Pass Defense Help!

[prototype561]

Playing on All-Madden default, I can't stop the pass to save my life. Playing with the Bucs, turned them into a 3-4 and I have tried almost every play in the playbook. In week 13 of CFM I have 3 QB's throw over 90% and 7 in the 80's. The sad thing about it is the 3 that threw in the 90's were backups.

I can normally get them to 3rd down, and sometimes 3rd and long but there is always one guy that is wide open or makes a spectacular catch to keep the drive going. Its frustrating.

If I man blitz, one of their guys beats the coverage. If I zone the QB drops the ball perfectly in the gaps, and the middle of the field both short and deep and in the seems are constantly open.

Is there anything I can do besides start the endless task of slider tinkering.
Thanks for your time.

-Frustrated Madden player since Madden 98

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

These threads pop up all the time and my reaction is always the same, "what are you doing?"

Do you call the same plays on 3rd down as you do on 1st down?
Do you protect the sticks and make other presnap adjustments?
Do you aim to take certain players away?
Who do you control?
What defense do you run?

[prototype561]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

I use many of the pre snap adjustments.

In longer yardage situation I tend to go with cover 3 or 4 and use protect the sticks. If I'm not getting any pressure I try to blitz to force the qb to get rid of the ball quickly and make the tackle.

I have never been to one call the same 5 plays. I mix up often within reason. I press sometimes, and sometimes I back off. I shade regions that being targeted.

[Senator Palmer]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Who do you control? That's a big one, because sometimes you have to finagle coverage weaknesses like protecting the seams in cover 3 or bracketing receivers in Cover 4 yourself.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

I use many of the pre snap adjustments.

In longer yardage situation I tend to go with cover 3 or 4 and use protect the sticks. If I'm not getting any pressure I try to blitz to force the qb to get rid of the ball quickly and make the tackle.

I have never been to one call the same 5 plays. I mix up often within reason. I press sometimes, and sometimes I back off. I shade regions that being targeted.

This will be a long post and I apologies for the scattered nature of it; I am typing things as they come to mind.
I generally avoid cover 3 on third down just because it has too many holes and the AI likes calling plays that are designed to beat it. That reminds me, make sure you have the option to show past plays on and pay attention to it.

On 3rd downs I tend to run either 2 man, cover 4, or a blitz.
Be careful with zone blitzes, as they have weaknesses and on 3rd down the QB will find them. If I blitz on 3rd down I usually blitz 6. No point doing otherwise imo. I like the following blitzes:
nickel double A gap mid blitz
Nickel over storm brave
Nickel overload blitz
Nickel wide 9 odd lb dogs

Those force the offense to keep a back and/or TE in to pass block. If they don't you will have a free rusher. In my experience 5 man rushes are useless vs the pass.

My go to blitz is LB dogs out of wide 9. I only use it on 3rd downs, and love using it vs teams that like splitting out the TE (can't pass block so you will get instant pressure). I typically do the following:
Man align check, make sure there are no problems (e.g. a safety running across the formation in order to pick up his man)
Look for pass, always do this on passing situations.
Play over the top, Its a zero blitz so this is needed
Check for trickery from the offensee.g. #1 WR in the slot. IF present consider checking into something else
Press Jimmy smith He has 95 press, why wouldn't I?
Shade where needed E.g. If it is 3x1 shade the isolated WR inside,
User one of the DEs Usually Dumervil, he will be 1v1 on the edge.

Be careful doing things like shifting linemen/linebackers when you blitz. The plays are designed to attack a certain gap, if you move them without reblitzing it creates problems (e.g. over storm brave, shifting LBs to the left leads to the Will LB running into your DE)

Make sure that whatever you do is done for a reason. Never "sometimes press, sometimes don't" just to change it up. You should only press if the advantage is there. In my Ravens CFM I press with Jimmy Smith 90% of the time. The hell with being predictable, I'm going to play to my strengths. Conversely I never press with Webb or Williams because they are not good at it.

