Help with Defense

[jayhawkfan11]

I'm fairly new to madden so I know some of my defensive woes are due to being new to the game. However, when I play (offline vs CPU) it seems like whatever defense I play there is always a receiver wide open (no one within 5-10 yards) when he catches it.

The only way to stop the CPU is either sack the QB, or hopefully they run and I stuff the run. QB's (CPU) are all in the high 80s-90 completion % after I finish a game.

Do I need to adjust QB accuracy sliders or can anyone help me with defensive strategies?

[KickassJohnson]

Re: Help with Defense

The training drills are helpful for explaining coverages, what are you using a 4-3 or 3-4?

Do you pick the suggested play or one yourself? Sometimes running a base defense against 5-wide receivers isn't the best idea

[jayhawkfan11]

Re: Help with Defense

The training drills are helpful for explaining coverages, what are you using a 4-3 or 3-4?

Do you pick the suggested play or one yourself? Sometimes running a base defense against 5-wide receivers isn't the best idea

I am using a 3-4 defense. When the CPU has 4 + WRS on the field I always go to a Nickel/Dime formation.
I'll have to check out the tutorial though, as I haven't really invested much time into that mode.

[Bondsfan]

Re: Help with Defense

I'm having the same problem. I run a 3-4 base defense on All-Pro. I pick my defensive formation to match the offenses number of WR's coming on the field. I mix up man and zone. I don't always blitz. I don't call the same plays. Yet nothing I do stops the CPU pass attack. Johnny Manziel just dropped a completion rate over 90% and threw over 350 yards through 3 quarters. I quit early in the 4th quarter, I just couldn't stomach it. I didn't even come close to sacking him once.

Here's what I've found. Some teams/QBs I'll sack 10 times a game. They drop back further, wait in the pocket more. If they do throw it, they complete it 90% of the time just like above, but at least when your sacking a guy, you give your defense a chance. Other teams, like my experience with Manziel, run quicker routes and 3 step drops. No matter what you do, you don't have time to get pressure, and since the CPU is going to always have a guy open by 5 yards, its impossible to stop.

Honestly, I have no idea how guys are playing on default All-Pro, let alone All-Madden, and stopping the CPU pass attack. I've been playing Madden for years, have always played on All-Pro, and I've never had any trouble on the defensive side of the ball. Yet somehow this year, when EA "improved the defense", they made defense impossible to play.

I know I'll get a ton of "adjust the sliders", but I hate touching sliders. It puts you down a road of constantly having to tune the game over and over again and when you win or lose, you aren't sure if it was based on skill, luck, or you changing the settings. Sliders drive me nuts. You shouldn't have to change sliders to make a game playable out of the box without some rookie QB throwing for 400 yards. Thats just ridiculous.

I've never been so disappointed with a Madden game in my life, and that says something.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Help with Defense

Whenever we see a thread like this the OP always says he matches personnel and honestly, you need to do a lot more than that. You guys never actually give specifics. Okay so you mix up your playcalling, well give us some examples. How are you mixing up? Calling random plays? when do you blitz?

specifics!

[Napoleon10]

Re: Help with Defense

Whenever we see a thread like this the OP always says he matches personnel and honestly, you need to do a lot more than that. You guys never actually give specifics. Okay so you mix up your playcalling, well give us some examples. How are you mixing up? Calling random plays? when do you blitz?

specifics!

I have to agree with you! If what you're doing isn't working, try something different. It is much more to it than matching personnel. If you're getting abused on short routes, you should call a defense that covers short routes. This may expose you deep, but will force the QB to hold the ball which may lead to a sack. Try to get accustomed to usering the MLB to cover the TE down the seams and crossing routes. Can't rely on the comp to do everything my friends...

Another tip, play to the strengths of your personnel. If you have great zone defenders, play more zone and vice versa for man. Use players with good speed for pass rush, you have just got to be creative. I play online and CFM. I know that some people despise playing online, but it helps you because it forces you adjust to your opponent. Play a few unranked games and it may help you to become a better Madden player overall.

[Bondsfan]

Re: Help with Defense

I play quite a bit of zone. Mostly cover 2, sometimes cover 3 because when I'm getting picked apart, its underneath. I'll run base cover 2 with variations involving blitzes at times. I usually blitz on 3rd and long, but those 3rd and longs are few and far between because the CPU picks me apart with short yardage routes on 1st and 2nd down.

When I run man defense, its alot of Man 2 under, or the man defense where the safeties play underneath (can't remember the name).

I've looked at my defenders attributes, and try to play to their strength. Most of my corners attributes indicate they are way better in zone than man, so I try to stick to zone more than man.

