Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

[xCoachDx]

I feel like pass coverage is atrocious in Madden 15. The zone depths are too deep meaning that routes 7-8 yards and in are completely wide open. CB's in flat zones frequently follow their initial man 10 yards downfield for some reason instead of jamming and releasing. I've found no way of fixing these issues and have heard no mention of it being improved in Madden 16 (Although I'm not surprised). Even toggling to underneath coverage doesn't help much. I'm 10 games into a season and opposing QB's are completing 79% of passes but only for 189 yards a game.

Is there any fix to this coming in Madden 15? Or are we doomed to high completion percentages for the third year in a row?

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

I feel like pass coverage is atrocious in Madden 15. The zone depths are too deep meaning that routes 7-8 yards and in are completely wide open. CB's in flat zones frequently follow their initial man 10 yards downfield for some reason instead of jamming and releasing. I've found no way of fixing these issues and have heard no mention of it being improved in Madden 16 (Although I'm not surprised). Even toggling to underneath coverage doesn't help much. I'm 10 games into a season and opposing QB's are completing 79% of passes but only for 189 yards a game.

Is there any fix to this coming in Madden 15? Or are we doomed to high completion percentages for the third year in a row?

The zone coverage in Madden 15 is a pseudo - match coverage variety. Every NFL team and virtually every NCAA division 1 team uses match coverage instead of spot dropping - which is what you are referring to. What you are seeing is the force player, usually the curl flat player, continue to gain depth on any vertices stemming route run by the number 2 receiver. If the number 2 receiver stem vertices and/or out, he takes him in man coverage all the way. The game somewhat reflects this but not entirely.

Hope that helps.

[xCoachDx]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

The zone coverage in Madden 15 is a pseudo - match coverage variety. Every NFL team and virtually every NCAA division 1 team uses match coverage instead of spot dropping - which is what you are referring to. What you are seeing is the force player, usually the curl flat player, continue to gain depth on any vertices stemming route run by the number 2 receiver. If the number 2 receiver stem vertices and/or out, he takes him in man coverage all the way. The game somewhat reflects this but not entirely.

Hope that helps.

That didn't help at all and I'm not sure what you are referring to. That doesn't explain the giant gaps in the defense.

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

That didn't help at all and I'm not sure what you are referring to. That doesn't explain the giant gaps in the defense.

I'm on my phone so it is hard to type it all out, but you can try researching match coverage or pattern match coverage on Google - they are the same thing. There is a wealth of free information out there regarding contemporary defensive strategy. Also, I don't know your difficulty or specific slider setup, but I don't experience any huge holes in zone coverage that are related to zone responsibiltes- at least none that aren't suppose to be there. There are problems with coverage players having poor positioning and recovery that allow certain routes like the TE corner to be overall too effective at times though.

Now, It depends on what type of zone you are running Quarters, Cover 3, Cover 2, etc, but the premise is the same. Eligible offensive receivers are identified and numbered by the defense from the outside to the inside. In Cover 3, the curl-flat player, purple zone in Madden, is responsible for ensuring that the number 2 receiver doesn't enter what is called the seams. In Madden, if the number 2 receiver attempts to run vertically into the seams, he runs with him attempting to redirect or reroute the receiver - even though his "zone" says flat responsibilty. If the number 2 receiver breaks inside from he resumes responsibilty of the flat while keying the number 1 receiver's stem. You have to also understand that there is a "no coverage" zone 3 yards from the line of scrimmage expanding to the offensive tackles. The defense must allow these catches to be made or risk crosses and pick concepts to burn them.


There are some route combination in this game that can exploit Madden's version of match coverage because they only seemed to implement the curl flat responsibilty and not the deep third responsibilities as well. This was probably a design choice as to not make zone coverage unbeatable.

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

In a much less winded version of this: just like in real life zone defense is designed to be weakest at the outside numbers and the shallow curl area. It's not a Madden problem, it is a football reality.

[xCoachDx]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

You are focusing solely on a certain circumstance pertaining to a flat zone player rather than the game as a whole. There is essentially no coverage inside of 7 yards, especially in the middle of the field. There is no logical explanation that can justify the defense literally not covering anyone lol. MLB's in hook zones shouldn't be dropping to 10 yards off the snap.

I saw a play yesterday where I was in Dime Cover 3, The offense had 3 WR's run slant routes, and every defender went backwards for 6 yards before moving up. That would never happen in real life. I'm not expecting it to be perfection, but at least somewhat believable.

[2_headedmonster]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

Man coverage in 16 looks MUCH better...

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

You are focusing solely on a certain circumstance pertaining to a flat zone player rather than the game as a whole. There is essentially no coverage inside of 7 yards, especially in the middle of the field. There is no logical explanation that can justify the defense literally not covering anyone lol. MLB's in hook zones shouldn't be dropping to 10 yards off the snap.

