M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

[noarmsduck]

Any tips for this in Madden 23? Just played a game against a friend, I'm using a Rodgers with 99 Throw power and 99 deep accuracy. Lost 41-38. Had 5 guys open on deep balls in the third and fourth quarter, they had clearly beat their defenders, and Rodgers underthrew them all, leading to 3 incompletions and 2 INTs. Not mad about the 1 INT because I made a mistake earlier in the game and threw a non high point pass and his defender had the ball in his hands and just dropped it, so IMO one of them was acceptable as a make up call. But to have 5 total like that, all in the span of the last half of the third quarter and the fourth quarter. Rodgers was also not hit or pressured on any of them, he was in the pocket with his feet set.

The INTs obviously stopped me from scoring, the incompletions led to me having to punt and kick a FG on 2 other drives, and I got an RNG fumble in the second half as well when I was holding protect ball that took away another possession. RNG fumbles happen and it sucks that I got one and he didn't, but it's whatever; but to have so many underthrown balls like that in such a short period of time seems like more than just a coincidence, especially since accuracy was not an issue in the first half at all and I completed 2 deep balls in the first half.

[Tonka3013]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

If you don’t want to throw an INT you can use the pass lead feature and throw a rainbow ball that lands 5 yards ahead and out of reach of all the players. It won’t be completed, but it will avoid an INT. No idea how to actually complete those passes.

[kennylc321]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

Yeah... I kind of given up with those throws. What difficulty are you playing on? I find that it is nearly impossible on AP and AM. You will have better success on the Pro level, but certainly no guarantees.

[Richie71]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

It's doable on All Madden, vs cover 1 or cover 0 press. Your WR must win the release, and use precision passing to lead the throw. Release ability matters more than speed.

[canes21]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

How far down the field are the WR's before you even press the button? From my experience, the vast majority of Madden players, like 99% of them, throw deep passes so late. Most people don't throw with anticipation. They wait until they see a WR is open, then throw it to them. That can work with some routes, but usually never works with deep passes.

If you're throwing simple streak routes, you should know if you're throwing that route before the WR is even 10 yards down field, and you should have already pressed the button to throw it to them before they are even 15 yards down field. Any later and you're asking for the interceptions.

Yes, using the left trigger to have better control on how far you lead the WR will help, but if you don't feel like doing that you can still throw it deep consistently once you figure out the timing, especially if you're still playing on the default 50 speed threshold.

[Hooe]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

My approach to boundary receiver go-balls in both M23 and M24:

1 - Foremost, treat the boundary go ball exclusively as a pre-snap alert. Look for press-man coverage OR an obvious Cover 2 look pre-snap (boundary CB squatting inside five yards over your boundary receiver with two deep safeties behind him). If you see anything else, the route off the table and go somewhere else.

2 - Against press-man, read your receiver against the pressing cornerback. If he wins cleanly, throw it using Skill Based Passing (L2 / LT) and add a vertical pass lead. You'll want to go into practice to dial in how much you need to lead your receiver. Adjusting your reticle sensitivity will also help here. Your QB's release speed also matters for the timing of the pass meter, so be wary of that.

3 - Against Cover 2, throw the ball as soon as your receiver finishes getting chucked by the flat cornerback. Again, lead vertical and toward the sideline with L2. QB arm strength is also a major asset here; deep half safeties will sometimes get to the ball now even if you throw on time, so having a QB with a strong arm throwing a streak to the opposite sideline will respectively reduce the flight time of the ball and increase the size of your pass window (for example, if the ball is spotted on the right hash, the streak route is near the left sideline). You'll want to gun this pass into the so-called turkey hole as opposed to lofting it.

If it wasn't clear from this post and others in this thread, do not trust Madden to lead a streak route correctly for you. By default, Madden will almost always put a go ball on the receiver in a position where the trailing CB can close and make a play on it. You must use Skill Based Passing to lead the receiver further yourself.

The advice here of "throw the route sooner" is certainly applicable to how I throw these passes, but maybe the additional insight well help as well. The tip of the release mattering more than speed is also very applicable; I can get the ball to CeeDee Lamb on these routes consistently and he's only SPD 90.

[RogueHominid]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

I started putting some of these tips to practice, and it’s made a massive difference in completions on go routes vs press specifically. I was waiting way too long to get the ball out. Now, I’m working to get it out at 9-10 yards after the release, and that’s making a big difference in my outcomes on the plays where I win the press battle.

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

I personally have had better luck using a high pass (L1 modifier) when i'm throwing deep passes, It kind of forces the WR to high point the ball and most times its above the DB, granted, it doesn't work all the time, but i've had better luck doing that that trying precision passes deep.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: M23 avoiding underthrown balls for INTs on deep balls

I personally have had better luck using a high pass (L1 modifier) when i'm throwing deep passes, It kind of forces the WR to high point the ball and most times its above the DB, granted, it doesn't work all the time, but i've had better luck doing that that trying precision passes deep.

This was going to be my recommendation as well. High pass + lob when the wideout is roughly level with the safety seems to give the best results for me (as the Bills). Buffalo doesn't really have elite speed so it's very much a pick your moment thing.