Madden fans are very critical towards change. Each year EA sports tries to perfect one of the most anticipated video games of summer by adding enhancements to what is arguably the greatest sports game to ever be created. With yearly record sales, massive online play, tournaments, and even a reality show, Madden 13 has a loyal fan base eager to get their hands on this years version. -Release Date August 28th.

One of the biggest changes to Madden 13 is happening in the sound-booth. Phil Simms & Jim Nantz, CBS’s number-one commentary crew, are taking over to lend their voices to the game. Together they may not have the same classic catch-phrases as John Madden himself, nor do they have that insane moment voice like Gus Johnson, but overall they are far less annoying than Chris Collinsworth.

What does concern me is when play by play tries to get too cute in the color commentary. I for one am a terrible loser in Madden (at everything, who am I kidding), and don’t need funny anecdotes after failed passing plays or recycled jokes late in the fourth quarter of a blow out. Even watching the video above I felt my blood boil a little when they got off-topic. Throw in some trash talk from a 10 year old punk kid over my PS3 headset, and it might be time to purchase a new controller…and lamp.  I’m old school and fall into the “hate change” demographic, let’s hope that these noobs don’t mess things up too bad.

Check out some of the other changes:

• Halftime features a new stats overlay, and no halftime show. -Which I never knew they had to begin with.
• The game contains all the new Nike uniforms and alternates on the disc. Some of the uniforms may have to be unlocked via a code as they are released in real life.
• Lighting changes based on the time of day occur per play instead of just at quarter breaks.
• Madden NFL 13 features the improved high dynamic range lighting and motion blur of NCAA Football 13.

Passing Game

• EA improved the left-analog stick passing controls so you can place the ball on a receiver’s back shoulder, out toward the sideline, up high, down low, and other places where only your receiver can get it.
• Madden 13 integrates new pass trajectories and ball speeds to open up more areas of the field in the passing game.
• New pass animations speed up the time in which quarterbacks get rid of the ball, including a new shovel pass and specific set-ups for throws on the run.
• Pump fakes are now directed toward specific receivers, occur faster, and contain specific animations when performed outside of the pocket.
• Like NCAA 13, Madden features more than 20 new quarterback dropbacks, including those for 1/3/5/7-step variations, screens, and plays with auto-pump fake dropbacks. QBs even drop back automatically and set-up in the pocket if you don’t touch the left analog stick after the snap.
• To improve the receiving, EA is including more than 430 new catch animations, some of which are fueled in part by the changes made to the left-analog passing stick. EA Tiburon says it also wants to make user catches easier to do by slowing down players when they select a receiver.
• The quarterbacks have new moves for avoiding the pass rush. A slowed down pocket speed give you more control when you’re trying to not get sacked.
• EA tweaked play-action to include an abort command that cancels the animation for those situations where a defender busts through the line. The play-action also unravels faster in general. Running backs should be better in blocking after the fake (as well as release for passes) and defenders will be faked out more by play-action.
• Receivers have timing windows in their routes. When they expect the ball they’ll turn their head to the quarterback. Until this time, their passing icons are grayed out. Passing to a receiver who isn’t expecting the ball will often result in an incompletion. However, receivers will sometimes look for the ball earlier if the cornerback across the line of scrimmage blitzes or the receiver beats the jam at the line. -Pretty cool!

AI

• Neither receivers nor defensive backs react to a ball unless they are expecting it (like in the case of a quick slant for receivers) or they have their heads turned and are looking at it. This should hopefully do away with the psychic defensive backs from past Madden games.
• Defenses line-up opposite receivers in a best-on-best designation. This prevents your linebacker from matching up against an elite wide receiver lined up in the slot, for instance.
• Defenses disguise their man or zone coverage before the snap so offenses can’t try to use motion to uncover the defense’s plans.
• Defenders use different coverage techniques such as off coverage (where they start seven or so yards off the line of scrimmage and attempt to read the ball), trail techniques (including hand fighting), and split techniques (where the linebacker stands between the tight end and slot receiver).
• New animations allow for simultaneous tackles while the ball is being caught (including being able to knock out the ball in mid-air), and in general the development team says it’s been working on the interplay between players while the ball is in the air.
• EA promises enhanced AI playcalling for two-minute drill, goal line, clock draining, and red zone situations.

