SS gets the next most inner man to play side. WLB or other cover guy gets the left over innermost man and the corners start the scheme by covering there respective sides outer most man.

IRL they would leave open the player that would hurt them the least. On this play it the FB that stayed in to block.

Actually, he's not covering anyone. He doesn't move to the RB. He doesn't move to the FB. He stands in the exact same spot until the ball is thrown. He literally doesn't move.

But answer me this... if he Slides over to cover man, you just lost a Man in the Box, right? So he'd have to do the same Vs. Run, because he doesn't magically know BEFORE the Play if it's Run or Pass. So he'd have to go align himself pre-snap over the FB2/TE3... even on HB Dive.

Which is why this is an Alignment Issue.

There is NO reason a guy on the opposite side of the Field should be assigned Coverage on a man on the far side. He should be on the TE1, or the FB1 or RB1. He can't get to the TE3, and really isn't in position for the TE2.

There are only 3 People on the field he can cover in Man from these Alignments. Yet the Play calls for him to cover 1 of the 2 he can't possibly get to.

Ergo... the Problem is Alignment.

Which would work, except your SS isn't lined up in a Traditional SS spot... he's lined up on a Weak Side LB spot.

Now explain to me how the SS, from where he is aligned, can (1) make sure it's not a Run and (2) get to the FB2/TE3.

This is where the problem is. We are asking a guy on the Left Side of the Offense to guard a guy on the Far Right of the Offense.

The SS is lined up over the Left Guard, yet some how is 'responsible' for the Outermost Eligible on the RIGHT side.

So we either have to (1) move where the SS is aligned (which makes you weak to the Run) or (2) have some one else responsible for the FB2/TE3 in this Alignment.

Again, the problem is the SS being asked to cover the FB2/TE3 in the first place. It shouldn't happen, and no Coach that breathes air would draw it on the chalk board this way.

Vince Lombardi: "Hey, SS. I need you over the LG. Because Goal Line, we want to stuff the run play. BUT if they pass, I need you to run to the OTHER side of the Field and Man Up on the Outer-most guy. Sound good?"

Hmm, sounds pretty stupid doesn't it? The SS shouldn't be on the FB2/TE3 in these alignments, because of where he himself lines up in Goal Line. If he were 8 off the ball and just off center from the middle of the field, like in a 43, 34, Dime or Nickle... this wouldn't be a problem.

This offensive play is ok. The alignmentS are the best they get. This is an assignment issue tied in to blitzing. I know of at least 5 different defensive plays that call wrong assignments against certain offensive plays. I have lost a half dozen games to this said bug.

I no longer call those plays, because the game logic is broke. Not that you should do the same but I was sick of losing games to plays like this.

Inner most man strong/play side is the SS man cover rule. Thats the TE1. The way to beat it would be to read that blitz and call a quick out to the TE 1. The blitzing SLB should have "chucked" the TE 1 as he diagnosed run or pass on his blitz allowing an extra second for the SS to slide in to man coverage. Clearly he chose to shoot the inside gap right at the blocking FB. That lack of a "inside chuck" left a clear quick pass to the TE1, but nothing like that happened.

The CB1 covers the FB 2/TE 3 and the CB 2 covers the TE 2 . With the WLB ready to cover the flat that develops on the play side.

Everybody is easily covered under these assignments , but some in game AI is involved .

If a cover guys is gambling he will look out of position....if he make this in game read wrong he will be out of postion, but this play , this game, uses a linear coverage scheme aligning guys 1,2,3 and so on....it perfect to get these said " blown" coverages. When in reality its not a cover scheme at all. Its a general assignment when matched with this offensive play bugs occur. I can cover this TE 3/ FB 2 on this play but not with this defensI've play. Not under our code.

The best way to make this a exploit would to place a guy like Hamilton out at FB 2/ TE 3. No blocking skills or Strength. Ratings one would think are helpful in this set right?

Wrong...Hamilton , most likely by accident , has none of those rating but great play making abilities . Give him an inch and he will take it a mile . He's slotted as the RB 3 so I think the AI made this decision , but an override would be undetectable by me. Still, so easy to replicate to get TDs.

Its almost like a screen pass to counter blitzing , cause this happens only versus blitz packages in man. Its just pure wrong...that's my beef

I don't disagree that it's wrong. I disagree with what is wrong about it.

We go back to the CB not being anywhere geographically close to his intended 'Coverage'.

That is, as you said, due to a 1 covers 1, 2 covers 2 style.

The only way to fix THAT issue is to allow for flex 'swap' coverage... where the Defense reads their match up and says "Uh-oh! No way he can get to that FB2/TE3 from where he is... I'll take Outer Most and we'll slide the Man Coverage over 1 each to accommodate".

Now, I'm not sure (1) how hard that would be to code and (2) how easy that would be to exploit... as now your decent coverage S is on a FB2/TE3 (who should have very little coverage priority, USUALLY your granny and her hov-around could cover that) instead of a more 'Primary' target.

I mean, there is very little that can be done to fix this in the CURRENT coding of the game... it would take an entire revamp to Coverage Rules.

I'm not saying that's needed, I'm saying I don't know if it's possible in THIS Engine... and making an entirely new Engine to support it would require the same effort THIS Engine took, the same testing, the same time just to get back to the point we are at now.

In other words, may be more things to fix in THIS Engine before scrapping time/resources to start a new one.

But sure, I can see how the play is a problem... but it's a problem (in the Current Engine) because of the Alignment. Like you said, you can cover it out of other formations (because the SS is in a much better position/alignment in regards to the FB2/TE3 he's being asked to cover).

I've looked at the plays involved and read all the (long) comments, and I have conflicting feelings. Here they are:

1) No play, not matter how genius, should work every time. If the 2RB3TE TE Drag works against the Attack #2 (or #3) every time, it's should be considered a problem.

2) That being said, anytime you throw 7 or 8 guys at the backfield you are asking to get burnt. When in a formation that has 3 TE's and no WR's, you assume a run is coming. The RB would be the one guy you'd be concerned with, and he's blocking. The FB innocently runs past coverage, (only 4 guys in coverage, did I mention that?) and it as sure bet as you can get in football. It's a really REALLY well designed play! It would work a high percentage of the time IRL.

BUUUUT!!! Refer to 1. No play should work 100% of the time, genius or not. I LOVE the idea of passing out of a running formation, or running out of passing formation, but it shouldn't be an automatic.

But it's just good football!

Conflicted.

For the record, Ray makes the most sense: If you don't like the D play, take it out.

Or if you're punisher, run it exclusively.