It's gotten a bit frustrating when I rarely get a game with a QB passing for over 200 yards. Aside from me putting in a rule where I have him chuck the ball every play, which would lead to the defense figuring things out, I really don't know how to stop my QB from taking the shortest option almost every time. In most of my leagues I have RB's leading my team in receptions. My receivers are barely getting 10 YPC. I've seen QB's on 3rd and long in a critical spot take a check down in triple coverage.

Even when I game plan and make sure more long passing plays are called, there is still a RB route that is inevitably taken.

Is there a way to manage how often a QB would take the checkdown option? I know it should happen, but it shouldn't happen as often as I'm seeing it.

I have a similar problem getting my QBs to throw deeper. On average, my top receivers are getting 7 to 8 yards per catch.

(edit) Let it be known that I am just now entering my 2nd season or still in the 1st with all of my teams and they were all in poor condition when I took them. Most were in last place.

Like the NFL, I just copy what the best teams are doing to get quality pass plays. When this game engine rolled out, I was having all kinds of problems generating yards/points. My Randy Moss like rookie receiver had 1500+ yards and 23 touchdowns his first season in the previous game engine. Now he gets more like 500 yards a season and this season has less catches than my #4 receiver and #2 tight end. I hope he enjoys being a decoy.

You can set up play selections and then use rules to game plan how you like. If you have a lot of plays selected where the check down is an option, that is gonna be a potential outcome.

https://moguls.myfootballnow.com/team/7" target="_blank"> https://moguls.myfootballnow.com/team/7

My QB averages almost 300 yards per game—one of the best and highest QB rated in that league, but I try not to throw more than 40 times a game. I don’t have superstar WRs (I think my highest is like an 80) because I run a lot out of 2 TE sets. I don’t use 4-5 WR sets at all. They’re just not effective. I love checkdowns and find short passing plays that try get more than 4-5 yards. I only run a handful of long passes, but proven ones. I run a lot of medium routes that spread defenses out.

I definitely run the ball a healthy amount (About 40-45%). It’s way too easy to scheme for a team that only passes.

I never get pegged with play overuse. I’ve won 3 championships and been to 6 total championships in 10 seasons.

It all comes down to play selection.

I've got a stellar TE on my team but rarely threw to him last season, so I looked at all the teams where the TE was picking up a lot of catches and checked the plays they were running. In pre-season I switched those plays in and used rules to ensure they were used regularly and my TE instantly became my #1 receiver.

Look at the teams who are passing the way you'd like to and check their play selections.

I've played the Direwolves a few times this season and the game planing was fairly simple as the play selection is a lot of short passing plays.

One thing you can do to eliminate the check downs is to use plays where the RB is pass blocking and then your WR will get more targets. That's just one suggestion.

You may also want to look at various playbooks that fit your scheme and then design the playbook that will give your WR first read on the plays.

I like the first read to have the higher bump and route. Even the case of press coverage your qbs progressions will not get to muddled and timing for the next read should be more fluid. Generally the wr1 or cb1 follow this model with courage and accell. as well. Lots of the wr1 plays are shorter but the same could be said about the wr 2. He just gets that slant pattern ,here i like speed more for yards after the catch.

Having guys who can get seperation is so crucial, and as little as it may be this seperation or lack there of change reads a bit...same like pressure would rush a read.

FOV is a angle of veiw, so depending on the way hes facing makes a difference, but 4.4. and on have the dump off options higher than other codes, but it just because man coverage is way better. Really i am just speaking vs. a man under defense that uses blitzes.

I watch alot of games so when i see a qb almost auto targeting the same reciever no matter what i use that play accordingly. Like you said some longplays always dump it off. Eliminating those plays is the only way around it.But i do see some variation from time to time.

I try to plan some of those auto reads , which are successful, as blitz beaters or some sort of a hot read.

The qb algorithms were changed for 4.4 and arm strength calculations might not allow a guy to even make a good long ball throw. Especially with the long ball nerf to have the wide open guy drop it.

One of My best qbs throws pretty short for my plans, because his arm is only 80. He checks down alot but my fast backs beat guys in the flats. My slow wr 1 averages 8 yards a catch but my rookie wr2 has 16 tds on 38 catches and like a 25 average. My slow wr1 actually opens up deeper reads to my TE(playing at 222 pounds) who is decent at getting seperation at 80 sp 80 acc..

To me its all scheme but i passed well all throughout this code..most likely not vs. a playoff team playing a man under,but that area is so overpowered you got to get real creative.

I like to use low FOV guy to force passes into elite wrs. They seem to check it down less,but if hes slow and you remove all the checkdown options (5wr sets) sometimes he doesn't throw it or run it. You really see how tough coverage is when small fast guys are used on defense with a pass key.