_____________________ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Madden NFL 2001 (PS2) Strategy Guide _____________________ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ January 19, 2005 Version 2.51 Written by: Dan Simpson Email: dsimpson.faqs@gmail.com If emailing me, use this subject: Madden NFL 2001 v 2.51 (Emails that don't use this subject will be deleted, avoid using all CAPS) Email Policy: (read before emailing me!) ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ If you see any mistakes, or have anything that you want to add please email me! I will, of course, give you full credit for your addition, and be eternally grateful to you. Email addresses are not posted in the FAQ, unless you specifically state that you want it to be. Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You will find the most up to date version of this FAQ at: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ Welcome to my humble Strategy Guide for Madden NFL 2001. I got the idea for this FAQ when I rented Madden and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. (it didn't come with a manual) I finally decided to write this when I bought the game and actually looked at the manual... kinda thin for such a complicated game. This FAQ looks best in a fixed-width font, such as Courier New. This Document is Copyright 2001-2005 by Dan Simpson Madden NFL 2001 is Copyright 2000 by EA Sports I am not affiliated with EA, Madden, the NFL or anyone who had anything to do with the creation of this game. This FAQ may be posted on any site so long as NOTHING IS CHANGED and you EMAIL ME telling me that you are posting it. You may not charge for, or in any way profit from this FAQ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ___________________ What's New in 2.51: ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Changed my email address and some minor tweaks to the format. For a complete Version History, check out the Final Words Section at the end of the FAQ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Basics 2. Offense 2.1 Standard 2.2 Hurry Up 2.3 Lead Protection 2.4 Formations & Plays 3. Defense 4. Kicking & Kick Returns 5. Season/Franchise Mode 6. Madden Challenge Frequently Asked Questions Final Words... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Basics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players: Offense Quarterback __ Center | Right Guard | Right Tackle |-- Offensive Line Left Guard | Left Tackle __| Wideout (Wide Receiver) Tight End Halfback (Running Back) Fullback Defense __ Defensive Tackle | Right Defensive End |-- Defensive Line Left Defensive End __| Middle Linebacker Right Linebacker Left Linebacker Strong Safety Free Safety Cornerbacks Key Terms: Bye - every team gets one "Bye" in the regular season, simply a week in which they do no play. No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC also get First Round Byes in the playoffs, they then start in the Second Round. Encroachment - when the Defense crosses the line of scrimmage and touches an offensive player. (if you don't touch an offensive player it is merely a "Neutral Zone" violation) Fair Catch - the receiving player, seeing himself about to get hit, calls for a "Fair Catch". At which point, he is safe from getting tackled, but cannot run after catching. (It is a penalty to hit someone who has called for a fair catch) False Start - penalty when an offensive player moves after getting set. (usually caused by the quarterback yelling "Hut" but not hiking the ball) Fumble - occurs when the ball carrier, after having full possession of the ball, loses control (drops it). After that it's anyone's ball. (Dropped passes are not fumbles because the receiver never really had possession of the ball) Onside Kick - the kicking team needs the ball back and does an onside kick. The kick usually goes about 10 yards and slants strongly to the side. Once it has past that 10 yard mark anyone, even the kicking team, can recover the ball for possession. It is a penalty if the ball doesn't travel 10 yards (only if the kicking team recovers or it goes out of bounds). The kicking team loses 5 yards and kicks again. Note: If either team lines up in the Onside Kick formation, it is considered an onside kick! So, if the receiving team is in the Onside formation, but they kick it to the deep man and he doesn't catch it, the kicking team can still recover! (A quirk of Madden 2001?) Overtime - in the NFL overtime is "Sudden Death", or the first team that scores, wins. Usually this means that the team that wins the coin flip wins. After all, you only need to get a Field Goal to win. Play Clock - Lasts 40 seconds, except after clock stoppages (timeouts), where it is lowered to 25 seconds. Pocket - Protected area behind the offensive line where the QB can feel safe. Once you have left the pocket, you can't throw the ball away (unless you are throwing it TO someone, this is a penalty). QB Rating (see below) Redzone - Within the opponent's 20 yard line, close to a touchdown. Safety - When the defense tackles an offensive player in their own endzone. The result is 2 points for the defense and the offense must now kick it to the defense. Touchback - When the returning team in a kickoff catches the ball in the endzone, it gets the option to not run the ball out and take a knee. (Triangle) The result is the ball placed on the 20 yard line. Quarterback Rating - A method for rating quarterbacks, based on Completion %, number of touchdowns and interceptions. Here is how QB's are rated: (modified from http://www.supernfl.com/) Four categories are used as a basis for compiling a rating: 1. Percentage of completions per attempt 2. Average yards gained per attempt 3. Percentage of touchdown passes per attempt 4. Percentage of interceptions per attempt An "average" in each category is a 1.0, 0.0 is the worst while 2.375 is perfect. To gain a 2.375 in Completions you would need to complete 77.5% of passes. A 2.375 in yards/attempt requires you get 12.5 average yards. To get a 2.375 in touchdowns, 12% of your passes must be for a touchdown. (close to 1 in 9) In order to get a 2.375 in interceptions you would have to go an entire season without getting intercepted. Here are the calculations: (remember, 2.375 is the maximum, no matter what; also it IS possible to get a 0.0 in a rating) 1. Percentage of completions per attempt: Take your Completion % and subtract 30. (ie you have a 70% comp -30 of that is 40) Multiply your new number by 0.05. This is your Point Rating. ((Comp/Att) - 30) * 0.05 = CompRating 2. Average yards gained per attempt Start with your average yards per attempt and subtract 3 yards. Multiply this by 0.25 to get your Yards Rating. ((Yards/Att) - 3) * 0.25 = YardRating 3. Percentage of touchdown passes per attempt Take the number of TD Passes and divide by your attempts. Then multiply this number by 0.2 to get your Touchdown Rating. (TD Passes/Att) * 0.2 = TDRating 4. Percentage of interceptions per attempt Take your interceptions and divide by your attempts. Then multiply by 0.25. Finally take that number and subtract it out of 2.375 to get your Interception Rating 2.375 - ((Int/Att) * 0.25) = IntRating Total: Add up the 4 numbers, divide by 6, then multiply by 100 to get the QB Rating. The minimum value is 0.0 and the maximum is 158.3. Penalties: (also from http://www.supernfl.com/) On any penalty that results in more than 5 yards gained, the offense also gets a first down. I have placed a * by penalties I don't believe are in Madden 2001 (but I could be wrong). 5 yard penalties: 1. Defensive holding or illegal use of hands (automatic first down). 2. Delay of game on offense or defense. 3. Delay of kickoff.* 4. Encroachment. 5. Excessive time out(s).* 6. False start. 7. Illegal formation.* 8. Illegal shift.* 9. Illegal motion.* 10. Illegal substitution.* 11. First onside kickoff out of bounds between goal lines and not touched. 12. Invalid fair catch signal.* 13. More than 11 players on the field at snap for either team.* 14. Less than seven men on offensive line at snap.* 15. Offside. 16. Failure to pause one second after shift or huddle.* 17. Running into kicker. 18. More than one man in motion at snap.* 19. Grasping facemask of the ball carrier or quarterback. 20. Player out of bounds at snap.* 21. Ineligible member(s) of kicking team going beyond line of scrimmage before ball is kicked.* 22. Illegal return.* 23. Failure to report change of eligibility.* 24. Neutral zone infraction. 25. Loss of team time out(s) or five-yard penalty on the defense for excessive crowd noise.