How do you play great defense?

[football5680]

I have been playing my dynasty and it doesn't matter how good my defense is i am giving up a bunch of points. I can shut down the run super easy but in the passing game i give up way too much. i am like 90th in the nation in pass defense but #1 in run defense. Can you give me what playbook is the best or plays that are the best to shut down any type of pass, and what should i set the gameplan to. i set it to aggressive because that has been working better than normal or conservative.

[Joshua1207]

The 4-2-5 and Multiple D are good playbooks.

[Roggie]

I have a very good defense and I NEVER put anything to aggressive.

[Dan@ISU]

Run the 4-2-5 in my dynasty. Set D-Line to Aggressive and Big Hit and Strip Ball to Conservative.

Seems to work pretty well.

[UnderRatedCoast]

The big thing that keeps my defense with good ratings is to make sure you always have safety help over the top. Seems like you can play a perfect game defensively, but just have one play where you got greedy and blitzed too many guys, then your DB has his tackle broken and there's no one stopping the WR from high stepping into the end zone on an 85 yard pass play. Those big ones will kill. So I'll play a lot of zone with man over the top (4-3 playbook), then more zone inside the red zone to prevent guys from catching the ball on the 5 and running it in. Also if you change your Zone strategy to aggressive once you get closer to the endzone, you won't have so many receivers standing on the goalline with no defenders in front of them. Make sure you switch it back later though, or you're getting burnt deep. If I'm playing a game where a QB is lighting me up over the middle, I'll use a lot of 3-3 nickel defense where the two OLBs play curl zone, with one safety deep and everyone else in man. It cuts down on the dinks and dunks over the middle to the TE and RB. If you're getting beat deeper, I'll play the same set, but with two safeties over the top, with the MLB in curl zone and everyone else in man. I also always control the LBs on the underneath stuff. It allows me to also spy the QB and make sure they don't scramble. I always set my DL to aggressive, and my pass defense to go for the pick. If I have a good team, I'll set my tackling to go for the big hit, but if you are using a bad team you need to go for the sure tackle to make sure your DBs don't have their tackles broken by that WR when he's the only one between the man and the end zone. I never set to go for the strip because it always seems to result in a facemask penalty. But you'll usually have to adjust your overall strategy based on the team you're playing. Some QBs will panic on the blitz, so if you just blitz two guys and bump and run the WRs, he'll throw the ball while your DBs are still engaged with the WRs. Some QBs with higher AWR love when you blitz and will always get the ball to the open receiver. Just got to make small adjustments until you get it right. Every game will be different. Oh yeah, and the one thing I've been doing since the first time they started telling you what package the offense is playing with is to match your CBs with the number of receivers. If they have 3 WRs, make sure you have at least 3 CBs on the field. If they have two WRs, you can change it up and play with just two CBs, If they have 4 WRs, go into dime. Match their speed with yours, and that's the best way to neutralize what they are doing.

[psumason]

Quote: Originally Posted by UnderRatedCoast

The big thing that keeps my defense with good ratings is to make sure you always have safety help over the top. Seems like you can play a perfect game defensively, but just have one play where you got greedy and blitzed too many guys, then your DB has his tackle broken and there's no one stopping the WR from high stepping into the end zone on an 85 yard pass play. Those big ones will kill. So I'll play a lot of zone with man over the top (4-3 playbook), then more zone inside the red zone to prevent guys from catching the ball on the 5 and running it in. Also if you change your Zone strategy to aggressive once you get closer to the endzone, you won't have so many receivers standing on the goalline with no defenders in front of them. Make sure you switch it back later though, or you're getting burnt deep. If I'm playing a game where a QB is lighting me up over the middle, I'll use a lot of 3-3 nickel defense where the two OLBs play curl zone, with one safety deep and everyone else in man. It cuts down on the dinks and dunks over the middle to the TE and RB. If you're getting beat deeper, I'll play the same set, but with two safeties over the top, with the MLB in curl zone and everyone else in man. I also always control the LBs on the underneath stuff. It allows me to also spy the QB and make sure they don't scramble. I always set my DL to aggressive, and my pass defense to go for the pick. If I have a good team, I'll set my tackling to go for the big hit, but if you are using a bad team you need to go for the sure tackle to make sure your DBs don't have their tackles broken by that WR when he's the only one between the man and the end zone. I never set to go for the strip because it always seems to result in a facemask penalty. But you'll usually have to adjust your overall strategy based on the team you're playing. Some QBs will panic on the blitz, so if you just blitz two guys and bump and run the WRs, he'll throw the ball while your DBs are still engaged with the WRs. Some QBs with higher AWR love when you blitz and will always get the ball to the open receiver. Just got to make small adjustments until you get it right. Every game will be different. Oh yeah, and the one thing I've been doing since the first time they started telling you what package the offense is playing with is to match your CBs with the number of receivers. If they have 3 WRs, make sure you have at least 3 CBs on the field. If they have two WRs, you can change it up and play with just two CBs, If they have 4 WRs, go into dime. Match their speed with yours, and that's the best way to neutralize what they are doing.

