Back to School: Texas
Football thrives on intellectual strategy. Enter the Texas concept, a clever and timely weapon for offenses, especially when translated into Madden’s virtual gridiron. For PML coaches, mastering the Texas route can add another layer to your offensive arsenal. Let’s delve into the Texas route design, its reflection in Madden, and the best formations and personnel to maximize this concept.
Texas: Attacking the Heart
Route Characteristics:
- Running Back Focus: Central to the Texas concept is the running back’s route. This is typically an angle route where the back initially pushes to the outside as if running to the flat, then sharply cuts back toward the middle of the field.
- Complementary Routes: To clear out space for the running back, additional routes pull defenders away. Commonly, you’ll see a slant or drag from a wide receiver and perhaps a curl or hitch from another receiver or tight end.
Best Out of: The Texas concept thrives in formations like “Singleback Tight”, “I-Formation”, and “Gun Doubles”. These setups allow for a quick-hitting pass to the running back while offering enough complementary routes to spread out the defense.
Madden Implications and Optimal Personnel:
- Middle Vulnerability: In PML, the Texas concept excels at targeting linebackers in coverage, especially those who bite on the initial move of the running back.
- Running Back Traits: Not just any back can dominate with the Texas concept. Agility, precise route-running, and catching ability are pivotal. This ensures the sharpness of the route and the back’s ability to haul in the pass amidst traffic.
- Quarterback Precision: For the user controlling the quarterback in PML, timing is everything. Releasing the ball as soon as the running back makes his inside cut is crucial to catch defenses off-guard.
The Texas concept, while simple, offers a sharp tool to dissect the middle of defenses, especially those who lean heavily on linebackers in coverage. Whether facing real-world defenders or strategizing in a PML match, Texas, when executed flawlessly, presents a challenge to any defense. It reinforces the notion that in football, sometimes the most direct approach — straight through the heart of a defense — is the most effective.
