Safeties brain dead in Cover 2?

[Prilosec]

Quote: Originally Posted by davep

Exactly. The WR's just blow by my CB's (mid 90's) and the CB's have to catch up. My safeties leave about a 10 yard cushion, easy completion.

I suggest making edits to all DB's and it improves their play.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

In addition, you're going to need to tell us more about how you're getting beat deep. If you're getting beat over the middle of the field playing Cover 2, that's by design, because the safeties split and many MLBs can't get vertical fast enough. Similarly, you can get beat on the edges in the area between the cornerbacks and the safeties by Smash passing concepts. Generally speaking, consider playing more Cover 3 - especially Cover 3 Match, where the Seam Flat defenders will run as if they were in man coverage with slot receivers and tight ends who release vertically - or Cover 4 if you're routinely getting beat deep.

That is not necessarily true.

Cover 2 is weak in the deep middle yes, but in real football you still have to scheme to attack it there. In this game I could put one guy on the post route with all other receivers running drags or something and the post will still split the safeties and be completed.

According to this game its like no coach ever had the idea of running a post route against the Buccaneers back in the day lol

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

That is not necessarily true. Cover 2 is weak in the deep middle yes, but in real football you still have to scheme to attack it there. In this game I could put one guy on the post route with all other receivers running drags or something and the post will still split the safeties and be completed. According to this game its like no coach ever had the idea of running a post route against the Buccaneers back in the day lol

Yeah, I've also noticed that the MLB in the Mid Read zone assignment (which is what the game assigns for the middle player in the game's Tampa 2 coverages) often struggles to get depth against the slot post even if there's no other route threatening on the play. If you want to have that LB to prioritize getting to depth you almost have to hot route him to a middle third deep zone right now (so your play basically becomes a Cover 3), but you basically immediately sacrifice the short to intermediate middle in doing so.

I've seen the best MLBs in the game - guys like Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechley - get to depth a couple times in the Mid Read assignment, but in the general case it's an issue getting deep consistently is how you want Tampa 2 to behave.

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by reyes the roof

For me I'm not getting beat over the top, it's the safeties playing too deep and leaving too much room in front of them uncovered. It will be 3rd and 15 and I call cover 2 man, adjust to play the sticks and my safeties are playing 10 yards behind the first down marker making for an easy 20 yard completion for a first down. I might as well rush six guys because the safeties give me no help

The Sticks adjustment only affects how underneath defenders play in zone coverage. Calling Sticks will make defenders in yellow / light blue / purple zones cut off their pass drops just beyond the line to gain, as so they can rally to the football against an underneath pass. It doesn't affect players in man coverage and also doesn't affect players in deep zone assignments. For example, if you're worried about Mesh on a given 3rd down, you might to call a Cover 2 play with the Sticks adjustment.

If you want the safeties to play closer to the sticks themselves, you'll likely need to use some defensive hot routes. You can get them into Vertical Hook and Seam Flat assignments from a two-high look if you use Show Blitz first, which will keep them shallower for sure and still be able to respect vertical threats from slot receivers and tight ends. By doing this, though, you give up any ability for the safeties to help against go routes by boundary receivers and your CBs end up on islands, so be careful.

[davep]

Quote: Originally Posted by Prilosec

I suggest making edits to all DB's and it improves their play.

I have 2 of the best CB's in the league, so I won't touch them but how should I edit my safeties to play appropriately? Increase their awareness?

[4thQtrStre5S]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

That is not necessarily true. Cover 2 is weak in the deep middle yes, but in real football you still have to scheme to attack it there. In this game I could put one guy on the post route with all other receivers running drags or something and the post will still split the safeties and be completed. According to this game its like no coach ever had the idea of running a post route against the Buccaneers back in the day lol

Essentially, from what I have seen, Madden plays more by the play types called than the actual ratings/skills of the player.

The ratings come into effect when there are direct challenges, jump balls, blocks, tackles, etc. But the play design itself versus the chosen defense and then the decision of where to throw the ball is really what makes everything happen.

I hope that deep blue zones are addressed in the future to make them more usable and modifiable like the other zones. Because as it is right now, there is no need for an Earl Thomas playing the middle 3rd in the Cover 3, for example, because the game won't play out the skill of the player properly because it is play design that dictates the majority of outcomes.

[SolidSquid]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

That is not necessarily true. Cover 2 is weak in the deep middle yes, but in real football you still have to scheme to attack it there. In this game I could put one guy on the post route with all other receivers running drags or something and the post will still split the safeties and be completed. According to this game its like no coach ever had the idea of running a post route against the Buccaneers back in the day lol

This is bc defenders have no clue about route combos/ threats. There are still defenders in zone coverage grass with no threats while 5 yards away there's a wide open guy. Zone Defense logic is too dumb

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by SolidSquid

This is bc defenders have no clue about route combos/ threats. There are still defenders in zone coverage grass with no threats while 5 yards away there's a wide open guy. Zone Defense logic is too dumb

I think this particular issue is more because deep zones are played the same as underneath zones.

What I mean is that a LB playing a hook zone is going to drop back, keep the play in front of him, watch the QB, then break on the spot when the QB starts to throw.

He is not going to aggressively chase every player that comes through his zone.

Safeties playing the deep half play their zone the same way.