360 "quick sand" defense, anyone? (long)

[mcculac]

First off, let me say that I love the game and think its much better than the last few installments. However, after playing a few games online, there are things that are starting to bother me. Let me preface this by saying that I am not the greatest player in the world. I like to run, run, and run some more and then play solid defense. In the past I have won a lot of 14-10, 17-13 type games. I pride myself on rushing for about 200 and playing smart, turnover free football. Like I said, I am not great by any means, but I would consider myself a good player and would regularly go on 8 or 9 game winning streaks online in the past. Anyways, on to my questions:

1. I have now played 4 games online (all 4 losses). In one loss my opponent returned two fumbles for touchdowns and beat me by 4. He also hit two long passes, one of which was a screen right before the half. On the screen pass, I had three guys out in the vicinity of the flat where the back caught the ball. He broke the first tackle and the other two defenders (one of whom was a 93 speed corner) couldn't catch him (even with good angles). I also gave up a TD on a corner route where I switched to the corner in coverage, hit the sprint button, and was outrun by a TE. The 2 fumble returns I can live with because that sort of thing happens on occassion. Getting outrun by a TE really baffled me.

2. In the next three games I was beat for a TD on a corner/fly route with the exact same thing occurring. The QB would roll out in the direction of the receiver (a different problem altogether) and launch a pass to a receiver who was open by a few yards. I would then switch to my corner (with a safety also in the area), hit sprint, and get outrun like I was standing still.

Is there anything to do about this? I am using Auburn whose defense is built around speed. AU might not be the biggest team physically, but they are arguably the fastest in the SEC. Yet I have been beaten badly by receivers from Alabama, Washington State, Penn State, and Miami. On top of getting beat on corner routes, I am constantly giving up big yardage on broken tackles. Against Miami online, my opponent dropped back 25 yards on a designed screen. He then dumped it off to the running back who was then met by 2 defenders. He shook both defenders, then outran a cornerback who had an angle on him.

I feel like my defense is running in quick sand and that the offense I am facing is covered in Vaseline. I have both a corner and safety with 93 speed, yet I am getting badly outrun by players with speed in the 80s. I have a solid defense, yet I cannot tackle my grandmother. Its not like I am using Ole Miss or anything, its Auburn. It is rather frustrating. Perhaps I am not as familiar with the 360 controller setup as I was with the Xbox setup. I know this has never happened before as, in the past, I would rather be on defense than on offense. Now when on defense I feel like I have no control and that each play my opponent runs is a potential touchdown. Is anyone else getting the same feeling or have I just lost my defensive skill in the transition from current gen to next gen?

[ODogg]

Online play is always spotty on new football releases, i'd just give it some time if I were you.

[mrprice33]

i haven't seen these issues, but the key to stopping the corner route is safety play...

[Cebby]

Quote:

Its not like I am using Ole Miss or anything, its Auburn

That's at least part of your problem. This is EA's worst rating effort to date, so don't think that because you're playing as Auburn it means anything. Don't play the game like you're Auburn, play it to the strength of the players EA gave you, in this case, the safeties and ends are the strenth of the defense.

[mcculac]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Soldier

That's at least part of your problem. This is EA's worst rating effort to date, so don't think that because you're playing as Auburn it means anything. Don't play the game like you're Auburn, play it to the strength of the players EA gave you, in this case, the safeties and ends are the strenth of the defense.

Oh, I realize this. Its maddening to me that the safeties (young and unproven, especially Davis) are 87s and the defensive tackles (Thompson has been playing since the Dye era it seems) are in the 70s. I havent had any problems on offense even though the offensive line basically sucks (especially in relation to reality) but the receivers aren't really worth a flip either and can't break a game open. I have thrown more to the backs in the 5 or so games I have played in 07 than I have in all other games dating back to Bill Wash combined. What really grinds me gears is that I am getting dominated up front on both sides of the ball, something that I have never experienced. I might have given up five 100 yard rushers online in both NCAA 2005 and 2006 combined. Every game someone is going for 100 on me now and holding me relatively in check. Oh well, I guess I will keep hammering it out.

[mcculac]

Just tried to play again online. The honeymoon is definitely over for this game with me. I am tied with UCLA 10-10 at the half. I receive the kick, drive down the field, and score a touchdown. I then get the XP blocked and UCLA returns two million yards for 2 points. 16-12. Without getting into details of the remainder of the game, lets just say I experience an opponent roll the QB out on every passing play (the same passing play by the way), go for it on 4th and 15 from his own 30, and drive 75 yards with 40 seconds to go to beat me on the last play of the game 34-33. Here are my gripes:

The quick sand defense was worse in this game than ever before. I had a 93 speed safety get outrun by a TE who scored on a 65 yard TD. He was actually putting distance between himself and the safety when he crossed the goal line. This guy ran about 2 passing plays and rolled his QB out to the sidelines every time he ran it. I was brining corners from the outside to combat this, but he would slide right by them on the way to hitting his TE (the only guy who caught a pass), who would then outrun my safeties. I have yet to face a Pat White/Troy Smith type QB yet and I pray that I never do. Just for fun, when the game ended I fired up practice mode. Using Auburn on both offense and defense, I chose one passing play and a 4-3 cover 2 defense. I then attempted to see what would happen when I got Brandon Cox out of the pocket (arguably the slowest QB in the SEC). I ran the play 10 times in a row and got at least 5-6 yards on all 10 plays.

The scrambling QB is more of an issue this year than it has ever been. When I am playing Penn State, Washington State, and UCLA and their QBs are rolling to the sidelines without so much as a worry about my two defensive ends (one a 92 and the other an 88), there is a problem. If I played West Virginia online I would lose by 40.

The game plays wonderfully offline. I swear though that when you go online, the defense is a step or two slower than the offense. The pocket QB is always just ahead of my stud DE's, the TE is always just ahead of my safeties, etc. Being older and out of college, I don't get to play NCAA with my buddies anymore. I have to play them online if I want to play them. Online is a complete joke this year.

[mgoblue]

play people from OS for a legit game...i don't really play "randoms" in games anymore just because they'd drive me nuts

[mcculac]

Quote: Originally Posted by mgoblue

play people from OS for a legit game...i don't really play "randoms" in games anymore just because they'd drive me nuts

thats the worst part, 3 of these guys that have played against were from Maddennation. if anyone ever wants a legit game, hit me up.

gameratag: mcculac