages and make the necessary throws (if he has time, of course).

Bulger has always found success whenever surrounded with skilled teammates. Unfortunately for him, that is no longer the case. Steven Jackson is an outstanding receiver, but the rest of the receiving corps includes the like of Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, TE Randy McMichael, and the recently-departed Ruvell Martin. Avery has a little bit of speed on vertical routes, and Martin and McMichael have excellent size, but that's all that is notable about this group. As far as pass blocking goes, the Rams' success depends on three things: good line calls from center Jason Brown (their best lineman, but currently dealing with a knee injury), a motivated Alex Barron, and a healthy Jason Smith. They've already lost one of those, so protection will really be at a premium if Green Bay decides to bring heavy pressure.

Of course, that's if Green Bay can afford to bring pressure. The situation at safety is certainly a red flag for the Packers' pass defense. With Atari Bigby out and Nick Collins' availability (currently "day-to-day") unknown, and Aaron Rouse cut in favor of Matt Giordano, Dom Capers' playcalling figures to be much more vanilla than some of us would like. Cullen Jenkins and Clay Matthews both showed off their pass rushing skills last week by recording sacks, and Charles Woodson (2 INT, 1 TD) continues his quest to single-handedly carry the team when the offense isn't working.

Advantage: Green Bay. This defense can get to the quarterback, and no team is more vulnerable than this St. Louis squad missing its top draft pick. If they get a chance to blitz, expect another dominating performance.

GB rushing vs. STL defense: Ryan Grant was a huge disappointment in 2008, but his new contract, attendance at training camp, and a healed hamstring make it look like he's ready to shine again. He hasn't found much help up front, limiting him to 107 yards on 30 carries, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn't think he'd have better stats if he hadn't been limited to 3 carries in the second half of the Cincy game.

With Clifton out for the forseeable future with a sprained ankle, the offensive line is shuffled once again. The lineup, from left to right, will likely be Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, and Allen Barbre. According to Jason Wilde, there are several other options that the team is considering, including moving Barbre from RT to LT and promoting either Breno Giacomini or T.J. Lang to RT. This would keep the interior line of Colledge-Spitz-Sitton intact.

With so much uncertainty, Green Bay's chances of mounting an effective ground attack are up in the air. Fortunately, St. Louis is far from a stalwart run defense. As a team, they're giving up 146 yards per game. This is even more glaring when considering their first opponent (Seattle) is no longer a powerhouse rushing team. Still, despite giving up large chunks of yardage, the Rams' run defense did not allow Clinton Portis to score in Week 2. The addition of James Laurinaitis and return to health of Will Witherspoon more than makes up for the release of Pisa Tinoisamoa, and the tandem of Clifton Ryan and Jake Long are fairly strong against run blockers. However, Adam Carriker's trip to the I.R. promoted the undersized Gary Gibson to start alongside the aging Leonard Little, leaving the right side of their defensive line vulnerable to the run. Nobody in St. Louis' secondary can be described as a run-stopper.

Advantage: Green Bay, but only if they actually call run plays. If Grant sees less than five carries in a half, you'll know something went wrong. If there's a team vulnerable to a strong running game, it's the 2009 Rams.

GB passing vs. STL defense: Aaron Rodgers looked like a world-beater in the preseason...until teams started stepping up their pass rush and the offensive tackles forgot how to pass block. Allen Barbre made remarkable improvement from the first week to the second, but he will have his hands full with Leonard Little. The winner Barbre-Little matchup will likely determine the owner of the RT position for the rest of the season. On the other side, Jake Long is a capable pass rusher in the mold of Aaron Kampman before he got famous (unathletic but high motor, poor mechanics but determined, blah blah blah...) Whoever starts at LT (most likely Daryn Colledge) won't have as difficult of a matchup as the RT (Barbre), but still a matchup to pay attention to.

