MAJOR Coverage Issue

[Vanilla_Gorilla]

In Zone Coverage, Defensive Backs aren’t reacting to defend passes until the ball is thrown.

This is a massive issue. This is why receivers are so wide open all the time leading to insanely high completion rates by quarterbacks.

I have 2 primary examples of that.

I ran Cover 4 against a Corner Route and Cover 3 against verts (yes I know verts beats Cover 3 but how the players react to the play is the key). Here’s how the safeties reacted in each play.

Cover 4 against the Corner: The corner route was the lone route to that side of the field so the safety and the linebacker in the seam flat were responsible for covering it. At the route break, the safety (He is the lone deep zone on the right side of the fieldH is facing the TE. The TE breaks on the route and the safety just stands there. The TE is wide open and the safety finally breaks on the route after the ball is thrown, but this is obviously way too late. Touchdown.

Cover 3 against the Verts. The QB threw to the TE in the slot on the up seam. Don’t really need to explain that. The safety in the middle of the field is the primary responsibility, but as with the previous example, he just stands there as the TE runs behind him. QB throws the ball and as with the previous example, the safety then reacts and attempts to make the play.

This is simply not how NFL defensive backs react to plays.

Also, in case anyone was wandering the 2 safeties were Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Both have at least 84 ZCV and 86 PRC. Jackson has 92 PRC and 87 ZCV and Simmons the former.

[Qcsports4]

I've read that a past patch is supposed to have improved coverage reactions in zones. I don't have Wi-Fi at home so I can't upload any patches and don't know if it's true or not. I do have a theory about why the CBs and Safties don't react quicker than they do and that's a programming botch. They are programmed to react at a certain point depending on how the WRs and TEs movements are programmed (along with the defense sliders adjustments). Try pressing the WRs at the line of scrimmage. Maybe if the CBs and Safties programmed movements are slow,if the WRs route movements are slowed due to being knocked off their regular route running,then that will cause the CBs and Safties programmed reactions to start sooner.

[roadman]

It could be a programming issue, it could be a AM, AP, Pro, or Rookie mode issue, it could be a sliders issue, etc.....

I'm seeing this stuff less and less on Pro and AP with sliders near 50.

I do see CB's chuck the WR thinking they have zone coverage, but to me, if the player has a 84 rating in ZC, that was still a B in school.

I'm not sure where the cutoff point is between a 84 rated or 90 rated or AM vs AP, vs Pro vs Rookie enters the equation.

All we can do is compare notes and see what we see.

[ParaAut]

You mention 2 plays where you didn't get the reaction you have expected.


Run the play 10 times in practice mode and see how your players react. If it's always the same, then try some adjustments to stop it. If you still see holes you can't defend, then user the defender and take away the hole. After all, it's still a game to be played and no NFL broadcast.


The game is far from perfect, but for all these plays there's usually an explaination and a way to stop it or make it much more difficult for the opponent.

[Vanilla_Gorilla]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

It could be a programming issue, it could be a AM, AP, Pro, or Rookie mode issue, it could be a sliders issue, etc..... I'm seeing this stuff less and less on Pro and AP with sliders near 50. I do see CB's chuck the WR thinking they have zone coverage, but to me, if the player has a 84 rating in ZC, that was still a B in school. I'm not sure where the cutoff point is between a 84 rated or 90 rated or AM vs AP, vs Pro vs Rookie enters the equation. All we can do is compare notes and see what we see.

I’ve heard people have better results with gameplay on AP. My only concern is the intelligence of the AI on AP. I always have blowout games because the AI’s intelligence is vastly reduced.

I have a feeling most of what I see is related to AM being geared to slighting the user for the challenge, which leads to all the wonky animations and poor play.

[PhillyPhanatic14]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Gorilla

I’ve heard people have better results with gameplay on AP. My only concern is the intelligence of the AI on AP. I always have blowout games because the AI’s intelligence is vastly reduced. I have a feeling most of what I see is related to AM being geared to slighting the user for the challenge, which leads to all the wonky animations and poor play.

Totally agree with your experience on AP. Always blowouts.

I have the most success playing variations of Cover 3 out of Nickel and I user one of the LB's. Usually whichever one is on the side with the TE. The outside guys do a good job if they're not pressing, or if you adjust them to play over the top when you press, and I can usually take away the middle of the field with my LB.

[Shosum13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Gorilla

I’ve heard people have better results with gameplay on AP. My only concern is the intelligence of the AI on AP. I always have blowout games because the AI’s intelligence is vastly reduced. I have a feeling most of what I see is related to AM being geared to slighting the user for the challenge, which leads to all the wonky animations and poor play.

I like all pro for user vs user play, but play on all madden for my solo franchises vs the CPU because I can't get all pro to be challenging even with slider adjustments. I might not be seeing all of the issues you listed in the original post but am definitely seeing issues with zone defense both on all madden and all pro. For the most part I think the issues mostly all tie to the way the a.i. drops to a spot in their zone immediately and don't react until the ball is thrown. If the pass gets out fast enough and is accurate it usually gets to the WR before they can make a play on it. What they should be doing is flowing with the play within their general zone which would leave them in much better positions to make a play on the ball but I don't know how easy it is to program that a.i.

[Vanilla_Gorilla]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shosum13

I like all pro for user vs user play, but play on all madden for my solo franchises vs the CPU because I can't get all pro to be challenging even with slider adjustments. I might not be seeing all of the issues you listed in the original post but am definitely seeing issues with zone defense both on all madden and all pro. For the most part I think the issues mostly all tie to the way the a.i. drops to a spot in their zone immediately and don't react until the ball is thrown. If the pass gets out fast enough and is accurate it usually gets to the WR before they can make a play on it. What they should be doing is flowing with the play within their general zone which would leave them in much better positions to make a play on the ball but I don't know how easy it is to program that a.i.

How far they drop back is definitely an issue. LB’s never drop back far enough and in Cover 2 specifically the CB’s in the soft zones always drop back too far leaving the flats wide open.

Personally I think they just need to remove “Hard Flat” from the game entirely and just focus on DB reaction time programming in Cover 2