Some say it was, but I never thought so. This is a similar scenario.
If EA had the tech to provide an amazing presentation package and actually spent time putting it in, you'd notice the gameplay issues less. The "wow" factor would distract many guys.
Then, if they added cool player specific stuff, you'd then have more signature style to completely draw you in as if you're really playing an NFL team and players.
Lastly, they can fix much of the issues if they redid the playbooks. Would take a HUGE amount of work, but it can be done.
Saying "scrap everything" is a terrible idea. There's lots of good here, and many people saw it last year. The over-powered offense seems to be killing the game for most this year (and same franchise).