St. Louis' pass defense is ranked 25th in the league, giving up 258 yards per game. This is largely because of the average defensive backfield they employ. At CB, Ronald Bartell and Jonathan Wade are merely decent players with an average skill set. They're not lightning fast or amazing athletes or strong bump-and-run style corners; they're just guys who go out and try to execute whatever coverage is given to them.

Their situation at safety is better with James Butler and Oshiomogho Atogwe starting with our beloved Anthony Smith filling the backup role for both positions. Both Butler and Atogwe are young players with good experience starting in the NFL, they're both rangy athletes who can cover space, and Atogwe in particular has a knack for finding the ball. Neither one is particularly strong in run support, but they won't shy away from it either.

Aaron Rodgers' protection is priority #1 on offense, but catching passes is a close #2. In both games, the dependable cast of Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson have all had at least one dropped ball. Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant also have drops, but Finley is still maturing and Grant has never been a good receiver. The return of Brandon Jackson to practice on Wednesday might give Rodgers another weapon on passing downs, but that shouldn't matter. The talent is there, and Rodgers has done an excellent job keeping control of the ball despite getting batted around like a ball of yarn in the first two weeks. If the receivers can shake off whatever is keeping them from catching passes, Rodgers' punishment at least won't be in vain.

Advantage: Green Bay by a slight margin. Again, the talent is there; they just need to execute.

Preliminary Verdict: Green Bay has an excellent chance of bouncing back from the Cincinnati debacle and playing a dominant game against the Rams. But be warned, if the players are thinking more about Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and You Know Who than they are Steven Jackson, Jake Long, and Marc Bulger, expect another major disappointment (and even more Vikings fans coming to the site to let us know that the Packers failed.)

Let's put it this way: Neither team has very much momentum right now. Green Bay has higher aspirations for this season, so they could definitely use the boost. Hopefully, they don't overlook the Rams like some people feel they did the Bengals.

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 3 vs. St. Louis?

Big GB win.

213 votes

Slim GB win.

149 votes

Too close to call.

32 votes

Slim STL win.

36 votes

Big STL win.

22 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth: Random Ramsdom 9/16

kevinramsfan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:30:14 -0000

Last week was generally a flop for me in terms of football. I made the trip to Athens, Ga. to see my Gamecocks lose a heart breaker between the hedges...Only to return home in time to see the Seahawks beat the Rams for the 9th time in a row. It doesn't get any easier for the Rams this week, with a return trip to Washington, D.C. Alas, I won't be able to make it to the game in our nation's capital this year, but I went last year and do recommend the trip. Anyway, enough about me, time for some Ramsdom.

Jeff Gordon from the PD on the same old, same old.

The Rams have added two new players, former NFC North residents Ruvell Martin and Paris Lenon. Yawn.

Interesting round table discussion about James Laurinaitis's week one performance and his potential value to the franchise. I must say I was very excited to see the former Buckeye drop all the way into our lap in the second round this year, and remain optimistic. What he lacked in coverage skills and reaction time he made up for in toughness and intelligence, not to mention production - he is the team's leading tackler. He'll improve his quickness and coverage as the year goes on and gets up to NFL speed. It's only week one, but I think Laurinaitis has the ablity to grab the defense by the horns (no pun intended) and be the leader it's lacked for some time.

A nice piece from The Oregonian on the NFL's 2008 Mr. Irrelevant and new starting linebacker for the St. Louis Rams, David Vobora. He too showed potential, at least for someone who was picked last in the draft. If he continues to play hard and limit mistakes I think he'll remain in the starting lineup.

Mike Sando says Spags has control of the sideline. Steve Korte says Spags is pushing forward. That's great. But I'd settle for a win. Just one. Please?

The Redskins are 0-1, after losing to a hated division rival, just like us. Thing is, they play in the best division in the NFC. The Washington Post on why the 'Skins will be ready to get back on track against the Lambs.

The Rams open up today at -10 against Washington.

A happy Wednesday to all. Go Rams!

