•  Singleback Wing Nasty, Wing Tight Left

If you’re a jumbo player, this would be a nice playbook to focus on.  The Wing Nasty and Wing Left are new formations.  The plays are limited but, like a lot of these formations, can be greatly enchanted with a HRM QB.  Out of Wing Tight left, PA Scissors has two deep corners and a post, all compressed.  Can create some cool route combos and create confusion with the use of motion.  Additionally you can motion out the rb to create easier flood concepts while still being able to block.  It also has a wide zone run, dive, and the WR on a deep corner route out of PA sprint HB flat.

•  SB Deuce Close

A staple of Madden for years, deuce close has been toned down quite a bit.  The chiefs have one of the better ones, but still missing some plays.  The run game has a trap to hit up the middle and a flippable stretch.  If the run is good this year, having your opponent set up run defense first could really open up the pass.  Bench is an old favorite.  PA X Post Cross may be one of the best plays in Madden this year.  If skinny posts from compression are as effective as they were in the beta, being able to flip this will be a nightmare.  Could be great against man or zone.  PA misdirection is a great complement to both these passing plays.  That post is great against man or middle thirds, as it was getting underneath in the beta.  (Here we have post/corner going same way again).  The fact you can flip it, wheel the rb, and block, it’s a really nice set of 3 plays.  Unfortunately we’re missing TE angle, but once TE apprentice is available in MUT, this could be deadly.  Definitely a formation to keep your eye on.

•  SB Ace Slot

Has a flippable wide zone, dive, and flippable power o.  Could be nice as a quick audible

•  Pistol Bunch TE

This version has a speed option and a Jet Touch Pass which could be hell to defend.  Speed option is flippable so your opponent has to respect that to each side.  Pass plays are limited to Cross Drag, which is a really nice quick snap play.  Spot Y Option has a sharp corner to the point WR.  Can Flood the strong side with this play, and middle of field with Cross Drag.  A nice complementary that has quick hike written all over it.

•  Gun Deuce Close

If paired with SB version, it could be good.  It’s really missing a few pass plays.  The new one to talk about is PA Post Cross.  You now have a deep post on the weak side of the formation.  Also, the deep crosser by the strong side WR is really good against zones.  Unless a cloud is set to 30 yards, nothing else will play it (was getting above 30 yard clouds in early part of beta, may have been changed).  Still has read flat wheel which was so OP last year, it forced EA to patch it.

•  Gun Trio HB Weak

These formations are super annoying to defend when run by someone competent.  With the run game, you have a speed option which is already designed to attach the trips side.  This formation is already hard to blitz on the trip side.  If you’re running that way with your QB, it could be really nice.  The RPO pin alert bubble, paired with the speed option, has a bunch of lineman pulling.  If your opponent is running man and the Te side is naked, you could have a huge numbers advantage.  Also has an inside zone and an alert bubble.  This has the potential to be one of the best Gun run sets in the game.  The passing game is a bit underwhelming.  Tons of crossers going from strong to weak side.  We’re missing a real way of attaching the trips sideline.  Once HRM drops, this could be a nice off meta scheme.

•  Gun Bunch Strg Nasty

The most unique Bunch Strg Nasty in the game.  With 4 receiving threats to one side, match will be exposed.  You can block the TE and motion the RB out and block him as well.  The RPO zone read bubble is hell.  Pass it to the WR, hand it to the RB, or just keep it with the QB.  There are 3 things your opponent has to worry about.  Inside zone is there but moreso, this pin pull toss.  Once O-LINE run abilities drop in MUT, this is going to be insane.  As mentioned in other write ups, toss plays haven’t been good in years, but this may have potential.  You can attack every area with the run game.  Flanker drive gives you a corner route to the TE.  But this PA double post play is the main passing option.  Those two posts have different depths and, during the beta, deep zones were awful.  This play led to so many bombs.  This formation just screams deep passing game to me.  PA corner gives you a deep corner, a crosser and a C route, so your opponent can’t just worry about being bombed from middle routes.  PA Cross has the all important deep post, with crosser coming from the opposite direction.  Without a slot/te apprentice, this formation is like money play central.  It could end up being very potent from the launch of the game.

•  Gun Bunch X Nasty 

One click to the right, this formation has more short routes (pivots, whips, speed outs).  But it still has corners and a very unique post in post wheel shallow.  These two formation can really work well together and probably the strength of this book.

•  Gun Tight Open

This was the formation I was in for the first few days of the beta.  The spacing is really nice.  Verticals HB Burst was crushing man and zone.  As things progressed, not having a TE on the line to block, seemed detrimental.  The play Slot post has a nice post, with a drag and wheel which space nicely.  It also has a speed option.  This can be a nice formation to audible to and quick hike the speed option, or either of the pass plays mentioned above.

•  Gun Spread Double Flex Weak

Motion Corner, Drive, and Smash.  A fun little auto motion scheme with 3 plays.  

Overall Thoughts:  This book has so much variety.  It doesn’t have traditional Meta formations like Bunch or Trips Te.  This is a book to use if you like a run game with RPO’s and speed options.  I think the best way of using this may be to audible around and hit a quick rpo or speed option before your opponent can get setup.  The Bunch Nasty’s are the strength if you want pure traditional passing.  The book is definitely gimmicky (ala Andy Reid in real life), but it’s a super fun unique way to play the game

Grade: A