Exactly, EAs way of showing who's rated better.
With the lower qb awarness, the cpu D will have better coverage and reaction to passes, leading to more drops, airballs, and deflections.
I love the suspense of not knowing if the ball was caught right away, waiting for the announcer to tell me.
Another "sim" part that was ruined with the Updates. Just another reason I love this organic out of the box gameplay.