St. Francisco's All-Time QB Coach Mode Sliders

[budsticky]

I'm curious to know what kind of stats you are getting with these. I'm testing out Bill's coach sliders as well and have been trying to tone down the QB completion percentages. I have found it to be very touchy. The QBs can go from 75% completion rates to below 50 without moving the accuracy slider very much. I'm wondering what kind of rates you're getting with the slider at 10.

[St. Francisco]

Quote: Originally Posted by budsticky

I'm curious to know what kind of stats you are getting with these. I'm testing out Bill's coach sliders as well and have been trying to tone down the QB completion percentages. I have found it to be very touchy. The QBs can go from 75% completion rates to below 50 without moving the accuracy slider very much. I'm wondering what kind of rates you're getting with the slider at 10.

Yeah, it's one thing that I talked with bill about a lot through PMs. It was clear to me that a setting of 20 was WAAAYYY too much, to the point of being a game killer because the QBs were accurate on every single throw. I saw a little improvement by moving it down to 15.

At 10, I'm getting some mixed results. The QB completion % for my team is still high, while the CPU QB has tended to float around 50%. I have not extensively tested this all-time QB theory where I control the offense all of the time, so I can't say for sure how good or bad it is.

I did toss around the notion of crafting a QB accuracy slider that would be based around the QB awareness. So it could be moved up or down based on which team/QB you were facing. Never tested anything with it though.

[St. Francisco]

AFC profile done from a simmed season in Madden 2010:

BUFFALO BILLS

Pass Attempts: 529
Rush Attempts: 458
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 68% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 62
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


MIAMI DOLPHINS

Pass Attempts: 530
Rush Attempts: 444
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 60% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 61
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Pass Attempts: 636
Rush Attempts: 417
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 66
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 60/40 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


NEW YORK JETS

Pass Attempts: 499
Rush Attempts: 515
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 54% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 63
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 49/51 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


BALTIMORE RAVENS

Pass Attempts: 490
Rush Attempts: 542
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 65
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 47/53 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 40/60 pass/run %


CINCINNATI BENGALS

Pass Attempts: 552
Rush Attempts: 423
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 61
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 57/43 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


CLEVELAND BROWNS

Pass Attempts: 571
Rush Attempts: 448
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 59% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 56/44 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Pass Attempts: 526
Rush Attempts: 479
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 63
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 52/48 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


HOUSTON TEXANS

Pass Attempts: 564
Rush Attempts: 404
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 63% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 61
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Pass Attempts: 565
Rush Attempts: 423
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 61% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 62
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 57/43 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Pass Attempts: 542
Rush Attempts: 452
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 62
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


TENNESSEE TITANS

Pass Attempts: 501
Rush Attempts: 519
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 39% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 49/51 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Pass Attempts: 574
Rush Attempts: 464
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 55% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 65
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


DENVER BRONCOS

Pass Attempts: 546
Rush Attempts: 457
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 54% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 63
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


OAKLAND RAIDERS

Pass Attempts: 494
Rush Attempts: 431
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 58
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53% pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Pass Attempts: 602
Rush Attempts: 417
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 67% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %

[St. Francisco]

NFC profile done from a simmed season in Madden 2010:

NEW YORK GIANTS

Pass Attempts: 515
Rush Attempts: 512
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 49% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 50/50 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Pass Attempts: 616
Rush Attempts: 428
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 46% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 65
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


DALLAS COWBOYS

Pass Attempts: 632
Rush Attempts: 448
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 68
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Pass Attempts: 485
Rush Attempts: 431
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 56% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 57
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53/47 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Pass Attempts: 525
Rush Attempts: 495
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 61% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 51/49 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


CHICAGO BEARS

Pass Attempts: 545
Rush Attempts: 474
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 58% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53/47 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


GREEN BAY PACKERS

Pass Attempts: 628
Rush Attempts: 456
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 62% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 68
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


DETROIT LIONS

Pass Attempts: 501
Rush Attempts: 458
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 51% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 60
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 52/48 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


CAROLINA PANTHERS

Pass Attempts: 485
Rush Attempts: 527
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 52% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 63
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 48/52 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


ATLANTA FALCONS

Pass Attempts: 448
Rush Attempts: 537
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 63% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 62
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 45/55 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 40/60 pass/run %


TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Pass Attempts: 497
Rush Attempts: 479
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 42% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 61
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 51/49 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Pass Attempts: 642
Rush Attempts: 380
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 63/37 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


ARIZONA CARDINALS

Pass Attempts: 572
Rush Attempts: 422
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 62
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Pass Attempts: 472
Rush Attempts: 530
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 49% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 63
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 47/53 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Pass Attempts: 536
Rush Attempts: 442
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 61
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


ST. LOUIS RAMS

Pass Attempts: 580
Rush Attempts: 451
Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 60% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Avg. Plays Per Game: 64
Pass-to-Run Ratio: 56/44 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %

[St. Francisco]

Whew...ok, all done with the team profiles. Now it's time to sit back and do a little analysis. Before we get into trying to tune each Madden team to reflect their real life counterparts, let's look over the simmed results.

