Madden 23: Best Playbooks for Running QBs (2024)

Ever since Michael Vick broke the game in Madden 2004, many gamers have built their playstyle around fleet-footed quarterbacks. Madden 23 includes speedy quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Patrick Mahomes, not to mention young quarterbacks like Trey Lance and Josh Allen.

Maybe you built your player as a speedy quarterback and are wondering which teams would work best for you (assuming that you can usurp the starter), or maybe you want your team to be built around fast quarterbacks.

Below you will find the best Madden playbooks for running quarterbacks. They all do one thing very well, the most basic thing that you can do with running quarterbacks: let them use their legs. Each team’s starting quarterback has at least 87 Speed.

1. Arizona Cardinals (NFC West)

Best plays:

• Lead Read Option (Pistol, Full Panther)
• Power Read (Shotgun, Spread Y-Flex)
• PA Boot (Ace, Bunch)

With Kyler Murray at quarterback, the Arizona playbook has many Boot and Option plays to put Murray’s speed and athleticism (a draft pick by MLB’s Oakland Athletics) to full use. The threat of his legs makes Play Action that much more dangerous with his 92 Speed.

The Pistol and Shotgun formations should be the base of your strategy as they include most of the Option plays. Power Read is a unique read option that sends the quarterback and halfback far to the outside, to the left of the line. The Lead Read Option is a more advanced option play in a formation built around the quarterback moving. Boot plays are always good for running signal callers, especially if they have a strong arm on the run, as Murray does.

2. Baltimore Ravens (AFC North)

Best plays:

• Read Option Wk (Pistol, Bunch)
• F Lead Read Option (Pistol, Weak I Wing)
• Lead Read Option (Pistol, Weak I Slot Open)

Lamar Jackson has been one of the most dynamic and fun players to witness since entering the NFL, thanks, in part, to a playbook that highlights his strengths. John Harbaugh shifted well from the previous era of the slower Joe Flacco to Jackson, and the playbook proves that notion. Jackson is also the fastest quarterback in the game (96 Speed) with Tennessee rookie Malik Willis and the aforementioned Murray behind him with 92 Speed.

Overall, this is the best playbook for running quarterbacks based on the sheer volume of plays that put Jackson in motion. The Pistol and Shotgun packages have plenty of read option plays for Jackson, while the other sets have many play action boots to keep him running and evading defenders. All three featured plays are different option sets that will devastate defenses when executed properly.

3. Buffalo Bills (AFC East)

Best plays:

• PA Sprint HB Flat (I Form, Tight)
• Read Option (Shotgun, Bunch)
• Y Lead Read Option (Shotgun, Y Off Trips Wk)

Josh Allen leads a team with championship aspirations. He can make all of the throws, but he can also use his legs to gain more time or yards. What’s impressive is that Allen has 88 Speed to go along with all of his passing attributes, tied for the fifth fastest among starting quarterbacks.

PA Sprint HB Flat is a play action boot that rolls Allen to his right and targets the halfback, Devin Singletary, but Allen can tuck and run as well. Read Option is your typical read option, though Allen may actually be the better choice than Singletary if solely based on speed. Y Lead Read Option should give you some space to run with the three wideouts pulling some of the defense away from the middle.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East)

Best plays:

• Read Option (Shotgun, Doubles Offset)
• QB Draw (Shotgun, Empty Base)
• PA Boot Slide (Singleback, Bunch)

Philadelphia’s history isn’t short of quarterbacks who could move with their legs – Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Carson Wentz – and that continues with a quarterback in a make-or-break season, Jalen Hurts. Hurts has 87 Speed making it possible to outpace most defenders.

The third-year quarterback has several plays to choose from that show off his running skills. Read Option from the Shotgun gives you a little more space to maneuver than when in Pistol, and with halfback Miles Sanders’ 91 Speed, the defense will have a tough choice to make. QB Draw is best out of the Shotgun because it will open up more of the middle for the quarterback to run through. PA Boot Slide gets Hurts out of the pocket and moving, and you should be fast enough to gain some yards and head out of bounds before taking a hit.

5. San Francisco 49ers (NFC West)

Best plays:

• PA Sprint HB Flat (I Form, Slot Close)
• Read Option (Pistol, Strong Slot)
• Read Option (Shotgun, Trey Open)

A popular pick to make the Super Bowl even tough the team has decided on a quarterback change to a second-year player, San Francisco’s playbook has a bevy of plays that puts new starter Trey Lance (87 Speed) in motion, hoping to ease the pressure on the young man.

PA Sprint HB Flat is a popular choice in this piece regardless of the formation. Any boot play that has easy, short passes – particularly for as inexperienced a quarterback as Lance – is a must. Both Read Option plays give you speedy options whether you hand the ball off to halfback Elijah Mitchell (90 Speed) or keep it with Lance. The good news is San Francisco has a great offensive line, led by the first offensive lineman to make the 99 Club (but not first to be 99 OVR) in Trent Williams.

While these playbooks stand out, others do have sets that could prove successful for your running QB. More and more teams are looking for quarterbacks that, if not fast, are at least mobile enough to evade pressure and make plays themselves. Which playbook will you choose?

Looking for more Madden 23 guides?

Madden 23: Best Offensive Playbooks

Madden 23: Best Defensive Playbooks

Madden 23: Best Playbooks for Running QBs

Madden 23: Best Playbooks for 3-4 Defenses

Madden 23: Best Playbooks for 4-3 Defenses

Madden 23 Sliders: Realistic Gameplay Settings for Injuries and All-Pro Franchise Mode

Madden 23 Relocation Guide: All Team Uniforms, Teams, Logos, Cities and Stadiums

Madden 23: Best (and Worst) Teams to Rebuild

Madden 23 Defense: Interceptions, Controls, and Tips and Tricks to Crush Opposing Offenses

Madden 23 Running Tips: How to Hurdle, Jurdle, Juke, Spin, Truck, Sprint, Slide, Dead Leg and Tips

Madden 23 Stiff Arm Controls, Tips, Tricks, and Top Stiff Arm Players

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