THE MADDEN GLORY DEFENSIVE GUIDE

Guide Cover

INTRODUCTION:

There is just something about an A-Gap blitz that comes in from one of the defensive lineman that just makes you warm and tingly inside. If you agree with that statement then this guide is for you. While other sites play around with second level pressure we went right for the goods. Madden isn’t truly Madden unless you have the ability to watch your defensive lineman fly through interior gaps at unsuspecting Quarterbacks. This guide has it all, from blitzes to coverage, and back to run defense.

Below you will find each defense with its own section laid out within tabs. When possible we will also go over an advanced strategy that may require more adjustments, a complete understanding of the formation, or quicker fingers to get setup before the snap.

So lets jump into it, we are confident that this is the best material out. Thanks for checking out the guide!

3-4 DEFENSIVE SYSTEM

MaddenTurf Defense of Choice

3-4 Defense has always been a popular selection on defense for many players because of it’s versatility. It offers balanced looks that can defend the run well, create overload concepts to apply pressure on the QB, and has plenty of linebackers on the field to get creative in coverage.

Watch the intro below, and then move into the setups. We have broken this guide into a section for 3-4 Odd, Other Formations, and Advanced Concepts. Make sure to go through each section and absorb all of the content to get a clear understanding of it. Lastly, practice, practice, practice. Learning the setups on the fly is never advised.

To get every setup in this guide you will want to be in New England Defense, however if you are still struggling with the run, you can run all but one setup from Pittsburgh or Tennessee that both have the 4-4 formation.

In this group of tabs we will go over the basic fundamentals of the 3-4 Odd. It is VERY important that you understand all three of these setups at minimum before taking the defense into a game. Once you have these setups committed to memory you have the basics you will need to understand the adjustments and the advanced sections appropriately. In this group we will cover;

  • Left Side Loop
  • Right Side Loop
  • Universal Base Blitz
  • Cover 3 Buzz Buck Blitz *ADDED 9/10*
  • Cover 4 Mike Blitz *ADDED 9/10*

Simply click the corresponding tab to learn a particular setup. We will have the written setup in there, but it is VERY important to watch the videos as well.

This setup is ran from the play Will Buck 3 Press and provides simple left side B-Gap pressure from the second level. This blitz is no where one of the best blitzes in the guide, but it does offer a very passive look that defends the run fairly well. Best of all your opponent will most likely not even assume a blitz is coming and can easily be caught off guard.

Setup:

  • Base Align
  • Pinch DL and Crash Left
  • Spread LB’s

Video:

This setup is ran from Edge Blitz 3, and is setup with the exact same look as the previous blitz with a different line crash. Again this blitz is not going to move mountains but it is a nice, simple way, to put passive pressure on your opponent.

Setup:

  • Base Align
  • Pinch DL and Crash Right
  • Spread LB’s

Video:

Now its time to get into the meat and potatoes. This is the base blitz setup from 3-4 Odd. This setup will absolutely scream off, either the edge, or up the A-Gap from the MLB. Sometimes it will even come from both directions. Blocking a RB does pick this blitz up, but your opponent will not have much time as the block shed is incredibly intense. Please keep in mind that the left side of this defense is fairly weak against the run.

Setup:

  • Base Align
  • Shift DL Right and Crash Right
  • Blitz the Left of Screen MLB
  • Slide the Left of Screen MLB Over a Step or Two Until Angle is Pointing at Center (See Video)
  • QB Contain

Video:

This second level b gap is really consistent and provides us with a stock cover 3 shell. Anytime we can blitz and not need to change the coverage means the adjustments here are really basic and keeps the play intact as it was designed. Please keep in mind here that this play must be flipped for it to work.

Setup:

  • FLIP PLAY AND STEPS MUST BE IN ORDER
  • Base Align
  • Spread linebackers
  • Pinch defensive line
  • QB Contain
  • Crash defensive line down

Video:

This second level b gap is really consistent and provides us with a stock cover 4 shell. Anytime we can blitz and not need to change the coverage means the adjustments here are really basic and keeps the play intact as it was designed. Please keep in mind here that this play must be flipped for it to work.

Setup:

  • FLIP PLAY AND STEPS MUST BE IN ORDER
  • Base Align
  • Spread linebackers
  • Pinch defensive line
  • QB Contain
  • Crash defensive line down

Video:

In this section we will go over setups from the nickel formations in the playbook. We are focusing on Nickel 245 and Nickel 335 Odd (Patriots only). These slightly heavier db formations perform well as base defenses vs 3+ wide receivers and will allow you to bring some really nice pressure too.

  • Nickel 335 Odd Looper
  • Nickel 335 Tampa 2 In Depth
  • Nickel 245 SS Reno Zone
  • Nickel 245 Buck Slant 3

Simply click the tab for the concept that you want to study. There will be written setups, however it is very important to learn the concepts so please make sure to watch the videos as well.

This video goes over a nice pass defense with some blitzing concepts using either base align or non base aligned tendencies. This allows us also to utilize some cross manning concepts as we have a middle linebacker and safety we can adjust as needed. Please watch the video for the concept to get the best idea of how to use this play

SETUP:

  • Watch video

VIDEO:

This video goes over an indepth look at a base defense where you can choose to either blitz or play coverage. Please watch the entire video to learn how we run this and when to blitz vs when to play coverage.

SETUP:

  • Watch video

VIDEO:

This video goes over a blitz/run d from SS Reno Zone. This play is unique with the rolling safeties, and in game it does take a second for the safeties to roll like you see in the video. Please watch the video as it explains the setup, but also how and WHY you should turn auto flip on when running this play. 3 man pressure where the RB has a very hard time stopping it.

SETUP:

  • Watch video

VIDEO:

Another oldie, but a goody! Everyone loves buck slant, but now we are using it to get a looping 3 man pressure similar to cross fire. This 3/4 man blitz is tricky to pick up as someone will need to block their rb/te most likely. Keep in mind this is NOT great run defense either, so please watch the indepth video and enjoy!

SETUP:

  • Watch video

VIDEO:

This formation/setup is universal in the nickel 245 formation and allows us to blitz from essentially any coverage shell needed. We go into deep detail here to show you how to get pressure from these shells and how to disguise what you are doing while getting good pressure.

SETUP:

  • Watch video

VIDEO:

This setup is play specific to Overload 3, and is a little on the lengthy side. We suggest taking this into practice mode to make sure you learn the setup and how you want to adjust out of the play. If done correctly this blitz is extremely hard to block as it requires extra blockers while only sending 4 blitzers.

SETUP:

  • Watch video as setups need to be done in order

VIDEO:

In this section we will go over some of the setups from other formations that you will need to understand to run the defense at a high level. With this game making it so easy to pick up pressure it is important to give your opponent different looks so they don’t see the blitz look every down. In this group we will cover;

  • 3-4 Under A-Gap Blitz
  • 3-4 Under Run Defense
  • 4-3 Under A-Gap Blitz
  • 3-4 Under 007 Blitz
  • Nickel 335 Odd Looper

Simply click the tab for the concept that you want to study. There will be written setups, however it is very important to learn the concepts so please make sure to watch the videos as well.

This video goes over the holy grail of Madden defense, the defensive lineman A-Gap pressure from OLB Strike 2. With this setup placement of the MLB is VERY IMPORTANT, so please make sure to watch the video from start to finish. It is also very important to make sure to do the steps in order. This pressure will come from the DE up the A-Gap most of the time, and the MLB up the A-Gap the rest. If your opponent blocks a RB however, something interesting happens…..the A-Gap gets picked up, but the pressure will generally come off the edge.

SETUP:

  • Base Align
  • Shift DL Right and Crash Right
  • QB Contain
  • Blitz the MLB of Choice and Position Him Over Center (See Video)
  • Zone Left of Screen Outside LB

VIDEO:

Defending the run from 3-4 Under is a solid user’s dream. With the alignment we have detailed below you will either be shooting the gap yourself to blow up the run, or occupying the blocker to allow the computer to blow it up for you. That being said, the run is very over-powered in this year’s game, and you will give up a run from time to time. The setup below should minimize how often you are giving those runs up however.

SETUP:

  • Base Align
  • Spread DL
  • Spread LB
  • User Weak Side Linebacker (See Video)

VIDEO:

This pseudo blitz was posted to our YouTube channel and so we are just now adding it here as well. Watch the video and prepare to be amazed by the sneakiest play in Madden 18.

SETUP:

  • (See Video)

VIDEO:

In this section we will go over another A-Gap pressure from the Defensive Tackle. The play we will be using is Sam Blitz 2. This setup is similar to the 3-4 Under however, gives us a wider defense to assist in stopping the run a bit more. Again the setup is VERY IMPORTANT, so please make sure to watch the video for a full understanding.

SETUP:

  • Base Align
  • Spread LB’s
  • Shift DL Right and Crash Right
  • QB Contain
  • Blitz Left of Screen OLB and Move Over Center (See Video)
  • Zone Left of Screen DE

VIDEO:

This section is for the advanced player that prefers to stay in one defense and adjust out of it. These concepts require a much deeper “Madden IQ” and generally faster fingers to get the adjustments in. Once you have a complete grasp on the defense however, these are the things that will separate the average from the good players. This section also has a very solid run defense from a formation that will entice your opponent to run on you. In this group we will cover;

  • 3-4 Odd Advanced Defense
  • 1-4-6 Advanced Run Defense

Simply click on the tab for the concept you would like to learn. There are no written setups in this section because these concepts require more explanation than anything else, the setups will be adjusted on the fly to account for what you are wanting to accomplish.

This concept was something that we stumbled upon by accident one day spreading our linebackers after we had already showed blitz. What we saw was that both MLB’s come down into the gaps on the line of scrimmage creating an even front that looked very appealing to send pressure. After some time in the lab finding the best plays to use this concept from, this is the final product. Be aware that while this defense usually defends the run very well, if your opponent catches the edge, you are probably giving up six points.

When defending the run in Madden 18, Big Dime 1-4-6 is probably not a formation that comes to mind, however it has been a TurfTeam staple for years as it generally just requires a few tweaks to the setup to make it work. The pancakes this year were a bit scary, but from what we noticed, even when pancaked, more often than not this defense provides enough clutter to keep the RB at bay. This setup can vary from formation to formation and run play to run play so make sure to watch the video a few times.

Today we go over the setup for the growingly popular 34 odd crossfire. We go in detail to show you how to send the blitz with 5 men, 6 men, how to change it if you feel they may be running, and adjusting the coverage behind the play.

Now that custom audibles have been added into MUT we will be providing a list of them to you. Please click the appropriate tab to see the audibles. While these are our recommendations you can indeed set these how you see fit to best fit the scheme and style that works best for you.
The following are the audibles we recommend using for 34 odd.

  • Cover 4 Drop Show 2
  • Tampa 2
  • Pinch Dog 2 Press
  • Edge Blitz 3
The following are the audibles we recommend using for 34 under.

  • OLB Strike 2
  • Tampa 2
  • Cover 4
  • Cover 2 Man
The following are the audibles we recommend using for 335 Odd.

  • Tampa 2
  • Cover 4 Drop
  • LB Cross 3 Show 2
  • Cover 2 Man

A SHORT THANK YOU

Because We Care!

As always we greatly appreciate your business and support. We look forward to providing you with the best content for offense and defense in Madden 18. If you have any questions about the defense please feel free to post them in the comments at the bottom of the page. This is our new method of providing on-site support for our content. Once you have finished going through the guide please make sure to reach out to us on Twitter @MaddenTurf and especially on Facebook where we would appreciate your 5 star review at;

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Thanks again guys! Here is to a great season!