Help me build a defense

[bamaboi003]

gold- i would take a DB or safety- woodson or lott would be my choices for those positions.

silver- maybe i would take another DB to solidify coverage or a LB to help with run stopping

bronze- take a DE, i took dexter manley. he's a good pass rusher with speed. also take a DT to clog the middle. Dan saleamula or someone of that caliber will do nicely. as far as LBs go, pepper johnson is a really good bronze LB. great at pass coverage.

[maskedmarvel]

These are good suggestions. Thanks to all. I've never used a legend free safety before (I'll sometimes go with Browner/Waters at SS), and I've always had two CBs, one of them gold. Also, I usually go with Lloyd because I like to assign him to the opposing HB -- the guy is a heat-seeking missile on run plays, and he also crushes RBs trying to catch passes in the flats. (He can't keep the good TE's from catching the ball, but he can tackle them immediately, which I also like)

I'm leaning toward two or three players on the DL. What's the best combo? In the past, I had Reggie White and Simmons paired at the DE's, and that worked pretty well with run stopping generics. Decent pass rush too, but not spectacular. Can two bronze DE's generate a good pash rush? Can two bronze DT's get a good up the middle push? Is it better to put two legend DL's next to each other, so they can't be double teamed? Or better to spread them along the line for better overall coverage?

Right now, I'm thinking of:
Silver -- Lloyd
Gold -- Woodson (who I really like because I'll man him up against Gold TEs as well as WRs) or a FS (if I decide to play more zone coverage)
Bronze -- DL
Bronze -- DL
Bronze -- DL/SS/LB
Bronze -- CB, probably Albert Lewis because he's a good tackler and is more consistent than McDaniel, if not as fast

[Lorax]

Quote: Originally Posted by maskedmarvel

These are good suggestions. Thanks to all. I've never used a legend free safety before (I'll sometimes go with Browner/Waters at SS), and I've always had two CBs, one of them gold. Also, I usually go with Lloyd because I like to assign him to the opposing HB -- the guy is a heat-seeking missile on run plays, and he also crushes RBs trying to catch passes in the flats. (He can't keep the good TE's from catching the ball, but he can tackle them immediately, which I also like) I'm leaning toward two or three players on the DL. What's the best combo? In the past, I had Reggie White and Simmons paired at the DE's, and that worked pretty well with run stopping generics. Decent pass rush too, but not spectacular. Can two bronze DE's generate a good pash rush? Can two bronze DT's get a good up the middle push? Is it better to put two legend DL's next to each other, so they can't be double teamed? Or better to spread them along the line for better overall coverage? Right now, I'm thinking of: Silver -- Lloyd Gold -- Woodson (who I really like because I'll man him up against Gold TEs as well as WRs) or a FS (if I decide to play more zone coverage) Bronze -- DL Bronze -- DL Bronze -- DL/SS/LB Bronze -- CB, probably Albert Lewis because he's a good tackler and is more consistent than McDaniel, if not as fast

It seems putting legend together on the DL is far more effective. I wont ever break them apart if I can help it after my experience. The only reason I wouldnt is if they were both DEs - The Manley/Simmons combo is lethal but I have always used them at least with the Fridge and basically Manley & Fridge wreaked havoc but Simmons got the sacks from the QB scrambling right into him.....Simmons would clean up the mess so to speak

Pressure is so deadly in this game or more so - lack of pressure is so deadly to a zone....That for my money as a zone based player I cant ever imagine having less than 2 legends on the DL. If only two I prefer two DTs and Pass Rushing generic DEs because collapsing the middle makes blitzes better and less scrambling......Saleumuaa & Fridge is a great value play. So far outside of Gold DTs - Saleamuaa is the best for me - The SIlvers didnt do anything more in my experience....But Bob Lilly or Randy White - OMG - watching them blowup plays is sooooooo much fun that I can hardly play without them, YMMV

[Arles]

Gold - CB Willie Brown
Silver - OLB Lloyd
Bronze - DT Saleumua, DT Perry, FS Robinson/SS Waters, CB Lewis

Do a pass-rushing DL, run-stuffing LB and coverage DB. Blitz Lloyd on passing downs and match him up on the RB. You should get some pressure and force a pick with Brown back there. You don't need silver DEs as the generic pass-rushing guys do well with the DTs and Lloyd. your LBs shouldn't be in coverage if Lloyd is on the RB (and watters/Gene on the TE), so go run-heavy with the generic LBs. Overall, you should be stout against the run and get pressure on the pass. That's about the best you can hope for here.

