Safeties brain dead in Cover 2?

[davep]

I play a lot of man to man and usually use Cover 2. I have decent safeties but they all seem to play waaaaay off the deepest receivers, like 10-15 yards and really don't help at all.

I play on All Madden (Simulation) with my own tweaked sliders. I even adjust them to play 'underneath' before the play starts but to no avail.

Has anyone else seen this? Any solution?

[The Chef]

I've seen the same thing and I've tried everything to no avail. The safeties drop and act like they are playing a prevent defense so instead of attacking players they sit back and wait, react late and then simply make the tackle instead of contesting the receiver. I'm on All-Pro so it isn't much better on that difficulty either which tells me it's not as much a difficulty level issue and more just a programing issue.

[skinnybonez]

It's useless to have players like Kam and Earl.. wished they would cover more ground and attack more like APF legend safetys

[BigSexy]

Pretty sure the safeties are just braindead period. Covers 3 and 4 are pretty much pointless; playing as a CB means you also have to play as FS/SS. Far too passive in their zones and most of the ones I've used don't have good Man skills either.


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[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by davep

I play a lot of man to man and usually use Cover 2. I have decent safeties but they all seem to play waaaaay off the deepest receivers, like 10-15 yards and really don't help at all. I play on All Madden (Simulation) with my own tweaked sliders. I even adjust them to play 'underneath' before the play starts but to no avail. Has anyone else seen this? Any solution?

This doesn't directly address your question, but as a general gameplay tip: the 'underneath' coverage adjustment doesn't affect players in deep zones. It only changes the assignments of players playing light blue or purple zone assignments. It has no effect on players in man coverage assignments, deep zone assignments (dark blue), or yellow zone assignments (vertical hook, 3-receiver hook, hook curl, etc.).

The descriptions of how the underneath and overtop coverage adjustments, as well as descriptions of the relevant zone types, from the Madden 17 zone coverage improvements blog:

Quote:

Cloud Flat – Flat zone assignment primarily used in Cover 2 type defenses by the outside cornerbacks. The Cloud Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside deep and short areas of Cover 2. His priority is to protect against deep outside routes first and rally to short outside routes second. The Curl Flat passing concept will be a great way to attack this defensive coverage. The curl receiver will drive the cloud flat deep, leaving the underneath flat receiver open.

Quote:

Hard Flat – Flat zone assignment primarily used in Cover 2 type defenses by the outside cornerbacks. The Hard Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside short areas of Cover 2. His priority is to protect against short outside routes first.

Quote:

Curl Flat – Zone assignment primarily used by the outside edge players in Cover 3 type defenses. The Curl Flat player is responsible for protecting the outside intermediate and short areas of Cover 3. His priority is to protect against the deeper outside routes first and rally to short outside routes second.

Quote:

Seam Flat - Zone assignment primarily used by the outside edge players in Cover 3 type defenses and 3 Deep 3 Under zone blitzes. The Seam Flat player based on the route concept by the offense can “match” certain out breaking routes by an inside receiver and can convert to man coverage against vertical routes by an inside receiver.

Quote:

The Coverage Adjustments “Underneath“ will change all flat assignments including Curl, Seam, and Quarter Flats to Hard Flat. A scenario where this may come into play for a user is in a short yardage situation where they may want to play a Cover 3 defense in order to get an extra defender near the line to play the run. They may also want added protection against short passes in the flat, so Coverage Audible Underneath could be used to put both Curl Flat players into Hard Flat. Coverage Adjustment “Overtop” will put Hard Flat and Soft Squat into a Cloud Flat assignment. Overtop will also change Seam and Quarter Flat assignments into Curl Flat assignments.

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.

[reyes the roof]

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.

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 Chef]

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

Ohh trust me when I say that is the best defense if you have the corners to run it and not get obliterated. Whenever I had the CPU in a 3rd and long I always sent the house if I didn't I was more prone to giving up a completion and a first down otherwise. The only time I didn't would be the random times I'd go dime against 3 wide to get an additional CB on the TE just to shake things up but usually I'd send 6 whenever the CPU was in 3rd and long.

[davep]

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

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.