“Defense wins championships” might be a worn-out statement, but it does still ring true. And while you do need some talented players on the defensive side of the ball, the defensive playbook that you use makes a difference. One of the things that you do need to take into account when choosing the right playbook is whether or not a book fits the type of team and players you have. If you have four solid defensive lineman, a 4-3 scheme works best. For those linebacker-deep teams, a 3-4 scheme should do the trick.
Now that we’ve gone over that, you might be wondering which defensive playbooks are the best in Madden 22? Let’s go over our picks for the best playbooks in this year’s game.
Steelers
Pittsburgh has been a defensive force for decades, and that hasn’t changed in the Mike Tomlin era. The Steelers 3-4 defense can bury opposing defenses with suffocating blitz plays that can be run in either Cover 1 or Cover 3. If you want to put the heat on the opposition, try out the Steelers playbook.
Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team might have been the joke of the NFL before the start of the last season just solely on their name, but that wasn’t the case on the field. The WFT, lead by powerhouse rookie Chase Young, shockingly won the NFC East, and a big reason why was Ron Rivera’s defense. Rivera’s 4-3 defense can shake opposing QBs, and this playbook has some good versatility thanks to some 46 and Nickel plays.
Patriots
New England might have had Tom Brady lead the Patriots to six Super Bowls in 20 seasons, but the Patriots defense quite possibly played an even bigger role than #12 on those squads. Bill Belichick’s stout defense in Madden 22 runs a multiple front scheme, meaning that there is plenty of different looks that you can give the opposing team. Players who use the Patriots can seamlessly transition from a 4-3 setup to a 3-4. This versatility alone makes the Pats playbook a must use in Madden 22.
Vikings
4-3 schemes are great for shutting down the opponent’s passing game, just based in part that this formation means more players on the line. The Vikings use this setup, and while it doesn’t have the different looks that the Patriots one has, this one can be a useful book. Minnesota’s book can handle receivers will multiple plays with five defensive backs, plus some contain plays that can help with scrambling QBs.
Dolphins
Brian Flores was the defensive coordinator for New England prior to joining the Dolphins, so it shouldn’t be a shock that he took some tricks with him down south. The Dolphins playbook doesn’t have nearly as many 4-3 plays as the Patriots, but Miami’s defense has plenty of blitzes, 3-4, Nickel, and Dime setups that can plan for any situation, and help you out in a big way.
