Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

[Sven Draconian]

Im on the verge of giving up with this game. I just can't stop a gold RB. It doesn't matter how my team is made up, it doesn't matter what I call and it honestly does't matter about anything I do if hte opponent can play RB even decently.

I just played a game versus a guy with Barry. He ran just two plays, I strong spread pitch and iso. Thats it. I went 4-4, I slanted, stunted, fan, pinch, blitz, zone everything...nothing worked. I have 2 gold corners that routinely got pancaked by generic WR. I had Perry and Salu at DT vs a generic Oline and they would get pushed back.

Id slant and blitz the strong side and Id hit him 4 times by the time he gained 4 yards....and he'd still break it for 10...15...50. My backside LB always got picked up by the center and TE (despite having a better DL than they had OL).

Its even worse with Earl Campbell. One game this morning I had a play where I had *6* people hit him...and he broke a 60 yard TD.
Then he'd just run a simple swing pass and destroy the man to man coverage. He'd catch it, blow throgh the defender and then either only get 15 and knocked out of bounds....or 30 if he trucked the 2nd defender. I'd play cover 2 and the corner in the flats (Lem Barney) couldn't take him down...or just not play the ball.

But its not justthe running game. I made a line of Youngblood/Lilly/Salu/Simmons and couldn't get a sack vs a completely generic Oline. I was getting no penetration...no rush...nothing. Thats a Gold/Silver and 2 bronze vs generics and I couldn't sniff the QB.

I've made a team with 2 gold corners Tatum so I could play just 4-4. Not only did I get hurt against the run still...but I was getting beat by Alvin Harper...a bronze WR. I knew what plays were coming.....I'd call cover 2 man coverages...cover 2 zones....cover 3...straight man...bump...lose. Doesn't matter they could still pass.

It's incredibly frustrating that the defense is so completely underpowered as compared to offensive players. You *KNOW* a gold offensive player is going to make a huge impact every game....a gold defender can be beaten by bronze and even generic players.

[HotShot232]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Dude not to be mean BUT it is truly you. I have NEVER been rushed on for more than 150 yards. My Defense in my NFL league is ranked 9th in rush defense with 89 total yards run on me in 2 games. The other 1st -7th are all around the same mark 70 to 80 yards. ALOT of it is play calling and having your team set to run defense.

So in all honesty u just need to learn the game more, learn to pick better plays. You honestly are doing something wrong. Not trying to say u suck or anything but just saying that I have ZERO issue since day one with the game with stopping the run. Defense in general is pretty solid for me.

[Rocky]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Im on the verge of giving up with this game. I just can't stop a gold RB. It doesn't matter how my team is made up, it doesn't matter what I call and it honestly does't matter about anything I do if hte opponent can play RB even decently.

I just played a game versus a guy with Barry. He ran just two plays, I strong spread pitch and iso. Thats it. I went 4-4, I slanted, stunted, fan, pinch, blitz, zone everything...nothing worked. I have 2 gold corners that routinely got pancaked by generic WR. I had Perry and Salu at DT vs a generic Oline and they would get pushed back.

Id slant and blitz the strong side and Id hit him 4 times by the time he gained 4 yards....and he'd still break it for 10...15...50. My backside LB always got picked up by the center and TE (despite having a better DL than they had OL).

Its even worse with Earl Campbell. One game this morning I had a play where I had *6* people hit him...and he broke a 60 yard TD.
Then he'd just run a simple swing pass and destroy the man to man coverage. He'd catch it, blow throgh the defender and then either only get 15 and knocked out of bounds....or 30 if he trucked the 2nd defender. I'd play cover 2 and the corner in the flats (Lem Barney) couldn't take him down...or just not play the ball.

But its not justthe running game. I made a line of Youngblood/Lilly/Salu/Simmons and couldn't get a sack vs a completely generic Oline. I was getting no penetration...no rush...nothing. Thats a Gold/Silver and 2 bronze vs generics and I couldn't sniff the QB.

