The Worst Trade AI/Player Management in History: A Case Study
Allow me to preface this by stating that I really enjoy Madden 10, once I'm actually on the field. I've worked with sliders and I believe I'm actually zeroing in on an incredibly realistic experience in all facets of the game, be it passing..***nning...defense...etc.
However, I just experienced a scenario so shockingly bad, as I was going through it...one of the first things that popped into my head was "wow, I need to share this with someone...I can't believe it!"
Let me set the stage...
Franchise, Year 1, Eagles (w/Vick on roster)
I've been looking at trade possibilities for Michael Vick all season, can't manage a 1st or 2nd round pick out of anyone, or a player I feel would help me, so I still have him. I have no desire to play him, so much so that when McNabb went down for the season (!) I turned to Kevin Kolb, and later made a trade for Sage Rosenfels (Excellent accuracy for an easy-to-acquire player) who stepped into the starter spot with a 300yd, 4td performance in his first game (well more than I've had in any other game yet, no matter the QB).
I digress...
Week 3, the trade deadline is approaching, so I decide to check out which teams have injured starting QBs and poorly rated backups, figuring they would be more likely to be interested in acquiring Vick.
As soon as I open up the injury report, I find my target: The Pittsburgh Steelers.
B.ROETHLISBERGER QB BROKEN FIBULA (LEG) OUT FOR SEASON (went out in Week 3 to Bengals)
But wait...it gets better....
C.BATCH QB BROKEN JAW 4 WEEKS (also went out in Week 3 loss to Bengals)
A dream scenario, right? The Steelers lost both Ben and Batch in the same game, and are left with just Dennis Dixon under center. In case you aren't familiar with Dennis, he's a 2nd year QB with an OVR rating of 42. 37 AWR, 80THP, 59SAC, 47MAC, 36DAC.
I can't imagine a better potential trade partner for a 73ovr, starter-quality QB.
So I start in with the trade offer....1st rounder? no.....surely a 2nd...? no.... Out of curiosity...how about Vick for just a 3rd round pick? NO!? Really....?!
I go round and round for at least 30 minutes, trying to put together different trade offers to the Steelers, all the while they keep shooting me down like an offensive lineman at the buffet line.
Surely the Steelers have a master plan, where they feel they don't need to acquire another QB...RIGHT AWAY.....right?
Oh...they have a plan alright...
Enter Daniel Sepulveda. Punter....Daniel Sepulveda (4th on the QB dept charter, just above...Jeff Reed...and below Dixon). Apparently, that one pass he completed in 2007 really left an impression on the coaches. Not so much the roster creation folks though: 45THP, 30SAC, 30MAC, 25DAC. That won't stop the Steelers though! Read on...
Prior to their Week 4 matchup with the Chargers, the Steelers sign Gus Frerotte. Finally, some sanity at least...he was one of the best options in the free agent market, albeit a bit long in the tooth...and I would consider him a step below Vick when it comes to leading their team out of the tunnel.
On to Week 4....
CHARGERS 6 @ STEELERS 12
Score: 6 / 12
Total Offense: 182 / 321
Rushing Yards: 50 / 55
Passing Yards: 132 / 266 (!)
Gus must still have it after all! Well...not quite.
D.SEPULVEDA 79.3 RTG, 13-for-24, 185yds, 0td, 0int, 7 punts.
G.FREROTTE 95.4 RTG, 7-for-10, 84yds, 0td, 0int
Wow.
The Steelers skipped Dixon altogether....and somehow managed to share the workload between their PUNTER and the QB they just signed. They ran 35 times.
Week 5
18-9 win @ Lions
G.FREROTTE 48.6 RTG, 12-for-26, 150yds, 0td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 78.8 RTG, 3-for-5, 32yds, 0td, 0int, 5 punts.
They ran 26 times.
Week 6
28-14 win vs. Browns
G.FREROTTE 117.8 RTG, 25-for-36, 280yds, 4td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 8 Punts
The Steelers will get Batch back soon, which I can only assume will cause them to cut Ben Roethlisberger, move Charlie Batch to punting duty, and turn Willie Parker into the starting center.
I don't even know how to sum all this up. I suppose there are two prevailing thoughts in my head regarding all this:
1) Well, they DID win...I guess....so that has to count for something.
2) How in the world did they win? How did someone with those ratings...complete...well...ANY passes? What about Dixon? Why skip the 3rd slot on the chart to go with the 4th slot (that is, the first non-slot...since it's just a grayed-out name by time you go down that far...)
