Madden NFL 15 may have released in August, but many gamers are getting it as a present for the holidays or perhaps taking advantage of a great sale price. With the NFL playoffs right on the horizon, many gamers who have had the game for a while are also firing it back up. Either way, Madden 15 is the best edition we've gotten in years and there is a lot to do in the game. It's with all of that in mind, that Operation Sports lists The Five Coolest Things to Try in Madden NFL 15.

5. Play through all of the Skills Trainer drills and The Gauntlet – If you haven't played this year's Madden, this is where you should start when you boot up the game for the first time. Not only are these drills fun, but they also really teach you all of the mechanics of the game. Whether it be running the read option, squaring up and tackling a runner, kicking into the wind, or throwing the deep out, Skills Trainer has you covered. For even more fun, take on the Gauntlet and try to overcome increasingly more difficult scenarios and post a high score.

4. Play an entire season's worth of 'GMC Never Say Never' Moments – If you're just picking up the game then you've got a treat in store. Almost a full season's worth of 'Never Say Never' moments. These are based on real games from Week 1 all the way up to the current week of the NFL season and they task you with re-living or sometimes re-writing history. These moments can sometimes be frustrating, and they may not all appeal to you, but by and large these are fun, bite sized scenarios that are a nice break from quick games and playing your franchise. Speaking of....

3. Start an Online Connected Franchise with your friends – Madden NFL 15 shines at it's brightest when it's played versus another person. One of the coolest things I've done this year, is joining a couple of Online Connected Franchises. You can have anywhere from 1 to 32 users and you have all of the functionality of the offline experience, but with the vastly superior intelligence of another human being. With all of the games that have released in the last 12 months with online and connectivity issues, Madden 15 isn't one of them. Madden plays beautifully online with friends and playing together in an Online CFM is one of my favorite way to play.

2. Turn around a struggling franchise in offline CFM – For those gamers that are more inclined to stay offline and play vs the CPU, one of the most enjoyable things to do is to take a down and out franchise and turn them into a contender. Operation Sports' own Ben Vollmer put out an excellent piece on How to Rebuild Five of the NFL's Worst Franchises in Madden 15. This is one of my favorite things to do in any sports video game. Creating your own virtual NFL let's the imagination run wild on how to rebuild from worst to first. Besides, how else are you gonna see the Jaguars in the Super Bowl?

1. Compete in your own NFL playoffs with friends – Let's take it a little bit old school. Madden 15 may not have a playoff mode (maybe next year?) but you don't need one to have some fun competition! Pull out a whiteboard or notebook, set up a Facebook group, or get together on the OS forums! The great thing about playing a tournament like this with friends is it's almost infinite customization. Do you want to follow the NFL playoff format or make your own? Compete online or against your friends in person on the couch. It's that time of year and no matter if your favorite team is still playing for it all or not, you can still go on the virtual gridiron and do your thing.

No matter how long you've played the game, there is a lot of fun to be had in Madden NFL 15. Hopefully these suggestions get your gears turning and you create some of your own favorite ways to play Madden. What are some of the coolest things for Madden gamers to try out in your opinion? Sound off in the comments.