Pocket passers

[macbranson]

I know lots of ppl who play Madden use teams with mobile QBs. RGIII, Cam Newton, Kaepernick, Wilson...and these guys are also on pretty good teams which means they're perfect for Madden players. But I've noticed that I don't really know anyone who uses pocket passers. I'm sure someone does, but it's pretty rare. My question is for this of you who do use pocket passers. How do u go about completing passes? I have a difficult time making reads and getting good throwing lanes unless I move out the pocket a little bit. Of course, this also gives me the option of scrambling with the QB also. I don't think I've ever use a pure pocket passer and I'm thinking you have to be really good at making reads and precision passing to be effective without a mobile QB

[JaymeeAwesome]

Re: Pocket passers

If your pocket passing skills are lacking just bump up the accuracy slider to compensate.

[josefrees]

Re: Pocket passers

It really isn't that hard you just have to pay attention to the defensive personnel, take advantage of weak links, change tempo and play around before the snap a little. A good running game makes it easy and even with mobile QBs I usually run a pocket passing game. I think that running with the QB is best used as change of pace when there are no other options. I have franchise right now with Terrell Pryor for instance and especially now that his attributes are better, I only run with him on a few read options a game and when I'm desperate. If you stay in the pocket you basically have to run a quick strike offense, a lot of screens, slants curls, using some motion to determine what kind of defense is being run (if you send a guy in motion and the defender doesn't follow all the way they are either using zone or you have a mismatch). With a good running game, the play action is the easiest way for big plays.

I always try to develop a running QB into a passer. Just because that insurance policy of the man with ball being able to hurt you it really takes something out of the defense. Just running a couple times early makes throwing from the pocket that much easier.

[Kidd708]

Re: Pocket passers

It really isn't that hard you just have to pay attention to the defensive personnel, take advantage of weak links, change tempo and play around before the snap a little. A good running game makes it easy and even with mobile QBs I usually run a pocket passing game. I think that running with the QB is best used as change of pace when there are no other options. I have franchise right now with Terrell Pryor for instance and especially now that his attributes are better, I only run with him on a few read options a game and when I'm desperate. If you stay in the pocket you basically have to run a quick strike offense, a lot of screens, slants curls, using some motion to determine what kind of defense is being run (if you send a guy in motion and the defender doesn't follow all the way they are either using zone or you have a mismatch). With a good running game, the play action is the easiest way for big plays.



I always try to develop a running QB into a passer. Just because that insurance policy of the man with ball being able to hurt you it really takes something out of the defense. Just running a couple times early makes throwing from the pocket that much easier.

I agree I play with Newton and I keep him in the pocket it make you very dangerous if to turn your runner into a accurate QB


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[macbranson]

Re: Pocket passers

I'm not saying that I run the ball a lot. Cam only had about 400 rushing yards last season which is less than 30 rushing yards per game. I did manage to throw for 4000 yards, 30 TDs and had a 65% completion percentage. I'm just saying that I usually have to roll out of the pocket to buy time and find open receivers. I know my ability to read defenses is lacking and partly because I'm free to roll out with my QB and wait until receivers come open. It's just hard to see the entire field and what the defenders are doing when you stay in the pocket.

[ajra21]

Re: Pocket passers

had kaep for ten years and he was superb - of course. he's built for madden.

i then went WCO. anthony hendricks. end of first round in the tyler mccabe draft. he's not fast, had 90 THP. developed him for three years. kaep retired. hendricks was extended before he'd even started for six years $20m. in four years we have three SBs & he has 4 MVPs.

[RAVENOUS]

Re: Pocket passers

Learning to use the stick to throw guys open is pretty key. I also like to call some easy, short and quick routes to "get my qb going" early in the game. Screens work well, even if they don't gain much yardage, just to get a rhythm and some confidence going. I also really like those ~5 yard hitch routes.

I watch the safeties as soon as I snap the ball. If they're not dropping back into coverage, I'm getting blitzed and I know I have to get rid of the ball quickly, usually to the RB or TE. If they are dropping back, I'm trying to see if they're going 2 deep or 3 deep so I know where gaps will be, also peek at LBs to see if and where I'll have anything open over the middle. If I have time on the playclock, I might motion a guy presnap to see if he's getting followed by a defender (which = man coverage) or not (which = zone).

Certain routes will abuse certain coverages. Corner routes destroy Cover 2. Slants, hitches, and outs are great against man. Slants and hitches are also great against Cover 3 type stuff if you get the timing/window right. If I see the defense come up and press, I might hot route my fastest receiver to streak in case I have enough time in the "pocket" (pocket in quotations cuz this is Madden, after all) to hit him deep. Also, a slow/avg wide receiver with great release rating should be a good target out of press coverage regardless of what route you have called for him.

