Passing easier than last year?

[wco81]

It seems if the QB has time for the WRs to make their breaks, they will get open. They will get some good separation or if not, the QB will still thread the needle.

The zones seem very loose. They allow the out patterns to be completed in front of them instead of driving on the ball. If the DB is dropping back and seeing things in front of them, they dont' seem to jump any balls. They're not even getting there to make the quick tackles. And on deep corner/post pattern combos, one or the other open up against zone coverage if the QB has time.

And a lot of completions with two defenders there. The announcers incorrectly call them double coverage even when the CB is beaten badly and the safety just arrives on the ball. But even with safeties over the top and good man defense, it seems more completions are occurring.

Will have to try outright double coverages. However, when some of my opponents doubled up one of my WRs, you could see it happening before the snap, which made it easy to look elsewhere.

[JetsFan28]

What difficulty level are you playing at? Bumping the difficulty to All-Pro has really limited my passing game. I have noticed there are more dropped balls this year than last year, but not as bad as 2k3. Try adjusting the sliders if it's bothering you.

[wco81]

These are all All-Pro games online, meaning default sliders.

I've only used SF. They have an 86 defense and they've done alright but have given up some 3rd and long passes.

But what's really telling is that with a 70 offense, Rattay is threading the needle into WRs who are rated average at best. Cedric Wilson is having big games for me. Lloyd gets big catches. Woods isn't even in the first 3 WRs. And Dorsey makes a clut 17-yard throw.

I'm still getting used to this game but find I can move the ball in the air when I need to.

[NYJets]

I think it's harder. This year, the shutdown corners play more like shutdown corners. DB's make plays on curls, slants and outs that they never would have made last year. I'm having success throwing the ball against the bad defenses, and gotten shutout by good defenses offline. Online, I've had some games where I score 7 points, some where I throw for 275-300 yards and 3 touchdowns, with a 70% completion percentage.

[JayBee74]

Try "tapping" the "Y" button just as the QB releases the ball. Don't worry about taking control of the defender. I just finished an All Pro game against the Titans (Me-Ravens) and Held Mcnair to 17-38-0 for 180 yds and 2 INT's as the Ravens shellacked the Titans 28-10.