SIM COMPLETE - WEEK 9

[aholbert]

I would buy any and all explanations IF...IF this happened last year as well.

Last year we had one of the best defenses in the league. And ALL the players are back a year older, a year better. ALL the coaches are back. There is nothing different. I've done it all with gameplanning. I've gone auto, I've done tweaking.

I'm going to do some more digging and see if these ratings even mean much.

I understand but I guess I'm just not seeing it. My scout is great at OL and DL scouting and my team has performed pretty much in those two areas as expected. He's not good at scouting WRs and CB and I've noticed that some of players are either really overrated or underrated for my team.

Also, just going off of stats and record last year, Chicago's D wasnt one of the best last year. They had the 26th ranked run D and the 10th ranked pass D. That puts the Reapers somewhere toward the back (18th-20th) in total D. Now I agree that in some of the games the D has looked much worse this year but the two biggest opposing team scoring outputs were by two of the better teams in the league (St. Paul and Camden) Sometimes you have to chalk it up as having a tough year.

[Cotton]

Again... ahem... You have two good corners and nothing behind them (and I don't mean your three overworked safeties). No depth. No nickle or dime back of any apparent quality to help you with three and four receiver sets and your mediocre linebackers aren't helping you in the passing game. A good tight end or slot man could rip you to shreads.

Just trying to help. For whatever that's worth.

[SoobieTech]

Our roller coaster ride of a season continued this week, as we beat Brooklyn 27-3. I like that our defense seems to come up with big plays and turnovers when our opponents get into the red zone. We lead the league in turnover margin, which I think is the reason we are above .500. There are still a few tweaks needed in the offensive gameplan. I think we are too predictable in certain situations. We host Chicago next week to end a 3 game home stand. 1-7 teams scare the crap out of me, especially with a defense like theirs. GG Brooklyn.

[Dave]

I would buy any and all explanations IF...IF this happened last year as well.

Last year we had one of the best defenses in the league. And ALL the players are back a year older, a year better. ALL the coaches are back. There is nothing different. I've done it all with gameplanning. I've gone auto, I've done tweaking.

I'm going to do some more digging and see if these ratings even mean much.

Your defense sounds like mine last year - great ratings, yet good offenses went through us like a hot knife through butter most of the time. One thing I've noticed about this game is that good receivers go a long, long way towards having a successful offense. Look at what JR Sierra did last season as an example. I almost beat Columbus last season, but I just couldn't stop Sierra and he routinely pulled down balls in double coverage for big gains in crucial situations.

In our game, you seemed to double Fleming a fair amount of the time, while Page and Wilkerson, and even some second-tier guys like Sinclair, seemed to feast on single coverage while that was happening.

My offense struggled at times last season, but the biggest difference this year has been Fleming's emergence as a receiver who demands double coverage. One that happens, assuming you have other good receivers who can beat the single coverage they're seeing on almost every play, the entire offense becomes unstoppable.

You doubled Fleming early and Page burned you for 20, 30, and 32 yard gains. Then you stopped doubling and Fleming beat you for 17 and 60 yards. Take your pick....

[Jistic]

Again... ahem... You have two good corners and nothing behind them (and I don't mean your three overworked safeties). No depth. No nickle or dime back of any apparent quality to help you with three and four receiver sets and your mediocre linebackers aren't helping you in the passing game. A good tight end or slot man could rip you to shreads.

Just trying to help. For whatever that's worth.

Good points, but I think that may be reaching.

Looking at the best pass defense in the league (by QB rating) we have Camden (not singling you out Skerik :D ) The Reapers are 3rd to worst overall.

Their best 5th and 6th DB is 33 OVL. Their starters are 46, 41, 52, 57 respectively, at least by my scouts. And yes I understand OVL rating is not the be all end all. Not seeing great depth here.

Anyway, LB's are 66, 54, and 33 OVL. His best LB is better than my best no doubt. But that's is.

For us Our starters again are, 73, 61, 71, 69 respectively. Next two are 41 and 27.

Our LB's are 43, 43, 46. Granted one was injured last game.

So going by ratings alone, I don't see it. I just don't see how ratings are making a difference.

So it must be coaching, I dunno.

[Jistic]

I understand but I guess I'm just not seeing it. My scout is great at OL and DL scouting and my team has performed pretty much in those two areas as expected. He's not good at scouting WRs and CB and I've noticed that some of players are either really overrated or underrated for my team.

Also, just going off of stats and record last year, Chicago's D wasnt one of the best last year. They had the 26th ranked run D and the 10th ranked pass D. That puts the Reapers somewhere toward the back (18th-20th) in total D. Now I agree that in some of the games the D has looked much worse this year but the two biggest opposing team scoring outputs were by two of the better teams in the league (St. Paul and Camden) Sometimes you have to chalk it up as having a tough year.

I guess we agree to disagree then.