* 26. Ineligible player downfield during passing down.* 27. Second forward pass behind the line. 28. Forward pass is first touched by eligible receiver who has gone out of bounds and returned. 29. Forward pass touches or is caught by an ineligible receiver on or behind line. 30. Forward pass thrown from behind line of scrimmage after ball once crossed the line. 10 yard penalties: 1. Offensive pass interference. 2. Holding, illegal use of hands, arms, or body by offense. 3. Tripping by a member of either team. 4. Helping the runner. 5. Deliberately batting or punching a loose ball.* 6. Deliberately kicking a loose ball.* 7. Illegal block above the waist.* 15 yard penalties: 1. Chop block. 2. Clipping below the waist. 3. Fair catch interference. 4. Illegal crackback block by offense. 5. Piling on (automatic first down). 6. Roughing the kicker (automatic first down). 7. Roughing the passer (automatic first down). 8. Twisting, turning, or pulling an opponent by the facemask. 9. Unnecessary roughness. 10. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 11. Delay of game at start of either half. 12. Illegal low block. 13. A tackler using his helmet to butt, spear, or ram an opponent.* 14. Any player who uses the top of his helmet unnecessarily.* 15. A punter, placekicker, or holder who simulates being roughed by a defensive player.* 16. A defender who takes a running start from beyond the line of scrimmage in an attempt to block a field goal or point after touchdown and lands on players at the line of scrimmage.* 5 yards and loss of down (Combination Penalty) 1. Forward pass thrown from beyond line of scrimmage. 10 Yards and loss of down (Combination Penalty) 1. Intentional grounding of forward pass (safety if passer is in own end zone). If foul occurs more than 10 yards behind line, play results in loss of down at spot of foul.* Also, kickoffs that go out of bounds result in the receiving team automatically getting the ball set on their 40 yard line. Punts can go out of bounds with no penalty. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Offense ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What you do on offense depends on your need at the moment: 1. You are up by 1 touchdown... Run Standard Offense 2. You are up by more than 1 touchdown... Run Lead Protection Offense 3. You are down by less than 1 touchdown... Run Standard Offense 4. You are down by more than 1 touchdown... Run Standard Offense 5. Down by more than 1 TD in 4th Q... Run Hurry Up Offense You can read about each of these types in the following sections. For now let's talk some basic offensive skills. Tip 1: Before EVERY offensive set, use R2 to survey the field. This shows you not only who you can throw it to, and where they will be, but also who will be defending them. Throw or Run? Both, obviously. If you do nothing but throw the ball, the CPU can easily double coverage on your wideouts and TEs to prevent a throw. If you do nothing but run, all that the CPU must do is jam the middle. Here is how I usually run a set of downs: 1st Down: Run the ball. My 2 favorite run plays are HB Sprint (from the lone setback offense) and the HB Dive. 2nd Down: Throw the ball. Suppose that you got 6 yards on your earlier run, that means you only need 4 yards to get the 1st down... HOWEVER, I would throw it longer than that. The easiest play (IMHO) is to have your tight end dash forward, then throw him the ball about 10 yards out. 3rd and Long: Supposing you got sacked (or whatever) you could end out in this desperate situation. 3rd and Long is almost ALWAYS a Pass Play. (Although I've had some success with QB Draw plays) 3rd and Short: This is where I usually do a QB Sneak. Only do that if your QB has decent speed; if you have a Pocket Passer, you're probably better off giving this to your Running Back (HB Dive). 4th and Long: Punt it. (Unless you are close enough for the Field Goal) 4th and Short: If you are getting close to the redzone (maybe 35 yards out), you could consider going for it... even if the opponent gets the ball back, they're deep enough in their own territory that it won't matter so much. Hut, Hut, Hut, Hut... The easiest way to determine if the defense is going to blitz you is to use the CIRCLE and yell out "Hut". Do this repeatedly and the defenders will get antsy and show their blitz. Do an R2 to check all the defenders to see who is going to blitz. How you deal with a blitz depends entirely on who is blitzing. If you have the Middle Linebacker blitzing (alone) you can probably ignore it. If everyone is blitzing, maybe you should pass the ball. (If you are in a Run play, simply Audible out of it. You can set audibles by pausing and going to Set Audible. Then in game press SQUARE and whichever button you set up -- CIRCLE, R1, L1, SQUARE or X.) Note: Doing the False Snap ("hut, hut, hut") may make your own offensive line jump, which results in a False Start Penalty (5 yards). Note: Many blitzes clog the center of the field, making runs much more difficult. Note: Even though the Cornerbacks may be blitzing, your wideouts won't be completely open down the field; the safeties usually pick them up. If you are blitzed in a passing situation already, you may want to just throw the ball to your "Dump Off Guy." Who is your dump-off guy? Depends on the play. In many plays you will see a player just run to the right or left and stay there. They are your Dump Off Guys. If you get in trouble, quickly throw it out to them (a "screen pass") and hope that they can run up the sidelines. Motion To use motion, before the snap, press DOWN on the D-pad to select which player you wish to move, then LEFT or RIGHT to pick their direction. Why use motion? 1. To confuse the defense. 2. To send your offensive player (say, a wide receiver) from an area of strong coverage to an area of weak coverage. 3. To add an extra blocker. I use this one a lot. Say that the defense is about to blitz, and you want (or need) to throw it deep. Now, you just know that your offensive line can't pick up this certain defender, so why not move your Halfback up to block him? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 Standard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My "Standard" offense is split 50-50 Run/Pass. However, I don't just run, pass, run, pass. Nope, I randomize it. Sometimes I'll run 3 times in a row, others I'll pass 3 times in a row. Maybe I'll run twice, then throw. I like to keep the defense guessing. And if the defense is guessing, they're less likely to sack, intercept, or generally disrupt your offense. Also on your pass plays, provide a good mix of short passes and long passes. Not only will you get to see what works against their defense, but short passes can easily become long gains if the defense didn't see it coming. I believe a good normal offensive set should take between 2 and 4 minutes of game time and result in a touchdown. Just remember that you have 4 downs to get the first down, you DON'T need to go for 10 yards every play. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 Hurry Up ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stopping the Clock: 1. Call a Timeout (not recommended as you only have 3) 2. Run out of bounds (BEST) 3. Incomplete Pass (Penalties, etc.) 4. Spike the Ball The literal "Hurry Up" occurs after one play ends, you hold the TRIANGLE and your offense will literally repeat the same play again (avoiding the time-consuming Play Call screen). At that point, if you need to stop the clock you can do so with CIRCLE. Where do you need the Hurry Up offense? Any time you are down by a touchdown or more, you pretty much need to Hurry Up. Tip 1: Whatever play you call, try to get out of bounds. Thus your play calls should all end near a sidelines. Tip 2: Don't be afraid of long passes, Incompletes stop the clock as well as anything. Down by 2 touchdowns? Try to score quickly! Tip 3: You might think that you can't run the football in the Hurry Up, but you can, just don't do it much. In fact, I'd only do it if you are in a 2nd & Short (or inches). Run the ball for the 1st Down, hold TRIANGLE for the hurry up, then spike the ball (CIRCLE). Tip 4: Regardless of whether you are going to use the Hurry Up Mode (TRIANGLE) do press X after the play is complete to prevent the game from going out of your control (where the camera follows the player who just made the play for about 6 seconds). This wastes your precious time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3 Lead Protection (& Tiebreaking) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAD PROTECTION may as well be called