The Cover Four is a defense your opponent will typically dial up when they are expecting you to try to throw it deep and/or when you have a long way to go to get a first down.

This umbrella coverage, if called correctly by the defense, will typically keep an offense from converting on a 3rd and long scenario (as just one example).

The beautiful thing about football, and Madden, is that every coverage has something which can beat it. The cover four is no different.

You'll want to attack the Cover Four (and Cover Three for that matter) in situations where its appropriate for your opponent to call it. That's usually long yardage situations. Routes like slants and curls are good -- but anything which results in multiple players attacking the intermediate and short areas of the field will result in at least one player being open. Ideally that one player will be your best open field receiver who can run with the ball.

Throwing over the top against a cover four, especially this year, is going to be a bad idea almost always. To convert a long yardage situation against a cover four, you'll want to try to run concepts which results in the intermediate routes being open and having some running room. I've also had some success with screens in these situations.

It goes without saying, but your odds of converting first downs when you face long yardage are long to begin with -- but at least you have a fighting chance versus throwing deep into double coverage.


Video: Sports Gamers Online on YouTube