Madden 23: How to defend receivers

Olivier Dumont

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In Madden 23, there’s various ways you can make stops or force turnovers on defense. That said, some can be more effective than others.

At the top of the list is generating pressure against the opposing quarterback, a common approach that sometimes won’t provide the outcomes you’re looking for. However, another way one can generate stops or turnovers, is by switching to a defender covering the ball on a pass play. This is one of the best ways to take full control of disrupting an offense that’s not slowing down with their passing game.

When guarding wide receivers or tight ends, cornerbacks, safeties, and linebackers all have the ability to execute three types of pass breakups, similarly to that of wide receivers with their three kinds of catches. Although it might be a bit difficult to try at first, tapping into this on defense is vital. Should you opt not to, it could lead your defender to get outmuscled and concede a big gain.

So with that in mind, what pass breakup options do defenders have and how can we apply them? Here’s a look at all the details you need to know.

READ NOW: How to strip the ball in Madden 23.

Types of pass breakup moves in Madden 23

Before we take a look at the controls for each move available, we’re going to briefly review what each pass breakup does upon using it.

1. Ball Hawk: When hitting the ball hawk option with your defensive back, it will have him go after the ball in attempt to intercept it. Of all the types of pass breakups at your disposal, this move is the riskiest choice to execute and heavily depends on the catching rating of your defender.
   
2. Swatting: If ball hawk is not within reach to pull off for your defender, attempting to swat the pass is a great second choice. Getting a hand on the ball is important when playing defense and can significantly alter the possibility of the receiver completing the catch.
   
3. Play Receiver: Though it might be a bit of a generic term, this is exactly what it sounds like. Despite the temptation you might feel with resorting to ‘ball hawk’, playing the receiver is the safest bet of all three moves. It allows you to be more physical with your coverage in attempt to box out or get in between the ball and the receiver.

How to defend receivers in Madden 23

PlayStation:
-Ball Hawk: Hold Triangle
-Swat Ball: Hold Square
-Play Receiver: Hold X

Xbox:
-Ball Hawk: Hold Y
-Swat Ball: Hold X
-Play Receiver: Hold A

PC:
-Ball Hawk: Hold R
-Swat Ball: Hold Q
-Play Receiver: Hold E

Additional Info: In order to really optimize these pass breakups in Madden 23, you’re best off looking over which defenders have good catching, jumping, and play recognition skills. The better those are, the more disruptive your defender will be with their pass breakups.