Here, we’ll discuss how to read and defeat the most popular man-defenses in Madden 24. In this tactic, we will not consider disguises.

Cover 1 Breakdown

Now, when you’re reading the defense before the snap, the first thing you want to do is read the safety. Since we see there is usually one safety, that means the defense is either in Cover 1 or Cover 3.

Then we’ll move onto step two, which is reading the outside corners in Cover 1 and Cover 3. The corner will be 7 to 8 yards away from the ball and there are three Shades: Inside Shade, Outside Shade or Even Shade.

Now that we have an understanding of safeties and corners, we need to move to the next step of deciphering the defense’s coverage and reading the slot defender. If the slot defender has Even Shade, it is a one-man cover. If the slot defender has Outside Shade, it’s Cover 3.

So now you should be able to understand and decipher the differences between Cover 1 and Cover 3 pre-snap.

Now let’s review the goals and see what the cover should do. Cover 1 Robber or Cover 1 Hole has a deep safety and a 3 Rec Hook in the center of the field. These defenders try to lurk any route toward the middle of the field. What this does is open up the edges.

So, what strategies and routes can you use to beat Cover 1? One of the best ways to beat coverage is to put the running back on a wheel route. Whether a linebacker or a defensive back guards the running back, the wheel route is popular this year.

Because there is only one safety in the middle of the field, the wheel route can be open from the top to the sideline. This ensures you have the freedom to pass the ball to the right or left, away from the center's safety.

Now we can take advantage of Breaking Routes on the outside of the field, such as zigs, corners and even flats, which can effectively counter Cover 1. But if you want to hit the middle of the field against Cover 1, you may need to take advantage of Madden NFL 24 Coins to improve your overall player stats and try to pull neutral zone defenders away from your intended pass route.

So what you can do is draw a stripe across the seam. The purpose of this is to pull the safety away from the post, preventing the safety from being able to operate on the ball.

Drags and slants now work against Cover 1 and Cover 2. But you need to hit them on the route after they pass 3 Rec middle area. If you throw the ball too early, it may end up being intercepted.

I also want to talk about another route, Curl Routes. Curl Routes are difficult to defend in man coverage, but you want to make sure you get the ball out as soon as the receiver reaches the top of his route. This will create an excellent opportunity to prevent the defensive back from intercepting the ball or making any type of play.

Cover 2 Breakdown

Next, the playbook we are going to talk about is Cover 2. In Cover 2, there will be two tall safeties, with Inside Shade pressed into their outer corners. Now, Cover 2 has two safeties guarding the back half of the field, while everyone else is one-on-one.

The reason you see Inside Shade in the corners is because they want to focus the receivers on the top for help, which is the safety. But with no help in the midfield, this is a place you can exploit.

You can do this by traversing routes, slants, or even digging. These are just a few examples. But a deadly route against man coverage is the running back’s Texas Route. This route creates a lot of space and can result in big runs after the catch when running this route. You just make sure the running back gets past the linebacker and you can throw the ball easily.

Another way to beat Cover 2 is with Motion Slants. Motion Slants make Breaking Route more difficult for defenders to defend. Because the defender is still moving when we pass the ball, the receiver will cut inside, creating a lot of space for easy throws and catches.

You’ll find great separation with Motion Slants, especially against Blitz or any type of Man Coverage.

Now, in Cover 2, there is one more thing you need to pay attention to. It’s all about competing with the quarterback. If you put everyone on a route, the defenders guarding them will turn their backs on them because their job is just to guard their man.

Cover 0 Breakdown

The next game we will discuss is Cover 0 Blitz. This is one of the easiest covers to read. Because the safety is 9 to 10 yards away from the ball and will typically line up over the slot receiver.

For the blitz feeding route concept, you may need to try a shorter batting route in case you need to catch the ball quickly. And you can also set up a deeper hitting lane in case you’re able to block Blitz and send the ball downfield.

In this game, I’ll block a running back, sliding my protection to the left by pressing Lb on the right stick and left. I will then identify D end to the running back’s side through LB and then A. This is one of the most common ways to block any Blitz, and it works very well.

Also note that if we have to throw the ball away quickly, the slant and the zig will create enough space to throw the ball so we can do it easily.

Bonus Tip

This last tip will help you uncover coverage in man or zone coverage. If you move the receiver from one side to the other and the defenders lined up above him run to either side of the field with him, then this is most likely a man-coverage.

If the defender stays in place when you move the receiver, this is most likely a zone defense. The reason is that the defender is man-to-man. No matter where he goes, he needs to follow his primary mission. In a zone, the defender has a specific position on the field that prevents him from following.

Outro

Anyway, I hope these man defenses strategies make sense to all of you. Hopefully, you can dominate against the defense by using elite Madden strategies.