Does the "return" attribute/rating mean anything?

[jdrhammer]

I'm curious since I have a guy with 94 spd that doesn't have a great return rating but the guy with 88 spd does. Does anyone pay attention to this?

[NCAAFootballFreak]

I usually don't pay attention to that. I usually take my two fastest guys and make them my return men. If two guys have the same speed, then I go with the better acceleration rating, and if those are the same, then I default to the return rating. I have tried it with the slower guys (IE guys with higher return ratings) and they don't to get to or through the gaps quickly enough. I like to find a hole and then "hit the gas" through it and it works probably 20% of the time for a very effective return.

Depending on the speed of the other team, my guys are always threats to take it to the House. I'm better on punt returns than kick returns and this season I'm currently on I have 6 PR TDs with my #1 PR/KR (he's #1 on both) and a KR TD with my #2 KR through five games. The PR is as fast as they come though, with 99 spd and 95 acc. He's my starting WR and is #1 in Heisman voting after his third multiple PR TD game of the season. (It seems when I get one early, the team I'm playing never learns because I have ALWAYS gotten one again later in the game) He was the "returner of the year" last season after taking five punts back for TDs and averaged a phat 27.6 yards/punt return. And unless the dude is just an absolute burner (like my #1 WR is), I try to put guys that aren't starters into the return positions.

***Another trick I do*** I go through my Kick return and Punt return formations and sub in the guy with the highest run block rating available at every position. That has also always made a difference for me. I do this because NOTHING grabs momentum (not necessarily in the game) like a kickoff or punt return for big yardage. If the other team just scored a game-tying field goal and you take the ensuing kickoff all the way back 1) it just feels awesome and 2) it will cause a significant swing in the momentum meter. And if you just forced a 3-and-out late while trailing in the game, returning the punt for six is devastating to the opponent. It adds insult to injury.

[NCAAFootballFreak]

And yes, I play on Heisman with "tweaked" sliders.

[youALREADYknow]

Returns are busted and I have to just run the ball out of bounds on most punt returns to avoid taking one back to the house. It's far too easy to run punts back with anyone 95+ SPD against non-elite teams.

Going forward, I'm house ruling that I can't put anyone above 89 SPD on returns.

[UnderRatedCoast]

I think that your return guys block better if your guy has a higher return rating, but it's not worth putting a slow guy in over a fast guy because of his return rating, since speed in this year's version is the real killer. Mostly the return rating is for when you bring a draft class over to Madden, then it actually makes a difference.

[dkrause1971]

The Kick Return rating is used to determine how well the CPU controlled returners are at finding the seams in the return coverage.

[kindella2]

i think it only makes a difference on the likelihood of muffing punts...you may have the fastest guy but if he muffs punts then its no matter.

[NCAAFootballFreak]

I should also probably add that I'm playing on PS2