Madden NFL 25 guide: Master new strategies and defeat defenses like a pro

The football season is almost here, which means that EA Sports Madden NFL 25 has finally arrived to get you ready for pigskin action. This year's entry features a revamped hit stick, juicy new ball carrier moves, and revamped playbooks that feature all of the innovative new ideas that offensive minds like Mike McDaniel have brought to the league in recent years.

Whether you're looking to staunch the unprecedented possibility of a third straight Kansas City Chiefs championship—or perhaps looking to pilot Mahomes yourself—you'll need to brush up on a few details to run up the score on your opponents. With our tips on route choices, how to read coverages, and how to take full advantage of pre-play adjustments, you'll be carving up defenses like a field general in no time.

Some general tips

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's go over a few tips that apply equally well to almost any Madden NFL 25 situation.

Play smart

Ultimately, like all football games, Madden is about controlled risk. Throwing a lob pass downfield into triple coverage is almost always a bad decision, but because of the probabilistic nature of the game, it might result in a touchdown every now and then. Calling a cover zero blitz every third down is likely to get you a sack or two per game, but it's also going to leave you open for big passing plays downfield. The key to success in Madden is to take risks when the odds are in your favor, and that's exactly what we're going to help you figure out in this guide.

Play to your team's strengths

Unless you're playing hardcore competitive modes or with even teams, it's often more important to know your selected squad's standout players than anything else. Getting the ball to a Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce in one-on-one coverage is often a better idea than throwing to your backup running back on a wide-open swing route. In short, don't be afraid to harness your obvious advantages, even if your opponent is putting all their effort into trying to take your best options away.

Vary it up

It can be tempting to return to your favorite "money play" every time you're in a given situation, but a good human opponent will catch onto that. Don't forget to use different pass concepts on offense or coverage shells on defense to keep the other side guessing. That way, when you really need that home run, you can reach for your favorite routes without them automatically knowing what you're going for—especially if you do a good job of disguising it.

Passing the ball

Today's NFL is certainly a passer's league, and that's reflected in Madden. If you want to win consistently, you'll need to learn how to analyze the defense and make the right reads.

Types of pass

There are three major types of pass in the game: lob, touch, and bullet, each corresponding to how long you hold the receiver button down. Though they all have their uses, in general, you'll want to stick to the bullet pass most of the time, as it gets the ball downfield quicker and is harder for the defense to intercept.

Lob passes are helpful for situations where your receiver is two steps or more behind the defender already, such as streak/go routes or outside fades. Touch passes are best for getting the ball over the hands of a nearby underneath defender (usually a linebacker) on an intermediate route.

Reading coverages

If you're a sports fan, you probably already know the difference between man-to-man and zone coverage. Man coverage means that each defender is assigned to a corresponding player on the offense. Zone means that they're assigned to cover a certain portion of the field.

To beat man coverage, you'll want to use dynamic routes (especially crossing routes) and rely on your fastest players to create separation. Drag, Slant, Post, and Go routes often do well against man. Static stop routes like Hitches or Curls are usually less effective here.

To beat zone coverage, you'll want to rely on routes that skirt or simply plow past the edge of each zone, creating mismatches or open space down the field. Seam routes (i.e. Go routes that hit the perimeter or "seam" of a particular player) are very effective against zone, as are Curl, Corner, and Wheel routes in the flat and down the sideline. Remember, you're trying to stretch the definition of each player's covered area, so use routes that'll help you find those edges.

To determine which specific scheme your opponent is running, you want to look at the safeties, which are the players who are set the deepest downfield. The number of safeties downfield gives you the number associated with the scheme. One deep safety is "cover one," two is "cover two," and so on. You'll also want to look at how the cornerbacks are positioned at the line of scrimmage for more hints as to how the defense will react when you snap the ball.

You'll learn to see the difference between man and zone coverage naturally as you play, but the surefire way to tell at a glance is to motion one of your tight ends or receivers prior to snapping the ball. If a defender moves to cover them, they're playing man. If not, it's likely zone.