When I try and control a MLB to cover the middle zone, or the TE/RB in man, I find that I get almost no pass rush. The CPU QB has all day to sit in the pocket and find someone wide open to beat the zone. It does give me better coverage over the middle, but defeats the purpose because the CPU QB has all day and eventually someone comes wide open. So then I'll try and control the Dline, but when I do that my defenders in the secondary always seem to just stand around and not cover anyone.

Is anyone having successful pass defense on All Pro with default sliders? I'd honestly really like to know how they are doing it successfully.

[Bondsfan]

Re: Help with Defense

Not sure if I just got lucky, but my defense improved immensely the last two games. Here's the strategy I used for anyone who was struggling as bad as I was:

1st down... Base defense with Man coverage, either cover 1 under, cover 2 man, etc. the cpu runs alot on 1st down and I get the best run defense with base man coverage. Even when they come put with 4 wr, they usually run, so I stay in base and stuff the run. Rarely do I blitz out of man, I usually only send the 3 down lineman and on LB out of the base 3-4.

2nd and short... Cover 2 with a blitz. If you are 2nd and short, the cpu is going to convert on 2nd or 3rd down, so your only hope is they run and you stuff it and you get lucky on 3rd n short, or you sack the qb and force a 3rd and long. A cover 2 blitz gives me the best chance for either situation.

2nd and long: cover 2 with a formation to match the number of receivers; sometimes mix in cover 2 blitz

3rd down: protect the sticks; otherwise same as 2nd and long. Lots of cover two, more likely to blitz on 3rd n long, especially blitzing a db to get the qb to throw early.

So thats the play calling strategy. I control an interior lineman on 1st down and 2nd and short, to help stuff the run. On passing downs I control a mlb to try and shut down the dumps underneath. On third and long, out of the dime, there is a play where the two slot cbs blitz. I show blitz and control one on the strong side of the field, and drop back instead. The other side gets you pressure, and the qb will throw to the strong side more likely, so the added coverage buys more time for a sack or an int.

In summary, use man on 1st down only during run defense. Use cover 2 all other downs and mix in blitzes.

[Richie71]

Re: Help with Defense

I'm still seeing high completion percentages for low yards, but have got better. Here's what I've found.

Zone usually works better than man coverage. I particularly like the Cloud coverages that can jam one receiver, and would usually set that to jam the oppositions best WR.
Likewise, zone blitzes now work better than blitzes with man coverage. I'll usually (but not always) try to align it so it's my poorer DL dropping into a zone and my best rusher still rushes.
If you can get to the AI QB early, it will unsettle him and you will start to be more sacks and incompletions.
In 3rd and real long, I typically either zone blitz sending corners, or two deep man coverage, protecting the sticks.

[DesiMundha]

Re: Help with Defense

What's the best way to stop the run?

[KickassJohnson]

Re: Help with Defense

What's the best way to stop the run?

I haven't figured out a way to stop the inside run other than sugar blitzes or just all out engage, and even then sometimes the o-line can push and open a hole somehow.. that's this year's cheese, seems to get 2-4yds every time

overload blitzes seem to work pretty well for stretch and outside runs, and of course calling run-left/right before the snap helps

[Richie71]

Re: Help with Defense

That's the thing with a strong running game though: A defence might know what' coming but still be unable to stop it. Madden should reflect that.

[Bondsfan]

Re: Help with Defense

Regarding stopping the run. Man coverage with help underneath, I prefer cover one. The SS plays up in the box. Also, if you click to show blitz, the secondary comes up closer, even if not blitzing. The more guys in the box, the better you'll be at stopping the run.

On first down I almost always run cover 1 man or the man defense where the safeties pinch underneath.

The key to any good defense is stopping the run on first down. If you are continually in 2nd and short situations, you are doomed.

[jayhawkfan11]

Re: Help with Defense

So I usually run a cover 2 zone for passing situations, however the CPU always get 6-8 yards on little hook routes that the TE will run about 6 yards up the field and turn around. None of my LBs seem to realize a huge TE is standing wide open.

Also quick slant routes from the slot receivers are very lethal as well. Is Cover 2 zone not a good defense to be playing against these type of routes? If I play man then it seems like I get burnt on 10-15 yard post/flag routes that the Outside WRs run.
I'm just really struggling finding a defense to stop these types of routes. I'm playing with the Browns so I realize the secondary isn't necessarily the best, but 90% completion rating almost every game is getting a little silly.

Should I be lowering the QB accuracy slider, or is my defensive philosophy not good?

[KickassJohnson]

Re: Help with Defense

That's the thing with a strong running game though: A defence might know what' coming but still be unable to stop it. Madden should reflect that.

In Madden this year, you can cheese up the middle on any defense regardless of how good they are, or how strong/weak your run game is.

Madden isn't football, it's Madden.