• Nfl Blitz Ps3
• Nfl Blitz Ps4
• Nfl Blitz Xbox 360

NFL Blitz is a series of American football themed video games originally released by Midway featuring National Football League (NFL) teams. It began as a 1997 arcade gameNFL Blitz that was ported to home consoles and spawned a series of sequels. Rather than being designed as a realistic interpretation of the sport of football, like Madden NFL or NFL 2K, the Blitz series was created as an over-the-top, exaggerated version of the sport, inspired by Midway's own NBA Jam basketball games.

In 2005, after losing the NFL license, Midway relaunched the Blitz series as Blitz: The League, depicting fictional players and teams in a fictional league with slightly more realistic (though still exaggerated) on-field play and a focus on the seedy behind-the-scenes lives of the players.

NFL Blitz Pro doesn't look much differently than the last couple of Blitz titles, and, unfortunately, the game is starting to show its age a bit. The player models animate well, and the various. (Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB) The big hits and stellar plays are back with all-new NFL Blitz. Featuring a combination of the arcade-style gameplay that made the original a hit and the deep, immersive game modes of today, NFL Blitz is recharged with an energetic, football gaming experience. NFL Blitz, that's where. This is the newest football game to hit the N64 and PSX, and it is a direct port from the arcade game. But since I never play arcade games, I just have to take their word that this is true.

Following the dissolution of Midway, EA Sports acquired the rights to the Blitz name and relaunched the series on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live with a new entry in the series simply titled NFL Blitz. The game took the series back to the original style of Blitz, but removed the late hits due to input by the NFL.^[1]

Gameplay[edit]

—Gene Goldberg, then-NFL vice president of consumer products, in 2002

The Blitz titles largely follow standard American football rules as outlined by the NFL, but with key differences to encourage faster and more aggressive play. In the original games, seven players are on the field per side (as opposed to eleven). Not only were there fewer players, but positions were flexible at best. Wide receivers could be known to run the ball and sometimes pass, and defensive players were all crosses between pass rushers and defensive backs. 2002 saw an increase to eight players and NFL Blitz Pro (released in 2003) increased to the full eleven.

Unlike the NFL, pass interference is allowed, as are late hits, showboating and excessive celebrations. There are no timeouts, but the clock stops after every play. Extra point attempts are claimed to be automatic, but there are rare misses. Field goals and Two-point conversions are played out as usual. Quarters have been shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time; this includes overtime, which isn't sudden death. For most releases, a first down would mean players would have to go 30 yards, instead of ten. Plays such as 'Da Bomb' allowed for a quarterback to accurately throw the ball most of the length of the field at will and receivers could make impossible catches. On the other side, defensive players were able to leap up and swat (if not intercept) balls no other game could allow for or dive incredible lengths to make a stop.

From the beginning, one of the key changes in Blitz was the animations. Where other games had to keep normal tackling and stops, Blitz players were able to stop a play in a variety of unique ways. One of the most common was for a defensive player to grab his opponent and spin him around and fling him to the ground, sometimes giving them extra yards in the process. This violent and theatrical style allows the players to execute textbook professional wrestling moves such as the German suplex, elbow drop, and leg drop even after a tackle has been completed and the whistle blown.^[3] In addition, the team with the lead often receives kick-offs deeper in its own territory and are more likely to fumble or throw interceptions to help level the gameplay and encourage closer games.

The NFL, however, made Midway tame most of the more violent or insane aspects of the game as the license progressed. Subsequent releases stripped down 'excessive celebrations' and late hits until the game was almost one of the sims to which it was originally opposed.^[2] However, the game still retained its over-the-top aspects including censored profanity done in a comical manner. Raiden and Shinnok, characters from the Mortal Kombat series, a series also developed by Midway, were unlockable characters in some versions.

Development[edit]

The game was created by Midway Games and headed by lead artist, Sal DiVita and lead programmer, Mark Turmell.^[4]

The NFL paid little attention to the game's development until just before the launch. Upon watching a preview scrimmage by Turmell and DiVita, league representatives said they could not have the NFL associated with the game as it was then programmed. They said there was too much violence in the game and offered to refund Midway's license fee. Midway was eager to keep the NFL's endorsement of the game, so they compromised on some of the graphic violence and 'late hits' in the game.^[3]

Games[edit]

Beginning in 1997, Midway released a new entry in the series each year. However, after the commercial failure of the more simulation-oriented Blitz Pro, Midway did not release a Blitz in 2004 for the first time since the series began.

