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One often overlooked aspect of Madden NFL 26 is how crucial it is to select the right playbook for your team. There are many playbooks available, and you can even create your own. While some playbooks feature excellent schemes and plays, they don’t always match your team’s roster.
The first step in choosing the best playbook is to determine who your key offensive players are. Once you identify the players you want your plays to target, these playbooks can help you develop a solid offensive scheme.
Rams
The Rams’ playbook offers some unique schemes. It doesn’t feature a lot of formation options, especially with heavier packages, but it provides plenty of variety in faster, more agile formations. A standout formation is the Split WR Backfield in the Shotgun, which places a running back on one side of the quarterback and a wide receiver on the other. If you have a star receiver you want to target more frequently, this playbook highlights them significantly.
Air Raid
The Air Raid playbook is somewhat limited but focused. It specializes in Pistol and Shotgun formations, with the exception of its Goal Line setups. This is ideal for offenses that prefer to pass heavily while maintaining a lot of formation flexibility away from under-center plays. It’s especially good if you’re following a pass-oriented strategy that values variety in shotgun plays.
Run Balanced
The Run Balanced playbook offers a wide range of heavy formations, from I-Form to Strong I, Weak I, and even more unusual sets like Near and Far formations. It’s perfect for teams that prefer to control the clock and methodically move down the field, providing many options to execute this style of play.
Note: It may be challenging to run a quick two-minute drill with this playbook, as its focus is more on methodical, clock-chewing drives.
Run ‘N’ Gun
This playbook combines different styles, but its real strength lies in the less common formations it offers—many of which other playbooks lack. It heavily emphasizes Shotgun plays, which will likely be the main focus of your offense, but it also features a substantial number of heavier formations suitable for hurting defenses and breaking their spirit. It’s best for teams with diverse talent pools looking to rotate personnel effectively.
West Coast
The West Coast playbook isn’t revolutionary; it follows familiar concepts. It provides many middle-ground formations that allow versatile rushing or passing from either under-center or Shotgun setups. Its greatest advantage is in its adaptability—since many formations look similar, you can adjust each play based on how the defense lines up. If you excel at reading defenses and reacting quickly, this playbook can be extremely effective.
Two Back
One of the newer Madden additions, the Two Back playbook is tailored for offenses with a couple of standout backs. It’s designed to maximize the potential of multiple playmakers in the backfield, whether running or passing. Teams like Detroit, with strong backfield duos, can utilize this to great effect. It’s not solely run-focused; many backs used in today’s NFL are also key in passing plays, which this scheme supports.
Eagles
The Eagles’ playbook is ideal for teams with an abundance of tight ends (TEs). It features numerous formations that utilize multiple TEs in various roles—not just for running but also as receivers and pass protectors. A strong offensive line is essential for this scheme to succeed. If your team lacks depth at WR but has solid TEs and RBs, this playbook can shine by hiding those weaknesses.
49ers
San Francisco’s playbook often centers around Christian McCaffrey, using him in multiple ways to create mismatches. Many passing plays are designed to break zone defenses and find open receivers quickly, often by sending the RB in motion or involving complicated route combinations in the middle of the field. However, to make this scheme work at its best, you need a quality back capable of both running and catching passes. Without a dynamic RB, the scheme may not perform as well.
Custom Playbook
You can always craft your own playbook, which is a bit time-consuming but highly rewarding. To do so, head to the Creation Center from the main menu. You’ll pick a template to start with and then customize it by removing or adding plays and formations. It’s important to keep at least one play for every situation—like adding a third-and-short option if you plan to remove another play. Focus on developing a variety of formations and concepts centered around your best players. You can refine and tweak your custom playbook continually, making it tailored to your playstyle and roster.
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