I hope EA is proud of themselves...

[jdrhammer]

Quote: Originally Posted by acarrero

You guys need to learn how to play defense! You're either too lazy or too offensive-minded to play good D. I keep hearing how 09 is too offense-driven and how rolling out with a fast QB is unstoppable. BS! (BTW, Percy was more unstoppable in 08.) With the amount of defensive plays and schemes available, plus how easy it is to intercept a pass, there is no offense I feel that I can't stop in 09. If I can contain West Virginia with Rice, defense in this game is easier than real life. I focus on forcing the QB into a pocket, easily achieved with the right strategy. I agree that a handful of players in the game are a bit too fast, but you can still contain those players by doubling them all the time and/or having a safety play deep on him. The crossing routes can be contained with the right defense. The deep ball can be contained with the right defense, the screen passes can be shut down with the right defense, the scrambles can be stopped with the right strategy. You have to keep the other player guessing, if you call a defense that is designed to stop crossing routes, you can still get burned with a really good deep threat, but that's college football! If an offense has too many threats on offense, then guess what, they're probably unstoppable in real life too. You have to gamble, you have to guess right to have success on defense and defend against big plays as much as possible. But don't tell me it's so hard to get 3-and-outs in NCAA 09.

I take a lot of pride in playing defense and picking the right schemes etc. I play D way harder than I play O. Containment is broken and once they have containment it's like they're posing for the camera so they become useless.

The line where you mention that's college football, is that why so many offenses really make plays and put up passing numbers like June Jones' teams? Defense is the biggest part of NCAA Football, not Wide Open Offense. Coaches don't retain jobs because they have good O but crappy D's, Defense wins championships.

I've never been so unstoppable on Offense myself compared to other versions. The offense is geared way too high. It's not that bad of an idea if you can combat it, which is the way it really is. A helluva D wins way more than a good O. See Hawaii. They had a hell of an O and year, but they couldn't stop anyone.

I'd love to hear some tips on how to get better defensively. It would help me out but still doesn't change the fact that the game is broken.

[BadAssHskr]

Quote: Originally Posted by acarrero

You guys need to learn how to play defense! You're either too lazy or too offensive-minded to play good D. I keep hearing how 09 is too offense-driven and how rolling out with a fast QB is unstoppable. BS! (BTW, Percy was more unstoppable in 08.) With the amount of defensive plays and schemes available, plus how easy it is to intercept a pass, there is no offense I feel that I can't stop in 09. If I can contain West Virginia with Rice, defense in this game is easier than real life. I focus on forcing the QB into a pocket, easily achieved with the right strategy. I agree that a handful of players in the game are a bit too fast, but you can still contain those players by doubling them all the time and/or having a safety play deep on him. The crossing routes can be contained with the right defense. The deep ball can be contained with the right defense, the screen passes can be shut down with the right defense, the scrambles can be stopped with the right strategy. You have to keep the other player guessing, if you call a defense that is designed to stop crossing routes, you can still get burned with a really good deep threat, but that's college football! If an offense has too many threats on offense, then guess what, they're probably unstoppable in real life too. You have to gamble, you have to guess right to have success on defense and defend against big plays as much as possible. But don't tell me it's so hard to get 3-and-outs in NCAA 09.

im pretty much with you on this one. when the game first came out, i couldn't even believe the offense in the game, now that i've finally setteled in i'm pretty much conviced that the game plays the way it should.

granted i get burned on a play or 2, but that's life it's going to happen...

[jdrhammer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rhudey

Dude, this has nothing to do with "playing defense", have you seen the video clip he was referring to? It was in an earlier post. The pursuit angles and CPU defensive AI is terrible, in the play he is talking about, the HUMAN CONTROLLED RUNNING BACK runs in circles in the backfield about 6 times as the cpu defenders run around in circles, not attempting to tackle him. Even EA acknowledges there are problems with the O and D line interaction, so save your preaching about how great you are and everyone else is just too "lazy" or stupid.

I didn't see that video but this happened to me while playing online today. It's just pathetic that the D doesn't coral or contain them in that small area and give them no choice but to take a loss of yards on the play. It's just not good football as you're saying along with me.

[stoncold32]

That's Wiiiiide Open Gameplay my friends!!!!!

[jdrhammer]

Quote: Originally Posted by stoncold32

That's Wiiiiide Open Gameplay my friends!!!!!

Yes...unfortunately.

[Furq]

You know not to bring up 2k but one thing I liked is that in the middle of the play say it was a really long run you'd feel your guy slowing down a bit as he got fatigued. If I broke a 80 yard run (hypothetically) the last few yards my player wouldn't be as fast. Unfortunately I didn't even notice this in All Pro Football last year so I'm not sure if they took it out. I think it was a good idea though to have fatigue influence your player within one play rather than after every few downs or so.

