Switching from Zone to Man…

ThorsQuads said:

Thinking of switching my scheme from zone to man. The only defense that gives me fits is man blitz. Although I’m not wanting to blitz in a man scheme. Anybody run a man scheme in defense that doesn’t revolve around blitzing everyone? How effective is it for you? I could just try it out myself, but that would require the sale of a couple DBs to fit more of a man scheme so wanted insight before I plunge.

Edit: I just don’t see the advantage of running man coverage UNLESS you blitz everyone (which I’m unwilling to do). Man against Gun Tight puts you in a bad position with all the man beating routes. I was running OLB Blitz out of 3-3 Cub and the pressure does get there fast, BUT not faster than crossing routes break.

I would honestly stick with zone unless you really like blitzing

Im relatively new to this years mut, just started mid march, but for me, a hybrid scheme has been quite effective at least for me, i run man and zone, with zone and man blitzes, 3-4/4-3,  using this can trip up opponents if they are trying to figure out what you run consistently

RihannaKindaMid said:

KOs, KOs, and KOs! I run a dominant man blitz out of nickel over, 3-3, and dollar, along with cover 2 man in dollar against empty. KOs and shading inside or outside against a specific form work really well, so does having inside or outside shade for cheap on your slot to defend against corner and in breaking routes. Shade inside against trio or Trey forms and outside against tight or bunch. Ultimately what ever way you shade against what your opponent is running can make or break your game, like shading down on the goal line and always shade overtop when you press unless your opponent is in the redzone. Deion is a need for man because of him getting every KO and PA for 2. Use all of this info and test and try and decide on what fits you the best and you will succeed.

Thank you, I've reread through this great message numerous times this evening, gonna try my luck with Man again and see what I can figure out on the fly, applying the great knowledge you're trying to bless us all with. Much obliged... unless I fail miserably. Time to practice in live H2H games, trial by fire, heh.

Well, first game was an absolute shootout, 41-38 victory. Those adjustments helped a TON. Shade outside for tight formations and shade inside against Trio / Trey formations. Fantastic general rule, easy for a neophyte MUT player to follow.

Cromartie cost me easily 14 points that game, he kept getting absolutely cooked as CB2 on the outside with Deion. I'm going back to Tariq Woolen here to see if that helps any. Thanks a million for schooling me.

peatrick said:

Thank you, I've reread through this great message numerous times this evening, gonna try my luck with Man again and see what I can figure out on the fly, applying the great knowledge you're trying to bless us all with. Much obliged... unless I fail miserably. Time to practice in live H2H games, trial by fire, heh.

Your welcome,  hope switching to man and testing things out works for you!

RihannaKindaMid said:

KOs, KOs, and KOs! I run a dominant man blitz out of nickel over, 3-3, and dollar, along with cover 2 man in dollar against empty. KOs and shading inside or outside against a specific form work really well, so does having inside or outside shade for cheap on your slot to defend against corner and in breaking routes. Shade inside against trio or Trey forms and outside against tight or bunch. Ultimately what ever way you shade against what your opponent is running can make or break your game, like shading down on the goal line and always shade overtop when you press unless your opponent is in the redzone. Deion is a need for man because of him getting every KO and PA for 2. Use all of this info and test and try and decide on what fits you the best and you will succeed.

Finally into a full day of testing what you are preaching here and let me preface this by saying THANK YOU. Game changing top-tier info right here. I'm just getting started, but already seeing noticable differences. Getting tons of lock down defense, my guys are finally running stride for stride and putting themselves in position to make plays.

Patrick Peterson on the outside has been incredible. Extremely small sample size, but dual KOs + OSA for 3AP and Shutdown X-factor (is this the correct one to be using?) feels liek a steal. I'm having trouble choosing DBs. Deion, NTL & Pat Pete is nuts, running out of AP cuz I used 3 total on my D-line. Kendall Fuller has been second slot CB for dual 0AP Acrobat + PA in last, but I wanna put Cromartie here. Hrmm.

Thanks a million, I was really struggling to figure this out. Game is hella fun right now. I'm into my team.

ThorsQuads said:

Well with Gun Tight and Bunch, Outside Shade wouldn’t even work because the receivers are inside the numbers. you’d wanna use Inside Shade. What sideline throws are beating you?

Day two with Pat Pete and OSA, but just got absolutely killed in a Seasons Playoffs game, that Gun Tight was absolutely destroying me to the corners and sidelines. I was having to send full Dollar Spinner to generate pressure, dude had all day for those routes to develop.

I can't figure out what adjustments to make, nothing really seems to slow this down. I got a single pick on a two point conversion, otherwise I was getting absolutely smashed, wide open streaking dudes nearly every single play. Kid just kept spamming the same shit over and over, nothing I could do about it. That wasn't very fun and why I went to Zone in the first place. Oof. Just when I thought I was figuring it out. 

Gonna toss Cromartie in with that Inside Shade and see what's up.

peatrick said:

Day two with Pat Pete and OSA, but just got absolutely killed in a Seasons Playoffs game, that Gun Tight was absolutely destroying me to the corners and sidelines. I was having to send full Dollar Spinner to generate pressure, dude had all day for those routes to develop.

I can't figure out what adjustments to make, nothing really seems to slow this down. I got a single pick on a two point conversion, otherwise I was getting absolutely smashed, wide open streaking dudes nearly every single play. Kid just kept spamming the same shit over and over, nothing I could do about it. That wasn't very fun and why I went to Zone in the first place. Oof. Just when I thought I was figuring it out. 

Gonna toss Cromartie in with that Inside Shade and see what's up.

