DEFENSE in MADDEN 2003
You wanna get pressure on the QB in Madden 2003? I have a LB that gets consistently 15-35 sacks a season. The way to do it is to always move around your guys before the snap, blitz constantly, and have FAST agile LBs and DEs. If you can get 1 fast AND agile DE, 1 fast LB (usually the ROLB in '03) and a powerful bull-rush DT, you can get pressure. The secret is using your FAST DE and Bull-rush DT to confuse the offensive guard and get him out of position, then get that fast LB into the gaping hole left by the guard. He should be unabated to the QB at least half the time. There's a few 4-3 plays that do this if you shift your DL to one side and blitz the ROLB up the middle. Oh yeah, that's the most effective way I've found to rush the QB. Confuse the guard and blitz you LBs up the middle.
For coverage sacks rushing just DLs, and for great defense use the "Cover 2" defenses in the 4-3 and the nickel defense. Those work like magic and if your safeties have good hands and jumping ability, they'll both start in the Pro Bowl because of the INTs and deflections they get. Use your man-to-man audibles to cover the slot guys as well and mix up the bump-and-run with soft corner coverages. Mind you, it does NOT work like Cover 2 in real life, it's more like deep, central zones, but it's very effective.
That's also kinda a point, Madden 2003 isn't incredibly realistic. Neither was FBpro back in the day, but it was still BADASSED. The games worked differently than real life football. To be successful, you gotta learn the MADDEN way to defend passes and rush the passer, not the real life ways. It's fun as hell, though
Also, the WORST sexual innuendo in the game...
"Yeah, just stick your hand in there and WAP it down!"
- John Madden describing a pass deflection. Classic