Defense - Win the turnover battle, Win the game

Playing great D and holdings guys to punts is great, but you're likely to end up with more changes in possesion due to turnovers than punts in a game of Madden. Get a turnover or two more than your opponent and you should win the game.

The keys to turnovers are changing your D out of the same formation to cover the pass your opponent is throwing most ofter in different situations and on any completion taking control of the nearest guy and hitsticking him...you can easily cause 2 fumbles in every game.

As mentioned in the previous post, I start out in cover 3. I'll often end up blitzing my outside backers and giving up the flat zones. I figure completions in those zones, unless it's to screen passes, won't hurt me too bad and I'll get pressure on the QB. Usually your opponent will figure this out. When your sure he has, and is killing you in the flats, switch to cover 2. You still blitz your outside backers, but your corners stay put and cover the flats...if he throws it to the flats again, you got a 50/5o shot at getting a pick 6. You can also change your DE's to QB contain and they'll create a big obstacle in passing to the flats (if they're athletic, they might pick it as well), but if your opponent sees you doing this, he should just run it and your toast.

Anytime you get a chance to hitstick your opponent, do it. Even if it means surrendering a couple yards. You're odds of creating fumble increase dramatically. Just get used to the timing of it...you can hit stick really early and your defender will automatically track down the ball carrier for the hit (it's annoying when your on offense because they can even go right through a blocker).

When you're running zones, your opponent will often start throwing over the middle, but under the zone on short crossing or curl routes. Pre-snap change one of your defenders in the area where these passes are likely to go QB spy. The defender will stay short and often your opponent won't read it fast enough (you can also use a linemen, but you open yourself up to the run).

Lastly, giving up big plays hurts, but blitzing the QB occasionally and trying to cover the back-end can lead to a lot of turnovers. The QB is much more likely to fumble and will often throw picks when he's hit while throwing. As mentioned previously, I like to run a 3-4 D, blitz all the LBs (RB and right stick down on the controller), then set my right middle backer to QB spy (A and right stick left on the controller) then controller the safety responsible for the middle deep zone and try to prevent anything short on the other side of the field...but always watching the deep middle (you're counting on your 6 rushers getting to the QB before a WR can beat you deep in the middle).

Any blitz where you can bring 6+ rushers and prevent a big play is worth running from time to time because it will shut down most runs, catch your opponent off guard if you're primarily running safe zones, and can cause many turnovers.