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Looking for help here:

The worst part of my game is pass rush, namely lack of sacks by my defensive ends. Either it's another example of Madden's realism or I just suck at getting sacks. But I had this problem with the 2003 version with Hugh Douglas, too.
What are some tricks to get better penetration by the DL?

I was never able to get consistent pressure by DLs in either Madden 2003 or 2004. Typically, what I did on defense was to blitz like a deranged monkey with SARS for most of the game and occasionally, when I suspected a pass, drop back into a zone and watch the DBs pick the ball.

The only defense that I could generate good pressure from was the LB blitz in the dime defense ... I would shift or spread the line and/or linebacker every down to get the pressure coming from different directions. Of course, if you use this defense on anything other than obvious passing downs you're gonna get run over. Also, I tended to get burned on crossing routes over the middle, but this defense gave me the best chance for a sack.

In general, I could generate decent pressure but few sacks by just throwing constant blitz and dog schemes at the QB. I would blitz anybody I could, safeties, corners, linebackers, whatever I had to do. Pressure on the QB is everything. It's way better to consistantly force the QB to throw bad passes than to get a sack or two every game. I was lucky to get 2 sacks in any game, but I usually had both Taylor and Vincent as among the top CBs in terms of interceptions and sometimes held teams with shaky QBs to under 100 yards passing. It's also important to be able to stop the sweep.

I've found putting your best pass rusher at LDE and taking control of RDE usually gets the 'puter to focus on you. "You" own't get the sacks, but it seems to generate better pass rushes.

This is a bit off-topic, but I've been racking up the interceptions by using the Dime Flat formation and either the Cover 2 or Cover 2-Edge defense on obvious passing downs. The Cover 2-Edge had the added bonus of getting Cory Simon in there for sacks. I think he finished the season with 26 sacks and all my DBs except Sheppard had at least 5 picks. I had Bobby Taylor score 21 points one game.

I don't even care how the first half goes any more as long as I can stay in it. The trick is to get the CPU out of a ball-control offense and then most teams just fall apart against that defense. Since there are only 2 DBs deep and they mostly stay in the center of the field, the CPU sometimes gets big plays by running deep out routes, but I'm willing to give up 1 or 2 TDs a game if I'm getting 4 picks and forcing punts all the time in the 2nd half.

On offense, I use a strangely familiar pattern of lots of rushing alternating between Duce and Buck, and then moving Buck or LJ Smith into the FB postion and throwing to him from running positions. All standard "packages," no subsitutions or anything fancy like that. Almost all my passes are for 10 yards or less. It takes me 12 or 13 plays to go 80 yards, but it's a tough offense to stop since the CPU oftentimes focuses on the deep ball and the run.

you guys got x-box? let me kick your asses!

I'll tell you what, uber. I hate the Cover 2 in the nickel formation. Everytime I picked it, the CPU ate my lunch. The C2 works really well against 2TE sets from the 4-3. When I need dime, I avoid zone and lock on man to man.

Cover 2 works for me in obvious passing downs ... 3rd and 8 or longer. However, I sometimes get SUPER burned on long streak routes up the sidelines. If the receiver gets the ball deeper than about 15 yards when I'm playing a cover 2 zone, it's a TD. When the ball gets close to the receiver on those plays, I get that sinking feeling in my stomach that I got when I watched the Eagles-Colts game last year where Marvin Harrison greased up and penetrated the safeties.

Rereading your post, AE, and thinking about it ... I almost never use cover 2 in any formation other than dime. It's rare that I'll use cover 2 from the nickel, and then only if there's a blitz scheme that I want to use that only appears in cover 2 plays.

The 4-3 Cover 2 formations work really well against the 2 TE sets that some teams like to employ. I wouldn't use it for goal line with less than four yards to go, but the zone scheme keeps the linebackers away from the tie-up blocks the TEs use. For goal line, I've found it tough to stop four chances from 1-2 yards out. However, calling a man goal-line D, spread the D line out, works well. The LBs are close enough to the middle to give a fair shot at gut runs and close enough to the sidelines to string the play out and maybe get a corner in on it. I move a safety to one side or the other. Having him in the middle doesn't seem to pay dividends.

I use nickel/cover2 as my base defense and only go out of it if they are slicing me up.

I just play press and harass the passer into throwing picks.

As for getting sacks, I go directly against AE's style.

I control the LDE and let the right do what he pleases. I like the get off the ball a little bit with my man and try each OT at every angle I can get- sometimes split really far on the edge, sometimes 1 or 2 yards behind the line on the OT's outside or inside shoulder, etc.

I use the speed burst and just try tweaking in any way I can- like starting outside, cutting to the inside shoulder of the OT and hitting L1 or that exact move flipped (start inside, go outside, hit R1).

If you have Mcdougle, there are times when you can spit wide and just beat the OT (if he is slow) to the corner and get a sack unbtouched.