I've made a team with 2 gold corners Tatum so I could play just 4-4. Not only did I get hurt against the run still...but I was getting beat by Alvin Harper...a bronze WR. I knew what plays were coming.....I'd call cover 2 man coverages...cover 2 zones....cover 3...straight man...bump...lose. Doesn't matter they could still pass.

It's incredibly frustrating that the defense is so completely underpowered as compared to offensive players. You *KNOW* a gold offensive player is going to make a huge impact every game....a gold defender can be beaten by bronze and even generic players.

I've never seen that to the extent you are talking about but I have had Earl Campbell and Walter Payton run over multiple legends for TD's. It's frustrating but only happens once every 2 or 3 games. As long as I can keep them in check, than it really doesn't bother me.

Another thing is, I see you are running a 4-4. Why? If you're going to use it, it's imperative that you call the right plays for it at the right situations. In zone coverage, your going to get sliced and diced. Playing against Barry.....most of the time it's going to leave Barry one on one with a defender and no help. I don't care WHO YOU ARE, YOU JUST DON'T DO THAT WITH BARRY.

The standard 4-3 is the best D in the game. The 3-4 is good but very hit and miss. At times, I got 3 defenders in the backfield with it....other times I can't stop anything. The inside and outside zone plays cream that D in this game, but it's excellent against the pass. I like the 4-3 with the under defense and bnr coverage.

[HotShot232]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Like rocky said, it is clear u are calling wrong plays.

A 4-4 is good against a FAST Shifty back. BUT the 4-4 weakness is the chance of given up the big run if u are caught wrong.

The 4-3 base cover 2 is my standard gameplan with hotroute blitzs, and covers called on each play. I adjust as the formation looks like.

The Bear should be used in short yardage. But like 4-4 if they get through front line, good luck stopping them before a huge gain.

I run the 5-2 alot in short yards. I just like it.

But like rocky said. The 4-3 is going to be your standard run stopping D. Calling the right line movements combined with right blitz packages and shifts. It is your gameplan that needs work man

[beal209]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

I cant say I agree with you I just played a game against Earl Campbell and I held him to 33 yards and the game before that I play against Barry Sanders and I held him to 2 yards

[HotShot232]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Oh and learning their gameplan is KEY. If they start calling swing passes on me and getting good yards. You know how I counter that? I put two linebackers on him. I hot route 2 linebackers to double team the halfback.

If I win toss I kick NORMALLY. The first drive I can tell their play style and ajust the next possession to contain whatever they throw at me. At least try to. You got to remember also that they will get big gains here and there u can't stop everything.

[Rocky]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Like rocky said, it is clear u are calling wrong plays.

A 4-4 is good against a FAST Shifty back. BUT the 4-4 weakness is the chance of given up the big run if u are caught wrong.

The 4-3 base cover 2 is my standard gameplan with hotroute blitzs, and covers called on each play. I adjust as the formation looks like.

The Bear should be used in short yardage. But like 4-4 if they get through front line, good luck stopping them before a huge gain.

I run the 5-2 alot in short yards. I just like it.

But like rocky said. The 4-3 is going to be your standard run stopping D. Calling the right line movements combined with right blitz packages and shifts. It is your gameplan that needs work man

Exactly. If I have a big play threat like Barry, than I will take my chances against the 4-4 in almost every 1st and 2nd down situation......because half the time nobody is back there. The deep safety is going to be rolled in coverage to the other side and if Barry breaks the first and second levels(which is what they got him for), it's through.

You have to let a guy like Barry come back to you. Force him where you want him to go. Earl is kind of like that too. Force him to the outside and have Barney take out his legs(be sure to have pursuit over there too).

[dunelly]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

You're not calling the wrong plays. I've called so many cover 2 hards vs the screen only to see my corner never play the ball, or get ran over right after the RB touches the ball. Super RBs = big problem with this game.

[njskillz]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Oh and learning their gameplan is KEY. If they start calling swing passes on me and getting good yards. You know how I counter that? I put two linebackers on him. I hot route 2 linebackers to double team the halfback.

