Best Madden 26 playbooks - offensive and defensive

What are the best Madden 26 playbooks for offense and defense? Whether you are crushing Ultimate Team or trying to bring the Lombardi trophy back home in franchise mode, having great plays and the best Madden 26 playbooks will help you score touchdowns and force turnovers.

With more than 80 playbooks in Madden 26, and many getting a total refresh in this year's sports game, it can be hard to know where to start. We've tested them all and picked out a few on both offense and defense that will have you raining down points and frustrating your opponents.

There are a handful of great offensive playbooks this year. We'll start with what we think is the best, which is the New Orleans Saints.

That might be a surprise, but the Saints playbook is full of funky formations, unique looks, and provides a lot of balance, making it perfect for nearly every player.

The Saints playbook starts with four Singleback sets, four Pistol sets, two I Form, and a Strong formation that gives you a lot to work with if you want to pound the ball.

The Shotgun sets are also brilliant. You get the exclusive Saints Heavy, which is awesome if you've got an athletic quarterback like Jayden Daniels or Lamar Jackson. You have Doubles Flex Y Off Close, which includes the best money play in Madden 26, Y-Sail. This formation also includes a lot of running back motion, which is great for elusive backs.

Y Off Trips Nasty has the most broken play in the game this year, RPO Read Y Flat. There is also the Tight Y Off formation, which has TE Corner, a devastating play you can create a whole scheme around.

Oh, and you also get a wildcat formation. What's not to love?

Coming in a close second this year is the Chicago Bears. Hiring Ben Johnson has given the Bears playbook a total makeover and turned it into a juggernaut.

There are seven Singleback formations in this playbook. Including Deuce Close, U Off Trips, and Bunch X Nasty. These give you a lot of the same pass plays you would get in Shotgun, but with the threat of the run too.

While there are no Pistol sets here, the Shotgun formations are great. Wing Tight Nasty provides some classics like Bench, Bench Swap, and Mesh Spot, while you get the Normal Y Off Close formation and Y-Sail too.

The Slot Right formation is unique for the Bears, and includes a version of RPO Read Y Flat. You also get the always brilliant Trips TE Flex that includes PA Shot Crossers and Mtn Y Post, which is a nightmare to stop. This can be partnered with Mtn Hitch N Go and Mtn Fork H Choice to create an offensive scheme that will terrorize any defense.

If you want to be more run-focused and old-school in Madden this year, the Los Angeles Chargers playbook is the one for you.

There are lots of Singleback plays here, but the crown jewel is the unique Split T, which lines up three running backs behind the QB and lets you cause some real headaches with motions, runs, and play action.

The Shotgun sets are good too, so it's not all just under center running. You get Trips TE with some great orbit motion plays. Bunch X Nasty and Normal Y Off Close are here too, while Wing Pair and Deuce Close will let you run from the gun too.

Best Madden 26 Playbooks - Defense

There is less variety in defensive playbooks than there is in offensive ones, but that doesn't mean you should run just any old playbook.

This year, the New England Patriots defensive playbook is very good. You get 3-4, 4-3, and 4-4 formations. This includes 3-4 Bear, 3-4 Odd, and 4-3 Even 6-1, which are all very good base formations.

In Nickel, you get Double Mug, 3-3 Odd, and 2-4 Load Mug. There is also the Dime 3-,2 which is a go-to for online play.

The other great defensive option this year is the Jacksonville Jaguars. This playbook has 4-3, 3-4, and 46 as base defenses, including 4-3 Even 6-1.

You get 3-3-5 Over Flex and 4-2-5 Over G, which are both very solid hybrid defenses. There are lots of Nickel formations, including the usual Double Mug but also Wide and Over. Then there is Dime 3-2 as well for that online dominance.