time-wasting, because that is your job. Anytime you have a 2 touchdown lead or more, you may want to consider Lead Protection. Why? The less time on the clock, the smaller the chance that your opponent can come back. Primary Focus: Run the football. Let the playclock get ALL the way down to 1 before getting any play off (unless the Game Clock is stopped, at which point it doesn't matter). Stay in bounds. If you must throw it, quick hits to your tight-end or running back work well to get the first down (your only real objective). Near the end of the game, your opponent will use their timeouts to stop the clock, if it looks like you won't get a first down (thus they know they'll get the ball back). As long as you can keep moving the football, they will save their timeouts. (Ex: on 3rd down you fail to get the 1st, they'll call a timeout) The idea behind a TIEBREAKING is to run as much time off the clock as possible, but still score some points. A hypothetical example would be a game tied at 17 with 1:58 left in the 4th. You have the ball, need to score (to win) and use up ALL the time on the clock as well. Unlike the Hurry Up, you aren't out to score rapidly, but to score on PACE. Here are the objectives: - Get within field goal range. - Run the clock to 4 seconds. - Timeout. - Kick a Field Goal as time runs out ending the game. Getting this takes some careful planning. First, you aren't just running the ball, that takes up too much time and gets too few yards. Second, you aren't just throwing the ball, as incomplete passes stop the clock (remember you need to run off the clock as well). Third, even if given the opportunity, try to avoid scoring a touchdown IF you have more than a minute left on the clock (which gives your opponent too much time to rebound and score their own touchdown). Despite what the "coach" (the one who calls plays at the offense screen) says, you don't really need to stop the clock, unless your drive is halted. As long as you can keep moving the ball, keep the clock going. Effective field goal range depends on both your kicker's ability and your personal skills at kicking. I really wouldn't kick it unless you are at about the 35 yard line (even then I wouldn't, if you can, get it closer). Again, you aren't waiting until you get a certain distance, rather a certain amount of time remaining (again, 4 seconds). Timeout Note: You will also NEED to kick whenever you use your final timeout, no matter where you are on the field. (unless you have over 30 seconds on the game clock) So, use your timeouts cautiously. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.4 Offensive Formations & Plays ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Form WR LT LG C RG RT TE QB WR FB HB I Form BIG TE LT LG C RG RT TE QB WR FB HB Singleback (SR = slot receiver) WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB WR HB Singleback 4 WR WR LT LG C RG RT WR WR QB WR HB Hail Mary (no backs) WR LT LG C RG RT WR WR QB WR WR Singleback BIG TE LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB WR HB Shotgun WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR WR QB HB Goal line TE LT LG C RG RT TE QB TE FB HB (not a comprehensive list, yet...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Defense ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The point of Defense is to prevent scoring by the other team. It doesn't matter how you prevent it, just that you do. A pass that is knocked down on 3rd and long is almost as good as an interception at the same time. Tip: If you want to waste the opponent's time, after each play, don't press X or anything to get out of the "postcatch" mode. (Where the camera follows a player without player control) This mode still eats up time, and keeps the opponent from doing anything for a little while. "What if the clock is stopped, should I still wait?" - Yes, this will still cut down on the amount of time the opposing QB can waste fake snapping the ball. I consider my defense a success if I prevent the opponent from scoring a touchdown. Remember you don't need to completely stuff their offense (although doing so would net a ton of Madden Challenge points), only prevent them from scoring. Trick: One good way to get sacks is to simply line a player up in a hole. As soon as the QB hikes it, hold CIRCLE and run at the QB. How do you line a player up on the hole? Pretty simple. (although it requires a 4 man defensive line) Say the lines are set up like this: X X X X O O C O O QB If the ball is hiked right now, the lines will be blocked like this: X X X X ^ ^ ^ ^ O O C O O QB The trick is to add (or move) a player in between the blocking Offensive Linemen: X X X X - (the - player moved over) O O C O O QB Set him up on the line (actually I like him just OFF of the line, as close to the line as you can get, but not in the crouching lineman position), when the QB Hikes it, CIRCLE-sprint in and sack. This play works best when the offense uses only one Back, or uses them away from where you are going (otherwise the halfback will just pick up the block and you won't get anywhere). You can somewhat avoid this by doing a simultaneous CB Blitz as well (from the 4-3). That way you get 2 players running in. If it looks like the QB must throw it, I line the defense up in a Nickel > Man Lock. Can't get the player through the hole? Chances are you're using the wrong defensive formation. You need any formation that tells your defensive line to do this: X X X X or X X X X / | | | / \ | | Since defensive players do EXACTLY what they are told, even when you move them over, getting the straight line under the guy you move is crucial. And you want the far left guy to block left to allow your moved guy to get in. It's almost exactly like an offensive run play, you need good blocking to get by the line. Coverage Audibles: ------------------ One thing I believe the manual doesn't mention enough are the Coverage Audibles (TRIANGLE). Coverage Audibles work like normal Audibles, in that both are used by your defense just before the snap. What C. Audibles do differently is that instead of changing the play, they change how your players play. For example, doing a C. Audible, then selecting SQUARE pulls your defenders in close, and has your CBs jam the receivers at the line of scrimmage. This is VERY useful in situations where you guess that the CPU will be throwing it for short yardage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Kicking & Kick Returns ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kickoffs First off, pay attention to where the kicker lines up. If he goes to the left the screen, it's a normal kick. If he goes to the right, it's an Onside Kick. If he is onside kicking and you aren't set up for it, do a quick Audible (SQUARE), then switch formations (I believe it's default set to R1). Same holds true in reverse. If you set up in the Onside Return, and they look to kick it normal, do an audible (SQUARE) and another SQUARE to switch to normal kickoff return. Note: Remember, any kickoff is a live ball once it has travelled 10 yards. Live Balls can be recovered by any team. This is not true of punts, where if the defense gets the ball, it is merely downed and given to the offense. Returns I usually just run it up the center. Avoid using the Sprint (X) until the defenders get close, then SPRINT like mad to avoid them. This works better if you veer away from them at the last second. If you see a defender running at you and you are in a non-veering situation (near the sidelines, usually), use the L2,R2 buttons to hold out your arms. This keeps the defenders away, and also might knock them down. Finally use CIRCLE if you get in trouble to try to spin out of it. And above all, NEVER RUN BACKWARDS! Run to the side if you want, but don't run in the opposite direction. Punt Returns I always line up in the Punt Block formation here, not only do you get the chance to block it, but it works VERY well to prevent a Fake Punt (works like a very fast blitz), and as an added bonus, it ties up all the players in one spot giving your returner a LOT of room to run in. After you catch it, the same rules apply. What I often do is to take my player diagonal up the center of the field until the defenders start going that way, then I SPRINT away from them to the sidelines and attempt to run up the side. I often get Td's this way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Season/Franchise Mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creating Players: ----------------- First thing's first, before starting your Franchise, you might want to