A Packer Fan's Guide To Madden 2010

Mitchell_M — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:08:06 -0000

If you're anything like me, you're excited for the season opener at Lambeau on Sunday night. However, you're also looking for ways to extend the NFL experience beyond just the weekend. You might even look for something different on Sundays when Green Bay isn't playing. Face it, Green Bay is on Monday Night Football in Week 13, the Week 13 showdowns between Detroit and Cincinatti or San Francisco and Seattle likely won't be very exciting, and you won't have much of a choice of what games to watch. (Unless of course you have NFL Sunday Ticket. In which case, why not just give your money directly to Jerry Jones? He needs it to buy chrome plating for his pizza cutter.)

So whether you're looking to get some gridiron action on a Wednesday night or you just can't stand watching St. Louis and Cleveland punt back and forth, I highly recommend Madden 2010 to help supply your football fix.

Word of warning: this lengthy post is based on Madden 2010 for the XBox 360. If you have a different system, you can try to use the suggestions below, but they might not work the same. Unless you're using the Wii. Screw the Wii.

I was a sickly child growing up, meaning I often wasn't able to go out and play with the other kids in the neighborhood. Video games helped pass the time until I shook off my various ailments, but I never lost my love for sports sims.

Historically, the Madden franchise has delivered installments with mixed results. Either they simply repackaged the previous year's product with updated roster information and/or a few horribly misguided "innovations", or they come up with something that actually works. Madden 2010 is of the latter variety.

The online mode is much improved; there's fewer bugs in the system, meaning you won't lose your mind because some 11-year old from New Hampshire discovered a tackling glitch. There's always little blemishes here and there, but the best part is that it forces players to use the Online Rosters of all 32 NFL teams. No longer will you go into a game against the Raiders to suddenly discover that they have Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.

The meat of the game, as always, is with the Franchise and Superstar mode. I've never been a huge fan of Superstar mode, mainly because I am horrible at it. Having played a mix of cornerback and safety in high school and college, I usually create myself as a cornerback, but I've never figured out how to effectively cover anybody in man coverage and I'm constantly giving up long TDs. However, playing Superstar mode as a QB, RB, WR, DE, or LB is usually a challenge worth a few tries.

As far as I'm concerned, Franchise mode is where it's at. Once upon a time, I had a dream of being a GM for the Packers. Franchise mode allows me to live that out, long after I realized that it simply wouldn't happen. (Even though it totally should. The moment Thompson retires/resigns, I'm sending an application.) In Madden 2010, Franchise mode remains essentially the same: pick your team, run through the preseason, play the regular season, play the postseason (if you made it), then go through offseason tasks like hiring coaches, scouting and drafting rookies, and resigning existing players.

My biggest gripe in Franchise mode has always been how unrealistic it is, especially where statistics are concerned. I don't care if Adrian Peterson gets cloned in a lab somewhere and the clones play for three other teams at the same time as AP: they simply cannot ALL run for 2,000+ yards in a season. What's worse is the statistics game-by-game. The default setting is Pro (medium) with quarter lengths of 5 minutes, which is just enough time to pass for 150 yards, rush for another 40, have five players with 3 tackles a piece, and win a game 24-0. These games are too short and too easy. So the obvious choices are to either up the difficulty or increase the time. But you can't do both, because then you either have 20 minutes of hellishly difficult gaming or 2 hours of even more hellishly difficult gaming.

EA Sports finally found a way to make longer quarters and higher difficulty co-exist: accelerated clock. Accelerated clock is so simple that it's genius: if you pick your play within the first 10 seconds of the play clock, it automatically runs anywhere between 10 and 25 seconds off the clock (depending on your settings). This allows you to play at a realistic pace: drives of 10 plays actually last 6 or 7 minutes of game time. It's an extraordinarily lifelike addition to the game, and I'm thankful for it.

