Patriots Face Scans in Madden ‘24

QB - Mac Jones, Matt Corral

HB - Ty Montgomery

FB -

WR - Juju Smith-Schuster, Devante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, Matthew Slater

TE - Mike Gesicki, Hunter Henry

LT - 

LG - Cole Strange

C - 

RG - 

RT - Riley Reiff

LE - Christian Barmore

RE - 

DT - 

LOLB - 

MLB - Raekwon McMillan, Mack Wilson Sr

ROLB - Josh Uche

CB - Jalen Mills, Christian Gonzalez

FS - Jabrill Peppers

SS - Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips

K - 

P -

(HB Zeke Elliot, currently not on the Pats roster in Madden ‘24)

Basics of the Football Route Tree

Running routes at any level of football is what separates a good WR from a great WR. Understanding how the route tree works, and the numbering system is important to know which route to run when the QB calls a play in the huddle. In this video I will show you the basics of the route tree. Some variables can come into play with any route; including down and distance, defense you are facing, rapport you have with your QB, but, these are just basic rules of thumb for the route tree.

Even Numbers - To the field/middle Odd Numbers - To the Sidelines (9* is the exception)

Number/Route 0 - Smoke 2 - Slant 4 - In Route 6 - Curl 8 - Post 1 - Flat 3 - Out Route 4 - Come Back 7 - Post Corner 9* - Streak

Create Michael Vick for Franchise in Madden '23

I have created Michael Vick for Franchise, and based his Attributes/Ratings off of his Madden Ultimate Team item in Madden '23. In MUT he is a 90 OVR with the below ratings/attributes, but, in Franchise he will only be a 84.

You can adjust lower/raise any of the ratings you feel necessary for your play style, but I feel this is a good starting point for Vick who if he was a player in a default draft he would be a Generational Talent most likely, so being an 84 OVR at the start is probably ideal, in my opinion. 

All his traits, face, relevant info is shown in the video below:

All Attributes for Vick's 90 OVR item in MUT (Madden '23):

ACCELERATION (ACC) - 92 AGILITY (AGI) - 90 AWARENESS (AWR) - 88 BALL CARRIER VISION (BCV) - 92 BLOCK SHEDDING (BSH) - 31 BREAK SACK (BSK) - 81 BREAK TACKLE (BTK) - 88 CARRYING (CAR) - 71 CATCH IN TRAFFIC (CIT) - 25 CATCHING (CTH) - 65 CHANGE OF DIRECTION (COD) - 91 DEEP ROUTE RUNNING (DRR) - 20 DEEP THROW ACCURACY (DAC) - 87 FINESSE MOVES (FMV) - 10 HIT POWER (POW) - 12 IMPACT BLOCKING (IBL) - 24 INJURY (INJ) - 88 JUKE MOVE (JKM) - 91 JUMPING (JMP) - 87 KICK ACCURACY (KAC) - 22 KICK POWER (KPW) - 19 KICK RETURN (RET) - 35 LEAD BLOCK (LBK) 10 MAN COVERAGE (MCV) - 18 MEDIUM ROUTE RUNNING (MRR) - 30 MEDIUM THROW ACCURACY (MAC) - 85 PASS BLOCK (PBK) PASS BLOCK FINESSE (PBF) - 10 PASS BLOCK POWER (PBP)- 10 PLAY ACTION (PAC) - 84 PLAY RECOGNITION (PRC) - 25 POWER MOVES (PMV) - 10 PRESS (PRS) - 10 PURSUIT (PUR) - 40 RELEASE (RLS) - 34 RUN BLOCK (RBK) - 24 RUN BLOCK FINESSE (RBF) - 10 RUN BLOCK POWER (RBP) - 10 SHORT ROUTE RUNNING (SRR) - 35 SHORT THROW ACCURACY (SAC) -88 SPECTACULAR CATCH (SPC) - 45 SPEED (SPD) - 90 SPIN MOVE (SPM) - 90 STAMINA (STA) 91 STIFF ARM (SFA) - 62 STRENGTH (STR) - 62 TACKLE (TAK) - 31 THROW POWER (THP) - 92 THROW UNDER PRESSURE (TUP) - 85 THROWING ON THE RUN (RUN) - 90 Toughness - Set to whatever you want, I recommend 88-92 TRUCKING (TRK) -34 ZONE COVERAGE (ZCV) - 16

I am going to change the helmet and face mask. I have asked on Twitter, but the EA equipment guy hasn't replied, not surprisingly.

4-3 Odd: Strong Slant 3 (BLITZ)

This blitz is still pretty effective if you are in a playbook that has 4-3 Odd like the New England Patriots Playbook. This is similar blitz to the old 4-3 Over blitz that was really effective in Madden '18 and '19. Still works good, but it isn't a blitz I would run more than a few times a game, and only when you know your opponent is most likely passing the ball! 

