Madden 26: Top 5 Offensive Formations After the Patch

Many of the formations that dominated the early goings have been nerfed in Madden 26, while others have quietly become some of the most powerful tools in the game. If you're still trying to use old corner plays or outdated tactics, your experience might be limited. To help you adjust, we’re breaking down the top five offensive formations in Madden 26 right now. These are the sets that will let you move the ball, beat every coverage, and win more games after the patch. And if you want to build the perfect roster to run these schemes, you can always buy Madden 26 coins to quickly add the best players. Along the way, we’ll highlight the best plays and adjustments you should be using from each.

5. Gun Trips TE Flex (Saints Playbook)

This formation was slept on early, but it might be even better now than last year. The secret weapon? RPO Zone Alert Omaha.

· Why it’s good: You can hot route both bubble receivers and the tight end. That means you can mix streaks, outs, posts, and slants out of an RPO look, forcing the defense to respect every coverage.

· Vs. Man: The bubble and quick outs are instant wins. Add a post or slant from the inside WR for separation.

· Vs. Zone: Throw the bubble with great blocking numbers or attack downfield with streaks.

· Other plays to mix in:

 o Verticals - still a zone-beater.

 o Motion Wide Post - deadly slant/post combo with a comeback on the outside to punish flats. 

 o Match Bomb - streak your slant receiver to torch Cover 4 Quarters.

Pro Tip: Always keep the trips on the wide side of the field for max spacing.

4. Gun Bunch TE (Vikings Playbook)

Bunch TE remains one of the most versatile offensive formations - and after the patch, it’s even better because it doesn’t rely on corner routes.

· Key Play: TE Hitch HB Check (with the auto-motion wheel).

· Setup vs. Cover 2:

 o Streak the TE.

 o Put the slot WR on a post.

 o Use a return route with the backside WR.

 o Check down to the HB in the flat.

This stretches the defense vertically and horizontally, leaving the wheel, post, and checkdown all open depending on how zones react.

· Vs. Cover 3 / 4: The wheel still wins on timing, while the post and return routes carve up the middle.

· RPOs: The formation’s RPO plays give you quick, unguardable flat options to mix in with the pass game.

3. Gun Y Off Trio Close (Jaguars Playbook)

This is one of the best anti-blitz formations in Madden 26.

· Why it’s good: The unique play action pass in this set picks up nearly every common stunt or blitz, letting you throw without pressure.

· Core Concept: Use play action to protect yourself, then mix in a dagger-style combo (slot fade + post + drag + streak + RB route).

· How it works:

 o The slot fade prevents switch defense.

 o The post breaks into the middle of the field once zones are cleared.

 o The RB streak or drag pulls hook zones down, creating room.

From this base, you can adjust into corner routes, crossers, or fades. The defense is forced to respect multiple levels of attack with zero blitz pressure payoff.

2. Gun Doubles Flex Y Off Close (Jaguars Playbook)

A true patch winner. This formation didn’t rely on corner routes pre-patch, and now it’s thriving.

· Best Play: PA Snag

 o Block stunts easily with the play action.

 o Run simple setups like:

  · Streak + Drag + Flat/Slant combos for quick reads.

  · Corner-Flat combos with the TE and RB for sideline wins.

 o Against shaded coverages, you always have a counter (drag if they back off, streak/post if they shade down).

This formation has answers for every coverage: posts, streaks, corners, and man-beaters. Add in the PA protection, and it’s a top-tier way to attack without worrying about the blitz meta.

1. Gun Bunch Nasty (Jaguars Playbook)

The current king of Madden 26 offenses. Gun Bunch Nasty has everything - motion plays, posts, streaks, wheels, quick flats, and one of the glitchiest RPOs in the game.

· Signature Play: Motion RPO Zone Alert

 o Hot route the auto-motion WR to disguise the play.

 o Streaks and flats force defenses into impossible choices.

 o Vs. Zone: Quick flat is almost always open, and if defenders pass commit, the seam route is wide open.

 o Vs. Man: Use the speed out or streaks to torch single coverage.

The beauty of this play is the mind game: if defenses pass commit to stop the quick flat, they’re vulnerable to inside runs. If they switch to man, your streaks and outs punish them.

Why it’s #1: It forces defenses into bad adjustments, offers easy reads, and disguises its RPO look better than any other formation.

Final Thoughts

The Madden 26 patch shifted the meta away from corner-route abuse and forced players to get creative. The best offenses now are built around: RPOs you can hot route out of, play action passes that block stunts, and formations with multiple levels of attack. Master these top five formations - Trips TE Flex, Bunch TE, Y Off Trio Close, Doubles Flex Y Off Close, and Bunch Nasty - and you’ll always have answers against man, zone, and blitz-heavy defenses. And if you want to stay ahead of the competition with the right players for these schemes, picking up cheap mut 26 coins is one of the fastest ways to upgrade your lineup.