Defensive side of the ball.

[DoubleZ_3]

Offensively, I got it figured out. Defensively, so inconsistent.

I know a flaw of mine is I need to utilize user controls more effectively. I make the wrong move too often.

Aside from that, I don't know If I'm calling the wrong plays at the wrong times or using a bad playbook ect but sometimes it's just so inconsistent and a team that should have a good or great defense gets picked apart.

Are you having a great deal of success on defense ? If you are, what is the secret formula? Do you only use a certain handful of plays ? What changes pre-snap? Where do you hover your user controlled LB Safety or whoever you use ?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, I got it figured out. Defensively, so inconsistent.

I know a flaw of mine is I need to utilize user controls more effectively. I make the wrong move too often.

Aside from that, I don't know If I'm calling the wrong plays at the wrong times or using a bad playbook ect but sometimes it's just so inconsistent and a team that should have a good or great defense gets picked apart.

Are you having a great deal of success on defense ? If you are, what is the secret formula? Do you only use a certain handful of plays ? What changes pre-snap? Where do you hover your user controlled LB Safety or whoever you use ?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Let me guess: You can stop the run, but can't stop the pass? The only way to stop the pass is to generate pressure, but the CPU won't generate enough on its own - you will need to user the ends. The problem is now you have to rely on the CPU players to play coverage which is problematic on some routes.

Pick your spots, and send more than they can block. Or, when you opponet is playing against the hash, send pressure from the boundry. Alot of times this causes the errant throw mechanic to kick in.

It's tough. In this game you are going to get shredded even if you call the right plays so just keep trying to get to the QB and get turnovers.

[DoubleZ_3]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Let me guess: You can stop the run, but can't stop the pass? The only way to stop the pass is to generate pressure, but the CPU won't generate enough on its own - you will need to user the ends. The problem is now you have to rely on the CPU players to play coverage which is problematic on some routes.

Pick your spots, and send more than they can block. Or, when you opponet is playing against the hash, send pressure from the boundry. Alot of times this causes the errant throw mechanic to kick in.

It's tough. In this game you are going to get shredded even if you call the right plays so just keep trying to get to the QB and get turnovers.

Yes, and yes. Haha. Finding the balance, consistently is rather difficult.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[B_T_33]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Keep them off the field aswell. Own that possession time.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[canes21]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Pick what you want to give up in the passing game and defend everything else. A general rule(in real life that is) is that if you are going to have holes in your defense, let it be the outsides and medium length and on. Cover the inside, cover the flats, and force the QB to make precise throws deep to the outsides.

Trust your secondary. Don't be afraid of pressing and going with zero coverage if it means you can send more guys than they have blockers. The WR's will have to beat the jam, the QB will have to make a throw under pressure, and you can really disrupt the flow of the play by doing this.

Follow the offenses tendencies. Where are they beating you? Is it the TE? Slants? Posts? Sometimes we overthink. See what's beating you and call the coverage that defends it.

Don't get obsessed with cover 3. It seems like a lot of people fall into the trap of think cover 3 gives them solid coverage over most of the field and they fall back onto it. DO NOT DO THIS. Cover 3 is easy to beat if you know it's coming. Anything in the seam will destroy it generally.

You have to mix things up and know what your strengths are. I use the Redskins, this game has their secondary pretty weak, but I will still mix it up and run cover 0 and force the QB to make a throw under pressure. Sometimes it beats me, sometimes I get the pressure and get a sack, poor throw, or even a turnover.

Don't be afraid to get beat. If you call defense scared, you've already lost. If you don't trust your defense and always have your safeties back, you've lost. You have to be aggressive and force mistakes. Playing conservative and waiting on the offense to mess up is basically killing yourself slowly. Know that big plays will happen for and against you, but do everything you can to ensure that if the offense gets a 23 yard pass that they earned it and it wasn't easy at all.

Hopefully this can help you.

[Find_the_Door]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

What about can't stop the run with any consistency?

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

What about can't stop the run with any consistency?

I don't normally hear that one. What types of runs are causing you trouble? Typically, power and outside zone/stretch plays cause the most damage, and if that's the case, you need to play the force player on the defense - making them cut the run inside where your help is. 8 man fronts help this because all 8 gaps, assuming one back personel, are accounted for.

[Find_the_Door]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

I don't normally hear that one. What types of runs are causing you trouble? Typically, power and outside zone/stretch plays cause the most damage, and if that's the case, you need to play the force player on the defense - making them cut the run inside where your help is. 8 man fronts help this because all 8 gaps, assuming one back personel, are accounted for.

I run cover 3 sky which effectively makes the safety down safety the force player. Inside zone and fb dive are thorns in my side.

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Hmmm. I'm assuming online head to head? It's tough to completely stop fullback dive for no gain, but if your interior defensive line is strong enough, it should allow for one on one tackle scenarios for your line backers. If not...

Both of those plays are determined by the abilty of the blockers to get the second level, so blitzing through the B gap with a pinch call can stop the double team block that sets up the second level push. The runner should get stuck begin his line. Ofcourse, you can't run that every play or PA will be the next issue.

