Aggressive versus normal defense

[Hammer]

From the help file...

"Run - Aggressive - The defense is expecting the run, and the linebackers and secondary are going to be moving toward the line at the snap.

Run - Normal - The defense is expecting the run, but won't take any serious risks in preparation.

Pass - Normal - The defense is expecting the pass, but won't take any serious risks in preparation.

Pass - Aggressive - The defense is expecting the pass, and the linebackers and secondary are going to be moving into pass coverage at the snap."


It reads to me that aggressive pass defense is a more full commitment to pass prevention.

When you look at aggressive run defense this holds true, the recommend button typically gives you more aggressive run defense on your 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 situations - in preperation to do everything possible to stop that 1 yard rushing gain.

So whats going on on 3rd and 4th and long? When I press recommend the defense actually goes away from aggressive pass defense to normal pass defense on these obvious passing downs.

Kind of conflicts doesn't it. Can anyone explain?

[Icy]

I underestood agressive defense bad at first, i thought the more agressive, the more risks you would take to push the QB, like blitzing more, etc, when it's exactly the opposite, your LB's and Dbacks are placed deeper in the field, waiting for the pass instead of trying to avod it. Imho it should be named conservative and not agressive.

[Hammer]

Yes, so I guess the recommend button is doing something wrong then? Should we manually be putting 4th and 17+ (for example) to aggressive pass defense?

Interesting that there have been 50 views on this thread. Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't understand whats going on!

[beargrowlz]

Yes, so I guess the recommend button is doing something wrong then? Should we manually be putting 4th and 17+ (for example) to aggressive pass defense?


My understanding is that playing aggressive pass defense means your defensive unit is focusing solely on a pass play.

Yes, I would recommend playing aggressive pass defense on 3rd and 17.

[Hammer]

It certainly seems the right thing to do. What strikes me as odd is that the AI recommended plan seems to have had so much thought put into it in all other areas. The way it takes not just your strengths, but your opponents strengths into consideration. Would be nice to get clarification from Jim that this is an error, just to make sure.

[MrBigglesworth]

It could be that in 3rd and 4th and long the marginal benefit gained from being in pass aggressive instead of pass normal doesn't outweigh cost. For example, being in PA might make the odds of completing a long pass 23% instead of 25%, while making the odds of having a long run for a first down increase from 10% to 20% (all numbers were made up). Then if the offense is expected to run more than about 17% of the time, playing PN increases your odds of stopping them.

[Warhammer]

I think a lot of this depends on situation. If you have a high run defense aggression, I would not suggest turning up your pass defense aggression. However, if you are passive on run defense, I would turn up your pass defense aggression. I have had a lot of success turning both up where teams have had extremely strong tendencies, run all the time on 1st and 2nd, pass all the time on 3rd, etc.

Another aspect of aggression in the new version is that you can tailor your defensive personnel package based upon your "stance" on defense. If you are run agg, you tend to have more goal line packages, if you are pass agg, you are in nickel or dime more often. That could have been the same in 2k4 as well.

[Hammer]

2 great points there guys.

if you are pass agg, you are in nickel or dime more often.


To take this a bit further, isn't this another reason why the recommend should be giving more aggressive pass D, thus more nickel and dime on downs like 3rd and 17+ You want to be in nickel and dime.

Maybe it would increase the risk of a back getting 20 yards on the draw, but I have to believe that overall those packages are better suited for the situation.