So make sure you use the coach stick to check matchups. If the WR has the edge in route running be very careful. Check the pass blocking matchups as well. Attack where it is red. If you user the linemen this should determine who you control. To determine whether or not to press, use the coach stick. My general rule is if rls is -4, I'm pressing.

I don't know about your team, but sometimes you may just need to accept not having great personnel. I cannot stress using coach stick enough.

In my opinion there is no master strategy to be used all the time. Almost everything I do on defense is due to matchups and what is happening in that game.

Zero blitz = Control a edge rusher
Zone = Control a underneath defender and read your keys.
Consider changing any flat defender to a curl/flat zone.

Playing against teams like the Bengals and Lions is a pain in the *** because they love moving Johnson and Green around. It sucks to realize far too late that Megatron is matched up vs your SS with no help because you are blitzing.

It should not take long to learn where any problems are. If you are able to this is where you user a specific defender (TE or slot receiver killing you? user a zone defender lined up over him) Crossing routes got you down? Control the hook defender on the opposite side of the WR running the cross (don't try to chase them down, just sit at the end point and meet him there)

When you user a zone defender be disciplined! Don't turbo all around the field. Read your keys, get to your landmark, and keep everything in front of you. We all like user picks but that should not be your goal.

Most importantly, use coach stick! Get in the habit of checking this every play.

[prototype561]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Thanks for the detailed post. I will take your concepts and play around them. I just want to get the cpu completion % down.

[jhigginsluckow]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

I've found that calling an audible every time helps. Damn near every time you call Cover 3 on 3rd down against All-Madden, they will run 4 verticals. Your hook/yellow defenders never drop deep enough to cover the post (even tho their defenders do when you're on offense). So whoever your deep middle defender doesn't take is going to be open. And unlike the CPU defenders, who ALL react to a pass the moment you throw it, your defenders do not. Your outside deep zone defenders will continue to follow the two outside receivers. There is no stopping the CPU using 4 verticals if you run a Cover 3 against it, other than by sheer luck. Therefore, I always look at the formation the computer comes out in. The moment they have 3 receivers to one side, and only one on the other, I go Man Cover 2 or Zone Cover 4 immediately.

Other than that, I'd also avoid using run commit. I swear every time I use it, the CPU changes it's original playcall to a play action pass. Even if there's no real reason to. It's not that it only happens 1/3 times. Against All-Madden, I do think the CPU picks it's play based off knowledge of the play you picked. By using an audible, it at least makes them call a play only from the formation they start out in.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Nickel 2-4-5 Dbl A Gap, SS Mid Blitz 0...Just bring the strong safety to about 4 yards off the LOS on the strong side guard...

[Jarodd21]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Another thing is you can't stay in base D all game. I noticed that most people who have trouble stopping the pass stay in there base D for some reason. You can't expect LBs to hold up all game against TEs and WRs. Always match your D up with whatever the CPU comes out in. If they come out in 3WR sets you should be in nickel(2-4-5 in 3-4 defenses). When they come out in 4 or 5WR sets you should come out in dime, 1-4-6, Dollar, or quarter. You have to always match your Defense up with whatever they call. If you are good in coverage help out in the middle of the field. Take away the slants and post routes from the TEs and slot WRs with an LB or safety. That usually is the CPUs first look.

[jfsolo]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Another thing is you can't stay in base D all game. I noticed that most people who have trouble stopping the pass stay in there base D for some reason. You can't expect LBs to hold up all game against TEs and WRs. Always match your D up with whatever the CPU comes out in. If they come out in 3WR sets you should be in nickel(2-4-5 in 3-4 defenses). When they come out in 4 or 5WR sets you should come out in dime, 1-4-6, Dollar, or quarter. You have to always match your Defense up with whatever they call. If you are good in coverage help out in the middle of the field. Take away the slants and post routes from the TEs and slot WRs with an LB or safety. That usually is the CPUs first look.

