Passing Game
 

This thread is my attempt to find out if anyone else out there has had as frustrating an experience with the passing game as I have. I'm NOT ripping the game or EA or just bitching and complaining. I'll list what I've seen that's made me go :y11: and/or :brickwall and I'd like others to comment on their own experiences. For me, the passing game is by far the weakest aspect of the game, and FOR ME, at this point, is really a potential dealbreaker.

For those who flame: I am a vet of Madden/NCAA from their inceptions, a solid AA/Heisaman caliber player, and always play cheese-free (i.e., I don't throw deep every third play on offense and blitz every down on defense).

First...No matter how much I tweak the sliders, my QB's (Wright, Quinn) throws are hardly EVER on the money. I love to integrate FB's and TE's into the passing game, and my favorite rout is the TE corner route (straight out 10 yards, 45-degree angle to the sideline). When my TE has position, I make sure my QB is standing still and try to lead the receiver so the ball is placed over his shoulder sideline-side. More often than not, the QB throws the ball low and to the INSIDE of the TE's body, leading to cheap INT's or INC's. Even with the crappy throw, the TE never comes back to the ball but goes into the fading-backwards-belly-catch animation, even when I take control manually. My point here: the default trajectory of QB throws is unrealistic and there seems to be minimal IF ANY preceision passing in the game.

Second...The receivers' rout running is laughable. There's no burst in and out of cuts or off the line, and receivers never avoid the inevitable bump by defenders manning their zones (which results in a receiver Mario running in place). The default speed of rout running is also incredibly slow. When you add this to the hyped-up pass rush this year, the result is that you can almost NEVER wait for routes to develop as they should (for WR's to clear zones, etc.). Moreover, I can't begin to say how many times my receiver has gone into some inexplicalbe 180-degree pirouet catch animation, or into the dreaded "fade backwards and catch it in the gut" animation. The latter always lets defenders cut in front for the deflection/pick. My point here: WR route running is unintelligent and downright unpredictable and, ultimately, unreliable.

Third...There are indeed STILL too many drops in the game. Not as bad as last year, but still too many. Whether I let the CPU control or man it myself, still too many. That's my point here.

Fourth...CPU zones seem to me to be ridiculously impenetrable. I've been able to hit a receiver in between the LB/DB zones only a couple times, and honestly, I ALWAYS try to precision pass the same way. In addition, it seems that the CPU is almost ALWAYS in a zone when I'm passing, and almost always in man when I'm running. Hmmmm....My point here: CPU pass defense seems cheap, unfair...pick your word.

Fifth...Play action passes aren't respected by the CPU defense, even if I've just run 8 straight times for 60 yards. And the play fake animation is possibly the slowest thing in the entire game. By the time you're "unstuck" from the fake animation, there are 2 or 3 defenders on top of you. My point here: play action passes don't work, the animations are painfully slow, and are almost always sacks or hurries.

Lastly...Human pass blocking/CPU pass rush is out of whack. I have seen "slide protection" but it's ineffective. Add to that the fact that backs who stay in to block are nothing more than scarecrows, and backs who are assigned to "delayed routes" (block, then leak out) just stand still and don't actually block, and you have--or at least I do--an overmatched O line more often than not. My point here: O line doesn't block intelligently and allows too many uninhibited blitzers to go free.

A final note. What makes the passing game even more frustrating for me is that the running game is so ridiculously easy. Even with the insane amount of Mario running, I could easily rush for 400 yards with a good team on Heisman. This crazy imbalance makes me want to NOT play because I seek to play a balanced game, and I haven't been able to do that.

I seem to be the only person on this site who is TRULY baffled by what I see as a horrible passing game. I've tried everything from switching controllers to tweaking difficulty levels and sliders to considering that I got a "bugged" copy of the game. I respect people's opinions in OS--it's the only site I patronize on a regular basis--and at this point need to know other people's reactions to the passing game thus far.

Sorry for the looooooooooooooooong post, and........thanks!

(P.S. Not to sound smug, but I'm not looking for advice. I don't need to practice in the passing skeleton or "give it more time." I've played every manifestation of Madden and NCAA for a decade, so I'm familiar with the mechanics of both. Just want to know others' experiences or hear their responses to what I wrote above.:cheers444 )

Re: Passing Game
 

Ya know, I don't have the game, but I've heard similar impressions from people on a myriad of sites. When IGN had the POTDs showing, I expressed a definite concern with the effectiveness of the running game, because it definitely looked to be too forgiving. I've also heard about the horrible pass blocking AI and slow-route-running receivers as well. I'll have the game in about 10 hours, and I'll post my findings after some experimenting.

Re: Passing Game
 

Thanks, man. I look forward to what you have to say...:waytogo:

Re: Passing Game
 

The passing game is much better than last year's version, and I do think the game is very playable. I've been using PSU, and while I'm not setting the world on fire, I am completing more than 50% of my passes thus far in my dynasty, with my best receiver a easily rattled freshman.

My only complaint is that there are very few routes that actually work in the game. I agree with you that the TE corner is useless thus far, and the game seems to want you to use either a deep post, quick slant, or fly pattern....yeah, I've completed other routes, but I pretty much know I am going to get someone open if my receivers are running some combination of the above, and I'm taking a risk if they are running anything else.

You are dead on about the running game too. I feel like I can call just about anything and gain yardage. When I get in the meat of my schedule we'll see if that changes.

Re: Passing Game
 

Which version of NCAA do you find to be the most impressive, 6th? I too will be picking up a copy tomorrow. However, after buying Madden for $20 last year and feeling incredibly ripped off I'm really hesitant to invest $50 in any EA Sports title. I figured I'd take a stab at NCAA this year after really enjoying NCAA 2003, but as I said I'm still a little shaky.

Re: Passing Game
 

The only passes that work are Deep Lobs.......hell some people will complete them 75% of the time. Not to mention the run back at angle with the fast QB and throw off-balance to wr who seems to Always catch it. This game is a JOKE. It goes in the sh-t pile when Madden comes out.

Re: Passing Game
 

sixthgrade,

I agree with you on everything concerning the passing game. I too find it way too easy to run (especially option plays), and too frusterating to pass effectively. It really is a combination of a lot of the things you said, specifically slow and uneffective route running and a lack of routes that "work".

I too have only found a few routes that break the zones and are open a decent amount of the time. A lot of the WR routes in multiple WR sets are completely useless, and I typically ignore receivers that run some of these routes.

For my first 5 or so games I couldn't even complete 45% of my passes on AA, but my last 3 or so I've been at 60%. Problem is the majority of this is due to only throwing to specific WR's running specific patterns, and also dumping off more to RB's. I just find it annoying that the WR's just aren't intelligent enough a lot of times to combat the still-fast defenders. Too many passes into zone coverage are INTed or swatted, no matter how perfectly timed a pass seems to be.

I still enjoy the game a ton, but I'm starting to worry that I won't get that same balanced game that you crave. What fun is it to play games knowing I could run my way to victory every play, yet I have to force myself into occasional losses because I'm trying to create a real experience and pass the ball as well as run.

Re: Passing Game
 

I can definitely relate to your passing problems. Since I did not play much of 05, I had the hardest time adjusting to the passing game in 06. It was frustrating to see every pass attempt either getting swatted, picked, or dropped. I can honestly say that my first 4 games or so my QB was completing at a dismal 30 or so percent. I almost gave up on the pass but after taking advice from the fellow OSers I just started practicing and working on my timing and release. And every game thereafter things just started clicking. It was very frustrating at first but now its beginning to be a real treat. Hopefully you will get the hang of it and appreciate the passing game a little more.