Real defensive strategies that have worked

[GOIRISH65]

Not tricking AI or glitch blitzing etc. real stuff that you’ve found to work. I coached HS ball for 24 years. So I like to look at REAL stuff. Not too many crazy pre snap adjustments etc.

Here’s what I have found

1- I’ve had best success with non match coverages myself aside from some quarters vs run on early downs although I’ll also run 4 deep true zone not quarters read on 3rd and really long. . I like to run 3 and 2 a lot. I run man free and zero to blitz. I have liked using shading w zone and man. I frequently shade my zones underneath and often also inside or outside. Long yardage I have shaded over top as well. I always inside shade in man and zero. Some press and some not. Often I shade under as well in man bc under and inside takes quick game away and gives me about 3 sec for the blitz to get there. Occasionally in long yardage blitz I’ll shade inside and overtop bc routes take longer to develop.

Recently I’ve started to use more shells. Not all the time. I want the opponent to trust what they see 70 percent of the time so the other thirty I lull them into bad decisions. My favorite - I like showing 2 and running 3 sky bc 3 is good deep middle and vs corners where cover 2 is weak so they might throw a pick and it discourages short flat throws and seams which hurt my 3 sky. I will also show 4 and play 3 but I like showing 4 play 2 even better bc it looks like underneath wil be there but we’re playing 5 underneath. I will occasionally play show 3 play 2 but that’s a little diceier bc that safety has to get back. I stay away from show 2 or 3 and play 4 bc you can get beat deep in the game w how it’s shown. I also don’t like to show Any man and play zone or vice versa bc guys can be out way out of position for their assignment. Instead I show blitz and then undo it right before the snap.

More to come…

[Collegefbfan]

I do a lot of the same things you do. I am trying to get better usering another position besides defensive line. One thing I have started doing on obvious passing situations for the CPU is user a defensive end and play a part of the field. First, I check for a CPU player to see if he is headed for the hard flats area, the l quickly retreat wherever I can see another player. I might not get a lot of picks, but it does allow a sack to come through a few times here and there. I also do some loop blitzes. Take my defensive lineman and user him. Go from the edge behind the other linemen and come up the middle.

[GOIRISH65]

Part 2

Other coverage adjustments - if they throw to the flats a lot I like to go hard corners and maybe even press but with outside leverage. Ditto vs option run and toss schemes. Although I can sometimes (especially vs a human opponent) run quarters against this and read #2 like in real life and if they run block I’m downhill w the safety. But you can get smoked on playaction if you’re not careful especially vs the cpu with this.

I don’t totally match personnel. But I like to play my base 4-3 or 3-4 vs 21 personnel (2 backs 1 TE sets) and often vs 12 or 11 (one back and one to two TE sets). I run nicks mostly vs 4 wides and vs all of the above sometimes on third and long. Again I like underneath shading in zone coverage when it’s not third and 12 or more. I do sometimes use double mug. I like to man blitz but I also change it up and run cov 3 and 2 so they can’t totally predict when they see it. And save the man blitz for when I need it most. But I don’t sit in it and I don’t have much more than 3 2 and man blitz out of it.

When they need to run on third and 4th and short I like to run 3-4 bear or 4-6 defense and load the line and cover the natural bubbles upfront.

In Goalline I only use goaline man and only inside the 5.

Vs no huddle the game seems to slant unfairly to the offense in terms of how restricted we are for calls. So I like to not get stuck in a defense that doesn’t allow audibles to other similar personel groups. I also like to call quarters bc I have my audibles in lost formations set to cover 3 sky. Cover 2, man free and cover zero. Then if they go no huddle I have 5 calls and coverages to run.

Almost forgot man under 2 deep in nickle with inside and underneath shading can be very good vs spread to pass teams.

[GOIRISH65]

I have also tried as you said some twist stunts by twisting my end around the DT and vice versa on pass downs. But it’s hard to get the timing right. I have tried usering the mlb. But in zones I’m bad against the pass. I do like to read blitz if he’s in man vs a running back. Then your either covering screen or flare but if he blocks you bring him too.

[moTIGS]

Quote: Originally Posted by GOIRISH65

I have also tried as you said some twist stunts by twisting my end around the DT and vice versa on pass downs. But it’s hard to get the timing right. I have tried usering the mlb. But in zones I’m bad against the pass. I do like to read blitz if he’s in man vs a running back. Then your either covering screen or flare but if he blocks you bring him too.

I haven't done it in awhile because I've been focusing on learning to play with safeties a bit, but a few months ago I felt like I'd nailed the manual DE/DT stunts. It's so satisfying when you get the timing and everything just right and get that DE screaming down the middle untouched.

Side note: If you want to "learn to play with safeties a bit," it helps if you're not usering a freshman run stopper with 87 speed and 88 acceleration while dropping him into deep coverage. I got excited about a four-star elite dev safety with zero skill caps and decided I was gonna learn to use him and completely overlooked the fact that he's slow. After a few times trying to bait a QB into throwing a pick and getting burned, I finally noticed I was trying to cover guys deep with 10 more speed.

[GOIRISH65]

Yeah I get that. I’ve usered mlb before and still do when I fee up to it. But I’m terrified of controlling secondary for the most part bc of getting burned deep. The one exception is in quarters I have tried to control safety and read number 2 if he’s a TE. He blocks you come he goes out you cover. Good when you’re playing a human not so much vs cpu. Either way I always seem to give up one big TD on play action.

[pietasterp]

Quote: Originally Posted by GOIRISH65

Yeah I get that. I’ve usered mlb before and still do when I fee up to it. But I’m terrified of controlling secondary for the most part bc of getting burned deep. The one exception is in quarters I have tried to control safety and read number 2 if he’s a TE. He blocks you come he goes out you cover. Good when you’re playing a human not so much vs cpu. Either way I always seem to give up one big TD on play action.

I think against human opponents, you can control a DB if you want (and are confident enough - I'm not!) because they don't necessarily immediately exploit you being 1-2 steps out of position.

But against the CPU, I never user DB's, because the CPU seems to "know" which guy you are controlling, and the second you get out of position, they go right at your assignment and I get burned 99% of the time. I know that sounds conspiracy theory-ish, but after a few hundred hours with the game, I'm pretty confident that's what's happening.

You can sometimes exploit the CPU by controlling a DB covering a guy that you want the CPU to throw to, and intentionally get out of position (not a problem for me ) and then rally up for a pick or tackle for loss or whatever your strategy is, but I only do that when I know I have help in the coverage or am just generally bored on defense and want to try to manipulate the CPU into something for fun.

[GOIRISH65]

I agree. The cpu always goes right where your usering if you screw up a tiny bit in coverage.