3-4 WLB Pass Rush

[Red Zone]

I like to win as much as anyone else...and I want to have fun playing this game.
To me this feels like an unfair advantage now...its gotten way beyond what it used to do
Before anyone even starts to think that I might ever cheat...i want to just share this and remove all doubt, because...honestly....11 sacks in 3 games is an outrageous statistic...and i can see how people might wonder....i feel very weird about it

I dont want an unfair advantage like this

here is the link to the file
http://fof-ffl.com/FFL/SEA-DEF-GP.zip


Discussion to follow

[Red Zone]

Now...I am no genius...a friend showed this to me a while back...Nemesis
I am sure there are other Gms that know about it...or use it.

The basic principles are simple
You set the team to a 3-4 defense and you set the pass rush %s ALL to the SLB
I usually go 65% outside and 35% inside, but the game will adjust those down some as you use the GP

Then you go to the Defensive personel Choices screen and you set aggressive pass to 100% dime defense
you set the blitz %s there to 100% and you set 2 or more players...to zero

Now you are funneling all of your blitzes in this one spot

In Dime...THERE IS NO SLB...check your depth charts
so it DEFAULTS to the WLB

when you play me, check the gamelog and see how may times it says something like this
Detroit: Five-Receiver Spread formation, strength is left. The defense is in a 34 with dime personnel and 3-deep zone coverage, keying aggressively on the pass. Wagner is blitzing.
3-11-DET19 (1Q: 04:46) Gilbert Brewer sacked by OLB Bobby Wagner for a loss of 9 yards. Sack allowed by Britt McGee.
or this
Detroit: Weak formation with two tight ends, strength is right. The defense is in a 34 with dime personnel and 3-deep zone coverage, keying aggressively on the pass. Wagner is blitzing.
1-10-DET20 (1Q: 00:41) Gilbert Brewer pass fell incomplete, intended for WR Tracy Schrader. OLB Bobby Wagner drove right through Bill Harmon to hurry the quarterback.

This Creates Sacks and Hurries...LOTS of them

It has worked very well for me...in USFL I had a Free Agent Pickup at WLB named Irving Garza
he was never rated any higher than 31 overall, but he led the league in sacks 2 or 3 seasons and was Defensive Player of the year one season
he was a perfect fit for this defense
zbuck, Dawgfan and Mikey can verify these numbers...they are in USFL

this season I added a new twist
I wanted top play against the run a little better so i rexed the basic defensive gameplan and left everything else the same as it had been
and...so far Wagner has 11 sacks in 3 games

Now...this wont work with ANY player
He has to be a very good pass rusher...but...you can see that it does turn the good ones loose

My guess is that one way to slow this down would be to keep RB and FB in to pass block at 100%, but Im not 100% sure that would work
I have heard in the past that when you do that...the defenders that were going to cover those 2 players end up automatically blitzing
That could make things worse...not better

I invite discussion on this

[cyril]

in 3-4 doesn't the WLB rush the QB by default? Wonder why the game would consider the WLB as the "sub" for SLB in your dime package. If the WLB does not "sub" the SLB in such plan, he would still rush the QB, wouldn't him?

Can I use such plan in 4-3 with a DE?

[Dawgfan19]

Bob,

First, thanks for sharing. Your GP definitely warrants additional review.

A few observations. Perhaps this strategy is funneling more sacks to Wagner, but is that helping team performance a lot? The Seahawk's team PR % is 32%, which is outstanding. However, this is based on a small sample size. Subtracting only 3 sacks (probably a reasonable number given dice rolls) would make your PR % around 28% (still very good). But to put this in perspective, that would not be the all-time best in FFL history.

Another question to consider is how much is your coverage negatively impacted. Seattle is 26th in yards/catch and 14th in yards/attempt. On the plus side, having your opponent in 3rd and long is likely helping your defensive 3rd down effectiveness. So, what defines a great defense? Not sure, but I look more at points and total yards yielded.

But you have an interesting idea. Time permitting, I may run a few seasons in a test league. The rub may be getting a WLB with a 100 PRT and a solid PRS.

[Red Zone]

in 3-4 doesn't the WLB rush the QB by default?

yes he does

Wonder why the game would consider the WLB as the "sub" for SLB in your dime package.
He isnt a sub...if you change your team "in game" to a 3-4 you will see
in a dime package there is no SLB...you list the WLB at WLB
the game defaults the pass rush % to the WLB
somehow this makes it much more effective

If the WLB does not "sub" the SLB in such plan, he would still rush the QB, wouldn't him?