I really liked what I saw here, and I have to commend the Madden team on the job they did balancing everything. Pass/run coaching philosophies seemed to directly correlate with the pass/run ratios on the field. In the sliders that were favored for more of a split backfield, I definitely saw a lower number of carries for the starter. Also, the average number of plays was dead on...couldn't have done it any better myself. This means that with just a little testing, we can determine where the philosophies need to be in order to properly balance each team. And the greatest thing about this is that as your franchise progresses through the years, you can modify team's philosophies to fit around their new players.

For now, let's focus on the pass/run philosophies...and more specifically, how the teams performed on the field as opposed to their philosophy settings. We'll begin with all teams who had a 50/50 pass/run setting, as this represents the largest group of teams (18 teams to be exact):

BUFFALO BILLS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


MIAMI DOLPHINS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


NEW YORK JETS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 49/51 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 52/48 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


TENNESSEE TITANS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 49/51 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


DENVER BRONCOS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 54/46 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


OAKLAND RAIDERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53/47 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 50/50 pass/run %


NEW YORK GIANTS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 50/50 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53/47 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 51/49 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


CHICAGO BEARS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 53/47 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


DETROIT LIONS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 52/48 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


CAROLINA PANTHERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 48/52 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 51/49 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 47/53 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


ST. LOUIS RAMS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 56/44 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 50/50 pass/run %


Give those boys over at EA Sports a round of applause! 17 of the 18 teams fell within 5% of the 50/50 pass/run philosophy...very impressive. Also notice that the majority of the teams slightly favored the pass over the run. So, if you'd like a balanced attack that slightly favors the passing game, go with 50/50. If you'd like a balanced attack that slightly favors the running game, perhaps a 40/60 setting will do well? Who knows, we'll have to test that.

Ok, next group of teams are those who had a 60/40 pass/run philosophy (a total of 12 teams). Let's see what we came up with:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 60/40 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


CINCINNATI BENGALS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 57/43 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


CLEVELAND BROWNS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 56/44 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


HOUSTON TEXANS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 57/43 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 55/45 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 60/40 pass/run %


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


DALLAS COWBOYS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 59/41 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


GREEN BAY PACKERS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 63/37 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %


ARIZONA CARDINALS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 58/42 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 60/40 pass/run %

Once again, a round of applause. 11 of the 12 teams fell within 5% of the 60/40 philosophy! Also, 11 of the 12 teams had a slightly reduced passing game than the philosophy indicated. So, test #2...if you want a team with a 60/40 style that slightly favors the running game, go with 60/40. Can we achieve a 60/40 style that slightly favors the passing game with a 70/30 philosophy setting?

Final two teams were tuned for 40/60:

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 47/53 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Madden: 40/60 pass/run %


ATLANTA FALCONS

Pass-to-Run Ratio: 45/55 pass/run %
Pass-to-Run Ratio in Coaching Philosophy: 40/60 pass/run %

We see the same thing here...good numbers that slightly favor the running game. So, test #3 will be similar to test #2, just in the opposite direction.


CONCLUSION

The philosophy settings as far as pass/run ratios are concerned are very well balanced, moreso than I've ever seen from a Madden game right out of the box. Color me impressed.


FINDINGS

50/50 pass/run % = A balanced attack that slightly favors the passing game.

60/40 pass/run % = A pass-heavy offensive attack that slightly favors the running game.

40/60 pass/run % = A run-heavy offensive attack that slightly favors the passing game. Only two teams used this setting, so it has not been extensively tested.


TESTS

1. By bringing the coaching philosophy to 40/60 pass/run, can we achieve a balanced offensive attack that slightly favors the running game?

2. By bringing the coaching philosophy to 70/30 pass/run, can we achieve a pass-heavy offensive attack where we will consistently see the passing percentages slightly over 60%?

3. By bringing the coaching philosophy to 30/70 pass/run, can we achieve a run-heavy offensive attack where we will consistently see the running percentages slightly over 60%?

