Classic Roster Ratings

[Iteachpercussion]

Quote: Originally Posted by Spartan Warrior

The QB rating question is kind of tough, because old NFL offenses looked completely different from modern offenses. Completion percentages are way higher today in large part because the offenses are designed around short passes. Look at Sam Bradford last year: Completion percentage of almost 72%, but it's because all he was doing is throwing short passes. Only 9.8 yards per completion. For comparison, Dan Marino in 1984 completed 64% of his passes. That's average today but was super high for the time. He averaged 14 yards per completion. So who is a more accurate passer, Marino or Bradford? If we just go by completion percentage I guess it's Bradford but anyone who's actually watched football knows that isn't true. Old-school QBs like Joe Namath, Bobby Layne, ect. threw more INTs than TDs in their careers. That's terrible today but back then it was just part of the game. The offenses were designed around running the ball and then chucking it deep, which meant high risk and high reward, lots of intercepted passes. If guys like Terry Bradshaw had been running modern offenses back in the 1970s, what would their completion percentages and numbers looked like? Probably a lot more like modern quarterbacks. So the bigger question is getting the teams to play the way that teams did back in that era, with tons of running and only deep passing, no WR screens and other quick hitters.

You are absolutely correct. Add to that, that defenses could be more aggressive in pass coverage, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. It is really difficult to get Madden to play like that though. It is possible in Play Now games if you create playbooks to match the style. I did that last year for my 1975 roster and had very nice results.

[Spartan Warrior]

Yeah, forgot to mention the changes in pass interference rules. Used to be able to ride guys all the way down the field before the Illegal Contact penalty was invented. Now if DBs even breathe on receivers it's a pass interference call.

The changes in how they call unnecessary roughness is big too. Used to be a receiver going over the middle was going to get decapitated. Now you can't do that, so the middle of the field is opened up. You can just go right up the seam in a way you couldn't before without dying.

And then you've got the Shotgun and pistol formations making it easier to pass, improvement in pass blocking, and rules to protect the quarterbacks from all kinds of hits (low hits, high hits, being driven to the ground). Basically every innovation in football in the last 40 years has made it easier to pass.

So if you're creating a period roster, I'd probably do stuff like give the QBs low accuracy, the DBs high press and coverage ability to make it really hard to pass. If it's more of an All-Star roster I'd rate the guys as they'd be as modern football players with the assumption that QBs from the old days could adjust to modern offenses and play efficiently like modern QBs do.

[2kMaddenGamer1994]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

ABSOLUTELY! People that complain about other people's hard work should take a very long walk off a very short pier. Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Ill just flag that comment

[chino22]

I vote for more realistic gameplay without a doubt