|
Quote: |
|
|
|
|
Originally Posted by majesty95 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TBH, his numbers are skewed because I called him out after he ran 8 of his first 9 plays from a Trips left formation and 5 of his first 7 passes were slants/drags. He did mix it up more after, but still went 10 straight plays of big dime and still would run a lot of deep crossers with drags underneath.
I'm a stats guy and I always tell my guys, if you can justify it numerically in real life, its probably reasonable. Stafford throws 5 slants a game but that is out of 30-40 passes. This guy throws 7-8 out of 25 (typically). He's also got Chris Johnson and likes to run outside a lot. He mixes in inside runs bc he knows he has to but be sure you will see a lot of strong power from pistol and HB force from Strong close along with a few counters every game. He'll use the HB screen and occasionally the inside run where he lets the suction blocking start and then heads straight to the sideline to out run it.
I mean, this guy isn't a complete cheese head. We've had a few of those. But he's just the type of guy that, when the chips are down, will do whatever it takes to win. OK for some leagues, even some sim leagues. But we're more about trying to be as realistic as possible and not going to your 4th HB screen or 8th slant or 5th counter just to convert a key first down.
I actually talked to several members of the league and they all found him to be pretty cheesy when it counted. He came out in FG block against me one game when I was beating him 38-7 and trying to run out the clock. I guess he's just got a history. So we voted to remove him. Wasn't just his play but also his attitude. I'm fine if you are God's gift to Madden and you can run a variety of plays, but coming out in the same formations and running the same basic concepts that are incredibly difficult to stop over and over doesn't make you great. It just makes you good at doing what's easy.
Like I said, don't call the same formation or route or concept on consecutive plays on offense, call all types of plays and fronts on defense and win... cool. You're a boss. But running the same basic stuff over and over is just weak sauce where we come from. I know others differ and we may take it further than others. But its fun and challenging for us. Definitely was good to get some differing insights though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sometimes it is not easy to identify cheese or similar. And the limitations of the game make it that much harder to walk the line so to speak. Perhaps the biggest problem with this is the game's lack of adequate AI. If you are going to run 5 straight slants the CB should catch on. Until this gets fixed it will remain a problem. Defense still needs an overhaul in my opinion.
But while we are on this subject, allow me to describe some of what I do and you guys tell me what you think of it on the cheese-o-meter.
In any given game, for each down and distance there are typically about 5 concepts I use. A good example is second and short. The formations vary but you will probably see one of the following:
(these are not necessarily plays but rather concepts)
1. Stick
2. Spot
3. Inside or outside zone run
4. levels, e.g. x under
5. curl flat
The list changes for each down. You will very rarely see stick on 1st down, but expect to see it multiple times on 2nd/3rd and short. And depending on the game the concepts may change in the second half. You started user covering my TE on the stick route? 4th quarter you will see the stick and nod play.
And as far as formations go, well this is where I side with that guy. In one game I may spend 60% of my time in a 1RB/2TE/2WR set. Next game it may be 60% of "11" personnel. But I am probably running the same crap in both games. Only change are the matchups. The alignment also changes; that 60% will be split between a slot alignment and slot strong for example.
In the past someone told me I am borderline cheesy because I only use a few concepts. My answer is well yeah I only use a few concepts. My offense is built around high-lo reads and stretching the defense horizontally. I'm not much of a vertical passer (possibly not the best fit with my Ravens but oh well). My offense can be stopped, if you got corners that can press I am going to have to adapt.
The lack of adaptive AI does make it too easy to run an actual offense, but I would love to see the AI improved because it would open up the chess match and I would love that. Because there are two sides to the adaptive AI coin. We all know the one side, but I would be excited for the other side -- double moves and setting up plays. Right now a hitch and go might be one of the worst routes you can call. But if the corner is jumping that hitch because you used it frequently in the 1st half? Mama mia!! Same thing for levels divide. Defense is on to it? That is when I call smash. That is literally stealing from the Peyton on the Colts playbook.
Personally I think I am in a rough spot. On the one hand I think I run a very realistic NFL offense, at the same time however due to the limitations in the game an argument could be made that it is cheesy. Thoughts?
Edit: I should clarify something, outside of run plays (75% of which are zone runs) I rarely use the same stuff back to back. I am definitely not like your guy in that regard. It comes off as a one trick pony. For slants in particular, I rarely call a play with a slant route. In my offense a slant is called at the line. How often I make that read depends. How often are you man blitzing? The exception is in a 3x1 set. Pretty safe bet that weakside WR is running a slant. But in the 4th quarter I am counting on you making that bet.