How To Win In The Snow In Madden NFL 17

Sand is coarse, rough, and irritating. Snow is cold, annoying, and irritating… unless you’re like me and you live in Florida. Sucks to be up north, suckers!

But yeah, snow can be pretty annoying, especially in Madden NFL 17 where it’s also game-changing. For some reason, many Madden players seem to hate playing in the snow not because of the weather itself, but because of the added challenge and the almost-fear that they’ll lose.

Today, we’re here to walk you through some tips on how you can take full advantage of the crappy weather to send your opponent home with a loss that will chill them to the core. 

Ha! Chill. Like snow? Get it? Now, in the words of Arnold…

1. Check out the visual settings

Honestly, this should be something you do with every game, not just Madden – and for a lot of games, it’s required at the start. But with snow games in Madden, this is just playing it safe.

If you’re playing in the snow during franchise and you think everything is too bright, then lower the brightness setting; the same goes for if you think everything is dark and it’s hard to see what’s really going on.

What I actually didn’t know about Madden NFL 17 until I did my research for this article, as you can see in the pic above, is that the game actually offers some aid for those who are color blind. If you’re unaware of which ‘types’ of color blindness Madden NFL 17 helps, here you go.

• protanopia, which is a reduced sensitivity to red light.
• deuteranopia which is a reduced sensitivity to green light (and, I didn’t know this until I looked at the official website for color blindness, but it’s actually the most common).
• tritanopia which is a reduced sensitivity to blue light.

I don’t know how much that will help in a snow game, but it has to be better than nothing, right?

2. Practice!

As cliche as it is and as much as I hate saying this, practice does indeed make perfect. If you buy Madden NFL 17 for Christmas, immediately hop online, and get thrown into a snow game with the idea that you’ll approach things the way you would in clear weather, you’re probably going to lose.

I’ll get more into this in a bit, but football is a game of adjustments and practice. Snow may not seem like a big deal, yet you may really need to play an exhibition game or two in the snow to see what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on.

By the way, I was surprised to see that EA doesn’t let you pick the weather for practice mode. With The Gauntlet mode, I get it, but for general practice mode where nearly everything else is prominent? Why not let us practice gameplans for the snow and rain?

And listen, chances are that an online game will come where you’ll be playing in a white jersey. If you’re so worried about that, then practice an exhibition game where you’re wearing white jerseys. There’s no shame in preparing for something like that, even if you think it’s not a big deal.

Truth is, I did it when I was younger – using the all-white Jets unis, no less – because when the time came, I needed to be properly prepared. Granted, I’ve been playing the Madden series for almost 15 years now and I first did that when I was in elementary school, but I digress…

3. Check out your ratings

Again, this is something you should do with every sports game because really, you never know what gems you’re going to find. I’ve gone on record plenty of times saying Bilal Powell and Jeremy Kerley, despite their low ratings at the time, were favorites of mine when I played online with the New York Jets in Madden NFL 12; the same goes for Brian Brohm of all people in Madden NFL 10 on a Bills team that also had Marshawn Lynch.

Listen, if you have a backup running back who has some great bruising skills that can help him break out of tackles, then give him some extra reps. You have a defensive back who has low awareness and you think that may cost him with the bad weather, put in a backup with higher traits.

In a game I had online recently, I played as the Jets and saw that Nick Marshall, the former Auburn quarterback and current cornerback, had an 88 speed rating and an 88 acceleration rating. Seeing as my defense wasn’t doing much (it was a close game, but the Jets defense wasn’t being impactful enough), I put Marshall — a 62 overall — in at cornerback and was rewarded almost immediately when he stripped Green Bay’s Ty Montgomery.

You may not think that those types of ratings matter when weather comes into play, but do you really want to play it safe like that when football is a game that can see one play make the difference?

4. Break out the tricks!

So, you’ve overcome your fear of playing in the snow, you’ve fixed all of the visual settings, and you’ve checked out ratings of players that you may want to put in at some point. Now, it’s time to actually hit the field…

…oh…

Well, playing in the snow is really self-explanatory, honestly. Follow your blocks, make your throws — I suggest going for safer, but potentially explosive, plays like drag routes and screens — and don’t let the other team score more than you. 

But, I do suggest breaking out some tricks against your opponent, including the Wildcat formation and direct snaps; Kansas City’s offensive playbook is a favorite of mine, as is Carolina’s. If you can get a player like Tyreek Hill or Ty Montgomery to break off a run or two for you, then your opponent will be caught confused and you can capitalize.

Also, play around with wide receiver screens and try to avoid jumbo sets that will have offensive linemen going out for passes. You’ll need sure-handed receivers in the snow, not guys with a 50 catch rating who are almost certain to drop it in these weather conditions.

5. Remember, snow is just snow

No, I’m not saying to run outside in sub-zero degree weather in a wife beater, short shorts, and flip flops, but I am saying that snow is just snow. There’s no reason to be intimidated or even ‘afraid’ of playing a Madden game in the snow.

Seriously, snow is just snow. You’re not going to freeze and you’re not going to lose automatically because of the snow. Quarterbacks may slip and you may be afraid to attempt a throw you otherwise would have no hesitation making, but that’s the challenge that comes with bad weather.

It’s almost like when you know that you need to drive the store despite the snow and ice, except the only bad thing that can happen here is a loss. The key is to play the game like you would any other game, but keep our tips in mind so that you can have one up on the opponent.

Oh, and start begging the Madden developers to let us make snow angels after touchdowns. Those are always fun.

What are your strategies to playing in the snow on Madden NFL 17? Make sure to let us know in the comment section below.