Attacking Specialized Pass Coverage

[Subby]

Many teams in FOF MP seem to have taken to "specializing" in one type of pass coverag and playing that type of coverage all of the time. Early in my FOFL career I drafted guys that were VG to EX in man to man, but poor in zone and b&r. I set my game settings to man to man defense 100% of the time, regardless of situation.

There are management advantages to this - players with high ratings in one type of coverage may have low overall ratings and therefore be available later in an amatuer draft or for less money in FA.

This leads me to two questions:

1) How do folks feel about the "effectiveness" of this strategy as it relates to each type of coverage?

2) What are the best ways for an offense to "beat" each type of coverage?

[Kozure]

Yeah, I've always wanted to know what advantages do coverages give.

Does Man to Man (Loose) cut down on long pass plays?

Does Bump and run cut down on short pass plays?

Zone coverage (2 deep) might be good against short passing teams while Zone coverage 4 deep might be good against long passing teams.

If anyone knows for sure, please let mek now.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Yeah, I've always wanted to know what advantages do coverages give.

If anyone knows for sure, please let mek now.

Uh, uh, like you really need the help. I think your defenses are doing quite fine as is. I'll let you know in about 5 years or so.

[Kozure]

Uh, uh, like you really need the help. I think your defenses are doing quite fine as is. I'll let you know in about 5 years or so.

:D

I guess, but it didn't do so well in the Walker Bowl. :(

[Vinatieri for Prez]

That is correct. In all honesty, the way I gameplan is more of a hunch anyways. I'd probably be giving people misinformation anyways.

[MrBigglesworth]

My IFL team plays exclusively B&R, and I have a basic idea of the disadvantages of it from experience, but I'm not about to let everyone know how I think teams should play against me to win. I set up my team though to best deal with the disadvantages of it.

[Warhammer]

It's hard to say because a lot of things interact with one another.

Here is my entirely anecdotal evidence based upon my play (FWIW, I have played teams dedicated to zone, as well as M2M and BnR):

2-Deep Zone - ideal for defending against 5-15 yard passing attack. Can be weak against the run.

3-Deep Zone - ideal for 15-25 yard passing attack. I could be wrong on the yardage its ideal for, but this is stronger against the run than the 2-Deep is, and is better against deeper throws. However, it can get beat both short and deep.

4-Deep Zone - Basically a prevent defense, don't use a lot unless you are in a 3rd and long or you don't want to give up the big play.

Man to Man - This is good against deep passes. There are no zones to exploit, but if you have a weak link, it can be exploited ruthlessly.

Bump and Run - This is very good against short passes. However, it can get beat long.

Now, this said, you can create killer combinations based upon what your other defenders can do well. For example, if you have a killer front seven, get some quality bump and run guys and blitz the heck out of the QB. Your DBs will keep the short passes from being completed, and your front seven will put enough pressure on the QB to keep him from completing the long throws.

Or, you can get a bunch of good guys in run defense and play diagnosis and DBs with high zone coverage. Set your run d aggressiveness low, and play a 2-Deep zone with a high run %. Your high PD will help sniff out the passes you don't pick correctly, and your high zone defense will help shut down the passing attack.

Also, don't forget that some things will never work, for example, a 3-4 defense with little blitzing. A zone defense with an extremely high blitz multiple players is asking for trouble too.

The key is to make teams one dimensional. If you can do that, you can win.

[Chubby]

It's hard to say because a lot of things interact with one another.

Here is my entirely anecdotal evidence based upon my play (FWIW, I have played teams dedicated to zone, as well as M2M and BnR):

2-Deep Zone - ideal for defending against 5-15 yard passing attack. Can be weak against the run.

3-Deep Zone - ideal for 15-25 yard passing attack. I could be wrong on the yardage its ideal for, but this is stronger against the run than the 2-Deep is, and is better against deeper throws. However, it can get beat both short and deep.

4-Deep Zone - Basically a prevent defense, don't use a lot unless you are in a 3rd and long or you don't want to give up the big play.

Man to Man - This is good against deep passes. There are no zones to exploit, but if you have a weak link, it can be exploited ruthlessly.

Bump and Run - This is very good against short passes. However, it can get beat long.

Now, this said, you can create killer combinations based upon what your other defenders can do well. For example, if you have a killer front seven, get some quality bump and run guys and blitz the heck out of the QB. Your DBs will keep the short passes from being completed, and your front seven will put enough pressure on the QB to keep him from completing the long throws.