create your own player(s) first. Tip: If you want to create your own players, and use them in Franchise mode, you should create the player BEFORE starting a new franchise. You can only create players from the MAIN Roster screen... once within the franchise mode, you can no longer create players. (you can also create new players in the offseason, these are placed into the Free Agent market, however, you cannot EDIT these players) When creating a new player, say a new Star Quarterback, give him a "secondary" skill, such as good kicking abilities. This won't drive up his price, and he can then be used in place of your punter/kicker/etc. (The least exhausting role on your team) Then you can release your highly paid kickers and punters, and pick up some bargain kickers on the Free Agent Market. (You team requires 1 Kicker and 1 Punter) Trick: Want to get an awesome player on the cheap? Create a player with the absolute WORST stats you can get. 15's in all stats. Then go to edit, find your player, and move the selector over to SPD. Press X. Now you can edit his speed, move it up to 99. Press Triangle. Go to the next stat and edit that one. Repeat. If you edit stats one at a time like this, your player's salary remains whatever it was when he sucked. This can ONLY be done from the original roster screen, once you create the franchise, you can no longer edit players. (You can still create players in the offseason) Trick: Need to trade to get a good player, but don't have anyone you can spare? Hire the most expensive (and therefore best) Free Agent you can find, then trade him away. In Franchise mode, it seems that Chmura is always available (an 89 OVR Tight End). Can't afford to hire the Free Agent? Release some players. Then if you want those players back, you can find them in the Free Agent Market. Trading: -------- Which brings us up to trading. You can trade up to 3 players (and/or Draft Picks) for 3 players and/or draft picks. You could trade Jerry Rice to the Baltimore Ravens for a First Round Draft Pick if you wanted. The basic Trading Strategy is this: 1. Be sure to trade UP. Don't trade a good player for a bad player, in other words. 2. If you REALLY must have a certain player, try various combinations of your own players and picks to get him. 3. If you are reasonably certain that you will make it to the Super Bowl, trade off your draft picks first. Everyone likes to get an extra first round pick, and because the Super Bowl winner gets the LAST pick, you aren't losing that much. Also, before week 6 (the trading deadline), you may want to unload your aging players. Why? Because at the end of the season, they have the option to retire, and if they do, you get nothing for them. If you act before week 6 you can at least trade to get another player for them. Tip: On week 6 you should try everything in your power to make some trades. Check the Breakdown of every team to see if any team NEEDS a player right now (usually due to injury), then head to the Free Agent market, and hire those types of players. Now you have players to trade! Don't need (or can't fit under the cap) anymore players? Hire the cheapest you can afford. Then I'd trade for Draft Picks. (so long as you can't actually GET a good new player, why try for it?) Don't be afraid to throw in your own low draft picks (5th, 6th and 7th rounds) to sweeten the deal. (I'd save it before making any of these deals. Then if you want, simulate the season to see who the worst teams will be. Reload from your save and attempt to acquire THEIR draft picks!) Using this strategy I managed to trade away all but one of my draft picks and acquire picks from some of the worst teams in the league. Here's what I did. Trade 3,4,5 picks to Team1 for their 2,5,6 picks. Trade 1,2,6 picks for Team2's 1,3,5 picks. (and so on) The idea is to attempt to get one Round higher than what you are trading out. If you are trading with a 2nd round pick, try to get a 1st round pick. Check every team in the league, some will trade more likely than others. And keep sweetening the pot (adding to the trade) to try to get what you want. There's no reason why you can't win the Super Bowl AND get the No. 1 Draft Pick as well. Assuming you manage to get 10 first round draft picks (not THAT difficult, really), how can you guarantee that you get the first 10 picks in the draft? By saving before you simulate! Once it is saved, look at that week's games, and decide who you would like to win and lose in order to maximize your draft picks. Then one by one simulate those games. If you correct team loses (i.e. the team that you have their 1st round pick), then save it, if they win, then reload from your previous save. And if you don't really feel like drafting 10 players in the first round, you can start trading 3 1st round picks out for good veterans. There are very few players that you can't get with 3 1st round picks. (Edgerrin James & Peyton Manning come to mind) Draft: ------ Remember that draftees will have lower scores than veterans, and that the younger players stats will grow as they age. An 80 WR might end out as a 91 WR (or might not). Generally any draftee that starts as an 88+ OVR will get to 99 when they peak. Should you target players in areas you want, or simply go for the best players in the draft? Depends. I'd use your first pick(s) on getting the best players you can, and after that fill holes in your lineup. Draft Note: Draftees salaries depend on 2 things: Skill When Drafted In fact, when they are drafted might even be MORE important! As an experiment, I created a quick Franchise, selected to play all the teams, then simulated up to the next offseason. In the draft I selected all the BAD players first. Then in the 7th round I selected all the good players. The results were astounding, with BAD players demanding lots of money, and the good players wanting very very little. All of which means that 1st round draft picks are gonna cost you no matter how talented they are. Releasing Players: ------------------ First, I'd make sure that you can't trade this player for someone else. Remember that if you add some of your draft picks into the mix, you vastly increase the value of the player. But there are times when you simply MUST release someone. Perhaps you need to clear salary room for your draft picks, or whatever. However, anyone you release from your team can be picked up by another team, so I say, let them pay the price for picking up your garbage: Before releasing your player, (if you don't ever want them back) first Re-Sign them for as MUCH money as you can manage. Then release them. I got a kicker up to 7.05 MILLION dollars before releasing him (a 99 OVR kicker). This not only limits who can pick him up, but the team that does won't be able to pick up as many players afterwards. I'd also do this when trading. First discover whether a trade is possible, then re-sign your guy(s) so you soak the other team for as much salary cap as possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Madden Challenge ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The "Madden Challenge" is EA's method for adding replay value to the game. What it is: You get points based on how well your team performs in a game, these points can then be used to purchase playing cards. These playing cards actually serve a useful function, most are cards of players and will provide that player with some small bonus. Other cards unlock Hall of Fame players, old teams, new stadiums and whatnot. The more valuable cards are more rare, and often very difficult to get. Thus you must play a LOT of Madden 2001 to get all the cards! Points are assigned based on the difficulty setting of the game. Also there are 5 "levels" of challenges to be completed. It is possible to complete multiple levels on a single play (for example, a field goal you make from 50 yards counts as both a Level 1 and a Level 4 challenge). Tip: It is probably easiest to complete challenges while playing an Exhibition game with an All-Madden team. (any of them will do just fine) Also in Exhibitions you can pick your opponent, so try to get a really bad team: Bengals, Cardinals, etc. (or even take an NFL Europe team such as the Dragons) Tip: I'd set the quarter time limit to 6 minutes. Many of the challenges cap off at 6, so you won't want to go higher, but you still want plenty of time to get things done. Here is how you get points: Level 1: Difficulty Points ------------------- Rookie 2 Pro 4 All-Pro 6 All-Madden 8 Goal Type ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make a 40+ yard field goal Kicking Punt