Audio

• Check out the original score in Madden 13 that plays as the game enters the break between quarters.
• Over 82 hours of commentary from Nantz and Simms, to keep the audio new and different each time, with over 9,000 unique lines. Most of the lines are ad-libbed and Nantz and Simms regularly have interactions and comment on what is actually happening on the field.
• A new “Madden NFL 13 Theme”, composed by Colin O’Malley, to be played at the beginning of the game as well as variations heard at quarter breaks, halftime, and postgame. In addition, an approx. 15-16 track, fully orchestrated soundtrack, also composed by O’Malley, will replace EA Trax for the music on the menu screens and other game modes.
• Partnership with NFL Films to get exclusive sound clips, such as QB cadences, hits/tackles, and group chatter, only available in Madden NFL 13.
• New crowd noise, recorded with 24 microphones, opposed to 4 microphones in previous years.

Fantasy Football:

Blue-Super Bowl Winners

Winning the Super Bowl is obviously the ultimate goal each and every year. Although kicking the absolute crap out your division rivals, is a close second.

The five year recap to the right, may not come as much as a surprise to some of you. Teams like the Patriots and Steelers have been a dominate force in their respected divisions for years now. Still, the bottom half of the ranking board does feature a lot of the same teams we do seem atop the NFL draft order every April. A sign that the best way to improve within the league, starts with the battles against the teams you know the most.

Winning your division has always been a top priority with coaches. With each division winner getting a free ticket to the post-season, it would only make sense to game-plan and build your franchise around the ability to exploit a rivals weakness.

The fact that the St. Louis Rams have only won 4 games within their own division in the last 5 years is down right disgusting. Clearly there are some obvious goals that new head coach Jeff Fisher must correct. The same could be said for the Cleveland Browns, a franchise that has been a doormat in the AFC North.

Surprisingly the Browns along with Rams, Lions, Jaguars, Chiefs and Broncos have all not been able to crack .500 within their own division in the last 5 seasons.

While the recent Super Bowl champs are all near the top of the rankings list, winning the turf war isn’t a absolute must to win the Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers did have an impressive 6-0 record in the AFC North back in 2009, but the Giants have won it twice in the last 5 years with a .500 mark in the NFC East.

Fantasy Football:

Unfortunately, that might not be the case.

Titans head coach Mike Munchak suggested Sunday that Kenny Britt may need another surgery on his right knee.

If that were the case, the Titans would likely have to wait much longer before getting their star receiver back on the field. Titan’s beat writer Terry McCormick stated a follow-up procedure would be “comparatively minor,” yet a setback, is still a setback.

To make matters worse, the teams first round pick WR Kendal Wright got his first playbook this week…Ever! As it turns out, Baylor didn’t use a playbook, and Wright’s high-school team didn’t have one either.

“It’s a big book with a lot of plays in it, so I’m just looking at whatever position coach [Dave Ragone] wants me to look at,ť Wright said. There’s a lot of different positions he’s got me looking at. I’m just soaking it all in and going through it every day.”

The media tried to put a positive spin on the news saying Wright had memorized 300 plays at Baylor, which were called in from the sidelines.

I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it. 300 plays? Yeah right. I bet most of those play calls were for basic patterns or improv. NFL teams feature very complex offenses with timing routes, quick adjustments and many audibles. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kendal Wright struggled out of the gate.

The Titans passing game may be a work in progress with young talent and healing veterans. Fortunately there is plenty of time for everyone to get healthy and in check with the offensive scheme. If the coaching staff is patient, the Titans offense should regain it’s confidence and prowess.

Of course, a little help from a guy named Chris Johnson will also make any passing game struggles seem less important. If CJ2K can bounce back to elite form, everyone’s mind will be put to ease.

