While they aren't the big gainers, the short passing game is too effective to make this game a classic. Sure Madden 2001 plays well, but it falls short of being a true simulation. It needs a few tweaks here and there to be the best. It's already there with the player control, which has been substantially enhanced. You can no longer spin or juke on a dime.
Moves have to be planned in advance to be effective.
Perhaps the friendly competition of NFL2K1 will force the Madden team to go the final step into making the Madden franchise a truly great series. It's almost there. If you are a serious football fan, you may get frustrated by the ease of the game. With time and patience, you can set up the game to nearly suit your needs. If you are disciplined enough to avoid exploiting the CPU secondary, the game offers plenty of replay value.