If your definition of realism is stick skills then you may enjoy competitive mode more. The idea is to limit virtually all randomness from the game. In real life, of course, randomness is a huge part of the game. Drew Brees & Tom Brady completely whiff easy throws every game. But not everybody likes that. The competitive mode is for guys who want their stick skills to make the difference between a win or loss, and where ratings perform in a much more predictable & automatic way.