defense needs work
 

I think in the next patch we need to update defense. Maybe we can do defensive playcalling creation. Because right now the offensive formation dictates the defensive formation (ex 113 offense vs nickel defense) but in real life it doesn't work that way. In reality, even if someone came out in the 113, but they were a running team, a team might come out in 4-3 or 4-4 to get ready to stop the run. Right now we can't do that.

The game is still good, don't get me wrong, but this kind of makes it wonky for me. It makes me sad when the cowboys come out with 3 wide but I know they want to run it then they go up the middle for big yards because nickel.

I'm not so sure. An offense can come out with three wide with the intention of running the ball of course, but if you counter with a 4-3 or 4-4 (gasp) to stop the run, you can be sure the quarterback will audible to a pass and kill you by throwing it to the wideout covered by your linebacker and then probably go hurry up to keep the mismatch on the field for as long as possible. There are situational exceptions, but that's the kind of thing offensive coordinators dream about. Someone has to cover that third wide receiver.

There are many posts with this same premise. Yes I believe it needs to change. In many situations teams cover 3W with a 4-3 or 3-4 base look. Zone, walking a safety down, man up a LB but have a S double or "rob" him.

In no ways should 3W dictate mandatory Nickel.

i've put up acouple post already talking about this in detail.

FOF8: Examples of why we need more control on Defense - Front Office Football Central


FOF8: Idea's on expanding the Defense - Front Office Football Central

..and allow me to reiterate that all of those posts and these threads are utter wastes of time without a corresponding report to Solecismic Software Customer Support.

Just sent support an email with my examples and idea's about defense. Thanks Ben I didn't know we needed to do that, I thought maybe Jim looked at FOFC from time to time.

yeah, goal-line would be one of the situational exceptions. The strange thing is, according to the help file, if the offense is on the 2-yard line the game should automatically line you up in goal-line formation, which would be 5 DL, 3 LB, SS close in box, and 2 CBs (i.e, 5-3-3, SS in box). If the offense goes 3 wide on the goal line, it should be 5 DL, 2 LB, SS close in box, and 3 CBs (5-2-4, SS in box). I always remember the play-by-play specifically saying the defense is in goal line formation in that situation, but in your screenshot it just says basic 3-4 nickel.

So either the defense is lining up in the wrong formation on the goal-line, or maybe it's lining up correctly in the game engine but is being described wrong in the play-by-play. Either way, good that you sent this in.

Problem is always the same problem in FOF... Jim is an offensive minded fellow who knows very little about defense. Read his blog at Football Frontier. Does he ever talk about defense? Hopefully someone on his new team will have some knowledge of defense and how to incorporate it into the game, or will have at least read the book "Coaching the Under Front Defense" by Jerry Gordon. One of my favorite books on defense.