Fantasy Football:

Kelly Skipper, the Raiders running back coach, had some reassuring things to say about this fallen fantasy stud.

“The thing about Darren is, he didn’t have any major surgeries, so he’s able to come back here healthy and he’s playing at a high level right now and it’s offseason,” Skipper said. “So, that’s a good thing. He didn’t have surgery so he’s going to be off the whole spring. Nah, that’s not the case. He’s out here. You would never know he got hurt. He’s making cuts at full speed, everything.”

Darren McFadden Stats

Fantasy Factor: McFadden’s history of injuries has fantasy owners skeptical of his value. In four seasons, the Raiders have yet to get a full 16 games out of McFadden, making his 2012 fantasy value very high risk/high reward. At the moment, there is no threat to lose carries to the running backs behind him on the Raiders depth chart, making McFadden’s role in the offense a non-question.

Fantasy Football:

AFC North

Pittsburg Troy Edwards 1999 13th overall Louisiana Tech

Edwards lasted just three seasons in Pittsburg. For the most part, the Steelers have been hitting on first round picks over the last twenty years, but missed in 1999. After a solid rookie season, Edwards’ productivity dropped off the table. In his final two years in Pittsburg, he caught just 37 passes and didn’t score any touchdowns.

Big miss: Jevon Kearse

Cleveland Tim Couch 1999 1st overall Kentucky

Couch had no chance. He was thrown into an impossible situation with a terrible expansion team. He was beat up over his six year Browns career and never had a quarterback rating of over 78. More importantly he didn’t win. Injuries – due to being beat up behind a poor offensive line – ultimately did him in.

Big miss: This was a great first round. Take your pick Donovan McNabb, Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, Jevon Kearse, on and on.

Baltimore Kyle Boller 2003 19th overall California

Boller made double digit starts in only one season. Like division rival Pittsburg, Baltimore has had a long history of solid first round picks, but Boller was one of the few who didn’t work out. After five up and down seasons with the Ravens, Boller moved on and is now a back up in Oakland.

Big miss: Dallas Clark

Cincinnati Akili Smith 1999 3rd overall Oregon

Smith was an even bigger bust than Couch who was picked two spots before the former Oregon Duck. Smith’s ineffective play kept him in the league for just four seasons. In his second season he made eleven starts – by far the most he ever made – and threw just three touchdown passes the entire season.

Big miss: See Tim Couch

NFC North

Chicago Curtis Enis 1998 5th overall Penn State

Still looking to replace Walter Payton and Neal Anderson, knee problems doomed Enis and had him out of the league after just three seasons. He saw the writing on the wall and retired instead of continuing to punish his left knee. He gained just over 1,000 yards and scored four touchdowns in his short career.

Big miss: Randy Moss

Detroit Charles Rogers 2003 2nd overall Michigan State

Injuries and substance abuse did in Rogers and started the Lions’ string of wide receiver misses – until hitting a home run with Megatron. Two broken collar bones derailed his first two seasons and a drug suspension helped cut short his third season. His career stats: 36 catches, 440 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Big miss:  Andre Johnson

Green Bay Jamal Reynolds 2001 10th overall Florida State

Reynolds lasted just three seasons with the Packers. In 18 games played he totaled 16 tackles and three sacks. To make things worse, the Pack traded up to pick him. The price to get him was the 17th overall pick – and quarterback Matt Hasselback.

Big miss: Steve Hutchinson

Minnesota Troy Williamson 2005 7th overall South Carolina

Could have gone Underwood here, but he was at the bottom of the first round. Underwood never played for the Vikings, unfortunately Williamson did. Pegged as Randy Moss’ replacement, Williamson had the speed, but the Vikings forgot to check and see if he could catch. A number of dropped balls over his three seasons with the Vikings got him a ticket out of town when he was traded to Jacksonville for a sixth round pick. He lasted just one season with the Jags. In four seasons he caught 87 balls for 1131 yards and four touchdowns.