Or, you can get a bunch of good guys in run defense and play diagnosis and DBs with high zone coverage. Set your run d aggressiveness low, and play a 2-Deep zone with a high run %. Your high PD will help sniff out the passes you don't pick correctly, and your high zone defense will help shut down the passing attack.

Also, don't forget that some things will never work, for example, a 3-4 defense with little blitzing. A zone defense with an extremely high blitz multiple players is asking for trouble too.

The key is to make teams one dimensional. If you can do that, you can win.

How's that working out for ya? :D

[Warhammer]

Might want to check this out:

http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=1768

I'd say it works well. :D


Seriously, it actually worked pretty well in the IHOF until this year when all my DBs basically went from adequate to suck. The first two years we actually had a pretty good pass defense.

In the IFL it worked pretty well. We were one of the tops in rushing YPC against, and we were middle of the pack in passing defense. That was with two good players in the secondary, and a couple of second line guys back there.

[Chubby]

Might want to check this out:

http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=1768

I'd say it works well. :D


Seriously, it actually worked pretty well in the IHOF until this year when all my DBs basically went from adequate to suck. The first two years we actually had a pretty good pass defense.

In the IFL it worked pretty well. We were one of the tops in rushing YPC against, and we were middle of the pack in passing defense. That was with two good players in the secondary, and a couple of second line guys back there.

Heh, don't worry, we play you next season :) and we seem to be 4-0 vs the Telluride franchise :D

Idk, it just seems like you are basing things too much on real football and not enough on the game mechanics. Not that real football theory shouldn't be used but... i guess there needs to be a balance IMO.

[Warhammer]

Heh, don't worry, we play you next season :) and we seem to be 4-0 vs the Telluride franchise :D

Idk, it just seems like you are basing things too much on real football and not enough on the game mechanics. Not that real football theory shouldn't be used but... i guess there needs to be a balance IMO.

I never said we could score! As I mentioned in my post before, what I posted is entirely anecdotal based upon my play in IHOF. I would actually say that in RL/NFL man to man coverage is actually worse against the deep pass because the defender has no help. Some form of zone is almost always better against the deep pass. Most of the time someone gets beat in a zone defense on the deep route, it is due to a blown assignment/coverage. When man to man gets beat, it is due to the defense not getting enough pressure or the man flat out getting beat.

Defense is actually pretty easy (at least for me). Especially if I have a chance to really gameplan, which I don't get much of a chance to do in IHOF due to the turnaround between games. Offense is much more difficult for me due to more of it being "under the hood." Formations and ratings have a larger impact than on defense. I can mask deficiencies on defense, it is hard to do that on offense.

In IHOF with substandard secondary personnel, we were 2, 16, and 11 in 2008, 9, and 10. Not bad considering the personnel I had. Granted, we had a stellar front seven, but the secondary was pretty bad.

In the IFL, I have been one of the top defenses the last few years. Again, with a dreadful secondary, we were 10th in passing yards against, and 3rd in rushing yards against. I got caught with my pants down with an average rookie CB and a poor FS. That hurt us a bit in the secondary, but we were able to make things work.

The key is finding a philosophy that fits your team. Too often you look at teams and see players that are not complementary. This is much more critical on defense than it is on offense. Having guys that are good in different coverages do you no good. I also am not fond of guys that are rated with 50s or 55s across the board. They'll have a good overall, but are not ideal in any system. I would much rather have DBs that are excellent in one coverage and average in another. That lowers their cost, as well as making them better in the system.

[cuervo72]

4-Deep Zone - Basically a prevent defense, don't use a lot unless you are in a 3rd and long or you don't want to give up the big play.


Lot of damned good the 4-deep zone did me today.

Also, don't forget that some things will never work, for example, a 3-4 defense with little blitzing.

That's odd - that's EXACTLY the defense we ran in Frederick this year. 3-4, blitz settings at about 30 or so. Boy, did that hurt our points against.

[Chubby]

Lot of damned good the 4-deep zone did me today.



That's odd - that's EXACTLY the defense we ran in Frederick this year. 3-4, blitz settings at about 30 or so. Boy, did that hurt our points against.

We also ran a 3-4 with not a lot of blitzing all season.

[MIJB#19]

Pwned!