Stopping the Slant

[Bloodhound79]

In my online dynasty, there are two user controlled teams. We match up once in the regular season (we are both Big 10 teams), and this year, we are having a rematch of the century for the National Title. Here's the thing, this guy has a gimme play on 3rd and less than 5-7 yards. He always runs the slant. In real-life football, I'd have my DB's take the inside route away. In NCAA 09, I can't do that. I try and play a 3-4 cover 2 zone so that the LB's drop into the slant zone, but that doesn't work that great. Out of a 4-3 base scheme, with a nickel package available, what play do you guys suggest to stop the dreaded slant?

[desertdevil88]

Re: Stopping the Slant

My best advice would be to go into practice mode, set the offense up on a quick slants play, and fool around with the defense until you get a play that works. Off hand, I would think that spreading the LBs on a cover 2 would work.

[Bloodhound79]

Re: Stopping the Slant

what he does then is as the corners stay in the flat he hits the wr before the lb gets to the coverage area. he's a real bastard.

[thelasthurtknee]

Re: Stopping the Slant

i got one. 4-4 cover 2. its the cover two play that is the only one on its sheet or the last play in the formation. the safety plays the middle and the cb's drop deep. play bump and run. dont let the linebackers move out on their man, keep them inside. the cb will actually jump the route unless its a slot reciever and then the olb will make a play. the cbs bump and then drop hard to the inside to get to there zone. they run inside with the wr and will jump the quick slant. ive never taken it into practice and run it over and over but if im playing a guy that is hitting slants i run this and have great success from my 10 in. i worry about running this when im outside of redzone because this cover two is weak against deep outs and corner routes. you can also show blitz on this and it will work and also i always move my dline with a spread and send them wide because you wont have help to the outside if the qb decides to run. when you spread them wide you will lose your inside run d so thats why i show blitz at times running this. go into practice and try it out. works in games for me to the point where its my basic redzone slant d.

one other thing is i run a 5-2 play where there is a heavy blitz from one side but the dline on that side or atleast the tackle and end drop into coverage. this has got me picks by the dend on this play against slants. maybe a cover 2 out of 4-3 and quick audible the dends to drop into zone. this might get him. there might be some plays already set up to do this. also maybe a mix zone man play where he reads wrong and you have a cb on himand zone backers. there are some good plays that do this out of the 3-3-5 in nickle.

good luck.

[bo jackson]

Re: Stopping the Slant

Just step your game up and user pick him already.

[youALREADYknow]

Re: Stopping the Slant

Just step your game up and user pick him already.

Winner!

Seriously though, practice mode is where you need to be as someone else here said.

Unless he has a genuine deep threat who can beat you in man coverage most plays, you should be able to shut down slant routes.

[bigrice25]

Re: Stopping the Slant

Just step your game up and user pick him already.

This wont work because usually there are slants on both sides, he can just hit the other side.

[Bloodhound79]

Re: Stopping the Slant

i got one. 4-4 cover 2. its the cover two play that is the only one on its sheet or the last play in the formation. the safety plays the middle and the cb's drop deep. play bump and run. dont let the linebackers move out on their man, keep them inside. the cb will actually jump the route unless its a slot reciever and then the olb will make a play. the cbs bump and then drop hard to the inside to get to there zone. they run inside with the wr and will jump the quick slant. ive never taken it into practice and run it over and over but if im playing a guy that is hitting slants i run this and have great success from my 10 in. i worry about running this when im outside of redzone because this cover two is weak against deep outs and corner routes. you can also show blitz on this and it will work and also i always move my dline with a spread and send them wide because you wont have help to the outside if the qb decides to run. when you spread them wide you will lose your inside run d so thats why i show blitz at times running this. go into practice and try it out. works in games for me to the point where its my basic redzone slant d.

one other thing is i run a 5-2 play where there is a heavy blitz from one side but the dline on that side or atleast the tackle and end drop into coverage. this has got me picks by the dend on this play against slants. maybe a cover 2 out of 4-3 and quick audible the dends to drop into zone. this might get him. there might be some plays already set up to do this. also maybe a mix zone man play where he reads wrong and you have a cb on himand zone backers. there are some good plays that do this out of the 3-3-5 in nickle.

good luck.

An interesting idea. My worry is that the 4-4 cover 2 leaves me vulnerable to the deeper patterns. He's got 2 speedy wideouts with 97+ speed, which are tough to cover. I'll definitely go into the practice mode and try out this and the other suggestions.

To the person who suggested I man up and do a user-pick, I only wish it were that simple. He pretty much throws to the opposite side of the field from wherever I'm roaming.

[TrevJo]

Re: Stopping the Slant

An interesting idea. My worry is that the 4-4 cover 2 leaves me vulnerable to the deeper patterns. He's got 2 speedy wideouts with 97+ speed, which are tough to cover. I'll definitely go into the practice mode and try out this and the other suggestions.

