Oh MLB where have you gone

[shbrehob]

Ok gang i am having a problem with the defensive gameplan. I have setup a defensive gameplan that is based on blitzing. The idea is that multi blitzes come at them thinking the OL picks up one and another makes it through. However, it seems that my DEF keeps lining up in the Nickle majority of the time. My MLB has played in two games but has not started either of them, according to his stats. Now let it be know that is is a DEF that was established by another person so i am just using the number someone posted on this board. I don't understand the pass and agg. pass concept all that great so see if you can explain this to me.
DEFENSIVE PERSONAL
OWN REDZONE
AGR RUN PASS AGP AGR RUN PASS AGP
GL 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0
NIC 0 0 40 80 0 0 40 50
DIME 0 0 10 20 0 0 0 0
B1&2 90 80 80 60 50 70 80 60
B3&4 70 50 90 90 70 60 90 90
BLZ2+ 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

So by looking at this can anyone tell me where im going worng and why it seems that my Nickle is in more than my basic DEF???

[Ben E Lou]

I cleaned up your game plan. Perhaps someone who has tested high blitzing (PING: QuikSand) could offer some insight.

	AGR	RUN	PASS	AGP	AGR	RUN	PASS	AGP
GL	0	0	0	0	20	0	0	0
NIC	0	0	40	80	0	0	40	50
DIME	0	0	10	20	0	0	0	0
B1&2	90	80	80	60	50	70	80	60
B3&4	70	50	90	90	70	60	90	90
BLZ2+	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

[QuikSand]

Here's some insight. Too much blitzing doesn't work very well.

[QuikSand]

Without knowing what setup aggrun/run/pass/aggpass your defense is calling for in various situations, it's tough to know what's going on with your formations -- the above grid really only governs whether you are blitzing or using speciflc formations based on your play expectations.

My guess is that your (or your friend's) base defense involves a lot of aggressive pass defense, which automatically assigns the nickel personnel, and that's why you're seeing the MLB disappear so often. Game logs seem like an easy way to verify this, though.

[johnnyshaka]

Nickel packages drop the WLB in favor of the NB...correct?

His MLB's endurance...the percentage he's set to play in the base formation...whether he's listed in any of the other formation screens or not...all factors that may explain why his MLB has not been involved.

In my experience, the default setup seems to always use WAY more nickle than base so unless you adjust your agg. run/run/pass/agg. pass settings that trend will likely continue.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

Nickel packages drop the WLB in favor of the NB...correct?

Nominally, but it may be that his player slotted as his starting MLB is replaced by the WLB starter in the nickel package, or something like that. I'm just taking a guess based on what he gave us to work with.

[QuikSand]

It also seems that this defense has the use of goal line defense in the wrong column... you want it in the "run" column, not the "agg run" column. (Documented game bug, these two columns are being criss-crossed)

[shbrehob]

So Quiksand i think this is the info you were asking for along with what i already gave you. I do realize that the goalline situation is in the worng column...well i didn't realize it till i read a post about that.

		FIRST DOWN						2ND DOWN
	AgR	R	P	AgP			AgR	R	P	AgP
1	0	70	30	0		1	0	57	20	23
2	0	75	20	5		2	0	53	21	26
3	0	45	41	14		3	0	40	34	26
4-5	0	52	40	8		4-5	0	38	35	27
6-7	0	40	52	8		6-7	0	33	33	34
8-10	0	50	35	15		8-10	0	28	33	39
11-16	0	39	22	39		11-16	0	22	46	32
17+	0	28	26	46		17+	0	23	42	35
		3RD DOWN						4TH DOWN
1	0	70	23	7		1	65	11	21	3
2	0	39	31	30		2	7	25	38	30
3	0	42	32	26		3	0	43	31	26
4-5	0	14	50	36		4-5	0	13	57	30
6-7	0	10	50	40		6-7	0	15	49	36
8-10	0	11	50	39		8-10	0	0	50	50
11-16	0	11	43	46		11-16	0	0	50	50
17+	0	11	50	39		17+	0	0	50	50

Quiksand to answer one question when my DEF goes to nickle i do have my WLB sloted in at the MLB spot. In my base DEF my MLB is sloted to play 80% of the time but this last game i think he had less than 10 RP's and PP's. Is endurance is not the great but my backup MLB is not getting hardly any playingt time. So to me it means that i am spending most of my time in Nickel or Dime. Do the numbers above support that?

[QuikSand]

I don't see a smoking gun there, honestly. To me, it looks like your D ought to be in the nickel/dime formations about a third of the time on 1st and 10 -- maybe a more than I'd like myself, but not enough to suggest why your MLB would only be seeing a third of your team's plays. Same for the usual 2nd down situations -- seems like you'd be in nickel/dime about half the time, maybe a shade more.

I guess it's possible that this is just these several factors conspiring to work together... low endurance MLB, lower than maximum playing time setting for him, more nickel/dime (pulling out the MLB) than one might expect, and maybe the high blitzing even has something to do with it. Not a sexy answer, but the best I've got.

[Narcizo]

Does the MLB in question have a very low endurance and what % of starting time is he being given? As the problem seems to be that the MLB is missing (rather than the WLB) then I would guess it has nothing to do with the frequency with which the nickle/dime package is being used.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Narcizo

Does the MLB in question have a very low endurance and what % of starting time is he being given? As the problem seems to be that the MLB is missing (rather than the WLB) then I would guess it has nothing to do with the frequency with which the nickle/dime package is being used.

I think this is your answer, quoted from two posts above your comments:

Originally Posted by shbrehob

Quiksand to answer one question when my DEF goes to nickle i do have my WLB sloted in at the MLB spot. In my base DEF my MLB is sloted to play 80% of the time but this last game i think he had less than 10 RP's and PP's. Is endurance is not the great but my backup MLB is not getting hardly any playingt time. So to me it means that i am spending most of my time in Nickel or Dime. Do the numbers above support that?

[johnnyshaka]

So your MLB is only on the field when goal line and base formations are called...correct? And when the base defense is called, he's only on the field about 80% of the time...correct? Ok.

When any run is expected he'll be on the field 80% of the time...if there is a pass expected there is still a chance he'll be on the field because you've got 50% for nickel and dime for pass and 100% nickel and dime for pass aggressive. So that other 50% is when the base formation is called and he'll be on the field 80% of the time for those calls.

So, first down it looks like he is on the field for about half of the plays. If you expect the run, which you do about half the time, he'll likely be on the field. The other half he is more likely to be sitting on the bench.

Second down, the most he'll be on the field is half the time but that is only on 2nd and short. As the yards to go increases, his playing time will decrease.

He's only on the field for third and short and barely half the time then and he'll hardly be on the field for fourth down.

So, I think it boils down to how many "1st and 10s" there are in a game...your MLB will be on the field for about half of them. Then have a look at short yardages plays...again, he'll be on the field for about half of them.

One other thing...have you made any radical changes on the adjustments screen? For example, have you dialed up the pass defense late in the game when you are ahead? Those adjustments could be a factor as well.

[shbrehob]

So do i haev this thought out right. On the Defensive situational page is the following correct:

Agg. Run = goalline
Run = Normal
Pass = Nickle
Agg. Pass = Dime

What exactly does the defensive personall page mean when it has a nickle column and you put a number in there?