Kickoff Coverage

It seems like its way to easy to run kickoffs bakk..i know im probably not the best at defending them but my opponents average about 1 for a td a game..and if they dont get a td in a game they usually get one to my 40-35 yard line..i know it happens to everyone because i run them bakk alot to..ive just started kicking every kick out of bounds and give them the ball at the 40..anyone have any tips how to slow down kick returns?

i just get a guy and weave him in through everyone then hitstick them or at least slow him down so my other guys can get him

you can try to weave through guys, which is what i do. what other people do, to prevent touchdowns, is just stay deep with their kicker and follow the play. hopefully, your opponent will be forced to the sidelines with your players following, so your opponent will get tackled.

i usually weave through,but if he has good stick skills (or just swerves everywhere) then sometimes he will get by..and it seems when they get by the AI has no shot at catching anyone..I have been doing better though

I had this problem initially as well - my solution is to kick to one side of the field, then user select a defender from the opposite side to prevent the return from pushing back to the middle. Put numbers on one sideline, and don't allow any cutbacks.

If all else fails, I'll squib kick before I'll kick out of bounds.

User your kicker. The LAST thing you should do is to try to weave in with a player, because if that guy misses then chances are he's going up that sideline. Let your pride go and let the computer make the tackle, and use your kicker. Just like Jsmall said.

Th3 Ac3r wrote:

It seems like its way to easy to run kickoffs bakk..i know im probably not the best at defending them but my opponents average about 1 for a td a game..and if they dont get a td in a game they usually get one to my 40-35 yard line..i know it happens to everyone because i run them bakk alot to..ive just started kicking every kick out of bounds and give them the ball at the 40..anyone have any tips how to slow down kick returns?

I hear you man....after so many kicks returned on me all i do and will ever do now is squib and i havent given up any more...in fact every now and then a revocer a squib if i get it just right to the sidelines....but if your agaisnt squibing then what you do is user some1 and weave while trying to stay in your lane and once your come upon the returner click off him and let the cpu wrap up and if the cpu fails you have another guy ready to crack the returner

I'm da ish in madden wrote:

User your kicker. The LAST thing you should do is to try to weave in with a player, because if that guy misses then chances are he's going up that sideline. Let your pride go and let the computer make the tackle, and use your kicker. Just like Jsmall said.

This is what I do.

Most importantly, leave your coverage guys in their lanes, and try not to do anything fancy...like kick it high and towards the sidelines.

I kick the ball right down the middle, user the kicker, and leave everyone in their coverage lanes. I have no issues with kick coverage.

I love when people kick to me near the sidelines. Those are where all of my big returns come from, and I don't really understand the strategy.

I'm da ish in madden wrote:

User your kicker. The LAST thing you should do is to try to weave in with a player, because if that guy misses then chances are he's going up that sideline. Let your pride go and let the computer make the tackle, and use your kicker. Just like Jsmall said.

i disagree...if u are good at weaving through and not getting pancaked o getting outta your lane, weaving is very effective, especially when your great a hitsticking you can getkey fumbles, but if your bad at hitsticking, click off and let the cpu do the tackling, or if you dont at all fell comfortable weaving do what jsmall said to do

Champ_28 wrote:

I'm da ish in madden wrote:

User your kicker. The LAST thing you should do is to try to weave in with a player, because if that guy misses then chances are he's going up that sideline. Let your pride go and let the computer make the tackle, and use your kicker. Just like Jsmall said.

i disagree...if u are good at weaving through and not getting pancaked o getting outta your lane, weaving is very effective, especially when your great a hitsticking you can getkey fumbles, but if your bad at hitsticking, click off and let the cpu do the tackling, or if you dont at all fell comfortable weaving do what jsmall said to do

What if you miss? Then its Usering my kicker, i've yet to give up a return. I have good stick skills, but sometimes u miss and then then they can score. Controlling your kicker is the SAFEST bet.