the ball 50+ yards Hold CPU under 7 points (min quarter=4) Defense Recover a fumble on defense Intercept a pass on defense Sack the opposing QB Record 3 tackles with one player Score 21 points in a game (max quarter=6) Offense One reception by 3 different players Throw 2 TD passes with one player Gain 200 yards of total offense Complete 5 consecutive passes Complete a 30 yard pass No dropped passes all game (min quarter=4) Mistakes No offensive fumbles all game (min quarter=4) No interceptions thrown all game (min quarter=4) No sacks allowed all game (min quarter=4) Defeat the '99 Titans at Tennessee in the rain* Teams-to-Beat Defeat the Indianapolis Colts at RCA Dome * Rain can be turned on in Stadium Select (Exhibition Mode) Level 2: Difficulty Points ------------------- Rookie 3 Pro 6 All-Pro 9 All-Madden 12 Goal Type ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Yard KR avg for one player (min returns=2) Kick Returns 30 Yard PR avg for one player (min returns=2) Score 42 points in a game (max quarter=6) Offense Defeat the CPU by 28 points (max quarter=6) 10 yard Rush Avg for one player (min attempts=5) Gain 100 receiving yards with one player Catch 2 TD passes with one player 20 yard Rec Avg for one player (min receptions=3) Score 3 Rushing TD's with one player Throw for 300 yards with one player Throw 4 TD passes with one player Complete 80% of your passes Complete 10 consecutive passes Gain 100 rushing yards with one player Commit no penalties in a game (min quarter=4) Mistakes Record 2 sacks with one player Defense Force 3 turnovers in one game on defense Record 5 tackles with two different players Hold CPU under 150 total off yards (min quarter=4) Defeat the '72 Dolphins with a regular team Teams-to-Beat Level 3: Difficulty Points ------------------- Rookie 4 Pro 8 All-Pro 12 All-Madden 16 Goal Type ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kick and recover an onside kick Kicking Punt the ball out of bounds inside the 5 yard line Score 63 points in a game (max quarter=6) Offense Make 10 receptions with one player 10 Rushing Attempts by two different players Gain 100 rushing & 50 receiving yds with one player Gain 150 receiving yards with one player Gain 150 rushing yards with one player Gain 400 yards of total offense (max quarter=6) Break a 40 yard run Complete 15 consecutive passes Complete a 60 yard pass Shut out the CPU (min quarter=4) Defense Recover 2 fumbles on defense with one player Intercept 2 passes with one player Record 3 sacks with one player Deflect 4 passes with one player Record 8 tackles with one player Hold the '99 Rams under 75 passing yards with reg team Teams-to-Beat Gain 150 rush yards vs. '75 Steelers (max quarter=6) Level 4: Difficulty Points ------------------- Rookie 5 Pro 10 All-Pro 15 All-Madden 20 Goal Type ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make a 50+ yard field goal Kicking Punt the ball 65+ yards Make 6 two-point conversions in one game Offense Defeat the CPU by 56 points Gain 100 rushing yards with two different players Gain 100 receiving yards with two different players Gain 200 receiving yards with one player Complete 25 passes with one player 40 Rushing Att by one player (max quarter=6) Throw for 500 yards with one player Gain 650 yards of total offense (max quarter=6) Achieve 20 first downs (Max quarter=6) Complete one pass to 7 different receivers Break a 60 yard run Return a fumble for a touchdown on defense Defense Cause 6 turnovers on defense Record 7 sacks with one player Record a safety on defense Return an interception for a touchdown Level 5: Difficulty Points ------------------- Rookie 6 Pro 12 All-Pro 18 All-Madden 24 Goal Type ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gain 200 KR yards with one player Kick Returns Gain 200 PR yards with one player Return a kickoff for a touchdown Return a punt for a touchdown Score 84 points in a game (max quarter=6) Offense Complete 100% of your passes (min attempts=5) 100 receiving yards by three players Gain 100 rushing & 100 passing yards with one player Gain 100 rushing & 150 passing yards with one player 20 yard Rush Avg for one player (min attempts=3) 200 passing yards by two different players Gain 250 rushing yards with one player Break 10 tackles with one player Break an 80 yard run Complete 20 consecutive passes Play injured and score a touchdown Complete a 90 yard pass Intercept 5 passes on defense Defense Hold CPU under 0 total off yards (min quarter=4) Record two safeties in a game Now to list all the cards. Tip: Getting a lot of duplicates that you won't use? You can sell these back and get points in return. Note: Once you get around having 200 of the cards (there are 297 total) you might go several "packs" without getting a single new pack. Just like in real life, eh? Each Player Card comes in 3 flavors: Bronze: provides a 25% ratings boost for 1 play Silver: provides a 25% ratings boost for 1 Quarter Gold: provides a 25% ratings boost for 1 Half And as you will see, not every player in the league gets a card. 1 Troy Aikman 2 Mike Alstott 3 Jamal Anderson 4 Jesse Armstead 5 Champ Bailey 6 Charlie Batch 7 Cornelius Bennett 8 Jerome Bettis 9 Steve Beuerlein 10 Tim Biakabutuka 11 Blaine Bishop 12 Jeff Blake 13 Drew Bledsoe 14 Peter Boulware 15 Stephen Boyd 16 Tony Brackens 17 Chad Bratzke 18 Derrick Brooks 19 Chad Brown 20 Gilbert Brown 21 Tim Brown 22 Isaac Bruce 23 Mark Brunell 24 Ray Buchanan 25 Terrell Buckley 26 Cris Carter 27 Kevin Carter 28 Chris Chandler 29 Dexter Coakley 30 Kerry Collins 31 Curtis Conway 32 Tim Couch 33 Bryan Cox 34 Germane Crowell 35 Stephen Davis 36 Terrell Davis 37 Brian Dawkins 38 Dermontti Dawson 39 Warrick Dunn 40 Greg Ellis 41 Curtis Enis 42 Marshall Faulk 43 Brett Favre 44 Mark Fields 45 William Floyd 46 Doug Flutie 47 Antonio Freeman 48 Joey Galloway 49 Rich Gannon 50 Eddie George 51 Aaron Glenn 52 Terry Glenn 53 Tony Gonzalez 54 Elvis Grbac 55 Darrell Green 56 Az-Zahir Hakim 57 Jim Harbaugh 58 Kevin Hardy 59 Marvin Harrison 60 Rodney Harrison 61 James Hasty 62 Ike Hilliard 63 Raghib Ismail 64 Edgerrin James
    65          Brad Johnson
    66          Kevin Johnson
    67          Keyshawn Johnson
    68          Andy Katzenmoyer
    69          Jevon Kearse
    70          Shaun King
    71          Levon Kirkland
    72          Jon Kitna
    73          Ty Law
    74          Dorsey Levens
    75          Jermaine Lewis
    76          Mo Lewis
    77          John Lynch
    78          Peyton Manning
    79          Curtis Martin
    80          Russell Maryland
    81          Terance Mathis
    82          Ed McCaffrey
    83          Keenan McCardell
    84          Ed McDaniel
    85          O.J. McDuffie
    86          Willie McGinest
    87          Donovan McNabb
    88          Steve McNair
    89          Cade McNown
    90          Natrone Means
    91          Jamir Miller
    92          Barry Minter
    93          Herman Moore
    94          Rob Moore
    95          Johnny Morton
    96          Randy Moss
    97          Eric Moulds
    98          Muhsin Muhammad
    99          Adrian Murrell
    100         Ken Norton Jr.
    101         Jonathon Ogden
    102         Terrell Owens
    103         Carl Pickens
    104         Jake Plummer
    105         Robert Porcher
    106         John Randle
    107         Jake Reed
    108         Jerry Rice
    109         Simeon Rice
    110         Andre Rison
    111         Willie Roaf
    112         Marcus Robinson
    113         Bill Romanowski
    114         Darrell Russell
    115         Warren Sapp
    116         Darnay Scott
    117         Junior Seau
    118         Jason Seahorn
    119         Shannon Sharpe
    120         Akili Smith
    121         Antowain Smith
    122         Bruce Smith
    123         Emmitt Smith
    124         Jimmy Smith
    125         Robert Smith
    126         Rod Smith
    127         Takeo Spikes
    128         Shawn Springs
    129         Duce Staley
    130         J.J. Stokes
    131         Michael Strahan
    132         Bobby Taylor
    133         Fred Taylor
    134         Jason Taylor
    135         Vinny Testaverde
    136         Yancey Thigpen
    137         Zach Thomas
    138         Jesse Tuggle
    139         Andre Wadsworth
    140         Wesley Walls
    141         Hines Ward
    142         Kurt Warner
    143         Ricky Watters
    144         Michael Westbrook
    145         Aeneas Williams
    146         Ricky Williams
    147         Grant Wistrom
    148         Charles Woodson
    149         Rod Woodson
    150         Frank Wycheck

