Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

[Collegefbfan]

I just played the game the other night for the first time in about a month. Since the last big patch/update, didn't EA include more offensive and defensive formations? I thought I read that somewhere.

Anyway, since the game has been out, what defense have you settled on/feels the best to you?
Have you tried or settled on one of these new defensive formations?

Many thanks.

[jello1717]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

In ‘14 I played 3-4 exclusively and loved it to death. But for the life of me, I can’t make the 3-4 work in ‘25, which really saddens me.

After failing with the 3-4 I used the 4-2-5 and had tons of success with it for about 10 seasons worth of dynasties. It still works great, but there’s not enough variety for my tastes and I HATE how it doesn’t use the normal LOLB, MLB, ROLB depth charts and uses the SUBLB exclusively and only uses LE, RE, DT for 1 formation. Having to cover 2 positions with 1 tiny 3 person total depth chart (SUBLB) sucks balls.

Because of that I’ve settled on the 4-3 and like it a lot. It’s just as effective as the 4-2-5, has many more than only 2 formations, and utilizes 10 depth chart slots (LOLB, MLB, ROLB) to cover 3 positions rather than 3 slots to cover 2.

I don’t see myself playing anything other than 4-3 for the remainder of CFB25.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

3-3-5 tite. These days, teams spend the majority of the time in some sort of Nickel package, and this playbook gives me 6 looks to choose from. And I still have the 3-4 odd when I need it. Also allows me to use my depth chart to rotate a lot of different players.

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[Instant C1a55ic]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

3-4 multiple. OLB and DE are speed and power rush archetype, with my DT being a run stuffer. Man-to-man corners to let the pass rushers feast on the QB. Normally top 5-10 Nationwide in sacks.

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[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

3-3-5 tite. These days, teams spend the majority of the time in some sort of Nickel package, and this playbook gives me 6 looks to choose from. And I still have the 3-4 odd when I need it. Also allows me to use my depth chart to rotate a lot of different players.

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This right here! Been running this since the game has been out.

[Funkycorm]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

I am simple and use the 4-3 base playbook. I am more comfortable running the 4-3 as I have in Madden quite a bit in the past and back in my old NCAA days. I will end up running a lot of the nickel out of that playbook to match the many 3 WR sets in the game. But the 4-3 is nice against those teams that run pro style offenses.

[jello1717]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

I am simple and use the 4-3 base playbook. I am more comfortable running the 4-3 as I have in Madden quite a bit in the past and back in my old NCAA days. I will end up running a lot of the nickel out of that playbook to match the many 3 WR sets in the game. But the 4-3 is nice against those teams that run pro style offenses.

If I have solid OLBs (which I certainly do now @ Michigan) I match what I call personnel minus 1. So I play my base D against up to 3 wide, and then nickel vs 4 wide and dime vs empty. This gives me great run defense while still being very solid in pass defense. The only exceptions for teams with elite wide receivers that’re too fast for a LB to cover them, but there aren’t many teams like those. Against those teams I match personnel with nickel vs 3 wide and dime vs 4+ wide.

But against most teams I end up playing 4-3 for the vast majority of downs and it’s worked very well for me.

[bkrich83]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

3-3-5 tite. These days, teams spend the majority of the time in some sort of Nickel package, and this playbook gives me 6 looks to choose from. And I still have the 3-4 odd when I need it. Also allows me to use my depth chart to rotate a lot of different players.

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This is what I'm running. A lot of different looks and flexibility.

[Funkycorm]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

If I have solid OLBs (which I certainly do now @ Michigan) I match what I call personnel minus 1. So I play my base D against up to 3 wide, and then nickel vs 4 wide and dime vs empty. This gives me great run defense while still being very solid in pass defense. The only exceptions for teams with elite wide receivers that’re too fast for a LB to cover them, but there aren’t many teams like those. Against those teams I match personnel with nickel vs 3 wide and dime vs 4+ wide.