ive started usering my kicker and havent given any up again..i played a guy earlier who squibbed the whole game and he did it perfect where it would bounce to my guy,but by the time it got to me the coverage would be like 10 yards away

i dont see how controlling your kicker is effective at all, if they get through your kicker is too slow to catch them or if you are in position rarely will you ever get a tackle with a kicker.....the SAFEST bet is squibing, wether u think its cheesing or not idc it works the best, i never give up a td with squib and like i said, if you get down there fast u can recover it

Champ_28 wrote:

i dont see how controlling your kicker is effective at all, if they get through your kicker is too slow to catch them or if you are in position rarely will you ever get a tackle with a kicker.....the SAFEST bet is squibing, wether u think its cheesing or not idc it works the best, i never give up a td with squib and like i said, if you get down there fast u can recover it

Squibbing gives up WAY too many yards. Controlling your kicker works because the guys stay in their lanes to make the tackle. Trust. The guy above you hasn't given up a kick since usering his kicker, and he was the guy who struggled with kick-off coverage.

I'm da ish in madden wrote:

Champ_28 wrote:

i dont see how controlling your kicker is effective at all, if they get through your kicker is too slow to catch them or if you are in position rarely will you ever get a tackle with a kicker.....the SAFEST bet is squibing, wether u think its cheesing or not idc it works the best, i never give up a td with squib and like i said, if you get down there fast u can recover it

Squibbing gives up WAY too many yards. Controlling your kicker works because the guys stay in their lanes to make the tackle. Trust. The guy above you hasn't given up a kick since usering his kicker, and he was the guy who struggled with kick-off coverage.

I agree. Squib sux. Only for specific situations. Not all kickers are slow either.

Use sum1 else and maually move around the blocker while sprinting.Works for me

ive had alot of kick offs return for td's on me so i waht i do now is i just take someone manually move him backwards and then i go forward i can usually tackle the returner that way

Champ_28 wrote:

i dont see how controlling your kicker is effective at all, if they get through your kicker is too slow to catch them or if you are in position rarely will you ever get a tackle with a kicker.....the SAFEST bet is squibing, wether u think its cheesing or not idc it works the best, i never give up a td with squib and like i said, if you get down there fast u can recover it

I user my kicker, and depending on what kicker I'm using....there are certain kickers that I actually sprint down the field and make the tackle with.

The most important thing is to leave everyone in their coverage lanes. I've probably allowed a total of 3 kickoff run backs for TDs, and all were in the first week I had the game.


If you stay disciplined, it's not an issue. All the bobbing and weaving just gets them a shorter return.

Make sure the sidelines are coverd.I manually use any1 else and only him.

yeah if u get picked up by a block user someone else as quick as possible

I have to agree with the other guys, kicking to the sidelines is probably the worst thing that you could do. Anytime I see a kick go to the sidelines, I can honestly say I run it back for 6 at least 70% of the time with ease if not more as all you have to do is avoid like 3 or 4 blockers then if you're returner has got mad speed like 93 or more, then you can pretty much forget about catching them streaking up the sideline.

What really sucks is the special teams matchups of some teams vs certain other teams. And what I mean by that is sometimes when you're kicking off, your defenders just fall down like dominos the instant they touch the receiving teams special teams guys and it's when that starts to happen that I feel really forced to squib. I mean you can't user everyone to get good stick so you don't fall down right? Also what's funny is even if your team has 3 bars on special teams certain matchups still allow it to happen and all your defenders get knocked the f#ck down.

All in all, they've made running back TD's in madden 10 WAYY too easy imho. I remember in 09 it was not something that happened 2 times a game like it does these days. My record at this point is 3 run backs in a row, after that the guy disconnected which he was entitled to because it's pretty much bullshit. I mean I know this isn't a true simulation of football but it's damn close. They just need to make a patch to make running back TD's slightly harder than it currently is. Anyways just putting in my 2cents.

Weave through, but DO NOT hitstick unless you are clearly squared up on the returner, instead just hit him and if you miss you will either slow him down or drive him off course into another tackler.

i just use the kicker at all times and just mirror the kick returner

yea, i always use my kicker to make the tackle or just use up a blocker, every person counts

Fudgy wrote:

i just use the kicker at all times and just mirror the kick returner

and if you hitstick with noone around the defender won't block you