“Offense wins games…Defense wins championships.” Paul “Bear” Bryant
Having a great offense means nothing if your defense can’t keep your opponent from matching you point for point. Being able to make the big stop on 4th and short or force the game-changing turnover can mean the difference between making the playoffs or watching the playoffs.
Solid cap management will help you protect your defensive stars and allow you to sign one or two playmakers that can make a good defense great. Great defenses win championships, and it often comes down to one or two plays, one or two players.
The Defense
The defense consists of five areas of focus; the defensive line, outside linebackers, middle linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties. Knowing how each position fits your scheme will help you build a dominating defense that strikes fear in the hearts of your opponents.
Defensive Line: Every great defense starts with the defensive line. 4-3, 3-4, Tampa 2 – all of them require defensive linemen.
Different defensive schemes require different types of linemen. 3-4 requires bigger, stronger defensive linemen than the other schemes because there is one less lineman to control the line of scrimmage. 4-3, 4-6, and Tampa 2 defenses consist of four defensive linemen – two defensive ends and two defensive tackles.
3-4 defensive linemen often must play off double teams from center/guard, guard/tackle, and tackle/tight end blocking combinations, so they need to be physically larger and stronger than their 4-3 counter parts. Regardless of the scheme, defensive tackles should still be bigger than their counterparts on the outside. Having a great defensive tackle or pair of great defensive tackles will be the start of a great defense.
When running four defensive linemen, defensive tackles are faster, more athletic linemen so they can collapse the interior line and control the line of scrimmage. 4-3 defensive ends help set the outside edge of the line of scrimmage against the run and generate an outside pass rush. 4-3 defensive ends are built more like big linebackers with good speed, acceleration, and strength. A pair of good defensive ends will have quarterbacks sweating every time they drop back to pass.
Middle Linebackers: Middle linebackers are best described as the quarterbacks of the defense. Middle linebackers need to be versatile above all else – they need to have decent size to match up against tight ends in coverage, good speed, above average acceleration, and excellent tackling ability. Middle linebackers lock down the middle of the field and control the flow between the “A” and “B” gaps, this allows them to prevent big plays in the second level of the defense. It’s not surprising that middle linebackers are often the leading tacklers on defense.
Outside Linebackers: Outside linebackers regardless of scheme share the same responsibilities – generate pass rush, stretch outside runs to the sidelines, and bring the lumber against tight ends. Outside linebackers need to be fast, strong, good in coverage, and have excellent tackling skills. They need to be fast enough to get to the outside edge, strong enough to fight through blocks of tackles and tight ends, and good enough in coverage to take on tight ends or slot receivers in the zone. Their tackling ability needs to be excellent as the majority of their tackles will be in the open field or in the back field versus running backs, quarterbacks, or tight ends.
Cornerbacks: The task of matching up against the fastest players on the field falls to the cornerbacks. Not only do they have to be fast, they have to perform the majority of their job as a mirror to the wide receivers. The ability to shut down an entire side of the field like Jaire Alexander or Richard Sherman, your cornerbacks need to have excellent speed, acceleration, agility, and coverage skills. You should also look at change of direction and size when trying to cover receivers like Davante Adams or Michael Thomas.
Safeties: The last line of defense on the defense are your safeties. They need to be versatile enough to range the deep zone, blitz the quarterback, provide run support, and cover fast tight ends. Similar to middle linebackers, safeties need to have good speed, excellent tackling ability, and good acceleration. If receivers or running backs get past the safeties, six points for your opponent aren’t far behind.
Once again, the strategies outlined above are only suggestions. Every team is different, every Madden player has their own style. This is just a tool to help you look in the right direction when putting together a defense for your franchise. In the end, it’s all about having fun and playing some Madden.
Regards, Johncow
2cowsgaming.com 