The run key is allowing a lot of run yards when applied with a pure zone scheme. It is not so bad, but vs the pass when a run key was applied the result was in favor of the offense everytime.

Running alot of man cover one I don't see similar results . Yes they favor the keys but I feel the distribution of keys when applying them with zone is off. Lbs continue to run back to their zone in stead of pursuing attack angles.

Generally zone could use a tightening up. Too many holes or missed assignments . Poor rotation by the dbs in the cover three, and when cover twos aRe used the safetys are not getting to their assigned zone. I had a lb beat the safety to the deep corner. I seen the deep middle exposed alot also . LBs are as deep as dbs on a regular basis. There should be some spacing.

Also, crisscrosses by receivers stifle zone defenders. I will allow familiarity to increase and hopefully alot of this will cease, but I am betting not .

Zone pass defenses work with pass keys. Maybe even that is too strong, alot of ints, but I am not seeing any cohesion (spacing) between zone defenders . LBs should be aware of short routes no matter the zone. Maybe a deep middle zone out of a cover two or a deep flat in a rotation but, they completely ignore running qbs until the qb passes the line of scrimmage . I think that carries over to man also...so that is why qbs do not run.

Also the neutral key seems to have little effect. I feel it should have some bonus

https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/6582#1189738


Here is a run key vs a running set, but for some reason all my lbs run backward until the hand off has taken place. The guard FB qb and TEs all showed run play with thier first intial step (s) . Why does it take the defenders , especially LBS take so long to respond to the run......by the time they do all the running lanes are already created and the back is five yards down field .

I noticed this in man but at least they don't run backward for ten feet before pursuit of the ball begins. This is characteristic of a LBer in pass key or a DB in neutral . Neutral LBers should be static and run key LBS should be first step forward . ....as they are supposed to defend the run and not the pass on a run key .

You shouldn't have to blitz to stuff a run lane.....on a run key that is the LBS first read. Defend the run........ not get back in to pass coverage . Not only does zone leave major holes in coverage (it is better ) but it is really flawed when defending the run .

Really in general this is the biggest problem with the run game right now.....really even vs. The pass.....it all is being dependent on blitz calls getting LBS to play aggressive enough to make an impact as they should .

Look at my MLB in 87....Bronson . ....hes doing great...almost a triple crown type of year......but he's in a heavy man blitz system. At least 10- 15 blitz calls are game for him alone.

On the other hand why aren't QBS picking apart that underneath dump. It's either wide open guy in the flats or that 3 yard in that is never covered but rarely thrown to. And forget about wide open drops to the wrs, because of pressure and the double covered catch overs 10- 15 yards down feild.

The completion percentage of QBS will never match cause we don't have screens. That's about 88 percent completed play and on average it's is thrown 10- 15 percent of the time.....in my eyes that alone would adjust the completion rates by 6 percent at least .

Here we go again.....182 run yard vs. The run key.....either zone sucks a defending the run or the run key is pointless .


Also, pretty bad zone coverage . ...

https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/6606#1193925

On this play the CB has the flat.....where the te catches the ball. First off his present alignment is off and his first read is off. He should have gently dropped in to the flat, but he heads across the feild toward the wr ( as if in man)and ignores the flat.

Also there were numerous times were the safety didn't rotate over to cover his deep half or 1/3. In general pretty bad reads by he safetys in cover two and cover 3.

More off, on the alignment part of defenders . I am so sick of the LB , lining up over the TE vs. The 113. He should be head up on the back ....only when no back is there is when he should be lining up on the TE. This really kills defending the run (realistically ) vs. The 113 set.

Are there going to be any updates to zone coverage? I want to know whether to run a zone scheme in the beta leagues or a basic M2M, blitz heavy defense like I've been running in preseason.

This preseason both my safetys got beat deep, because of being caught out of postion . The code had them reacting with bad reads. I thought is was highschool like coverage out of veteran players. One had 88 zone and 60 speed and the other had 82 speed and 76 zone. Both beat real bad in cover twos by fast wrs and good QBs. You might have luck with elite DBs, but for some reason lbs have disappeared and DBS are leading the league in tackles again . One step forward and two steps back? I will be running zone all season any way.

I don't have time and energy to do film review, especially if there are not going to be meaningful changes, until next season really. That said, in one of the allocation leagues, I'm seriously considering signing all of the fast and strong punters to play RB and CB.

Hopefully you meant "test" or "beta" instead of "allocation" (or it was a joke).

I'd like to think you wouldn't actually do that to a real league.

I'll do whatever I can do to win in year-one.

It might work as long as you blitz , (I don't have the guts to try it.) but I found a lot of late speed in my last allocation . Over ten pages of 100 speed players with few elite players. No, joke I see 100 / strength speed guys with 30 technical ratings being successful , and only 100 technical guys with 60 speed /strength having similar or worse success . The ranges are small either way.

It's what one would think of working in a particular situation that has me confused lately . As speed should help with zone but techniques should matter more overall . Everybody on defense seem to play trail technique whether or not there is over the top help. That right there has to favor a cover one or cover two with a blitz and tight man bumping underneath . Its the major flaw right now.....no real anticipation by any defender. All around. It's blitz and b-line it to the ball over help,over the top, cause that's how trail technique works in real life .

Still, what I am seeing in mfn one looks like an old code....like two or three adjustments ago, before those weird sideline runs and that bug where slow guys could not get caught from behind by faster players .

I am going to let this season run out before thoughts change. Cosmetic changes are ruling the day of late . So, my opinion seems to go somewhere but who knows where. It's kinda like ground hog day on my end .

I am trying out 100 rated technical line men with low strength ...suB 80 and sub 50 speed skill players