Playbooks

Base 3-4

1 Set1 Formation

Defensive Front

2 EDGEDTSAMMIKE2 WILL2 CBFSSS

Overview

Base 3-4 puts two defensive ends, one nose tackle, two outside linebackers, two inside linebackers, two cornerbacks, a free safety and a strong safety on the field, trading a down lineman for an extra stand-up rusher. In Madden it is built to match 21 and 12 personnel with gap-sound run fits, disguised four-man pressure from either edge, and linebackers who can carry backs and tight ends in coverage. Seen here in the 3-4 Predator front, it makes the offense guess where the fourth rusher comes from before the snap, which complicates protection slides and hot route reads, but it gives up speed on the back end when the opponent goes to 11 or 10 personnel.

Strengths

  • Two stand-up OLBs let you rush from either edge or drop into flats and curl zones, so the protection check and hot route read change every snap without you substituting
  • The nose tackle and two ILBs plug A and B gaps against inside zone, power and duo, which slows down 21 and 12 personnel run-heavy players who spam HB Dive and Counter
  • The Predator alignment creates natural overload looks: showing blitz with both OLBs and dropping one into a buzz zone baits quick slants and hot routes into user picks
  • Two ILBs with solid zone coverage ratings can match up with the TE and RB on Texas and angle routes, so you rarely have to sub out against heavy sets
  • Strong Cover 3 Sky, Cover 1 Robber and Cover 4 Quarters calls from this front give you disguised shells that stay sound against play-action boot and rollout concepts

Weaknesses

  • Only two cornerbacks on the field, so when the offense stays in 11 or goes 10 personnel a linebacker or safety ends up on the slot receiver, which is a major speed mismatch on drags, crossers and option routes
  • OLBs who drop into coverage lack the change of direction to carry vertical seams and wheel routes, and smart players will hot route an RB wheel or TE seam to stress them
  • With just three down linemen, standard four-man pressure depends on the OLB rush, and a sim-heavy protection slide or max protect can neutralize it and give the QB extra time for deep dig and post concepts
  • Offenses can use motion and empty sets to reveal your coverage and force the ILBs out of the box, opening up quick RPOs and outside zone once the box count drops to six
  • If you only call base blitzes from Predator, opponents key on the OLB alignment tells and check to quick screens or slants away from the pressure side

Sets (1)

Set· 3-4

Predator

3 Plays