After losing the NFL license to Electronic Arts, Midway brought back the original Blitz style play with 2005's Blitz: The League. The celebrations and the violent aspects returned and were ramped up to levels that the NFL never allowed. In place of real NFL teams are fictional teams such as the New York Nightmare and the Minnesota Reapers. Although no current NFL players were featured, retired players Lawrence Taylor and Bill Romanowski were hired to lend their voices to and help promote the game. The game contains a significant amount of explicit content not seen in other entries of the series, such as the use of anabolic steroids and 'juicing' injured players with what seems to be the equivalent of a cortisone shot. Blitz: The League also introduced an extensive story mode created with the help of one of the writers from ESPN's Playmakers. As a result of the mature themes in the title, The League is the first and only professional football franchise to ever receive the 'Mature' rating from the ESRB and was banned in Australia. A sequel, Blitz: The League II was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 13, 2008.

After Midway's bankruptcy filing in 2009, EA Sports, publisher of the popular NFL simulation series Madden NFL and the exclusive holder of the NFL's video game rights, acquired the rights to the NFL Blitz intellectual property, and on October 19, 2011, EA Sports announced NFL Blitz' return via a story with Electronic Gaming Monthly and the release of an announcement trailer. EA Sports intended the new NFL Blitz to be an 'arcade' football experience, different from the simulation-oriented Madden series.^[5] The result was the 2012 title simply called NFL Blitz.

Installments[edit]

Reception[edit]

Critical reception for Blitz: The League was mostly positive. Gamerankings.com gives the PlayStation 2 release a score of 75% and the Xbox release a score of 77%. GameSpot.com gave both PS2 and Xbox versions an 8.6/10.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'EA Sports Makes NFL Blitz Remake Official'. pastapadre.com. 2011-10-19. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
2. ^ ^abKing, Brad (December 31, 2002). 'Video Game Hard Knocks Pain NFL'. Wired. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
3. ^ ^abGordon, Aaron (6 November 2014). 'How in the Hell did NFL Blitz Ever Get Made?'. Vice. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
4. ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR9rFD8ofAU
5. ^http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/hands-on-nfl-blitz/

External links[edit]

• NFL Blitz series at MobyGames

In gridiron football, blitzing is a tactic used by the defense to disrupt pass attempts by the offense. During a blitz, a higher than usual number of defensive players will rush the opposing quarterback, in an attempt either to tackle him or force him to hurry his pass attempt.^[1]

In practice, a blitz involves five or more players rushing during a single down, rather than the four rushers used during normal play.^[2] For example, in a defense that normally uses fourdefensive linemen to rush, a blitz can be created by adding one or more linebackers or defensive backs.^[1][3]

Blitzing is a higher-risk strategy, as fewer defensive players are left to cover receivers or to defend against running plays. However, a successful blitz will result in a sack or will force the quarterback into making an error.^[1]

History[edit]

The blitz began with the 'red-dog', likely first done by Red Ettinger a linebacker for the University of Kansas, sometime between 1948–1950.^[4]

The term 'red-dog' referred to a rushing linebacker that created a six-on-five matchup against the offensive line; and blitz meant rushing seven, thereby leaving one potential receiver uncovered. The term 'red-dog' is at least as old as 1959.^[5]

Defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis is widely credited with inventing the safety blitz in 1960. Bill Arnsparger is the likely creator of the zone blitz.

How blitzing works[edit]

On passing plays, the offense always has at least five people blocking. From the quarterback's left to right, they are the left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle. The quarterback will throw the pass, and is not an available blocker. Any other player is available to block, or to be a target for a pass, depending on the play design and modification by the quarterback and center based on what they see the defense doing.

The defense can bring all 11 players to blitz the quarterback. This would leave no one to defend against a pass. So the defense chooses to bring a certain number of players to try to sack the quarterback, and leaves the rest to protect against a pass. For this reason, when defenses want to blitz, they usually rush at least five players.

By nature, blitzes are risky endeavors for the defense. Since the defense is taking away coverage defenders to rush the quarterback, this usually means that the secondary can not afford to miss any coverage assignments. The defense does not and cannot cover all offensive players, but rather through the blitz, is proactively involved in pressuring the quarterback—specifically, trying to sack him, throw off his timing, or force him to make an error such as an interception or fumble.

The most common blitzes are linebacker blitzes. Safety blitzes, in which a safety (usually the free safety) is sent, and corner blitzes, where a cornerback is sent, are less common. Sending a defensive back on a blitz is even riskier than a linebacker blitz, as it removes a primary pass defender from the coverage scheme. The pressure, however, is very severe because a blitz by a defensive back is usually not anticipated by the offensive team's blockers.

Defensive shells and techniques[edit]

Blitzes are usually run from 'Cover 1' coverage shells, which assign one man to guard the entire deep field, though blitzes can be employed in nearly any coverage scheme. Cover 1 is most effective in terms of blitzing because it allows a larger number of defensive players to tighten down on the line of scrimmage, thus increasing the variety of blitzes possible.

