The bugs in Madden Drive me nuts!

[Alastor]

Okay, so have this really awesome SS, except that he's a total moron. His awareness is the lowest I've ever seen of a drafted player - at about 20 something. After an entire season with him on my team, he isn't getting any brighter either.

I got frustrated and went and checked some Madden boards specifically, and it turns out that DB progression is based on the overall pass defense - but of course since there's a bug in the CPU's sim program that makes most teams give up less than 150 yards passing per game on defense, my team sucks by comparison because we give up far more than that. Turns out this is a universal problem, and this is why you can't progress DBs well in Madden.

Anyway, couple that with me having just played the Super Bowl against Seattle for the second straight year, and somehow their 87 rated corner can just BLANKET Lelie who is rated 95 for me, and it winds up a complete shoot out (something like 49 to 38 or so)... it's just frustrating.

Grrr...

[EMCF]

I just fiddled with the AI until I got a good balance for my DBs, (turn up awareness, knockdowns) I usually give up around 100-200 yards passing now. And, pretty realistically, some games I can just get ripped up for 300+. But my DBs are progressing well, my rookie CB whom I drafted to replace Walls (the guy is 6'3, but has 95 speed) stats went up pretty regularly. His awareness went up around 25 points. I play on all Madden, does that make a difference?

[Alastor]

I play on All-Madden too. SS and FS awareness though is based almost solely off of INT and the teams' overall performance.

No amount of deflections, forced fumbles, tackles for a loss, etc will help them out. My corners too are doing okay. Champ is... well he's still champ. Lenny Walls is a 93 for me and gets burnt deep less now. I just have this young stud SS and even after winning the Super Bowl he hasn't progressed at all in terms of awareness and his tackling has actually dropped by three.

::shrug::

[Dream]

I've never had a problem like that; usually I start rookies on special teams and their awareness bolsters. I drafted a FS who was 75 overall with an awareness of around 60 and by the end of the year, he was up to a 87 and his awareness is now 88 -- do to how often I play him at FS/SS and how I use him on special teams.

However, I've drafted CB's and have had 10 picks with them in a season and they only move up a point or two. I don't know, it's just weird.

[Perry1977]

Alastor,

I play SS on defense, so awareness is not an issue for me at that position. However, I would suggest that you adjust your Dime Flat package to help him get some picks. For that formation only, put you SS at 3rd or 4th CB....this will have him zone covering the flat in the "safe" formation. (It may be a different name in the new Madden, basically it's a full zone package that has the outside corners and both safeties going straight deep zone, and the 3rd and 4th corners covering the flat. Man to man is okay here on the outside corners as well. Just so they dont allow the recivers to go deep behind them). 70% of my INTs come from those 3rd and 4th CB positions, so its naturally awesome to progress new corners.

What happens is the opposing QB's read a RB or receiver as "open" outside in the flats, but when they throw it...BOING! Easy pickin's. Works especially well with taller players that can jump.

Mind you, this is on the 2004 PC version, so you may get different results, but if it's one thing about Madden, it's that they never really change gameplay or AI, just add fluff. Try it and let me know if it works. Awareness seems to be the easiest thing to raise...it goes quickly. Usually I get 6-7 picks per year with my SS from just playing the position. But since yo don't this si the easiest way I can think of to get it done.

[Alastor]

My defense typically provides plenty of picks for the DBs. The problem is this guy, unless I control him manually, is too stupid to make a play on the ball. Since I can't see the parts of the screen he goes to on some of the plays, I cannot control him manually. Thus he's stuck in a cycle of "If I ever caught the ball, I'd get smarter, but I'm too stupid to catch the ball, I just watch it sail over my head - but I'm in a place on the screen where I can't be controlled and forced to try to intercept."

Frustrating.

[JoRo]

My defense typically provides plenty of picks for the DBs. The problem is this guy, unless I control him manually, is too stupid to make a play on the ball. Since I can't see the parts of the screen he goes to on some of the plays, I cannot control him manually. Thus he's stuck in a cycle of "If I ever caught the ball, I'd get smarter, but I'm too stupid to catch the ball, I just watch it sail over my head - but I'm in a place on the screen where I can't be controlled and forced to try to intercept."

Frustrating.
try him in the 4th db spot on dime of 5 on quarter.......also use him on special teams that require him to tackle.........cuz hes on st the tackles will actually help him some.............. thats how i got my cbs tackling an awarness up (awarness ended up skyrocketin from 65 or so to 90 sumthin plus in two years

[GIVEME6]

I've never had a problem like that; usually I start rookies on special teams and their awareness bolsters. I drafted a FS who was 75 overall with an awareness of around 60 and by the end of the year, he was up to a 87 and his awareness is now 88 -- do to how often I play him at FS/SS and how I use him on special teams.

However, I've drafted CB's and have had 10 picks with them in a season and they only move up a point or two. I don't know, it's just weird.

That is exactly right. I always stick as many rookies as I can on ST, and at the progression intervals their awareness goes up. I converted a fast CB that had about an 82 acceleration to a SS and stuck him on ST. His awareness at the position at first was a 63, and at the end of the year it was an 81. Pretty big jump.

[Alastor]

He's on special teams.

I really don't want to swtich to a quarter defense just for this one guy. It sounds like the best answer I've heard so far though so I'll think about it. Thanks guys!

[GIVEME6]

He's on special teams.

I really don't want to swtich to a quarter defense just for this one guy. It sounds like the best answer I've heard so far though so I'll think about it. Thanks guys!

You don't have to switch to a quarter to get him on the field. Just put him in on the 4-3 defenses. If he's that stupid, it's better to have him play in formations that you will use against the run than the pass that way he won't give up the long pass play. I do this with my rookie players as well, and I get great results when I combine that with putting them on ST.