I just shake my head and move on.
However, I just experienced a scenario so shockingly bad, as I was going through it...one of the first things that popped into my head was "wow, I need to share this with someone...I can't believe it!"
Let me set the stage...
Franchise, Year 1, Eagles (w/Vick on roster)
I've been looking at trade possibilities for Michael Vick all season, can't manage a 1st or 2nd round pick out of anyone, or a player I feel would help me, so I still have him. I have no desire to play him, so much so that when McNabb went down for the season (!) I turned to Kevin Kolb, and later made a trade for Sage Rosenfels (Excellent accuracy for an easy-to-acquire player) who stepped into the starter spot with a 300yd, 4td performance in his first game (well more than I've had in any other game yet, no matter the QB).
I digress...
Week 3, the trade deadline is approaching, so I decide to check out which teams have injured starting QBs and poorly rated backups, figuring they would be more likely to be interested in acquiring Vick.
As soon as I open up the injury report, I find my target: The Pittsburgh Steelers.
B.ROETHLISBERGER QB BROKEN FIBULA (LEG) OUT FOR SEASON (went out in Week 3 to Bengals)
But wait...it gets better....
C.BATCH QB BROKEN JAW 4 WEEKS (also went out in Week 3 loss to Bengals)
A dream scenario, right? The Steelers lost both Ben and Batch in the same game, and are left with just Dennis Dixon under center. In case you aren't familiar with Dennis, he's a 2nd year QB with an OVR rating of 42. 37 AWR, 80THP, 59SAC, 47MAC, 36DAC.
I can't imagine a better potential trade partner for a 73ovr, starter-quality QB.
So I start in with the trade offer....1st rounder? no.....surely a 2nd...? no.... Out of curiosity...how about Vick for just a 3rd round pick? NO!? Really....?!
I go round and round for at least 30 minutes, trying to put together different trade offers to the Steelers, all the while they keep shooting me down like an offensive lineman at the buffet line.
Surely the Steelers have a master plan, where they feel they don't need to acquire another QB...RIGHT AWAY.....right?
Oh...they have a plan alright...
Enter Daniel Sepulveda. Punter....Daniel Sepulveda (4th on the QB dept charter, just above...Jeff Reed...and below Dixon). Apparently, that one pass he completed in 2007 really left an impression on the coaches. Not so much the roster creation folks though: 45THP, 30SAC, 30MAC, 25DAC. That won't stop the Steelers though! Read on...
Prior to their Week 4 matchup with the Chargers, the Steelers sign Gus Frerotte. Finally, some sanity at least...he was one of the best options in the free agent market, albeit a bit long in the tooth...and I would consider him a step below Vick when it comes to leading their team out of the tunnel.
On to Week 4....
CHARGERS 6 @ STEELERS 12
Score: 6 / 12
Total Offense: 182 / 321
Rushing Yards: 50 / 55
Passing Yards: 132 / 266 (!)
Gus must still have it after all! Well...not quite.
D.SEPULVEDA 79.3 RTG, 13-for-24, 185yds, 0td, 0int, 7 punts.
G.FREROTTE 95.4 RTG, 7-for-10, 84yds, 0td, 0int
Wow.
The Steelers skipped Dixon altogether....and somehow managed to share the workload between their PUNTER and the QB they just signed. They ran 35 times.
Week 5
18-9 win @ Lions
G.FREROTTE 48.6 RTG, 12-for-26, 150yds, 0td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 78.8 RTG, 3-for-5, 32yds, 0td, 0int, 5 punts.
They ran 26 times.
Week 6
28-14 win vs. Browns
G.FREROTTE 117.8 RTG, 25-for-36, 280yds, 4td, 1int
D.SEPULVEDA 8 Punts
The Steelers will get Batch back soon, which I can only assume will cause them to cut Ben Roethlisberger, move Charlie Batch to punting duty, and turn Willie Parker into the starting center.
I don't even know how to sum all this up. I suppose there are two prevailing thoughts in my head regarding all this:
1) Well, they DID win...I guess....so that has to count for something.
2) How in the world did they win? How did someone with those ratings...complete...well...ANY passes? What about Dixon? Why skip the 3rd slot on the chart to go with the 4th slot (that is, the first non-slot...since it's just a grayed-out name by time you go down that far...)
I just shake my head and move on.
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