U Bacon

U Bacon Plays

• Power O
• Red Sea Counter
• Flats Storm

Power Offense Formations

• T Bone-Jumbo
• U Bacon
• Wishbone-Big
• Jumbo Wing
• Sidewinder
• Strong T

Offensive Playbook

• Balanced Formations
• Power Formations
• Speed Formations
• Offense Image Index

Defensive Playbook

• All Formations
• Defense Image Index

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Overview

I usually prefer to create completely original formations and plays for my playbook, but sometimes I see an existing idea so good I just have to borrow it. This was the case with one of the formations the Green Bay Packers used in the 2003 NFL season (i.e. the season of Madden NFL 2004): U Bacon. This is a heavy formation designed for pure power running. The Pack used a sixth offensive lineman (Kevin Barry, whose love of bacon the formation is named after) in place of a tight end, due to the formation limitations in Madden we'll have to make due with a normal TE. An extra TE and offset fullback create just about the most powerful single side running formation possible with NFL rules.

Obviously U Bacon is intended primarily for running right. Green Bay rarely deviated from this scheme, and why not? It worked quite well for them, not many teams could slow down their 5+ yards per carry running attack. For our purposes, the limitations of the good but not perfect Madden game engine, as well as the replacement of a full size 6th offensive lineman with a slightly smaller TE demand a bit more variety. I like to mix things up no matter what formation I bring out, and U Bacon will be no exception. Counters to the left side and a few dynamic passing plays will keep every defense on its toes.

Regardless of whether you utilize its versatility, U Bacon is an excellent addition to any offense. It's sheer power will prove useful in short yardage and goal line situations. It's unbalanced form forces defense to adjust out of base alignments, possibly disrupting blitz schemes. For those who like to gamble, deep routes to the lone receiver split wide, especially following play action, can deeply sting defense who throw everything they have into stuffing the run.

I've found that the relatively obscure Full House-Normal formation (found in Atlanta's Madden 2004 playbook) provides excellent motion options for the U Bacon formation. Some of the key motions include moving either the FB or second TE into and I Form type lead blocker, making the halfback a flanker on either side for passing plays, and sliding the primary TE out about 5 yards for tosses, sweeps and pass plays.

Plays