To the person who suggested I man up and do a user-pick, I only wish it were that simple. He pretty much throws to the opposite side of the field from wherever I'm roaming.

For the roaming, you can never guarantee success, but you can try to fool him and hope he makes a mistake. Start one way and then quickly go back the other. If he's really good he will make the right read anyway, but if you know he's throwing slant inside left or inside right, you've at least got a shot to make him make the wrong read and hopefully pick it off. I don't know if it'll work that way, it's worth trying though, I know that's what I fear when I call slants on offense.

[thelasthurtknee]

Re: Stopping the Slant

An interesting idea. My worry is that the 4-4 cover 2 leaves me vulnerable to the deeper patterns. He's got 2 speedy wideouts with 97+ speed, which are tough to cover. I'll definitely go into the practice mode and try out this and the other suggestions.

To the person who suggested I man up and do a user-pick, I only wish it were that simple. He pretty much throws to the opposite side of the field from wherever I'm roaming.

yea i wouldnt either. like i said i only feel comfortable with this in the redzone and really 10 and in. i would maybe consider some de drops in and speading the lb's so that you get the short covered. a good corner in man would be the the real stop but like you said earlier you cant coach a guy up and get him to play the inside. plus man is terrible on this game and useless against any unbalanced formation or playaction.

[youALREADYknow]

Re: Stopping the Slant

man is terrible on this game and useless against any unbalanced formation or playaction.

I've had this argument elsewhere, but that is blasphemy. Man coverage in this game is about taking away angles and getting user picks.

Taking away slants is simply a matter of cutting off the slant angles and once you figure out your opponent's primary read, you have all of the information you need to figure out their whole gameplan.

1. Find primary read.
2. Shift defensive line in direction of primary read.
3. Control available zone defender and cut off angle from QB to primary read.

You'll give up a completion to another WR against most good players on that play, but you will have found their secondary read and now you can call a play to have max CPU coverage in that area while you focus on stopping the primary read.

I've yet to see a person who has a consistent third option on plays once the first two have broken down, so you're free to roam with your user controlled player and pretty much play the QB and find where you think they will throw the ball. It's all stick skills from there. If they can still complete the pass, then you tip the cap to them for a job well done and dare them to do it again.

[King Clap25]

Re: Stopping the Slant

I think if you run a cover 2 with the de's manned up on the slant guys you cant get a pick if you catch him off guard... sometimes 1 turnover is all you need to do to win

[Bloodhound79]

Re: Stopping the Slant

I've had this argument elsewhere, but that is blasphemy. Man coverage in this game is about taking away angles and getting user picks.

Taking away slants is simply a matter of cutting off the slant angles and once you figure out your opponent's primary read, you have all of the information you need to figure out their whole gameplan.

1. Find primary read.
2. Shift defensive line in direction of primary read.
3. Control available zone defender and cut off angle from QB to primary read.

You'll give up a completion to another WR against most good players on that play, but you will have found their secondary read and now you can call a play to have max CPU coverage in that area while you focus on stopping the primary read.

I've yet to see a person who has a consistent third option on plays once the first two have broken down, so you're free to roam with your user controlled player and pretty much play the QB and find where you think they will throw the ball. It's all stick skills from there. If they can still complete the pass, then you tip the cap to them for a job well done and dare them to do it again.

That's the best advice yet. Thanks for all the suggestions. Any more?

[Bloodhound79]

Re: Stopping the Slant

I've had this argument elsewhere, but that is blasphemy. Man coverage in this game is about taking away angles and getting user picks.

Taking away slants is simply a matter of cutting off the slant angles and once you figure out your opponent's primary read, you have all of the information you need to figure out their whole gameplan.

1. Find primary read.
2. Shift defensive line in direction of primary read.
3. Control available zone defender and cut off angle from QB to primary read.

You'll give up a completion to another WR against most good players on that play, but you will have found their secondary read and now you can call a play to have max CPU coverage in that area while you focus on stopping the primary read.

I've yet to see a person who has a consistent third option on plays once the first two have broken down, so you're free to roam with your user controlled player and pretty much play the QB and find where you think they will throw the ball. It's all stick skills from there. If they can still complete the pass, then you tip the cap to them for a job well done and dare them to do it again.

Best advice yet...any more?

[youALREADYknow]

Re: Stopping the Slant

Try it in practice and make sure you don't get caught calling the same man coverages on too many consecutive plays. Smart players will start hitting you with post/corner combos or overloading one side of the field once they realize you're using man-to-man. I personally love some of the cover 1 or cover 4/drop zone plays to switch things up after I show man coverage for a few plays. You can use the play audibles to switch to cover 3 if they come out overloaded on one side of the field.

It's just a chess game at the end of the day and a good mix of zone and man goes a long way.