MADDEN MASTERCLASS
I love mobile QBs in Madden. Even a stiff like Tim Tebow becomes the perfect QB in my read option offense.
From 2016? If there is a video game I’ve played more than any other, its Madden. My craziness over the release of Madden would often cause me to request the week of release off of work so I could master the game and the nuances of my selected playbook. I was first introduced to the game on the Sega Genesis. My oldest brother and I had decided that we would draft up every team in the league and play the full seasons for the whole league. With this piece I’m hoping to pass on some of the wisdom I’ve learned as a Madden veteran of 20 years. Control the line of scrimmage. Put together a great offensive line that can wear down opponents. A giant Left Tackle is key. A nimble center is next in order of importance. Playcalling wise, I like to establish the run behind the Left Tackle’s side. Once established, I can effectively start to call playaction and roll to the right where I generally position my primary receiver. On defense, I generally control a Defensive Tackle. I also always line shift my defense to cover the Tight End. This generally leaves me susceptible to counter runs, but counters take so long to set up that they are usually pretty unpopular. In controlling a Defensive Tackle off the snap, I’m trying to do one thing: collapse the pocket. It forces the opposing Quarterback to make a quick read which generally leads to a bad throw. It’s also a great way to cover for a bad secondary. Beyond passing, it also greatly affects the running game.
Because you have a Tackle rushing the line, the Running back has to commit to a hole really quickly. Crashing the line is a great way to force the opposing to double-team the user controlled Tackle, leaving a free-run for one of your teammates to cause havoc. I also substitute my DLine often, it keeps your defense fresh (more on that later). Control the clock. Now this isn’t a sexy tactic, but it correlates directly to controlling the line. Shorten the games, give your opponents less time to work. There are few things more demoralizing to opponents than playing 8 minute quarters and having a 6.5 minute drive. You’ll find your opponent will quickly overreact and start going for big plays which will leave them exposed. Like I said, not sexy, but effective. On defense, put pressure on every play. Sure, you’ll give up the occasional big play, but you’ll get your fair share of sacks and picks. Plus you’ll see how quickly teams abandon the run when extra blitzers are coming. When your opponent is passing a lot, it gets the ball back in the hands of your offense quicker. All of which allows you to keep control of the clock. Basically you should dust off those old Bill Parcells and Mike Ditka videos. Three yards and a
cloud of dust on offense, and pressuring the line on defense. Master your playbook. This is extremely important and very simple. Find the playbook that’s right for you, and master about 10-15 plays. You can do so much customization at the line pre-snap that trying to learn more plays than that would be detrimental. Read the defense pre-snap and simply adjust accordingly. For example, the defense is selling out with a blitz and leaving only one Safety over the top. Send both outside receivers on go routes. The safety can only cover one. Instant big play. Shifting your Tightend around is also key on offense. Read those linebackers pre-snap and find the best mismatch for him. It’s also a great way to figure out if the defense is in man to man or zone coverage. All of this is done pre-snap. Since the introduction of the Read Option (Madden 25) it’s been my primary offense. I run roughly 75% of all plays out of it. The 2 RB, 1TE, 2WR formation works to my strength controlling the line and the clock. The one requirement is a mobile QB. The NFL may have moved on from the read option and the wildcat, but it’s well and thriving in my Madden. On defense, do the same. Keep it