[St. Francisco]

Now let's turn our attention to the runningbacks. So, I'm basing all profiles and tests off the percentage of carries the starting runningback sees in a game. There are five groups of teams that we need to analyze: 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50. We'll start from the top with 90/10 (four teams):

BUFFALO BILLS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 68% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2


CHICAGO BEARS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 58% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2


GREEN BAY PACKERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 62% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2


ATLANTA FALCONS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 63% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 90/10 RB1/RB2

If we combine the four teams, then the starter averages 63% of the total carries. Looking over the real NFL stats, there are a handful of teams who average around 70% for their starters. These teams represent a dying breed in the NFL who have just one premiere runningback, and only spell him when he gets fatigued. Still, in order to achieve that high of a percentage, the RB sliders might have to be moved up to 100/0. We'll see in later tests how that will work out.

Now for the 80/20 group (nine teams):

NEW YORK JETS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 54% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


CLEVELAND BROWNS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 59% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 55% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 67% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 56% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 61% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 49% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2


ST. LOUIS RAMS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 60% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 80/20 RB1/RB2

This comes out to an average of 57% of the snaps going to the starter, which is 5% less than the 90/10 setting. Also, I'm sure some will notice a team like the 49ers who are not within the normal fluctuating areas. This could have something to do with in-game injuries, as I did not keep track of those. So, don't read too much into those.

The 70/30 group (five teams):

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 60% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2


PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2


HOUSTON TEXANS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 63% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 61% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2


DETROIT LIONS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 51% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 70/30 RB1/RB2

An average of 56% of the snaps went to the starter...just slightly lower than the 80/20 setting.

The 60/40 group (five teams):

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2


OAKLAND RAIDERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2


NEW YORK GIANTS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 49% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 46% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2


CAROLINA PANTHERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 52% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 60/40 RB1/RB2

50% of the snaps went to the starter...that's 6% less than the 70/30 setting. So it may be that 70/30 and 80/20 yield nearly identical results in the sim engine.

And finally, the 50/50 setting (nine teams):

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


BALTIMORE RAVENS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


TENNESSEE TITANS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 39% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


DENVER BRONCOS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 54% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


DALLAS COWBOYS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 47% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 42% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


ARIZONA CARDINALS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 53% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Starter-to-Backups Ratio: 50% of carries to starter
RB1-RB2 ratio in Madden: 50/50 RB1/RB2

48% of the snaps went to the starter...that's just 2% lower than the 60/40 setting.


CONCLUSION

Adjusting the RB slider does indeed increase the amount of snaps your backup runningback will see. This is good news, it means they can be tweaked to yield nearly perfect sim results.


FINDINGS

80/20 and 70/30 yielded similar results.

60/40 and 50/50 yielded similar results.

We saw a 5% drop in the number of carries the starter took when we went from 90/10 to 80/20, and again from 70/30 to 60/40. In the NFL, there are a variety of factor that impact how many snaps a runningback takes. Perhaps the sim engine isn't set up to give you a noticeably lower number of snaps every time you take 10% off. For now, we will assume the following: 90/10 and 80/20 are the same, and 70/30 and 60/40 are the same. If we continue this logic, we should see a 5% drop from the 60/40 numbers once we move the sliders down to 40/60.


TESTS

1. Real life team profiles revealed a handful of teams give the starter the ball around 70% of the time. By adjusting the RB sliders to 100/0, can we get closer to this number?

2. Real life team profiles revealed that teams who use a dual RB system give the ball to their starter an average of 40% of the time. In our intitial Madden tests, we never saw that low of a number. How will adjusting the sliders to 40/60, 30/70, and 20/80 effect the number of carries the starter sees?

3. Do 80/20-70/30, and 60/40-50/50 sliders provide consistently similar results on average? Bigger test groups are needed for these areas.

[St. Francisco]

Ok, I'm ready to begin the first stage of tests.

So, as far a pass/run goes, here's what we're looking for:

30/70 pass/run - A run-heavy offensive attack where we will consistently see the running plays average between 55-60%.

40/60 pass/run - A balanced offensive attack where we will consistently see the running plays average between 50-55%.

50/50 pass/run - A balanced offensive attack where we will consistently see the passing plays average between 50-55%.

60/40 pass/run - A pass-heavy offensive attack where we will consistently see the passing plays average between 55-60%.

70/30 pass/run - A pass-heavy offensive attack where we will consistently see the passing plays average between 60-65%.

