Pass rushing is definitely more effective in this year's Madden.
Many consider it OP and whilst EA have done some things to tone it down, it's still effective.
In the early versions of Madden 20, there were strong Superstar abilities without anything on the blocking side. The OL abilities have now been patched in which has helped - but only if you have one of those players.
Previously, here at RealSport we have spoken about the best blitzes and they remain very powerful. Getting to the QB can win you games.
At worst you force an incompletion and take a down away from the drive, at best you get a turnover and score points.
Who do you have at DE/OLB?
Depending on your scheme you might weight these differently but there are some key stats to focus on for rushing the passer.
Focus on Block Shed (84+), Finesse or Power Move (90+) and Impact Block (83+).
It's worth noting DT is another important position to generate pass rush, but they also need to stop the run as well, so to narrow the focus we're looking at 4-3 DEs and 3-4 OLBs. Head here for the specific MUT cards.
Only 13 players fit under this bracket and are the elite of Madden 20 pass rush.
Name | Team | OVR | IBL | BSH | FMV | PMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aaron Donald | LAR | 99 | 93 | 97 | 96 | 99 |
Khalil Mack | CHI | 98 | 90 | 93 | 91 | 95 |
JJ Watt | HOU | 97 | 94 | 89 | 93 | 94 |
Von Miller | DEN | 96 | 89 | 94 | 90 | 93 |
Calais Campbell | JAX | 95 | 89 | 94 | 92 | 90 |
Myles Garrett | CLE | 93 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 95 |
Cameron Jordan | NO | 92 | 92 | 92 | 78 | 94 |
Demarcus Lawrence | DAL | 90 | 83 | 88 | 95 | 89 |
Cameron Heyward | PIT | 89 | 87 | 86 | 67 | 90 |
Brandon Graham | PHI | 88 | 93 | 87 | 85 | 90 |
Akiem Hicks | CHI | 88 | 89 | 91 | 69 | 89 |
Danielle Hunter | MIN | 88 | 84 | 84 | 91 | 82 |
Jurrell Casey | TEN | 85 | 89 | 84 | 90 | 79 |
READ MORE: How to beat opponents by QB Scrambling
Honourable mentions to both Joey Bosa (90 OVR) and Nick Bosa (87 OVR) who are great pass rushers but miss out for a couple of slightly lower stats on block shedding. Jadeveon Clowney (89 OVR) is another player unlucky to miss out but has abilities.
Key X-Factor & Superstar Abilities
Superstar abilities are new to Madden 20 and as such, they have started life slightly too powerful. As mentioned earlier, the Pass Rush abilities have been in since day one and there are more players with them than on the pass protection side of the ball.
The most important ones for rushing the passer are;
BEAST: These abilities can make a player...unplayable
X-Factor - Unstoppable Force
Players who have this ability: Joey Bosa, DeMarcus Lawrence, Calais Campbell, Cameron Jordan, Myles Garrett, Geno Atkins, Khalil Mack
What this ability does: Elite pass rushers are a mix of strength, speed, and tenacity. When they enter the zone, this ability increases their win rate and block shed speed against one on one pass blocks
How to activate this ability: 1 Sack
X-Factor - Fearmonger
Players who have this ability: JJ Watt, Aaron Donald, Fletcher Cox, Von Miller
What this ability does: Some pass rushers intimidate quarterbacks with their sheer presence. When they enter the zone, they can apply significant pressure on quarterbacks even while engaged with blockers.
How to activate this ability: 1 Sack
READ MORE: How to protect your QB
List of Superstar Abilities
- Edge Threat - Dominant pass rush moves and apply significant QB pressure while rushing from edge
- Players: Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Cameron Jordan, Calais Campbell, JJ Watt
- Finesse/Power Specialist - Faster finesse/power move animations still tackle effectively while trying to strip the football
- Players: Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett
READ MORE: Franchise Team Needs – Minnesota Vikings
- Pass Rush Elite - Use faster pass rush moves for a better chance at shedding pass blocks
- Players: Aaron Donald
- Strip Specialist - Can still tackle effectively while trying to strip the football
- Players: Von Miller, Darius Leonard, TJ Watt
With good performances, you can unlock Superstar abilities and develop players to attain Superstar status. But from the start, there are four players, with the most dangerous all-rounder actually being Joey Bosa.
Click NEXT to read more about expert pass rushing.
Timing of Pass Rush Skills
You can find the full list of controls for the game here, but for rushing the passer its as simple as three buttons.
A big piece of advice from good Madden players will always 'user' (the person you control) one of the linebackers. This will get sacks by the nature of closing down the passing routes and making the QB take longer to find someone open - and therefore giving time to get sacked.
However, a lot of people feel more comfortable playing as a DE and attacking the QB. Doing this will give that player a boost in ability and it does so using these buttons;
- Rush from snap - RT/R2
- Finesse – A/X
- Power – X/Square
The first bit is all about timing. You have to rush the snap as quickly as you can from it happening. Too early and you'll get flagged for a penalty. Too late and you miss getting a good start.
READ MORE: How to use the Taysom Hill Formation
Once you hit the blocker press either buttons depending on console and whether you want to Finesse rush or Power rush. Before the game, you should check which players lead in which stats to know which one to choose.
A final tip is to change player once the defender has broken the block. The CPU will take over and tackle the QB in the best way, without giving a penalty - so its much less risky, particularly if you are wild with your tackles... you don't want to miss.
READ MORE: How to improve your running game
If you are playing more Ultimate Team than anything else you will want to know which cards will produce the best pass rush for you. Don't worry, we have all the answers for you here.