Help with the dolphins.

[gmenendez33]

can someone please give me some advice on playing with the dolphins, I'm able to run pretty good but my receivers seem to drop a lot of passes, I was was having a hard time stopping the run but some people here gave me some ideas and I'm doing a lot better, most of my games are close but then my offense can move at all and I get tired of running all the time.

thanks in advance for your help.

[steelersrock]

I say try manual catching then if they drop it then you can't do anything about it. I was having that problem with heath miller then i started maually catching with him and he catches everything now. Hope this helps.

[Aqualung]

I know the feeling..defense keeps me in the games but my 0-line is killing me!! Leave a fb or rb in to block alot.QB's are low rated so be patient...i use Ferotte.

[The Sphinx]

I use the fins exculsively. I also use their playbook. Here is my strategy:

Passing
Use lots of short routes (preferably slants)...Put Boston as your #2 receiver and put Booker in the slot. Boston beats the bump everytime almost instantly and he is good to percision pass high over the middle. He will make the catch and take the big hit and still come down with the ball. You can use Boston on outs, but that relies alot on the accuracy of the QBs and that is a losing proposition. Booker is good in the slot and will make the tough catches in traffic. Chambers is my deep ball play action guy. He is a burner and I have seen him beat every CB I have faced deep. I also like him for deep outs and ins and the ever so effective comeback rocket catch. I don't go deep much without PA, unless the defense is begging me to. Use McMicheal and use him often! TE slants, fades, ins, outs, comebacks and PA. He is a beast and usually will eat up most DB and/or safeties that cover him. If your opponent blitzes with the safety, McMicheal on a streak is usually a go-to play. If they play man you can hot-route Chambers deep to occupy the safety and get McMicheal 1-on-1 with a DB and that is a matchup you will win the majority of the time. He is also a nice corner route option. The other three reveivers are garbage so use them accordingly. If you like to hit the slot receiver a lot I would sub in Chambers in the slot. I do that on the SG 4WR set. As far as the QBs go, you will just have to make due with what you have. I use good ole Gus, but it is really a toss up between him and Feeley. They are both pretty bad. They will under/overthrow receivers alot. They also miss on the high pass sometimes. That is just the rub when you use the fins. You can't expect Gus/Feeley to bail you out. However, if you set up PA with the run they can both be decent. From the Fins playbook when I am looking to pass I like SG 3WR, 2RB, SG Slot strong, I-form, I-form 3WR, SG 4WR, 1RB. There are a few pure slants for Boston and Chambers that are good plays. I never go five wide. The o-line isn't good enough to do that. Also don't be afraid to swap in Evans on the SG 4WR set. He will hold up a little better than Brown. I usually use the RB/FB to block when I am in shotgun, because the O-line is so bad. Brown is good out of the backfield, but I need someone in to block so I don't usually use him as a receiver.

Running
Run over the right side. The RG and RT are the better run blockers...(although they aren't really good). Keep Brown as the starter and use Ricky as the back-up (or vice versa). Use I-form sets and follow you FB. Evans doesn't look like much be he can hit the hole and take up some space. He puts people on their backs and will blow-up a safety. Pound the ball all the time. If you can do it 6/7 plays in a row. If Brown gets tired then Williams comes in and runs down the defense some more. Singleback sets rely too much on the blocking of the O-line and that isn't where you want to place your bets. You have to use the run to set up PA. Your goal when you pound the ball has to be to get the defense to over commit to the run. PA with Chambers/Boston/McMicheal is a very effective set of plays.

Defense (I use the Balance Playbook)
You have to blitz a lot. The secondary is just too bad to expect them to make plays on a regular basis. If you don't call a blitz try to manually bring Zach up the gut. He is good to bring heat. Also do a lot of line shifts to free-up Taylor. If you can bring the safety down near him they can cause a few issues with the o-line. I usually control the safety and either manually blitz or roam my coverage area. You have to be able to use the safety to roam the field. Since the game seems to give CBs a speed boost against the deep ball you can leave Madision (the only respectable player in the seconday) on an island and he will hold his own. (Don't do it against Moss or Harrision type receiver or you will get torched)...

Special Teams
Get Wes out as your punt/kick returner. Sub in Gordon. He won't fumble every other kick like Wes.

...hope this helps...

[gmenendez33]

Dude thanks so much for taking the time to reply back, this was awsome. It just gives me a better understanding of where to look with these guys, I know the O line and QB situiation is not the greatest but I just hate being able to hold my own with the D but not being able to do much with the offense. Everyone I read it seems like this game is about adjustments, I know that if i get out there and play those top ranked guys I don't stand a chance but I also know that I should not be losing to some people.

Again, thanks for your post.

[Aqualung]

Much appreciated here also! Thanks!

[shegotgame]

Thanks for typing that out.

[Breadman]

this was a great post..

[RunDatBak]

jus to chime in, i also use the dolphins. They're are some other things u can do by way of subsitutions that can help out too. On offense sub out carey for mcintosh at lt, sub out hadnot and put in carey, makes a big difference. The above advice on the wr's swap and rb swaps i do also. On defence take out daniels at starting cb and put in howard, then have poole as ur slot db, this guy can catch, jus like above mentioned, ull have to blitz to create turnovers and also to disrupt rhythm ur opponent would have if u didnt do so. I control the safety and sometimes cheat down and blitz or drop back in pass support. The only way ull get sacks is if u blitz a safety or a db from the outside, taylor and carter would do the rest. