Playbooks
23
7 Sets6 Formations
Overview
23 personnel puts two running backs and three tight ends on the field with zero wide receivers, creating the heaviest run-first identity in Madden and a wall of blockers built for short yardage, goal line, and clock control. It shows up in formations like Goal Line Offense > Normal, Strong I > Jumbo, Near > Jumbo, Shotgun > Heavy Panther, and Pistol > Ace Double Wing, and it forces defenses to match with goal line or heavy base personnel that stacks linebackers and extra linemen in the box. Once the defense commits to those bigger bodies, slower linebackers and safeties end up covering tight ends and backs, which opens play-action leaks and flat routes.
Strengths
- Maximum blocking surface lets you run power, iso, and lead dives with a fullback or H-back kicking out the edge, winning short yardage and goal line downs against even the heaviest stacked fronts
- Forces the defense into goal line or 5-2 heavy personnel, so play-action boots and TE drag or flat leaks get matched by slow linebackers instead of cornerbacks
- Three tight ends give you flexible pre-snap motion and shifts to create unbalanced looks, overloading one side of the formation and outnumbering the defense at the point of attack
- Great for clock management and protecting leads, since max protect keeps the QB clean while chewing clock with between-the-tackles runs
- Shotgun > Heavy Panther and Pistol > Ace Double Wing let you run QB power, read option, and RPO looks from heavy personnel, keeping defenses honest without subbing in receivers
Weaknesses
- No wide receivers means little speed on the field, so vertical concepts and deep route trees are almost nonexistent and defenses can squeeze everything within 10 yards of the line
- Tendencies are obvious: opponents key run on nearly every snap, sell out with run commit, crash the line, and stack the box with no fear of getting beaten over the top
- If the defense stays in base or nickel with faster cover players, your tight ends and backs struggle to separate against man coverage, killing any real passing game
- Limited spread concepts make comeback situations or two minute drills nearly impossible, since you cannot stretch the field horizontally or vertically
- A user-controlled linebacker or safety reading play-action can jump drag and flat leaks, and a lone deep safety easily handles the few routes that get downfield
