Somebody please tell me how to play pass defense in Madden '09

[Javalon]

Okay, so I haven't played Madden since about 2003 and apparently in that time I've lost track of how to play pass defense.

Brody freaking Croyle just chewed me up for about 32 of 39 passing and around 300 yards. I won the game thanks to some pick-sixes but that doesn't jive with the ridiculously high completion percentage. And similar stats seem to pop up pretty regularly no matter who I face.

I've tried letting the computer run the plays, I've tried playing DL, MLB and S to no avail. I've tried using the Madden suggestions and calling all my own plays and nothing really seems to make a difference. I continually get chewed up through the air, although I sometimes get bailed out by random INTs.

Any suggestions?

[Southstander]

I have the same problem Jav, so I would like to know too.

[getlynched47]

Okay, so I haven't played Madden since about 2003 and apparently in that time I've lost track of how to play pass defense.

Brody freaking Croyle just chewed me up for about 32 of 39 passing and around 300 yards. I won the game thanks to some pick-sixes but that doesn't jive with the ridiculously high completion percentage. And similar stats seem to pop up pretty regularly no matter who I face.

I've tried letting the computer run the plays, I've tried playing DL, MLB and S to no avail. I've tried using the Madden suggestions and calling all my own plays and nothing really seems to make a difference. I continually get chewed up through the air, although I sometimes get bailed out by random INTs.

Any suggestions?

what kind of defensive plays do you call??

If you call blitzes in the 4-3 all the time...then I see what your problem is

[CinnaMunMun]

I found that one of the things that helps the most is either commit to pass when the ball is hiked, or if I feel cheap, I user blitz Abdullah between the center and right guard, which usually unsettles the QB and makes him throw more off his back foot.

The 9 man zone play helps too. :D

[RunYouOver]

Easiest way to play pass defense, works REALLY well.

Just call zones all the time, play as an outside LB or a dime corner who is covering the flats.

Dime/Cover 2 Cover 2 press Cover 3 all work very well.

[hardcorebronco]

Easiest way to play pass defense, works REALLY well.

Just call zones all the time, play as an outside LB or a dime corner who is covering the flats.

Dime/Cover 2 Cover 2 press Cover 3 all work very well.

Nickle or Dime Man Zone with a Middle Linebacker in QB Spy. Works like a charm!

Champ and Bly take the top 2 receivers with corners on their TE's, Slot, and RB's. MLB takes the middle of the field in Spy (Lotttts of INTS) and both safeties over the top in zone prevent deep passes. Keep on an eye on their SLOT / TE, they get open the most and on middle crossing routes, so just switch to them after the ball is thrown, and get a swat or hit them as they catch, unless its Welker or Gates, they won't catch them.

But yes, on obvious downs, cover 3 and cover 2 do work quite well. So I run man zone 70% of the time, and then switch it up to cover 3 and shut down the crossing routes and normally walk away with a pick 6. They get used to seeing man looks, and by going with zone on 3rd and long really catches them off guard. It's all about countering their formation with one that matches up favorably. ;)

Good luck, defense takes more work this year than normal, that's for sure!

[Javalon]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was under the impression that the AI would start adjusting to your playcalls if you used the same ones too often in the same situations. I'll experiment some more according to what you all have been saying.

Man, I don't want to see Croyle or Russell tearing through my defense again. :sick:

[RealBronco]

hmmmm man... i get eaten alive when i'm on defense.

moreso online. even if i know what the guy is going to do... a lot of them run a lot.. and it's like: "jeez... i even knew he'd run on this play and he still broke for a 20 yarder" or whatever...

so...annoying.

then when i have the ball it seems like i can never do the things they do... and i change it up more...

[rbk_bronco]

If your playing as the Broncos it's destiny... to have a bad pass defense.

[RealBronco]

If your playing as the Broncos it's destiny... to have a bad pass defense.

*gasp* you're saying we should play as OTHER teams? :eek::eek:

lol. jk. but it's so WEIRD to use other teams... don't you guys think? i always feel weird when i drop back with like... Eli, or Delhomme or whoever...

[rbk_bronco]

*gasp* you're saying we should play as OTHER teams? :eek::eek:

lol. jk. but it's so WEIRD to use other teams... don't you guys think? i always feel weird when i drop back with like... Eli, or Delhomme or whoever...

