Here are 20 tips for Madden NFL 17 to help you learn more about the game. Here you will find strategies for your offense, defense, and special teams. You will also be able to take an in-depth look into team rosters, and which players would be the most useful in specific situations.
The main takeaway for any Madden game is the clock. Managing the clock can be the difference between you winning or losing a game. The game of football is played throughout a total of four quarters with small breaks in-between them. Each team will have a total of three timeouts for each half of the game, so use them wisely.
If you have a pretty convincing lead on your opponent and you're in the second half, you should probably be handing the ball off to run down the clock. If your defense is good, then you should do nothing but run the ball. Force the opponent to spend their timeouts so when it comes to crunch time, they can't make any mistakes. If your opponent starts catching up to you, then you can start taking a few shots down the field. But suffocating the clock in this situation will almost guarantee you the win.
If you are trying to catch up to a team and you're in the second half, you should try to gain good field position. Running the ball isn't the smartest idea here, but if you have a great offensive line and a competent halfback you should be fine. The key here is to not waste time but to have successful pushes down the field. Passing the ball risks a lot of things, but if the pass is incomplete then the time stops. Running the ball will force the clock to run, so depending on the situation you should consider alternate ways to get down the field. -- If you complete a pass, make sure to get out-of-bounds as this will also stop the clock.
Clock management isn't really necessary in the first half of the game unless the opponent is schooling you. If that's the case, then try to save as much time on the clock as possible so you can try to close the gap before the second half.
One of the most common mistakes people make in Madden is throwing an interception deep down the field. This can mostly be avoided if you read the safety and throw the ball away from him. There are two safeties in the game of football, and they usually line up in the middle of the field and sit in the back of the defense. Their job is to read the quarterback and make a play on the ball, whether it's breaking up a pass, intercepting the ball, making a tackle, or even blitzing the quarterback.
In the image above you will see the safety circled in red. Your job is to read his every move when you snap the ball, but be careful and pay attention to the other players on the field. If I want to throw the ball to Green, I would want the safety to break away from him. -- When you call hike watch where the safety runs to. If he covers the receiver you were originally going to target, then dismiss him and search for another target. Your main receiver will now be double-teamed, so throwing anything at him can lead to a terrible outcome.
If you're running the ball you don't have to worry about the safety much. Just keep an eye on him, if you see him getting out of the secondary then look out for a blitz.
In most cases, if you receive the ball first, you're going to start off rather slowly. You don't want to start the game by heaving the ball down the field because you and your team needs to warm up first. -- Ironically, I want you to do just that. But make it a little less obvious that you're doing a pass play. The coach suggestions will show you nothing but run plays. Just go to the main screen and select the "Play Action Pass" option.
A "play action pass" is a play where the quarterback fakes a handoff and then proceeds to throw the ball. Since you're doing this right off the bat, it will catch many people (online) off guard. It even works well against the AI, as I do it every time I receive the ball first. -- If you complete the pass and gain a first down, then keep the pace and momentum going. Hand the ball off often, then when they least expect it hit them with another play action.
Starting off strong in Madden is always a key to success. If you gain momentum early on and keep taking it into the end zone, you will be unstoppable!
Each year Madden tries to rebalance your rosters with what is currently going on in the NFL. Whether or not this feature is cool is beside the point and can really hurt your team. For me, my favorite team is the Pittsburgh Steelers and my roster was a bit mixed around at first. The game benches players based on the real-world roster and if you're playing an online game you may run a few plays without your star players. On the Steelers, Le'Veon Bell and James Harrison were benched and I had to manually put them in.
To rearrange your roster to fit your needs, just press the "Start" button and navigate to the "Depth Chart." From here, you can manage every position and move players to a starting position and bench others. So if your favorite team has a few suspended, injured, or benched players that will make an impact go ahead and move them into the starting position.
Another under-utilized strategy in Madden is the "Hurry-Up Offense." This can really help spark needed momentum for your team, or just add onto your current momentum. Basically, you only want to do this when you've successfully completed a pass or your halfback gained a fair amount of yards. If you successfully run a play, simply hold in the "Y" or "Triangle" button on your controller. The players will quickly run up to the line-of-scrimmage and you will be able to pick a play from a handful of options.
The interesting thing about this is that neither team can use substitutions, so you will be going up against the same group of men on the defense every time until you stop hurrying up your offense. -- This keeps the defense on their toes but is also a double-sided sword. Your players will be exhausted if you keep them on the field too long, so I suggest only doing this every once in a while. Try not to do a lot of these in a row as well. Be smart, and use it when you know you have the defense backed into a corner. This is a great strategy if you're close to scoring and want to take advantage of the current defense on the field.
Madden is a game about patience and playing methodically. Especially if you're playing on All-Madden difficulty. So going for it on fourth down is rarely a good idea, but there are times where it is welcomed and even needed. If you find yourself in the red zone early in the game, then you might go for it depending on the score. If it's right off the bat and the score is 0-0, then I would suggest you take the leap. It's all about the situation of the game, and everything in the game of football is determined by a situation.