So, here will be the new coaching philosophies for each NFL team based on the profiles developed from 2008 regular season stats:

Buffalo Bills: 50/50 pass/run
Miami Dolphins: 50/50 pass/run
New England Patriots: 50/50 pass/run
New York Jets: 60/40 pass/run

Baltimore Ravens: 30/70 pass/run
Cincinnati Bengals: 50/50 pass/run
Cleveland Browns: 50/50 pass/run
Pittsburgh Steelers: 50/50 pass/run

Houston Texans: 60/40 pass/run
Indianapolis Colts: 70/30 pass/run
Jacksonville Jaguars: 60/40 pass/run
Tennessee Titans: 40/60 pass/run

San Diego Chargers: 50/50 pass/run
Denver Broncos: 70/30 pass/run
Oakland Raiders: 40/60 pass/run
Kansas City Chiefs: 60/40 pass/run

New York Giants: 40/60 pass/run
Philadelphia Eagles: 60/40 pass/run
Dallas Cowboys: 60/40 pass/run
Washington Redskins: 50/50 pass/run

Minnesota Vikings: 40/60 pass/run
Chicago Bears: 50/50 pass/run
Green Bay Packers: 50/50 pass/run
Detroit Lions: 60/40 pass/run

Carolina Panthers: 40/60 pass/run
Atlanta Falcons: 30/70 pass/run
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 50/50 pass/run
New Orleans Saints: 70/30 pass/run

Arizona Cardinals: 70/30 pass/run
San Francisco 49ers: 60/40 pass/run
Seattle Seahawks: 50/50 pass/run
St. Louis Rams: 60/40 pass/run

I understand that some teams need to change their 2008 ratios for 2009 (Example: Broncos threw the ball 62% of the time last year, and will likely run more this season). However, for the purposes of this test, we're simply trying to get the Madden percentages to line up with the percentages we saw in the NFL last season. Also, we're trying to get the percentages to line up with what we've already learned from our initial test of the coaching philosophies. So, that 5% range I listed earlier is a big part...we want to see almost all of the teams fall within that range.

Ok, now let's take a look at what we're looking for in the RB sliders. Due to the variety of numbers we saw, these will be a little more forgiving, so we'll use a 10% range:

100/0 RB1/RB2 - 65-75% of carries go to starter.

90/10 RB1/RB2 - 60-70% of carries go to starter.

80/20 RB1/RB2 - 55-65% of carries go to starter.

70/30 RB1/RB2 - 50-60% of carries go to starter.

60/40 RB1/RB2 - 45-55% of carries go to starter.

50/50 RB1/RB2 - 40-50% of carries go to starter.

40/60 RB1/RB2 - 35-45% of carries to starter.

30/70 RB1/RB2 - 30-40% of carries to starter.

20/80 RB1/RB2 - 25-35% of carries to starter.

10/90 RB1/RB2 - 20-30% of carries to starter.

So, here will be the new RB sliders for each NFL team based on the profiles developed from 2008 regular season stats:

Buffalo Bills: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Miami Dolphins: 50/50 RB1/RB2
New England Patriots: 20/80 RB1/RB2
New York Jets: 100/0 RB1/RB2

Baltimore Ravens: 40/60 RB1/RB2
Cincinnati Bengals: 60/40 RB1/RB2
Cleveland Browns: 100/0 RB1/RB2
Pittsburgh Steelers: 60/40 RB1/RB2

Houston Texans: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Indianapolis Colts: 40/60 RB1/RB2
Jacksonville Jaguars: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Tennessee Titans: 60/40 RB1/RB2

San Diego Chargers: 100/0 RB1/RB2
Denver Broncos: 0/100 RB1/RB2
Oakland Raiders: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Kansas City Chiefs: 60/40 RB1/RB2

New York Giants: 50/50 RB1/RB2
Philadelphia Eagles: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Dallas Cowboys: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Washington Redskins: 100/0 RB1/RB2

Minnesota Vikings: 100/0 RB1/RB2
Chicago Bears: 100/0 RB1/RB2
Green Bay Packers: 100/0 RB1/RB2
Detroit Lions: 100/0 RB1/RB2

Carolina Panthers: 70/30 RB1/RB2
Atlanta Falcons: 90/10 RB1/RB2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 40/60 RB1/RB2
New Orleans Saints: 20/80 RB1/RB2

Arizona Cardinals: 40/60 RB1/RB2
San Francisco 49ers: 80/20 RB1/RB2
Seattle Seahawks: 40/60 RB1/RB2
St. Louis Rams: 80/20 RB1/RB2

Once again, we're not trying to guess how much we think the starting RBs should run, we're simply trying to get our numbers to fall within these ranges, and match up with the 2008 team profiles.

I'll begin testing these out right now, and I hope to have the results posted sometime tonight. In the meantime, if anybody wants to join in on the fun and exciting world of testing these sliders, there are still many other areas where testing is needed. Reply in this thread or hit me up via PMs.

[DerkontheOS]

good work.