Madden 21: Head Coach mode needs to make a return


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Now the 19/20 season has concluded and the craziness that is the NFL Free Agency and Draft is in full swing, we turn our attention to what we want to see in Madden 21.

Madden 21 will be the first edition to be played on the next-gen consoles, so it remains to be seen what the new power in the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be used for.

One of the things we want to see is a Head Coach mode. Here's why;

History of NFL Head Coach

There is a history of head coaching games for EA Sports. Starting in 2006, they release NFL Head Coach on PC, Xbox, and PS2. It was never an enormous success but it did garner it's hardcore fans along the way and had generally good reviews.

Nflheadcoach09
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OLD BUT GOLD: The standalone franchise ended in 2009

It mostly used the Madden engine but had a lot more in-depth behind-the-scenes functionality that fans have been begging to see in the Madden Franchise mode.

READ MORE: Madden 21 everything you need to know

The ability to deal with contracts in-depth, create gameplans and plays and knowing you can't control the individual players had a charm of its own.

Ongoing changes in gaming

As gaming changes, it is becoming more important to have more elements to a single game than before. Sports games will always have annual releases, but with the news that 2K has done their first deal with the NFL for over a decade will likely give EA Sports the motivation to step their game up.

We have seen other fringe game modes get their own titles, commercially flop, only to come back into the game as an extra game mode. So there is precedent for this. With FIFA, the Volta game mode (it's street game mode) became of the focal point of its advertising. We wouldn't be surprised to see this happening with NFL Blitz in Madden 21.

Key Features to include

Patrick Mahomes in Madden 20
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MORE CONTROL OFF THE FIELD: And less on it please!

So if EA Sports do include a Head Coach mode in Madden 21 these are the key features that will make the game special for fans;

READ MORE: Where will the top Free Agents land for Madden 21?

Building Coaching Team - Head Coaches are where the buck stops, but they have to put a team of people together to deliver their plans. Being able to put together your own team to manage the players, with varying contracts and abilities would be fun.

Creating Gameplans - The goal of any coach is to win games. The players go out and perform, but they execute your gameplan and you call the plays. If you are facing a team with their starting CB out, you should be able to coach up your WR set to take advantage.

Creating Plays - Just like the Philly Special play that won the Superbowl, it would be great to design and build plays and then see your team practice and then execute. Over time, the team would get better at each play they practice, but with limited snaps to share around.

Personnel Management - Managing the players is crucial to success. Depending on the team, the level of control of the Head Coach changes. You might start out being told who your players are and not having a say in signings, only to get to the place of Bill Belichick in New England where you make all the calls.

READ MORE: How the CBA will affect Madden 21

Training and Player Development - Some of the best coaches take players and improve them. Controlling the offseason and training schedule to balance rest and condition with player development is what every head coach needs.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Madden 21 page.