M18 Defensive Game Planning Chapter 4: 34 Formation Breakdowns

Welcome to Chapter 4 of our Madden 18 Defensive Game Planning eBook. In this section we will take a look at some Blitz and Coverage Setups from 34 Even, 34 Over, and 34 Odd. These are your basic defensive setups, there are alternate setups and plays that can be used for specific formations, which will be covered in the “Defending Popular Offenses” section of this guide!

34 Even

Will Fire 3 Seam *Left B Gap

  1. Base align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Crash Line Down
  4. Spy LE (Right of Screen) *Optional

 

Will Fire 3 Seam *Dual Pressure

  1. Base align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Hot Blitz LOLB (Right of Screen)
  4. Call Contain
  5. Crash Line Right
  6. User MLB in Left A Gap as Shown

 

OLB Strike 2 3 man

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Crash Line Out
  4. Place Right of Screen MLB in Deep Third
  5. Contain
  6. Spy RE (Left of Screen)
  7. Coverage ROLB (Left of Screen)
  8. User Left MLB in Left A Gap

 

OLB Strike 2 Dual Pressure

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Crash Line Right
  4. Blitz Left of Screen MLB
  5. Contain
  6. User Right MLB in Left A Gap as Shown

 

Left B Gap (Any Play With LOLB Blitzing)

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Crash Line Down
  4. Blitz Left of Screen MLB
  5. Spy LE (Right of Screen) *Optional

 

SS Sam 3

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch Lb’s
  3. Crash Line Down
  4. User MLB In Left A Gap as Shown

 

Cross Fire 3

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch LB’s
  3. Crash Line Right
  4. User Right of Screen MLB in Hard Flat

 

34 Odd

Cross Fire 3 Setup 1

  1. Base Align
  2. Spread Line and Crash Left
  3. Hot Blitz ROLB (Left of Screen) *optional
  4. User Left of Screen MLB To the Right blitzing MLB (See video)

 

Cross Fire 3 Setup 2 (Dual Pressure)

  1. Base Align
  2. Spread Line and Crash Left
  3. Hot Blitz Both OLBs
  4. Hook Zone the Left of Screen MLB and User Over RT as Shown

 

Will Buck 3 Press

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch LBs
  3. Crash Line Down
  4. User Right of Screen MLB
Pinch Dog 3/Pinch Dog 2 (Left B Gap/Outside)

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch LB’s and D-Line
  3. Crash Line Down
  4. Blitz Left of Screen MLB
  5. Coverage Blitzing LOLB (Right of Screen)
  6. User Right of Screen MLB

 

Edge Blitz 3/Edge Blitz 1

  1. Base Align
  2. Crash Line Down
  3. User Left of Screen MLB Over LT (Not hovering see video)

*Pinched Look (Faster) included at end of video!!

Left B Gap From any Play With ROLB (Left of Screen) Blitzing

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch Line and Crash Down
  3. Blitz Left of Screen MLB
  4. User Right of Screen MLB

34 Over

Will Buck 3 Press

  1. Base Align
  2. Crash Line Down
  3. Spy LE (Right Of Screen) *Optional
Trio Sky Zone

  1. Base align
  2. Crash Line Down
  3. User MLB in Hook Zone
  4. Spy/Coverage RE (Left of Screen) *Optional

 

Cross Fire 3

  1. Base Align
  2. Crash Line Left
  3. Hot Blitz ROLB (Left of Screen)
  4. Place Blitzing Left of Screen MLB in Hard Flat and User Over LT as Shown

 

OLB Fire 2

  1. Base Align and Press
  2. Pinch LB’s and Shift Line Left
  3. Crash Line Out
  4. Contain
  5. Coverage Right Side OLB *Optional
  6. Place Left of Screen MLB in Deep Third
  7. User Right of Screen MLB Center as Shown

 *Extra setup for dual pressure at end of vid!!

Sting Pinch Zone (A gap and Outside)

  1. Base Align
  2. Shift Line Left and Pinch LB’s
  3. Crash Line Out
  4. User Right of Screen MLB over Center as Shown
  5. Contain
  6. Place Either Safety in Deep Third
  7. Other Deep Safety in Curl Flat
  8. Shade As Needed

 

Sting Pinch Zone 4 Man

  1. Base Align
  2. Pinch LBs and Shift Line Left
  3. Crash Line Out and Contain
  4. Place Blitzing MLB in Deep Third
  5. Hard Flat LOLB (Right of Screen)
  6. Adjust Safety Coverages as you Wish (Man, Flats, Leave in Hooks, etc)
  7. User Right of Screen MLB over Center as Shown
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9 Comments

  1. davidcozier on December 1, 2017 at 12:38 am

    im having trouble bringing up the crash line adjustment, i just cant find it

    Reply
    • admin on December 1, 2017 at 5:05 am

      LB/L1 and then the right stick in whichever direction you want to crash

      Reply
      • davidcozier on December 1, 2017 at 6:29 am

        ok i got it thanks

        Reply
  2. davidcozier on December 31, 2017 at 8:25 pm

    is there a way to make both safeties drop down, or do I have to do that with each safety?

    Reply
    • admin on January 1, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Unfortunately not. I really wish there was, bc it is a very necessary adjustment to stop posts and seams. And if you only bring one down then your opponent will begin to identify what you are doing. Hopefully they eventually fix deep middle thirds

      Reply
  3. davidcozier on February 10, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    how do you call contain again

    Reply
    • admin on February 11, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      L2 then R1

      Reply
  4. richardgrimm on May 1, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    what playbook is the best to use for this guide

    Reply
    • admin on May 4, 2018 at 5:41 am

      Indy is the best but most 34 books will work.

      Reply

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