[Phobia]

Quote: Originally Posted by acarrero

You guys need to learn how to play defense! You're either too lazy or too offensive-minded to play good D. I keep hearing how 09 is too offense-driven and how rolling out with a fast QB is unstoppable. BS! (BTW, Percy was more unstoppable in 08.) With the amount of defensive plays and schemes available, plus how easy it is to intercept a pass, there is no offense I feel that I can't stop in 09. If I can contain West Virginia with Rice, defense in this game is easier than real life. I focus on forcing the QB into a pocket, easily achieved with the right strategy. I agree that a handful of players in the game are a bit too fast, but you can still contain those players by doubling them all the time and/or having a safety play deep on him. The crossing routes can be contained with the right defense. The deep ball can be contained with the right defense, the screen passes can be shut down with the right defense, the scrambles can be stopped with the right strategy. You have to keep the other player guessing, if you call a defense that is designed to stop crossing routes, you can still get burned with a really good deep threat, but that's college football! If an offense has too many threats on offense, then guess what, they're probably unstoppable in real life too. You have to gamble, you have to guess right to have success on defense and defend against big plays as much as possible. But don't tell me it's so hard to get 3-and-outs in NCAA 09.

I also agree.

There is some things for sure broken. Pursuit angles, Field degrade, some speed issues. BUT on the whole I have learned how to play defense in the game.

When we first started playing 09 I was given up big play after big play, lossing the QB rolling out the pocket all the time, ect ect. NOW that I have learned that defense in the game is all about doing it YOURSELF. I have never been a gamer that does all the use catchs, user swats, user ints, ect. BUT this year it is a must and I tend to like it this way. It feels more special when you are doing it yourself.

Lets take pass defense for instance since this seems to be most peoples issue. I held Georgia to 117 passing yards last night in a 7 min quarters game.

Every game is different but lets break down what i did. Ok each play i line up as a different postion on the field depending on the play I called and the situation at hand. Basiclly I try and predict what kind of play they are calling and where the ball will be going.

1st and 10 they been coming out running the ball. I will come on in a 4-3, shift the line in the direction I think the ball will be going and I play as the middle linebacker. If it is 3rd and long and I think they are throwing I come out doubling Mr. Goodman (primary target). I then play the safety and do user swats all game. User stuff on defense is sooooo much easier this year. Switch to a man running with the WR, use the left stick to get in postion while HOLDING A the whole time running with the WR. The game triggers the correct animation at the correct time to swat the ball.

Ok lets go into safety shifting. I notice not alot of people do this online but it helps alot. Say they line up on the right hash and you know they are throwing. I come out in a cover 2 man for instance. I then hit Y and shift my safeties to the LEFT, this puts my strong safety on the right hash covering the middle and some of the right hash and puts my free safety over on the left side of the field. This makes sure you are covering the most space.

Now dumps to the backs and over the middle on drags and short in/outs. Man coverage or some cover 2 buc can help in this area, BUT just like in real life the short dump is complete more often than not. It is making sure you make the tackle in the open field. I have seen many guys try a 2nd and 5 dump to the HB and get stuffed for a 2 yard loss.

Last but not least is Pressure on the QB. I had 4 sacks last night. This is what I do. I blitz short side of the field more often than not. I blitz atleast once a set of downs. It is all about timing and play calling. If it is 2nd and 1 and I think they either going to pound it up the middle OR do a play action and try to beat me deep I send the backers and bring the heat. Pinch line, spead line, move backers to the left/right ect. This way they run it I got the protection, if they do a PA, it is a sack normally. If they get it off I normally have a safety playing over the top.

Defense is possible. Each game I am getting better and better at it. Adjustments are the key combined with play calling. BUT calling the guy out because he has said basiclly the same thing I am saying here is wrong. YOUR opinion is worth just as much as ours Rhudey!

[GatorFan1963]

Defense is kinda bad this year, but as Phobia said there are ways around it. There is definitely no more of that calling a play and standing around to watch your players do all the work.

One thing I tend to use a lot on D is the QB spy. I use it in a variety of ways. I use it alot to position my LBs to play the zone so that they can take away the underneath stuff. I also use it sometimes when I'm playing a cover 2. I manually bring one of my safeties up and hot route him to a QB Spy. I try to position him to take away a particular route, but it also helps if they try to run and option or dump the ball off to the RB. I would then manually control the other safety to play the other side in the event they try to run the play on that side. If it's a pass, I drop my safety back while the other is still spying. At that point, I'm generally covering that soft spot in the middle of the field. Just as others have said, the minute you start taking those initial reads away from the CPU QB, then he gets happy feet. I just had a dynasty game last night against Memphis, who surprisingly in my dynasty has the best passing offense in the nation, and I shut them out on default AA. Their QB couldn't get anything going using my QB Spy technique. I picked him 3 times and sacked him 4 times.

Defense is difficult, but not impossible. I actually think that if EA made the fatigue in the game more realistic, guys like Harvin couldn't just run around all day and keep all his speed. And if anybody remembers that Florida/Michigan Capital One Bowl from last year, you can see Harvin was dog tired towards then end of that game and was almost useless at times because he was so tired.