I have noticed that the zone coverage AI is OK, but still leaves some to be desired. For example on a "2-deep man under", the safeties each just sit in their respective zones, and don't actively try to help cornerbacks receivers entering their zones. In this type of coverage the CBs have help over the top and typically play more underneath. But this won't work if the help doesn't come from the safety. Instead the safety hovers around his zone letting an open man run past them. Deep safeties are supposed to keep everything in front of them. A receiver on a streak route should put a safety on "alert" and he should start backpedaling and heading toward the deepest receiver on his side of the field, while making sure to keep the receiver in front of him to ensure the defense doesn't get beat deep. This effect should be magnified even more if the QB is looking that direction.

http://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/watch/4107#730738
http://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/watch/4107#730655
http://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/watch/4107#730698
http://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/watch/4107#730736

In all these plays the QB stares at a receiver, and the safety does not respond at all. Meanwhile a deep receiver is open in his zone, he does not respond to this either until after the ball is thrown.

+1


Safety AI in the Red Zone is terrible too!! I also hate the angles a lot of players take in this game!!

http://mfn2.myfootballnow.com/watch/3824#703782

Here's another play with questionable safety AI. The play is "2 Man Under", if you watch the FS, he is assigned to cover half the field on a deep zone. The QB stares at the WR on the weak side of the field. So I'm not sure why the safety decides to run to the center of the field where there is no one. I suppose he could of seen the TE and could of been trying to help out against him, but he's assigned to the other half of the field and the SS is in great position to help against the TE already. The weak side WR has a step on the CB and the QB is staring at him, these factors should cause the FS to run to him instead of the center of the field effectively taking himself out of the play.

http://mfn2.myfootballnow.com/watch/3841#706759

The play is "2 deep man under". The free safety plays it perfect at first, he double covers the only guy in his zone. The QB stares down the receiver in the FS's zone then throws to him, but when he throws the ball, the FS runs toward the center of the field instead of covering the WR. I'm not sure what caused this, but I believe he should have stayed with the WR.

https://mfn6.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/4428#848527

Defensive Play: Dime 2 man Under
Offensive Play: 5WR All Go

The Free Safety is in a deep half zone, but when there are two receivers running into his side of the field (with the QB staring at them), for some reason he decides to run away from them, where there is no one. He could have contested the pass to either receiver, but instead he chose to stand by himself in the center of the field, essentially taking himself out of the play.

The only explanation I could come up with, is that the FS AI must be coded to coordinate with the SS. So when the SS goes toward the sideline, the FS goes toward center field. Which may help prevent someone from "splitting the safeties", but overall I think the safeties shouldn't really take each others positions into consideration(if they even do). They should play the receivers and the QB's eyes. In the NFL safeties regularly get interceptions by making plays on where the QB is looking, but in MFN, safeties don't seem to do this often, if at all.

It seems as though he is drifting down to cover James Williams (Right side slot, #19) but stops because the ball is in the air right as he starts. I wonder if JDB can see if this is the case, because I have a hunch he dropped his assignment (the play is 2 Deep Man Under, he has a deep zone) due to his awareness or intelligence stats.

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The angles seem to be at their worst when rushing the passer. The defense always seems to take a perfect angle on outside runs though.

Well, this is definitely possible, but his INT is 90, and his play knowledge is 100. Also the slot receiver was on the other half of the field.

https://mfn6.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/4475#857820

This is very similar to the last play. The FS starts playing this correctly, then for some strange reason he decides to leave the deep man on his side of the field to effectively take himself out of the play by standing in the center field. By making the decision he did, he is literally putting himself in "no man's land".
-There's a deep streak route on his half of the field!
-The WR has a few steps on the CB too, which is OK because he has safety help, but the FS decides NOT to help.

Some may say he's going to cover the FB, but why? He's not nearly as deep, and he's covered well already. In a real team, if my FS left a WR that had beat a CB, to go cover a FB out of the backfield.....I would probably take him out of the game or worse. Deep zone coverage is supposed to prioritize the deep man! Safeties are to keep EVERYONE in front of them! Not leave the deep zone to play an underneath route.