


The thing is, though, it's a delicate line. Receivers have some very powerful catches at their disposal, and quarterbacks have more ways than ever to get them the ball, but cornerbacks are stuck either going for the interception or playing the receiver, the latter of which is nebulous and doesn't seem to do much but ensure a tackle after the catch. They have more animations now, and they will sometimes knock the ball out of a receivers hands, but more often than not they get boxed out of the play and can only watch helplessly as a receiver makes another great catch. The issue, I think, is that defensive backs don't have enough tools at their disposal. There's almost no consequence to chucking the ball into coverage because receivers can often go up and get it anyway. Right now, though, the balance of power is definitely on the side of the offense. After all, quarterbacks expect their receivers to win one-on-one. With these new tools at their disposal, receivers can annihilate all but the best corners one-on-one, and that's not entirely a bad thing. You'll see quite a bit of this in Madden 16. Corner routes in particular are deadlier than ever, even when the receiver is being double covered. Double tapping lets you throw a soft pass that can be dropped over the heads of defensive backs. Holding L1/LB will cause the quarterback to throw a high throw that a receiver can go up and grab in the corner of the endzone - a common tactic in the NFL. In addition to the new catch system, there are a handful of new throws at the quarterback's disposal. Now even average players can throw it deep, click "Aggressive Catch," and watch as he utterly destroys some poor defensive back for a deep catch. By reducing catches to one of three options - aggressive, possession, or RAC (Run After Catch) - Madden has unlocked the potential of receivers like Calvin Johnson for everyone.
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Advanced players have long known how to abuse the skills of their receivers with manual catches, but that knowledge has generally been beyond the grasp of the average player. In essence, the interaction between defensive backs and receivers has been automated. But as with most things in Madden, it could use some tuning. For the first time I can think of, receivers and defensive backs are actually interacting in a fashion that can be called realistic. Nevertheless, it still represents a substantial step forward for the series. If last year was so supposed to be all about the defense, then this year is so far about heaving it up and watching even average receivers come down with a spectacular catch. It was a thrilling moment, and also the first time that my defensive actually managed to win one of those plays. For a second it looked like his receiver had come down with it, but then it popped straight up and into the hands of my defensive back. Staked to a 14-7 lead as time ran down in the 4th, I watched as my opponent heaved it up for grabs in the endzone. Last night was the moment that encapsulated a lot of Madden NFL 16's strengths and weaknesses for me. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. The Cardinals host the Philadelphia Eagles, Ertz’s former team, in a Week 5 matchup at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sunday. We got the ball made out to Madden and everything, so it’ll be a keeper.”Įrtz finished the game with 47 yards for one score on six receptions (six targets).Īnd through the first four games of the regular season this year, the Cardinals tight end has reeled in 22 catches on 31 targets for 181 yards and two touchdowns. “But other than that, it was a great celebration. The only thing I regret is maybe not spiking the ball,” Zach Ertz said on Thursday of what his wife thought of the celebration. Thankfully the football was only a symbolic prop for baby Madden. However, after “rocking the baby,” the tight end returned to his football roots and capped off the celebration with a Gronk spike. Cardinals' Zach Ertz, wife Julie, pledge 500K meals to fight Arizona hunger