  Then there are the Hall of Fame cards.  These cards, when used, add this old-
  timer to the roster as a Free Agent.

    151         Carl Banks
    152         Bill Bates
    153         Jerome Brown
    154         Jim Burt
    155         Keith Byars
    156         Dwight Clark
    157         Gary Clark
    158         Roger Craig
    159         Richard Dent
    160         John Elway
    161         Boomer Esiason
    162         Jumpy Geathers
    163         Kevin Greene
    164         Dan Hampton
    165         Rodney Hampton
    166         Tim Harris
    167         Ken Harvey
    168         Craig Heyward
    169         Jay Hilgenberg
    170         Merrill Hoge
    171         Keith Jackson
    172         Rickey Jackson
    173         Joe Jacoby
    174         Pepper Johnson
    175         Brent Jones
    176         Seth Joyner
    177         Jim Kelly
    178         Jim Lachey
    179         Steve Largent
    180         Dexter Manley
    181         Charles Mann
    182         Dan Marino
    183         Wilbur Marshall
    184         Clay Matthews
    185         Jim McMahon
    186         Karl Mecklenburg
    187         Dave Meggett
    188         Matt Millen
    189         Art Monk
    190         Joe Morris
    191         William Perry
    192         Tom Rathman
    193         Barry Sanders
    194         Phill Simms
    195         Mike Singletary
    196         Jackie Slater
    197         Pat Swilling
    198         Steve Tasker
    199         Herschel Walker
    200         Reggie White