If I win toss I kick NORMALLY. The first drive I can tell their play style and ajust the next possession to contain whatever they throw at me. At least try to. You got to remember also that they will get big gains here and there u can't stop everything.

Can someone explain to me how you "hot route" players for different assignments at the line of scrimmage? I am in the same boat as the original poster but it sounds like a lot of folks have it figured out. I keep hearing about being able to "hot route" defenders but I have no clue how to do this. I use the left/right bumpers to either move the LB or DB back and forth but I didn't realize you could change their assignments.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[dunelly]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Press the LB or DB button. Hold it and you should see icons popup for different players. Press their button + an offensive player's button to man him up. Press the right stick different directions for zone. Left stick for blitzes.

[njskillz]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Press the LB or DB button. Hold it and you should see icons popup for different players. Press their button + an offensive player's button to man him up. Press the right stick different directions for zone. Left stick for blitzes.

MAN! Thank you!!!!!! I really appreciate it. I had no clue. I was this close to giving up on the game because of my lack of defensive success. This will definitely help!

[njskillz]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

MAN! Thank you!!!!!! I really appreciate it. I had no clue. I was this close to giving up on the game because of my lack of defensive success. This will definitely help!

I was wondering why it seemed no one else I played was having as much trouble playing defense as I was!

[Kruza]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Can someone explain to me how you "hot route" players for different assignments at the line of scrimmage? I am in the same boat as the original poster but it sounds like a lot of folks have it figured out. I keep hearing about being able to "hot route" defenders but I have no clue how to do this. I use the left/right bumpers to either move the LB or DB back and forth but I didn't realize you could change their assignments.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Hold down left bumper to access linebackers, nickel back or dime back.

Hold down right bumper to access starting cornerbacks and safeties.

One you hold down either bumper, press the face button (A, B, X, Y) to select which defender you wish to assign from either group.

After selecting individual player, push left stick to assign him to blitz or right stick to drop back into zone.

up -> delayed blitz
down -> regular blitz
left/right -> adjust direction (outside the tackle box) or choose gap (inside tackle box) to blitz

You can use diagonals for hot blitzes (i.e. up toward the left, etc.).

up -> deep zone coverage
down -> short zone coverage
left/right -> move left or right in zone coverage

Kruza

[sleepychicken]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

# 1 - I concur with the others. This is partially you, as I rarely have this problem anymore. Call the right defense, and control a linebacker or safety. One great and easy way to take pressure off of your D against a Gold RB, that I've discovered recently, is to call a safety blitz to whichever side you believe he will run. Then, instead of that safety blitzing, assign him to man coverage on the RB. Even if you guess wrong, he'll prevent the big play. There are other ways too.

# 2 - Play on legend. It's hard to find a ranked game on legend, and this is why. The game plays much tighter, there are less big plays; the D is much better at containing. One problem, it's hard to find a ranked game on legend. Why? Because people like big offense.

That's the reason the NFL skews their rules towards allowing more offense every year, and it's the reason games favor it as well. People love big plays. I imagine even most on these boards enjoy it. There's only a minority of people that like to see a 7-3 defensive struggle.

So, work on your D some more; really get creative, and accept the fact that the majority loves offense and big numbers. Try and play on legend if you can.

[njskillz]

Re: Dear APF Dev Team....wheres the defense?

Hold down left bumper to access linebackers, nickel back or dime back.

Hold down right bumper to access starting cornerbacks and safeties.

One you hold down either bumper, press the face button (A, B, X, Y) to select which defender you wish to assign from either group.

After selecting individual player, push left stick to assign him to blitz or right stick to drop back into zone.

up -> delayed blitz
down -> regular blitz
left/right -> adjust direction (outside the tackle box) or choose gap (inside tackle box) to blitz

You can use diagonals for hot blitzes (i.e. up toward the left, etc.).

up -> deep zone coverage
down -> short zone coverage
left/right -> move left or right in zone coverage

Kruza

Excellent! Thank you as well. That's why this site is one of my favorites. You can always get the help you need.