Some Basic Scheme Questions

[grunt]

I play 95% zone/man-zone coverage schemes. I would hot route my silver coverage linebacker to man coverage and play various zones coverages. The te/wr will still get their money but I have a bend but not break philosophy.

[murry]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trojan Man

Oh, and another one. Just played Murry in custom, and all he did was run 3 TE runs with Sayers and TE corner routes. I won, but just barely, and he converted several 3rd and 10 plus plays on those runs, despite my trying goal lines, 5-2s, 43s, stunts, blitzes, hot routes, etc. It seems like if he gets a single block, he's gone, and I don't know what to do about it . . . grrrr.

I let you win. Just kidding. I was trying out a new team and was practicing some plays. I had no idea that was you. Why are you asking for help when you are better than most of the people I have played online? People should be asking you for help. You made some great calls in key situations. I am impressed; I guess I will have to step up my game the next time we play.

I have tried several teams and have had success with only three (consistently). The thing that I have learned that helps against the outs is to disrupt the timing either by manually controlling the DB/safety, or getting pressure on the QB.

I typically run a ball control run type offense that is predicated, on "draining the clock." I found that I was unable to consistently stop some of the teams geared towards spreading the ball around, therefore I attempt to control the tempo of the game. Most of the time I frustrate my opponent and they either quit, or give me a negative rating. I know that my gameplan is not fun to watch, but is has proven to be fairly effective.

I particularly enjoy frustrating the guys in the top 20. I have beaten most of them before, and they really hate to lose. Most of them run the out routes as you described in your post, and the dreaded swing pass. They typically only play those that they know they can beat. I will tell you one of six secrets/strategy that I have learned if you are interested. I do not mind sharing.

[RogueHominid]

Haha, Murry. I didn't know that was you either. You did let me win, or at least that's how it felt :-) And just to be fair, I wasn't calling cheese on the offensive style. I know you were just trying a new team and some new plays. I was just banging my head against the wall because I couldn't stop the three plays that I knew were coming, lol. The 3rd and 18 conversion on the Sayers run was the one that pushed me to the "I have to start a thread and get some help" moment. Having to even be conscious of Sayers doing that at that down and distance makes the already difficult process of stopping the TE routes a nightmare.

Milking the clock is a great stragegy--I do it when I can, just because it disrupts opponents' gameplans and often forces them into bad decision making and predictable playcalling. People might give you negative feedback for it, but it's just one legitimate way to play the game, and if you can get your first downs three plays at a time, then carry on However, I also like to open the playbook in such a way that the same look could give you plays to four different guys, and it could either be a run or a shot down the field.

And I appreciate the respect. I'm pretty streaky, and you're definitely better than me. If you applied yourself, that game would have been 50-24 instead of 24-21.

Thanks for the tip on the outs. Frojack gets me on those all the time. I have decided--with help from the good folks here--that pressure and unpredictability are the keys to winning on defense. These guys who load up with Randall, Rice, Maynard, and Coates will just kill you if you let them sit back and throw, but I've found lately that mixing the line calls and blitzes works magic. I just beat Dahoud yesterday, who had a LOADED offense, 17-0 by using this strategy. I played vanilla for about three minutes, then it was Pats-style pressure, coupled with some timely disguised coverages, and the result was a lot of sacks and early, errant throws.

On the point of pressure, what's the opinion of those here on loading the line versus guys who go 4-wide all game and try to bomb you do death? I did this in some key situations vs. Dahoud so he wouldn't have time to throw the out, post or whatever else, and I could see some complaining about it even though he didn't. My view is that if you're not going to leave anyone back there buy a single guy, you're taking a risk that you'll be able to handle pressure. If you can, you get big plays, and if you can't, you've either got to adjust your strategy or take a loss. Thoughts?

And Murry, of course I'm interested in your secrets, but I want all six! PM me if you get the inclination. I'll only use them against others, I promise. Beating those top 20 is nice--I beat the pants off JohnnyBlaze once, but haven't done it since. I know they think they've figured out exploits, and I love even more figuring out that this really isn't Madden and that there are ways to stop almost everything that someone can do in the game.