Cover one

Cover one is a defensive look (usually man) where one safety covers the entirety of the deep field, leaving the defensive backs and linebackers to closely cover receivers. Cover one is generally effective at containing the run and short routes due to the number of bodies near the line of scrimmage. However, cover one is quite vulnerable to Four Verticals and similar plays that feature multiple deep Go or Post routes, as they force the safety to commit to one side, leaving one of your receivers one-on-one. Other than that, use concepts that work well against man coverage and you'll beat cover one.

Cover two

Cover two is an extremely common scheme that features two deep safeties covering half of the field each. Though it excels at preventing intermediate passes between the numbers, you can beat it by using concepts that break to the sideline, particularly Out and Corner routes. Cover two is also quite vulnerable to deep routes with a late cut towards the middle, such as Posts. Cover two man is more common than zone, though you will sometimes see both in the same match.

Cover zero (and other blitz schemes)

Cover zero is an odd defensive scheme that might confuse you the first few times you see it. If the defensive shell features one safety who's strangely close to the line of scrimmage, it's probably a cover zero blitz, which means that you're likely to have five or six players barreling toward your QB. The key strength of cover zero should be obvious: It puts pressure on the passer, which could lead to a sack or interception.

The most consistent way to deal with the blitz in Madden is to pass to a receiver on a quick route that covers an area that one of the extra blitzers just came from, which is usually a free three to five yards (at least). If you feel really confident in your pass protection, it's worth noting that man blitz schemes are often the most vulnerable to a big post or go route due to the lack of a deep safety, but that's often a risky proposition.
 

Running the ball

Handing off the ball between the tackles is a bit more straightforward than trying to read the defense in a split second, but it still has plenty of nuance for you to learn. When running the ball, you want to take full advantage of the right stick's jukes and spin moves to avoid your defenders, as well as using the right trigger to sprint at full speed.

Counting hats

The easiest way to see if a run play is likely to succeed is to use the pre-play Hat Count tool. It divides the line into two halves and compares the number of blockers you have on your side of the line of scrimmage to opposing players on the defensive line. If the box is green, that means that the running back has decent blocking; if it's red, that means you should probably call an audible. You can flip the direction of a run play using the pre-play menu.
Follow your blockers

The best way to succeed in the running game in Madden is to know where the hole is likely to be in the defensive line and which defender you should read. On outside runs, let your lead blocker set the edge for you, and on inside runs, know whether to go inside or outside your lead blocker depending on the decision the key defender makes. In general, spinning is more effective against multiple defenders standing in your way, whereas jukes are better for getting past one.
 

Playing defense

Playing on the other side of the line can be difficult in Madden NFL 25 because you naturally have less control over what your players do and how they behave. That said, with a little practice, you can learn to counter even high-powered offenses.

Play out in coverage

The single biggest thing you can do to improve your defensive game in Madden is to learn to play a cornerback or safety role. While it's tempting to rush the quarterback as your best defensive lineman, realistically, you are unlikely to get to the quarterback except on a fraction of plays, and the AI does a decent job of doing that without your input. The difference between a talented player's coverage and AI coverage in Madden can be the margin between victory and defeat, so get out there and learn to be a ballhawk.

Don't take unnecessary risks

It can be tempting to go for the interception every time or use the improved Hit Stick to try to force a fumble, but not every play can be a home run. A well-timed swat or wrap tackle may not swing the tide of the game immediately, but a missed pick attempt or tackle can result in a 50-yard TD against you. Only use those tools when you can live with the potential consequences.

Play your second-best defensive back

This might sound counterintuitive, but if you have a 90+ OVR cornerback or safety on your team, and you aren't yet confident in your coverage abilities, you should consider playing the second-best cornerback or safety on your team. Your star defensive player will likely do decently on their own, but your second-best DB could probably use the help to cover secondary receivers.

EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is out now on the Epic Games Store.