Some of the defense is play calling, some is Bad A.I.

[LBzrule]

EA don't overreact to the complaints about bad defense. First find out what plays are being called and what offensive play was called against it. I know we all have some pre-conceived notions of what should do what, but that's not necessarily the case. Let me give an example. I played a friends list player last night and we had a pretty damn good game. At the end he needed 72 yards with 2 seconds on the clock. I called a Nickel Cover 3 with the Safeties rotating over the top. I think he called 4 verts. Sydney Rice got matched up on Dwan Landry deep and caught the ball. Now I switched over to defend and when I hit the button I didn't get any response (that should be fixed). Rice caught it at the 4 and Landry was all on his back and slid off and missed the tackle and Rice runs it in for the TD.

Now at first I was like this is some BS man LOL. But after thinking about it I said, the only thing I can be mad about here is the lack of response from my defensive player. Even if he responded it should NOT be 100% that I automatically defend the pass. Then I said maybe I should have called cover 2 man in this situation instead and Rice would have been bracketed by the CB and the Safety and I would have won the game? So play calling is huge in a lot of situations. That is to be applauded. I like that. Good job. Now if you can just fix the responsiveness and tone down the auto tackle break that happens with every player even QB's, I think we might be ok.

[Palo20]

1. I've noticed the same thing on guys I switch to, they almost just stop their momentum and have to re-gather it again, forcing huge separation.

2. I've also noticed Safeties just react really late to WRs in their zone and when they react they still take "gather" steps and this forces huge separation (looks like locomotion only applies to the defense sometimes.)

[sportyguyfl31]

I would agree.

I see the problem more with robber coverage safeties.

Like I would have a robber safety right on a slot WR and he wont break on the WR running at him.

The play call was correct, but the responsiveness was not there.

I dont have much of an issue with user control respoonsiveness..nor do I have a issue with a guy getting beat, because he isnt physically capable of covering a guy: A CB with a 69 man coverage rating, matched up with a reciever with a 75 route running, for example.


I find the deep zones ot okay for the most part.

[Deltron]

I agree. I hope EA doesn't overreact to the criticism and bring back super-human abilities for DBs and LBs.

I like the fact that your defensive calls have to be very pinpoint. And I like that they've toned down AI coverage to the point that you're probably better off switching and making plays. I think that brings in more elements of skill to the game.

I do hope they address the tackling issues and I hope they take a close look at individual zone assignments vs. various routes to identify weaknesses.

The initial reaction to this game very much reminds me of when NFL 2k4 hit the shelves. Inititially it was an offensive track meet every single game; however, evenutally players adjusted their schemes and playcalling, and found ways of really shutting down the offense.

By the end of the 2k4 cycle I was shutting down top Xbox live players, which would have never been likely or conceivable at the outset.

[jmurphy31]

LBZ. I agree with what your saying but what do you personally think about slants, crossing patterns, or anything over the middle is there defenses to defend this or is this poor design. I know I can put my lb in a hook zone but the slot usually catches bit before or after the coverage area and man isn't great either

[ch46647]

Slants and drag routes, run by people who know how to do them, are absolutely unstoppable in this game. The reaction time needs to be turned WAY up on defense. Also, if you go to practice mode and run a bunch of drags you will see defenders need to take an extra step or two before they start following the receiver. (This is probably an error in the locomotion system) This created HUGE seperation from WR and DB.

If you play someone on-line that is good. EVERYTHING you do is predicated around stopping the slant and drag routes. This leaves the deep ball, the running game, and in many cases the RB out of the backfield completely defenseless. The entire next patch needs to be making the pass defense better, MUCH BETTER. Also, I would like to see the breaking tackles toned WAY down as well. 80% of the tackling animations that play on a continuous basis has the ball carrier falling 2-3 yards forward as well. This needs to stop.....

[jyoung]

Quote: Originally Posted by ch46647

Slants and drag routes, run by people who know how to do them, are absolutely unstoppable in this game. The reaction time needs to be turned WAY up on defense. Also, if you go to practice mode and run a bunch of drags you will see defenders need to take an extra step or two before they start following the receiver. (This is probably an error in the locomotion system) This created HUGE seperation from WR and DB. If you play someone on-line that is good. EVERYTHING you do is predicated around stopping the slant and drag routes. This leaves the deep ball, the running game, and in many cases the RB out of the backfield completely defenseless. The entire next patch needs to be making the pass defense better, MUCH BETTER. Also, I would like to see the breaking tackles toned WAY down as well. 80% of the tackling animations that play on a continuous basis has the ball carrier falling 2-3 yards forward as well. This needs to stop.....

100% agreed.

Even against the best CBs in the game, basic routes such as drags and slants will be open all game long by a good 5-10 yards if the WR has decent acceleration and release.

Meanwhile, your defenders playing hook zones in the middle of the field just stand still and watch dumbfounded as the play develops right in front of them.

[LBzrule]

The slants and drags IMO is really an issue of not adding the complements into the game. Those routes would not be a problem if you could shade your coverage. But you are left to the A.I and it's decision making for the CB.

But as it stands I actually run plays that I never thought I would run and I'm doing decent against them. I've been running some cover 1 (no press) Robber and have had success against slants. Drags, are a different animal. I don't necessarily have a problem with people throwing them, I have a problem with the breaking of tackles when they have been completed AND sometimes your CB pivots AWAY from the WR at the start of the play and can never recover thus leaving the WR is wide open on the other side of the field because somehow the WR knows how to navigate through traffic, but your CB does not. And worse of all, if it is an auto-motion drag, unless you make assignments in the D game plan menu your CB and Safety or whoever the defender is inside the CB that has man coverage, they will switch and the defender that switches always stalls and gets confused leaving the drag wide open.