Top 5 in points allowed, to me PA is the ultimate judge of a defense.

Top 10 total yards allowed
Top 10 pass D.

But my point is, with the same staff and same players with much better ratings they are playing MUCH worse.

All the explanations are lack of depth, this and that, but this is the SAME defense. They are playing much worse even though they are better players now than a year ago.

[HWessinmouse]

Blame Hoosier.

[Guest]

FWIW. . . .everybody's team is better too. . . . well, except Wes's team. .

[HWessinmouse]

Mine's more worser.

[Guest]

I understand but I guess I'm just not seeing it. My scout is great at OL and DL scouting and my team has performed pretty much in those two areas as expected. He's not good at scouting WRs and CB and I've noticed that some of players are either really overrated or underrated for my team.

Also, just going off of stats and record last year, Chicago's D wasnt one of the best last year. They had the 26th ranked run D and the 10th ranked pass D. That puts the Reapers somewhere toward the back (18th-20th) in total D. Now I agree that in some of the games the D has looked much worse this year but the two biggest opposing team scoring outputs were by two of the better teams in the league (St. Paul and Camden) Sometimes you have to chalk it up as having a tough year.

I guess we agree to disagree then.

Top 5 in points allowed, to me PA is the ultimate judge of a defense.

Top 10 total yards allowed
Top 10 pass D.

But my point is, with the same staff and same players with much better ratings they are playing MUCH worse.

All the explanations are lack of depth, this and that, but this is the SAME defense. They are playing much worse even though they are better players now than a year ago.

I think you're forgetting that the game was fundamentally broken last season, particularly when it comes to defense. I'd go as far as to say that when it comes to evaluating players, you can almost throw out the 6.0d results. There were "chutes" and "ladders" in 6.0d that some impacting lots of things, performance-wise.

[Dave]

I think you're forgetting that the game was fundamentally broken last season, particularly when it comes to defense. I'd go as far as to say that when it comes to evaluating players, you can almost throw out the 6.0d results. There were "chutes" and "ladders" in 6.0d that some impacting lots of things, performance-wise.

I think someone's just looking for a reason why their heavily-favored team didn't win it all.... :)

[Guest]

I think you're forgetting that the game was fundamentally broken last season, particularly when it comes to defense. I'd go as far as to say that when it comes to evaluating players, you can almost throw out the 6.0d results. There were "chutes" and "ladders" in 6.0d that some impacting lots of things, performance-wise.

I think someone's just looking for a reason why their heavily-favored team didn't win it all.... :)

;)

I fully admit that I figured out how to avoid most of the "chutes" and how to take advantage of some of the "ladders," although what was the most bizarre about the whole thing was that some were getting significant benefits from 6.0d's flaws without even realizing it.

[Guest]

6d or 6e, I'm still winnin!

[Cotton]

Again... ahem... You have two good corners and nothing behind them (and I don't mean your three overworked safeties). No depth. No nickle or dime back of any apparent quality to help you with three and four receiver sets and your mediocre linebackers aren't helping you in the passing game. A good tight end or slot man could rip you to shreads.

Just trying to help. For whatever that's worth.

Good points, but I think that may be reaching.

Looking at the best pass defense in the league (by QB rating) we have Camden (not singling you out Skerik :D ) The Reapers are 3rd to worst overall.

Their best 5th and 6th DB is 33 OVL. Their starters are 46, 41, 52, 57 respectively, at least by my scouts. And yes I understand OVL rating is not the be all end all. Not seeing great depth here.

Anyway, LB's are 66, 54, and 33 OVL. His best LB is better than my best no doubt. But that's is.

For us Our starters again are, 73, 61, 71, 69 respectively. Next two are 41 and 27.

Our LB's are 43, 43, 46. Granted one was injured last game.

So going by ratings alone, I don't see it. I just don't see how ratings are making a difference.

So it must be coaching, I dunno.

Just tossing out one of the many aspects that could be having an effect. My point is basically that if you have four good starting DBs, there's still ways for your defense to get scorched in the passing game. Trust me, I know. ;)

Nicklebacks are more important now that 'e' fixed 'd', so you really need three decent corners, especially against single back formations. As far as linebackers go, they could be good run stuffers or good pass rushers but get lost in coverage. That matters much more for your sam, and to a little lesser extent your ILBs, since your will isn't in coverage much anyway if you run a 3-4 and doesn't have a tight end to deal with as much in the 4-3. If your sam can't cover, you'll feel it, because unless you're blitzing him, he's covering someone.

Now if I could just get some offense... oy... ;)

Ratings don't guarantee anything. My 90/90 flanker (Viola) probably leads the league in drops and I have had the damnedest time getting him the ball. I know it's something I'm doing in my formations and game plan. (But when he does get it... ooh look out...)

[Jistic]

I'm just gonna cut everybody...