Strategy Discussion: When to Blitz, how to offset the blitz.

[JesterBlaze]

Since I think education (for all of us including myself who has plenty to learn if you're willing to teach) is a much better equalizer than anything else I'm opening up a few threads for discussion. I'm copy/pasting this 1st entry into all because I'm not going to speak on any subject until others have since this is intended to be a discussion, not a simple 1 to many lesson from someone who doesn't know it all.

[Kobeck]

I have no clue how to choose 'when' to blitz.

I set blitz % lower than Rex but still think my Ds blitz too much. Probably why those opponent TEs seem to always have career days against my D

[JesterBlaze]

Double coverage on a WR and SLB blitzing would open things up nicely for a TE I'd think. Not sure if that's correct with FOF's inner workings or if you are often in that situation but I offer it up.

If a QB doesn't have great Sense Rush and I don't think my guy's blitzing level of talent will get swallowed up by the opponent's OLine then I'll throw someone in on a blitz.

If there's a great Sense Rush and great pass protection (low attempts to non-WRs in the team summary could indicate RB, FB, TE staying in to block often) I probably won't send anyone in that often, unless I'm in a situation where my defense is probably not going to stop anyone anyway.

I hate the fact that my best blitzer is my SLB right now since I assume the FOF progression probably goes WR, WR, TE, RB, FB so my SLB would leave the TE open on biltzing. Rather have the extra time for the read to progress to the backfield options... if that's how it works.

[Matt]

I've always been under the impression blitzing doesn't alter the outcome of the play.....so i basically run pretty simple defenses without a ton of blitzing.

[JesterBlaze]

I'm only half-joking when I say that I'm really hoping for input from others because I've always been under the impression that "blitzing doesn't alter the outcome of the play for me, just my opponents against me". I've never made much use of my non-DLine for sacks, but also haven't tried the 3-4 yet.

[markc]

Don't have much to offer. I usually stick close to the recommended blitz percentages and if I have a chance adjust up or down depending on the opposing QB's 'sense rush' ability. In the 'choose blitzers' screen, I tweak to get my best blitzer by far the highest percentage (WLB or SLB in the 4-3). Unfortunately, my best pass rushing LB, Clemons, starts at SLB but also subs in at WLB - so I don't really have an idea how much he plays each position.
My DB blitz percentage is less than 10% but I don't know if that is optimal or not.

If I had to guess I would say that I give up close to average passing to the TE - but now I am concerned about my vulnerability to TE passing. The only thing I adjust when I face a good TE is to boost the 'weak-side man, strong-side zone' coverage setting, which I read somewhere on FOFC does a better job against the TE.

[JesterBlaze]

If I had to guess I would say that I give up close to average passing to the TE - but now I am concerned about my vulnerability to TE passing. The only thing I adjust when I face a good TE is to boost the 'weak-side man, strong-side zone' coverage setting, which I read somewhere on FOFC does a better job against the TE.

I read that too (think it's straight from the help file) and it's confusing. If I've got an SLB with 100 M2M and 0 Zone Coverage it seems more than reasonable that "Weak-Side Man, Strong Side Zone" would be a nightmare against TEs and "Weak-Side Zone, Strong Side Man" would be my defensive set of choice. I don't know much about either defensive set and wait until after week 6 or so, use the gameplan analyzer to see if either has worked for me in thus far in very limited use, then increase it's usage if so. Which for anyone struggling on defense is a basic way to improve without even knowing anything, just keep bumping the sets that are working for you and dropping the ones that aren't. You don't need to know the How's and Why's to read the Gameplan Analyzer.

[Matt]

blitzing %'s are the same for me when using 3-4 or 4-3.
I've run both and I tend to lean against whatever most people are not doing. if everyone is running 3-4, i know everyone is going after that WLB with PRT. I'd rather go 4-3 and focus on finding a solid DT.
ultimately, in my head anyway, the 3-4 and the 4-3 are exactly the same in the game.
this is how they equate

LDE	LDE
LDT	NT
RDT	RDE
RDE	WLB

[JesterBlaze]

That's the reason I'm so clueless on the 3-4 (hands on experience-wise). I always target pass-rushing DEs and I'm never willing to send one inside as a DT (as far as FOF engine is concerned) to get that rush from the WLB.

To bring some discussion to secondary blitzes: Though I'd do it in real life, in FOF I figure a very strong season for a CB or S would be 5 sacks. Now how many long passes am I probably going to give up to get those 5 sacks though when no one's back to cover the pass? I don't blitz anyone in the secondary over 2%, and that would be 0% except I'm hoping that the game engine increases your chances of a successful blitz as the percentage of blitzing amount goes down.

[JesterBlaze]

Just realized no one has touched on "how to offset the blitz" so:

1) Keep RB, FB, and/or TE in to block
2) Screen passes
3) Basic big red bars on those OLinemen (almost didn't even list this but it is a rudimentary technique)

Option 1: This depends on the receiving skills of the RB, FB, or TE and your QB. For me, my QB (Stanfield then Amos for the entire life of the IFL) has had my trust to send these guys out other than the FB, who's still only hovering around 40-60% staying in to block, however with a lesser QB (only on the ratings that correspond to this discussion) I'd have to not trust his arm/eyes and keep at least 1 player in almost all the time against a big blitzer.

Option 2: I've heard complaints of screen passes being useless during conversations on yards/attempt... well, screen passes aren't designed for yards/attempt. They're designed to not get negative yardage. In fact they're designed to take advantage of too aggressive defenders heading blindly into the backfield. A 2 yard pass instead of a 6 yard sack is 8 yards of positivity that gets lost in the yards/attempt discussion.

Option 3: Just get 'em. Throw 'em in there. OLinemen might be the only position(s) in FOF where I don't think you can go wrong or waste attributes. No matter the skill, it's going to come into play on a pass or a run play, and you'll be doing plenty of each every single game.

[Matt]

Screen passes became more effective during the last patch.

[JesterBlaze]

Perhaps we could have an IFL position for someone who's a regular at FOFC to post/repost the important data as it becomes available? Like any forum it's a "club" over there (as it should be) and too much of a haystack for some (most?) of us. I appreciate greatly that guys like Mike17, Matt (he's our commish if no one's ever heard of the guy ) and Cy, to name 3 off the top of my head, have offered up stuff in the past.

[Matt]

the problem that I have with "data extraction" is that it takes the fun out of the game for me. It seems that some of the FOFC bigwigs spent time/effort/energy to "crack" the game. for me, I still think what I think, right or wrong.

[JesterBlaze]

I agree. I might not be able to explain it here but I think there's a difference between "Spoiler" data extraction and the "Aggressive run D and regular Run D are swapped on the gameplan screens" type of data that's obviously a monkeywrench in the program that we could all benefit from without feeling like a cheat. Double coverage being focused on Route Running is such a fact that I think we all should be aware of.

Someone brought up in PMs the point that draft updates could be considered a cheat. I think the draft programs out there (which I don't use and just won the past IFL Bowls for all you in my "camp" wondering if you can compete without such devices) are a 100% cheat. I'm not a fan of such things (whether released or one man's obsession with winning over sportsmanship) but like to be aware with the option of not participating.

[JesterBlaze]

BTW - I'm hesitant as most would be to go against a sizable majority but to be honest on my own league's forums: I find fault or potential fault in almost every FOFC thread that I've read. I personally believe Jim sees/thinks the same and is why he lets it go on without confirming/denying most.

For starters a LOT of the data is not very targeted and takes into account multiple types/styles and averages it out for answers.

(preparing for the FOFC onslaught which I'll probably just step aside from)