Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

[EarvGotti]

I'm gonna speak mainly from an online perspective because I only play online ranked at the moment.....but the defense in this game is insane.

Later on I'm going to post a vid showing some defensive clips from my games and explaining them but at work right now so i can't atm. But I havent seen this much defense in the game since Madden 2005. I played a game against the Seahawks online and let me tell you, star DBs actually matter now.

The guy had Richard Sherman playing a flat zone(he was in a Cover 2) and i streaked my WR on that side. Sherman stayed in the flat but when I threw the streak, he jumped like 3ft to the side and snatched the ball right out of the air. I was shocked but impressed at the same time. I tried to throw the same kinds of passes I threw on current gen and the defense is just not having it. The DBs are really snagging balls now.

Also, the pass rush is crazy. If you blitz 6 you are guaranteed to get pressure. Really enjoying the game so far, and I hope it stays in this direction in the future.

[bucky60]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

I like hearing that defenses are playing much better, as long as it's realistic. I did hear some things about insane number of ints, and also insane number of CPU dropped passes. Hope stuff like this gets patched because I've gone from a definite NON buy (I have CG M25) to being on the fence about paying full price for a tweener release (between M25 CG and M15).

[Sausage]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

I like hearing that defenses are playing much better, as long as it's realistic. I did hear some things about insane number of ints, and also insane number of CPU dropped passes. Hope stuff like this gets patched because I've gone from a definite NON buy (I have CG M25) to being on the fence about paying full price for a tweener release (between M25 CG and M15).

10 games through my CFM using the Redskins on the All Pro difficulty; interceptions have been very tame between the CPU and HUM controlled QB's. Due to the inept defense on the previous gen football games we got accustomed to completing passes no matter what the coverage or scheme; so we now have to train ourselves to make better choices by reading the D and knowing our personnel.

Also, there is absolutely no shame in taking a sack or throwing it away. I hope the devs don't nerf the D, because of complaints of user INT's which are the fault of the user.

[bucky60]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

10 games through my CFM using the Redskins on the All Pro difficulty; interceptions have been very tame between the CPU and HUM controlled QB's. Due to the inept defense on the previous gen football games we got accustomed to completing passes no matter what the coverage or scheme; so we now have to train ourselves to make better choices by reading the D and knowing our personnel.

Also, there is absolutely no shame in taking a sack or throwing it away. I hope the devs don't nerf the D, because of complaints of user INT's which are the fault of the user.

If you don't control either QB, what are the INTS like? That's really my measuring stick on whether the problem is user decisions or programming error. Would be nice to hear from those who have done a couple of Coach Mode or CPU/CPU games. That would tell me quite a bit.

How does the CPU do with dropped passes and ints?

[sooner1]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

I'm gonna speak mainly from an online perspective because I only play online ranked at the moment.....but the defense in this game is insane.

Later on I'm going to post a vid showing some defensive clips from my games and explaining them but at work right now so i can't atm. But I havent seen this much defense in the game since Madden 2005. I played a game against the Seahawks online and let me tell you, star DBs actually matter now.

The guy had Richard Sherman playing a flat zone(he was in a Cover 2) and i streaked my WR on that side. Sherman stayed in the flat but when I threw the streak, he jumped like 3ft to the side and snatched the ball right out of the air. I was shocked but impressed at the same time. I tried to throw the same kinds of passes I threw on current gen and the defense is just not having it. The DBs are really snagging balls now.

Also, the pass rush is crazy. If you blitz 6 you are guaranteed to get pressure. Really enjoying the game so far, and I hope it stays in this direction in the future.

Great to hear that bro!! The lack of D last few yrs turned me away from online. What system are you playing on?

[Mdnghtmgcn1]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Just like another poster said, interceptions happen more frequently because everybody is used to having their way with passing all over the defenses on the 360 and PS3, regardless of what the CPU does. Now with the defensive AI greatly improved, players really do need to learn to read the defenses and stop choosing exactly which receiver they're going to throw to before the play even begins because it doesn't work that way anymore. I threw four interceptions in an All-Madden game against the CPU last night and I take the blame for each one of them. It's just something we all have to get used to again, but I would rather have too much defensive AI than not enough. One thing that hasn't seemed to change, though, is the CPU completing nearly every single pass on All-Madden. I know this was a problem on 360 and PS3 and that's really my only complaint with the passing game on the new consoles.

