Defensive strategies.

[Gagnon39]

I didn't see a post like this when I searched but if one already exists please just point me in the right direction. I've been playing Madden 25 since I got it on release day and while I'm enjoying it there are moments of sheer frustration for me as well. However, I'm willing to admit that part of my frustration is probably not because of the game itself but rather poor play calling and/or poor defensive play by me. I'd like to use this thread to discuss defensive strategies and tips and get some good advice from some of you Madden vets.

The main issue I have on a regular basis is trying to stop short, 5-10 yard passes over the middle on slant routes. I almost always play as a linebacker (I'm the Bears and I usually use Lance Briggs). I play my position, whether it's zone or man, as best I can but often times I still give up passes over the middle.

When I do switch to a lineman to try and put pressure on the quarterback often times slant routes are wide open and there seems to be little I can do to stop them.

What's the best defensive scheme to stop slant routes? I run a 4-3 with the Bears and while I do go cover-2 fairly often I usually try to drop my linebackers into zones to prevent passes over the middle.

[Mdnghtmgcn1]

I like to drop the DT2 back into a hook zone as long as the three other linemen are rushing the pass. Obviously this only seems to work if the QB waits until the WR reaches the middle of the field before the ball is thrown and the DT2 is somewhat athletic with decent awareness. This seems to work well on any play when you notice your opponent keeps targeting a WR or TE right across the middle...it makes the QB hold the ball that much longer. If it's late in the game and your opponent is looking for big chunks of yardage, instead of sending that DT2 into a hook zone, I'll put him in a deep blue zone so he helps in coverage where it's obviously needed most.

[mp5o]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mdnghtmgcn1

I like to drop the DT2 back into a hook zone as long as the three other linemen are rushing the pass. Obviously this only seems to work if the QB waits until the WR reaches the middle of the field before the ball is thrown and the DT2 is somewhat athletic with decent awareness. This seems to work well on any play when you notice your opponent keeps targeting a WR or TE right across the middle...it makes the QB hold the ball that much longer. If it's late in the game and your opponent is looking for big chunks of yardage, instead of sending that DT2 into a hook zone, I'll put him in a deep blue zone so he helps in coverage where it's obviously needed most.

Did I read this right? You have your defensive tackle drop back 15 yards from the LOS?

[The JareBear]

Defensive hot routes are pretty much your only hope. This game is a step in the right direction but there are still some pretty "nearly unstoppable 'strategies'" offensively that just are almost impossible to deal with with default plays

I dont like doing crazy stuff like putting DTs into zones on a regular basis but moving flat zones into hooks or purples, that kinda stuff, showing blitz on cover 4,

[Gagnon39]

Just about the only way I've found to successfully stop the pass is by using quarters defense. I actually get a decent amount of coverage sacks when I do this.

[Gagnon39]

Another strategy I'd love to get help with is blocking punts and field goals. Has anyone found any particular method that has garnered any success? Should we just try and bust through the middle with a linebacker and jump and knock it down or rush from the outside with speed? I have not come remotely close to blocking one yet.

[4thQtrStre5S]

I like zone defenses, and M25 NG has made zone play much better...Very basically, when I have a question on how to do something on offense or defense I first search YouTube; generally I just type in something like, "Madden 25 how to stop slants." and usually find information....

I'll pass along something I picked up from Zfarls & Sgibs, who are avid players and promoters of madden information. Using the 2 Man Under defense, doesn't matter 4-3, 3-4. nickle, dime; put 2 defenders into QB spy, this by their calculations will defend the slant successfully about 60% of the time; or you can put 2 defenders into QB spy and 2 defenders into purple zones(one on each side of the field of course); this technique is said to defend about 80% of slant plays successfully. (I do not run these plays currently so I am not sure which defenders to put into QB spies, but I would try 2 outside defenders at the LB level...)

Something I like to do is play Cover 2, from any formation, and manually move the 3 players in Yellow zones (hook zones). I move the 2 outside players further outside so that they are centered between the hash marks and the sideline, and then move the middle player, dead center between the hash marks...

Moving the outside hook zone players further outside helps most effectively, for me, in stopping outside runs as your outside defenders are in a better position to avoid being blocked at the edges of the line. Inside runs are not as effective, generally, as outside runs, IMO, and therefore selling out to stop the outside is not as big a sacrifice; having some defenders set more outside at the pre-snap makes it easy to have them in position to defend outside passes.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Also, when trying to come up with ways to defend plays in practice mode the base common plays to use are 2 Man Under, Cover 2, Cover 3 and Cover 4...This also goes for picking a defense for practicing against with offensive plays..

Start out small and build up..Pick one type of coverage or two and then come up with variations from those; get it to you liking and then add another. Try adding purple zones, blitzes and mixing M2M and zone...

What happens when you learn to build a bunch of variations from one base play is, you can hide better what you are doing so the offense doesn't get tipped off. (of course this is more for playing against a live person, but is also good practice against the CPU.)

One of the things I like to do is come out in a Cover 0 type defense, which includes all or the majority of blitz plays, and then select the "LB adjust" option, (Right Button/R1) and selecting "All Zone" for my LB's and then select (Y/triangle) and use (left stick) to "base align" the defense.(you need to do the base align twice). After selecting "base align" twice in a row, the LB's new zones will be evenly dispersed across the field, giving a good horizontal coverage..What I end up with is M2M coverage mixed with zone...A little something to mix it up and avoid selling out to zones or M2M.

People on offense do like to mix in pass routes that involves zone and m2m beating routes, so running a defense that has a mix of zones and M2M should add a little extra ability, in theory. It is still a video game with logic flaws.