defensive help?
 

I just lost a game in which I noticed the other team was passing on slants and other routes over the middle, and completing them with relative ease. What can I do to cut down on the other team's passing attack. I ran a 4-3 with some 4-4 mixed in, and nickel when I noticed they used formations with 3 WR or more.

Re: defensive help?
 

play as the middle linebacker and stand in the middle of the field at medium depth and pick off the passes when they are thrown there. Or hot rout your middle linebacker to a QB spy route. He should stay in the middle of the field and prevent those passes unless the QB scrambles.

Re: defensive help?
 

To stop the short slants I usually play zones and control the MLB. I find this works well to put you in possession to take away the passing lane over the middle of the field. Another option is to rush three with man defense and put the MLB in a QB spy so he stays in the middle of the field. That is pretty successful too. I use the 3-3-5 playbook and will either rush 3 and drop everyone else into coverage or blitz 6 and pray I get enough pressure. The DL vs OL play is horrible and you just can't get pressure without rushing the house.