The use of the 3-4 defense seems to be growing in our Madden league so I wanted to put out a post just kind of describing what the 3-4 is and how to use it realistically. There are some funky formations in some of the 3-4 playbooks so I just wanted to get ahead of any possible issues.
Personnel
Defensive Linemen - There are only three linemen in a 3-4 and therefore serve an entirely different purposes than defensive linemen in a 4-3. Linemen in a 3-4's primary responsibility is to occupy blockers and allow the linebackers to make plays. Generally, the two DEs in a 3-4 weigh at least 290 lbs and the NT is generally 330+. They should have great strength and be able to hold up vs blocks. Good block shedding helps too.
Outside Linebackers - Again, 3-4 linebackers are built differently than their 4-3 counterparts. All four linebackers in a 3-4 are generally going to be heavier than those in a 4-3. Typically, you want an OLB in a 3-4 to be 250 lbs or more. Many are 260-270 lbs. They function as stand up defensive ends on many downs and will line up with their hands in the dirt on passing downs. Speed and pass rushing skills and block shedding are important.
Inside Linebackers - The inside linebackers size can vary by team. The Steelers have ILBs who are around 235 while the Ravens have one that is 250. If I were running a 3-4, I would want them all above 250 ideally. However, their skills will be the most important. Strength, block shedding, tackling, hit power and man and zone coverage are all important. These guys are responsible for stopping the run, playing coverage and occasionally blitzing.
Defensive Backs - Some may disagree but I think the secondary is pretty much the same as with a 4-3. It really depends on how you plan to use them. If you run a lot of zone blitz, then obviously you want guys that can cover. Or you can run primarily man. That really depends on you but I don't think the skill requirements change that much from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
Base Defense
The 3-4 defense is very different from the 4-3 in that it is a more multi-functional defense. A 4-3 is generally used only versus two running backs or two tight ends. Against 3 WR a 4-3 will generally go to a nickel defense. A 3-4, however, will stay on the field a lot of the time vs 3 WR, especially in short to medium yardage. That is one of the benefits of a 3-4, its flexibility in calling plays. Since you have four linebackers, at least two of which (your ILBs) should have good coverage, you can stay in your base defense and defend against short and medium passes.
Nickel and Dime
This area is where the 3-4 and 4-3 really begin to differ. Since the defensive ends in a 3-4 are large space occupiers and not generally suited to rushing the passer, they are usually replaced by OLBs on passing downs. So, you will see a lot odd nickel and dime formations with only one or two defensive linemen. Keep in mind though that these are generally only used in long yardage or passing situations like 2nd and 10 or 3rd and 4+ when facing 3 or more WRs.
In real life, having only 1-2 large linemen on the DL makes you susceptible to the run. As we've seen with guys who have exploited quarters and big dime to stop the run in our leagues, that's not always the case in Madden. If you are running a 3-4 in a sim league, the rules change a bit when facing 3+ WRs. If it is short yardage, typically you should still be in your base 3-4. If you are calling a defense with just one or two defensive linemen and consistently stopping the run, you may be benefiting from an AI blocking deficiency and should probably refrain from doing that.
1-5-5 Nickel Prowl
This is a defense that I haven't seen much this year but that I know is still in the game. For those of you that have played Madden or even NCAA for awhile, it was commonly known as the cheesiest defense in the game. Why? Because in a 1-5-5 there is only one linemen with his hand in the dirt. The other five linebackers line up around the line but are standing. This is different from a 2-4-5 Nickel in that two of the four linebackers in a 2-4-5 line up with their hand on the ground. All of the other nickel and dime formations with only one or two defensive linemen have linebackers with their hands on the ground. But not the 1-5-5. That's the way it is in real life.
The guys at Tiburon (where they make Madden and NCAA) though have always had a hard time mapping the offensive linemen to the standing linebackers. That led to a lot of unrealistic pressure and "nano" blitzes. I'm not sure if they have fixed this with Madden 15 (I think it is doubtful) but if you choose to use the 1-5-5, make sure that you can be self aware enough to know if it seems cheesy or is too effective. Also, keep in mind that it is not a run stopping defense, but rather a unique nickel defense used to stop the medium pass. The standing linebackers just make it hard for the offensive line to know who is rushing and who to block. That's just something that, to my knowledge, the devs have not figured out how to mimic correctly yet in Madden.
Conclusion
I am certainly not an expert on the 3-4 nor is this supposed to be an end-all, be-all guide to the 3-4. However, I wanted to give a little insight into it for those that are new to it and also kind of set the expectation as to what we expect from guys running the 3-4 in our leagues. If you have additional info that you would like to share or questions, feel free to ask.
