Best Playbooks in Madden 23 – Offensive and Defensive

Since it first burst through our screens back in 1988, nothing has been able to slow down the John Madden Football juggernaut. It may have changed in looks and style over the years, but what’s kept Madden at the top is its dedication to accuracy and the clear love of football that goes into the stats, plays, and overall feel of the games. While each player brings their own style to it, each iteration sees certain teams and playbooks rise to the top of the popularity lists. Below we’ll discuss the best playbooks in Madden 23 for both offense and defense.  

Best Offensive Playbooks in Madden 23

On offense, depending on your style of play, there are three clear options for the crown of the best offensive playbook in Madden 23:

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• New England Patriots: If you’re looking to play a balanced offense, look no further than Belichick’s Patriots playbook. It errs towards the run most of the time, but there are loads of opportunities for big plays thanks to a strong slate of play-action passes. You’ll need two versatile Tight Ends to make it work, who are happy to block but can also get good yardage on a quick pass.
• Kansas City Chiefs: It isn’t a shock to find the best passing playbook in the hands of serial MVP contender Patrick Mahomes. You get loads of downfield options and RPOs, but there are imaginative runs in there too. Play out of the shotgun, and you’ll often find yourself with pass options at short, middle, and deep range.  
• Baltimore Ravens: This is the most fun you’ll have with a running playbook centered around the dual threat of Lama Jackson. If you have Half Backs you can rely on, the QB Blast can be devastating for a running quarterback. But to keep your opponents on their toes, there’s a host of great passing plays, too, such as Play Actions passes and Tight End Slants.  

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Best Defensive Playbooks in Madden 23

It’s not as clear cut on the defensive side of the ball, with six playbooks offering great options to keep those points off the board:

• Alternate 46: This is a great defense to play against a pass-heavy offense. It’s a very customizable playbook that has strong blitzing plays, which can be highly effective with speedy linebackers. But it is also effective at stopping the run.
• Baltimore Ravens: If you like a Dime formation, check out the Big Dime 1-4-6 from the Ravens playbook. If your defense tends to get on top, it has plenty of blitz plays to wear them down with too, such as the popular Nickel 3-3-5 Cub.
• Chicago Bears: If you’re looking to stop the run and blitz the QB, take a look at the Bears' defensive playbook. The same goes for players looking for a good 4-3 defense package. The Big Nickel is a great all-rounder, while the Even 6-1 can see your OLBs cause havoc.
• Kansas City Chiefs: Many consider this to be the best defensive playbook in Madden 23 due to its killer Nickel package. It allows you to pressure the QB without giving up coverage in the midfield, which should keep those first downs to a minimum as long as you have strong LBs.

If you're looking for more on madden 23, check out How to relocate in Franchise mode in Madden 23 and Fastest RBs in Madden 23 here at Pro Game Guides.