The Kansas City Chiefs remain one of the most versatile offensive schemes in Madden NFL 26. It's built around the West Coast Spread system, which is designed to create mismatches through quick passes and misdirection. Whether you're grinding MUT seasons or competing online in a head-to-head match, you'll only ever need to master three formations to put you at the top of Madden players.
This guide breaks down essential formations, plays, and some in-game adjustments that will make your Chiefs unstoppable. We're talking about a scheme here that's easy to get for beginners but has a higher ceiling if you're willing to master some nuances.
Let's dive into what makes this playbook special.
Kansas City Chiefs' Best Formations
The best formations you need to master are:
Formation | Best Against |
|---|---|
Spread Dbl Flex Wk | Zone coverage |
Y Off Trips Nasty | Match coverage |
Y Off Trips Wk | Aggressive defenses and Blitzes |
Spread Dbl Flex Wk
There are 4 passing plays in this formation, and the best ones to have on-hand in your audibles screen are:
- Motion Corner
- Motion Drive
- Flanker Dig
- Inside Zone
Inside Zone is critical because there are instances where you need to run it, so having it handy will surely help.
Motion Corner
The adjustments to this play are extremely simple because all you have to do is take the outside (Circle) receiver and put him on a drag route. Plus, you have a motion coming from the outside receiver (left) that will run an automatic reverse C route in case things don't work out.
Motion Drive
In Motion Drive, you still have the auto-motion run by the outside receiver (outer left), but this time, instead of breaking to the outside, he goes on a drag. So, in a nutshell, it's simply Motion Corner but flipped.
Flanker Dig
Flanker Dig is really just used to frustrate your opponent. The adjustments on this play are actually to take the slot receiver (inner right) on the streak and put him on a drag. What you're creating here is a mesh concept going over the middle of the field.
This play sets you up for two drags and a backside in which the outside receiver (outer left) is going across the middle of the field.
Y Off Trips Nasty
This formation has five passing plays, but we'll cover the best ones, including the PA Double Post, which will become your bread and butter against match-style defenses. First, let's start with Motion X Drag.
Motion X Drag
Motion X Drag is a play where the tight end runs an auto-motion drag that you can stem to control how far the drag route is. This creates a natural mesh concept with your other receivers.
PA Double Post
PA Double Post deserves special attention as your match coverage killer. This play puts you on the short side of the field, and all you need to do is put your running back on a swing route. Against a Cover 3 or Cover 4 match, the tight end becomes almost invisible to the defense, which is your entry to a touchdown, granted that you have time in the pocket.
Dagger Whip
All you need to do in this play is put the tight end on a drag. This is a misdirection play that will allow the tight end to go really shallow on the line of scrimmage. It's best used against zone defenses since zones won't notice him at all.
RPO Read Y Flat
Save RPO Y Flat for critical moments like goal-line situations or fourth-down conversions. This play is nearly unstoppable because of how the routes develop and the natural picks created by the formation. All you really need to do is call Hike, throw it to the tight end, and take it to the end zone.
Y Off Trips Wk
Y Off Trips Wk might be the most situational out of all these three formations, but it's absolutely essential for short-yardage and red zone scenarios. You're going to be looking at the dreaded RPO Y Flat here, so if you're one of the few who consider it a cheap play, you might want to reconsider because it really is useful when you need crucial yards.
Mtn X Slant Spot
Motion X Slant Spot is a very basic play where all you need to do is take the outside trips receiver and put him on a streak, and put the slot receiver (right) on a slant. Since you already have auto-motion from the running back going to the flat, you will be able to create a flood concept on the right side of the field. This creates multiple routes that go across the field and to the sideline.
Mtn HB Swing
Motion HB Swing provides another quick-hitting option with the running back getting the auto-motion to the flat. The key here is that you already have downfield blockers in a position, so a simple outside pass lead lets you follow your blocks for guaranteed yardage.
Mtn Pump and Go
Motion Pump and Go offers a more traditional passing concept. What you're going to do here is put the tight end on a drag so he's off the line of scrimmage. Because of this, he's going to have a lot of depth to run, and because it happens so shallow, the defense doesn't recognize it right away. It's one of the more fun misdirection plays to pull off, and my personal favorite.
And there you have it! A Kansas City Chiefs guide. But hey, this is, of course, just a primer on the Chiefs' playbook, as there are so many variations, pass routes, and on-the-go adjustments that you still need to take care of depending on what the defense gives you. Ultimately, what I will leave you is the fact that these formations are really good at punishing zone defenses.
That's the beauty of the Spread offense, but it doesn't come without a catch. Your primary need to be effective in running this type of offense is a mobile quarterback. If you're building a team in MUT, consider a quarterback who can also run plays for you.
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