For Madden 2003 players...

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

"I figure that my overall team rating of 80 still isn't good enough for Madden, but Frerotte did rise from 69 to 78 (or 75, I forget)"

 

My team is a 92 rating -- who do you have on your team?...

Most of the Cincinnati Bengals (Frerotte, Dillon, Warrick, Schobel, Jones, Anderson, O'Dwyer, Justin Smith)

 

But, since I put the game on pro and lost the Super Bowl 31-24, I traded Frerotte out of anger for Van Pelt (who retired), I also traded Justin Smith to Atlanta for the first pick in the draft.

 

My team is now like this before the preseason

 

QB: Randy McElroy (overall: 79)

 

backups: Rex Grossman (overall: 61) [renamed guy who I drafted in 2003] and Michael Bishop (overall: 59)

 

RB: Corey Dillon (overall: 99)

 

FB: Stanley Pritchett (overall: 84)

 

WR: Peter Warrick (overall: 80) and Kassim Osgood (overall: 70, rookie in 2003, I forgot if I drafted him/renamed to be the SDSU reciever)

 

backups: Snoop Minnis (overall: 70, FA pickup after 2003), David Westbrook (overall: 65, rookie in 2003, runs kick and punt returns), Mack Parker (overall: 65, 2004 draft pick) and Lance Peter (overall: 63, 2003 draft pick)

 

TE: Matt Schobel (overall: 78)

 

T: Levi Jones (overall: 87), Willie Anderson (overall: 93)

 

G: Matt O'Dwyer (o: 84) and Harry Kelly (o: 74)

 

C: Adam Treu (o: 81)

 

DE: Shawn Ellis (o: 76) and Gary Walker (o: 70)

 

DT: Jason Fisk (o: 78), Ted Hackett (o: 73) and Chester McGlockton (o: 70)

 

LB: Bill Timmerman (o: 70, LOLB), Brian Simmons (o: 86, MLB) and Takeo Spikes (o: 87, ROLB)

 

CB: Terrell Buckley (o: 84) and Jeff Burris (o: 71)

 

S: LaMont Thompson (o: 79) and Donovin Darius (o: 70)

 

K/P: Chad Mills (o: 50) and Irv Butler (o: 63). I got rid of Blanchard and Harris. I wanted to get a kicker named Mickens but he was picked before

 

that's the team. I have 11 rookies and 15 players who were rookies last year.

 

Overall, the team is rated 78, with the Offense at 83, the defense at 79 and the special teams at 79.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Not as bad a team as I thought it would be.

 

O-line looks great (Treu is my starter, too -- he's rated at 78 on my team).

 

I think your secondary could use some improvement, and I'm surprised Spikes is rated that low. On my previous franchise he was my best Front Seven man and was rated in the mid-90s...

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

"I think your secondary could use some improvement"

 

that's the problem with my defense.. just the way I play guarantees I can give up 20 yards a game rushing and 250 yards a game passing. But, whenever I get INTs, I stand a good shot of running them back for TDs.

 

As for Spikes. It seems that my way of playing doesn't generate too many sacks.

 

But, I have shuffled though DLs. My DL that won the first Super Bowl was Lett (LE)/Sam Adams/Gibson/Smith (I think).

 

My lastest cheap tactic to help my secondary was to move my line or my LBs to the side that their best WR was on. Under the logic of "If they come at the QB, then he might not risk throwing over them". It also caused the QB to throw somewhere else.

 

Honestly, if I played on pro, I would have gotten axed in my first season. I started with my LEs being rated 60 and 37. Treu was one guy I got in a trade for either Kitna or Akili.

 

I will mention my OL probably got some points of improvement for how they helped Corey Dillon run for 442 yards in the snow on the shitty 2003 Raiders.

 

As for my WRs. I probably made a bad move when I traded Dyson away and when I sent Lockett off somewhere (granted, I could have made bad moves when I traded Antonio Freeman for Dyson and Darnay Scott for Lockett). Westbrook is a decent WR, he has 99 speed, but he's 5'8" and he's fucked if he is covered decently. He is a damned good punt returner though.

 

If my Bengals team was like the Bears of the 70s/80s, then my Walter Payton would be Corey Dillon

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Hell, I have two CBs rated 90 and 99, a FS rated 99 and a SS rated 96 and I STILL give up 250 yards passing on a good day! (Although I do get my fair share of INTs)

 

Sacks are nice, but most of my progression with Spikes occurred because he'd get 100+ tackles per season, along with a few sacks and INTs. (Most of his sacks came when I simmed.)

 

I play a 3-4 so the DE's aren't too important. With that said however, I have a rookie in the mid-to-high 70s and two in the 80s -- Aaron Smith and Richard Seymour. (BTW: In case you didn't realize, I spent my first 11 picks on defensive players)

 

During a game I usually play man with the CB's. If someone is getting burnt I make sure he has help. Doubling the TE is nice because if the play is a run, the safety has a jump on the runner. I ALWAYS try to get a man on the RB and FB because I HATE those swing passes that go for big yards!

 

I have a primary second year WR who had an awesome 2 years, and I know I'll be shelling out big $$$ when he becomes a FA. He's a possession guy. Opposite him is Joe Jeurvicious and I use Chrebet in the slot. I also have two speed receivers who will not be re-signed when their contracts are up. (Although I might keep Brightful...)