Big Man

Description

Big Man is the base play of my 4-3 Barricade defensive formation. The play itself is pretty vanilla, but that makes it the well rounded play that every base defense needs. The front four provide a straight-up solid rush, the linebackers and cornerbacks play man against all receivers, backs and tight ends, and the safeties play a 2 deep zone. This play won't generate large numbers of sacks, tackles for loss, or interceptions, but it won't give up many big runs, deep passes, or blown coverages either.

The player assignments ensure that there are no significant weakness to exploit. The man coverages prevent any offensive players from getting wide open as well as making it easy to match up against any formation the opposing offense might throw at you. This is especially helpful against the run. 2 deep zones ensure that almost any deep route will receive double coverage. The front four play unspectacular but steady "base" assignments which generate adequate pressure across the offensive line without risk of overcommitting on running plays in a rush to get into the backfield. Big Man is essentially the safe bet in most typical situations.

Despite it's balance, Big Man does have its strengths and weaknesses. Because my playbook has plenty of speed based formations and plays that excel at attacking from the edges I designed 4-3 Barricade to be especially tough against the run and up the middle. By using standard player assignments nothing has been done to compensate for the (minor) weaknesses this creates. The CB position can be a bit hit or miss. By using inside technique it is difficult for wide receivers to run block effectively, especially for inside runs. However, on some sweep and toss plays this position may actually give the WR better blocking position, sealing the CB inside. Inside technique also helps cutoff quick slant routes, but gives the receivers more room to run out and corner routes, or just scoot up the sideline (though the safeties being spread a bit wider will help deep). The linebackers are also very tough against the run but need an extra step to get outside for coverage (this can be mitigated by moving the LBs over their assigned man using a coverage audible). Occasionally they can get tangled trying to cover their man if the offensive plays run quick crossing routes or blocking patterns.

Player Assignments

See the Madden Playbook Guide for a description of these symbols.

Analysis

Pros:

• Solid all around play, fairly well balanced against run and pass
• Especially tough against inside runs due to tight LB alignment and inside technique of CBs
• Every eligible receiver covered

Cons:

• Bunched LBs in man coverage can get tangled trying to cover assigned players
• CB inside technique vulnerable to out routes
• QB containment can be compromised by unbalanced formations drawing LBs to one side