Big miss: Aaron Rodgers (Vikings passed on him twice)

Fantasy Football:

NFL Apparel was morphed into a billion dollar enterprise 10 years ago when Reebok took an aggressive approach to adding a wide range of selection to the public. The brand tried it’s best to capture the hearts of the NFL fans of all shapes and sizes…and for the most part, they succeeded. Although, despite the ever-growing types of jerseys, sideline wear, draft hats, and even throwbacks, there was something missing, at least that’s what my wife was always harping about.

The NFL Women’s line never seemed to get the same sort of attention that the Men’s did. Reebok tried it’s best to manage the high demand of wants and needs that we the diehard NFL public wanted to see, but they fell short. Even with Reebok’s strong initial start in the early 2000′s, the brand quickly became overwhelmed, and even seemed like they were phoning it in the last few years.

After taking over for Reebok, Nike’s approach in it’s first year has been down right brilliant. While some may be unhappy with the new jerseys (in particular the Seattle Seahawk fans and their blue, yellow, and green rainbow from hell), you have to give it up for wanting to make women hotter.

The logic of creating an extensive sexy NFL women’s line that features more selection is a stroke of genius. It’s the ultimate lazy-man’s gift for any woman who is a fan. Now I’m not suggesting you buy one for Mom this Mother’s day, but hey… maybe she hates flowers. Still, I am somewhat shocked that Reebok never caught on. I mean, I envision the pitch to the NFL apparel executive took all of 2 minutes and went something like this:

Creative mind: “40% of the NFL’s fans are women”
Nike Executive: “ok?”
Creative mind: “Men love seeing Women in Sexy NFL clothing”
Nike Executive: “Yes”
Creative mind: “Women love to shop”
Nike Executive: “done”

The only difference between the things that Nike are doing now, and what Alyssa Milano’s line was doing the last couple years, is you’re not going to get gouged in the wallet. Milano’s line is “what are you crazy?” expensive.

Fantasy Football:

Eli Manning just won the Super Bowl, and also just hosted Saturday Night Live, but plays backup to the media’s dueling banjos of Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez. “The New York Giants just won a championship,” Manning said in a recent interview, “yet I’m still the third most talked about quarterback in my own city.”

Eli Manning has as many Super Bowl rings, two, as Tebow had completions in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs last year.  A game the Broncos won.

What is our fascination with a quarterback that can’t throw, reads defenses as well as Lindsey Lohan reads street signs, and gives an interview about as interesting as… well…  I don’t know if there is as boring a comparison.

“I’m so excited about being a Jet,” Tebow said at his first press conference after being traded from the Broncos to the Jets.  “I’m looking forward to my time here in New York. I’m so humbled that they wanted me… I’m looking forward to my future as a Jet.”  Snooze fest.

That is not an out of context snippet of his boringness.  It is what every word out of guy’s mouth sounds like.  Excited, amazing, and fun are the majority of adjectives he knows.  He is as well trained at speaking to the press as a Westminster Dog Show winner.  The guy makes Martha Stewart sound like Charles Barkley.

I believe that the countries’ fascination with number 15 is, we are searching for the same thing that he thanks before every interview: a savior.

University of Florida needed a savior.  They had not won a national championship since 1996, and Timmy Terrific was part of two college national championship teams while playing for UF and won a Heisman Trophy to boot.

Denver needed a savior.  The Broncos had been waiting over a decade for someone to finally replace their gunslinger-hero John Elway.  While he doesn’t throw the ball like Johnny, he pulled out crazy wins like Elway did.  He led them to their first playoff appearance and victory since 2005.

The country needs a savior.  It is looking for relief from the drugs, guns, and girls that we get from seemingly every other corner of professional sports, politics, and just about any other profession we used to admire.  Tebow is a devout Christian, preaching on Easter and praying, publicly, every chance he gets.  He is a self-professed virgin until marriage, and he says “God bless” to players that curse at him on the field.  He is what most parents hope their boys become and whom their daughters marry.

