Welcome back to another episode of Ask Huddle! Each week, we break down your Madden questions to help you understand the game on a deeper level. If you have questions you'd like us to answer in a future episode, drop them in the comments below. Our goal is always to help you win more games.
To watch the full video on YouTube from Huddle, click play above or here.
#1 - How do you like to defend under-center formations?
Answer:
If you’re facing someone who wants to pound the rock all game — especially from heavy under center sets like Singleback or I-Form — you’re going to need more than Dollar or Dime to hold up. That’s where a strong secondary run defense comes in.
Two of the best formations to lean on in these situations are 3-4 Odd and 4-3 Even 6-1. These sets give you the size and alignment to match up against heavier personnel. From there, your go-to play should be a Cover 4 variant that brings both safeties into the run fit. This gives you the extra hats you need to shut down the popular runs before they get started.
Check out the video to see what this looks like, and to understand what you’ll need to stifle under center runs.
#2 - What's the best running style for defensive backs?
Answer:
Every player in Madden has a specific running stride that affects how they move on the field. While things like “high and tight” or “breadloaf” refer to how a player holds the ball, the three stride types that actually impact movement are default, short, and long.
For defensive backs, I highly recommend targeting players with short stride. This running style allows DBs to break more quickly on the ball and change direction with greater efficiency. They’re less likely to get caught mid-stride when reacting, which can make all the difference in pass coverage.
This isn’t a deal-breaker trait, but if you’re choosing between two similarly rated players, the one with short stride can give you that extra edge.
In the video, we also walk through how to easily search for these players (hint: it's on mut.gg).
#3 - How do you stop Off Tackle from Gun Bunch TE?
Answer:
Off Tackle from Gun Bunch TE can be one of the most frustrating runs to deal with, mainly because the bunch alignment provides strong blocking support to the play side. Without a clear plan, this run can consistently pick up big yardage.
One of my favorite ways to defend it is by using Cover 3 Cloud, making sure the cloud flat corner is aligned to the bunch side. I’ll also shift my defensive line toward the bunch, which helps attack the edge and set stronger run fits. This setup allows the outside corner to come downhill quickly, opening up lanes for your linebackers to flow freely and make a play.
Additionally, if you can equip No Outsiders on your defensive lineman to that same side, it’s a huge boost in shutting down the edge.
In the video, we also break down the role of the user and where to position yourself to help finish the play effectively.
#4 - Does Secure Protector Shut Down Unstoppable Force?
Answer:
The short answer: sort of, but not completely.
Secure Protector helps reduce the chance of giving up those dominant “super win” animations that come with Unstoppable Force, but it won’t consistently shut it down — especially once the pass rusher starts chaining into secondary moves.
The most reliable way to neutralize Unstoppable Force is to double-team that defender, which doesn’t require any abilities at all. That said, there will be times when you simply can't afford to double team due to alignment or blitz schemes. In those cases, Secure Protector can help slow things down — just don’t expect to sit comfortably in the pocket.
We break down how it all works and show examples in the video.
If you have questions like this you'd like answered in a live setting, we have a stage setup in the MutGG discord titled "Ask Huddle" where we'll be on Tuesdays at 9pm EST.
Thanks for tuning in again this week! If you have a question you'd like answered in a future episode, make sure to drop it in the comments below.
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