Finally, just cuz a QB is a slower pocket type passer doesn't mean he can't run for some first downs. No matter who I'm using, if I see a gap in the pass rush I can sneak through for 5+ yards and a free first down, I'm taking it.

EDIT: I should emphasize more the "throwing guys open" part. When I say hitch routes are great against man coverage, you want that ball to be in the air before your receiver is even turning around, just like IRL. If you wait til he's already "hitched" to throw the ball, it's gonna get picked. There's a timing like this for every route, really. I don't wait til my guys are running towards the sideline to throw out routes, either, I'm pressing the button as they make their cut.

[ll SRR ll]

Re: Pocket passers

There's no point to use pocket passers imo. Why use Peyton Manning when Josh Johnson throws the ball just as accurate. I feel that throw power is important but accuracy can be compensated for (scrambling).

[ajk49er]

Re: Pocket passers

I use pocket passers now*


simple, how darn easy is it to use a QB with over 75 speed? pretty easy. give me a slow qb with a cannon, bit more challenging than what is really a guaranteed first down every couple plays if you want to.

[macbranson]

Re: Pocket passers

I just lost my first game if the season, mainly because I'm a terrible pocket passer. I lost to the Saints who don't even have a good pass defense. I was getting sacked a lot when I scrambled out of the pocket, so I started keeping my running back in to block and stayed in the pocket. I had a terrible game. I did manage to throw for over 500 yards because I was playing catch-up the whole second half and was in a hurry up. But my completion percentage was 54% and I threw 2 picks and the Saints must have dropped like 6 picks. It's just to difficult to see where the coverage is when you're in the pocket. Even if I know the defense is in man, you have to see how tightly covered the receiver is before you can throw it. And deep passes, even into one-on-one coverage, are just impossible to complete unless the receiver is WIDE open. If there's a defender covering him, the defender will win the battle most of the time. I do like that thus passing game has been toned down, I just wish I were better at adjusting to it.

[Fistandilius]

Re: Pocket passers

I'm not a great madden player by any means, but if you find a playbook you like and stick with it, after time you'll learn to see where you can throw and where you can't. If you have a good offensive line that can let you run the ball you can literally get away with running one formation the majority of the game successfully.

I admit I like mobile quarterbacks, but I also almost never run the ball. By the time I'm done checking the defense, if someone wasn't open I'm usually getting sacked by the time I've checked all my options. Like I said, I'm not a great madden player, but I know my play book and I know where I can put the ball and where I can't. It's rare that the defense doesn't give you something.

One trap I fall into is I'll pick a play and I'll decide what WR I want to get the ball to before I even snap the ball and some times I have a tendency to force it just because I want to throw it there. That's one advantage I would say for not knowing your plays well because if you don't have a predetermined plan, then you're just reading the defense and finding a hole instead of waiting for this guy on this route, etc. etc.

But that's just my 2 cents. Also, I should add that I don't play online. All that goes out the window against a human opponent playing defense.

[macbranson]

Re: Pocket passers

One trap I fall into is I'll pick a play and I'll decide what WR I want to get the ball to before I even snap the ball and some times I have a tendency to force it just because I want to throw it there. That's one advantage I would say for not knowing your plays well because if you don't have a predetermined plan, then you're just reading the defense and finding a hole instead of waiting for this guy on this route, etc. etc.

I used to do that all the time. I'd have a certain receiver who I wa trying to get 100 yards or 10 receptions or some nonsense and I'd wind up just forcing the ball to that receiver after picking a certain play. It's definitely a terrible way to play, but I've definitely gotten stepped my passing game up since starting my second season.
Last season I threw for a little over 4000 yards, 30 TDs, 30 INTs and 62% completions. This season, I've played eight games and I have over 2600 passing yards, 27 TDs, 9 INTs and 63% completions. I've been picking different playbooks, reading coverages better and continue to use Cam Newton's mobility, but mainly to roll out the pocket or buy time to find open receivers. I really don't run much with my QB at all. I only have like 200 rushing yards for the season and I never run the option.

[josefrees]

Re: Pocket passers

on a more technical aspect, knowing how to throw players open and trow the right ball is really important. Especially when using bad receivers you can't let them get hit right after the pass or they drop it (if they don't drop it wile open anyway). Knowing how much power and where to place the ball is important. It is really what separates awesome QBs from the above average. Once your accuracy gets high enough getting it in the tight spot is much easier. You just have to be extremely conservative and build from there. Often when I don't play for a while and play all madden I throw 5 picks because I try and take too much.