Question About Sim Stats for the Devs!

[glitchditcher]

As we all know, last year the Madden team made a point to improve the realism of the simulated stats in Franchise Mode. Gone were the days of multiple 2,000 rushers and elite Quarterbacks throwing 30 TDs and only 3 INTs. It wasn't perfect, however. Elite Wide Receivers still had too many receptions and rarely did a player exceed 120 tackles, but it was still leaps and bounds above the stats of previous Madden games. This addition to the game was huge for me and I'm sure I am not alone in saying that. The unrealistc stats in past Maddens almost made me stop playing Franchise Mode. So I was extremely stoked to hear that the issue had been resolved.

My one concern is that, with all of the new additions to Madden 10, this one aspect could possibly be overlooked. Now I'm not saying I EXPECT it to be overlooked, I just want to make sure the developers are still keeping it in mind. I was hoping that maybe you guys could sim a season or two in Franchise Mode and let us fans take a look at the stats for each position. That way we could skim through them and see what looks good and what looks bad. Do the Quarterbacks complete too many passes ? Do the Running Backs not average enough YPC ? Do the Corners have too many tackles ? Things like that. I would hate to pick up my brand new copy of Madden '10 and sim my first season only to see LaDainian Tomlinson with a 6.2 YPC average on 400 carries or something crazy like that. It would ruin the game for me.

Some of the things I noticed that were jacked up with simulated stats in Madden 09 were FBs taking too many carries away from #2 HBs, Bigger and Slower HBs with far too low YPC averages, Elite WRs with too many receptions, no LBs ever having 130+ tackles, Power Lineman and 3-4 Ends having way too many sacks, 3-4 OLBs not having nearly enough sacks, Offensive Tackles giving up WAY too many sacks, Teams having ridiculous INT totals (no team ever had less than 20 INTs), and guys like Manning and Brady routinely having around 16 INTs to name a few.


Here are, in my opinion, some realistic guidelines for each position in regards to stats:

• Elite QBs should throw around 24-35 TDs a season with a rare 40-45 TD season every now and then. They should also very rarely throw for less than 7 INTs. This is of course assuming they have over 300 attempts.
• No QB should ever throw for more than 25 INTs. That is very rare these days. The last person to do so was Brett Favre in 2005 with an absurd 29 INTs.
• A completion % over 68 should also be very rare. As should one below 52%. The only guys who should throw for under 55 are washed up Vets, scrubs like Rex Grossman and Tarvaris Jackson, or rookie/inexperienced players.
• A YPC average over 8.5 should be very rare. So should one below 6. Again- assuming they have around/over 300 attempts.
• Running Backs with over 250 attempts should very rarely exceed 6 YPC. Elite backs should hardly ever have a YPC that is less than 3.9. There should almost never be a YPC under 3.0 no matter who the player or amount of carries.
• Every now and then an elite HB should rush for 20-25 TDs. That almost never happens in Madden. I've never seen it.
• WRs should very rarely catch more than 115 passes. The last person to do so was Torry Holt in 2003 with 117.
• No WR should ever average less than 10 YPC and rarely should one ever average more than 20.
• Elite Tight Ends should be able to rack up 70+ receptions. I hardly ever see that in Madden.
• Very rarely should an OT allow more than 15 sacks. Yes, even scrub Tackles. The elite OTs should almost never allow more than 6 sacks. Ryan Clady allowed .5 sacks last year.
• 3-4 Defensive Lineman (especially the NT) should never have more than 8 sacks and should routinely have around 3-5. One of the best NTs in the game, Vince Wilfork, has never had more than 2 sacks in a season.
• Elite 3-4 OLBS like DeMarcus Ware, Shawn Merriman, and Joey Porter should annually rack up 8-15 sacks. In Madden 09 they NEVER have more than 5. Ever. That is very unrealistic. 3 of the top 5 sack leaders last year were 34 OLBs.
• No player should ever have more than 10 INTs in a season. That hasn't happened since 1981......1981.
• CBs should rarely exceed 100 tackles. Heck, 90+ tackles should be pretty darn rare.

Well, that's it for now. Here's to hoping simulated stats will continue to be realistic and hopefully they'll be even better in Madden 10! I really think if the Devs could sim a season and show us fans so we could crituque the stats, it would really do leaps and bounds for authenticity.

[PantherBeast_OS]

There goes the days of 2000 yard rushers in last year game. Hmmm! Well in reality there has been 2000 yard rushers. And most good backs on avg per year get 1500-1800 yards a year. I see nothing wrong with past maddens for as statis are concerned. I hope madden 10 going to be as good as past madden.

[xblake16x]

im almost positive Marvin Harrison had 134 receptions in 04 or 05

deltha o'neal had 10 picks 3 or 4 years ago...

but yes i do understand where you are coming from. Stats in franchise need to be realistic to give the game replayability over and over!

[stux]

I agree unrealistic stats drive me nutz.

My first career of Head Coach 09 one running back had over 180 receptions for several season in a row. That just plan drove me nutz and really hurt the fun of the game.

[ghostlight85]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pantherbeast

There goes the days of 2000 yard rushers in last year game. Hmmm! Well in reality there has been 2000 yard rushers. And most good backs on avg per year get 1500-1800 yards a year. I see nothing wrong with past maddens for as statis are concerned. I hope madden 10 going to be as good as past madden.

There should only be a handful of backs with 1500+ yardage in any given season. This past season there were 3 over 1500 and Portis had 1487. The previous year, no one was close to 1500. The two years prior to that had 5-6 backs in the 1500+ range.

1800 is pretty impressive, and most good backs do NOT average 1500 plus. The elite backs, maybe. And even then, consistency in that regard is difficult for a running back. That's what made LT so special.

[glitchditcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by xblake16x

im almost positive Marvin Harrison had 134 receptions in 04 or 05 deltha o'neal had 10 picks 3 or 4 years ago... but yes i do understand where you are coming from. Stats in franchise need to be realistic to give the game replayability over and over!

Actually, he had 143 and it was in 2002. I don't see where you are coming from, though. I didn't say it should be impossible. I said WRs should rarely exceed 115 catches.. and it's true. It hasn't happened in over 6 years.

I'm also aware that Deltha had 10 picks in 2005. So did Ty Law. Champ Bailey and Asante had 10 the following year as well. Then Cromartie the next year. Again, I said no player should EXCEED 10 picks in one season. That never happens. Not in the last 27 years, anyway..

[PlatooN]

Great Post dude. i hate seeing bogus numbers at the end of the season. i play 8 min quater cause i find i get the most real stats in game, and it really means nothing at the end of the season when it comes to awards and what not cause most of the time i'm getting blown out of the water stats wise

[PGaither84]

I agree with a lot of the post and I would love to see a stats break down from Ian or whomever from EA. I do think though that your tackle numbers are a bit off. When patrick Willis and Ray lewis were getting over 130 tackles, they were concidered the best of the best and absolute beasts.

A feature back should have 20-25 carries and 25-30 touches [including receptions] in a game baring injury. As said above only the top players should have the stats you mentioned, not the average back per team. A season should have the 90-99 range players toping out there and everyone else droping below that. I do think the HB#2/FB ratio needs to be fixed, adn altered in the coaching stratagy. teams liek the Bucs with Mike Alstot gave him the ball a lot, teams like the wearly 2000 Colts only really gave the ball to Edgerin James, and teams like
98 Vikings had a running back duo. Rushing tandoms are becomeing more popular in the NFL becasue it wears down your feature back less and keeps them healthy longer and also mixes up your attack style. the draw back here is now teams are also learning that if they want to have tandoms like this they are going to have to pay through the nose to keep them.

For example, as good as Frank gore and LT and others are, they play best when mixed with other backs. When SD had LT, Sproles and Turner they had a crazy run game. When Atlanta had Vick, Dunn, and Ducket they had the top attack in the NFL. You honestly need to rest your back and change them up on 3rd down... but I digress.. with a good coaching system and an apporpriatly modified stats system, Franchise mode will be one step closer to "fixed."