[bucky60]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Just like another poster said, interceptions happen more frequently because everybody is used to having their way with passing all over the defenses on the 360 and PS3, regardless of what the CPU does. Now with the defensive AI greatly improved, players really do need to learn to read the defenses and stop choosing exactly which receiver they're going to throw to before the play even begins because it doesn't work that way anymore.

That's only when the QB is being controlled by the user. Has nothing to do with when the QB is being controlled by the CPU. It also doesn't address CPU dropped passes that I've heard is unrealistically high. How is the interception rate of CPU controlled QB's? realistic or unrealistic? What about "Coach Mode" QB's, or CPU vs CPU QBs? Reading defenses has nothing to do with any of these scenarios. I agree that it may have a lot to do with USER controlled QB's.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

If you don't control either QB, what are the INTS like? That's really my measuring stick on whether the problem is user decisions or programming error. Would be nice to hear from those who have done a couple of Coach Mode or CPU/CPU games. That would tell me quite a bit.

How does the CPU do with dropped passes and ints?

Actually I ran 3 CPU v CPU games just today and the INT's were in normal range, average 1-2 per each game..If I would have known this actual question would have come up I would have paid more attention....The CPU games were set to 6 min. quarters on all-pro...

[Kramer5150]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Just in case anybody was wondering the avg int's for teams dating back to 2003,so hopefully this will help with your Madden sliders or what-not.......

http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/interceptions-thrown-per-game

[bucky60]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Actually I ran 3 CPU v CPU games just today and the INT's were in normal range, average 1-2 per each game..If I would have known this actual question would have come up I would have paid more attention....The CPU games were set to 6 min. quarters on all-pro...

Accelerated clock? Cause 6 min qtr's would then equate to 3-6 per game for 15 min qtrs.

Thanks for the info. But can someone check 15 min qtr's with like a "down to 15 or 16" accelerated clock? Or something that would come close to the normal number of plays in an actual NFL game.

Thanks!!!!

[JayBee74]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

10 games through my CFM using the Redskins on the All Pro difficulty; interceptions have been very tame between the CPU and HUM controlled QB's. Due to the inept defense on the previous gen football games we got accustomed to completing passes no matter what the coverage or scheme; so we now have to train ourselves to make better choices by reading the D and knowing our personnel.

Also, there is absolutely no shame in taking a sack or throwing it away. I hope the devs don't nerf the D, because of complaints of user INT's which are the fault of the user.

As a long time "Madden Non Fan" I am very impressed by the game. In playing against the CPU (All-Pro default) all INTs I threw were definitely my fault. Passes were not dropped at an extreme rate, particularly by quality receivers, but "user catching" will increase your chances of catching it. I'm semi shocked at how good the game is.

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Accelerated clock? Cause 6 min qtr's would then equate to 3-6 per game for 15 min qtrs.

Thanks for the info. But can someone check 15 min qtr's with like a "down to 15 or 16" accelerated clock? Or something that would come close to the normal number of plays in an actual NFL game.

Thanks!!!!

I run off to 16 seconds.....Isn't all stats out of whack in a 15 minute quarter game?

[JayBee74]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

Accelerated clock? Cause 6 min qtr's would then equate to 3-6 per game for 15 min qtrs.

Thanks for the info. But can someone check 15 min qtr's with like a "down to 15 or 16" accelerated clock? Or something that would come close to the normal number of plays in an actual NFL game.

Thanks!!!!

OK, doing Browns at Redskins.

[JayBee74]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

I run off to 16 seconds.....Isn't all stats out of whack in a 15 minute quarter game?

Yeah, come to think of it.................you should get 120-140 plays per NFL game.

Oh well, I'll play this CPU game out and give stats at halftime.

[JayBee74]

Re: Fear the D - Defense is back in Madden

1st Half Stats, CPU VS CPU, Cleveland at Washington (Updated Roster)

Cleveland 13 Washington 3

J.Campbell: 12-14, 109 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
RG III: 4-9, 49 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

W.McGahee, 14-82, 0 TDs
C.Ogbonnaya, 1-6, 1 TD
A.Morris, 6-22, 0 TDs

Gordon has 2 rec for 28 yards, Wash. Garcon 1 rec for 9 yards.

EDIT: resuming game...of note-Cundiff kicked a 56 yd FG. Also Haden leaped up and dropped an INT and we know how good he is. The ball hit him across the forearm and it was a very high leap.