If you were getting beat deep middle, I would call Cover 2 Man and then put the safety on the side of the RB in a deep middle blue. it’ll stop the TE seam. Just gotta trust your corner Can stop the outside route one on one. it has been pretty effective for me

ThorsQuads said:

If you were getting beat deep middle, I would call Cover 2 Man and then put the safety on the side of the RB in a deep middle blue. it’ll stop the TE seam. Just gotta trust your corner Can stop the outside route one on one. it has been pretty effective for me

Thank you for the constant pro-tips.  I was trying to defend the middle with my USER (been floating back and forth between Chinn and Simmons here, cuz i sold Kam he was incredible, but felt super expensive and not a ~2M upgrade over some freebie BND options)... anyway, it was more the deep corner breaking routes and sideline throws.  I need to practice the muscle memory for making these type adjustments.  I'm fortunate if i can get off the simple two step; Guess Pass + Shade Inside/Outside (depending upon what i'm going up against)... getting a little better at applying your great suggestions, finally working my way back through MVP tier H2H.  I had gotten demoted after struggling to adjust my defense while switching back to Man.  I appreciate you sharing these words wisdom.  Danke, kind sir.

peatrick said:

Thank you for the constant pro-tips.  I was trying to defend the middle with my USER (been floating back and forth between Chinn and Simmons here, cuz i sold Kam he was incredible, but felt super expensive and not a ~2M upgrade over some freebie BND options)... anyway, it was more the deep corner breaking routes and sideline throws.  I need to practice the muscle memory for making these type adjustments.  I'm fortunate if i can get off the simple two step; Guess Pass + Shade Inside/Outside (depending upon what i'm going up against)... getting a little better at applying your great suggestions, finally working my way back through MVP tier H2H.  I had gotten demoted after struggling to adjust my defense while switching back to Man.  I appreciate you sharing these words wisdom.  Danke, kind sir.

Yes always user the guy who’s manned up on the RB cause half the time, they stay in to block so you’re free to roam. And try to stay in the middle. I also have a habit of chasing flat routes, leaving slants and posts open down the middle. I’ve been running PS2, Horn, and now the new 99 White (with the FA Peters as 4th CB with 1 AP Inside Shade) and it’s relatively lockdown. I have Shutdown X-Factor, PA, and DRKO on PS2, Inside Shade and Acro on Horn in the slot, and Acro, DRKO, SRKO, and PA on the new White. Been working okay but gonna probably get Cromartie and Peterson instead

Cannot recommend Pat Pete enough, i think he's better than Deion in many respects, although i've only had him two evenings, so please forgive my recency bias.  I finally pulled Kendall Fuller (from Slot2), has been really hard to give up on his dual 0AP (Pick Artist + Acrobat) buckets, that has saved me more times than i can count, he'll make a CLUTCH diving pick to stop an opponent's drive.  Anyway, my current tinkering has landed on:

1. CB Deion: (2AP) Pick Artist, Short Route KO, Mid Route KO, Deep Route KO
2. CB NTL: (1AP) Pick Artist, Mid or Deep Route KO
3. CB Patrick Peterson: (3AP) Shutdown X-factor, OSA, Pick Artist, Deep Route KO
4. CB Cromartie: (1AP) Inside Shade, Pick Artist
5. FS: Byard (1AP) Pick Artist, Acrobat, Deep Zone KO
6. SS: Palo-Mao (1AP) Pick Artist, Deep Zone KO
7. SUBLB: Chinn (0AP) Acrobat
8. SUBLB: Justin Simmons (0AP) Acrobat

Plus i have Maniac (RE) & George (LE) both with Unstoppable Force X-factor and Reggie White (DT) who gets three abilities for a mere 1AP.  You have no idea how much i appreciate you schooling me on the specific adjustments to make, as a first time MUT player, it has helped tremendously as i transition back to Man (from Zone).

I typically run Cover 2 Man out of Dollar, but often will switch up to Nickel if i think the opponent is going to run the ball, or i need to generate additional pressure.  I regularly find myself taking control of the SUBLB who is blitzing and use that to basically roam free across the middle, although as you pointed out, i have a massive tendency to chase those streaking sideline / flat routes, for whatever reason, my dudes (even with Inside Cromartie or Outside NTL Shade) do not want to keep pace with WRs.

It could be that the opponent was running motion, setting up in one formation, then switching to something else entirely and i'd be forced to readjust.  Is it common that the menu options for defensive adjustments totally bug out?  I'll press R1 (RB? on Xbox) to bring up the menu and quite often it'll show the WRONG or incorrect options, liek it's on a slight time delay and tends to be one cycle behind the play, the menu options don't catch up to what i'm actually doing.  Not sure i explained that very well, but defensive adjustments are buggy.  I accidentally guessed Run Left more than once last evening as these changed on me in real-time.

I absolutely HATE having to spam Dollar Spinner, but that was the only way i found to counter dudes throwing long developing sideline or deep corner routes, had to generate massive pressure so my opponent didn't have time to throw the ball deep.  Anything else and my goose was cooked.  Will try again tonight, thanks a million.

peatrick said:

I absolutely HATE having to spam Dollar Spinner, but that was the only way i found to counter dudes throwing long developing sideline or deep corner routes, had to generate massive pressure so my opponent didn't have time to throw the ball deep.  Anything else and my goose was cooked.  Will try again tonight, thanks a million.

Never used spinner. I like dime sugar weak for pass D. Good pressure, very nice blitz, and you can user the LB who is rushing to cover the middle (and still get pressure)

and as far as maniac and aka pass rushers - I think Lawrence Taylor with FREE Double or nothing and free edge threat elite is better than the aka guys.