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 switch stick when on a blitzing defender?
Answer:
Switch Stick is designed to let you quickly switch your user from one coverage defender to another after the play starts by flicking the right stick in the direction you want to go. However, if you’re on a blitzing defender, it won’t work, because that player is no longer considered a coverage defender, Switch Stick gets disabled.
There’s a simple workaround, though. If you start out usering a blitzing defender, or even get stuck on a defensive lineman, your first switch needs to be done with the D-pad instead of the right stick. Once you’ve switched onto a coverage defender with the D-pad, you can go right back to using the right stick for normal Switch Stick use.
#2 - Which Cover 4 plays are not considered match coverage?
Answer:
It’s really important to know whether the Cover 4 play you’ve called is using match principles or not. If you don’t, you might expect the defense to play one way, only to leave huge areas of the field uncovered because the rules are different.
The easiest way to tell in-game is by looking at the zone colors, especially your flat defenders in your play call screen (purple/pink or light blue zones). If those zones appear lighter and almost opaque, that means the play is using match principles. If the zones are a darker, solid color, then it’s a traditional spot-drop zone.
When it comes to Cover 4 specifically:
- Cover 4 Drop is always spot-drop, meaning it does not use match principles.
- Cover 4 Quarters and Cover 4 Palms are matching defenses, and if you don’t fully understand the rules, they can actually hurt you more than they help.
So, if you want to keep things simple and avoid match rules, stick to Cover 4 Drop.
Also, make sure to watch the video and see exactly which colors I'm referring to in the play-call screen!
#3 - How do you block the Texas 4 Man stunt with 5 out?
Answer:
Unfortunately, there isn’t a fully consistent way to block the Texas 4-man stunt using just your five offensive linemen. There are a few methods that can slow it down, like mixing in play-action blocking while sending five routes, but nothing that works every time.
The most reliable solution is to keep your running back in for protection. Anytime you’re in a key situation or need to hit a big play, I strongly recommend blocking the extra player to make sure the stunt is picked up.
When you block the running back, you’ll want to half or full slide away from him, and then set a double team on the defensive tackle to the running back’s side. This gives us a hat-on-a-hat across the line and gives you the best chance to buy time in the pocket to throw the ball downfield.
Make sure to watch the video to see how this looks in-game and why it’s the most consistent way to handle the Texas 4-man stunt.
#4 - How do you stop Read Options and RPOs?
Answer:
That’s a really broad question, and it’s tough to fully cover every way to stop read options and RPOs in a format like this. But I can give you some general rules that will help right away.
First, in your pre-play coaching adjustments, set your Read Option Key to Conservative. This tells the read key defender to focus on the quarterback, which means the rest of your defense only has to worry about the running back.
Next, do the same with your RPO Read Key, put it on Conservative. This does the same function as the Read Option Key, this is just for RPO Read plays, rather than your traditional read options.
Finally, I also recommend setting your RPO Pass Key to Conservative. RPO plays have both a read key and a pass key, this adjustment tells your pass key defender to play the route concept (bubble, slant, smoke, etc.), making it much harder for the quarterback to get a quick, easy throw off.
Check out the video to see exactly how these adjustments look in-game and where to find them. And if there’s a specific RPO or read option style that’s giving you trouble, leave a comment, we can dive into those specifics in a future video.
Thanks for tuning in again this week! If you have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode, make sure to drop it in the comments section below.
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