In the image above, you can see that the game is tied in the first quarter (0-0) and that it is 4th and Goal. Instead of kicking the sure field goal, I decided to go for it instead. The Steelers have a very good offense, and I trust my linemen to block for Le'Veon Bell. I could have also tried for a pass, but being this close, with a halfback like Bell, almost was a no brainer. I ended up scoring that touchdown and took the lead 7-0. -- The "upside" of failing to get into the end zone is that the Browns would have to start their possession at the 1-yard line. Meaning they would have to travel the whole length of the field to get a touchdown themselves.
Knowing when to throw the football away can make or break a drive. It can be the difference between staying on the field longer, or turning the ball over because you tried forcing the ball into a receiver's hands. Most people that play Madden make the mistake of trying to finish every play they start. but sometimes one play won't work and it's fine. You just need to accept it and throw the ball away. Don't get too selfish or greedy. -- Basically when you drop-back or roll-out for a pass play you are combing the field and looking for an open receiver.
The problem is, you don't have all day back there and the defense is closing in on the quarterback. Unless you have a mobile quarterback (Eg: RG3, Cam Newton, Russel Wilson, etc) you don't want to try and run the ball with the quarterback when things get hairy. Simply get out of the pocket and click down on the right analog stick. The quarterback will automatically throw the ball out-of-bounds and will basically just give up a down. -- If no-one is open and you're about to get sacked, then do this. So many times people will just accept the sack and lose many yards, or will try forcing the ball into a receiver that is fully covered. If you take the sack, you might end up fumbling the football and if you force a bad throw, then the defense might end up picking the ball off. It's a terrible idea all around, and you should always throw the ball away if things get too bad.
Yet another under-utilized feature in Madden are the different passing options. Many times players will see their target open and would just press the button assigned to the player. This can work, but there are better options. You can put the ball exactly where you want it and make great plays. If you want to throw the ball high, there's an option for that. If you need to throw the ball low, there's an option for that. Instead of the same bullet pass over-and-over again, it's nice to put the ball up high in a 1v1 situation or to put the ball low in a congested area.
Only use the different passing options when it makes sense. If your receiver is booking it down the field and only one person is covering him, it is best to use the high pass as the ball will stay in the air longer and will also go further. This way the receiver can get under the ball and snag it. -- Same applies for the low pass. Low passes are great for risky short throws, or if you want to place the ball to where your receiver can only get it. A defender will rarely intercept an intentionally low thrown ball.
In the game of football, you will have a "play clock" for each play. It's there to keep the offense moving and to keep the game going. If the play clock ever reaches zero, then the offense will be penalized. But you can also use it to your advantage. Quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning have used the play clock to their advantage many times and have actually won games by doing so. In Madden, it is no different and you can totally use it to your advantage like the pros do.
If you let the play clock dwindle down to its final seconds, you can fake a snap and try to draw the defense offsides. To do this, simply press "RB" or "R1" on your controller and your quarterback will call for a fake snap. If you time it right and really snap the ball immediately after, there's a chance you can end up with a free play. If you do happen to draw the defense offsides but also get the ball off before the officials call the play dead, you can take a crazy shot deep down the field with no consequence as the defense will be penalized for jumping the gun. It's win-win-lose situation. You either gain +5 yards, get a crazy completion down the field, or one of your players encroaches on the defense. Don't do this too much, though, as you can end up confusing your own linemen and they can draw a penalty.
Pump fakes can be a savior for your quarterback, and can make or break a play. Like most things on this list, barely anyone uses this feature. A pump fake can do lots of things for a play, and it seems like no one knows its hidden potential. Now this isn't something you want to do all the time, but it will definitely catch a lot of teams off guard if you use it every once in awhile.
Pump fakes are basically here to make the defense hesitate and to widen gaps between the receivers and the defenders. If you have some time in the pocket, or when you roll-out, you should utilize this strategy. Especially if your receiver needs a little bit of a separation from the defender. A pump fake will essentially fake-out the defenders into thinking you launched the ball. The quarterback acts like he's about to throw the ball but actually holds onto it. -- Like, the thing, you do with your dog.-- Some defenders will stop dead in their tracks and will search for the ball in the air. By the time they realize what you've done, the ball will be in the air heading towards its target. Mix this with the different pass types and you can pull off some amazing things!
Most of the people that play Madden skip over the "Practices" in the franchise mode. In Madden NFL 17 that may not be the smartest decision, and I strongly urge you to practice every single week. Not only does practicing give some of your players boosts going into their next game, it also allows you to study the opponent's strategy.
Through training, you will learn what system your opponent runs the most and you will also learn what counters it. You can start the practice and really grasp what you're to do in certain situations. After the basic introduction of the plays you're expected to do again certain defenses or offenses, you will actually go head-to-head against it. Try to go for the Gold ranking, as it truly means you have it down. If you get bronze or silver, simply keep retrying until you get it right. Practice makes perfect, and if you want to really be prepared for your upcoming game this is the way to do it!
Most people that are on the goal line try to pound the ball into the end zone with their full back. This may be an option if you have a power back such as Darren Sproles, LeGarrette Blount, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram, etc. But if you have a good quarterback and receivers, the answer may be going to the air.
