Summary
Establishing the ground game in the NFL remains an important part of the offense. Despite taking a backseat to quarterbacks and wide receivers, running backs generate hard-earned yards and can wear down a defense.
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Several running backs inMadden 24possess Superstar abilities that impact their running style in massive ways. We chose the top Superstar abilities that you want to have for your rusher and how they can help you find success on the gridiron.
10Balance Beam
Remaining on your feet is critical for a running back. When they’re trying to navigate their way across the line of scrimmage, they can get hit by defenders or their fellow teammates and that can cause them to lose their balance.
Balance Beam stabilizes running backs and helps them avoid stumbling as a ball carrier. By staying upright, running backs won’t give up easily on the play and can churn out a few extra yards.
9Arm Bar
Performing stiff arms can be a running back’s most effective weapon to shed would-be tacklers. By extending their arm, running backs prevent a defender from wrapping them up in a tackle and also helps them protect the football.
Arm Bar is a simple, yet effective Superstar ability. It boosts the overall power of stiff arm animations, allowing running backs to push off stronger defenders and more defenders as they fight for more yards.
8Evasive
Speedy running backs have the capability of slipping through offensive linemen or evading defenders in the open field with ease. They deploy an array of juke and spin moves to successfully gain huge chunks of yards.
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Having the Evasive Superstar ability grants you more control over the spin and juke moves. For running backs without this ability, the game will perform a simple evasive maneuver but it could be in a way you weren’t expecting. Halfbacks with Evasive allows you to steer where the running back goes when performing these types of moves.
7RB Apprentice
Hot routes are individual routes that are adjusted by a quarterback before snapping the ball. Typically, these are simplified routes and are a bit scarce at the running back position. Only a select few in the NFL are as dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield as they are running it.
RB Apprentice granted four additional hot routes for running backs who can operate as pseudo-receivers from the backfield. These new routes can create a new dynamic in a team’s offensive scheme and give the quarterback more flexibility in how they want to attack a defense.
6Energizer
Naturally, players begin to lose stamina over the course of the game. Running backs lose energy by, you guessed it, running the football but also performing spin, juke, truck, and stiff arm moves to avoid tacklers.
If you want your running back to retain stamina throughout the game, you’ll need Energizer. This Superstar ability will replenish stamina after every successful skill move, which can help keep your running back fresh and further demoralize a defense.
5Backfield Master
While the majority of running backs tend to focus on simply running the ball, there are a few who are also effective in the passing game. Running backs as receivers aren’t the top option for quarterbacks, if anything they’re more of a safety net in case other receivers are guarded, but that doesn’t mean these players can’t significantly impact the game.
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The Backfield Master Superstar ability creates more hot routes for running backs, so the quarterback can adjust their routes on the field, and it improves their overall catching ability. Most running backs don’t have high catching ratings, so the improvement in that category might not be worth it for some rushers, but it could prove the difference between dropped passes and gaining a handful of yards.
4Tank
After receiving the handoff from the quarterback, running backs are locked in as an instant target of the defense. While their main objective is to tackle the ball carrier, defenders will also try their best to dislodge the football for a turnover and perform hit-stick tackles.
Hit-stick tackles are more powerful tackles by defenders, but they can be a bit erratic. If a defender misses, it’s easy for the offensive player to shed the tackler and continue running forward. Tank allows running backs to break full-on hit-stick tackles, which can also prevent them from fumbling the football.
3Bruiser
Similar to wide receivers, there are speedy and stout running backs. The latter can be devastating forces of nature for the defense, especially when they’re equipped with the Bruiser Superstar ability.
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Running backs with this special ability tend to bulldoze over whoever is in front of them. They have more powerful truck and stiff arm animations, which increases their overall ability to shed tacklers. While these running backs may not have top speed, they surely make up for it with their physicality.
2Goal Line Back
When offenses reach the red zone, the field shrinks and the battle at the line of scrimmage becomes much more important. Defenses will tend to stack the line of scrimmage with extra defenders to penetrate the pocket, but Goal Line Back can be an effective counter.
This Superstar ability provides a huge boost for run blockers when the offense is within five yards of the end zone. Offenses typically ride the coattails of their running backs when they get near the end zone and this ability will help offenses punch in a rushing touchdown by gaining the advantage at the line of scrimmage.
1Reach For It
As soon as the quarterback hands the football to the running back, they’re off to the races to try and gain the most yards as they can. Typically, running plays don’t generate nearly as many yards as passing plays do, so it’s crucial that your running back fights for every yard possible.
Reach For It is the ultimate Superstar ability for running backs, as it allows them to frequently fight to gain additional yards while being tackled. This ability can be the difference between scoring a touchdown or converting a first down instead of being stifled by the defense. Running backs with Reach For It can be a headache for defenses in Madden 24.