1. Base Align
2. Press
3. Shift Defensive Line LEFT
4. Crash the Defensive Line to the RIGHT
5. Put right side MLB into any zone (bluff blitz if available works too)
6. QB Contain
7. User the MLB you put into zone and hover him in gap between RT/RG

FieldSENSE in Madden '23

 "FieldSENSE is the foundation for consistent, ultra-realistic gameplay that gives you more control at every position and affects every game mode in Madden NFL 23.

Fueled by new physics-informed animation and animation-branching technology, FieldSENSE makes gameplay more authentic bringing more variety and realistic, physics driven outcomes. 

FieldSENSE comes to life in Madden NFL 23 in four major ways, through new control mechanics that we’re calling: Hit Everything, Skill-Based Passing, 360° Cuts, and WR vs DB Battles. We’re starting on the defensive side of the ball with Hit Everything."

FieldSENSE is a new feature in Madden '23 that will improve upon the realism of what we got with the next-gen consoles (PS5, Xbox X/S) where the movement of the player felt more realistic than ever before. 

The biggest feature of FieldSENSE is going to be the Skill-Based Passing, where you can lead passes more accurately to try and hit those back shoulder fades to your WR or TE, or lead the ball to a WR coming over the middle so the trailing defensive back wouldn't be able to make a play on the ball. Of course, this has a skill gap to it, as it isn't as easy and just leading passes like we currently do in Madden '22. 

To use the Skill-Based Passing mechanics you will need to hold LT/L2 while moving the Left Analog stick to the location you want to throw the ball, this allows you to place the ball outside of the shaded ellipse. You will hold LT/L2 place the ellipse, then select the WR/TE/HB you want to throw the ball to. It seems complicated but, once you play with it for a couple of days it will feel natural.

Here is an example of Skill-Based Passing:

Place passes where only your WR can catch it 🏈 #Madden23 https://t.co/Nz51QTrRt2 pic.twitter.com/o6XUV3y0Xn

— Madden NFL 23 (@EAMaddenNFL) June 4, 2022

You can also adjust the sensitivity of the ellipse, but, the more difficult you have it set, the more of an advantage you will have in the game. 

Lastly, using this new passing system isn't a requirement; but, if you want to play H2H MUT or Madden Regs at a high level, I would assume you should practice using it and master it.  

Yes, Madden has had similar features in previous Madden's; such as Madden '06 QB Vision (QB cone) and Madden '18 Target Passing. Skill-Based Passing feels way more polished than both of those game features, especially Target Passing in Madden '18, which was very similar; but, didn't feel as polished as what we are getting in Madden '23. 

JC Jackson Stocking Stuffer Hero

The long national nightmare is over, America's team finally got an upgrade to JC Jackson in MUT. Jackson got the "Champion" card in the Stocking Stuffer program in Ultimate Team. The Stocking Stuffer program featured 32 players, 1 from each team, and 2 Champions: JC Jackson for the AFC and CeeDee Lamb for the NFC. 

The JC Jackson item gives the Patriots theme team a nice boost to the defensive backfield with what you could argue is the best defensive backfield in Madden Ultimate Team. Jackson, along with the OOP Cordarrelle Patterson, and Ty Law item gives them 3 of the best cornerbacks in MUT, also the fastest CBs in MUT; especially when paired with either of the Zero Chill or Stocking Stuffer strategy card. 

JC does have 2 attributes that are not that enticing; pursuit and agility. You'd like to see them a tad higher, but the agility isn't as terrible as the pursuit, which is really bad. Also, his tackling and block shedding are not the best, but those attributes fall in line with most other CBs in the game. 

The JC Jackson item looks great on a 50/50 Patriots theme team. Check the video above and skip to the 3:51 in the video to see the Jackson card fully powered-up on a Pats theme team.

Patriots Safeties in MUT Rated

If you want full details on how I utilize these players in different defenses and the Abilities that I use on them, here is a YouTube video breaking down each of the players:

These ranking are for MUT, I have already broken down the Cornerbacks on the Patriots Theme Team (check bottom of this post for the link). The safety position in MUT is important because you can utilize a lot of these players at not only the FS/SS position, but also play them at Cornerback as well as at the Sub Linebacker position. In Madden ’22, Linebackers will not animate or jump up for INTs like the way the Defensive Backs will, so having Safeties at the LB spot is the meta in MUT and Madden ’22 in general. 

He

re are both the Safety positions ranked for a Patriots Theme Team (Only ranking players that get Patriots Team Chemistry and have a Power Up. 

Free Safety:

1. Duron Harmon
2. Adrian Phillips
3. Logan Ryan
4. Devin McCourty

Strong Safety:

1. Kam Chancellor*
2. Rodney Harrison
3. Eric Rowe

[* Cam Chancellor gets every team chemistry in MUT in Madden ’22, so he is included as a Patriots player.]

Rated Cornerbacks: https://www.neplaybook.com/2021/11/patriots-cornerbacks-in-mut-rated.html