Back to School: Power vs. Counter
Football’s running game is as much about muscle as it is about mind games. Two schemes that perfectly illustrate this are the Power and the Counter. Both employ force and misdirection but in uniquely different ways. How do these plays manifest in Madden, and how can players in PML exploit their strengths? Let’s unpack these classic run concepts, their nuances in Madden, and the personnel crucial for their execution.
Power: The Downhill Drive
Ground and Pound: Power is football in its rawest form. This play involves a guard (often the backside guard) pulling to lead the charge, aiming to create a downhill lane for the running back. It’s a direct, smash-mouth approach to gain yardage.
Key Blocks: The success of the Power run hinges on the offensive line’s ability to generate movement. Down blocks by the play-side linemen create a wall, while the pulling guard seeks to kick out the edge defender or seal a linebacker, making way for the running back.
Counter: Deception in Motion
A Step of Misdirection: The Counter introduces an element of deceit. The running back takes a jab step in the opposite direction before receiving the handoff, aiming to pull defenders out of position. Like the Power, the Counter also often involves a pulling lineman (or two), but they head in the direction opposite to the initial step.
Setting the Trap: The misdirection of the Counter is designed to set up favorable blocking angles. As defenders react to the running back’s initial move, pulling linemen can seal them off or kick them out, creating cutback lanes.
Ideal Personnel and Madden Dynamics
Power Playmakers: For Power runs, strong offensive linemen who can move bodies are essential. The pulling guard must have the agility to navigate through traffic and make a key block. The running back should possess strength to run through arm tackles and burst to exploit the opened lane.
Counter Specialists: Quick-thinking linemen who can capitalize on the deception are key for the Counter. Running backs should have good change-of-direction skills to sell the initial step and then quickly cut back, riding the wave of misdirection.
PML Field General Tactics: In PML, knowing when to call a Power versus a Counter is vital. Power can be effective against aggressive user-controlled linebackers who might shoot the gaps prematurely. Meanwhile, the Counter can exploit over-pursuing defenses, catching them off balance with the back’s misdirection.
The Power and the Counter are both about leveraging force, but they approach it with different levels of subtlety. Within the realms of PML, mastery of these plays can put defenses in a bind, constantly having to guess between direct brute force and cunning deception. For Madden, having both these tools honed and ready can transform any offensive drive into ground dominance.
