Madden 16 is still a long way off and many people are still playing Madden 15. So for this Madden tutorial, we decided to go over some universal strategies that work in any Madden NFL game.
Overall Ratings Are Overrated
Lots of times the best teams in the game are the highest rated. Indeed, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are 2 of the best teams in Madden 15 and they are the highest rated as well. Don’t sleep on lower rated teams like the 49ers who may be rated in the middle of the pack but are one of the most dangerous teams in Madden.
Use Pass Commit
Nothing is more frustrating than when you know a play action pass is coming but your guys still go after the running back instead of the quarterback. When you use pass commit, your defenders will head straight for the quarterback as long as they have reasonable awareness ratings.
Don’t Try To Implement 50 Plays Per Game
The best Madden players usually have the simplest offenses. Having 10 or 20 plays that you have completely mastered and worked into a scheme is much more effective than never calling the same play twice in the game. You want to call just enough plays that your opponent is never sure what you are doing but not enough plays where you aren’t completely comfortable with the playcall.
Play Unconventional Defense
This is a very advanced tip but one of the most effective tactics you can use in any Madden game. You will want to make adjustments to your defense that no one can practice against. Plenty of people lab offenses against cover 2 defense, cover 3 defense, cover 2 man, cover 4, and every other standard defense. If your opponent has never seen a defense like yours, he won’t know what to do against it. Here are some types of ideas that we use that should get your thinking on the right track.
- Cover 2 defense with both outside cornerbacks matched up in man to man defense on the outside receivers
- A 6 man nano blitz with the 5 coverage defenders, who are usually matched up in man to man coverage, in yellow hook zones
Short Passes Are Just As Good As Deep Passes
Drag routes and slant routes are always devastating in Madden. Just knowing that you can get 5-8 yards whenever you want makes offense a lot easier. Have the patience to take what the defense gives you instead of always going for the big play.
Score At The End Of Each Half
This is one of the most basic strategies that every elite Madden player uses without even thinking about it. You want to score with less than 15 seconds left at the end of each half. Anything more than that and you are doing it wrong. It is much better to take 3 points with 1 second left in the half than to take 7 points with 1 minute left. If you score last at the end of both halves, you will win 90% of the games you play.
Don’t Try To Stop Runs For Losses
Holding a running play to just 2 or 3 yards is a big win for the defense. When you start selling out and sending 10 guys or running committing is the time you get burned for a big outside run or a play action pass. Just accept that you will never be able to completely stop the run. Aim to slow it down instead.
Force Turnovers
Regardless of how good the other player you are playing against is, if you can force 2 or more turnovers per game, you are going to win a whole lot in Madden. On that same note, you will want to avoid turnovers as much as you can. Cover up when running the ball and don’t make risky throws. Most Madden games each player is going to get around 5 possessions. By forcing 2 turnovers, you should get about 7 possessions and your opponent will only have 3. Those are great odds.
What are some of your favorite tips and strategies that worked for you in Madden 15 that will apply to Madden 16 as well? Let us know in the comments section.