Madden 22 Best Playbooks: Top Offensive & Defensive Plays to Win on Franchise Mode, MUT, and Online - Outsider Gaming (2024)

It’s clear that the new offensive and defensive meta have been established for Madden 22. Familiar money plays are popped out often across online modes and have proven useful in Franchise Mode, too.

Here, we’re breaking down the top playbooks for Madden 22, delving into why they’re of use as well as the best plays and their formations for you to use from each playbook.

What are the Best Offensive Playbooks in Madden 22?

If you’ve got possession, you’ll want to keep these offensive playbooks in mind. Each has proven money plays for Madden 22 and can see your offense conquer even the most stubborn defense.

Best Passing Playbook: Miami Dolphins

Best plays:

• Bunch Trail (Gun Bunch Offset)
• PA Read (Gun Bunch Offset)
• Slot 2 Buc (Gun Trips Y-Flex)

This is a playbook full of impressive plays from the Shotgun formation. It’s a great fit for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, as the Gun (especially Gun Bunch) provides him with more protection and time while allowing wide receiver routes to develop.

Gun Bunch Offset was quickly proclaimed as the best formation in Madden 22, and the Dolphins have the best plays from it in their playbook. With plenty of Cover 2, Cover 3, and Cover 4 beaters, this playbook clearly takes the gold.

In Bunch Trail, for example, the tight end runs a corner route, allowing the deep post to develop, burning Cover 3 easily as well as Cover 2, with the safeties getting baited into the middle of the field.

Best Running Playbook: Baltimore Ravens

Best plays:

• Triple Option (Pistol Strong)
• QB Blast (Gun Empty Quads)
• HB Counter (Gun Spread Y-Flex)

The Baltimore Ravens offense is filled with tricks and gimmicks to fool your opponent. With many QB runs and Option plays modeled after the athletic Lamar Jackson, the playbook provides a new approach to running the ball.

By having the pistol formation as its center, you have the option to choose between conservative runs down the middle that average four-to-five yards or an amazing triple option that open up the field for a powerful strike.

In the Gun formation, there are many QB Power runs and lots of formations and audibles to either blast away with your quarterback or run conservatively with your HB.

Best Balanced Playbook: Miami Dolphins

Best plays:

• Mesh Switch (Gun Tight Slots)
• HB Sweep (Gun Tight Slots)
• PA Crossers (Gun Trey Y-Flex Wk)

The balanced playbook is making a comeback in Madden 22. This playbook has the unique ability of having incredible running and passing plays under the same formation. Just by selecting the Gun Tight Slots formation, you can disguise your intention between passing and running.

The best run in the game is HB Sweep out of the aforementioned formation, allowing the running back to get to the edge quickly with extra blockers along the way. In the same fashion, Mesh Switch is a fantastic passing play, attacking both sidelines with a corner and crosser route combo.

What are the Best Defensive Playbooks in Madden 22?

If you need to stifle a firing offense, turn to the best defensive playbooks in Madden 22; after all, defense does win championships.

Best 3-4 Defensive Playbook: New England Patriots

Best plays:

• Pinch Dog 2 Press (3-4 Odd)
• Pinch Dog 3 (3-4 Odd)
• Edge Blitz 1 (3-4 Odd)

With a loaded box, this is the perfect package to send a blitz. Picking a 3-4 playbook in Madden 22 is not easy as linebackers are not good in coverage. Without a high jump stat and poor animations, it’s difficult to cover large parts of the field with them.

Despite that, linebackers are great blitzers, beating tackles and guards with a mixed pass rush. This is where the New England Patriots’ 3-4 set shines. By disguising blitzes and loading a heavy front-seven, it’s impossible for long plays to develop, making it a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Best 4-3 Defensive Playbook: New England Patriots

Best plays:

• Cover 1 MLB Blitz (4-3 Even 6-1)
• Sam Blitz 3 (4-3 Even 6-1)
• Cover 4 Quarters (4-3 Even 6-1)

In a similar way, the 4-3 package from the Patriots is unrivaled, providing numerous plays that confuse offensive linemen. The main difference between this set and the previous one is that a 3-4 defense seals the edge better while 4-3 attacks the middle.

Taking this into account, deep zones can be used in combination with press coverage to delay the development of short and deep routes. This allows pressure to come in quickly, creating opportunities for a sack or a turnover.

Best Versatile Defensive Playbook: Miami Dolphins

Best plays:

• Cover 3 Match (Dime 2-3-6 Sam)
• Cover 3 Hard Flat (Dime 2-3-6 Sam)
• Cover 4 Show 2 (Nickel 3-3-5 Wide)

Big Dime is becoming the defensive meta in Madden 22. With deep blues not being able to cover the far side of the field, more DB help is needed. This would usually mean less pressure and more time in the pocket for the opposing QB. With Dime 2-3-6 Sam, however, a blitzing corner is able to come off of the edge, confusing the offensive line and allowing immediate pressure.

If the opponent approaches the end zone, Cover 4 Show 2 out of Nickel 3-3-5 Wide is your best option. With a heavy front, this defensive play is able to stop most runs down the middle while simultaneously sealing the edge. It also allows for a significant number of DBs on the field to protect deep zones, crossers, and slants.

The team with the best playbook in Madden 22 is, without a doubt, the Miami Dolphins, establishing the meta both on offense and defense.

Who has the best offensive and defensive playbook?

The team with the best playbook is, without a doubt, the Miami Dolphins, setting up a meta in the game both on offense and defense. Both playbooks have unique valuable plays that set them apart from the rest.

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