Reading the Defense

[Coach Moss]

Ok so since I'm in a good mood today, have Madden on the brain and I'm looking to pass the time till I get off work and start the holiday weekend I'm gonna toss out some tips here for reading the defense in more ways then just reading Man vs. Zone. These tips are for playing against the CPU and players who don't audible or adjust the apperance of their defense (exp: show blitz)

1st for those who don't know there's a few ways to tell easily if a defense is in Man or Zone. The first way and the way that most people learn is by simply sending a reciver in motion across the field. If the defender follows him all the way its a man defense, if he stops then its a zone.

The second way allows you to read Zone vs Man with out moving a reciver. Choose a "Twins" play that puts both receivers on the same side of the field, or sometimes you can tell in a 3 reciver set. Basically if one of your recivers does not have a CB lined up over him the defense is in a zone. By putting both recivers on the same side and simply looking to see where the CB's are you can tell man vs zone. The only exception is if that CB is blitzin he will appear in a zone on his side of the field.

If Its a Man blitz then the saftey on the blitzing side will be moved over and alined up with the receiver, if its a zone the saftey will be on his side with the CB to move into his zone.

Pay close attention to who is lined up over your reciver, there are times when playing against a 3-4 Def that the OLB to the twins side will be lined up over the reciver. If you see that, the OLB is in a short "yellow" zone don't confuse him with a CB and think man. You'll be able to tell because on the opposite side of your recivers there will be a smaller odd man out lined up outside your TE. Thats your CB who is in a zone.

Now.. how can you tell if the CB is in a deep zone or a flats zone.. well thats fairly easy too. this is accurate about 90% of the time, accurate enough to always go with it as your read. If the CB is playing loose and back off your reciver AND YOU KNOW ITS A ZONE then the CB is ALWAYS in a Deep zone. which means the flat will be open unless a LB or DE is covering it but you can usually still get the ball to a reciver, TE or RB in the flat you just may not get as many yards.

If the CB is in press coverage AND YOU KNOW HES IN A ZONE then 9 time out of 10 he will be in a flats zone and will be jamming your reciver at the line.

Linebackers are harder to determine because of the minimal ammount of movement they make, but there are a few things you can use to tell if a line backer is in a zone or man.

The first is, if your CB's are in a zone, then your LB's are in a zone. IF your CB's are in a flats zone then your LB's are in yellow zones. If your CB's are in deep zones then your Linebackers can either be in yellow or purple. The only way I know to determine that is by their first steps at the snap. When you snap the ball if the Linebackers drop strait back they are in yellow zones. If they shade back and to their side of the ball they are in purple zones. Maybe someone else here can tell you a better way to determine yellow vs purple.

Another method is to send a TE in motion, if a Linebacker moves with him (it will only be halfway across the field or out wide. Then the Linebacker is manned up with your TE. If the LB doesn't move, he's either in a zone or a blitz.

A third method is if your in a 3 reciver set and the def is in a 4-3 or 3-4 set a linebacker will be manned up on your slot reciver. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS!!! as there are VERY few linebackers who can cover a reciver past the jam at the line. You can tell if the Linebacker is manned up by sending the slot reciver in motion to the other side of the field. The linebacker will follow him till he crosses the center of the field and then go back to his side of the field and the linebacker on the otherside will be manned up with the reciver. You can use this knowledge for runs too. A reciver can't block a linebacker that well but if you send the reciver on a route that takes him away from the run, the linebacker follows enough to put him out of position, or if you use your TE as your slot reciver then he should be able to block the LB strait up.

The blitz has a few tells too. The first is an obvious one. If both safties are allined out with your recivers behind the CB's then the CB's are blitzing and the Safteies are Manned up with your receivers.

If you see any two defenders lined up overtop of each other, (exp: a dime back and a LB both lined up overtop of your slot reciver) then you know one and on some plays both of those players are blitzing. Adjust your line and slot reciver accordingly or switch to a run away from the blitz. Also you know that reciver will be open within a 3 step drop, adjust his route accordingly.

Linebacker blitzes are the hardest to read because they generally appear the same as a linebacker who's in man or a zone. Use your other options to determine if your CB's are in a zone, before you read your LB's Generally if two linebackers are tight to the line behind the DT and DE then one or both of those LB's will be blitzing. Lots of times the MLB will show blitz when he's in a "yellow" zone. Generally speaking when the MLB is showing blitz I read him for a "yellow zone" and i look for one of the OLB's to be blitzing.

If you haven't determined if a LB is in a Blitz or not, a final method is to use a snap count. Sometimes the LB will creep up a step or 2 on the count which tells you they are blitzing. The downfal to faking the snap is that the CPU loves to pop you for false starts, especially in the two minute warnings and in critical situations like 3rd n short or 4th n short.

The Safeties are almost always in a zone of some type. When they aren't its easy to tell becasue they will alined funny directly over a reciver and they will follow the reciver if he is moved. If one saftey is closer then the other, then that saftey is usually in a yellow and on occasion a purple zone. Example would be a cover 1 man in which one saftey is in a yellow zone the other is in a deep blue zone. Watch the saftey in the back, which ever way he fades on the snap, look for the opposite reciver to be open as he will be 1 on 1 with a CB. A snap count will give away a safteies zone alot of times as well. If a saftey is showing blitz and you hit the snap count he will step backwards, if he doesn't move he's blitzing.

Thats pretty much all I've got when it comes to reading defenses. Other then that if I see a defender lined up strange, I know something is up with the play. Then I will either try to move someone around to get an idea of what that defender is doing, OR Audibile to a play that is totally opposite of the play I chose.

have a great memorial day weekend guys! And if your on a PS3 look for me, my ID is Coach Moss. If I forgot anything please add to this guys as I'm sure I can still learn alot more.