Madden 17

[Aristo]

Buffalo could be fun, but Tyrod Taylor is the new Vick. The Chiefs should be pretty fun if you like to run and play defense. I wouldn't be able to play with the Rams. I grew up a football Cardinal fan, butI I was done with them once Bidwell left.

Honestly, this might be the perfect time to embrace MUT and Draft Champions. Just play with your favorite players.

[pk500]

I'm pondering if I get Madden... with the Rams gone.. do I still play with them or do I play with my other favorite team, the Buffalo Bills?

Maybe I'll just go with the Chiefs!

GO BILLS!

[MizzouRah]

I'm pondering if I get Madden... with the Rams gone.. do I still play with them or do I play with my other favorite team, the Buffalo Bills?

Maybe I'll just go with the Chiefs!

GO BILLS!

I forgot you were a Bills fan, oh yeah I think I'll go with them!

[Danimal]

https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/new ... -community

Franchise Mode improvements, practice squad, full editing. I'm slightly excited

[TCrouch]

Yeah, I saw some of that yesterday and was pretty impressed. But the zone coverage differences is the one that really got me going. 4 different flat zones? Curl seam zones that convert to man coverage with vertical routes? I know dudes in my league are probably going to throw 50 picks if it's even close to how they're explaining defensive coverage to change.

[Danimal]

Yeah, I saw some of that yesterday and was pretty impressed. But the zone coverage differences is the one that really got me going. 4 different flat zones? Curl seam zones that convert to man coverage with vertical routes? I know dudes in my league are probably going to throw 50 picks if it's even close to how they're explaining defensive coverage to change.

I must of missed this blog, it is hard to keep up.

[Aristo]

Yeah, I saw some of that yesterday and was pretty impressed. But the zone coverage differences is the one that really got me going. 4 different flat zones? Curl seam zones that convert to man coverage with vertical routes? I know dudes in my league are probably going to throw 50 picks if it's even close to how they're explaining defensive coverage to change.

One of my lazy tricks to slow down guys opponents that are really good at hot routes to exploit whatever coverage I am in is to just audible from a man play to a zone play or vice versa at the last second. I've had guys pick up delay of games, throw picks, intentionally ground the ball and generally just get paralyzed. Then it becomes cat and mouse, as he doesn't know if I will change or not. But regardless, I've reduced his ability to win match-ups by some degree.

So yeah, defenses that react to routes will probably cause some guys fits.

[TCrouch]

Yeah, you should play some of the dudes in the league I'm in, though. Steelers Cross is completely indefensible if you don't get pressure, and a bunch mesh with a streak hot route creating a high/low is insanely tough to stop. Just because the CPU AI isn't smart enough to learn how to flood the bunch side of the field and properly hand off assignments between each other.

Game is still fun, but you can mesh/outside toss your way to victory against most guys in MUT or randoms online. It's funny, one of the newer league members won 90% of his MUT and "randoms" games. Joined the league, immediately goes 2-14 and has to figure out how to play again. I've never been part of a league where every game seems to be a dogfight like the one I'm in now.

[Aristo]

Yeah, you should play some of the dudes in the league I'm in, though. Steelers Cross is completely indefensible if you don't get pressure, and a bunch mesh with a streak hot route creating a high/low is insanely tough to stop. Just because the CPU AI isn't smart enough to learn how to flood the bunch side of the field and properly hand off assignments between each other.

Game is still fun, but you can mesh/outside toss your way to victory against most guys in MUT or randoms online. It's funny, one of the newer league members won 90% of his MUT and "randoms" games. Joined the league, immediately goes 2-14 and has to figure out how to play again. I've never been part of a league where every game seems to be a dogfight like the one I'm in now.

I wish I had the time to commit to a league like that. I'm sure I would get killed, but I would learn a lot, too.

[Danimal]

Actually think the commentary sounds good in the videos I have seen.

[TCrouch]

I wish I had the time to commit to a league like that. I'm sure I would get killed, but I would learn a lot, too.

You're doing fine in the other one!

And yeah---I like the commentary. A lot, from what I've heard. The question is whether it'll be redundant or not. If what they say is true, it should take far longer for that to happen.

Reading all of the blogs on zone coverage and changes has me very hyped.

[Danimal]

And yeah---I like the commentary. A lot, from what I've heard. The question is whether it'll be redundant or not. If what they say is true, it should take far longer for that to happen.

I think it becomes redundant in every sports title, but if it is enjoyable it doesn't bother me. I might be up for a league this fall if you have spots btw.

[TCrouch]

Oh yeah, I've got a really small one going with a few of the guys from the bigger league. Just mostly CPU games and playing as we can, advancing on a non-strict schedule, etc. So you're welcome to join that one!

[Aristo]

I wish I had the time to commit to a league like that. I'm sure I would get killed, but I would learn a lot, too.

You're doing fine in the other one!

Threw three more TDs today, but lost 31-26, dropping to 0-4. It's the same deal, I fall behind, throwing picks, then rally to make it close.

Still having a blast though.

[Danimal]

Oh yeah, I've got a really small one going with a few of the guys from the bigger league. Just mostly CPU games and playing as we can, advancing on a non-strict schedule, etc. So you're welcome to join that one!