But against most teams I end up playing 4-3 for the vast majority of downs and it’s worked very well for me.

I am going to have to give this a try. Thanks.

[jello1717]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

For those of you running 335, how is your run defense, particularly up the middle?

I run a power running spread option offense and I LOVE to run between the tackles. While I struggle massively running up the gut against all 3-4 defenses, doing so against any 335 is like taking candy from a baby. It’s just chunk play after chunk play between the tackles against 335.

Every time I scout my next opponent’s scheme and see 3-4, I groan. But every time it says 335 I smile broadly and think “I know what my game plan is for this game!”

So, do teams gash you on the ground when you play as a 335?

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

For those of you running 335, how is your run defense, particularly up the middle?

I run a power running spread option offense and I LOVE to run between the tackles. While I struggle massively running up the gut against all 3-4 defenses, doing so against any 335 is like taking candy from a baby. It’s just chunk play after chunk play between the tackles against 335.

Every time I scout my next opponent’s scheme and see 3-4, I groan. But every time it says 335 I smile broadly and think “I know what my game plan is for this game!”

So, do teams gash you on the ground when you play as a 335?

If ran correctly, it's very effective against the run, especially up the middle. I did a lot of reading and watching vids on it before the game came out. When it comes to run defense in the 3-3-5, the run principle is to funnel everything outside where the LB's and Safeties that come crashing down can clean up. I always control a DL when I play, and I play the players assignment exactly how it's supposed to be played on a particular call. That means, if I'm supposed to crash inside and occupy blockers, that's what I do and nothing extra. I play no switch, so I'm banking on my AI teammates to do their job.

The other beautiful thing about the 3-3-5 is that in sub-packages you can put safeties at LB and LB's at End in certain packages. There are also a lot of different blitzes you can call to bring pressure from different places. I put my own stink on it too by using individual audibles to bring heat or drop plays that look like they are blitzing. It's a good and flexible defense in that you can stay in it even when the offense has 4 WR's on the field. It also helps if you have a shop wrecking NT too.

[SilverBullet19]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

In my Boise State dynasty I run a 4-2-5, I find it very effective. My Rushing OLB becomes one of the down linemen, so it’s very useful that it can essentially be 3-3-5 in terms of amount of linebackers on the field.

In my teambuilder I’m 4-3. Might switch to 4-3 multiple. I run a lot of zone out of nickel. I rarely go 4-3 itself unless I’m having trouble against the run or it’s a short yardage situation.

[moTIGS]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

Simple 4-3 for me, though I split roughly 50/50 between that and nickel. I do a full seven-man swap between the two formations (pass rush DL, cover linebackers, and slot are all distinct from starters in the base defense; only the starting corners and safeties play in both), guaranteeing I see a lot of guys play in the front seven.

And from both I run mostly Cover 3 with some 2 mixed in (and most of the Cover 3 is Cloud, which is easy to disguise as Cover 2).

[mate04]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

3-3-5 tite. These days, teams spend the majority of the time in some sort of Nickel package, and this playbook gives me 6 looks to choose from. And I still have the 3-4 odd when I need it. Also allows me to use my depth chart to rotate a lot of different players.

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Tite in my offline dynasty is the biggest pain to play against for me. I like to run the ball and 3-3 mint and other tite formations just give some of the ugliest looks to run against. Trying to run any read option play is very uncomfortable with the ends being head up and in mint that LB hanging around the edge.


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[sherrane]

Re: Curious About Your Latest Chosen Defense

I run a 4-2-5. I chose that because I thought it was the best defense in 14 because it is good against the run and provides a good amount of pressure. I still have the same opinion about its performance in 25. I have been very happy with my defenses at Temple and now that I took the Ohio State job. They had the 4-2-5 on the page when I accepted the job, so I had no reason to deviate when hiring my two coordinators. Some of the comments in this thread are making me reconsider whether I might be better off switching. Next time I hire a DC I will put less emphasis on his scheme.