4-3 vs. 3-4?

[dirtguru]

34 works great for me in Madden 13, stops the run really well most of the time and I get good pressure from my outside LBs. Still a little to strong coming from the defensive left but at least my LOLB is getting to the QB before my LE which is a huge improvement over Madden 12.

Week 15 of my third season playing 15min quarters and Lawrence Timmons has 83 tackles (missed 3 games) and Lamar Woodley has 102 including 13 sacks. All my starting LBs have over 50 tackles and both safeties at 43 and 54 respectively. All starting defenders in double didgits with my Dlinemen having the least.

[PGaither84]

Madden is different than real life. I still prefer the 3-4 in Madden because you can have more fun with your play calling [see my blog] and most of the teams in Madden who run the 3-4 have defensive linemen with 90+ block shedding, which is supposed to be the ratings that fights of blocks in the run game. 4-3 linemen tend to have 80 or less block shedding and often get pushed around. However, that depends on your slider settings too.

[TheDelta]

What you really need for the 3-4 is two very good ILBs, your whole box defense will depend on those two players. If they are too slow, you will get gashed by any kind of outside run, in the 4-3 you can get away with slower LBs because they have better positioning, while in the 3-4, your OLBs will usually get engaged in a block so it's up to your ILBs to shoot the gap or contain on the outside.

If you can get two ILBs with 85+ Speed, good Awareness/Play Recognition and Tackle ratings, then the 3-4 really begins to shine. The 49ers are of course a prime example of this in the game.

[mpbaseball22]

I have never used the 4-3. Every single playbook I use has a 3-4 in it. You just need to adjust your line to the side of the TE/FB and you should stop the run nearly everytime

[steve115658]

Quote: Originally Posted by moveitsjosh

I just find it really funny when people pick a team like the 49ers and run 4-3 defense, good luck sacking me with a DE with 50 speed. That being said, I only run 3-4. But I usually run out of the Nickel unless its an obvious running down or spread O, in that cause, I would be running base 3-4 stack or the Sub dime package (3-4 personnel in dime package.)

The thing with the 49ers in 4-3 is if you use Aldon Smith and Brooks at DE. You can send smith down to DT and have Willis Bowman and I forget who else (Harylson still? I don't use the 49ers much) at linebacker. Makes for a sick 4-3. Only problem is I don't like their corners for man.

[StreetCarp]

Quote: Originally Posted by nolan887

Simple explanation: A 4-3 typically has 2 DEs who can get to the qb. A 3-4 has LBs who get to the QB. In both cases the MLB and DT typically try to stuff the run. In a 3-4, it is harder to stop the run because each d-line man is responsible for 2 gaps on the o-line where a 4-3 the d-line is responsible for just 1 gap. Check out a team like the Broncos for what 3-4 OLBs should look like.

I'm pretty sure the Broncos run a 4-3.

[nolan887]

Quote: Originally Posted by StreetCarp

I'm pretty sure the Broncos run a 4-3.

My mistake, i believe they ran a 3-4 up until they hired John Fox.

[KBLover]

3-4 4ever.

Even with teams that have a 4-3 personnel basis, I work towards making them 3-4.

I've always loved the 3-4. I also think the 3-4 formations are interesting along with the other formations you get out of the 3-4 book.

3-4, 2-4-5, 1-5-5 are by far my favorite formations. That 4-4 is interesting though...