In 16? I'd be into one for 17 for sure

[TCrouch]

Yeah, still playing 16 but will be moving to 17 upon release.

[TCrouch]

We finished up the regular season of our last season in the league I'm running (only four of us...2 guys you won't know, and then Aristo and myself), but I'll be starting up a pretty strict league on M17 on day 1. If anybody is wanting to play, it'd be like this:

Owner mode.
No insane stats...if your WR gets to 150 yards, think about sitting him. Same with RBs. Qbs shouldn't be routinely throwing for more than 300, 350. Vary the playcalls, pretty standard "sim" stuff. The original version had a "close cam only" rule, as well as no switching on defense or switch-and-user catch-on-offense, but not sure if that will be needed with the way M17's changes have been.

But just gauging interest more than anything. I don't want it to be too big, as we look to advance every 2 or 3 days when the game is new.

[Aristo]

I think I might be guilty of a couple of those as examples, as my rookie QB and TE Jordan Reed were pretty darn prolific. Although, as my team got better, and I found a running game, it got less.

But I had to work my butt off to get Washington to a 7-9 record. It was a fun season.

[Danimal]

I'll play in 17 Terry but with my eyes I would be at a disadvantage if it is close up cam only.

[TCrouch]

Nah, some of that will be lessened until we figure out how it plays. We did close cam on the first version of the league to do exactly that....not provide a bird's eye view, and making passing the ball more difficult. We didn't follow it this past season, so it's not going to be an issue. If the swat mechanic truly works as the counter to the aggressive catch, then the user catch won't be an issue, either.

And Tom...yeah, I noticed Reed was catching like 2x as many passes as your WRs, but that's something that happens, especially to guys--I don't want to say "newer" at Madden, but maybe not accustomed to the defensive looks and coverages. Knowing that the CBs 2 yards off with the safeties split is usually Cover 2, but 7 yards deep might mean Cover 4. One up, one back with safeties offset could mean cover 6, or they could be showing one thing and running another, etc.

Early on, it's easy to hit the TE, especially for the Redskins because A) Jordan Reed is an absolute monster, and a mismatch for most LBs, and B) because it's closest to the line, and easiest to read. I mean, you were 0-4 and turning it over, and as the season went on you finished 7-5. That's progress and learning, and as your running game improved, those skewed games started lowering.

I'm not worried about guys like you, anyway. I'm worried about guys like in my "other" league, that can easily put up 800 yards passing if they wanted to against the CPU just running mesh corners with a streak hot route, etc.

I mean, you put up 4634 yards with a crap quarterback with 33 TDs--it's only the 26 INTs that created problems for you. That's a great season if the INTs come down. I only managed 4200 yards with Carr, but tossed 40 TDs to 16 picks and it was an MVP season. You don't even need to bring them down a BUNCH....Roethlisberger had the fewest in the league in the season at 9, and my normal goal is to go 10 or less. But the defensive fronts and looks are getting so crazy now that you're GOING to make mistakes. You just don't want to implode when it happens and have 3 or 4 in one game

But you look at Tight Ends, Jordan Reed had 1778 yards and 18 of your 33 TDs on 113 catches. If you were playing a user, they'd completely blanket him and that'd be it, in most cases. Especially when your top WR had 872 yards on 59 receptions, so almost half.

But I'm not much better...Amari Cooper had 106 catches for 1887 yards and 14 TDs, but he's faster and a nightmare for anybody 1 on 1, and my entire playbook is centered around having him all around the formation, running every route possible. My next WRs had 57 (Crabtree) and 52 catches (Seth Roberts), followed by my TE Walford (45 catches). But my progression is usually Amari-WR-WR-TE-checkdown. Early on, you might be making one progression and then the TE. I don't know, as we haven't played head to head, but learning those actual progressions is important. You obviously got better at it as the season went on, because I want to say you had almost 20 picks by midseason, so you must have figured it out

[Aristo]

I try to play as realistic as I can. on huge issue is that while my QB was pretty terrible, he had a 91 rating for short passing accuracy. It just plummeted from there. That's where the INTs would explode. So my reliance on Reed was more like my logical go to. One of the reasons I like Madden 16 is that I have found it to be mostly fair. As my TD passes dropped, and my running game improved, and I got some other guys involved in the passing game, I started winning. Leaning on Reed so much racked up stats, but it didn't win me games.

And part of the stats being run up came when I found myself down early and passing more. In closer games, whereI held leads, I ran the ball more, and was conservative in my play calling. Mostly, I feel rewarded and punished for the football decisions I made.

When I run my own franchise, I have gone with 12 minute (or may 13) quarters, and a similar runoff. I think that got me closer to the 120 plays, as I think this league was closer to 100 plays a game. The extra time doesn't rack up as many stats as you would think, as it actually makes the end of halves, when team air it out to get last minute points, a lower % of game time. Of course, it also makes games longer.

Seriously can't wait for Madden 17.

[Danimal]

When is this out on early access?

[TCrouch]

Supposedly, Wednesday evening. Worst case, Thursday morning.

[MizzouRah]

Downloading now via EA Access.

Going to pound the Rams with the Chiefs!!!

[Diablo25]

Damn I checked less than an hour ago....off to download