New York…  Well New York just loves a great story on page 6.  But nonetheless, I am sure he will save something in Manhattan, even if it is just bus fare.

He will never be the most statistically accomplished player on the gridiron, but he may very well have the most success at being a human of anyone who has ever played a game of football.

All of Tebow’s deeds, both on and off the field, carry with it his openness of his faith.  While his beliefs alone are not contested, his outward expression of them in everything he does is.  He is insanely polarizing and the media loves it.  You either love him or hate him, but everyone seems to have an opinion on him.

The sophomore executive of the Denver Broncos, John Elway, was able to replace Tebow, maybe by the grace of God, with the only QB that maybe more popular than Tim with Peyton Manning.  He saved face with most fans by bringing in a sure first ballot hall-of-famer to replace the league’s three-and-out leader.  You might not know it however if you read the tweets that had been sent to Elway in the days following Tim’s trade to New York.  Let’s just say they did not have very Tebow-friendly language in them.

Eli Manning is as controversial as laundry day.  He doesn’t make waves on or off the field.  When he wins, even if he played amazing, it is almost forgettable.  Unlike Tim, who usually has the worst stat line of any passer in the league that week, but finished the game in a way you would never have been able to fathom.  Eli can “gee, shucks” it with the best of them at press conferences just like Tim.  Even when he tries to be the center of attention, like Manning’s recent hosting efforts on SNL, it is overshadowed by Rihanna’s crotch-tapping musical performance.

Their biggest difference comes in what is the two player’s focus.  Tebow wants to use his popularity as a platform to advance his otherworldly agenda while Eli just wants to win football games.

“For me, it’s a great opportunity on a public platform to get on your knees and humble myself and thank the Lord for all the blessings he’s put in my life,” Tebow said on ABC News.

Putting his beliefs and off-the-field work on display has taken his stardom from the NFL’s most clutch QB, to one of the world’s biggest cultural icons.

Eli, on the other hand, is more than happy to keep his work efforts on the football field, and it shows.  He is the only person to get the better of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, and he did it twice.  Since Manning’s first full season as the starter of the New York Giants, they have not had a losing record.  Eli is now in serious conversations as a hall of famer.  Those accolades may win you praise in the locker room, and around the league, but it does not inspire, and infuriate an entire country.  Tim on the other hand, had the 28^th worst passer rating in the league and was dead last for passing yards per game.

If Peyton and Archie Manning are any indication though, Eli will probably be more than happy to be known as one of the game’s greatest and not one of the world’s most well known people.  Tim Tebow didn’t ask for that either, but he sure is using it.  But whichever side you might think is the better way to operate and go about your business, assuredly, Mark Sanchez would prefer to switch with Eli for third place than answer one more question about Tim Tebow.  Maybe he can call Kyle Orton for some tips.

Fantasy Football:

AFC South

Indianapolis  Steve Emtman 1992 Washington 1st overall

Injuries were a big reason for Emtman’s short career. Indy not only had the number one pick that year, but also the number two. They used it to take Quentin Coryatt who had a better career than Emtman, but was never a Pro Bowl type guy in his seven years.

Big miss:  Not a great draft, I’ll go with Sean Gilbert

Tennessee Adam ‘Pac Man’ Jones 2005 West Virginia 6th overall

Fairly effective early on with 28 starts in 32 regular season games in his first two years. Everything fell apart shortly after that with a laundry list of suspensions and run-ins with the law. His stint in Tennessee lasted just two seasons.

Big miss: Demarcus Ware

Houston David Carr 2002 Fresno St. 1st overall

Carr really had no shot. He was thrown into the starting role as a rookie of an expansion team and didn’t have much talent around him. He won his first start, but was sacked an NFL record 76 times as a rookie. He never really recovered.

Big miss: Julius Peppers

Jacksonville R. Jay Soward 2000 USC 29th overall

Soward was another case of substance abuse derailing a career. The wide receiver lasted just one season in the NFL and recorded a grand total of 14 receptions.

