The ability to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage is a key to becoming a better player. While controlling the offense, gamers can “hot route” and tell their receivers what routes to run on the fly. This is essential for gamers who plan to run a hurry-up offense, because they won’t have the benefit of the huddle to give their receivers instructions. This season, the gameplay team has added some new hot routes to the game that are not only more realistic but give the gamer even more control before the snap!
5 SMOKE ROUTE
4 HITCH ROUTE
3 COMEBACK ROUTE
2 HB OPTION ROUTE
1 FLAT ROUTE
5 SMOKE ROUTE
TARGET YOUR BEST WEAPONS IN SPACE; OFTEN THEY ONLY NEED TO MAKE ONE DEFENDER MISS!
How many times have you seen the defenders backed way off your WR and just wanted to instantly get him the ball? The smoke route will let your WR know to turn and look towards the QB at the snap of the ball. If you have a numbers advantage, like two WRs against one CB, you can hopefully catch a block and bust it open. The smoke route can also be motioned from one side of the field to another to create imbalances against the defense. The smoke route is another great way to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers, especially against a conservative defense.
4 HITCH ROUTE
THIS ROUTE IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN THE RED ZONE, SO DON’T FORGET TO SMART ROUTE IT!
One of our favorite ways to move the chains is by looking for safe and reliable targets over the middle. The hitch route can now be hot routed inside and is very effective against zones. If the defender doesn’t try to get underneath the route, you should have a great window to throw the ball. Target players with strong Catch in Traffic ratings so they can hang onto the ball if they take a hit. Make sure to look out for defensive linemen who drop back into coverage, because they can often knock the pass down. These quick passes can also be used to set up the deep seam pass if the linebackers get too aggressive!
3 COMEBACK ROUTE
BLOCK AN EXTRA PLAYER, BECAUSE THIS ROUTE TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP.
The comeback route has always been one of our favorites when facing a third and long situation. If you see man coverage, your WR should get a free release at the line of scrimmage and make a sharp cut downfield. As long as no zone defender drops back to sit underneath (look out for buzz zones), you should be able to connect on this route. Time the throw as your WR starts to break out of his cut, rather than waiting on the throw, which can allow the defender to break on the ball. Having this route on the outside as a hot route will really force the defense to think about only playing over the top on long-yardage downs!
2 HB OPTION ROUTE
THIS IS A GREAT ROUTE THAT CAN BAIL OUT A QB WHO MISSES HIS PRIMARY READ.
The HB option is a perfectly named route. The back starts out of the backfield, and if he reads zone, he will turn around and sit underneath it. This is the perfect call in short-yardage situations and can also be used as a safety valve in the middle of the field for QBs who like to roll out. Against man coverage, the HB will cut towards the sideline and try to beat the defender. If you get a mismatch on the LB, you can often burn him for big yardage if you hit the HB in stride. Learn the timing of both routes and which defenses to unleash them against to maximize this great new addition.
1 FLAT ROUTE
IF YOU SENSE A BLITZ, HOT ROUTE THE SLOT WR TO A FLAT ROUTE AND USE HIM AS YOUR HOT READ.
The flat route has always been key to having a great offense in Madden NFL. Although it is one of the simplest routes in the game, it has never been available as a hot route. Last season, we were forced to use plays that had the stock route built in, but now you can simply add a flat route to the slot or TE on any given play! This means if you see the slot corner cheating inside, you can quickly throw a pass to the flat to make the defense pay. You can also now create a great passing concept like curl flats if you see Cover 3 zone from the defense. While many times you won’t throw to the flat, just having it to keep the defense honest makes it one of the best weapons in the game.
Ready for more? Get the complete, official guide to Madden NFL 25!
Read more New Gameplay Tips for Madden NFL 25
