Top 5 Solo Challenge Tips on Defense

Tip 5

Use Formation Subs

It will cost you coins in the long run to keep additional players on your roster, even on the bench. A big key to fielding a great team is to get value from every position. Aim to build your lineup to fit your most important defensive set and then use formation subs at the play-calling screen to fit players in. For most solo challenges, you shouldn’t need a full roster of backups to defeat the computer consistently. You can pay up front for a highly rated player who can do it all or pick up two lower-rated players who can each do one thing well and then sub them in to maximize their ratings.

Build your defense around your favorite formation and use it on over half of your play calls.

Tip 4

Find a User Defender

Look for a big, fast defender with poor play recognition to user-control on your defense. By taking control of him, you can react to plays quickly once you read what the opponent is doing. This is a great way to take a lower-rated player and increase his level of play. It should help you save coins in one area so that you can spend them on a position like CB to match up with an opponent’s number one wideout.

You always want to user-control the most vulnerable area of your defensive play call!

Tip 3

Stuff the Run

Stopping the run on early downs is crucial to getting the offense in a bad situation on third and long. If you don’t have a solid run-defense formation that you are comfortable with, you will be vulnerable to play-action passes. Make the computer run everything inside by spreading your defensive line in early downs. Their best runs will come if you lose containment to the outside, so protect there early. If you get them to a short-yardage situation, then look for the up-the-middle run. Keeping the ball in your possession during solo challenges really speeds them up, and stopping the run is important.

Run-committing is rarely needed, but it can be a big win on third and short if it forces a punt.

Tip 2

Learn Concepts

Keep an eye on the game situation and formation that the computer is calling to give you some potential information about what play they are looking to call. On third and short, they are more likely to call a concept like stick, where you will want to be ready to jump underneath and shade your coverage down. On third and long, they are more likely to use a verticals concept, so you want to protect the deep middle, especially to the TE. You will start to recognize patterns after seeing just one route on a play, and that will let your player get into a good position. Every playbook shares similar concepts—the difference is the formation!

Using coverage shading before the snap is extremely important when playing the CPU and using zone coverage.

Tip 1

Get a Blitz

Getting opponents to third and long is the key to winning solo challenges. It will make them one-dimensional and force themto pass the ball, which allows you to blitz. Learn how to sneak a slot CB in on a blitz off the edge, and the QB can either dump it off for a short gain or hold the ball and take a sack. This can also lead to turnovers, which is the quickest way to get a victory.

Make sure you have a secondary blitz call that can get in when an opponent blocks the HB!