So I am playing my first proper long FOF8 save, and I am now in the pre-season for the 9th season (started with the 2020 file), and I am at something of a crossroads and could use the wisdom of more experienced players.
Starting with the extra info, I let the coaches do the simming, gameplanning and playbook generation because the depth of that genuinely goes over my head. So maybe that doesn't help with my following issues.
After season 3 I gave up on Russ because I couldn't get him to perform, sub 80s without a full season. Daniel Jones was available and he looked good (I wonder if the Giants thought the same in 2020
), and I got him on a good deal on top of all that. He even came off three good 88+ seasons with the Giants.
Now after six seasons, his highest rating was his first season at a 89, before falling off and spending the next five seasons getting high 70s with two low 80s. Only 3/6 seasons getting to 14/15/16 games.
Now I know that real life conventional QB wisdom says that 80 is pretty much a replacement level in the real NFL, or at least the place where QBs become very replaceable. But he was 13th with a 82, so FOF8 (at least my save) apparently has much lower standards than the real NFL. (The Rams even gave 16 games to a guy with a 67QBR)
Also, I also admit my receiver core doesn't involve world-beaters, so that might be pushing his performance down.
Anyways, I digress, enough rambling. Here are a few questions.
- My question is basically, when is it the right time to give up on a QB and try something else, vs. being content with average.
- Also, what am I doing wrong that I can't keep my QBs on the field, the AI seems really gung-ho about pulling DJ for stuff like a bruised sternum, which IRL would rarely make a team sit a QB for.
- Lastly, how do I get the AI to rely on TE's more heavily since I do have two really good TE's. (From looking at past stats, I understand FOF8 doesn't really lean towards the modern game where TE's crack 1000+ yard seasons like Kelce/Gronkowski, but I would assume it's possible in some way?)
- Edit: Lastly 2.0 - How much trust should I put in perceived ratings vs. statlines. All my coordinators have + scouting, but how much can ratings 'lie' compared to production. Can a player with bad ratings be better than his ratings imply? This is very much me fighting against videogame instincts of simpler games, where in a game like Madden you know that a 90+ QB is always great, and a QB in their 70s very much isn't (player skill notwithstanding)
Despite my QB woes, I have only had 2 sub-10 win seasons in the past six years, and never sub .500. So the team is plugging on (mainly off the backs of a generational RB.) despite that. But that also prevents me from partaking in the top 5 QB sweepstakes during the drafts, and I refuse to deliberately throw a season because of my personal philosophy.
Any lessons people can teach me will be greatly appreciated, I have tried googling a lot of the information, but sometimes it might be better to just come out and ask?
EDIT: Some screenshots for illustrative purposes.
Daniel Jones -
Statline
Conner Butler -
Statline (The career 'playbook'/mentor backup QB)
Alexis Brandon -
'Statline' (The prospect who is taking his sweet time to grow in the absence of starts)