Nah I only use the Broncos I'm just saying that our team has a bad pass defense in real life and in madden :P.

[vicious2500]

One of the best things to do is faeg out a cover 3/4 play and essentially play a 1 man pass rush D and click on and go for the swat/pick. Playing zone coverage and playing as MLB and jumping underneathe routes is another option. The defense plays like azz under 15 yards and jumps everything after that. Blitzing usually gets picked up quicker than 4 linemen rushes...

[24CHAMP24]

This is a "glitch" known as robo qb for madden this year. Any QB will eat you alive no matter what.

[Mile_High_Kiwi]

I had some trouble playing the pass too but seem to have fixed it over the last 3 games. Last night I picked off 7 Packers passes in a 77-17 route (my highest score ever in Madden; Bly had 3 picks, Fred Bennet had another 3 and Josh Barrett had the other one)

Basically regardless of what formation you use, pick your player to control and play their assignment correctly. If you're in man, man up against their best player and stay on them. I've found that by simply playing your assignment correctly this has an effect on your other team members.

Also as others have suggested, try using the MLB in a zone and just hover there. This seems to confuse the QB and you can usually force TO's this way.

I've found rushing the passer and going for sacks doesn't really work. I get more sacks when I play as a LB or safety in zone or a CB in man and let the others run their assignments. Sure, you don't get that many user controlled sacks but your team mates will get a few.

I hope that helps.

[JoRo]

*gasp* you're saying we should play as OTHER teams? :eek::eek:

lol. jk. but it's so WEIRD to use other teams... don't you guys think? i always feel weird when i drop back with like... Eli, or Delhomme or whoever...

I played as Vincy for a while, there was a trick play that always worked online.

then I switched to McNabb.


I don't need the high powered offense we got so much, but I need SOME d... and ours online is really hard to win with at times.

[Geandily]

Broncos suck in madden, the O-line is slow, cutler is inaccurate and has no arm strength, its just a bad team.

Defense is good against idiots that like to air it out though :D

[Fins4Life]

Okay, so I haven't played Madden since about 2003 and apparently in that time I've lost track of how to play pass defense.

Brody freaking Croyle just chewed me up for about 32 of 39 passing and around 300 yards. I won the game thanks to some pick-sixes but that doesn't jive with the ridiculously high completion percentage. And similar stats seem to pop up pretty regularly no matter who I face.

I've tried letting the computer run the plays, I've tried playing DL, MLB and S to no avail. I've tried using the Madden suggestions and calling all my own plays and nothing really seems to make a difference. I continually get chewed up through the air, although I sometimes get bailed out by random INTs.

Any suggestions?


I dont know what coverage you use, but I usually use Nickel Cover 3 press in passing situations. I had the same problem until I used that a lot. Hope this works for you to.

[Geandily]

Another thing that works sometimes is to use cover 2, press, shade safeties to the outside and control the middle linebacker so that you can cover deep over the middle.


It's something that people never really see and leads to quite a few interceptions. If you use it in singleplayer it works everytime, so much in fact that I quit using it against the computer.


Flat dime cover 2 works well if you know they're gonna try a quick pass

[bleedbluorange]

I played as Vincy for a while, there was a trick play that always worked online.

then I switched to McNabb.


I don't need the high powered offense we got so much, but I need SOME d... and ours online is really hard to win with at times.
I tried Jax and it is so much better when you have a good d. I couldnt stay away from the broncos though. So I just try and put up some points with long drives. Our d gives up the big play and also the short yardage play. If your playing anyone that's any good you'll have trouble making stops.

My advice Jav is to just play solid D but concentrate on getting your offense together. Put up the points.

[lazarus4444]

Some good info here, thanks guys! :rockon:

[Fins4Life]

Dont listen to the whole use a different team that Madden likes...if I can do it with the 67 rated Fins then you can with any team.

[Aija]

These are my basic formations.

If they come out in a two WR or Two TE set I play 4-3 under - 2 man under.
If they play 3 WR I play a nickel strong with the two man under or other variation. (Zone coverage works best)
4 WR then I play Dime Flat with zone coverage or a blitz.
5 WR I play quarter deffense with press coverage.

The key is to control your middle linebacker. Use that linebacker to cover the RB's coming out of the backfield or anything in the flats. The deep guys should be covered pretty well.