I ended up being a little disappointed in my playbook and I had forgot that none of the Draft Class QBs were programmed in to scramble.
I decided to reset the franchise and play it a little differently.
Instead of simming one season and waiting for a franchise QB to draft I created exact replicas of Zazzali (as a scrambler) and Sanrick Raines and added them to the awful Texans roster.
This does make the franchise a little easier as I likely will still be the worst team in the league and get to add a couple of studs to Zazz and Raines after year one.
In retrospect I made it nearly impossible to stay employed after two years and this will give me some time to develop. It is still an uphill battle as all the other teams and loaded and have perfect coaching staffs.
I've reset the franchise, but thought I would continue in the same thread. It is the same Texans "expansion" roster with Zazzali and Raines added in year one.
Offense
Zazz has a chance to be one of the best QBs in the game. I've made a right handed version that will scramble when there is pressure. This makes a big difference as about 3 plays per game turn from a sack or poor pass attempt into a positive yard scramble. I think right handed QBs have an advantage as most of the PA passes roll to the right side. The CPU doesn't flip the plays and it causes a throw against the body for most lefties. I expect a lot of rookie mistakes mixed with the occasional flash of brilliance.
At RB I will mix and match. Brown beat out Tate during the pre-season but both are similar runners. I signed Metcalf after the last pre-season game. He has top tier speed and will be used primarily on pitches. Brian Leonard will get some reps as a 3rd down back.
I was able to sign Amendola and Hartline in the pre-season and they should be reliable targets for Zazz. Both are limited by their athletic ability and ideally are slot only options. Royal is an ok 3rd WR but is a weapon as a run blocker. At TE Graham will have to do. He has good hands but can't create enough seperation and isnt the type of blocker i want as a #1 TE.
My line is pretty useless. Wade Smith is the only player I could see starting multiple years and he is at arguably the least important position on the line.
Outside of Zazz there are no true starters here. A couple of players could contribute on playoff caliber teams, but none you'd want to rely on. The biggest priority in the off-season will be upgrading the line.
Defense
My defense is in a little better shape than the offense, but not by much. My D-Line has some interesting players. Kindle and Mercilus will start in 4 man fronts at Ends and play some OLB in 3-4 looks. Bake and Klug will get reps as 3-4 ends and mixed in in dime and nickel packages. Williams, Pouha, and Smithers are all run stuffers. They will need to disrupt the backfield with my smallers LBs.
Wheeler and Durant were both cut by other teams and signed as starters. They are fast and decent in coverage. Joe Mays is a 2 down MLB with excellent tackling skills. Paris Lenon will get reps as the nickelbacker.
My secondary is a bit patch work. I traded a 5th and 6th for get Mathieu envisioning him as a ballhawk FS to team with Raines. When Patrick Chung was cut it allowed me to move Mathieu to CB. Chris Houston was added after the final pre-season game. The secondary will look different next year. Hopefully I can find 2 corners and move Mathieu back to FS. He and Raines should be an excellent pairing down the line.
Draft Path
I already have Zazz, English is too easy, and I just recently finished a Sweetney path so my choice was easy JONES!
Pre Season Prediction
We have the least amount of talent in the league by a wide margin. Every other coaching staff has perfect coaches so it is going to be a challenge. I fully expect to be the worst team in the league and would set the over under at 3.5 wins. The key to the season is progressing Zazzali and finding contributors for the future.
The Steelers are the favorite in the AFC North and lack any glaring weakness. They have great balance on offense. Big Ben is sum of his parts type of guy. He isn't elite in any single area, but his overall skill set is one of the best in the league. At RB Jerome Bettis is a wrecking ball. At 5'11" 250 pounds he will plow through linebackers and safeties. Bettis is perhaps the best goaline back in the game. Burress, Ward, and Brown are an excellent trio. Each has a unique skill set that compliment each other. Burress is a large target in the redone and on jump balls, Ward is a tough route runner with great hands, and Brown uses his excellent speed as a deep threat. All but one of the Steelers lineman is rated above 90. Faneca is an all pro at LG.
On Defense Pittsburgh runs the familiar 3-4. Keisel, Smith, and Hampton are tough against the run but need some assistance getting to the passer. Harrison and Woodley are excellent blitzers and edge rushers. Timmons and Farrios have good excellent recognition ability and tackling skills. The secondary has 2 all pros in Rod Woodson and Troy Polamalu. Both are among the games best and can create turnovers with hard hitting or great hands.
I'm not expecting much from this game. The Steelers offense really worries me and I can't imagine stopping them on a consistent basis. We'd have to get really lucky to win. A couple of turnovers and some redone luck and it could be close.
Pre-Game Prediction: Steelers 31 - Texans 10
Texans win toss.
Impressive first drive for the franchise. 6 runs for 58 yards and a play action pass to Amendola for a 21 yard TD.
Steelers go 3 and out, but Tate fumbles after gaining 6 on very next play. PIT recovers at HOU 26.