* * *

Steps to setting up a realistic Franchise mode:

Set difficulty settings. The default setting is Pro, which puts all four categories (rush offense, pass offense, rush defense, pass defense) at 5 out of 20. The minimum setting should be All-Pro, which sets the categories at 10. Because it's so difficult to run the ball in Madden 2010, I usually set the rush offense category a notch or two lower than the other ones. For example, right now my difficulty setting is 13 for pass offense, 10 for rush offense, and 14 for pass and rush defense.

The reason it's important to up the difficulty is because at the default level, blowouts are perpetual. You will be hard pressed to play a game where you don't pass for 3 TDs, run for another 2, and return both a INT and punt return for six. Sure, it's fun every once in a while, but it's boring winning 63-3 every week.
Change Franchise setup options. The first thing to do is change quarter length from 5 minutes to 15. Then, go to the bottom of the menu and activate accelerated clock runoff. (I personally put mine at 25, but it leaves little time for audibles at the line, so 20 or even 15 might be a little easier to deal with.) Finally, toggle everything from "CPU" to "USER".

Like I explained above, the longer quarters combined with the accelerated clock and higher difficulty makes the game both more challenging and more realistic. For example, I just started a new franchise yesterday (when the new season rosters were released...goodbye Ruvell Martin, hello Brett Swain!), and I eked out a 20-17 win over Chicago. I was legitimately trying the entire game, and I was losing 17-13 for most of the second half. I've still managed to deliver blowouts against teams like Cincinnati and St. Louis, but I've actually lost to teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. Getting the settings where they need to be make the Madden experience totally different from past years.
Fill out your roster. The newly-released Week One roster is exactly how the Packers are set up in real-life. However, Madden has minimum requirements at each position, and the new rosters are short on both offensive and defensive tackles. What I do is I sign Jamon Meredith and Anthony Toribio, simply because a) they won't play after the preseason ends and the depth chart is updated, and b) I have to sign someone anyway, or let the computer sign someone, and I'd rather have someone that's on Green Bay's practice roster. I also signed Brian Brohm, just because he's on the practice roster, the third QB never ever plays, and I can cut him outright after I find someone better in the draft or free agency. Sadly, Pat Lee and Justin Harrell were banished from Madden when they were put on IR.

After setting up your roster, you'll have to go through and manually set your depth chart. A few suggestions for those who want them: place DeShawn Wynn at RB2 over Brandon Jackson (better runner), Korey Hall at FB1 over John Kuhn (better blocker), Daryn Colledge as LT2 over Jamon Meredith (see above), and Jordy Nelson as both KR2 and PR2 over Tramon Williams (so Williams is fresher for nickel packages).
Set your audibles. There is nothing more irritating than running the 2-minute drill and having only one pass play that's in a formation suitable for it. Audibles should be set as the following for offense: one singleback inside run, two singleback pass plays (one short, one long), and two shotgun pass plays (one short, one long). It's even worse on defense, where the audibles are in the 4-3 alignment. Defense is obviously more open ended, but make sure that half of your options are 3-4 plays and the other half are nickel/dime packages with 4-man fronts.

* * *

Now that you have everything set up, it's time to sim through the preseason, right? Wrong! The preseason is extremely important for two reasons. First, it prevents bench players from regressing too far during the course of the season. If you sim through the pre-season and you don't play Quinn Johnson or Brandon Underwood, their ratings will degrade the following offseason. Even if they don't play much in the regular season, getting them reps in the preseason keeps them from losing points.

The second reason for playing in the preseason is much more important; for whatever reason, EA Sports removed the option to make substitution packages from the Franchise main screen. I personally hate this move, because without the option to sub players in specific formations, you barely get to use them. Get this, without the substitution option, Aaron Kampman simply won't play in nickel or dime packages. Let that soak in for a second, then read on.

The only way to sub specific players in or out in specific packages is to do so during the game. Whatever changes you make will be saved, so it only needs to be done once. After you determine who needs to be in or out in any given package, they will stay there until you move them.

