If your opponents cannot score, you will not lose. Much emphasis is put on having an explosive offense by many ballers. The top flight players, however, are not only prolific point scorers, but very solid defenders. In the majority of cases with evenly matched teams/players, most football games are not “won”, but are lost by the players making the most mistakes.
When on defense, you have four major objectives that would be beneficial to always keep in mind:
Your first objective is to prevent a score. Big hits are great, sacks are great, but if you keep your opponent out of the end zone, you will win games. Don’t get hung up on stats. If your opponent throws for 400 yards and never gets in the end zone, you will beat him easily.
Prevent your opponent from breaking off long sustained drives. This will tire out your defense and you will get beat up in the fourth quarter. Limit your opponent to only minimal gains on 1st & 2nd down, forcing them to constantly be in 3rd and long situations. Play field position ball, force them to take possession deep in their half of the field so that they have a long way to go for the score.
Gain possession of the football. Attack the ball carrier in pileup situations. If multiple tacklers are going after the ball carrier, use the strip button to take shots at the ball. Don’t do this in a solo tackle situation as more often than not, he will break your tackle or force a facemask penalty.
Score - scoring on defense either by interception return, fumble recovery, safety or blocked kick can really shift the momentum of the game. Make your opponent afraid to throw the ball. Shake his confidence with a defensive TD and you will take his heart and turn him into a hesitant player.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do mix up your coverages, play man, play some zone and mix up your zones using cover 1, cover 2, cover 3 & cover 4 schemes.
Do set up the play to look like one of your enhanced blitzes, but instead call a zone. We’ve gotten tons of pics this way.
Do throw in frequent blitz schemes to force errors by the opposing quarterbacks. Most players controlling QBs can not consistently avoid the blitz.
Do use linebacker and d-line shifts and pinches to provide different angles of attack and protect against the offense overloading one side of the field. With more defenders lined up on the one side than what the offensive line can block, it makes it very hard for the running back to fine much running room.
Do use your pass coverage audibles according to the situation. Giving some cushion at times is not a bad idea if you are consistently getting beat deep.
Do use bump-n-run if you are getting killed by short slants or when blitzing.
Do set up defenses the same way if you are blitzing or not. If you have an enhanced blitz you like to call that gets consistently. Use it early in the game and then back off once you get your opponent rattled.
Do manually move up defenders up near the line of scrimmage to show blitz. Often your opponent will think you are coming in after him and hot route a receiver to beat the blitz.
Do stay clean with your controlled player, not getting hung up on your opponent’s blocks. This will enable you to make more plays and shut down the running game.
Don’t constantly leave your corners on an island by themselves.Help over the top with your safeties. Big plays will happen less and you will get a more turnovers in the process.
Don’t get stuck always running the same defenses. A smart opponent will figure your defensive scheme out and adjust accordingly. The Engage Eight should not be the only defense in your arsenal.
Don’t blitz a defender if he is in man coverage on a receiver or tight end.If you are supposed to cover the back, it might be worth the risk to bring some extra heat, especially with a fast safety. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to change non critical assignments, ie. on a blitz, drop a lineman back into the zone, or control the player who is scheduled to blitz and pull him off into coverage instead. A great way to force confusion and get coverage sacks or interceptions.