  Cheats!

    201         1st and 5
    202         1st and 15
    203         5th Down
    204         3rd Down
    205         Human Plow
    206         Super Dive
    207         Da Boot
    208         Tight Fit
    209         Da Bomb
    210         Lame Duck
    211         Mistake Free
    212         Fumblitis
    213         BINGO!
    214         Unforced Errors
    215         Mr. Mobility
    216         Extra Credit
    217         Touchy
    218         Bad Spot
    219         Toast
    220         Jam
    221         Pocket Protectors
    222         Penetration
    223         QB on Target
    224         Coffin Corner
    225         Wind Gust
    226         Hands of Glue
    227         Hands of Stone
    228         Couch Potato
    229         Time Out
    230         Ouch!
    231         Worker's Comp
    232         Passerby

  Stadiums

    233         Super Bowl XXXV
    234         Super Bowl XXXVI
    235         Super Bowl XXXVII
    236         Super Bowl XXXVIII
    237         Aloha Stadium
    238         Old Redskins Stadium
    239         Old Oakland Stadium
    240         Old Houston Stadium
    241         Tiburon Stadium
    242         EA Sports Stadium
    243         Dodge City Stadium
    244         Nile High Stadium
    245         Alpha Blitz Stadium
    246         Maddenstein Stadium

