Elites vs. Legends is the Ultimate Madden Grudge Match
Madden NFL 19 is pushing the boundaries of the franchise, delivering the most authentic football simulation the series has seen. But a feature that isn’t getting enough attention is an exhibition of the Elites and Legends teams. The Elites consist of an all-star lineup of today’s current NFL stars, while the Legends team is loaded with all-time greats.
Not only is taking on one of these epic rosters a challenge to prove your skill, completing a game against one of these teams will earn you a “Play Now Award Pack” for your Madden Ultimate Team. Check out our breakdown of what to expect with this epic H2H matchup.
Legends
At Quarterback, you have Dan Marino, Steve Young, and Michael Vick to choose from. While the old-school Madden gamers will remember how effective Speed can be, the go-to guy here is Young. His ratings are the perfect balance between his counterparts, while still maintaining enough Speed to extend plays and get out of trouble.
The Legends are stacked at WR, and it’s not difficult to make use of the Jerry Rice and Randy Moss pairing. Rice will come down with any pass within reach, while the absurd size and Speed of Moss allows you to score at will.
But what really makes the Legends so dominant is their defense. First off, the quickness at linebacker is a cheat code level advantage. If Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher aren’t enough to contend with, there’s Lawrence Taylor. Between this core of LBs and a defensive line featuring Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Mean Joe Greene, this defensive front routinely annihilates any O-line, including the Elite team.
Oh yeah, Deion Sanders is lurking in the secondary. There’s that. And Brain Dawkins at strong safety is a borderline linebacker. His success rate at sacks when sending him on the blitz is basically an “I Win” button.
Elites
If you’ve read this far, I think you’ve gotten the idea that the Legends team is a little overpowered. That’s not to say the Elites are benchwarmers by any means. Starting at QB, your two obvious choices are Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Going against the Legends though, you might need to buy a little more time for plays. Subbing in Russell Wilson for the added Speed could be essential.
Having guys like Antonio Brown and Julio Jones at WR is great, but the one advantage I’d say the Elites have over the Legends is at tight end. While the Legends aren’t bad by any means (Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Kellen Winslow) the Elites are loaded with Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen. The Speed and size advantage is with the Elites here. Going with multiple TE sets is the only mismatch opportunity you’ll get against the Legends, so use it.
The Elites also have some studs at linebacker. Both Von Miller and Luke Kuechly enter Madden 19 with 99 OVRs, and complement each other perfectly. Being able to send someone like Miller on the attack with Kuechly covering the middle of the field is an effective pairing. Kuechly’s skill in coverage is a big reason the Legend’s TEs aren’t as dominant.
There you have it. While the Legends are the stronger of the two, the Elites can stand up to them with careful play selection and roster knowledge.
-Daniel Williams (Follow Dan on Twitter @thatDanW)
Madden NFL 19 launches August 10. Pre-order the Hall of Fame Edition for three-day Early Access and loads of MUT content. Stay in the conversation by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and EA Forums. Sign up for the Newsletter today to receive updates on Madden, and other EA news, products, and events, all season long.
