Coaches Corner

[BRASKA15]

I would of put this in defensive strategies but I did not want to clog up someone else's thread. I wanted to make a thread about my defensive strategy. It may seem complex or doing too much before the snap but it has proven very effective on Madden for me since about 13 when I first started doing this online. I usually play with the middle linebacker or one of the safeties depending on what the coverage is. Cover 3/Zone Blitzes are the only coverage I use the SAF. Other Coverages I play:

Man
Man Free (All out blitz)
Cover 4
Cover 2 and
Cover 6 (Only vs. Slot Formations)

I will explain how I incorporate these coverages in other post but I will start off with explaining how I play "match-up" zones in my first post. Hope you guys enjoy the post and give some feedback if you use it online or against your friends. Remember, getting these hot routes in before the snap is something you have to get down if your going to make this effective.

Thanks

[BRASKA15]

Match Up Zones: (This is all Nickel and Dime 2x2 sets.. like doubles.. not 3x1 or trips sets... I will talk about trips adjustments later on)

In football, not all zone defenses are "landmark" zone drop defenses. Think of of your typical zone defense as a 2-3 zone in basketball. There is no switching, everyone has a part of the floor they are responsible for. Match up zones, believe it or not, are used more frequently in the NFL than you think. Match up zones in football would be equivalent to a Syracuse "2-3 Match up Zones", were you see a mixture of man and zone principles. I know playing Madden is not the same as what we see on Sundays, but I like to get as close as possible. And even better, they are great change ups to throw at other Madden players. I run two match up zones from the base coverage of cover 2 sink (only nickel) and cover 4(base and nickel). I also run a mixture of man to one side, base zone to the other side, which I will explain as well. That is only in nickel as well.

Cover 2
We all should know the weak point of cover 2 is the middle of the field over the LB's, and in between the SAF and CB... Now the idea behind this match up zone in cover 2 is to think, with 4 possible vertical threats and only two deep drop's we are at a huge disadvantage. I know a lot of slot receivers are given the credit, but to me the most dangerous threat is the outside guy with just a corner on him. I'll give you a formation

S S


LC N B B RC

1 2 2 1


T QB

Now, I hot route to tell my safeties to play over the top to give help to the number 1WR to their side. I also press my corners.Then, I go to the Nickel and the Backer who is aligned on 2 and man them up. That way any Seam route by a #2 is covered and the SAF will be late help. Also, if they go 4 verticals the SAF will be over #1 when they see the #2's are taken care of. With the corners pressed and in sink, they will take away a quick fade or a deep out. They will rally to the back on a quick flare. In nickel, this is one of my favorite coverages. The only disadvantage is the quick slant by #1. That is why I play with my linebacker to try to minimize the success of that particular scheme. The press should help with that as well.

Cover 4

Cover 4 is not a base defenses for a lot of teams in the NFL, but it is a good long distance defense that prevents the big play. I like using this defense when I am playing someone who is shotgun, spread you out wide and run that trap play or inside zone. I get frustrated with my SAF's not coming down quick enough and I am stuck with one guy there to stop them before they get 5+ yards a play. I have noticed since doing this, that when you hot route to a man out of a base zone, they are aggressive to getting to that man. Example...



S S


LC N B B RC

1 2 2 1


T QB

Instead of putting the Nickel and LB aligned on #2 in a hot route man, I put the two SAF's in man on #2 and again press the corners and tell them to play up top. Now when your opponent spreads you out and run it, the SAF's will be more aggressive getting up the line of scrimmage and will be there to support the run. This defense is better at protecting the slant route because the nickel and linebacker won't be running with the #2 but instead playing their flat zone. This can be vulnerable to seam routes by #2 if you forget to press your corners. Not a defense I live in, but again a good change up.

Any questions about anything just ask...

Thanks

[BRASKA15]

Those diagrams didn't work... lol

I'll try to get something better up

[Kevin McKoy]

Definitely appreciate this post. More than you know lol. If I knew as much about defense as I do offense, I think my record would be a lot better.

I have a question, when you are playing in a nickel defense for example, how do you know when to shift your lbs or dl to one side or the other to stop the run. I have no clue myself, and its gotten to the point where i go to my base defense on first down, even against 3 wrs, because i always get outleveraged or outnumbered in nickel

[Kevin McKoy]

Also, do you really play for Nebraska, if so what is it like playing for Bo Pelini?

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by BRASKA15

Instead of putting the Nickel and LB aligned on #2 in a hot route man, I put the two SAF's in man on #2 and again press the corners and tell them to play up top. Now when your opponent spreads you out and run it, the SAF's will be more aggressive getting up the line of scrimmage and will be there to support the run. This defense is better at protecting the slant route because the nickel and linebacker won't be running with the #2 but instead playing their flat zone. This can be vulnerable to seam routes by #2 if you forget to press your corners. Not a defense I live in, but again a good change up. Any questions about anything just ask... Thanks

This does not leave you vulnerable to dagger and pin concepts? I know when I see cover 4 the dagger is my go to play. It works perfectly versus vanilla 4d so your adjustments I don't think would hurt you too bad.

But by taking away the CB's inside help I would think you could get gashed by the outside WR running a skinny post like in pin concepts

[BRASKA15]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

This does not leave you vulnerable to dagger and pin concepts? I know when I see cover 4 the dagger is my go to play. It works perfectly versus vanilla 4d so your adjustments I don't think would hurt you too bad. But by taking away the CB's inside help I would think you could get gashed by the outside WR running a skinny post like in pin concepts

That is one reason why it is a change up and not something I do all the time. I run 4 more for than for pass. When I play online, I do not get a lot of guys running post with the #1 WR in doubles formations. I do not run this vs Trips. Also, I use my MLB so I try to take away the Dig route or Deep In route and bait the QB to throwing that.

[BRASKA15]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kevin McKoy

Definitely appreciate this post. More than you know lol. If I knew as much about defense as I do offense, I think my record would be a lot better. I have a question, when you are playing in a nickel defense for example, how do you know when to shift your lbs or dl to one side or the other to stop the run. I have no clue myself, and its gotten to the point where i go to my base defense on first down, even against 3 wrs, because i always get outleveraged or outnumbered in nickel

What I usually do is shift my line to the side away from the side that the back is in shotgun. So if the back is to the right of the quarterback, I shift my d line to the left and usually alway spread my LB's out. I then take my DLine and stunt the away from the side I shifted them too. This is very effective against guys who likes to run that inside zone all game because with my DLine slanting back against the zone, I usually get one of them to shoot the gap and at least get penetration to stop the momentum of the back and everyone else gets to the ball.

I try out a lot of different combo's when it comes to shifting my Dline and which way I tell them to slant or pinch.