Warrior General Games

I was just running some scrimmages trying to create a workable defense against running teams (I will probably give up with the game long before I figure it out!). My league has both a very good run only team and a passing only team - not to mention a damn good balanced team - so solving both extremes is a pain while trying to be balanced on defensive front.

I recently set up a scrim with "No Boost Necessary" and noticed they have zero WR on the roster and fills starting WR's with TEs (and most likely uses FB and HB's as depth I would assume). Not complaining about the strategy - if you are going to run. Why have WR's? On the other end of the spectrum are teams who have the pure blocking WR's (Miami Sharktopus as another example of damn good team).

However, on a three WR running play (for example) - my defensive CB options are CB and FS. If I spend too much flex on running skills for these positions - I would get killed by the all passing teams (Not that I already don't but that's off topic). How about opening up the depth chart to allow us to drop LB's or DE's in at the CB spots? I could then employ something like a 5-2 formation but instead of 2 CB's and 2 LB's I could have 4 LB's on the field. I'm sure this has been discussed in one form or fashion in the past - curious as to why it hasn't bubbled up?

I suppose the other option is to increase CB and FS depth - have one set develop pass defense skills and the other develop run defense skills...

I'm curious as to how defensive guru's have solved this conundrum? IS it just balanced players and scheme? Or is it unsolvable - hope for the best and leave the game in the hands of your offense?

I wish this got discussion. We should be allowed to put LBs in positions of CBs if we can place TEs as WRs. LBs have access to the same defensive backfield stats but are generally more competitive against TEs because of their focus on power.

This is why I have 24 defensive players.

The difference is that you get a depth chart for every formation on defense so you are allowed to use specialty built players wherever you want. The offense is stuck with one formation chart. Sure sometimes that results in mismatches that go the offenses way. But other times it doesn't because people have the players to handle multiple lineups.

Can't you already do this?

You can use a LB to cover a WR against 3WR formations. Just call a 2WR defensive formation. If you put the safeties in shell coverage assignments to remove them from M2M coverage consideration, then one of the LBs will slide outside to cover WR3 on M2M plays.

You could even go with 4-4 Big and have 2 LBs slide outside on some playcalls.

That'd let you avoid the Out of Postition penalty too since the LB would still be playing LB technically.


Just because an offense lines up in 3WR or 4WR doesn't mean you have to match them with appropriate CB numbers on your own formation.

^^ This

It's about choosing formations and plays with specific functions then remuxing depth charts to suit those tactics. It's plays that will make it possible because, unless you build a split focus roster like you suggest, your Corners are going to be be blocker fodder.

Look carefully at what it is your LBs and Safeties are built to do and rebuild your defensive thinking around specific roles within specific formations depending on your tactical preference. For example, in my 3WR Playbook I will use Nickel 3-3-5 plays to counter the run and set up my Nickel 335 Depth Chart to support this. It means I won't defend the pass out of 335 against 3 wide. Perhaps I'll go 4-4 Big to defend the pass as Gal suggests, it depends what your players can do.

Then you need to get to know how the drones behave in the plays you want to use - trial and error. Scout what the top teams in your Tier are doing.

Another solution is to know exactly how you're going to play and what jobs you need the drones to do and build for it from the start. 1 team in my Tier uses only 2 defensive plays 5-2 Man Base and 5-2 Man LB Dogs and that's it, for everything. They are very, very good at it. They're built for it.