Here's how to do it: play the first preseason game, but don't worry about calling plays. Instead, flip through the playbook and hit the RB button to bring up the substitution screen. This allows you to scroll through each of the 11 positions and sub a player for each play in that particular package. For example, if you sub Ryan Grant for Brandon Jackson in the Full House package, Jackson will be the RB for every Full House play. Be careful, though, because some formations have multiple looks (Singleback, I Formation, Shotgun, etc.) Each individual look has seperate subs, so you have to make sure that you're thorough with your substituting.

Here's the substitutions that I recommend for Green Bay:

Brandon Jackson for Ryan Grant in all Shotgun formations. Jackson is a far superior pass-catcher to Grant, and he's quicker in the open field. You should have him as your 3rd down back anyway, but this ensures that a swing pass doesn't end in a 2-yard loss.
Quinn Johnson for Korey Hall in Goal Line formation. Johnson can't run the ball, catch the ball, or pass block very well in Madden 2010. But boy, can he run block. Plug him in as the goal line fullback and watch him bowl over linebackers with ease.
John Kuhn for Korey Hall in Full House formation. The Full House isn't as heavy on power blocking, so it's ok to take out the slightly better Hall in favor of Kuhn, the slightly better receiver.
Jermichael Finley in most Single Back formations. Finley isn't a terrible blocker, but he's not great, which is why Donald Lee is still the starter. Any run plays you deploy while he's in the game won't be ruined by Finley's blocking...most of the time. He is, however, an outstanding receiver, meaning he should get the majority of the TE looks in most Single Back plays.
Aaron Kampman for Johnny Jolly in all 4-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. This one is self explanatory: Kampman > Jolly.
B.J. Raji for Ryan Pickett in all 3-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. This is important as it keeps Pickett fresh for base defense plays and uses Raji's pass rushing skills in pass defense plays.
Cullen Jenkins for Ryan Pickett in all 4-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. Again, self explanatory. Jenkins is an outstanding inside pass rusher, while Pickett is not. Putting Jenkins and Raji (the DT2) on the inside with Kampman on the outside gives the team an outstanding pass rush.
Jeremy Thompson/Brandon Chillar/Clay Matthews for Cullen Jenkins whenever Jenkins is moved inside. Don't let Mike Montgomery see the field unless you have to. He's awful.

Additionally, I would encourage mixing up the LB and DL rotation in any of the 5 base 3-4 sets. Put Bishop in for Hawk in a formation, and Thompson in for Matthews in another. Keeping your players in a rotation keeps them fresh and helps prevent them from getting beat or hurt. Again, you have to make these substitutions while playing in a game; you can't do it from the menu screen. I recommend focusing on one formation at a time, then running a play. Just keep track of who you moved and when so that you can finish anything you start. There's nothing worse than taking Cullen Jenkins out of a formation and failing to put him back in; then you're stuck with Montgomery and Pickett.

After setting up your substitution packages, you shouldn't have to worry about anything on the roster or depth chart unless there's an injury. As long as you do this during the first preseason game, you shouldn't have to make any changes for the rest of the year until you lose players and replace them with new ones.

* * *

After advancing to the regular season, hold off on playing the first game right away. The most important aspect of Franchise mode is not only improving your team, but sustaining it. The best way to do that is though the draft, but it's foolish to simply draft players based on their round projection. Scouting is imperative to this process, and you can only do it during the regular season.

Scouting in Madden 2010 is easy; you get a certain number of scouting reports per week (starting with 19, changing when you change scouting services in the offseason) to investigate college players. You tag the players you want information on, and the reports are back the following week. You can scout a player a maximum of 6 times before they are "fully scouted" and no longer provide you with new information on their skills.

Make sure you always scout players with high potential at positions you will need. For Green Bay, I put emphasis on LT, RT, DE, DT, and SS. Remember, the players with the highest potential are not necessarily surefire 1st round picks. For example, I found a safety whose potential meter was nearly full, and I intended on drafting him with my first pick (if he was available.) However, come draft time, I learned that he was projected to go in the 6th round. Naturally, this let me wait and use higher picks on higher projected players at different positions, and resulted in a more successful draft.

