Though they’re certainly not as exciting as the potential offensive playbooks in Madden 23, defensive playbooks are equally as important. The old saying goes, “Defense wins championships,” and that rings true in Madden as well. If you don’t have a solid defense to stop an opponent, then it likely won’t matter how many points you’re able to put up with your offense. Of course, having the right playbook is only half of the battle, as you also need to understand the different defensive formations and how best to use/control them.
Even so, we’re here to help you win that portion of the battle by offering up our picks for the best defensive playbooks in Madden 23. We will be going over six of the default playbooks in Madden 23, but they will not be in any particular order. It’s also worth noting we’re basing this off of the current state of the game, so if EA decides to patch a certain part of Madden 23, some of these playbooks might lose their viability.
Best Defensive Playbooks in Madden 23
We won’t be categorizing these defenses in any manner, as most playbooks have the same base coverages. However, some stand out from the rest due to having a specific coverage or more plays from a single formation.
Kansas City Chiefs
As of right now, it seems as though the meta defensive playbook in Madden 23 lies with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs boast the terrific 33 defense from the Nickel package, which has been unstoppable in the early going of the game. However, the Chiefs also have Even 61 in the 43 package, which features some solid plays. There’s also Dime Normal, Big Nickel, and other packages that players can utilize to their advantage. Dime Normal specifically has the DB Blitz 1, which has been wreaking havoc so far due to how fast defenders can get to the quarterback.
46
When it comes to defensive playbooks in Madden, non-team playbooks are usually the meta. That hasn’t changed this year in Madden 23, as a playbook like 46 is firmly in contention for the top playbook available. The playbook has slightly changed from previous years, but it still has meta formations such as 33 Nickel, Big Nickel, and 33 Cub Nickel. Once again, Dime Normal is a part of this playbook, but so is 32 Dollar. Dollar has a plethora of formations that are great against the run and pass, as does the rest of the 46 playbook.
Multiple D
We’re going back to another non-team defensive playbook, this time Multiple D. Multiple D is always a favorite among Madden players, especially those who partake in MUT (though non-team playbooks are not available in MUT at the time of writing). This defensive playbook features most of the formations that one would expect to see. The Nickel formations are once again at the forefront, as well as Dime Normal and Dollar. The 34 defenses haven’t been the best this year, but Multiple D has a large array of 34 formations that players can try and make use of.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Moving away from the meta playbooks, the Tampa Bay Bucs come in at the next spot. The Bucs certainly have a unique defensive playbook, as the Nickel formations are different from what you’ve seen previously. The Bucs still get 33 Cub, but there’s also 245 Odd and 24 Double A-Gap, which are terrific defenses for blitzing the quarterback. For players who want to venture outside of Nickel, Tampa Bay has 34 Bear and 44 Split available as well. It should be noted that the Jacksonville Jaguars have this exact same playbook, so the Jags could also be mentioned on this list.
Chicago Bears
A team with a great defensive history, the Chicago Bears find themselves with a solid defensive playbook in Madden 23. An underrated defensive formation the Bears have in their playbook is the 46 Bear, which is one of the best formations for blitzing the quarterback and stopping the run. However, Chicago also features some base Nickel defenses worth running as well as Even 61 in 43, Big Nickel, and an interesting Dollar package in 32 Mug. Big Nickel could be the best formation in this playbook, as it features plays that are equipped to stop most offensive formations.
Baltimore Ravens
Rounding out this list is the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive playbook. The Ravens always have a strong defense, and their Madden 23 playbook backs that up. Baltimore comes equipped with the base meta defenses in 33 Cub and Odd as well as 24 Double A-Gap. However, the Ravens also feature a few different Dime packages that players can mess around with. 1-4-6 is arguably the best formation out of the Dime, with loads of blitz packages that will keep an offense guessing for an entire drive. There’s also 2-3-6, though, which can stimy a mobile quarterback from running with its contain ability, but gets nice pressure with linebacker rushes as well.
And that will do it for our best defensive playbook picks in Madden 23. If you’re looking to learn more about Madden 23, then you can check out our guides on the best offensive playbooks in the game or how to celebrate.
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