The GameDaily One-Minute Review

Armchair quarterbacks interested in coaching should grab their digital clipboards and immerse themselves in NFL Head Coach 09. This comprehensive coaching simulation charges you with leading a pro football team to greatness or failure, but it goes far beyond simple play calling. An extensive Career mode forces you to make tons of important decisions, such as cutting and drafting players, making trades, teaching the playbook and even dealing with fan morale. You'll sub players due to injuries, run across knuckleheads that don't know their way around the field and watch helplessly as your quarterback throws interceptions. In addition, an online mode lets you match wits with other would be coaches, while a play creator allows you to customize your own offensive and defensive schemes. It's a daunting video game, one that lacks a tutorial mode and assumes you know something about coaching, but if you consider yourself the next Bill Belichick (without the spying), NFL Head Coach 09 is an essential purchase and a good companion to the upcoming season.