Since the main goal is to disrupt the offensive play before it even develops, many blitz packages encourage cornerbacks to play tight man bump and run coverage to disrupt the wide receivers' release and prevent them from running their pre-assigned routes. The non-blitzing safety, usually the free safety, has an enormous amount of field to protect and is at a serious disadvantage if the blitz is unsuccessful and receivers threaten his coverage area or if the offense can quickly move the ball forward through immediate checkdown passes or draw plays. As such, he usually works for depth upon the snap of the ball, backpedaling into his assigned zone.

Linebackers are either blitzing or in pass coverage. Blitzing linebackers can employ various stunts to confuse the offense's blockers and break down their protection scheme. Coverage linebackers in a Cover 1 scheme will usually have man responsibility on a halfback, fullback, or tight end.

Some defensive schemes employ 'key' blitzes where a player will blitz only if his assigned man stays in to block, thus keying his action off the action of his man. If his man releases into a pass pattern, then the defensive player will cover him. For example, if weak side linebacker has the fullback as his man, if upon the snap of the ball the fullback blocks, the linebacker will blitz.

Advantages and disadvantages[edit]

Nfl Blitz Ps3

Advantages gained by blitzing are obvious: proactively disrupt the offense's play before it develops and cause enough pressure on the quarterback to force him into a turnover, sack, or incomplete pass.

Disadvantages abound in any blitz scheme as well. First, the offensive linemen are usually trained to recognize a blitzing player before the snap of the ball. They communicate with each other at the line of scrimmage using code words that shift the protection to the blitzing player's side, thus strengthening their blocking front. The quarterback can also call other players into the protection scheme with audibles if he feels that his current protection is weak. With good protection calls and fundamental blocking principles, some blitzes can be 'picked up' — stopped at the point of attack.

Second, the tight man bump and run technique typical of blitz scheme cornerbacks can be defeated with aggressive wide receiver release moves. Once this happens, the cornerback is at a disadvantage and must regain ground and position quickly to prevent a catch. If the blitz is picked up, the wide receiver can create enough separation to become open relatively quickly.

Third, if the blitz is picked up, the one deep defender (usually the free safety) has an enormous amount of territory to guard. If two players simultaneously threaten his zone, he must decide which one to cover. The quarterback can read his reaction and throw to the other receiver, usually for a big gain.

Fourth, if the pass is caught, there are fewer defenders and larger gaps between defenders, meaning that the receiver can get more yards after catch and possibly turn a minimal gain into a dangerous play.

Playing against the blitz[edit]

Offenses employ the above procedures to beat the blitz as well as two other techniques and passing route combinations designed to exploit weaknesses in a blitzing scheme.

One of those techniques is called 'throwing hot,' which entails intentionally leaving one blitzing defensive player unblocked. The offensive line usually makes pre-snap adjustments so that the 'free' rusher is clearly within the QB's field of vision. This limits devastating blind-side hits on the QB by rushers. When the preparedness of a quarterback allows him to not have to worry about getting hit from behind, it is one less psychological element of the blitz to be taken away, and thus blitz is incrementally made less effective by that particular element.

The other technique, sometimes used in conjunction with throwing hot, is called sight adjustment. Receivers are taught to run into the empty spot vacated by a blitzing player instead of running their pre-assigned pattern. The QB sees the free rusher or blitzing LB/CB and knows that the receiver will sight adjust accordingly and run a route that takes him into the hole left by the defender.

The West Coast Offense is an offense that focuses on ball control and short passes. This is a well timed offense where the quarterback throws the ball quickly to avoid the rush, but still allow the wide receiver to get behind the blitzing players.

Another method is a trick play, known as an 'offensive blitz', because it is used when the defense blitzes. A quarterback throws a pass to a receiver to draw the remaining defenders to him, because the blitzers will be in the backfield, and the quarterback runs down the other side of the field; the receiver then throws the ball back to the quarterback with a lateral, who then tries to run in for a touchdown. If executed properly, this play can result in large gains and heavily discourage blitzing. Ideally, the blitzing defenders are all in the backfield while the corners are all over the receiver. The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have run variations of the play successfully in the National Football Leagueplayoffs.

See also[edit]

Citations[edit]

1. ^ ^abc'What is Blitz?'. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
2. ^Price, Seth (2016-01-28). 'Bob Shoop and the Fire Zone'. Football Concepts. Archived from the original on 2017-01-02. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
3. ^'About Football Glossary - Blitz'. About.com Sports. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
4. ^https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19791230&id=zZ8tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_6AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5956,5162639
5. ^http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1133924/2/^{[dead link]}

Sources[edit]

• Gruver, Edward (2002), Nitschke. Lanham:Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN1-58979-127-4

Nfl Blitz Ps4

External links[edit]

Nfl Blitz Xbox 360