I also like the slide the DL around (with the L1). If you can get them moving at the time the ball is snapped, sometimes it just looks like a stunt and they blow right through a gap almost completely untouched.

If you have Corey Simon and Mcdougle, you have a good stat to a pass rush- both were dominant for me.

If you don't mind trading for player, I think Peppers is the best in Madden- he's got the speed anfd size and while his stregnth is okay, you may want to work on that in Training camp mode (trench fight). If you just decide to go with Mcdougle, he can be a force, but you should alos get his stregnth up.

Also, if you really just can't get a pass rush at all, by any means, think about adjusting the sliders. I know some th9ink it's cheesy, and don;t make it too easy for you....BUT the reason they are there is so you can customize the game to your skill level/preference within the actual gameplay levels.

If you turn the "break block" up for your defense and the "pass blocking" down for the AI, you will notice that while it's not a gimme every time, you get a little "luckier" with the pass rush, on occasion.

Oh, and AE- for Goal line syands, I have had a lot of success with "Jam Cover", I think it's called that.

I also talk great advantage of the substitutions feature...I hate going into goal line and seeing my OLB with his hand on the ground, anchoring the corner of my d-line on the wide side......pancake waiting to happen.

I never noticed it was an OLB. I thought they put in an extra DT. Thanks.

What level do you play?

Normally All-Pro, but I tinker in All-Madden from time to time.

This season in my franchise, I am playing All-pro with some sliders adjusted to help my pass rush.

I also extended the quarters to 8 minutes because the league talent pool is startng to drop- basically using the extra time to develop other players who can be traded to raise the level of league play.

I know it may sound kinda on the cheese, but I was tired of seeing QBs who could barely crack the 70 rating barrier.....I'm thinking about just starting over and seeing how some adjustments to sliders affect the AI play and development of players on other teams.

I am in 13 or so of my franchise- has anyone else started to notice a drop in talent at some point in their franchise?

Never went that far in. You're killing yourself with quarters that short. Gotta go 15 minutes, accelerated clock. In short, you have to put up obscene numbers to develop both parts of the game (running and passing).

I tinkered with All-Madden. Played a couple seasons. Found myself getting too frustrated with the bullshit. I want to have fun when I play.

I know hat you mean with All-madden....I usually like to pick my spots with it (importnt division game late in the season, etc.), but the thing that pisses me off about it is the game doesn't get any harder, more messed up stuff just happens.

A great example is the coverage is almost as tight in all-pro, but in All-Madden, your receiver will fumble after he catches it.

As for the 15 minute quarters ACC clokc- does that help the AI controlled players develop better?

Yeah, your linemen develop really well. If you're clicking, you can get a 2,000+ yard runner and at least two 1,000 yard receivers (more yards or receivers to 1,000 is also possible).

I decided to sim about six or seven seasons to get some perspective. I didn't bother doing intense re-negotiations and ran into cap hell. Also, the team lost a ton of games. Two seasons before I knew I'd start, I purged the roster of bloated contracts (read: OL, McNabb), traded them for picks, signed the picks to long term deals. Some picks, it's not in your interest to signfor seven eyars. Others, it makes sense. I'm sure there's a formula.

Rookie QB, 2nd year RB, young talent all around. I think I'm in year 6 or 7.

I would have some trouble winning without McNabb sometimes. A lot of times I'll run for 60 yards with him and I can't do that with a slower QB. Also, when he scrambles a lot, the CPU will have someone spy him. I take advantage of this by sending my receivers on shallow (6 - 8 yard) routes across the middle.

If the reciever is running right-to-left, for example, and he's got the coverage beat or is up against a zone, I'll dump off to him quickly. If it's tighter or it takes me more time to recognize what's going on, I'll pull McNabb RIGHT (towards the receiver) and the spy follows. By the time I'm ready to throw, the receiver is past the spy and that's one less defender to worry about.

I played the Patriots in the Super Bowl one season and McNabb won the game with scrambling and forcing the spy. I was having trouble running up the middle because the Pats LB were too fast and I couldn't throw deep because their secondary was too alert and would pick off everything thrown their way. These short routes were all I had to work with. Short passes to receivers and my FB were how I got through that game.

I need a QB who can scramble a bit, too.

It's not so much for the yardage in my case, but avoiding the pass rush and running manual boots on 3rd or 4th down when it's 4 yards or less.

I had to trade Mcnabb when he was about 33 years old in my franchise because his contract negotiations led him into the $20 or so million per year range.

Ad for developing players, I havthe sliders set so my lineman are able to hold blocks a little bit better in the run blocking area- this, combined with a QB who can buy time in the backfield, gives my lineman a lot of opportunity for pancakes and I have bee able to get away with shadier lineman + development as opposed to pricey veterans, for the most part.

Another trick that has served me well is using the manual subsitutions on the per formation basis. For instance, I run out of the strong formation constantly and very rarely pass out it (the only play I pass out of in that formation is designed to go to my fullback), so I substitute a lineman for my TE in that formation.

