Madden NFL 17 Guide: Passing Tips, Plays, Skill Trainer, Time Management

Madden NFL 17 guide with tips and tricks to get you started on Madden NFL 17 and get better at passing, plays, skill trainer, time management and more!

Madden NFL 17 is finally out and now fans have a chance to take their favorite team to the top of the NFL in-game rankings even if their team doesn’t perform so well in actual matches.

This guide filled with some neat Madden NFL 17 guide will help players achieve their goal of becoming the top NFL team out there. To be the very best, players need to shape up both their offense and defense as well as get to know some other special tricks that can help then win matches easily.

Clock Management
Every NFL game, real life or video game, revolves heavily around the clock and managing that perfectly can be a great key to winning a game. If a player is unable to utilize their limited time properly at a crucial point in a match, even if they have a slight lead they can lose the match.

Players should ensure that if they have a pretty strong lead on their opponents, they should focus on running down the clock instead of going for a higher score as that greed can turn the tide for them.

If their team’s defense is good, the best thing they can do is pass the ball around among their players to put some extra pressure on their opponent as the time trickles down.

For those on the losing end of a match, the best idea is to gain a good field position first instead of running the ball. It is essential that players focus on pushing down the field successfully instead of just wasting time trying to make plays that the opposing defense can easily block.

Safety Player
A very important Madden NFL 17 tip is to always keep an eye out on the enemy Safety player. A ball thrown further down the field can easily be intercepted by a good Safety so players need to keep an eye out on his positioning and movement when they are getting ready to throw.

Both the Safety players are usually in the middle of the field as Defense and players must focus on throwing their ball to a friendly player who is away from the Safety and yet not crowded by other opposing players.

Roster
Since the Madden NFL games are designed to be as authentic as possible to the real NFL experience, every year the player roster changes around and some players get benched while others end up in the main squad.

It can be easily fixed by manually altering the roster so players have only those team members in the squad with which they are experienced with and feel can perform better than the current squad.

The roster can be modified by pressing the “Start” button and navigating to the “Depth Chart” which lets players manage every position on the field.

Knowledge
Not just knowledge of your players or the opponents but knowledge of the field, time and perfect opportunities. Madden NFL is all about patience and playing methodically, like a fast paced chess match on a timer. Every move you make needs to be part of an end game and not just something you do randomly.

As part of our next Madden NFL 17 guide, knowledge and reading every situation can easily help players secure a win. A certain move might not usually be a good idea when a quarter is about to end but sometimes, that risk can pay off.

Even if kicking for a goal seems like a right choice at the moment, running for a touchdown can be a better choice if the situation is analyzed properly and players are sure of their squad members.

Similarly, knowing when to throw the ball away can also make or break a drive. This can ensure the ball stays on the field longer or it can result in it being handed to the opposing team.

If it looks as if a certain play is not going to work, players need to throw the ball away instead of getting greedy.

Instead of trying to run the ball with a quarterback against an amazing defense, players should simply leave the pocket and press the right analog stick to throw down the ball. It is better than losing it to the opposing team if there is no one to pass the ball to.

Passing
Getting familiar with the control scheme of Madden NFL 17 also helps a lot in winning. While most players usually just go for a simple pass whenever they see a friendly team member with a sign over his head, there are a lot of other passing options available as well.

There are multiple ways to throw a ball which facilitate all types of play, throwing a ball high or low instead of a simply bullet pass. A high thrown ball can be extremely useful when a certain team member is cornered by just one other opponent while a low pass can help clear the ball of congested areas.

Pump Fake
A pump fake is yet another really useful tool in this Madden NFL 17 guide and can really help out a quarterback as it widens the gap between opposing defense and receivers.

If a friendly receiver is too close to an opposing defender, a pump fake can help him by making the defender think that players have launched the ball and they search for it in air while the player easily passes it to the receiver who is now clear.

Combined a with a different pass style, it can help make an amazing play.

Camera Angles
A really useful trick that a lot of player might miss out on is the ability to change camera angles in Madden NFL 17.

The view can be changed on the fly using the up and down buttons on D-pad which can be very helpful in Defense as it allows players to have a better look at the opposing team so they can read their movements, especially quarterback’s, more closely and make a play according to that.

There are multiple camera angles to choose from so everyone can have a different preference.

Change Play
Instead of simply picking up a play and then immediately call snap a ball, players should take time to anticipate and analyze the field. If something feels wrong or they feel a different play can help them out in a specific situation, they should quickly call an audible to a new play.

If it seems that a run may not work because of opposing defense, it might be a better idea to switch to a pass play. The Audible menu can also allow players to alter the routes taken by team members as well as adjust the linemen.

Using audibles can keep the opponents on their toe and always trying to guess what the player will do next.

Skills Trainer
Skills trainer is a great way to learn all the different formations in Madden NFL 17 in-depth. It is filled with advance level tutorials on offense, defense as well as special teams. Going for gold on every tutorial can really help players a lot in their general understanding of the various plays in the game.

Slide
Perhaps the crown jewel of this Madden NFL 17 guide is the Slide feature. Many players miss out on this option not only because it is complicated to perform successfully but it is also not listed in the game’s controls page.

Sliding can be a great move for quarterbacks to avoid incoming enemy players. In order to perform a slide, players have to hold down both triggers and then press X or Square (depending on platform) to initiate a slide.

The best time to do a slide is when a quarterback takes off down the field as any hit taken can cause him to drop the ball or even get injured which can not only result in losing the game but possibly the season as well.

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Ashar is the managing editor of SegmentNext.com. He enjoys all sorts of video games except those made by Nintendo. He thinks Fortnite is the only battle royale that should exist. He is a big fan ...