Quote: Originally Posted by murry

I let you win. Just kidding. I was trying out a new team and was practicing some plays. I had no idea that was you. Why are you asking for help when you are better than most of the people I have played online? People should be asking you for help. You made some great calls in key situations. I am impressed; I guess I will have to step up my game the next time we play. I have tried several teams and have had success with only three (consistently). The thing that I have learned that helps against the outs is to disrupt the timing either by manually controlling the DB/safety, or getting pressure on the QB. I typically run a ball control run type offense that is predicated, on "draining the clock." I found that I was unable to consistently stop some of the teams geared towards spreading the ball around, therefore I attempt to control the tempo of the game. Most of the time I frustrate my opponent and they either quit, or give me a negative rating. I know that my gameplan is not fun to watch, but is has proven to be fairly effective. I particularly enjoy frustrating the guys in the top 20. I have beaten most of them before, and they really hate to lose. Most of them run the out routes as you described in your post, and the dreaded swing pass. They typically only play those that they know they can beat. I will tell you one of six secrets/strategy that I have learned if you are interested. I do not mind sharing.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

I play 95% zone/man-zone coverage schemes. I would hot route my silver coverage linebacker to man coverage and play various zones coverages. The te/wr will still get their money but I have a bend but not break philosophy.

This one is also helpful, grunt, so thanks! I have realized that I can use more coverage hot routes with my LBs to take away some of the deep middle and sideline stuff, and that's been a real boon to my overall defensive strategy. It's not foolproof, like you say, but there are ways of adding help when you know an opponent is going to a route or play that's particularly tough to stop in this game.

[grunt]

I play a buc cover 2 defense. I have a gold mlb and I hot route him to cover the deep middle.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

I play a buc cover 2 defense. I have a gold mlb and I hot route him to cover the deep middle.

See, this is what I'd like to be able to do: play solid defense without having to do tons of tricks to stop plays that take advantage of poor DB AI, such as the quick fade, the corner, the screen, and the deep out. If you play a cover 2 soft or hard, these routes will be open, even though hot routing the MLB to cover the deep third will take away the TE post.

Can you fill me in a little more on your work with this style of defense--perhaps your views on personnel, adapting the cover 2 playbook to the aforementioned plays? I'd be curious to know how you do this.

[grunt]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trojan Man

See, this is what I'd like to be able to do: play solid defense without having to do tons of tricks to stop plays that take advantage of poor DB AI, such as the quick fade, the corner, the screen, and the deep out. If you play a cover 2 soft or hard, these routes will be open, even though hot routing the MLB to cover the deep third will take away the TE post. Can you fill me in a little more on your work with this style of defense--perhaps your views on personnel, adapting the cover 2 playbook to the aforementioned plays? I'd be curious to know how you do this.

I use pass coverage generic corners. I play a combination of soft and hard cover 2 and I sneak in some cover 3 with a cover 2 shell. I also move back my secondary and widen out my safeties this help some with the corner routes. When I think a player uses screens and quick fades I play a hard cover 2. My main objectives to create long drives for my opponents.

If a player come out in a 3 or 4 wide receiver set I usually will hot route my nickel and dime defensive backs on the slot wide receivers. This help with the corner routes. I also use this method in my cover 4 coverage.

I try to give different looks but play the same base defense. I sneak man coverage 2 but my corners are 2 weak. I lose my share but I rarely ever get blown out because I play a ball control offense.

[RogueHominid]

Yeah, it's all about playing to your strengths. Now that I've taken some advice and created more pressure, the screen game is less effective because it doesn't have time to develop and I'm often able to see it coming.

The corner routes I've taken to hot routing, as well as manually controlling the defender when the ball is in the air to create a collision and hopefully jar the ball loose. Those who use Metzelaars, however, are still a problem, since he hangs on to most everything. I watched those Bills, and he was never that good--just really big.