One important note about scouting; if a player has an injury rating of 70 or less, don't waste your time on him. He will ALWAYS be hurt, period. The same goes for any WR with a catch rating of less than 70 or any lineman with a strength of less than 70. Players will always improve their ratings on mechanical stuff (route running, footwork, etc.) But the more natural ratings like speed and strength rarely change.

* * *

Now that all the painfully boring stuff is done, feel free to take on all comers. Because I am feeling extra pretentious today, allow me to make some suggestions on Packer players to target, players to avoid, and plays to make it all happen.

Players who can help:

James Jones as a slot receiver. As long as he's not lined up outside, Jones is an absolute beast. The only defenders who can cover him are the elite LBs or CBs, and the corners are preoccupied with Jennings and Driver. Jones is best used running slants, drags, digs, and curls in 3-wide formations.
Jermichael Finley as second tight end. I know this isn't news to most of you, but Jermichael Finley is simply too big, too fast, and too skilled to be covered by most players. Running him in 2-TE sets opposite Donald Lee is usually a good idea, especially running outs to the sideline or seams in the middle of the field.
Charles Woodson as lockdown corner. Al Harris has lost a step in Madden 2010, but certainly not Chuck. Make sure he's covering the other team's best WR, and you should be safe.
Brandon Jackson as receiving back. I know I already mentioned this, but replacing Grant with Jackson in the Shotgun formations is critical. Nobody in Green Bay runs a flat route better than Jackson.
Will Blackmon as a return man. Again, not news here, but Will Blackmon is downright Hester-esque when returning kicks. He's not as fast as Hester (obviously), but he's stronger and able to break tackles better.

Players who can hurt:

Brandon Jackson as running back. He might be better in real life, but running a dive play with Jackson is absolutely absurd.
Aaron Kampman in man coverage. Blitz Kampman as often as possible, and leave him in zone coverage whenever he's not rushing. Do not, I repeat, do not let him cover someone man-to-man. He will let other teams eat the defense up on underneath routes.
Atari Bigby as long-term safety. Bigby is an excellent tackler, a strong player who forces fumbles, and can sometimes cover a receiver. But do not expect him to stay healthy. He's good for 2009, but I would look to draft a replacement as soon as possible.
Jeremy Kapinos as anything. Video games sometimes imitate real life, and this is proof. Kapinos' punts are awful. Find a replacement ASAP.

Plays to use on offense:

Strong I Slot Off Tackle: A solid run play that uses the FB as a lead blocker while the WR3 pulls a linebacker away from the box. Unless you run into a blitz, you should get no fewer than 5 yards with this play, and you'll often break longer runs.
Singleback Flex Inside Cross: A very reliable short pass play that features the TE and WR3 running opposite drag routes. Use this to pick up a short first down or, if the defense is in man coverage, to get a big play out of the receiver after the catch.
Full House Weak Zone: A safe run play that is best used away from the defense's strong point. If the LBs are loading up one side, simply switch the play to the other side. Good for running between the 20's.
Shotgun Doubles On HB Angle: On 3rd and long, this is the play to run. You have three main options: the RB running a check down route in the middle of the field, the slot receiver running a short china route to the weak side, and the tight end running an out on the strong side. If the defense is stacked towards the short zones, hit either receiver on deep routes for a big pickup.

Plays to use on defense:

3-4 Normal Strong/Weak Blitz: Either the Strong or Weak blitz works fine: the OLB and ILB on one side overload their half of the offense while everyone else is in man coverage with safety help over the top.
3-4 Over Trio Sky Zone: Very similar to the Strong or Weak Blitz, but this play offers a solid zone coverage scheme instead of man-to-man.
Nickel Normal CB Fox Blitz: Use the CB on either side to go around the offensive tackle and get to the quarterback quickly. The 4-man front helps keep any run plays in check while the corner blitzes.
Nickel 2-4 Cover 2 Sink: A very basic coverage scheme that offers decent pass rush: the DTs are flanked by both OLBs, who rush the edge. The other two LBs and all three CBs take intermediate zones, while both safeties split the field.

