Passing Tips

[jakedasnaked]

I need passing tips guys. I'm no newcomer to NCAA and I know NCAA 14 is much better than say NCAA 11 when it comes to throwing picks, but I still can't help but throw picks sometimes. I know I make bad passes sometimes, but sometimes they are good throws. Right now I have a Tim Tebow esque quarterback and 4 receivers with blazing speed so my strategy has been bomb it deep against a single high safety and run/throw it short against 2 deep. I still have a problem throwing picks. I would love passing tips and concepts to help me.

[MJDrocks]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked

I need passing tips guys. I'm no newcomer to NCAA and I know NCAA 14 is much better than say NCAA 11 when it comes to throwing picks, but I still can't help but throw picks sometimes. I know I make bad passes sometimes, but sometimes they are good throws. Right now I have a Tim Tebow esque quarterback and 4 receivers with blazing speed so my strategy has been bomb it deep against a single high safety and run/throw it short against 2 deep. I still have a problem throwing picks. I would love passing tips and concepts to help me.

You're going to throw picks. There is no way to stop throwing picks but you can certainly limit them by knowing your quarterback. If you're using a QB with a strong arm you can fit balls into smaller pockets than those with weaker arms. I've learned that if you continuously throw longer balls that they have a small percentage of being completed. Try going with some shorter routes to set up longer throws. If you have a guy that is similar to Tebow and fast receivers I would use Oregon's playbook. It has a lot of Wide Receiver Screens, Reserves, Gadgets that can really utilize the strengths of your fast WR's.

[conception]

A great way to avoid throwing picks is to utilize a high percentage passing game to get things started, throwing a lot of curls, crosses, screens, and the like, then starting to get some streak routes or post routes in there. I've found that even with fast wide receivers and a good QB, if there is man coverage and my guy doesn't have a clear step on the defender, it's very possibly a pick. I recruit and use high speed guys on the outside, but if they aren't starting to pull away from the defender by the time I am ready to float a ball that will be in for a while, chances are the defender has it locked down.

A simple answer too is that in real life teams don't always have the ability to launch downfield at will either, which is where play action comes in. PA plays can be very hit or miss and some of them will get you killed while others will force you to get rid of the ball as soon as your QB is ready to pass, but there are some extremely effective ones. Of course, they are easier to execute when set up by the running game. I tend to think of running plays that set up PA as Mike McCarthy has talked about running Eddie Lacy, that you are going to give him a certain amount of carries no matter the production of those. Force yourself to run plays that set up PA, then hit them hard.

[jrayos1976]

A lot of the passing issues with the game are due to the overall slow game speed. It is hard, if not impossible to get separation from the defensive backs. This has been driving me nuts since I started playing NCAA 14. No matter how fast (or high their acceleration) my receivers and running backs can never get separation (watching a D-lineman run down a receiver/back is frustrating) . It seems like they are in slow motion and my QB has a noodle arm. NCAA 13 plays faster overall. I tried lowering the speed threshold to 0 and nothing appeared to change. Finally, I decided to change the game speed to Very Fast and now my players can get to separation which allows my QB to lead them better and complete more deep passes (instead of curls and outs). It feels like playing NCAA 13 which was a little ridiculous with all the deep passing completions but it is a start. The AI in 14 is better so defenses are better.

I am playing on All American with threshold to 0 and game speed set to very fast. All other settings are default. If anyone can find a combination of threshold and game speed that is more realistic, please post.

Thanks

[Starter]

Understand coverages completely. All coverages are designed to take something away, but they all must give up something to do this. Your job as a passer is to identify the coverage and take what the defense is giving you. And you must to this quickly before the rush gets to you. Perhaps we can turn this thread into a “How to beat this coverage” thread. I’ll start:

Cover2 is design to take away the flats and has 2 deep defenders. You can influence the 2 deep defenders with formations and route concepts.

If you read Cover 2 zone, send the TE and the receiver to same side on vertical routes. The CPU controlled MLB usually cannot cover the TE and the deep1/2 defender usually will run with the WR. When throwing in the seam to the TE you must throw the ball hard and you cannot throw late.

Here is a secret about cover2 Zone defense:

Any and all flex formation causes all cover2 zone defenses (except sink) to glitch. A flex formation is when you have two receivers to one side and the inside receiver is on the line of scrimmage and the outside receiver is off. When the ball is on the hash, have a flex formation to the field (wide side of the field). Send both receivers on vertical routes. The deep ½ defender to the field will attack the inside receiver leaving the outside receiver WIDE OPEN!!!!! You must throw the ball hard and cannot be late(notice a theme here…). I’m constantly run plays trying to get this coverage from my opponent. Have a man beater on the other side for those moments that you read cover2 for confirm is Man2.


I'm short on time but, perhaps someone can add something about attacking Cover3 coverages:

Curl flat, flood, sail......