Option Pitch Questions

[Noble Evildoer]

I have a couple of questions regarding the option pitch in this game.

1. Is there a rating that governs how well a QB pitches the ball? I've screwed around with the game some and played around with having a RB in the QB spot for option plays. However, the RB would almost always make awful pitches.

2. Does anybody else feel the pitch is seemingly random? I find that there are times when I hit the pitch button with nobody near me and the QB won't pitch it and then gets tackled. And then in other cases they will make pitches while getting hit that would make Steve Nash jealous.

[BaylorBearBryant]

Pitch success might be linked to QB accuracy or some other attribute. Not sure though.

[WipeOut464]

Quote: Originally Posted by Noble Evildoer

I have a couple of questions regarding the option pitch in this game. 1. Is there a rating that governs how well a QB pitches the ball? I've screwed around with the game some and played around with having a RB in the QB spot for option plays. However, the RB would almost always make awful pitches. 2. Does anybody else feel the pitch is seemingly random? I find that there are times when I hit the pitch button with nobody near me and the QB won't pitch it and then gets tackled. And then in other cases they will make pitches while getting hit that would make Steve Nash jealous.

That happens to me constantly. It gets me stabby just thinking about it.

[GOIRISH65]

It’s horrible. I’m trying to run triple and power options. Seems like holding the pitch button and pitching super early works. But makes it hard to really read the option. Drives me nuts. I keep recruiting option kings and it doesn’t seem to make a difference although it’s supposed to allow for more accurate quick pitches.

[spike83]

I no longer enjoy running the option now; I really believe something changed soon after launch as I had no issues until recently...

[PPerfect_CJ]

Option pitch is virtually an automatic turnover for me, right now. I think something in that last patch made it wonky. When I see it pop up on the suggested play calls screen, I say to myself, "yeah, the cpu just wants the ball."

[jello1717]

As a spread option guy, I run tons of pitches (prolly 10+ per game). I run triple options (both from dual back or with a motioning WR), speed options, shovel options, load options, slot options, etc. They’re definitely responsible for a lot of my big runs.

Luckily I don’t have the turnover issues you guys are (are these spread option pitches or under center pitches that cause issues?). I do know the bad pitches you’re talking about and agree they’re too frequent, but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to not run pitches. My QB has had 5 bad pitches thru 9 games this season (luckily my HB has fallen on all but 1 of them for “only” a 10 yard loss). With 10+ pitches per game that’s about 5% of pitches for me. Certainly too high, but manageable.

I’ve found that option king helps a ton and I prolly wouldn’t play a QB without it (but I’m a spread option guy, so duh). (in fact, I just checked my roster and all 4 QBs, including my true FR that’s RSing have at least bronze option king) I’m not sure how much it helps with the terrible pitches that sail past the pitch guy, but they absolutely help with the accuracy of quick pitches and prevent a lot of the ones that are behind the pitch guy, forcing him to pirouette and kill his forward momentum.

[pietasterp]

I'm with the OP and the first several posters on here. I find the options un-useable at this point, and it's definitely different from when the game was first released. I'd say I have a bad pitch at least once or twice per game at this point, which makes the play sort of un-useable if you know there's a 20% chance of a fumble every time you run it.

I have also seen where I clearly (audibly!) hit the pitch button and my QB just doesn't pitch it for whatever reason, and then gets tackled. In my experience, the option pitch game is not functioning properly.

It's really hard for me to believe that they haven't gotten this right in all the years they've been making football games. I understand not making the pitch an auto-bail out button, and you shouldn't be able to make wacky line-drive pitches while in the middle of being tackled, but for any other situations, the pitch should be relatively on-point. Teams simply wouldn't run it if it weren't. Also, option QB's will often take it to the edge, and wait until they are basically just starting to get tackled before pitching it, since this is basically the design of the play (wait until the defender commits to tackling you, then pitch). It's not cheesy, it's how the play is designed to be run in real-life.

I think one of the issues is that the game doesn't have a variety of pitch outcomes; there's basically just the line-drive or softer pitch either directly to the HB or way off target. In reality, most pitches are generally toward to HB, but if the QB gets nailed or mis-times it or just doesn't do a good job on the pitch, the pitch can go a little off-target or a little behind the HB (causing him to have to adjust and slow down), or anything in between. In other words, there should be a variety of pitch/catch animations just like there are for forward passes - with different RAC animations based on how good the pitch was.

As it is, there are essentially only 2 outcomes: perfect pitch or fumble.