Defensive / Nose Tackle question...

[Chris Rex]

Allo all. Forgive me if this has been asked (I searched as mightily as I could...)

Aside for semantics, what are the gameplay differences (if any) between an NT and a DRT/DLT?

I'm curious as to each Tackles effect when swapped from their 'native' 3-4/4-3 home.

ie: Will someone playing a DE DRT DE in a 3-4 (instead of DE NT DE) be crippling himself? Same reverse question for a 4-3 running DE DLT NT DE for example.


Also, What about the effects of occasionally using Tackles at the End position?

ie: Would it be a feasible strategy to use NTs/DTs in lieu of DEs if you were running a 3-4 against a run-heavy opponent? Would it even help the run support?

Thanks!

-Rex

[bmerryman]

As long as the experience level is the same, then a DT and NT both perform basically the same at both positions. Even though, in reality, there's a huge difference between a two-gap (3-4) NT and a one-gap (Tampa 2) DT, there are no "gap-style" ratings for DLine in FOF.

If you wanted to stop the run then, for each individual defensive position, you would choose the personnel with the highest "Run Defense" rating. If you play a DT at DE then it's almost certain that you will suffer a penalty to the "Run Defense" rating because you're playing that player out of positiion.

[Chris Rex]

If you play a DT at DE then it's almost certain that you will suffer a penalty to the "Run Defense" rating because you're playing that player out of positiion.

Thanks for the response. So essentially, as far as you're aware, there's no 'out of position' penalty for NOT playing a true NT when the comp is looking for a 3-4 interior defender? What about something as seemingly 'harmless' as playing DRT at DLT and vice versa?

[QuikSand]

I think the best guide you have is the positional experience for your player. If your LDT has a maxed-out rating here for the LDT position, but you play him as a RDT, then presumably his performance will suffer somewhat - presumably in correlation to his rating at the RDT position and how much of a loss it suggests. I think this is basically so difficult to test in any controlled way, that there's no well-established consensus on how much this loss is. Many people (myself included) have anecdotal experience getting pretty good performances from out-of-position players. But that basically just serves to prove that the player won't be completely crippled by playing out of position... but whether he's at, say, 75% capacity or 95%, I don't think anyone can tell you with much authority.