Welcome back to Ask Huddle! Each week, we take your Madden questions and break them down so you can understand the game on a deeper level. Got something you want answered in a future episode? Drop it in the comments. Our goal is simple: help you win more games.
You can watch the full video on YouTube from Huddle by hitting play above or clicking here.
#1 - What's the best way to run Mid Blitz?
Answer:
Mid Blitz is the most popular Cover 0 pressure you’ll face, and it’s just as useful to mix into your own defensive gameplan. When run correctly, it can create instant pressure while forcing your opponent into quick, uncomfortable reads.
The key to running Mid Blitz is understanding two things:
- Is the running back blocking or going out on a route?
- Is your opponent untargeting your user defender?
Start by Route Committing to the inside. This is optional, but highly recommended; in Cover 0, you have no help over the middle, so you want your DBs to protect the inside first.
Next, user the defender responsible for the running back, typically a safety. Bring him down toward the line and mug the gap on the running back’s side.
- If the running back goes out on a route, you need to follow him.
- If he stays in to block, you have two options:
- Blitz your user to maintain the +1 advantage and ensure a free rusher.
- Drop off into coverage to help protect the middle of the field. Just understand that without your user blitzing, you’ll need to rely on your rushers to win their matchups, and you won’t have a guaranteed free runner anymore.
- Blitz your user to maintain the +1 advantage and ensure a free rusher.
If your opponent starts untargeting your user, be sure to check out the video. We break down multiple adjustments you can make to keep the pressure consistent even when they try to neutralize your blitz.
#2 - Why does my cornerback align to the wrong side of the field?
Answer:
This is a common issue in Madden, and it usually comes down to how certain offensive formations interact with your defensive playcall. You’ll see this most often when:
- You have Auto Flip turned off
- You’re in a Nickel set
- You’re calling Zone coverage with two high safeties (Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 6, Cover 9, etc.)
These combinations can cause your slot defender to align incorrectly, yet still be in his original zone assignment back across the entire field.
Here are a few reliable ways to fix or prevent it:
- Turn Auto Flip On
This is the simplest solution. If your opponent flips their play, just flip your defense in response to keep your alignment good. - Choose a Play Where the Slot Corner Blitzes
If you prefer to keep Auto Flip off, try selecting a play where your slot cornerback is assigned to blitz by default. This helps lock in proper alignment from the start. - Use a One-High Safety Look
Calling a Cover 3 or Cover 3 Match shell eliminates the two-high alignment issue entirely. You can also use other coverages from a Cover 3 shell. - Use a Non-Nickel Formation
Formations with zero or two slot cornerbacks, like 4-3, 3-4, or Dime, don’t suffer from this alignment issue, so your defenders will line up correctly every time.
#3 - Why do you use your flats as the deeper zone in mable coverage?
Answer:
Technically, you can run Mable coverage with your curl flats dropping deeper than your hard or cloud flats, but I’ve found that it’s a less effective way to defend what Mable is designed to stop.
As we talked about last week, Mable coverage is built to defend the sidelines, especially against popular Flood concepts. The key route in those combinations is almost always the deep out or corner route, depending on your opponent’s variation.
Because of that, we want our deep flat defender positioned correctly pre-snap to handle those routes. Cloud flats are ideal for this role, particularly within a Cover 2 shell, because they start with outside leverage. That leverage gives them a great opportunity to get to the sideline quickly and take away the corner route.
Using curl flats as your deep zone forces that defender to start too far inside, which makes it harder to get underneath those key sideline routes in time.
#4 - If I individually adjust a defender, will he still follow the zone drops set on a play?
Answer:
The short answer is no. Once you individually adjust a defender’s zone (or custom stem it), that player will no longer follow your zone drop settings.
The rest of your defense will still use the drop depths you’ve set in your adjustments menu, but the defender you changed will now play based on the new assignment’s rules, not your preset zone drops.
Make sure to watch the video for a demonstration of how this works in-game.
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.
Comments