Throwing too many INTs

[macbranson]

I've just been throwing way too many picks this season. Last season, I threw for like 20 TDs and 20 INTs. Not good, but not bad for rookie QB Cam Newton. I figured that I would improve this season, but I've gotten much worse. I threw SEVEN picks in my first game. Now, in week 5, I think I've thrown my 15th interception. I'm on course to throw 48 INTs in one season !

I don't want to mess with the sliders, but it seems like my WRs just don't even try to catch the ball a lot. And on a lot of plays, Newton will severely overthrow the receiver and the defender will just be standing there and pick it off. I don't understand why my passes are so errant and why my receivers don't seem to know that the ball is in the air. It's almost like the defender is the receiver and he's looking to catch the ball while my receiver is just running around.

I don't wanna bench Newton because I played fine with him last season. I don't get it.

[lisinas]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

I've just been throwing way too many picks this season. Last season, I threw for like 20 TDs and 20 INTs. Not good, but not bad for rookie QB Cam Newton. I figured that I would improve this season, but I've gotten much worse. I threw SEVEN picks in my first game. Now, in week 5, I think I've thrown my 15th interception. I'm on course to throw 48 INTs in one season !

I don't want to mess with the sliders, but it seems like my WRs just don't even try to catch the ball a lot. And on a lot of plays, Newton will severely overthrow the receiver and the defender will just be standing there and pick it off. I don't understand why my passes are so errant and why my receivers don't seem to know that the ball is in the air. It's almost like the defender is the receiver and he's looking to catch the ball while my receiver is just running around.

I don't wanna bench Newton because I played fine with him last season. I don't get it.

Well if you are sure its not your mistake on those picks , try upping your QBA slider by 4~ points and up your wr catching by 2-4 .

[37]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

im gunna tell u what the coach tells their QB all the time....gotta know when to throw the ball away and live for the next down....You're trying to force balls into tight coverage and it makes it only worse that Cam's accuracy isn't up to par......You gotta scan the field quickly and make snap judgments on whose open or whose gunna get open....You gotta be able to read defenses before the ball is even snapped so u know where ur receivers gunna be...that imaginary clock has to go off in ur head once the ball is snapped....Stop trying to be a hero into thinking that ur gunna complete every ball to a receiver...defenders get paid too....if u don't anticipate somebody being open within a few secs, throw it away or take off and run.....just don't allow the defense to take advantage of lollipops that have no chance to be caught

[JMD]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

Well if you don't want to adjust your sliders then you're going to have to stick with "safe" passes only. Little dink and dunk passes may help you out. Personally I lowered the CPU's interceptions and instead of them picking every bad throw off they now drop a few. Made a big difference and also added realism.

[macbranson]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

Even short passes are getting picked. I thried to throw to my WR on a dig route and the ball just sailed over his head into the defender's hands. He didn't even try to catch it. How the hell does that happen on one of the safest routes available? It's to a point where I'm hesitant to dump it off to a RB in the flats for fear the person covering him will jump the route and return it for 6. It's just like passes that really look like they should be completions wind up going way off target or the receiver will do some nonsense like reach for the ball in the opposite direction where the ball clearly isn't going. And then there are the plays where if the receiver would make an effort to catch the ball, it wouldn't get picked. I don't know. Even when I have a fast guy one on one with a slower guy, I'll take a shot downfield and it will be overthrown and somehow the defender will be ahead of my receiver and get the INT. I'll stick with safe routes and go through my progressions, but if this keeps up, I'm going to have to mess with the sliders.

[Beeks]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

After my first season, Josh Freeman threw 20 TD's and 28 picks, and I had 2 CB's with 10 plus picks, I lowered both mine and the CPU sliders to 20, and 8 games into my next season, Freeman has 10 TD's, 6 picks, and my team has 10 total picks. I'm also seeing the swat animations a lot more, but it's not so bad that the CPU is dropping easy picks, which is what was happening when I lowered the sliders too much down to 10.

[Cnada]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

A real problem with madden, is the INSTANT Awareness of Defense players, now with the reworked Zone they can cover two players at once.

If Receiver #1 goes for a streak whilst the Slot goes underneath, the CB can easily cover both.

Madden needs to have more Awareness like Fifa style.

they will get there. Atm i dont feel its my fault for the majority of the picks (i did lower the sliders now to get good stats)

[TNT713]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

I've just been throwing way too many picks this season. Last season, I threw for like 20 TDs and 20 INTs. Not good, but not bad for rookie QB Cam Newton. I figured that I would improve this season, but I've gotten much worse. I threw SEVEN picks in my first game. Now, in week 5, I think I've thrown my 15th interception. I'm on course to throw 48 INTs in one season !

I don't want to mess with the sliders, but it seems like my WRs just don't even try to catch the ball a lot. And on a lot of plays, Newton will severely overthrow the receiver and the defender will just be standing there and pick it off. I don't understand why my passes are so errant and why my receivers don't seem to know that the ball is in the air. It's almost like the defender is the receiver and he's looking to catch the ball while my receiver is just running around.

I don't wanna bench Newton because I played fine with him last season. I don't get it.

Mac, Analyze your technique.

Are you throwing the ball on time?
Are you synced with your routes?
Are you watching your receiver or the defense?
Can you improve your passing angles by moving the pocket?