Every time I'm at the goal line, I will try one handoff for the first play and then reach into a small bag of tricks. One being, the play action pass. As mentioned earlier on this page, the Play Action Pass is a very useful strategy for certain situations and this is one of them. Everyone is expecting a run here, no one really expects you to risk an interception by putting the ball in the air. Luckily for you, the play action makes it seem like you're going for a run play. You're essentially making the linemen and the corners hesitate to create separation for your receivers. Low bullet passes are the way to go at the goal line.
Learning how to play defense on Madden can be very difficult for some people, as they like having control over the situation. Unfortunately for defenses, you have to play slow and methodically. Football is a game about angles and Madden simulates this rather perfectly. A defender's main goal is to keep the offense out of the endzone, but guarding deep passes can break that.
When the ball is in the air, you need to quickly address the situation and act accordingly. One wrong move can lead to a touchdown or a big completion. Don't get greedy here, if the ball is going towards the receiver and there's no chance of you getting an interception then don't go for one. Instead, play the receiver and/or go for a swat. Dedicating the defender to picking off the ball in certain situations will cause the receiver to get wide open. If you're in man coverage, you should always play the receiver or go for a swat. I know the chance of picking the ball off is enticing, but if you miss the ball the receiver is gone!
In previous installments of Madden, you could flip plays but you had to read the entire defense yourself. In Madden NFL 17, they show you which direction is best for your halfback. You can flip a play in the audible menu, and this can really affect what happens on the drive.
Obviously. you want to avoid the red all together. But if it's green, however, you know you will have a good chance of gaining some yards. There are times that both areas are red, which means that you should probably audible to something different. -- If both are green, then either one will work.
As mentioned before, controlling the defense can be very difficult to grasp in Madden. What most players don't know is that you can change the camera view on-the-fly with the D-pad. Up and down are the two buttons on the D-pad that control the camera and this can be useful to a lot of people.
The above image shows you the angle I like to play as on defense. This allows me to read the quarterback more easily, and also allows me to try and get a better cut on the linemen in order to open up a sack opportunity. This is also a great angle for playing as the corners, as it allows you to read the ball in the air more efficiently. -- Find the best camera angle that works for you!
Going back to the whole "don't be greedy" philosophy, it's wise to apply that here. The NFL has recently changed the touchback rule and made it 25 yards on kickoffs, rather than 20 yards. This means that if you decide to return the ball out of the endzone and get hit before the 25-yard line, then you put your team in worse field position instead of taking a knee.
If you can see gaps and holes in front of you and think you can make an honest attempt to get past the 25-yard line, then go for it. Many times players will take the ball out of the end zone and get hit well before the 25-yard line. Don't be greedy, and play smart. Take the free 25-yards and start with decent field position! -- If the ball is well in front of the end zone, then take it! You will more-than-likely, at least, reach the 25-yard line.
If you see something wrong, then quickly audible to a new play. If you see a match up you don't like, or if you think you can do damage by switching to a pass or run then do it! So many times people will just pick the play they want and immediately call snap the ball. Observe the field, and try to switch things up on the field based off of what you see on the defense.
If you see that a run may not work at all, or has a low success rate then switch to a pass play. Don't be afraid to explore the audible menu too. You can change players routes, as well as adjust your linemen. You can completely change your plans and always keep the defense guessing! -- If you have a dynamic offense like the Steelers, Patriots, Panthers, Cowboys, etc. Then using audibles can only strengthen your chances of being successful!
Sliding has always been a feature in Madden titles that no one paid any attention too, and in this Madden, I can see the same happening. Not only is it more complicated to do, it is also absent on the controls page. Sliding is a must for scrambling quarterbacks, or quarterbacks in general. I understand that the field might be open for the bigger quarterbacks too, but regardless you don't want any of them taking a hit. This is the quarterback we're speaking of, so if he gets hurt this could cost you the game or even worse, your season.
In order to perform a slide, you will have to hold in both of the triggers and then press the X or Square button. Make sure you always do this when you take off down the field as the quarterback. He's not used to getting hit, and he may fumble the ball or get seriously injured.
The skills trainer is a great way to go in-depth with all of the different formations in the game of football. Here, you will learn the basics on how to operate your offense and defense. Even special teams! There are advanced tutorials as well and I suggest that everyone should try everything out. This will really teach you how to get better at the game.
Try challenging yourself and go for gold on everything. Try to 100% this thing in order to become a great Madden player. This will teach you everything you need to know, and will teach you how to read defenses as well as offenses. It's a great way to strengthen your Madden skills.
The Gauntlet returns once more in this installment and it's still as fun now as it was when it first got introduced. I urge everyone to try out the Gauntlet as it's a very fun way to test your skills and try to climb up the ladder. You will be faced with a series of different tests ranging from the offense, defense, and special teams. There are also "Boss Battles" inside of the Gauntlet.
Hone your skills, and try to be the best in the Gauntlet. This is a very fun mode in Madden that most people overlook. Give it a shot and challenge your friends to it. This will also train you for certain scenarios for real matches you may have in the game!
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