This may seem like a crappy thing to say, but when I see clips of people staying in base all game, I know that they don't really care about defense, and are really just waiting to get the ball back.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Another thing is you can't stay in base D all game. I noticed that most people who have trouble stopping the pass stay in there base D for some reason. You can't expect LBs to hold up all game against TEs and WRs. Always match your D up with whatever the CPU comes out in. If they come out in 3WR sets you should be in nickel(2-4-5 in 3-4 defenses). When they come out in 4 or 5WR sets you should come out in dime, 1-4-6, Dollar, or quarter. You have to always match your Defense up with whatever they call. If you are good in coverage help out in the middle of the field. Take away the slants and post routes from the TEs and slot WRs with an LB or safety. That usually is the CPUs first look.

Matching personnel is generally sound advice, but not always. You should consider the situation (team's tendencies, down and distance, etc).

If you see that the offense is in a 12 personnel look (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) you may be at a disadvantage if one of those TEs are lined up in the slot. Jimmy Graham vs a linebacker is a win for the offense.

Conversely I may stay in my base 4-3 under if a team like the Vikings come out in 3 wide on a early down.

Also attention to detail helps (jarodd -- I'm trying to break my recent laziness :P). If you come out in Dime but your best cover LB is your will linebacker it helps to package him in the game.

In short you cannot call a play and then think all that is needed is to user 1 player and expect it to work.

[Jarodd21]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Matching personnel is generally sound advice, but not always. You should consider the situation (team's tendencies, down and distance, etc).

If you see that the offense is in a 12 personnel look (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) you may be at a disadvantage if one of those TEs are lined up in the slot. Jimmy Graham vs a linebacker is a win for the offense.

Conversely I may stay in my base 4-3 under if a team like the Vikings come out in 3 wide on a early down.

Also attention to detail helps (jarodd -- I'm trying to break my recent laziness :P). If you come out in Dime but your best cover LB is your will linebacker it helps to package him in the game.

In short you cannot call a play and then think all that is needed is to user 1 player and expect it to work.

Great advise. I just wanted to point out some basic advise for guys who like to stay in base D all game.

You also have to pay attention to teams like the Patriots. Generally against them I stay in nickel or dime all game because they basically pass most of the time and Gronk Destroys LBs and Safeties easily. I like having a CB cover him. In 3rd in long situations I always come out in a dime, dollar, or quarter formation against any team so I can have more DBs on the field just so I don't get caught up in a mismatch. You definitely have to pay attention to the personnel you are going up against.

[jfsolo]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

In previous Maddens LBs were always OP in coverage so one could get away with staying in base almost all the time, now they'll get cooked especially in Man if the QB has more than 3 seconds to pass.

[prototype561]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Yeah I never stay in base defense. Im always matching personnel unless I believe its a run, and then I only go one db less than there are wr's.

Quick question, whats lowest you seen the cpu completion %. The lowest I have held the cpu was low 60's.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Pass Defense Help!

Yeah I never stay in base defense. Im always matching personnel unless I believe its a run, and then I only go one db less than there are wr's.

Quick question, whats lowest you seen the cpu completion %. The lowest I have held the cpu was low 60's.

I've held some QBs to below 50%. Think the lowest was 44%. On average I get very realistic completion %, but ypa is always high.

Generally I can tell after the first 2 drives what kind of game it will be. Some games the QB(s) will be on fire, other games I can tell passing will be a struggle for one or both teams.

It seems like ratings matter more this year than in years past. In the 1st year of my Ravens CFM my pass defense was horrible (~18th ypg). Year 2 saw improvement(~10th ypg) and in year 3 I was best in the NFL using Charter's AM sliders. That is mostly because of my personnel I suspect. My current squad:
CB Jimmy Smith 95 MCV, 92 ZCV 95 prs, 93 ovr
CB Kendall Scott 91 MCV, 88 ZCV, 85 prs, 88 ovr
CB K'waun williams 88 MCV, ? ZCV, 84 ovr(ideal nickel corner imo)
FS Captain munnerlyn 88 ZCV, 77 MCV, 88 ovr(converted corner)
SS Will Hill 83 MCV (?), 88 ZCV, 89 ovr