The offensive line, fullbacks and tight ends are much smarter in this year's game. They no longer miss the easiest blocking assignments, and even when they do miss blocks, there's usually a logical reason.It's either ratings related (which I'll discuss more later) or it's because you outran your protection as a ball carrier.

While I didn't chart the results, I noticed the same benefits of having a strong O-line. This is the first Madden I've ever played where I'm convinced that having a quality offensive line can be the difference between winning and losing.That's how football should be. There are still some gameplay issues, but this is a very big one that looks to NFL Coins have finally been solved.

I love the balance between offense and defense in Madden 18. Both sides of the ball are equipped with weapons and features that help provide success.On offense, you have the aforementioned more intelligent play from the offensive line. On defense, dominant pass rushers and interior defenders with high strength and block-shedding ratings can still wreak havoc in the offensive backfield.