TL;DR: Force more interceptions by (1) being active with your user in coverage instead of pass rushing, (2) calling coverages that make offenses work like Cover 3 Cloud, (3) switch sticking to cover multiple zones, (4) containing the QB to keep them in the pocket, and (5) using Ball Hawk or House Call abilities.
If you can force interceptions, you will win games.
Most people struggle to get turnovers because they're doing the wrong things with their user. They're pass rushing with a D-lineman. Or they're standing still in coverage. Both are bad.
The most important player on defense always will be — since last year, the year after, forever, and always — YOUR USER.
What Player Should I User on Defense?
User somebody who's in coverage. NOT somebody on the defensive line.
Can you force an interception while pass rushing? Will you be the one getting the interception? No, you won't. Very unlikely.
And also — you're probably not rushing much better than the CPU would rush anyways, especially using things like stunts.
Bad things people do when usering coverage:
- They'll just run around randomly and leave open an area
- They'll just totally stand still and not really move
Both are bad.
How Do I User Better in Zone Coverage?
Have an idea of what your base defense is — that way you know where you're supposed to be and where your weaknesses are.
Example: I'm in Cover Three Hard Flap. I'm usering a yellow zone, a hook curl, so I'm responsible for the left middle part of the field. I can see that in my play art.
I need to be active in this area of the field at a minimum.
Here's the ball snap. I see slants coming across — bang. We're trying to be there.
If they throw it right next to your user — GOOD. Don't get mad because they're not gonna be able to consistently do that.
If someone does that consistently, you will get an interception. If you're being active with your user, they will throw a pick. That's actually a great sign.
Do NOT change your defense if somebody throws it right at you. Keep it exactly the same.
What Button Controls Help With Usering?
A lot of times I'll slow play things — I'm not using right trigger. Then when I need to run in a certain direction I will use right trigger.
I'll just use the left stick for a second. Then when the ball's thrown I will spam Y or Triangle.
Left Trigger or L2 on PlayStation is a great way to slow your player up to be able to slow play things.
You can go between strafing and unstrafing — this gives you better control.
What Defensive Plays Actually Force Interceptions?
We can't be calling these coverages that are just giving up massive one-play touchdowns.
Right now, I'm in Cover 2 and I'm shading my coverage underneath. Think about that for a second. I'm in Cover 2 and I'm shading my coverage underneath.
You know what's not defended at all? The deep sidelines.
You know where a lot of people try attacking? The deep sidelines.
And you know what happens if they attack the deep sidelines and no one's there? Massive play.
My favorite, the easiest: Cover 3 Cloud — shade your coverage underneath.
I have entire schemes built around that. When I talked about going 21-3 or 20-3 and 15 in online gameplay, majority of that was in basic Cover 3 Cloud shading my coverage underneath.
This is one free tip on forcing interceptions. Members get the full defensive scheme with 20+ more plays, updated weekly. → civil.gg/become-a-member
What Are Bad Defensive Plays to Avoid?
Here are a few examples of base defenses that a lot of people call that are pretty bad actually:
- Basic Cover 3 blitzes — usually going to be bad unless you're making some adjustments to it
- Cover 2 Trap
- Nickel Sim 2 — is a Cover 2 blitz. Not a good play call for you most likely
- Cover 2 Invert — Not a good play call for you most likely
- Cover 1 — Every type of Cover 1 usually just isn't going to work out great for you
- Cover 0 — Also not a great one unless you're really a good player or you're playing against people who can't beat stock mid blitz
We have to make the offense actually work because that's what's going to give us more opportunities to get these interceptions.
How Do I Switch Stick on Defense?
Switch stick is essentially taking your user and turning him into more players.
Quick summary: On any pass play when the QB has the ball and you're on a player in a coverage assignment, flick the right stick toward the player you want to switch stick to.
Let's say I want to go to this high safety — switch stick up. Actually, I did it wrong. I flicked it a little to the left. It's very sensitive. You got to be aware of that. It's incredibly sensitive. There's a lot of skill gap to actually switch sticking to the correct players.
- Right stick up
- Right stick right
- Right stick down
- You can go diagonal — really any direction you want
Once you get pretty good at this, it's pretty legit.
This is actually more powerful than the user mechanic we talked about earlier because it's enhancing that user. It's like your user is on steroids — you're able to switch around and make numerous people your user.
When Should I Switch Stick?
Two big suggestions:
1. Have a Base Defense You're Comfortable With
If you have a base defense that you're comfortable with, you'll know what's not open and what's open.
Example: If I'm in Cover 3 and I see a streak up the middle on the left side, do I need to switch stick this streak? No, it makes no sense. It's already covered.
But if I see a post route breaking to the top right of the screen and I know I don't have a defender there, should I switch stick that? Yeah.
2. Pick Up on Your Opponent's Tendencies
If my opponent kept throwing this corner route, what I might do is say, "Okay, buddy. You want to keep throwing that? Awesome. I'm actually gonna jump this. I'm gonna switch stick this and go for the jump and hopefully catch that interception."
You can be super aggressive with your switch stick, or you can be more passive. You will give up touchdowns sometimes from this, but defense is hard. If we can get an interception here and there from doing this, I think it's worth taking some risk.
How Do I Keep QBs From Rolling Out?
We need to make them pass from the pocket.
How many people have played against somebody who just rolls out and then they throw something? And it's just like, oh, nice.
If you're on offense and you do this, it's so hard to even make a bad read because of how easy this makes the game. Our goal is to make them have to work and make the game harder for passers.
What I recommend you do is to contain the quarterback:
Right bumper, left bumper.
That's going to contain and that's going to do a pretty good job at keeping people more in the pocket where they can't just roll out on you constantly.
Why Aren't My Contains Working?
Your Contains Need To Be Athletes
If you have Jimbo from down the street who's trying to play a contain against someone like Arch Manning, that's not going to be a good contain.
Set Your Contains Up For Success
You need to make sure your contains are in a position to succeed.
I see this all the time. If this guy right here is in a contain, how well is he going to do in a contain? Are we setting him up for success in a contain right here?
The answer is no.
Why? Because number 73 can just punch him in the side of the head and keep without being contained. If I double team this guy and I have the ball, he's going to be really tough to contain.
He's also a defensive tackle. We need to make sure alignment wise we're setting our players up for success.
Contains should be on the offensive tackle or outside of them. Right here would be a great spot for a contain. He should do a decent job.
Now, he's also a big boy. Guess what? Big boys are going to struggle. We want athletes there.
What Abilities Help Get More Interceptions?
When it comes to abilities, I'm really big on anything that's either going to allow me to catch the ball better on defense — not as many drop interceptions — or get my players to react faster, especially in zone coverage. I prefer zone.
So really the two that come to mind immediately, although there are others:
House Call - to catch interceptions better
Ball Hawk - I prefer Ball Hawk over House Call because I like my players to just play better in general and react faster to different passes for knockouts as well.
But a lot of people prefer House Call. I don't think you're wrong in that situation.
So those are the two main abilities I'm saying: House Call and Ball Hawk.
Big deal: Make sure you're containing.
They have to pass from the pocket. When people have to pass from the pocket, they're more likely to make mistakes because it's harder to pass from the pocket. It's just harder.
We want to make the game hard. That's what we want.