[Find_the_Door]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Hmmm. I'm assuming online head to head? It's tough to completely stop fullback dive for no gain, but if your interior defensive line is strong enough, it should allow for one on one tackle scenarios for your line backers. If not...

Both of those plays are determined by the abilty of the blockers to get the second level, so blitzing through the B gap with a pinch call can stop the double team block that sets up the second level push. The runner should get stuck begin his line. Ofcourse, you can't run that every play or PA will be the next issue.

That's my dilemma. Stack vs under and over? Should I have my force player on the play side or no?

[GameBreaker35]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

That's my dilemma. Stack vs under and over? Should I have my force player on the play side or no?

I would use the 4-3 under front for this because the blockers would be forced to play one on one or double playside leaving one free defender in pursuit. Which brings me to my next point: force should be to the strength of the formation in the 3 Under which is what makes this whole thing work. The only problem is when the passing strength is opposite of the running strength and then its kind of a judgment call. Madden needs allow the defense to flip it's strength as well or just design linebacker roles as they are in real life so that we don't get caught in that issue.

[DoubleZ_3]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Pick what you want to give up in the passing game and defend everything else. A general rule(in real life that is) is that if you are going to have holes in your defense, let it be the outsides and medium length and on. Cover the inside, cover the flats, and force the QB to make precise throws deep to the outsides.

Trust your secondary. Don't be afraid of pressing and going with zero coverage if it means you can send more guys than they have blockers. The WR's will have to beat the jam, the QB will have to make a throw under pressure, and you can really disrupt the flow of the play by doing this.

Follow the offenses tendencies. Where are they beating you? Is it the TE? Slants? Posts? Sometimes we overthink. See what's beating you and call the coverage that defends it.

Don't get obsessed with cover 3. It seems like a lot of people fall into the trap of think cover 3 gives them solid coverage over most of the field and they fall back onto it. DO NOT DO THIS. Cover 3 is easy to beat if you know it's coming. Anything in the seam will destroy it generally.

You have to mix things up and know what your strengths are. I use the Redskins, this game has their secondary pretty weak, but I will still mix it up and run cover 0 and force the QB to make a throw under pressure. Sometimes it beats me, sometimes I get the pressure and get a sack, poor throw, or even a turnover.

Don't be afraid to get beat. If you call defense scared, you've already lost. If you don't trust your defense and always have your safeties back, you've lost. You have to be aggressive and force mistakes. Playing conservative and waiting on the offense to mess up is basically killing yourself slowly. Know that big plays will happen for and against you, but do everything you can to ensure that if the offense gets a 23 yard pass that they earned it and it wasn't easy at all.

Hopefully this can help you.

It did appriciate you taking the time to help

I do get best up the middle quite often. Not as disciplined

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[badgerpns]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Madden needs allow the defense to flip it's strength as well or just design linebacker roles as they are in real life so that we don't get caught in that issue.

Yeah this annoys me to no end. It would be great if we could get actually Mike, Sam & Will LB designations, and that they then line up correctly on their own based on that. I hate running an Under front and having to wait for the offense to come to the line so that I can find where the TE is and flip the play if necessary.
Lets's get rid of the duplicate "Under" & "Over" fronts which are basically just the same formation flipped, and give us one true under front that can align automatically to the formation strength/TE. They already have this in most of the Nickel formations, where the NB automatically recognizes where the slot WR is and lines up there by default. I want this with LB's as well.

Oh, and yes, if only we could flip the coverages as you mentioned without flipping whole formation, I'd love that as well. Madden surprisingly gave me something on my defense wishlist this year with the new shortcuts for doing individual defense adjustments, which I love. Hopefully we can get these other things one day...

[4thQtrStre5S]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

The simplest way to play defense is to pick any play that matches the offense's set, 2 wr or 3 wr, etc..Then you audible from your picked play and then you shift defensive line to get a DT as close to being over center as possible..

After that anything else is just, as needed...I generally spread my LB's and crash my DT's in a 43. I'll show blitz and cover the sticks, but rarely press... I also like to QB contain the DE's.

I generally play the MLB and keep around 7 yards from the line of scrimmage; I am always looking to stop those crossing routes and slants.

[rosswon]

Re: Defensive side of the ball.

Defense is one of those things that separates users. I'm not going to act like I have it all figured it out but you need to look at:

1. How do you matchup against the offense at each position, is there a weakness, attack it by sending blitzes on the oline, and pressing/using shading against inferior WR. It's all about taking away the thing they do best and exploiting weakness

2. YOU MUST keep track of what your opponent is doing especially on critical downs, these are the plays they will run when the ish hits the fan. Everyone has a style once youve seen who they favor, or what area of the field they like, or what runs they like, make adjustments.

3. YOU MUST practice your pre-snap defensive assignments, so you can disguise coverage and as titled, adjust...so if you recognize the play, without moving your entire D you can adjust.

4. I like to user a fast MLB in the 3-4 and take tight end/the slot wr cutting across the field on drags/slants. People love those easy passes and they are easy user pics.

It comes down to knowing what zones cover where and whats the best possible play the offense can hit you with and adjusting. If you have a lead, pressure the QB and dont give up big plays.

Another thing is field position...make your opponent have to drive 80 yards to score, don't give up easy scores by giving good field position.