Well, that's really all I can think of for now. If you think I'm on to something, want to add something yourself, or you have criticisms of my strategies, or even if you hate Madden and want to rail against me for including it in a post, leave your love/vitriol in the comments section.

Just don't hate on my Madden skills. I will take on any and all comers. Challengers, step right up.

Analysis: Down to 53; Look Who Missed The Roster

Brandon — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:00:30 -0000

by John Russell - AP

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I started out by looking at who made the 53 man roster for the Green Bay Packers. But all the talk is about who didn't make the team. It's a big list, with 18 players released and 4 players placed on I.R., but there are three big surprises. I'll be going through the players on I.R. after the jump. Also, it's time to speculate who will make the practice squad.

QB Brian Brohm. It's not everyday a team releases the player who was the No. 57 overall pick less than two years ago. I'm a big fan, I think he's getting better and has a chance to be a good QB, but I can understand why he's out. He doesn't make good decisions and he has trouble throwing the ball deep. He really needs more reps; he'd be a perfect candidate for the old NFL Europe. And I can understand why they weren't able to trade him because his stats during the 2008-2009 preseasons have been bad. Also, GM Ted Thompson probably prefers carrying only two QBs on the roster. He might slip through and find his way back on the practice squad. I couldn't find any legitimate rumor of another team being interested in him.
RB Tyrell Sutton. Mike McCarthy prefers big backs. RB Ryan Grant and RB DeShawn Wynn are big backs. Sutton, at 5'7", is not. His only competition was truly RB Brandon Jackson, and it appears Jackson is a better blocker and receiver. Expect to see Sutton sign with another team very soon.
S Anthony Smith. The former 3rd round pick of the Steelers was a low cost free agent signing. He received no signing bonus, so there shouldn't be a salary cap hit for his release. He's had an outstanding preseason, although he did mix in a couple 15 yard penalties. Then they trade for CB/S Derrick Martin, who seems to be a very similar player, although he can actually play cornerback. I thought Smith had the job as the top backup safety all locked up.

WR Jake Allen. He was on the practice squad last season, but it wasn't enough to get him a good look this preseason. I rarely saw him on the field. He could return to the practice squad once again.
CB Trevor Ford. He was just awful in the game against Tennessee. He wasn't physical at the line and he couldn't keep up with the receivers in coverage. He's the least surprising cut.
OL Andrew Hartline. He had a good preseason, but he just couldn't beat out OL T.J. Lang or C Evan Dietrich-Smith. Although it probably helped Dietrich-Smith that he can play center too. He could return on the practice squad, but it will depend on who else was released around the NFL.
WR Kole Heckendorf. He had a good preseason and it should be enough to get him onto the practice squad.
LB Danny Lansanah. Another 2008 practice squad alum. He's a good player and a big hitter, but there are just too many good inside linebackers currently on the roster. He's another 2009 practice squad possibility.
RB Kregg Lumpkin. The running back everyone expected to be released. I'm still surprised he made the team last season. I'm pretty sure he's not eligible for the practice squad.
DE Alfred Malone. Rinse and repeat: another 2008 practice squad alum who had a good preseason and could make it on the 2009 practice squad.
WR Ruvell Martin. He should have made the team again this season, but he had some preseason miscues. He just didn't offer anything as a receiver that they couldn't get from WR Brett Swain. But while Swain actually showed some promise as a punt returner and as a cornerback (seriously, he wasn't that bad in the Tennesee game), Martin blew his opportunity as a holder and a punt returner (fumbled a punt return at Tennessee). He doesn't seem like a guy who will draw much interest from another team.
OL Jamon Meredith. The 5th round pick had a rocky college career in South Carolina, but the talent has always been there. He played almost exclusively at left tackle this preseason, and it seemed like he's a great run blocker. I'm really surprised they kept Dietrich-Smith over him.
NT Dean Muhtadi. He's under 300 lbs. but he always played at nose tackle. He never seemed like a good fit, but he could be signed for the practice squad.
LB Cyril Obiozor. The undrafted, college defensive end, was always a project, and he got caught in a numbers crunch. Just too many good linebackers in camp. He was probably battling 7th round LB Brad Jones for a spot, and Jones outplayed him. He's another practice squad possibility.
CB Joe Porter. Rinse and repeat: another 2008 practice squad alum who had a good preseason and could make it on the 2009 practice squad.
OL Dane Randolph. The undrafted lineman from Maryland was always a long shot, and he only played 3rd string right tackle this preseason. He's not bad, but there's just no room for him.
DE Ronald Talley. He made a couple plays this preseason, but he got beat out by DE Jarius Wynn, who made a lot of good plays.
NT Anthony Toribio. He spent a lot of time in opponent's backfields this preseason and I was hoping he grabbed one of the final roster spots. He should be playing somewhere in the NFL, but he might slip through the cracks.

