I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

First off, I'm playing on All-American. I'm confident the QB A.I. cheats on All-American and higher, as many drives when they're down on points, they start going all Tom Brady on me and make every completion with 100% efficiency. This includes 69 overall QB's. Eventually, I said enough was enough, and switched from manually controlling a D-Linemen to controlling a LB or DB in coverage. Success!... The QB starts forcing more mistakes.

My theory is that the QB A.I. can't "mind read" a human controlled opponent, like they can a cpu automated defender, so they hesitate a lot in the pocket when looking at human controlled coverage. This hesitation grants me a lot more coverage sacks, or has caused the QB to simply scramble more.

Furthermore, taking a guy into manual coverage is a lot quicker than figuring out the correct audible to get the defender to, say, zone. For example, let's say it's an obvious passing down shotgun situation, yet I have a LB manned on a HB. The odds are the LB is wasting his time, so why not save time and just control the LB myself into coverage rather than fiddle with telling the CPU to do it for me with a lot less success?

Regardless, I'll put it this way - manually controlling D-Linemen seem like a waste of time to me. My guy/s always just get pancaked every time I do a finesse/power move. At least in coverage I'm disrupting the offense E-V-E-R-Y single play by messing with the cpu's intelligence. Whether I force the mistake or not is irrelevant - as long as I'm disrupting him, it's a win on every single play. I can't say the same playing as a D-Linemen.

Re: I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

Dead @ going all Tom Brady on me. But, yeah - I've never controlled the d linemen, ever. I usually control the middle linebacker but I'm probably going to start controlling one of the safeties. I usually play the cpu on Heisman and some jumpballs are ridiculous and my bump and run coverage doesn't work a lot of the time.

Re: I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

I prefer using an OLB but yeah, some DB is a better option in my personal opinion. Using a lineman is hard, doable, but hard.

Ever since I started editing rosters I control the mlb exclusively. Mostly now because I can fill the holes and make the tackles in tyhe run game. Quite satisfying

Re: I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

Since switching from '12 to '11, I have started using the DT more than the DE. On obvious passing downs, I take the safety on the long side of the field. I have not since this "Tom Brady" phenomenon, but do notice that WRs are more prone to actually catch some passes that they had dropped previously after a hit.

What defense are you calling when they go Tom Brady?

Re: I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

I've manually controlled DB's for years, not only does it get rid of the psychic AI QB's. But it helps the AI front line get more pressure than a human controlled front line.

Re: I'm noticing more pass defense success manually controlling a guy in coverage
 

The only time I control a defensive lineman is when I'm playing with an all-american type of talent. I set the sliders at a tough enough setting where it takes alot of work to get to the QB.

My favorite position to control is actually the CB position. What I like to do is jam the opponents best reciever with the auto control function (because I can't yet see the reciever) and then once I can see the DB/WR battle is when I just try to blanket the reciever. The AI QB can't seem to pick up what I'm trying to do and will usually stay away.

I've also been called for PI penalties when I try to break on the ball. For some reason the AI DB can morph through my reciever but I can't on the AI WR. Oh well.

If the dev team would add some animations between the WR/DB while the ball is in the air it would activate some PI calls. Sounds simple but I'm not sure. Obviously the game is based off of canned animations so creating animations is their bread and butter of the gameplay. Then get rid of the morphing. Example, safety morphing through a WR. Have the animation show early contact.

I also like to control the MLB filling gaps in the run game and breaking on slot passes. Yes, I've gotten beat over the top by tight ends when their's no safety help.