I like to use either a gaurd or tackle that is young with a good mix of RB/PB skills (anything arounf 83/83 or better) and don't worry about any other aspect of their skill set.

I can usually get about 100 or more pancakes over the course of the season out of that player and very, very few sacks (because I don't really pass out of it) and by the time my starting OT/OG decides he wants a pay raise, my development player is usually 3 or so years in, an 85 overall, and ready to step in for the pricey starter.

I also sign any player I know I ccan build around to a long term extension.

For instance, speed is virtually the only concern I have for my WRs. Size is a bonus, as is jumping ability, ACC, and hands, but everything else can be built up but speed (which is completely random and not guaranteed). I have found that I can draft a WR with 99 speed who is about a 65 overall or so, sign him to a 7 year deal for little money, and start him right off the bat if I need to.

Speed, actually, is my first concern for most positions- almost every other category is reasonably simple to improve through training camp, pre-season, and regular season.

Because of my ability to develop O-lineman, RBs, QBs, and WRs fairly easily, my cap hasn't been a problem since year 7 or so.

At this point, I'm about $20 million under and have impact players all over my roster eeven though their rating my have them seeing pine on some other squads.

One more trick that has served me well in reards to cap hell is when players hold out, unless they are critcally important, I just sign them to a 1 year deal with no bonus and whatever base salary they accept without a bonus (it's usally obscenely high) and just deal them for picks.

The only bonus money you are on the hook for is the prorated portion from their last contract, so it works out really well and they become someone elses money problem.

This trick only works if you have cap room to sign them to the big 1 year deal before you trade them, but signing the guys I know I want to keep to 7 year deal right out of college has given the space I need.

One last trick for today....If you don't mind being cheesy from time to time....

If you turn off the trade deadline, before the last week of the season, picks are worth even money for the most part.

For instance, If I am 14-1 going into the last week and San Diego is 1-14 going into week 17, I can trade my 1t and 2nd round pick straight up for their 1st and 2nd round pick.

I don't do it every year, but I have done it before when I know there is a guy I'm importing that I really, really want.

It works straight down the line if you use it (If you have 3 first round picks, you can trade all 3 of them for the first, second, and thrid overall picks in the draft, etc.)

I know, I know....but it's fun :)

I let the CPU deal with the cap and signing players. After the Super Bowl, or the playoff if I get rubbed out before the big game, I just smoke a fatty and let the CPU draft, sign, trade, and do whatever it wants. Then I save it right away and go through training camp. I usually only even play 1 or 2 preseason games.

Right now I'm on year 3 of my franchise and Bobby Taylor is the only "big-name" player that's gone. Detmer and AJ Feely, I believe, are both gone as is Westbrook. LJ took over for Chad, Lito and Sheldon are #2 and #3 corners after Vincent and I have some rookie as my dime back. That rookie has had 3 picks in the first three games of the season, and returned 2 of them for touches down. I have a rookie receiver as the 5th receiver (behind McMullen) that I'm really working with cause he's FAST.

Like I said earlier, my defensive style generates a lot of interceptions. I send 5 guys in every down except on obvious passing downs in which I use a cover 2 zone with the 4 corners and LB all playing within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. I've had games where my defense outscores my offense. Near the goal line, I blitz like a freak. Seven guys are not uncommon for me in those situations, plus sometimes I will manually bring the safeties up to the line.

I think part of my favoritism towards McNabb is that I sometimes run around a lot in the backfield in addition to running with my QB. When I first moved to New York, I used to play Madden with my friend and he HATED when I played with the Eagles because he'd get me in 3rd and long and I'd send my receivers deep and then just take off with McNabb.

I started playing other teams after that so that he wouldn't get so pissed and when I'd take off with the QB it was like watching ketchup come out of the bottle.

uber,
You may already know this, but playing the pre-season games pays off, development wise.

I also found it worth drafting for speed. Problem is, the 40 times (and the other) are not really great indicators. You can have a guy run a 4.4 and he shows up with 87 speed. It probably doesn't make a huge difference, but I require my WRs to have at least 90 speed. Size? I pump them all up and stretch them on a rack until I have a fleet of 6'2", 230lbs WRs.

I also organize their numbers and equipment for uniformity. Starters get one series (70s for starting OL, 60 for backups. 90s for starting DL and LBs, 50s for backups, and so on). All persons of the same position must be outfitted identically. No tattoos (though I may institute a tattoo grading system, based on years with the team). Fade cuts or crop cuts only. If the kid is a future star, I'll let him have a dark visor. And I change gay sounding names (like "Derik" I change it to the normal spelling or pick a new one).

YIKES!

I didn't mean Derrick was a gay sounding name. I mean when the spelling is butchered.

Dammit. Made it back on the shit list.

> No tattoos

Your brother know about this?

How do you think it went over with Mrs AE?

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