Hasn't Special Teams Been Neglected Long Enough?

[StormJH1]

Very good topic. I think special teams is the sort of thing that you can't market as a way to sell copies, but if it's badly broken, it can very much screw up an otherwise good experience. This may explain the hands-off approach from year to year. (To be fair, I seem to recall some issues with punt returns being stupid easy, which they did fix. My returns are generally between 5-15 yds now, which is good).

I dedicated a whole thread to how bad the FG kicking game is. The CPU is way too accurate, and I think even the old meter system (like free throws in old basketball games) would be better than what we have. Both would suck with lag, though.

The punting A.I. is absurd. It seems like the ONLY time I ever take possession inside my own 10 yard line is if I intercept the ball down there. Any punt from inside the 50 will easily go in the endzone. Even worse, the ball is only capable of bouncing forward, and usually pretty straight, so you really can't kill the ball by kicking it in a high arc.

[prototype12]

What year was it..07 or 08? Where you could literally block 3 outta 5 FGs in a game..I would play with my friends and literally would each block 3 or 4 a game. So that year they obviously tried to make it easier but it was too easy. Then they just made it impossible again..no in between for them.

[wutangfourever]

Someone else pointed out I believe in the bug thread about punts always bouncing forward. This was never something I paid alot of attention too before reading that comment, I usually play offline against cpu and rarely punt myself. But the punts all bounce forward and fast, there are no dead duck punts or crazy high bounces or back spin on ball. Field position is huge especially in close games and it's damn impossible to pin them under the 10.

Id like to see a tiger woods like interface to control spin after punt.

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[SilverBulletOSU]

I block extra points in h2h fairly often. Just get one of your edge guys and "jump" the snap (not run them back and get a running start but actually just go for it from the 3-point stance). I get a few offsides but usually pull up when i do that and the other user has always declined the penalty. Sometimes your guy will get a super boost and fly through the air to block it. Twice, the other user picked up the block and was like a mack truck breaking tackles to get a two-point conversion. It is possible and in my opinion the best attempt yet in the franchise. Punting is all sorts of messed up though....as is squib kick and insanely easy user kick returns.

[friscob]

Great points in this thread so far. I like the idea of manipulating spin on punts so they can bounce other directions since ea ruined punting in this game. Would also like to get rid of or limit pancakes on kickoffs. I've returned so many KOs because both outside blockers pancaked their guys giving me a free path to the end one. Looks so cheezy

[fcboiler87]

What about scheme? There is as much scheme for special teams as there is for anything. As it stands, there is only one style of each special team. Spread punt, shield punt, different punt return styles, kickoff returns with numbering systems instead of wedges, rugby punt, and on and on.

It is very clear that special teams needs a complete overhaul and has for years.

[canesfins]

Quote: Originally Posted by prototype12

What year was it..07 or 08? Where you could literally block 3 outta 5 FGs in a game..I would play with my friends and literally would each block 3 or 4 a game. So that year they obviously tried to make it easier but it was too easy. Then they just made it impossible again..no in between for them.

I remember those days...Against another person PAT's weren't even guaranteed and were blocked haha

[Mick-S]

I noticed a lot of the posts in this thread are about human players blocking FGs and punts and returning kicks, which is fine the problem is the cpu can`t do any of these things, o.k they run a kick off back for a TD now and again, so to me that just makes it unfair.
I tried an experiment by giving the two CB wide men on the punt team 30 speed and acc and it made no difference whatsoever they ran as if there speed was still in the high 80s, also made the return guy 99 all ratings and 400lb weight and the weedy CB just knocked him over like a piece of foam.
there are some good things in this game, trouble is all the bad is beginning to overshadow the good, add penalty`s not working properly, very few fumbles, all the things that are either missing or not working properly are what make football.
of course we still buy the game every year hoping maybe this year it will all be there but it never is, sad when you think how long they have been making this game.