TEN GAME REVIEW

[r00k]

Last week the Vipers got the 2nd lowest yards per game posted in the season one-game career record book -- 94 total yards allowed.

I am really clueless as I am not sure what I did right ... defense in the new version has me a little puzzled as well.

What I do know is that I set some initial strategies in the first week (based on individual player & position strengths). I have been tweaking those settings ever so slightly each week. Last week's tweaks brought up three cherry balls on the slot machine!

I hope I can bottle up what happened last week and use a little each week for the remainder of the season ... but overall, I really think it is a crapshoot.

[JesterBlaze]

I haven't made drastic changes on defense, Matt.

I've given up on double coverage a long time ago since it only allowed other teams 35 OVR WRs to get 100+ on me as the QB went away from the doubles. I also figure Wade Boyd is supposed to be able to cover 99% of receivers in the IFL.

I have a great DLine so I shouldn't have to gamble on blitzing to get a pass rush - though I've tried it both ways without success.

I see teams selling out against the pass stopping the run 4 yards in the backfield and teams selling out against the run sacking the QB with such regularity that I wonder if those settings even mean anything - or worse are they switched like the "Run" and "Agg Run" were a few years back?

I'm thinking of going all offense from now on in the off-season and just blitzing crazy from a 3-4 (blasphemy for a 4-3 lover but it's the only defensive set that seems to work) with talentless players - except for DLine which occasionally gets a sack. If I can successfully get to the QB 3 times per game I'll probably have as much or better success than I've seen utilizing allegedly talented players.

... but overall, I really think it is a crapshoot.

I fear this too. I've now had All-League talents at every step of defense (DE, DT, LB, CB, S) and the only thing that's consistent is that good offenses move the ball at will on me and lesser offenses don't.

Wade Boyd does absolutely nothing each week for me. I focused 2 off-seasons on DBs - apparently nabbing some great players - and haven't seen any results. Phantoms are always in the bottom 10 on pass defense.

[Matt]

I was just trying to say that tweaking a gameplan has proven to me to yeild better results. I'm able to set my "defensive foundation" and then tweak it based on who I play. At the end of the day, I strongly believe a successfull defense has a lot to do with how many big red bars you have.

As far as 3-4 vs 4-3 goes, it really has more to do with available talent in respective positions. Right now perhaps there's more OLB's with pass rush techniques than avaialble defensive linemen. I'm not completely sold on one or the other, so I'm not makoing actual position changes for my LB's

[Jave]

I haven't made drastic changes on defense, Matt.

I've given up on double coverage a long time ago since it only allowed other teams 35 OVR WRs to get 100+ on me as the QB went away from the doubles. I also figure Wade Boyd is supposed to be able to cover 99% of receivers in the IFL.

I have a great DLine so I shouldn't have to gamble on blitzing to get a pass rush - though I've tried it both ways without success.

I see teams selling out against the pass stopping the run 4 yards in the backfield and teams selling out against the run sacking the QB with such regularity that I wonder if those settings even mean anything - or worse are they switched like the "Run" and "Agg Run" were a few years back?

I'm thinking of going all offense from now on in the off-season and just blitzing crazy from a 3-4 (blasphemy for a 4-3 lover but it's the only defensive set that seems to work) with talentless players - except for DLine which occasionally gets a sack. If I can successfully get to the QB 3 times per game I'll probably have as much or better success than I've seen utilizing allegedly talented players.



I fear this too. I've now had All-League talents at every step of defense (DE, DT, LB, CB, S) and the only thing that's consistent is that good offenses move the ball at will on me and lesser offenses don't.

Wade Boyd does absolutely nothing each week for me. I focused 2 off-seasons on DBs - apparently nabbing some great players - and haven't seen any results. Phantoms are always in the bottom 10 on pass defense.

Yea, I can't stop anybody, I just pray they can't stop me either because at the end of the day, I'm confident I can outscore 80% of the teams in the league......baring injuries that is