Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

[Ntmoore]

I am having a lot of trouble passing the football.

I can run the ball fine, but not surprisingly, the defense learns to blitz like crazy every down soon it doesn't take long before my running game suffers too.

I can't find open receivers very often at all (Despite the defense blitzes liking every down) and even if they ARE open, the Quarterback either throws a god awful pass or a random defender from nowhere suddenly becomes super-aware and sprints to swat or intercept the ball.

I've observed the CPU offense's success with the pass, but when I try to make similar throws I tend to throw interceptions. For example on streak routes when I see 1 on 1 man coverage, I throw the ball and the pass is usually broken up or intercepted. Even if the receiver has him beat. The CPU has open WRs when I blitz, but the same doesn't seem to happen for me.

Can anyone spare some tips to help me become a better passer? (I play on All-American) Any advice on when to throw a bullet and when to throw a lob? When I throw a bullet a Linebacker usually swats it, but when I throw a lob the safety or corner will get hands on it.

[BA2929]

Re: Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

If you're using a poorly rated QB, you will not be able to make many pinpoint passes. So if you're having trouble on the deep ball, it's probably due to this.

The advice I can give you is start using hot routes when you see an opening in the defense pre-snap, and send players in motion to see what the coverage might be. Also, short routes are your friend. Use those and HB Screen passes if the CPU likes to blitz a lot. It'll open up easy, quick passes which add up. Running screens can be difficult in this game, but start backpedaling with your QB when he gets the snap to buy some time to get your RB and OL in position to block.

Throw bullet passes when there's a tight window to get it into and its a fairly short pass or when a fast guy has his man beat off the line of scrimmage. I only throw lob passes when one of my awesome WRs, like Justin Blackmon, is in man to man coverage. He'll usually beat the CB in a jump ball situation. Otherwise, just pass normally and you should be fine.

[artan335]

Re: Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

Try switching your play-book for a different set of plays.

Use short routes. Some routes I don't even bother with as they don't even work, or try to make the WR's routes go to one side of the field so your focusing on one side rather then the whole field. Use a playbook like Stanford that uses short-mid passing styles.

Use the run to set up the pass. Once you get the run going use a boot leg or a play action pass(I love throwing to my FB off a PA). Also try to get mismatches. For example my running back is a beast(95speed and good hands) I just motion him to the slot or w/e and I run a streak with him and he BURNS the LB he has them and runs right by any zone.

But the LB's are superhuman in this game and it's really tough trying to throw it between them as they swat EVERYTHING. They have incredibly quick reaction time and jump really high to swat passes..

I tend to throw lobs on deep passes when I have one on one coverage and just air it out. I throw bullets in the middle field especially in tight windows. I suggest to only use lobs for those deep passes

Also are you setting your feet? Staying in the pocket? Maybe your players aren't that good..

[EHS_25]

Re: Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

Use short and safe passes to open up the deep ball.

PA roll out or PA bootleg are better than standard PA. I feel like the blocking is better for some reason on those types of plays rather than a normal PA.

Also if you see press coverage on your star receiver try hot routing him to go deep. But mostly short and safe passes, and throw a lot of different formations at the defense to keep them guessing.

[jarato]

Not sure if this has been stated but especially against zone coverage learn to throw into the holes of the zone defense. A lot of times this means is anticipating and throwing to receiver routes before they've been completed. An example might be throwing to a slot who's running a 15 yard out route while he's still on the stem of his route ( streaking upfield prior to his cut outwards ). A lot of times the routes are going to be covered if you wait for the intended route to complete.

[Broncos86]

Re: Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

I think the single most important thing to remember is that you're not playing actual football. When your eyes tell you "he's open," your brain needs to run a double check on that. I've been the victim of this myself.

It's important to do two things:

1) Understand the area around a player that will trigger an animation. It's almost like a magnet. If a thrown ball is close enough to a linebacker, it can trigger an animation and you have yourself a problem. Even if your eyes say "there's NO WAY," yes, there is a way in NCAA 12.

2) Use #1 to work timing. Figure out when you need to press the pass button to get the ball into tight windows. If you release the ball when your eyes see a WR open, the defense will close it down by the time you actually make the pass. Anticipation is key. Sometimes it bites you and the defense just makes the play, but more often than not, you'll come out on the right side if you figure out how defenders react.

For each route, defenses play differently. Slant routes, ins, outs, seam routes, defenders will play it differently. You can help some routes out by changing the angle you throw from. You can help by leading the WR to the middle of the field on a seam route.

On deep balls, I like to take advantage of cover 2. If I see the CB release my WR (who is on a go-route), I need to throw the ball THEN, so that the ball falls to the WR before the safety has time to get over and pick up the man. At that point, I might have a good chance of taking it all the way since the play is basically 1v1.

The same goes for curl routes. On most curl routes against the Cover 2, patience is needed. The CB will stick with the WR until he sees the RB come out to the flat and leave the WR. That's the moment to zip the ball in before a LB or safety can help out.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Can I Get Some Help Passing The Ball?

Not sure if this has been stated but especially against zone coverage learn to throw into the holes of the zone defense. A lot of times this means is anticipating and throwing to receiver routes before they've been completed. An example might be throwing to a slot who's running a 15 yard out route while he's still on the stem of his route ( streaking upfield prior to his cut outwards ). A lot of times the routes are going to be covered if you wait for the intended route to complete.

You have to be extremely careful with this method. NCAA doesn't allow "spot" throws on many routes. If you throw too far before a cut (before he starts the "slow down" animation) the QB will throw it as if it was a streak, ignoring the cut entirely.