[maskedmarvel]

More good suggestions. Can anybody comment on using Willie Brown vis-a-vis Woodson? My impression is that Brown is the best shutdown corner in the game -- is he good in run support? What I like about Woodson is that while he can be beat in coverage, he usually makes a tackle right away -- gives up few YACs -- and that he flies to the ball on run plays. Also, I like to move him to safety if the opponent doesn't have any top-line recievers. I've even blitzed him from the OLB spot on occasion, just to provide a confusing look.

Two more questions:

1) What's more effective -- a two bronze DE line, say Simmons and Manley/Martin -- with run stuffing generic DTs, or Fridge and Salmenua with generic pass rush DE's?

2) Better to have Charlie Waters or Gene Robinson? I've used both and like both, each is a great value pick ...

[BaselineBakes]

manley and the fridge work well with one another if you wanted a DE and a DT and then if you get linebackers say a mlb and a olb put them on the opposite side of fridge and manley and go with a FS at gold and joey browner or another ss at silver basically every tier of defense is covered with 2 legends..if you wanted to use one more silver you could get Lem or you can just search for Kevin Lane(the greatest generic corner ever) lol

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lorax

It seems putting legend together on the DL is far more effective. I wont ever break them apart if I can help it after my experience. The only reason I wouldnt is if they were both DEs - The Manley/Simmons combo is lethal but I have always used them at least with the Fridge and basically Manley & Fridge wreaked havoc but Simmons got the sacks from the QB scrambling right into him.....Simmons would clean up the mess so to speak Pressure is so deadly in this game or more so - lack of pressure is so deadly to a zone....That for my money as a zone based player I cant ever imagine having less than 2 legends on the DL. If only two I prefer two DTs and Pass Rushing generic DEs because collapsing the middle makes blitzes better and less scrambling......Saleumuaa & Fridge is a great value play. So far outside of Gold DTs - Saleamuaa is the best for me - The SIlvers didnt do anything more in my experience....But Bob Lilly or Randy White - OMG - watching them blowup plays is sooooooo much fun that I can hardly play without them, YMMV

I just went with a new team oriented toward playing zone defense, on which I have Manley at DE, Brown at DT, Wood at FS, Butler at SS, and Lloyd at OLB. I separate Brown and Manley on the depth chart, and sacked my brother seven times in 23 plays (I control the clock). I think the benefit of separating them at times is that either side of the line could collapse at any play, making it tough for the opponent to decid pre-snap to roll a certain way if pressure comes. The stunt with Manley is particularly effective, as a double on Brown makes this an automatic sack, and a single-team on Brown means quick pressure from him. And then there's the prospect of blitzing Lloyd . . . Anyway, putting those legends together can completely take away one side of the field, but separating them can create a gameplanning nightmare of its own.

And Re: the slivers, I've had Millard and Brown together on a team, and man, are those two a nightmare. They may have just been playing well for me at the time, and I haven't tried Donovan and Lilly, but I was very pleased with the silvers and didn't feel that the bronze's were as dangerous or as consistent, at least rushing the passer.

[Lorax]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trojan Man

I just went with a new team oriented toward playing zone defense, on which I have Manley at DE, Brown at DT, Wood at FS, Butler at SS, and Lloyd at OLB. I separate Brown and Manley on the depth chart, and sacked my brother seven times in 23 plays (I control the clock). I think the benefit of separating them at times is that either side of the line could collapse at any play, making it tough for the opponent to decid pre-snap to roll a certain way if pressure comes. The stunt with Manley is particularly effective, as a double on Brown makes this an automatic sack, and a single-team on Brown means quick pressure from him. And then there's the prospect of blitzing Lloyd . . . Anyway, putting those legends together can completely take away one side of the field, but separating them can create a gameplanning nightmare of its own. And Re: the slivers, I've had Millard and Brown together on a team, and man, are those two a nightmare. They may have just been playing well for me at the time, and I haven't tried Donovan and Lilly, but I was very pleased with the silvers and didn't feel that the bronze's were as dangerous or as consistent, at least rushing the passer.

I had Lilly & Reggie White together and I felt sorry for the QBs....It was just ugly at times. On All-Pro it was a success if the CPU teams made 7 yards on a pass play via dumpoff. Of course, Too Tall & Saleamuaa manned the other side. All four were in the league leaders in sacks and I had alot of 28-0 leads at halftime with even a pedestrian offense. Even managed 3 safeties in one game with that crew....