Injured Reserve:

DE Justin Harrell. The frequently injured one is the least surprising addition to the I.R. Although this gives him another season to try and rehab, I don't expect he'll ever play for the Packers again.
CB Pat Lee. This sucks. He missed most of the preseason with a back injury, he finally gets healthy for the final preseason game, and he hyperextends his knee. He looked good at cornerback against Tennessee, and he made a great kick off return (on which he hyperextended his knee). With several injured players already in the secondary, they couldn't afford to stash him on the 53 man roster and wait a few weeks for him to return.
TE Evan Moore. He didn't seem hurt in the Tennessee game. He sure didn't play well this preseason (multiple penalties, at least one fumble) so I was expecting his release.
S Charlie Peprah. He played only on special teams in 2007 and 2008, but the coaches apparently like him anyway. He might have been able to return, but as I mentioned with Pat Lee above, they really can't wait.

Analysis: Down to 53; Look Who Made The Roster

Brandon — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:28:57 -0000

by John Russell - AP

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The Green Bay Packers roster was at 75 players and they had to get down to 53, so 18 players were released and 4 placed on injured reserve.

I'll start by looking at the players who won the final spots:

WR Brett Swain. Maybe it helped him that he played some cornerback in the final preseason game. He was a star during practices, but he didn't have too many receptions during the preseason games. He did look good on punt returns. He was a 7th round pick last season and spent all of 2008 on the practice squad, so they've been watching him a lot over the past two years. He was the beneficiary of a poor preseason from WR Ruvell Martin.

CB Will Blackmon. He's played well as a punt returner, but never outstanding as a cornerback. His latest injury might have been the end for him, but apparently he'll be back soon, they won't find a better punt returner, and need depth in the secondary.

FB John Kuhn, FB Korey Hall, and FB Quinn Johnson. These three were watched for weeks because it seemed unlikely they'd keep three fullbacks. Instead of making a tough decision, they decided to keep all three.

CB Brandon Underwood. The 6th round pick wasn't outstanding this preseason, but they saw enough potential in the lanky 6'1" defender to keep him around.

S Aaron Rouse. After an injury filled 2008, and another injury this preseason, his roster spot seemed in danger. But he is another lanky defender (6'4") who GM Ted Thompson favors, so he keeps his spot too. Apparently his injury isn't too serious otherwise he should have been put on I.R.

TE Spencer Havner. After spending last season on the practice squad, I hadn't given him much of a chance this preseason, but his blocking is great and he's got good hands. It helps that he can play LB too, but he's better at TE. It also helped that three other TEs were placed on I.R. at various times this preseason to thin out his competition.

LB Brad Jones. The 7th round pick has played great this preseason, although I thought he would be squeezed out by the numbers. Instead they kept nine LBs, 10 if you include Havner. His pass rushing ability was a real eye opener.

C Evan Dietrich-Smith. I had no idea the undrafted rookie would earn a spot. He's the biggest surprise.