Ebongreen's advice & observations thread

[ebongreen]

Quote: Originally Posted by lucidhope

I'd like to know when it's a good idea to shift lines or tips to recognize blitzes and then the best ways to shift hot routes, or if they even work because i never bother to use them.

I rarely use hot routes; I almost always adjust my backs in pass-protection. Even against Tampa-2 teams that routinely rush only four, I usually pass-block with six: five OL and a back.

I've written at length about blitz pickup and defeating the blitz in this thread; I don't know what you're looking for that I haven't already addressed. Can you elaborate?

[Last_Light]

Ok, thank you.

What about the difference or more importance of awareness compared to play recognition. I just assume the two would go hand in hand. But which one does the game favor?

EDIT
I have a question about the draft board. Do all opposing teams see it? Cause when I altered my draft board adam schefter had me picking 4th, 5th round guys in round 2 and 1?

So what I am getting at is would it be bad to alter your draft board?

[Sanchez_Mareno]

Quote: Originally Posted by ebongreen

More is better? Can you be more specific?

Do you notice it making an impact if its higher?
I really think it does

[ebongreen]

Quote: Originally Posted by Last_Light

I have a question about the draft board. Do all opposing teams see it? Cause when I altered my draft board adam schefter had me picking 4th, 5th round guys in round 2 and 1? So what I am getting at is would it be bad to alter your draft board?

Historically I've left my draft board alone. I don't know if other teams can see your draft board - McShay/Schefter have ideas that they display through the mock draft, but I've also seen them be very wrong.

I know you can see other teams' draft boards (at least segments of them) through the Pick the Pick feature. I didn't discover this - credit to DKBOS.

Recently I've tried a little trick to get my GM to stop suggesting that I draft busts, which I ignore and then lose approval with him. In the middle of the draft just before my pick(s), I'll move the player I want to draft up near the top of my board to "prime" the GM to suggest him. I still have a record of his original position because I keep a draft board of my own in spreadsheets out-of-game to track the players I want.

[Last_Light]

That's a great idea to move them up the pick before my pick so the GM isn't a fool and suggest some bust.

What's your opinion of waiting till you get a coaching staff all with loyal kind of personalities before you buy the special skills like educator etc?
And is there any trick to keeping coordinators? Because my defense has been amazing since I signed Pepper Johnson and I fear his Titan personality will make him leave soon.

[Mike3207]

Quote: Originally Posted by Last_Light

That's a great idea to move them up the pick before my pick so the GM isn't a fool and suggest some bust. What's your opinion of waiting till you get a coaching staff all with loyal kind of personalities before you buy the special skills like educator etc? And is there any trick to keeping coordinators? Because my defense has been amazing since I signed Pepper Johnson and I fear his Titan personality will make him leave soon.

You definitely want the team-oriented personalities if you can get them-Traditionalist, Loyalist, Ally, Optimist etc.Avoid hiring personalities with the Ambitious trait-Headliner, Lone Wolf, and some others. Not sure but I think the Restless, Well Rounded , and similar traits might lead to coaches leaving. Age is also a factor, I see a lot of coaches retiring after age 70.Peeper won't leave because of his Titan personality, but because of the Ambitious trait the Titan personality has.

BTW, the coach traits listed in the strategy guide are different from what they are in the game.

[ebongreen]

I'm kind of fortunate in that the Packers staff is composed almost exclusively of team players - I think Winston Moss (LB coach) is the only exception. He's the only one I've ever had leave without being fired. Even some ambitious personalities tend to stick with you if you keep winning Super Bowls year after year - by the time they would resign and hit the coaching market, nearly all the openings are gone.

If you need to or can remodel your staff to include stay-homes before buying uprating skills, by all means do so.

[ebongreen]

Awareness matters in various ways, and differently for different positions. On offense I'm pretty sure it comes into play in: blitz pickup for blockers; pocket presence and sack avoidance for quarterbacks; option routes and on-the-fly route changes by receivers; and (one would hope) targeting by run blockers.

On defense awareness matters a lot in coverage and helps determine how quickly a defender converges on the target of a thrown pass in zone, or how wisely a defender turns to tip or intercept in man coverage. In running plays, I hope it helps defenders find where the running back is going after the first second or two of play setup and meet him in a hole. When a QB scrambles past scrimmage, it's up to awareness for defenders to change from pass coverage to quarterback-hunting.

Play recognition works with awareness for defenders, but I'm not sure exactly how. I know that the defensive AI remembers the plays you run for a period of time, and gets better at defending them if you run them often enough - even if the defensive play-call is the same. I don't know if that's a function of awareness or play recognition, but I do know it happens and it works. (That's one of the reasons that there are few "money plays" in HC09 - the D AI compensates within the limits of the playbook it uses.)

I would bet play recognition also plays in how accurately a defender diagnoses "deception plays" by the offense: counters, play-action, draws, and screens. Unless you're making good yardage with your halfback, it's difficult to fool the Brian Urlachers and Ray Lewises with play-action.