I think I just realized that something from your post and reading another thread. I play online dynasties and I have a blast but sometimes the wait can be tedious while some guys travel for work and such so I've now thought of a way to scout the opposing teams (more the CPU vs Human) but should work. Your sentence about the awareness is something that I've never ever looked at. I actually have never gone in and looked at an opposing team's attributes at all, but now I think I'm going to look at them and try to figure out when a QB has an awareness at such and such I should blitz him more often vs sitting back and playing pass protection. To me some QB's get rid of the ball rather quickly (higher awareness) compared to others that will dance in the pocket and take the sack. If I can find that balance and prepare for the upcoming game by doing so it will add that much more fun to the overall gameplay.

[InspectahDeck]

I like to run the 4-3 myself. How far into your dynasty are you? What type of ratings does your secondary have for coverage man/zone and press. You could be playing to much man or zone when your players are better at the opposite. Trying to press all the time and your players are poor at press. What types of pass plays normally beat your coverage? Is it as simple as you picking a poor coverage for the down/play. I like to mix up my coverages all the time. I only recruit players who have over a B on man/zone coverages and let it slide to a C+ on one if they have great press coverage skills. I refuse to go lower than a 4.44 on any of my CB's being recruited. I like having my FS and SS over the top a good bit of the time. If your in a 2nd or 3rd and long for the offense and they got 4 or 5 wide I would zone on them and use the MLB or DE. That way you won't have guys breaking free of CB's and you can still stop a run play easily if your on the MLB.

I always like to use my DE on every third down against the CPU when it's a pass play. You get pressure on the QB and cause quicker throws into your zone coverage. Which player do you use for most of your snaps on defense? If it's the FS or SS maybe you should think about switching to a LB or DL. I always use big hits and aggressive DL. Most of all turnovers are your friend! Especially fumbles off of big hits. You know your normally going to get 1-3 INT's most games but if you can force 1-2 fumbles and recover them it goes a long way.

[UnderRatedCoast]

Quote: Originally Posted by psumason

I think I just realized that something from your post and reading another thread. I play online dynasties and I have a blast but sometimes the wait can be tedious while some guys travel for work and such so I've now thought of a way to scout the opposing teams (more the CPU vs Human) but should work. Your sentence about the awareness is something that I've never ever looked at. I actually have never gone in and looked at an opposing team's attributes at all, but now I think I'm going to look at them and try to figure out when a QB has an awareness at such and such I should blitz him more often vs sitting back and playing pass protection. To me some QB's get rid of the ball rather quickly (higher awareness) compared to others that will dance in the pocket and take the sack. If I can find that balance and prepare for the upcoming game by doing so it will add that much more fun to the overall gameplay.

Hmmm, that's actually a really good idea.

[knaw46]

Sometimes being over aggressive is the best thing to do. An example is often on third and long, I go into either nickel, or the 1-5-5, and bring six people after the qb. I put everyone in one on one coverage, no safety help, with bump n run coverage. Why? Because I'm going to get to the qb so quick none of his receivers will make it over 10 yards. I only play online, never against the CPU, so this is humans adjusting to this. When I first started doing it, I peppered it in to just mix it in. Now I seriously run something like that 1 out of 5 times. If you are under center passing, you're gonna be sacked. If you're running, you're not going to get much. And to be honest, I rarely, rarely get burned for it. Every once in a while, sure. I know someone reading this is probably thinking "i would go deep on you every time" or "slants would kill that" but you'd be surprised. With the new qb animations when they get hit, often balls are up in the air for picks. If you mix it in right, people won't be able to key in on it. In the third quarter when people pick it up, I fake man align/bump when i'm really in a zone. love getting picks off that too.

I've got a pretty good online record, and I can tell you that people that sit back in cover 3's and heavy coverage get demolished. Bring a good mix of zone and man blitzes, and you'll do good.

One more tip, great 3rd and long play. Pick 3-2-6, cover 3 press. Press the coverage, pass commit. Then, change to the corner on the weak side of the field that is covering the flat. Bring him to the line, and go straight for the qb. You're only bringing a 4 man rush, plus you're bringing a fast corner off the edge at a qb. That corners assignment is useless in 3rd and long because rarely do people throw it in the flats to beat you on 3rd and long. Great coverage + easy pressure.

[jello1717]

Quote: Originally Posted by psumason

I think I just realized that something from your post and reading another thread. I play online dynasties and I have a blast but sometimes the wait can be tedious while some guys travel for work and such so I've now thought of a way to scout the opposing teams (more the CPU vs Human) but should work. Your sentence about the awareness is something that I've never ever looked at. I actually have never gone in and looked at an opposing team's attributes at all, but now I think I'm going to look at them and try to figure out when a QB has an awareness at such and such I should blitz him more often vs sitting back and playing pass protection. To me some QB's get rid of the ball rather quickly (higher awareness) compared to others that will dance in the pocket and take the sack. If I can find that balance and prepare for the upcoming game by doing so it will add that much more fun to the overall gameplay.

This is off topic, but anywho...

I don't scout teams for that particular reason, but I always scout teams (user or CPU) before I play them. I'll check out the depth chart 1st to look for mobile QBs, fast runners/receivers, fast corners that I can't streak past, slow corners that my guys can run past, poor DL/LBs that I should run at, etc. I'll also check their game stats (especially for user games) to try to get a feel for their tendencies.