I saw a play yesterday where I was in Dime Cover 3, The offense had 3 WR's run slant routes, and every defender went backwards for 6 yards before moving up. That would never happen in real life. I'm not expecting it to be perfection, but at least somewhat believable.

I only brought that part about the curl-flat player because you seemed to be aggrivated by the zone defender not jaming a receiver and getting to his assigned zone. This is called spot droping, and its not used outside of highschool football anymore. Thats all i was trying to get across by me bringing that up.

As far as the example you gave about the Dime Cover 3, ten yards is the depth that a hook-curl zone SHOULD BE aiming for unless the number 3 or number 1 receiver steming inside attempts to cross their face. Whether or not they break on the ball fast enough, I can't say. I use FBG rerated rosters with an All-Madden sim slider set, so I could be seeing different things from you.

I really felt like Zone Defense this past year, especially Cover 3, made major improvements into demonstrating real world concepts. Idk... What route combinations have you seen that seem to break the Zone?

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

I also forgot to mention that the game doesn't yet have the appropriate adjustments to 3x1 sets, so if they send a flood(3 receivers into an area) or flow(4 receivers into an area) pattern distribution they get beat ussually. This is where zone falls short.

However, this year we can set up defensive audibles more easily by not having to scroll to the player we are audibling, so I can set up the appropriate adjustment this year. Man coverage to the Split-End side and manually control the strong hook zone to adjust to the number 3 receivers pattern.

[xCoachDx]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

I only brought that part about the curl-flat player because you seemed to be aggrivated by the zone defender not jaming a receiver and getting to his assigned zone. This is called spot droping, and its not used outside of highschool football anymore. Thats all i was trying to get across by me bringing that up.

As far as the example you gave about the Dime Cover 3, ten yards is the depth that a hook-curl zone SHOULD BE aiming for unless the number 3 or number 1 receiver steming inside attempts to cross their face. Whether or not they break on the ball fast enough, I can't say. I use FBG rerated rosters with an All-Madden sim slider set, so I could be seeing different things from you.

I really felt like Zone Defense this past year, especially Cover 3, made major improvements into demonstrating real world concepts. Idk... What route combinations have you seen that seem to break the Zone?

Lol pretty much anything. I see 75% and higher completion rates frequently. And judging from other threads many people are in agreement that Pass Coverage was very poor this year. Either from poor recognition or the fact that defenders do not accelerate as quickly as offensive players do. Either way, I highly doubt it's fixed in any way in 2016.

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

Lol pretty much anything. I see 75% and higher completion rates frequently. And judging from other threads many people are in agreement that Pass Coverage was very poor this year. Either from poor recognition or the fact that defenders do not accelerate as quickly as offensive players do. Either way, I highly doubt it's fixed in any way in 2016.

I will say that agree about the defensive player positioning and recovery both in man coverage and zone - it could be very bad at times. I would often watch my man coverage player turn his hips AWAY from his responsibilty (a huge no no at any level of football) and was unable to recover when his responsibilty took a deep inside route. I played around with defensive shading, not the audible but actual positioning of the defense, before the snap and it seemed to be strangely connected to that for some reason. Hopefully, that was adjusted this year.

[xCoachDx]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

I will say that agree about the defensive player positioning and recovery both in man coverage and zone - it could be very bad at times. I would often watch my man coverage player turn his hips AWAY from his responsibilty (a huge no no at any level of football) and was unable to recover when his responsibilty took a deep inside route. I played around with defensive shading, not the audible but actual positioning of the defense, before the snap and it seemed to be strangely connected to that for some reason. Hopefully, that was adjusted this year.

Often the AI moves the players back into the positiom they started in if you try to move them around pre-snap. Another mind blowing problem with the game. Have never understood why it is like that. Extremely stupid.

[Trick13]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

Often the AI moves the players back into the positiom they started in if you try to move them around pre-snap. Another mind blowing problem with the game. Have never understood why it is like that. Extremely stupid.

That is directly related to nano setups. Some of EA's curious decision making about pre-snap player movement are their response to nano blitz setups.

Same thing with defensive line positioning - what I find amusing is people in old Madden games would really widen out DEs or LBs for pass rush scenarios and then the NFL not so long ago came along with the "wide nine". Rather amusing to me when life imitates "art/entertainment"...

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

Also remember, as in real football, there is a weakness to every coverage and you have to try and pick the coverage that will cover where your opponent likes to go to the most...

Madden's Robo-QB essentially eliminates the effects of a heavy pass rush, which effects timing and accuracy of a QB in real football...

[xCoachDx]

Re: Pass Coverage in Madden 15/16

Also remember, as in real football, there is a weakness to every coverage and you have to try and pick the coverage that will cover where your opponent likes to go to the most...

Madden's Robo-QB essentially eliminates the effects of a heavy pass rush, which effects timing and accuracy of a QB in real football...

You guys need to stop using "There's always a weakness" in relation to this problem lol. The zone depths are improperly implemented. You can't argue that. Hook zones by ILB's should not be 15 yards downfield.