  Old Teams

    247         '78 Dolphins
    248         '78 Oilers
    249         '79 Cowboys
    250         '79 Redskins
    251         '80 Raiders
    252         '81 49ers
    253         '82 Redskins
    254         '83 Raiders
    255         '84 49ers
    256         '85 Bears
    257         '86 Giants
    258         '87 Redskins
    259         '88 49ers
    260         '89 49ers
    261         '90 Giants
    262         '91 Redskins
    263         '92 Cowboys
    264         '93 Cowboys
    265         '94 49ers
    266         '94 Broncos
    267         '94 Chiefs
    268         '95 Cowboys
    269         '96 Packers
    270         '97 Broncos
    271         '98 Broncos
    272         '98 Vikings
    273         '99 Rams

  All-Madden Teams

    274         '84 All Madden
    275         '85 All Madden
    276         '86 All Madden
    277         '87 All Madden
    278         '88 All Madden
    279         '89 All Madden
    280         '90 All Madden
    281         '91 All Madden
    282         '92 All Madden
    283         '93 All Madden
    284         '94 All Madden
    285         '95 All Madden
    286         '96 All Madden
    287         '97 All Madden
    288         '98 All Madden
    289         Madden Super Bowl

  Strange Teams

    290         Marshals
    291         Mummies
    292         Sugar Buzz
    293         Monsters
    294         Team Ecko
    295         Tiburon
    296         EA Sports
    297         John Madden


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frequently Asked Questions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Q:  How do I challenge a play?

  A:  You can't.  The game will decide if it will LET YOU challenge a play.
      At that point you get the option of challenging or not, if you win, the
      call is reversed, if you lose you lose a timeout.  Since the game already
      gets the calls right 100% of the time (at least, it can), I don't see the
      point of even including this in the game.


  Q:  My game keeps freezing up on me, how can I fix this?

  A:  This one happened to me a lot.  What I did was go to setting, and turned
      off the commentary (in Sound options, far right).  After that it hasn't
      frozen up once.


  Q:  How can I get my player to do a specific End Zone Celebration after a
      touchdown?

  A:  You can't in the PS2 version, I believe the list of celebrations works
      only for the PSone version.


  Q:  How do I down the kickoff in the endzone?

  A:  First, ONLY try this if you caught it in the endzone, otherwise run for
      it.  In order to down it, simply press TRIANGLE (before he starts 
      running, once he runs, pressing TRIANGLE makes him jump).  To simplify
      this, I usually press TRIANGLE BEFORE he catches it (Fair Catch).


  Q:  Where do the super teams (Ecko, Monsters, Tiburon, etc.) show up?

  A:  Those are only for Exhibition and Practice modes.


  Q:  I got some Hall of Fame player cards, how do I get them on my team?

  A:  You need to PLAY the card first.  Go to your Madden Cards, find the
      Hall of Famer you wish to add, then Play that card.  You can then find
      him on the Free Agent list.  Since the Hall of Famers are usually pretty
      old, don't expect them to stick around for next season...


  Q:  What are Hot Routes?

  A:  While lined up in Offense, pressing TRIANGLE will bring up the Hot Routes
      display.  What you do then, is select a player, then change their routes.
      So, say your Tight End is currently going to be running forward, then
      turning towards the sideline.  His passing icon is currently the X 
      button.  So, you would rather that he ran towards the Endzone instead.
      Press TRIANGLE, then X, then push UP and his route now runs up to the
      endzone.


  Q:  What is a "pancake"?

  A:  Where the offensive player flattens the defender, often by sitting on 
      him.  I believe the term "pancake" is unique to Madden NFL.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Words...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This FAQ was written entirely using the GWD Text Editor:  (shareware)
  http://www.gwdsoft.com/

_________________________
Shameless Self Promotion:
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  I am Dan Simpson (dsimpson.faqs@gmail.com) and have also written FAQs for:

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________________
Version History:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
  Version 1.0  March 28, 2001  52k

  Version 2.0  April 13, 2001  56k

    Updated the sacking strategy a little.  Added a Frequently Asked Questions
    section.  Added a Draft Note (dealing with draftees salaries).  Other small
    changes.

  Version 2.5  July 16, 2001  62k

    Updated the Franchise Mode section a little (adding some text on Releasing
    Players).  Created a section for offensive Formations & Plays.  Added a
    small note about Coverage Audibles in the Defense section.

  Version 2.51  January 19, 2005  63k

    Changed my email address and some minor tweaks to the format.


_______________________________________________________________________________
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This Document is Copyright 2001-2005 by Dan Simpson
Madden NFL 2001 is Copyright 2000 by EA Sports

I am not affiliated with EA, Madden, the NFL or anyone who had anything to do
with the creation of this game.  This FAQ may be posted on any site so long as
NOTHING IS CHANGED and you EMAIL ME telling me that you are posting it.  You
may not charge for, or in any way profit from this FAQ.