All Pro or All Madden?
And the CPU QB will light you up if you don't strategically make them make mistakes.
Mix up your blitzes and coverages, and call defensive plays based on the situation.
Know the right time for a Cover 2 or a Cover 3. The right time to press vs back off when in man, and play to your strengths.
Does your team have better man or zone corners? Are your safeties better over the top in coverage or underneath laying big hits on crossers?
And user, user, user.
Use your MLB or a safety coming down in coverage to take away the middle of the field. Keep an eye on the TE and receivers on dig routes and posts. Make the QB throw outside the numbers.
Here's my user strategy depending on play call
Cover 2 (Zone) - User MLB and work deep middle to down. Don't let anyone in the seam between the two deep safeties. If you have to give up something, give up something underneath you, and come down and make a play on it. My stick skills are at best a 6/10, but with just a little practice, you can own the middle of the field with your MLB.
Cover 3 - User the Safety that's playing the underneath zone. One safety will play a deep blue, but the other will play down. You take that one, and cover anyone trying to cross in front of the safety covering deep middle. My general rule is glance at the TE first, then to crossing WR's.
Cover 1 Man - Dealer's choice here, usually I use the safety to cover the middle of the field, and make sure nothing gets past me, and anything that happens underneath is contained. When playing teams with particularly active TE's (Colts, Chiefs, 49ers, Giants among others) sometimes I'll user whomever (LB/S/CB) is manned up on the TE to take him away and force the QB to throw elsewhere.
Cover Zero (all out blitz) - Another dealer's choice. My faith in the blitz makes the decision for me. If I feel I'm going to get good pressure, I cover the TE, as that is most QB's safety valve (quick and over the middle). If I look at the offense and I think they might be able to pick it up, I'll usually look to cover their best deep threat to avoid giving up a bomb.
The #1 way to force the CPU QB into mistakes is by taking away easy throws. The worst NFL QB's can throw a laser accurate 10 yard hitch or dig or slant. You have to make them make harder throws. Not that he's a "bad QB" but Jacoby Brissett will light you up if you give him easy throws over the middle to Jack Doyle all day.
I guess that was a super long winded way to say 'Take away the easy stuff and you'll see the CPU QB make significantly more mistakes.'
I'm going to play a couple games tonight, I'll record a couple examples of me usering the middle to force the CPU QB into mistakes.