Personnel
Defensive Linemen - There are only three linemen in a 3-4 and therefore serve an entirely different purposes than defensive linemen in a 4-3. Linemen in a 3-4's primary responsibility is to occupy blockers and allow the linebackers to make plays. Generally, the two DEs in a 3-4 weigh at least 290 lbs and the NT is generally 330+. They should have great strength and be able to hold up vs blocks. Good block shedding helps too.
Outside Linebackers - Again, 3-4 linebackers are built differently than their 4-3 counterparts. All four linebackers in a 3-4 are generally going to be heavier than those in a 4-3. Typically, you want an OLB in a 3-4 to be 250 lbs or more. Many are 260-270 lbs. They function as stand up defensive ends on many downs and will line up with their hands in the dirt on passing downs. Speed and pass rushing skills and block shedding are important.
Inside Linebackers - The inside linebackers size can vary by team. The Steelers have ILBs who are around 235 while the Ravens have one that is 250. If I were running a 3-4, I would want them all above 250 ideally. However, their skills will be the most important. Strength, block shedding, tackling, hit power and man and zone coverage are all important. These guys are responsible for stopping the run, playing coverage and occasionally blitzing.
Defensive Backs - Some may disagree but I think the secondary is pretty much the same as with a 4-3. It really depends on how you plan to use them. If you run a lot of zone blitz, then obviously you want guys that can cover. Or you can run primarily man. That really depends on you but I don't think the skill requirements change that much from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
Base Defense
The 3-4 defense is very different from the 4-3 in that it is a more multi-functional defense. A 4-3 is generally used only versus two running backs or two tight ends. Against 3 WR a 4-3 will generally go to a nickel defense. A 3-4, however, will stay on the field a lot of the time vs 3 WR, especially in short to medium yardage. That is one of the benefits of a 3-4, its flexibility in calling plays. Since you have four linebackers, at least two of which (your ILBs) should have good coverage, you can stay in your base defense and defend against short and medium passes.
Nickel and Dime
This area is where the 3-4 and 4-3 really begin to differ. Since the defensive ends in a 3-4 are large space occupiers and not generally suited to rushing the passer, they are usually replaced by OLBs on passing downs. So, you will see a lot odd nickel and dime formations with only one or two defensive linemen. Keep in mind though that these are generally only used in long yardage or passing situations like 2nd and 10 or 3rd and 4+ when facing 3 or more WRs.
In real life, having only 1-2 large linemen on the DL makes you susceptible to the run. As we've seen with guys who have exploited quarters and big dime to stop the run in our leagues, that's not always the case in Madden. If you are running a 3-4 in a sim league, the rules change a bit when facing 3+ WRs. If it is short yardage, typically you should still be in your base 3-4. If you are calling a defense with just one or two defensive linemen and consistently stopping the run, you may be benefiting from an AI blocking deficiency and should probably refrain from doing that.
1-5-5 Nickel Prowl
This is a defense that I haven't seen much this year but that I know is still in the game. For those of you that have played Madden or even NCAA for awhile, it was commonly known as the cheesiest defense in the game. Why? Because in a 1-5-5 there is only one linemen with his hand in the dirt. The other five linebackers line up around the line but are standing. This is different from a 2-4-5 Nickel in that two of the four linebackers in a 2-4-5 line up with their hand on the ground. All of the other nickel and dime formations with only one or two defensive linemen have linebackers with their hands on the ground. But not the 1-5-5. That's the way it is in real life.
The guys at Tiburon (where they make Madden and NCAA) though have always had a hard time mapping the offensive linemen to the standing linebackers. That led to a lot of unrealistic pressure and "nano" blitzes. I'm not sure if they have fixed this with Madden 15 (I think it is doubtful) but if you choose to use the 1-5-5, make sure that you can be self aware enough to know if it seems cheesy or is too effective. Also, keep in mind that it is not a run stopping defense, but rather a unique nickel defense used to stop the medium pass. The standing linebackers just make it hard for the offensive line to know who is rushing and who to block. That's just something that, to my knowledge, the devs have not figured out how to mimic correctly yet in Madden.
Conclusion
I am certainly not an expert on the 3-4 nor is this supposed to be an end-all, be-all guide to the 3-4. However, I wanted to give a little insight into it for those that are new to it and also kind of set the expectation as to what we expect from guys running the 3-4 in our leagues. If you have additional info that you would like to share or questions, feel free to ask.
Last edited:
