Originally posted by tpaterniti
♦ ♦ ♦ Skills and Abilities Guide - Defense (continued) ♦ ♦ ♦
DB Skills Guide
Physical Attributes
Strength: This indicates how strong the DB is and affects how likely he is to force a fumble when he tackles a ball carrier. The differential in Strength between a DB and the ball carrier also helps determine (along with several other attributes, Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities) whether the ball carrier will run over the DB or be tackled by him. The differential in strength between a blocker (WR/FB/TE/O-lineman) and a blitzing DB or a DB lined up against a WR or TE also determines in the rushing game whether the DB will be able to push back the blocker, or whether he himself will be pushed back, or even be pancaked if the differential is very heavily in the blocker’s favor. With enough strength a DB could even pancake a blocker himself (most likely a WR), which could be advantageous when playing run support. While engaged with a blocker in the rushing game, the DB’s Strength and Agility are constantly being compared to the Strength and Agility (Blocking and other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities are also considered) of the blocker to determine how quickly the DB can break free of his block. In the passing game, the Strength and Agility (along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities) of the DB are compared with the Strength and Agility (Blocking and other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities are also considered) of the blocker he is facing. If the roll based on the DB’s attributes, of which Strength is a big part, is higher than the corresponding roll of the blocker he is facing, he will stun the blocker for a brief period of time and run around him to try and sack the QB. It should be noted, however, that most pass-rushing DBs, however, rely on avoiding blockers rather than engaging them and breaking through their blocks. For this purpose they rely upon Speed and Agility. Once an eligible receiver (WR/TE/HB/FB) catches the ball, the Strength of the DB (and possibly other attributes, Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities) is compared with the Carrying (and possibly other attributes, Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities, especially the Veteran Ability Jackhammer) of the receiver to determine whether the receiver will hold onto the ball or whether the DB will jar it loose for an incompletion. More Strength almost surely increases the chance of knocking a pass loose.
Speed: This indicates how fast the DB is and how quickly he can get to either the QB or the ball carrier. As a result Speed has a huge impact on how well a DB can cover WRs, TEs, HBs and FBs in the passing game, how quickly he can reach ball carriers on running plays, and how quickly he can get to the QB when pass rushing. In the passing game in particular, once the DB passes a Vision check and makes a break on a pass that is in the air, his Speed and Agility determine the quality of the position he can get on the pass relative to the position of the receiver trying to catch it. If the DB can get good enough position, this will increase his chance of passing his interception and pass deflection rolls. In short, Speed remains one of the most important attributes when playing pass coverage.
Agility: This indicates how quickly the DB can change direction. The more agility a DB has, the less speed he loses when he changes direction. Agility also determines how quickly a DB can accelerate to his maximum speed. If his Agility is much less than his Speed, he will not accelerate as quickly as he would have with more Agility. The difference in Agility between a DB and the ball carrier (along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities) determines how likely he is to be faked out by an elusive Special Ability like Head Fake, Juke, or Spin. Agility furthermore works in tandem with certain Special Abilities that allow a DB to get around the blocker who is trying to block him. As is the case with LBs, while engaged with a blocker in the rushing game, the DB’s Strength and Agility are constantly being compared to the Strength and Agility (Blocking and other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities are also considered) of the blocker to determine how quickly the DB can break free of his block. In the passing game, the Strength and Agility (along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities) of the blitzing DB are compared with the Strength and Agility (Blocking and other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities are also considered) of the blocker he is facing. If the roll based on the DB’s attributes, of which Agility is a big part, is higher than the corresponding roll of the blocker he is facing, he will stun the blocker for a brief period of time and run around him to try and sack the QB. It should be noted, however, that most pass-rushing DBs, however, rely on avoiding blockers rather than engaging them and breaking through their blocks. For this purpose they rely upon Speed and Agility. In pass coverage, once the DB passes a Vision check and makes a break on a pass that is in the air, his Speed and Agility determine the quality of the position he can get on the pass relative to the position of the receiver trying to catch it. If a DB can get good enough position, this will increase his chance of passing his interception/pass deflection roll. In short, Agility remains one of the most important attributes when playing pass coverage.
Jumping: This indicates how high and how far the DB can jump and mostly determines his ability to swat balls and to make diving tackles. Jumping therefore increases the distance from which a DB can register either a tackle or a sack because a long sack is a diving tackle, only instead of the HB, it is the QB being tackled. In pass coverage, once a DB passes a Vision check and makes a break on a pass that is in the air, and provided that his Speed and Agility have given him the ability to get in a good enough position to make a play on the pass, the DB then undergoes a series of interception and deflection checks based on his Jumping and Catching (the quality of his position is also considered along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities). Interspersed with these checks, the intended receiver is undergoing similar checks to determine whether he can catch the ball. These are similarly based upon that receiver’s Jumping and Catching (the quality of his position is also considered along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities). Higher Jumping allows the DB to catch the ball at a higher point and thus it should increase his chance of making an interception. However, some believe that too much Jumping will increase the DB’s ability to deflect the pass while decreasing his ability to intercept it based on the way the rolls are programmed and the order in which they occur.
Stamina: This indicates how quickly the DB tires. Stamina is the attribute that prevents players from tiring as quickly; Energy is the unit by which a player’s fatigue level is measured. Each player has an Energy bar located in his player profile below his attributes box. The level of this bar immediately after a game indicates how much Energy the player had when that game ended. His Energy level may actually have fallen much lower than the final number during the course of the game. Throughout the game Energy loss is calculated each play as described below. Players lose energy during plays and regain it when they go to the bench to sit out other plays. The coaches of a particular team have several options they can use to control how tired a player may become before he is forced to return to the bench. If a player’s Energy is low after a game, adding more Stamina will lessen his Energy loss in the future. Your own judgment in this matter combined with the advice of your coaches is a much better method for determining how much Stamina is needed to keep your Energy level at an acceptable level during the game than a chart would be due to the unique roster situations and overall philosophies of different coaches. The effects of Energy loss are determined by a myriad of factors, which include, but are not limited to the following: the Strength of a defender compared to the Strength of the blocker he is matched up against. If a blocker is constantly facing a much stronger defender, or vice versa, the weaker of the two will tire very quickly. The intensity of the physical activity a player is performing on a given play will also determine how quickly he tires. For example, a player in man coverage who is running quite a bit on every play will tire much faster than a player in zone coverage who does not cover very much ground on each play. Also attempting to tackle a bigger or stronger HB will tire out the weaker or lighter defender. In addition to all of these there are several Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities which either boost or deplete Energy. These may positively or negatively affect only the player with that ability, or they may affect multiple players, depending on the ability in question. The penalty for low Energy is expressed as a % loss to all your attributes relative to how tired a player is. If his Energy is at 50%, then he may be losing 15-20% of his attributes until he recovers some of his Energy. This is an arbitrary example to show how the system works. The numbers are not accurate. Bort has never revealed what the specific ratio of Energy loss to attribute loss is. Thus Stamina can be seen as an investment of sorts: the more Stamina a player has, the slower he tires and loses Energy, and thus the more often he can play at his maximum potential.
Vision: This indicates how well the DB recognizes plays and how quickly he is able to switch from his primary play focus in response to the play as it develops. For example, if a DB is set to run focus in his individual tactics, with high Vision he will respond more quickly to a pass play in spite of his run focus. In pass coverage, Vision determines how quickly both a defender and a receiver realize that a pass is in the air and thus it determines how quickly each of them breaks out of his coverage or his route to try and make a play on the ball. Adding more Vision to a defender or receiver allows them to “see” the ball sooner. Once they pass this Vision check and realize a pass is on the way, it is only then that they attempt to get into position to either catch or intercept the pass. Vision also determines how susceptible DBs are to QB's pump fakes and to receivers’ head fakes. Increasing a defender’s Vision will greatly decrease his chance of falling for a fake, although no amount of Vision will totally eliminate this possibility. In addition to fakes, there are several Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities which either boost or deplete a defender’s Vision (most notably for a receiver, the Awe Inspiring and Underdog Veteran Abilities may reduce the Vision of the defender assigned to him in man coverage by 20% if certain conditions are met). These may positively or negatively affect only the player with that ability, or they may affect multiple players, depending on the Ability in question. In the rushing game, Vision along with Agility determines how susceptible a defender is to elusive moves like Head Fakes, Jukes, and Spin Moves. Increasing a defender’s Vision will greatly decrease his chance of falling for these moves, although no amount of Vision will totally eliminate this possibility.
Confidence: The unit through which Confidence is measured within the game is Morale. There is a chart at the end of each game which will indicate how much Morale each player had when the game concluded. This chart is available to GMs of the team in the play-by-play screen. Confidence indicates how quickly the DB loses Morale as negative plays happen to him (including getting pancaked if he is facing a blocker who is much stronger than him, or perhaps missing a tackle). A player with high Confidence will also not be as negatively affected by negative plays whereas a player with less Confidence will lose Morale much faster. A player’s Morale level may actually have fallen much lower than the final number during the course of the game. Players lose Morale during plays and they may regain it when they go to the bench to sit out plays though this has never been verified. Morale may also be positively or negatively impacted by many other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities, especially by General Special Abilities (Defense General, O-line General, D-line General, Field General) as well as by the Veteran Ability that causes these Special Abilities to fire more often, Natural Leader. The Motivational Speaker Veteran Ability also allows for players on the bench to increase the Morale of their teammates who have also returned to the bench. The penalty for low Morale is expressed as a % loss to all your attributes relative to how tired you are. If your Morale is at 50%, then you may be losing 5-10% of your attributes until you recover some of your Morale. This is an arbitrary example to show how the system works. The numbers are not accurate. Bort has never revealed what the specific ratio of Morale loss to attribute loss is; he has indicated, however, that the % lost from low Morale is much less than the % lost from low Stamina. Thus Confidence can be seen as an investment of sorts: the more Confidence a player has, the slower he loses Morale, and thus the more often he can play at his maximum potential.
Football Skills
Blocking: This attribute adds a small bonus to the DB’s ability to fight around a block while pass rushing. The more blocking a DB has, the larger the bonus to either breaking a block or avoiding one altogether. The specific impact of Blocking on breaking blocks has never been fully explained, but it is believed to be slight.
Tackling: This indicates how well the DB tackles the ball carrier. Power RBs will require Strength and Tackling to bring down, elusive RBs will require Agility and Tackling. Some DBs choose to enhance their ability to tackle by adding a Veteran Ability or a combination of them that enhance tackling in some way (usually either to cause more fumbles or to decrease the number of broken tackles). The amount of Tackling a DB needs will depend on how he is used within his team’s defense. Safeties, especially run-stuffing ones, will need more Tackling than man-to-man CBs. More Tackling increases both the chance of making a tackle as well as the radius within which a tackle can be attempted.
Throwing: No significant use for a DB.
Catching: This indicates how well the DB can catch interceptions. In pass coverage, once the DB passes a Vision check and makes a break on a pass that is in the air (see the entry for Vision), and provided that his Speed and Agility have given him the ability to get in a good enough position to make a play on the pass, the DB then undergoes a series of interception and deflection checks based on his Jumping and Catching (the quality of his position is also considered along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities). Interspersed with these checks, the intended receiver is undergoing similar checks to determine whether he can catch the ball. These are similarly based upon that receiver’s Jumping and Catching (the quality of his position is also considered along with other Special Abilities and Veteran Abilities). Higher Catching gives the DB a better chance to catch the ball. Some believe that the best way to get INTs is with high Catching and lower Jumping. However this has never been demonstrated.
Carrying: Carrying determines how well the DB secures the ball when being tackled and how well he can break tackles. This is only important for DBs who also return kicks and punts. For Pro level returners, at least 48 Carrying is recommended.
Kicking: No significant use for a DB.
Punting: No significant use for a DB.
CB Special Abilities
Shutdown Corner Abilities
Swat Ball: This ability increase the CB’s chance of deflecting passes in pass coverage by increasing the deflect pass roll that occurs once a CB passes his Vision check and “sees” a pass in the air, gets into position, and makes a play on the ball. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the pass deflection roll. Sticky Hands: This ability increase the CB’s chance of making an interception (catch) in pass coverage by increasing the intercept/deflect pass roll that occurs once a CB passes his Vision check and “sees” a pass in the air, gets into position, and makes a play on the ball. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the intercept/pass deflection roll.
Super Vision: This ability is widely considered the most valuable Special Ability for a CB. It is not a flat bonus to vision. It only applies in specific situations, and gives a bigger bonus than a couple points of vision ever would. It is also sometimes used as an "insurance policy" for when you fail your vision check. With Super Vision, you sometimes get second chance to succeed, with a reroll based on how much Super Vision you have. Adding more of this ability increases the success rate or your reroll each time this ability activates. This ability only activates on defense, NOT special teams or offense.
Smooth Operator: This ability was recently revamped and it now applies a Vision penalty to the WR this CB is covering (presumably in man coverage). Vision allows a WR to “see” passes sooner and to catch them in stride more easily, so this ability has the potential to disrupt the flow of an offense’s passing game. Adding more of this ability increases the Vision penalty to the WR this CB is covering. It is uncertain whether this ability activates periodically or whether it is active all the time.
Shutdown Coverage: This ability gives the CB a bonus to Speed, Agility, and to the pass deflection roll when the he is playing man coverage against a WR (see the entries on Speed, Agility, and Jumping). Most CBs are asked to play man coverage at some point so this ability can prove invaluable, though it is expensive to add. Adding more of this ability increases the amount of the bonus to Speed, Agility, and the pass deflection roll.
Speedster Abilities
First Step: This ability allows the CB to accelerate quickly from a dead stop. Acceleration is normally dependent upon Agility and Speed; this Special Ability boosts the effects of the Speed and Agility you already have when you are accelerating both from a dead stop (i.e. before the ball is snapped) and when you re-accelerate after a direction change. This ability also boosts your maximum speed for a short time on top of the increase in acceleration. First Step is a common Special Ability among WRs so a measure of it is needed by CBs to help them avoid getting beat deep by such speedy WRs. Adding more of this ability increases both the chance that it will activate and the boost to Speed and acceleration that results when it does activate.
Change Direction: This ability allows the CB to change direction with a minimal loss of speed. Normally this is a function of Agility. The more Agility you have, the less speed you lose when you change direction. This ability decreases the amount of Speed lost even more than you would normally lose changing direction based solely upon your Agility. It also allows you to make tighter turns (i.e. it decreases your turning radius). Adding more of this ability decreases both the Speed lost when turning as well as the turning radius needed to turn.
Return Specialist: This ability gives the CB a bonus to Speed, Agility, and to tackle avoidance when he is playing KR or PR. The mechanics of the increased tackle avoidance are not well understood. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to Speed, Agility, and to tackle avoidance.
Blitz: This ability gives the CB a bonus to Speed and Agility when the he is blitzing the QB. This ability is only active on passing plays when the CB is assigned to blitz the QB at the start of the play (could be a fall-back option in the Defensive Play Creator since the decision in the simulation to attempt to switch a player’s assignment to his fall-back option happens prior to the snap). Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to Speed and Agility.
Closing Speed: This ability gives the CB a bonus to Speed and acceleration when the ball carrier is far away from him. The mechanics of this ability are not well understood. It may be that the bonus scales such that the further away the CB is, the greater the bonus to speed and acceleration or it may be a simple flat bonus to Speed and acceleration. In any case, there is a cutoff distance of 5 yards, inside of which the ability will not activate. This ability is most likely only active on running plays (i.e. it won’t help a CB intercept passes). Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to Speed and acceleration, and likely increases the chance of this ability activating as well.
SS Special Abilities
Coverage Abilities
Change Direction: This ability allows the SS to change direction with a minimal loss of speed. Normally this is a function of Agility. The more Agility you have, the less speed you lose when you change direction. This ability decreases the amount of Speed lost even more than you would normally lose changing direction based solely upon your Agility. It also allows you to make tighter turns (i.e. it decreases your turning radius). Adding more of this ability decreases both the Speed lost when turning as well as the turning radius needed to turn.
Super Vision: This ability is widely considered the most valuable Special Ability for a SS who plays a lot of pass coverage. It is not a flat bonus to vision. It only applies in specific situations, and gives a bigger bonus than a couple points of vision ever would. It is also sometimes used as an "insurance policy" for when you fail your vision check. With Super Vision, you sometimes get second chance to succeed, with a reroll based on how much Super Vision you have. Adding more of this ability increases the success rate or your reroll each time this ability activates. This ability only activates on defense, NOT special teams or offense.
Swat Ball: This ability increase the SS’s chance of deflecting passes in pass coverage by increasing the deflect pass roll that occurs once a SS passes his Vision check and “sees” a pass in the air, gets into position, and makes a play on the ball. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the pass deflection roll.
Sticky Hands: This ability increase the SS’s chance of making an interception (catch) in pass coverage by increasing the intercept/deflect pass roll that occurs once a SS passes his Vision check and “sees” a pass in the air, gets into position, and makes a play on the ball. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the intercept/pass deflection roll.
Closing Speed: This ability gives the SS a bonus to Speed and acceleration when the ball carrier is far away from him. The mechanics of this ability are not well understood. It may be that the bonus scales such that the further away the SS is, the greater the bonus to speed and acceleration or it may be a simple flat bonus to Speed and acceleration. In any case, there is a cutoff distance of 5 yards, inside of which the ability will not activate. This ability is most likely only active on running plays (i.e. it won’t help a SS intercept passes). Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to Speed and acceleration, and likely increases the chance of this ability activating as well.
Hard Hitter Abilities
Wrap Up Tackle: This ability increases the SS’s tackling roll each time he attempts to make a tackle. It likely does not increase the radius within which a tackle may be attempted (see the entry on Tackling); it merely increases the make tackle roll that follows. It is uncertain whether this ability also increases the SS’s chance of forcing a fumble, but probably not. This ability does not increase the success rate of Diving Tackles. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the make tackle roll on non-diving tackles. This ability is likely always a part of the make tackle roll.
Diving Tackle: This ability allows the SS to attempt a diving tackle, which is a tackle from a distance. Jumping naturally increases the range from which you can attempt a tackle (Tackling does as well). Thus with a lot of Jumping it is possible to make a Diving Tackle even without any points in this Special Ability; however, this ability increases the chance that a Diving Tackle attempt will be successful. If a SS attempts to make a Diving Tackle and fails, he will lie on the ground for a very long time and eliminate himself from the play unless he has the Veteran Ability Never Give Up. The Diving Tackle Special Ability can be very important for SSs in run support as it allows them to make tackles from great distances, and Diving Tackles are often difficult to break or avoid. Adding more of this ability probably increases the chance that it will activate as well as the chance that the attempt will be successful.
Growl: This is the same ability as Snarl. This ability allows the SS to reduce the ball carrier’s Morale each time he tackles him. Reduced Morale forces the ball carrier to play with reduced abilities and his performance should decrease the more he is tackled by a player with the Snarl Special Ability. This ability is only active on running plays. Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases both the chance that it will activate and the Morale reduction the ball carrier experiences when it does activate.
Big Hit: This ability, like Growl, also allows the SS to reduce the ball carrier’s Morale each time he tackles him. This ability works a little better than Growl at reducing Morale and also carries with it the chance of forcing a fumble. The chance of forcing a fumble is increased with higher Strength and also by setting the SS’s tackling style in his individual tactics to balanced or power. This ability is only active on running plays. Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the chance of it activating, as well as increasing the Morale lost and the chance to force a fumble when it does activate.
Monster Hit: This ability increases the chance that the ball carrier will fumble when a SS tackles him on a rushing play. This ability also allows the SS to reduce the ball carrier’s Morale each time he tackles him. The chance of forcing a fumble is increased with higher Strength and also by setting the SS’s tackling style in his individual tactics to balanced or power. This ability does not activate when sacking the QB. This ability is only active on running plays. Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the chance of it activating, as well as increasing the Morale lost and the chance to force a fumble when it does activate.
FS Special Abilities
Coverage Abilities
First Step: This ability allows the FS to accelerate quickly from a dead stop. Acceleration is normally dependent upon Agility and Speed; this Special Ability boosts the effects of the Speed and Agility you already have when you are accelerating both from a dead stop (i.e. before the ball is snapped) and when you re-accelerate after a direction change. This ability also boosts your maximum speed for a short time on top of the increase in acceleration. First Step is a common Special Ability among WRs so a measure of it is needed by FSs who play man coverage to help them avoid getting beat deep by such speedy WRs. Mostly, however, this ability helps a FS in zone coverage accelerate quickly in order to either close on a receiver attempting to catch a pass or to make a tackle on a ball carrier. Adding more of this ability increases both the chance that it will activate and the boost to Speed and acceleration that results when it does activate.
Change Direction: This ability allows the FS to change direction with a minimal loss of speed. Normally this is a function of Agility. The more Agility you have, the less speed you lose when you change direction. This ability decreases the amount of Speed lost even more than you would normally lose changing direction based solely upon your Agility. It also allows you to make tighter turns (i.e. it decreases your turning radius). Adding more of this ability decreases both the Speed lost when turning as well as the turning radius needed to turn.
Swat Ball: This ability increase the FS’s chance of deflecting passes in pass coverage by increasing the deflect pass roll that occurs once a FS passes his Vision check and “sees” a pass in the air, gets into position, and makes a play on the ball. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the pass deflection roll.
Super Vision: This ability is widely considered the most valuable Special Ability for a FS who plays a lot of pass coverage. It is not a flat bonus to vision. It only applies in specific situations, and gives a bigger bonus than a couple points of vision ever would. It is also sometimes used as an "insurance policy" for when you fail your vision check. With Super Vision, you sometimes get second chance to succeed, with a reroll based on how much Super Vision you have. Adding more of this ability increases the success rate or your reroll each time this ability activates. This ability only activates on defense, NOT special teams or offense.
Shutdown Coverage: This ability gives the FS a bonus to Speed, Agility, and to the pass deflection roll when the he is playing man coverage against a WR (see the entries on Speed, Agility, and Jumping). FSs are seldom asked to play man coverage so this ability is not as useful for a FS as it is for a CB, especially because it is expensive to add. Adding more of this ability increases the amount of the bonus to Speed, Agility, and the pass deflection roll.
Hard Hitter Abilities
Wrap Up Tackle: This ability increases the FS’s tackling roll each time he attempts to make a tackle. It likely does not increase the radius within which a tackle may be attempted (see the entry on Tackling); it merely increases the make tackle roll that follows. It is uncertain whether this ability also increases the FS’s chance of forcing a fumble, but probably not. This ability does not increase the success rate of Diving Tackles. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to the make tackle roll on non-diving tackles. This ability is likely always a part of the make tackle roll.
Diving Tackle: This ability allows the FS to attempt a diving tackle, which is a tackle from a distance. Jumping naturally increases the range from which you can attempt a tackle (Tackling does as well). Thus with a lot of Jumping it is possible to make a Diving Tackle even without any points in this Special Ability; however, this ability increases the chance that a Diving Tackle attempt will be successful. If a FS attempts to make a Diving Tackle and fails, he will lie on the ground for a very long time and eliminate himself from the play unless he has the Veteran Ability Never Give Up. The Diving Tackle Special Ability can be very important for FSs in run support as it allows them to make tackles from great distances, and Diving Tackles are often difficult to break or avoid. Adding more of this ability probably increases the chance that it will activate as well as the chance that the attempt will be successful.
Growl: This is the same ability as Snarl. This ability allows the FS to reduce the ball carrier’s Morale each time he tackles him. Reduced Morale forces the ball carrier to play with reduced abilities and his performance should decrease the more he is tackled by a player with the Snarl Special Ability. This ability is only active on running plays. Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases both the chance that it will activate and the Morale reduction the ball carrier experiences when it does activate.
Big Hit: This ability, like Growl, also allows the FS to reduce the ball carrier’s Morale each time he tackles him. This ability works a little better than Growl at reducing Morale and also carries with it the chance of forcing a fumble. The chance of forcing a fumble is increased with higher Strength and also by setting the FS’s tackling style in his individual tactics to balanced or power. This ability is only active on running plays. Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the chance of it activating, as well as increasing the Morale lost and the chance to force a fumble when it does activate.
Closing Speed: This ability gives the FS a bonus to Speed and acceleration when the ball carrier is far away from him. The mechanics of this ability are not well understood. It may be that the bonus scales such that the further away the FS is, the greater the bonus to speed and acceleration or it may be a simple flat bonus to Speed and acceleration. In any case, there is a cutoff distance of 5 yards, inside of which the ability will not activate. This ability is most likely only active on running plays (i.e. it won’t help a FS intercept passes). Once a pass is received, it is considered a run play and this ability will be able to activate at that point. Adding more of this ability increases the bonus to Speed and acceleration, and likely increases the chance of this ability activating as well.
I quoted it, do I win?
