Madden NFL 19: Defensive Gameplay Breakdown

[Steve_OS]

I'm back with the second part in a two-part series breaking down gameplay in Madden NFL...

Written By: Matt Llewellyn

Click here to view the article.

[CrizzleDizzle13]

Thank you. I was playing on all-pro/simulation last night with the saints and noticed that when your cbs are in press coverage and the wr runs a fade, the cb will sometimes just watch the wr go through the fade route without engaging the wr and the wr burns the cb with no chance of catching up. I have a video to show this in the event no one else has seen this happen.

It was just odd to see desean Jackson toast Marshon Lattimore in press coverage. Especially, when lattimore doesn’t appear to even “recognize” that his wr is running a fade. Thoughts?

Note: I was user controlling Cameron Jordan during this. The cpu was controlling lattimore for me when this happened.

[edgevoice]

Excellent post and breakdown.* Man coverage is much improved for the CPU, no question.* I hope this does not get tuned down.* However, I've noticed that CPU cornerbacks have a penchant for playing outside* technique too frequently.* This may not be a programming fault and may simply be representitive of corners playing outside leverage properly whilst having zone help in the middle with robber or hole defenses.* While this may have been done to nerf corner routes, it has opened up other areas of the field a bit too much.* It doesn't always happen as I've seen the CPU defender play inside leverage and jam my receiver on a slants and in-breaking routes at times.
**
While playing on All Madden, I did witness some" holy-leaping-warping-"linebacker animations.* For example, the hole defender moving in one direction, would magically leave his feet and float backwards and up in the opposite direction to swat or pick the ball.* There is nothing RPM about that.* On All Pro, the hole defender still played with great awareness, but balls thrown with touch would trigger him to "look up at the ball as he went thru a very realistic pursuit animation.* If I attempted a bullet-type throw in the same situation, the linebacker would then either swat or intercept the ball as would normally play out.

While I play as a sim-style user, I do like to play the game.* I use the lead stick when passing and I do switch to user catch, although* I do not control the receiver to try to bump, swerve or any of that other nonsense to gain an advantage.* In Madden 19, it really is a must that you click on and user catch.* Timing routes must now be, well thrown with timing as they should be.* However, you will become very frustrated if you perfectly line up an out route, let the ball go just before your receiver breaks and........he simply runs out of bounds while catching the ball.* You have to click on "A"* for X BOX or "X" for PS to make sideline catches.* This is also helpful when squeezing a throw between defenders as it will trigger the receiver to catch and go to the ground.* Also, while drops are a natural occurrence in the NFL, I feel they happen a little to frequently in M19.* All the more reason to user catch on the higher difficulty levels.**

[SonicBoom2040]

I agree with most of this ....unfortunately*

[Agent89]

?Again, the same issue mentioned in the defensive gameplay breakdown.* The*superman LB thing is an IMMENSE detriment to the enjoyment of the game.* I disagree--it happens ALL the time.* I play on All-Madden with slider adjustments and I've had some fun and challenging games against the CPU until these "out of nowhere" LB interceptions over the middle kill the game.* I really hope they get word of this.* LBs miss bullet passes probably like 95% of the time in the NFL if they're only 3 yards behind the LOS.* It's really discouraging when it happens because the game can be really good if they clean some things up.* *There's no way a linebacker should have 5 passes defensed in one game like some all-pro cornerback.* They can take a few approaches to fix it, but I'd start with tuning down the linebackers for sure.* RPM becomes obsolete in these moments because they side step one way, then suddenly leap and jump in the other direction and they ALWAYS catch it.* Should they be aware of passes over the middle? Absolutely.* But they need to be tuned to react humanly––with their head and eyes, and a failed attempt at a reach as the ball zips over their heads.* This has been a legacy issue but goes back and forth with getting better and worse each year.* This year it's been the WORST yet because it's always an interception, and half your playbook is useless if there's an LB playing a hook, spy, or one of those other yellow zones.* No slider mitigates the issue unlike the reaction time slider which used to work.* This is similar to the sideline catching* issue which also regressed this year.* It's like EA doesn't watch football games.* The number of sideline tip toe catches that happen in the NFL are staggering.* It's a common skill that is actually practiced in the league.* This should be the next new rating category starting next year.* For now I might turn on the "makes sideline catch" tendency for all the WRs.

[kennylc321]

"... defenders can now better stay step for step with their man instead of getting burned when the receiver makes his break. This is particularly apparent when using man to cover “C routes.”

But here's the thing. I thought in "simulation mode" players will play to their ratings. But this statement seems to be a direct contraction to that notion. If the defender's ratings dictate that he can stay w/ his man, then so be it. This statement suggests no matter what the ratings are, he's going to stay with his man.

[Atax1s]

Quote: Originally Posted by kennylc321

"... defenders can now better stay step for step with their man instead of getting burned when the receiver makes his break. This is particularly apparent when using man to cover “C routes.” But here's the thing. I thought in "simulation mode" players will play to their ratings. But this statement seems to be a direct contraction to that notion. If the defender's ratings dictate that he can stay w/ his man, then so be it. This statement suggests no matter what the ratings are, he's going to stay with his man.

They can “better” stay with the WR in man coverage. I was comparing it to man coverage last year, which was really bad. The ratings obviously matter, but C routes were automatic last year whether it was a 7th round rookie or Patrick Peterson covering it. This year, it’s not an automatic route.

[maddog00003]

I agree with being frustrated at first about how slower players catch up to speedy ones, and how easily winded a player becomes so a long TD is potentially nullified.

Putting fatigue at 46 and speed threshold to 10 pretty much solved these issues! Plays much more realistic now.

The stumbling during a fumble recovery needs to go, it does really ruin the immersion.