How important is offensive audible-ing and offensive line protection adjustments?

[indcolts18288]

I do a lot of protection adjustments and offensive audible-ing at the LOS pre snap. How important is that online? Very? Somewhat? Or not important. I’m a franchise player but would love to start playing more online this year. Just got the game on Black Friday so thought I’d get some opinions. Thanks

[CM Hooe]

Generally speaking, as long as your center has good Awareness, your offensive line will reliably attempt to pick up blitzes correctly and you don't need to mess with the protection adjustments at all. The most you might ever need to do is motion a shotgun halfback to the opposite side to guard against an overload.

In every Madden game that's ever been made, the entire concept of an offense setting its protection is handled automatically by the a CPU as an assist to users. In addition, the CPU-controlled offensive linemen always know which defenders are assigned to blitz before the ball is snapped, so the offensive line always knows how to attempt to pick up the blitz. This does not mean that the offensive line will always succeed in blocking the blitz, but the blitz getting home is generally going to require a rusher beat a blocker. Assuming even numbers of rushers and blockers, it is extremely rare to get a free rusher attacking the quarterback in Madden.

Occasionally an offensive line filled with bad-AWR players (and especially a bad-AWR center, because his AWR rating counts twice in the ID The Mike check introduced in Madden 18) will identify the defense incorrectly and the protection will set up wrong. This failure can allow a free rusher to come through.

Additionally, the blitz concepts at the defense's disposal which would require the offense have robust protection options and controls are extremely limited and archaic. For example, read blitzes and creeper blitzes don't exist in Madden at all. Defensive line stunts also do not exist at all in Madden. If I recall correctly, green dog blitzes are in the game if the defense calls Cover 1 Hole / Cover 1 Robber and lets the CPU control all the defenders in coverage. Fire zone blitzes do exist, but because Cover 2 and Cover 3 coverages in Madden lack rules for trips and quads formations by the offense the coverage breaks down easily.

I assume that high-level competitive Madden head-to-head players have long figured out how to manipulate the CPU OL protection plan with a combination of defensive hot routes and bluffing blitzes with a user-controlled defender in the second level of the defense. I also assume that attempts to abuse this is what will kick in the "nano detection" logic built into the game to slow down blitzes which the community has deemed unfair or unrealistic.

So to answer your question directly: against high-level competitive Madden players, you likely need to have a very strong handle on Madden-specific pass protection behaviors which you could manipulate with the pass protection controls. Against the vast majority of Madden players or the CPU on any difficulty setting, however, you're fine completely ignoring that entire feature.

I think I speak for a lot of die-hard football fans on this forum in saying that there is a lot of on-field gameplay strategy missing from defense, and hopefully Tiburon adds this missing layer of strategy to a version of Madden we get to play in the near future.

[indcolts18288]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

Generally speaking, as long as your center has good Awareness, your offensive line will reliably attempt to pick up blitzes correctly and you don't need to mess with the protection adjustments at all. The most you might ever need to do is motion a shotgun halfback to the opposite side to guard against an overload. In every Madden game that's ever been made, the entire concept of an offense setting its protection is handled automatically by the a CPU as an assist to users. In addition, the CPU-controlled offensive linemen always know which defenders are assigned to blitz before the ball is snapped, so the offensive line always knows how to attempt to pick up the blitz. This does not mean that the offensive line will always succeed in blocking the blitz, but the blitz getting home is generally going to require a rusher beat a blocker. Assuming even numbers of rushers and blockers, it is extremely rare to get a free rusher attacking the quarterback in Madden. Occasionally an offensive line filled with bad-AWR players (and especially a bad-AWR center, because his AWR rating counts twice in the ID The Mike check introduced in Madden 18) will identify the defense incorrectly and the protection will set up wrong. This failure can allow a free rusher to come through. Additionally, the blitz concepts at the defense's disposal which would require the offense have robust protection options and controls are extremely limited and archaic. For example, read blitzes and creeper blitzes don't exist in Madden at all. Defensive line stunts also do not exist at all in Madden. If I recall correctly, green dog blitzes are in the game if the defense calls Cover 1 Hole / Cover 1 Robber and lets the CPU control all the defenders in coverage. Fire zone blitzes do exist, but because Cover 2 and Cover 3 coverages in Madden lack rules for trips and quads formations by the offense the coverage breaks down easily. I assume that high-level competitive Madden head-to-head players have long figured out how to manipulate the CPU OL protection plan with a combination of defensive hot routes and bluffing blitzes with a user-controlled defender in the second level of the defense. I also assume that attempts to abuse this is what will kick in the "nano detection" logic built into the game to slow down blitzes which the community has deemed unfair or unrealistic. So to answer your question directly: against high-level competitive Madden players, you likely need to have a very strong handle on Madden-specific pass protection behaviors which you could manipulate with the pass protection controls. Against the vast majority of Madden players or the CPU on any difficulty setting, however, you're fine completely ignoring that entire feature. I think I speak for a lot of die-hard football fans on this forum in saying that there is a lot of on-field gameplay strategy missing from defense, and hopefully Tiburon adds this missing layer of strategy to a version of Madden we get to play in the near future.

Man this was amazing, thank you.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

If you can read a defense AND have a good sense for holes in coverage (because users will create brand new coverages) AND know where your hot routes are*, you don’t really need to do very much with protection. Every blitz can be beaten with good vision, quick eyes-to-button press reaction time, and balanced pass plays that have hot routes built in (*I don’t mean “Madden” hot routes; I mean routes designed for the QB to get rid of the ball quickly in the face of pressure). The exception to this is cheese zone blitzes, but being unpredictable in your play-calling — including timely use of the run game, can punish this kind of cheese sometimes.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Building off what's been said - IME playing online the AI pathing on blitzes is absolutely terrible. Even if you bring more men than they have blockers, I've only consistently gotten to the QB with guys lining up in an 7,6, or 9 tech position. Players on the inside, even if they don't have a blocker assigned, will almost always get hung up in their gap. Guys outside the 9 tech, like DB blitzers, get off way too slowly and most players will have thrown it by the time they arrive (typically by throwing to the guy your db just vacated). Further, AI tackles slide out extremely fast, so even speed rushers cannot often get the corner.



On top of that, the AI absolutely cannot evade a halfback cut block. They will inevitably run straight at it and get chopped down.


I have a few plays which spring a guy from that 6, 7, or 9 position, but they are extremely situational and easily stopped if the opponent reads them right.



You shouldn't have any problem in H2H without protection audibles unless you hold the ball forever. One defensive tip I can offer is to set "Play Option" to "Conservative" - it makes the rushers less likely to bite on Play Action IME.