3-4 dime only has one OLB...the WLB

Can I use such plan in 4-3 with a DE?

im not sure
I tried using this last season in APFL with a 4-3 and had mixed results
Lance Briggs was rated mid 50s and did ok...but not great
The problem is its backwards in 4-3
you have to put the pas rush%s all at WLB on the miscellaneous settings screen
and 4-3 dime has a SLB...you list your pass rusher there
im just not sure it works the same...from my experience...it doesnt

as for using a DE...I can only tell you what i "think"
Id say this is based on 3 things that make it work

1) the defaulted pass rush % makes it almost like the LB is rushing...twice
sounds crazy but check my Seattle gamelogs and see for yourself
dime--agg pass...usually = sack or hurry

2) you want a player with really good pass rush technique...after that pass rush strength and endurance help
Wagner has a 100 pass rush tech bar, 58 PRS and 37 endurance...he is 36 overall by my scout
that 100 PRT bar is what makes him dangerous imo

3) SPEED
id be willing to bet that Wagner's 40 time at the combine was very good
I'm not sure a DE could match that

I also make sure my RDE is a run stopper
sounds odd but he doesn't rush the passer...he clogs up the Olinemen
that clears the way for the WLB

Wagner is the FFL all time leader in sacks 139.5 and counting
81.5 of those in 5 seasons ive had the team...57 in 4 seasons under nemesis control
He had 1 sack in his only season in Arizona

6th on all time sacks list is my old Colts WLB Phillip Mathis at 117

in APFL I had a rookie WLB on the Colts year 1... Bjoern Werner
He led the league in sacks and was Def Rookie of the yr and also Def Player of the yr

and then there is Irving Garza in USFL
granted that was 2k7...and he was only capable of being a WLB pass rusher
but look at Wagner...what else could he really do?
he would be wasted in a 4-3
and he isnt good enough in pass coverage to play SLB or good enough in run defense to play Inside LB...even in a 3-4

11 sacks in 3 games?
he is on a pace to get 44 for the season

[Red Zone]

Bob,

First, thanks for sharing. Your GP definitely warrants additional review.

A few observations. Perhaps this strategy is funneling more sacks to Wagner, but is that helping team performance a lot? The Seahawk's team PR % is 32%, which is outstanding. However, this is based on a small sample size. Subtracting only 3 sacks (probably a reasonable number given dice rolls) would make your PR % around 28% (still very good). But to put this in perspective, that would not be the all-time best in FFL history.

Another question to consider is how much is your coverage negatively impacted. Seattle is 26th in yards/catch and 14th in yards/attempt. On the plus side, having your opponent in 3rd and long is likely helping your defensive 3rd down effectiveness. So, what defines a great defense? Not sure, but I look more at points and total yards yielded.

But you have an interesting idea. Time permitting, I may run a few seasons in a test league. The rub may be getting a WLB with a 100 PRT and a solid PRS.

I have always looked at 2 things

Points allowed...and i do give up my fair share
but also big plays
In todays game we had a sack fumble that turned into a TD and then a pick 6 on the next series

the plan is to play bend but dont break
we wont ever lead the league in the stats column...but if you want a pass rush this works...and by funneling the sacks --and the pass rush...to agg pass situations and to the WLB you are trying to shut the other team down on 3rd down usually...and kill a drive

what teams do between the 20 yard lines hasnt ever worried me much
if we can keep them under 20 points...we normally win
and sacks and hurries on 3rd down...are worth gold imo

11 sacks in 3 games made me post this
im not saying its the best defense ever LOL
adding a lot of double coverage to it is a bad idea imo
if you look...i use very little DC in this defense
I let the safeties play zone while the WLB goes after the QB

i think when you consider Garza in USFL, Mathis when i was in Indy, and Wagner now
this defense generates a lot of sacks and hurries and they happen when it counts...in agg pass situations (usually 3rd downs)

EDIT:
last season (2039) Seattle was 13th in the league in points allowed with 287...about 18 pts per game
The Jets were tied for 5th with 269...about 1 point per game less
Considering that I rexed the basic Def GP and added more agg pass situations
The sacks have gone way up...and we are giving up an average of 20 pts per game over 3 games

I must admit...only allowing 10 pts in 3 games is impressive though

[Red Zone]

For what its worth...this GP has started to give up m ore rushing yards and sadly...more points in almost all of my leagues.
By changing the basic Defensive GP to rex I am in more agg pass situations which produces more sacks, but also seems to be hurting my defense...overall
Im going to go back to the original and see if things calm down a bit
perhaps...more is not always good

[UK Rookie]

Bear over in the V leagues pointed this "bug" out perhaps 3 years ago.

For what it`s worth it certainly racked up impressive Individual Sack totals for the WLB, but in this version the sacks are alocated more randomly to the LB`s and D Lineman.

I think the total team sacks are pretty much the same,which I think is the key, rather than one super hero (WLB) getting all the sacks.

[Red Zone]

I went back to my normal 3-4 GP for week 4 and we played the run better, but Carr passed all over us
Im not sure what I will do for the next game
we still gave up 24 points

2 KO returns saved us this week...and we ran better but...the defense isnt really stopping anybody

maybe this GP ought to just go in the trash can