One of the best things I ever did was to take my own techniques apart... Then reassemble them one piece at a time.

Start with practice mode - NO DEFENSE.
Count your QB's steps out loud. Set your clock to be ready to throw on 3, 5, and 7.
Now throw some passes to receivers running the hot routes (slants, hooks, streaks, ins, outs, drags, & fades).
Try throwing each route on a 3, 5, or 7 step drop. Note the differences in when the receiver breaks and when the ball arrives.

Now... Imagine a defender and throw the ball in reference to your imaginary defender. This teaches you to throw away from coverage AND helps you learn to make all the throws.

It's defense time... Once you've worked to this point you should know where your receivers will be, and when. You can begin to stop looking at receivers and start looking at the defense to make a better read. The more reps, the better you will become.

When you put it all together, your completion percentage will go up and your INT will come down.

Hope this helps...

Later

[macbranson]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

The problem is that I've never played this poorly. I know how to pass, or at least I thought I did. I memorize my receiver's routes and I have three reads. Sometimes, I'll have like 2 or 1 read and then scramble. But for the most part, I'll have 3. Once the ball is snapped, I scan the defense from the top down to see it there are any safeties playing deep. No safeties usually indicates man defense and a blitz. Two safeties can be man or zone. I start scanning down to see what the LBs are doing. Are the just dropping back or are they following my backs out of the backfield? I may start scanning LBs first depending on what type of pass I'm looking to make. And if I plan on throwing a dig route, I'll scan the CBs first to see if they're playing up in a Cover 2 or if they're going to run with the WR. But, I really think my ability as a passer is decent. These picks are really just so baffling to me. If I were making a bunch of bad throws, I would understand that the bad plays fall on my decision making. But 80% of those INTs really don't seem like they should have happened.

[The Amaizen Blue]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

Post routes are completely useless in this game. Insta-pick with the DB catching the ball with his back turned to it.

[db56]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

Passing is just tougher this year, we asked for improved cpu zone coverage and in typical Tiburon fashion, we got it and then some, Lol.

The problem imo, in order to trully beat zone coverage the Qb has to have time to let the routes develop, the holes in the zone will be there but it takes time. Madden doesnt do a very good job representing this, the cpu allows for instant pressure up the middle, even without blitzing and we're forced to get rid of the ball early, the WR isnt quite open and you either get a int or terrible throw.

Go watch Madden Youtube videos, In every video I've seen, the user is taking 10, 15, and sometimes 20 step drops! I refuse to play this way because its not true to the game as they say but I understand why they do it, it allows time for the holes in the zone to open up. In true NFL time, WR's are very fast and get open very quickly, but In madden its not the case...

Imo, the timing is a bit off

[baller7345]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

Ok for the time being (especially if you don't want to mess with sliders) lets simplify your passing offense.

Make sure you have access to a smash concept, a strong flood concept (or curl flats if you prefer), and some sort of dump off play like spacing or z-spot in your audibles. Pick a play and analyze the defense. If it is cover 2 run the smash, cover 3 run the flood (or curl flats), anything else run the play you picked or the dump off play (you can add a slants play but that is about every formations quick audible so you may not want to bother with it).

With these plays even if you overthrow you guy you won't throw a pick unless you make the wrong read as they will be wide open vs the coverages they are designed to beat. Go to practice mode and watch what each of these does to the defense and you'll start seeing how the defense works this year.

It can be done, I've taken Matt Flynn and completed 80% of my throws in a game (on all madden) and while I avoided using the lead passing feature as his accuracy just wasn't up to it as long as you make the right read you can get guys wide open.

[meep316]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

The best advice I can give you is to not be afraid to throw the ball away when nobody is open.

[BFL3RD]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

The best advice I can give you is simply this..When you call your play identify which Receiver will be your number one read 2, 3,4 read and If one is covered quickly go to your 2nd etc. You have to do what is called face passing. It's just like in the NFL. If the WR has not passed the face of the defender covering him on drags slants or post routes you are going to have trouble completing the pass. You will have to wait until he does, for better success. However if you throw the ball just as he passes the face of the defender on these routes you will have success. Try it in practice the problem is if you throw it when he clear one zone by the time it gets to him he is in another zone. That is why you need to throw it when he crosses the face of the 1st defender.

On streak routes if you are one on one you have to be the 1st person to get to the front of the spot. So you may have to click on and go around somebody but 1st person to front usually wins.

Hope this helps...the high throws etc no advice for you there brother....

[sleepyeagle]

Re: Throwing too many INTs

If you're using Cam Newton, utilize his strengths and try to avoid his weaknesses. Cam isn't the type of QB to sit back and pick apart defenses. Even in year two, his medium accuracy isn't fantastic.

Take what the defense gives you, and don't try to make too much happen at once. Use run plays and quick passes to lure in the defense then take your shot deep once you get a comfortable second down. If you notice a receiver gets behind the defense, get him the ball!

Also, let your receivers do some of the work. Steve Smith is a great example of a receiver who can gain those valuable yards after the catch. Many times I've gotten him the ball on a quick slant, juke and dodge defenders and break free right up the middle.

I tend to play with traditional pocket passers, so Cam took some getting used to. Just don't forget the strengths of the other players on your team, don't try to win every game with just Cam, and you should be okay.