Die-hard NFL fans are hard to please when it comes to their video games. Madden is too arcade-like, and it's too easy to run up scores once you've learned the game. The franchise mode isn't deep enough for some, particularly fans of fantasy football, who for years have been clamoring for a football management simulation on par with the minimalist text-based Front Office Football. Hardcore football junkies who have always wanted the chance to run their own team are getting EA's first attempt at a coaching simulation with NFL Head Coach.

In NFL Head Coach, you'll learn that much of what makes a good coach is done off the field, and it's the results of your efforts all year long that pay out on game day. To begin my career, I chose whether I wanted to come from a defensive or offensive coaching background. After selecting my avatar (don't be disappointed that there aren't any female head coaches yet), I sat down to make a phone call that would change my make-believe life forever. I would be interviewing for a position with the NFL team of my choice, and I chose the Kansas City Chiefs, mostly because of my love affair with running back Larry Johnson, who led my fantasy football teams to back-to-back Super Bowl championships. During the interview, I was asked a variety of questions, ranging from my basic coaching philosophy, what offensive and defensive sets I favor, to how I would motivate my team's QB during a crucial drive. I ended up with a coach who looks up to and models himself after Vince Lombardi, a strong motivator never to be confused with a strategic mastermind.


I was made an offer by the Chiefs, but a more lucrative opportunity was at hand from none other than the Houston Texans. Now, I'm more of a Dolphins or Chiefs fan, and this didn't really appeal to me until I began thinking about what kind of experience the head coach for the Texans would have in 2006. For one thing, the team is in a rebuilding phase and doesn't have the lofty goals of the more established teams. I'd also have the freedom to build the team from the ground up and not be stuck with a lot of unwanted salaries (aside from David Carr, who's on the way out, in my eyes.) The best part is getting the number one pick in the NFL Rookie Draft and being able to pick up Reggie Bush instead of Mario Williams, and seeing how that would play out. This all sounded like more fun than the other options available, so I was the new Houston Texans head coach. Sorry about that, Kubiak!

So I went through weeks and weeks of work and got a lot accomplished, while the tasks themselves tended to require a lot of research and planning. I laid off quite a few of my coaching staff, replacing my running backs coach and even my offensive coordinator. I hired a previous head coach as my OC, whose experience seemed more valuable than that of the other offensive coordinators available. I tried to hire someone with a stronger strategic background than my own, which wasn't very difficult. It's interesting to see that you can focus on the motivation and team speeches as the coach and rely on an informed staff to bring strategy, work ethic, and player evaluation to the table.