Why Do O-lineman Suck So Bad?

[sologamer69]

O-lineman seem to pretty useless in this year's madden. I run the ball and the O-lineman will let D-lineman just pass right by him and go get the CB that is 10 yards out of the play, or I will break off a small run and all they have to do get the safety and it's a 30 yard gain but they'll spin around in circles and watch the safety rock me.

When it comes to pass blocking I have to get rid of the ball in 2-3 seconds or it's a done deal and I have to scramble for my life or get sacked. And I call o-line audibles and everything and it doesn't help. I play offline franchise mostly(all-madden) and online here and there though not much lately since I lag pretty bad. I have O-lineman all of them 85 plus with above average awareness yet they act like they don't know how to use their arms. My running back is constantly having to break 2-3 tackles for a simple 10 yard run.

EDIT: Almost forgot, I also hate how your running the ball and the AI decides that's enough and all of their D-lineman or whoever is getting blocked sheds off at the exact same times and stuff your face into the ground.

I guess what I'm asking is there anyway besides sliders to remedy this. I know everyone has experienced this one time at another. O-lineman literally just not doing anything and being more than dummy's on the field.

[MarshawnLynch]

totally agree this years Oline sucks a$$ i see what your saying i got another problem with the runs everytime i run a HB draw from shotgun or a simple toss the CB or SS FS always blitzes its very annoying.

and the other day i was playing my LT is the best i got on my team hes 88ovr and he garbage he never blocks the DE.

[sologamer69]

I can't stand throwing screens and watching the O-lineman go out to block then letting the safety or linebacker brush past them and bury my RB. They are in perfect position to block and spring my RB for a big gain but will literally do nothing/

[PantherBeast_OS]

Yep that is one of the reasons I stop playing Madden12 and went back to madden11. The olineman blocking in 12 sucks pretty much. Mainly because the AI front four is way to overpower for one main reason. That is why I hope the balance it out this year on both sides of the ball for madden13.

[TNT713]

@OP... You make a few points here. Some can be remedied with minor user adjustments. Others require a change in your overall habits.

Quote: Originally Posted by sologamer69

O-lineman seem to pretty useless in this year's madden. I run the ball and the O-lineman will let D-lineman just pass right by him and go get the CB that is 10 yards out of the play, or I will break off a small run and all they have to do get the safety and it's a 30 yard gain but they'll spin around in circles and watch the safety rock me.

Typically, this happens when you're running an ISO or HB Dive with no double-team up front and you're hitting the sprint button while you're in the backfield. Try to stay off the sprint button until you get to the line of scrimmage...

Even so, you will still see the O-line miss blocks. If it becomes too bad to handle, run from a formation with a fullback to give yourself one extra protector. Stay on his butt until he engages - then cut away from the defender's exposed shoulder.

Quote: Originally Posted by sologamer69

When it comes to pass blocking I have to get rid of the ball in 2-3 seconds or it's a done deal and I have to scramble for my life or get sacked. And I call o-line audibles and everything and it doesn't help. I play offline franchise mostly(all-madden) and online here and there though not much lately since I lag pretty bad. I have O-lineman all of them 85 plus with above average awareness yet they act like they don't know how to use their arms. My running back is constantly having to break 2-3 tackles for a simple 10 yard run.

Common misconception... 2-3 seconds is an eternity in a football game. If you're standing there that long, you're probably also staring down a specific receiver and missing open men that break open before that...

I recommend you reset your internal clock so you measure in steps - not seconds. If your QB has time to take a 3-step drop from under center, you can run a Hall-of-Fame worthy offense (See West Coast).

To reset your clock, go into practice mode with OFFENSE ONLY. Call a pass play with a receiver running a hook route. When you snap the ball, don't throw it. Just COUNT. Look at your QB's feet and count his steps - preferably out loud. Make it a point to know how deep you are on your 3rd, 5th, and 7th steps (5, 7, and 9 yards respectively). As you plant your back foot on your drop, you should have your receiver picked out and be ready to throw so that your next step is toward your intended receiver... Timing is EVERYTHING.

Once your timing is right, you can sync up your routes and you'll have a good idea of when to be ready to run, scramble, or eat the ball.

If you're having trouble running the ball, you may not be reading the defensive front. Don't be quick to slide protect. Instead, do a count and run toward the side with the fewest defenders. Be sure to test the secondary and audible from runs/passes as the front dictates.

Quote: Originally Posted by sologamer69

EDIT: Almost forgot, I also hate how your running the ball and the AI decides that's enough and all of their D-lineman or whoever is getting blocked sheds off at the exact same times and stuff your face into the ground.

This happens when you press SPRINT. When you sprint, the defenders sprint. Any defender that is engaged doesn't SPRINT, they PUSH to disengage. When you see the defensive linemen break blocks at the same time, it's 99.9% because you have pressed SPRINT while still in the backfield.

Don't sprint til you get to daylight - but be warned - this is one of the toughest habits to break.

Quote: Originally Posted by sologamer69

I guess what I'm asking is there anyway besides sliders to remedy this. I know everyone has experienced this one time at another. O-lineman literally just not doing anything and being more than dummy's on the field.

As you become more in-tune with Madden, you will begin to notice and anticipate which blockers are in jeopardy of missing their assignment before the snap.

Think of it this way - you're the offensive line coach - so you should know how your line will block a variety of fronts. Otherwise, you won't know if/when/how to adjust your blocking to account for what they might miss. Once you learn how they block (or don't) you'll know whether you need a FB, extra TE, or simply get into shotgun to buy the time you need.

Hope this helps,

Later

[gjneff]

It needs work, but with the right sliders I have actually seen some beautiful blocking. Had a game recently on custom all-madden sliders with 8 pancakes in the stats. More than that in the game. I have done a lot lately with managing a cpu only team and when you watch the game without playing you see things that you don't really notice when playing.

[PGaither84]

I forgot to turn auto-sprint off... you have to remember to turn auto-sprint off. TNT is right.

[sin18]

Im going to have to agree with TNT 100% here...

i will say that it looks like me and him both play with the panthers, who have a solid o-line, their line-up looks like(depending on how you start them) 91, 80, 92, 85, 85....soit is a pretty well rounded O-line

2-3 seconds in pass protection is an eternity! Unless a defender comes untouched or a DT wins on his first move, i rarely get sacked. You need to have mutliple reads on pass plays. The target reciever, the option(man/zone coverage), and the hot read against a heavy blitz. I personally think that Ends don't get enough pressure and if you have a weak d-line you better have a damn good blitz scheme

the pursuit and blocking angels are rough in madde, but that is to be expected in the most complicated sports game to program by far. You need to learn how to use your blockers to get them in between you and the defender.

screen plays are sooo strongly about timing, you may be getting the ball to the reciever/rb to late or to early. each and every screen(bubble, WR, slot, TE, HB, HB slip, FB)all have sliiiighlty different timing and catching the blockers running in stride is the most import thing, followed by hitting the screen man IN STRIDE. Screens need to be run over and over, possibly labbed, to develop quality execution against a good defence.

While it is difficult to get a consistant run game going in madden 2012, i think the o-line is pretty damn good all things considered