2 plays later Big Ben finds Burress for a 20 yard score.
Zazzali fumbles at PIT 41 and once again the Steelers recover.
Steelers turn another turnover into points. Bettis scores from 3 out, but Brown had a big 40 yard gain while Raines whiffed on a jump ball.
Another successful drive. Both facets of the game are working well. Zazz closes off the drive with a 2 yard run.
Mercilus is out for the game.
Chung picks off Big Ben on 3rd and 21 attempt in 2 minute drill.
Halftime tied at 14.
3rd and 3 from our 49, Mays breaks through the line on a blitz, handoff right to Bettis who shoulders through Mays and finds open space for a 49 yard score.
Another good drive, but we couldn't convert on 3rd down. Tucker makes a 36 yard FG.
Daniel Manning forces Antonio Brown to fumble, recovered by Raines at PIT 49.
Playaction, Steelers bite hard, Amendola is wide open. Zazzali finds him for a 46 yard score.
Bettis does it to us again, hit in the backfield he breaks a tackle and finds space scoring an 80 yard TD, the lead was short.
4th and inches from our own 40 to start the 4th quarter. Defining Moment pops up, Zazz converts,
We march down the field, undeterred by a couple of key drops, Zazzali sweeps right for his 2nd rushing TD.
Steelers drive to the 6, we hold them twice on TD attempts, but on the third Ward tosses aside the press coverage, slants in, and catches the go-ahead TD.
Very first play of the drive, Zazz to Garret Graham off of Play Action, Graham slipped behind the SS and ran untouched for an 80 yard score.
Roethlisberger finds Brown on a crossing route for a 19 yard gain on 3rd and 16, then completes consecutive passes for 51 yards. Steelers with ball at HOU 18 with 1:44 remaining. 2 Plays later he hits PLAX on a slant for a TD.
We complete a 13 yard pass for Eddie Royal, Rod Woodson is called for a facemask. We might have a shot at this.
Zazz was amazing in the two minute drill completing 5 passes for 74 yards and running for 9 yards. He runs it in from 5 out.
Chung got his 2nd INT during the closing seconds.
I definitely abused the QB run. Options, QB sweeps, QB Blast, but I smelled blood in the water and didn't want to blow the opportunity. Zazz was a beast, but I can't continue playing like this. I wasn't expecting to be in the game and didn't want my rookie QB to blow it tossing the ball around. Zazz ran 20+ times, usually I want to run 10-15 tops from the QB. It was nice to see our pitch and sweep game perform so well, but we struggled to the run inside. The pass game was efficient, but I doubt it can be relied on. Most of our big games came off of blown coverage which should last for long.
Our defense we gave up a lot of big plays and really struggled to stop the run. We had a lot of late pre-season additions so our play knowledge was low so I am hoping for gradual improvement. I am a little concerned the run game is going to be our undoing. Bettis was able to break free and he isn't exactly a speed demon.
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sep 7, 2008
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Houston Texans (0-0)
7
7
10
21
45
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)
7
7
14
14
42
Team Stats Comparison
HOU
PIT
Total Offense
547
519
Rushing Yards
281
205
Passing Yards
266
314
First Downs
23
18
Punt Return Yards
6
35
Kick Return Yards
0
25
Total Yards
553
579
Turnovers
2
3
3rd Down Converstion
8-13
5-9
4th Down Conversion
1-1
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
3/1
4/0
Penalties
1-5
2-30
Posession Time
37:25
22:35
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
HOU
PIT
11:02
(HOU) D. Amendola, 21 yard pass from M. Zazzali
7
0
7:07
(PIT) P. Burress, 20 yard pass from B. Roethlisberger
7
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
HOU
PIT
14:06
(PIT) J. Bettis, 3 yard run
7
14
7:47
(HOU) M. Zazzali, 2 yard run
14
14
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
HOU
PIT
11:08
(PIT) J. Bettis, 49 yard run
14
21
3:59
(HOU) J. Tucker, 36 yard field goal
17
21
1:21
(HOU) D. Amendola, 46 yard pass from M. Zazzali
24
21
1:08
(PIT) J. Bettis, 80 yard run
24
28
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
HOU
PIT
7:09
(HOU) M. Zazzali, 6 yard run
31
28
3:32
(PIT) H. Ward, 6 yard pass from B. Roethlisberger
31
35
3:21
(HOU) G. Graham, 80 yard pass from M. Zazzali
38
35
1:30
(PIT) P. Burress, 7 yard pass from B. Roethlisberger
The Ravens should contend in the AFC North. They have a solid offense and an imposing defense. Baltimore lost the first game of the year 27-10 struggling to push the ball downfield against the Bengals. At QB the Ravens have Joe Flacco. Flacco has elite size and arm but may not have the intangibles to win a SB in this roster set. Ray Rice is a short squatty back with excellent vision and elusiveness. He is the perfect workhorse for the Ravens offense. At WR Baltimore is a little slim. TJ Housmanzadeh has great hands, Torrey Smtih has blazing speed, but neither are top tier #1 WRs. Todd Heap is underrated at TE, he uses his size and hands effectively in traffic to be a reliable target. The Ravens are led on the OLINE by Jonathen Ogden a true franchise LT and future HOFer.
The Ravens run a 3-4 pressure system. Hgnata, Canty, and Washington and huge lineman excellent at stopping the run, but can struggle to pressure the QB without help. Ray Lewis is an all time great and one of the best leaders in the game. Suggs and Boulware can really disrupt the QB rushing from the edges. Chris McAlister is a strong corner with elite man coverage skills. Ed Reed is an all timer at FS. With the coverage skills of an all pro corner and tackling skills of a weakside linebacker.
I was surprised at our effort against Pittsburgh and the honestly think we are in for a rude awakening. Mike Zazzali is the reigning player of the week, but he won't be running the ball 20 times this week. I'd like to see our run defense improve but it will be a challenge facing Ray Rice. We have a shot in this game if we can limit Flacco with the deep ball and force a couple of mistakes.
RT Tyler Polumbus is out for 5-8 weeks. Backup RT Brennan Williams will take his place in the lineup.
Pre Game Prediction: Ravens 31 - Texans 17
Texans win the toss
We got 3 and out, Baltimore responds with a stalled drive.
A positive drive with a little bit of everything. Zazz hits 2 big PA passes, 3 RBs combined for 45+ on 5 carries and Zazz brought in home from 4 out, his first carry of the game.
Draw to Ray Rice on 3rd and 4, the Ravens HB slips a tackle and finds daylight gaining 59 yard on his way to the endzone.
Ladrius Webb makes a good move on a crossing pattern to Hartline and Zazz throws his first pick.
Ravens call the perfect play on 2nd and 10, a PA Deep Post splits our Cover 2 and Torrey Smith makes a leaping grab for a 25 yard TD.
We go 3 and out and the Ravens pounce on the opportunity. Flacco hits Housh for a 14 yard TD.
4th and 3 from BAL 40 and we go for it. QB Blast, Zazz gain 8.
3rd and 12 form BAL 13, Zazz completes to Amendola in the endzone on a flag route, but the WR can't keep both feet in. Justin Tucker is good form 30.
Mathieu strikes on a Flacco pass and returns it to the BAL 11.
We blow a chance to get back in the game. Their line plowed through our RG on 1st down Zazz didn't have time to make a hand off. 2nd down pressure forces a swing pass, Morgan Burnett jumps in front of Ben Tate and returns the pick 82 yards for the TD.
4th and 2 from BAL 9 and once again we attempt a QB blast. Zazzali finds running room and scores from 9 out,
Rice continues to torment us. He breaks the tackle of an unblocked blitzing MLB carrying him 2 yards, plows through our FS, and slips Sergio Kindle's tackle attempt scoring a 63 yard TD.
Rice scores once again from 1 yard out.
Zazz has tipped pass intercepted, not a good day passing.
It would be a great day for Ray Rice in Fantasy Football. He scores his 4th touchdown, this time from 30 yards out. Rice has gained 279 yards through the ground.
Metcalf finds room on a draw play scoring from 31 out.
Ravens sub in scrubs for final 5 minutes
Caleb Haine to Jacoby Jones as the Ravens run up the score.
Zazz throws yet another pick, Webb returns it all the way.
Weakside run defense was atrocious giving up 3 TDs of more than 30 yards. This game turned into a blowout, but we had a chance to make it a 4 point game with the ball in the red zone early in the 3rd. Burnett's pick 6 effectively ended the game.
Zazz struggled in non play action attempts, but his awareness must be increasing as he took off 3 times gaining +10 on each scramble.
Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
Sep 14, 2008
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
7
14
14
28
63
Houston Texans (1-0)
7
3
7
7
24
Team Stats Comparison
BAL
HOU
Total Offense
424
339
Rushing Yards
301
218
Passing Yards
123
121
First Downs
15
18
Punt Return Yards
61
0
Kick Return Yards
4
99
Total Yards
489
438
Turnovers
1
4
3rd Down Converstion
5-7
3-10
4th Down Conversion
0-0
2-2
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
3/0
2/1
Penalties
0-0
0-0
Posession Time
28:55
31:05
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
BAL
HOU
2:29
(HOU) M. Zazzali, 4 yard run
0
7
:30
(BAL) R. Rice, 59 yard run
7
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
BAL
HOU
12:18
(BAL) T. Smith, 25 yard pass from J. Flacco
14
7
6:11
(BAL) T. Houshmanzadeh, 14 yard pass from J. Flacco
You won't find my exact templates in there, I've edited a tiny bit of their code, but it is as simple as changing something that says: "Total Yards" to "QB"
04-08-2014, 07:58 PM
