For a lot of people, passing has been quite hard this year. Today, I am going to share some of my best tips for how to become a MUCH better passer in Madden 23. With defense being so good this year, it is important to be able to have a way to move efficiently down the field. So, I hope this forum will help you if you have a hard time passing!
Pocket Presence
As we all know, this year the pass rush is absolutely wild. With glitchy blitzes and insta-shed pass rush, being able to not lose yards on sacks is crucial. When sacks are inevitable at times, you want to try your best not to lose yards. Step up in the pocket when you see edge pressure. Because of Madden 22, people instinctively try rolling out to escape the pressure which just simply doesn't work in this year's game. Taking a 2 yard loss on a sack is much better than taking a 7+ yard loss. Sometimes, stepping up also gives you more time to pass and gives you a chance of the running back picking lineman up. Thus, having a good pocket presence is crucial to be a better passer.
Route Combinations
Having good route combinations on the field is huge when it comes to passing effectively. You want to be aware of where your routes will end and want to limit their overlap. For example, you want to not have 3 drags all going to the same side as it makes it easier to defend as a user. Having routes that attack multiple parts of the field increase your chances of being able to make a read and find open wide receivers. If you have an idea of what kind of coverage your opponent is in, keep routes that will get open against that.
Cover 3: Curls, Hi-Lo concepts, Seams
Cover 4: Corner routes with drags under, Curls, Flats, Crossers
Cover 2: Corners, Deep Posts, Inside Streak with outside fade
Man Coverage: Zigs, Slants, Ins, Outs, Corners, Posts, Drags
Having route combos that will stretch apart your opponent's defense make it harder for them to user multiple routes that get open.
Making Reads
With route combos, you need to be able to make reads. some routes take longer to develop so you don't want to stare them down the entire play. Look for your checkdowns first and take them when you can. Even gaining 3-4 yards is very good in this year's Madden. After you look at the shallow routes, then look at the intermediate routes. Followed by that, take a look at your deep routes. You should try scanning the field and see what is open. If you are outside the pocket or there is no pocket anymore, throw the ball away. Making good reads is very important as gaining yards is hard so make sure to take advantage of open yardage when you can.
Discipline
The BIGGEST issue people have when it comes to passing, including myself, is forcing throws. We know it isn't open sometimes, yet we throw it. Keeping control and just trying to look for another receiver is a very good skill to have rather than just chucking the ball up hoping for a Parham/Moss agg. Knowing how DBs react, don't throw risky balls on 1st down or 2nd down when you still have multiple plays after to gain yards. Turning the ball over isn't worth it and if you can force multiple turnovers while you have none, you will most likely win the game.
Precision Passing
Precision passing allows you to make better throws and more accurate ones. You can place the ball exactly where you want so that you can throw your receivers open. TO learn more about this feature and to implement it, check out this amazing thread by Wizzle on how to use the Skill-Based Passing System!
Small Tips
-Mix it Up: If you run the same play again and again, it could work against casual players. Any good player on the other hand, will be able to set up a defense almost immediately that can guard the combo. Be comfortable in your playbook and have multiple passing plays you can use.
-Blocking Blitzes: If your opponent is rushing more than you're blocking, they will always get pressure. If you think your opponent is sending 7, make sure to block 7 and just not 5 or 6. If you need help blocking the loop blitz, check out this thread on how to block loop blitzes!
-Run the Ball: Keep your opponent honest. Make sure that they have to worry about the run game too. Have a nice shotgun run you can call in short yardage situations that is in the same formation as your passing plays. This way your opponent has to think about whether you are running or passing rather than them just knowing you will pass every play.
I hope this forum helped and if you have any further questions feel free to drop them below or join the MUT.GG Discord where you can find plenty of help! Let me know down below what other tips you want next!