Big miss: Keith Bullock

NFC South

Carolina Rae Carruth 1997 Colorado 27th overall

Carruth had a nice rookie season, but then an injury limited him to just one game his second season before his role in attempting to kill his girlfriend and unborn child early in his third – and obviously final – season.

Big miss: Trevor Price

New Orleans Johnathan Sullivan 2003 Georgia 6th overall

In three seasons with the black and gold, Sullivan only totaled 1.5 sacks. By year three Sullivan didn’t start a game and was traded to New England – where he didn’t play a single game and was released.

Big miss:  Terrell Suggs

Tampa Bay Gaines Adams 2007 Clemson 4th overall

I didn’t want to do it based off of Adams’ tragic end, but the Bucs have done a pretty good job in the first round over the years. Adams played just two and a half seasons for Tampa Bay before being traded to the Chicago Bears. Adams had 13.5 sacks in 37 games as a Buccaneer.

Big miss:  Adrian Peterson

Atlanta Michael Booker 1997 Nebraska 11th overall

Booker started just ten games in three seasons for the Falcons before he went to Tennessee for two years. He averaged just two interceptions in his time as a Falcon.

Big miss: Tony Gonzalez

Check out other Volumes: NFL Draft: Would’a Could’a Should’a Volume I

Fantasy Football:

Everybody knows about Larry Fitzgerald. You probably took him early in the second round last year, which is roughly the same spot he’s been taken for the last four to five years.

And if you did get Fitz, you weren’t disappointed. The former Pitt star racked up over 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns, elite numbers for a WR1.

But after Beanie Wells went down, the Arizona Cardinals offense offered nothing to fantasy players. In years past, Fitz has been joined by prolific options like Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and Kurt Warner. Not so much in 2011.

That could change in 2012.

With the Cards selecting Michael Floyd in the first round of the NFL Draft, and a healthy Kevin Kolb and Wells, this could be an offense not unlike the 2008 Cardinals team. While I don’t think that Kevin Kolb is going to put up Kurt Warner-type numbers, the skill players could certainly grow by leaps and bounds.

In 2003, Boldin’s rookie year, he caught 101 passes for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns. If Michael Floyd can even get close to that production, that would be a huge starts. Given his play style and skill set, I don’t think there’s any way he approaches 101 catches. He doesn’t have the quick twitch movement abilities to separate from NFL corners often enough to reach that milestone.

But unless you’re in a PPR-league, you couldn’t care less.

Fitzgerald averaged 17.6 yards per catch last season, by far the best in his career. If Michael Floyd can record 16 YPC, he only has to make 63 catches to reach 1,000 yards; very doable for a man of his stature. As far as touchdowns go, Floyd shouldn’t have a problem. At 6’3” 225 pounds, Floyd was built to be a redzone threat. He could easily catch eight to 10 touchdowns and be the best rookie fantasy option in the league.

In fact, with Blackmon catching, or trying to catch passes from Blaine Gabbert, I definitely expect Floyd to be the best rookie WR.

The hang-up on this operation could be the quarterback position. Last season, Kolb played eight games, going 2-6, and John Skelton played the other eight, going 6-2. While this seems to say Skelton should be the starter, Kolb was debatably the better quarterback.

Skelton posted 11/14 TD:INT ratio, 54.9 percent completions, and a 68.9 passer rating. Kolb actually managed a 9/8 TD:INT ratio, 57.7 percent completions, and an 81.1 passer rating.

A strange situation, indeed.

I expect Kolb, the man with the $63 million contract, to be the starter heading into the 2012 season. While he certainly didn’t live up to expectations in his first season with the Cardinals, he also did not have a full offseason to work with his new team. With that in mind, Kolb should be at least a serviceable starter next season, and has some fantasy value as a backup/bye-week fill-in. Obviously, with targets like his, he has QB1 fantasy potential.

Couple in the presumed health and continued effectiveness of Beanie Wells, and this offense could be poised to explode. Expect a number of extremely viable fantasy starters to come out of Arizona.

Fantasy Football: