I'd suggest going to Playmaker's AP Reduced Pancake Sliders, and on page 32 you'll find sliders he has listed for three levels of gameplay. Just looking at them without trying them, I can tell you to reduce the Facemask slider to 5 or 6.
Test out Level 1, and play your preseason games with them. After the preseason, assess how they worked for you and tweak a little here or there. Then play the first season through without touching the sliders.
I sent my game to EA to be replaced because I kept getting the Franchise Crash Bug. When I get it back, I'll play my preseason with the Level 1 sliders, and then post what I tweaked for my first season.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but this seems like the best route to take right now.