I know everyone has already said it but…

going against Faalele all the time is really boring.  

So tired of constant outside runs that take 3 tackle attempts to stop.  I have decent success against him… but its just no fun.

Yup. Was really getting into head to head play and then he started to appear in every game. I could generally stop him, but the repetitiveness got old. Went back to Franchise while I wait it out for ‘26.

That's why I call him F-word.

I finally realized that the best way to stop him was simply to field a lineup that had Run Stuffer and Reach Elite on the defensive line and outside linebackers, and Reinforcement or Out My Way everywhere else you can get it. (This of course means that you're fielding a closer-to-top-tier lineup.) Don't pass commit, but you don't have to run commit in most situations, except if you want to risk it all on fourth-and-short or goal line situations.

A few F-word spammers can't do anything but spam stretch runs, and if they don't string enough RNG wins together to convert for a first or spring a huge run, they'll quit out after you score a touchdown of your own. I got a safety once against F-word, which resulted in a prompt quitting out; that was delightful.

The problem I ran into most frequently was that F-word would chew clock on each iteration of Gridiron Showdown, and you could end up at a huge disadvantage in that mode if you didn't start with the first possession. He hasn't been near as effective when playing on modes that run on All-Madden difficulty.

Its easy to stop him once you know the correct adjustments. 4-3 Over Defense(i prefer cover 4)

 1. Spread the d-line 

2. Pinch the Lbs to cover new gap created (i only do this if the lbs are not over top of the gap in the d-line)

3. Press your Dbs down and shade over top

4. User the safety(you can bring him in the box hovering over the lbs, or u can squeeze him in the gap corresponding to the side the run is going) that is on the single receiver side

This normally blows the run completely up for a loss no matter if it’s stretch or inside run..Occasionally this setup will give up maybe 2-3yrds but never enough to worry about.

JaysOrigin said:

Its easy to stop him once you know the correct adjustments. 4-3 Over Defense(i prefer cover 4)

 1. Spread the d-line 

2. Pinch the Lbs to cover new gap created (i only do this if the lbs are not over top of the gap in the d-line)

3. Press your Dbs down and shade over top

4. User the safety(you can bring him in the box hovering over the lbs, or u can squeeze him in the gap corresponding to the side the run is going) that is on the single receiver side

This normally blows the run completely up for a loss no matter if it’s stretch or inside run..Occasionally this setup will give up maybe 2-3yrds but never enough to worry about.

Step Four: Stop the spamming with a glitch. It's unfortunate that MUT 25 never delivered better control to offensive users to ignore specific defenders when planning for run blocking. The artificial gaps induced by defender placement have been unbearably stupid. If the defenders are on their back foot off the snap, this shouldn't be permitted to work. But EA's gonna EA.

I just quit the minute I see him in the backfield. Whether I can stop him isn't really the point; its just very boring and I already know what to expect from any player with him in the lineup. Its not worth my time.

phatalerror said:

Step Four: Stop the spamming with a glitch. It's unfortunate that MUT 25 never delivered better control to offensive users to ignore specific defenders when planning for run blocking. The artificial gaps induced by defender placement have been unbearably stupid. If the defenders are on their back foot off the snap, this shouldn't be permitted to work. But EA's gonna EA.

Explain how its a glitch? You still have to get your user to the rb in time or jam the lane and execute the tackle..When i say blow up the run i  mean the outisde lanes are clogged and the rb has to decide between cutting back inside or tfl/small gain if he continues to run outside.

EightyOne said:

I just quit the minute I see him in the backfield. Whether I can stop him isn't really the point; its just very boring and I already know what to expect from any player with him in the lineup. Its not worth my time.

This is my point exactly.  its not that he cannot be stopped, although some people make it very tough.  Its that it just F*&KING BORING!  

Run outside left

Run outside Right

Pass to the HB in the flat

Run outside left

Run outside right

JaysOrigin said:

Explain how its a glitch? You still have to get your user to the rb in time or jam the lane and execute the tackle..When i say blow up the run i  mean the outisde lanes are clogged and the rb has to decide between cutting back inside or tfl/small gain if he continues to run outside.

It’s not a glitch if you’re actually intending to engage and get around an offensive lineman or otherwise plug a lane. The problem is that’s not how users actually do this. They draw a blocker out of place and then either subtly move around them out of reach (which would never happen in real life; “Shooting the gap” means actually sending a defender through the intended hole through which the ball carrier is supposed to advance), or they drop into coverage entirely, leaving offensive linemen not blocking the proper defenders, and allowing extra defenders to get to the outside.

phatalerror said:

It’s not a glitch if you’re actually intending to engage and get around an offensive lineman or otherwise plug a lane. The problem is that’s not how users actually do this. They draw a blocker out of place and then either subtly move around them out of reach (which would never happen in real life; “Shooting the gap” means actually sending a defender through the intended hole through which the ball carrier is supposed to advance), or they drop into coverage entirely, leaving offensive linemen not blocking the proper defenders, and allowing extra defenders to get to the outside.

That is all fine and good... until it takes 3-4 tacklers to bring him down.... every play.  Thats the glitch.

nysoundman said:

That is all fine and good... until it takes 3-4 tacklers to bring him down.... every play.  Thats the glitch.

That's extremely frustrating -- i hate to recommend that more people start doing this, but use Square button (on Playstation) to make diving tackles.  These bullshit superman moves will almost certainly bring him down, single attempt... nearly every time.  It's crazy how little those diving tackles miss.  I'm such a hit stick whore that it's difficult for me to change my habits, but gosh, seeing other players do it all the time is stupid how effective it tends to be.

nysoundman said:

That is all fine and good... until it takes 3-4 tacklers to bring him down.... every play.  Thats the glitch.

Don't get me wrong. I hate F-word.

I just think it's a shame that you can't play this game without glitches of all sorts. You have an entire cohort of gamers that do nothing but exploit their way to wins, and another cohort that pretends to hold some moral ground by arguing that they don't use the glitchiest glitches. After that, you have the people that YouTube Madden videos and imitate what they see, with no idea that they are absolutely glitching every down (but since they don't understand what the glitches are, or why they work, their glitches aren't as effective over the length of a game).

But, yes, if you want a headache-free game against F-word and don't have any qualms about selling your soul, just glitch right back at them.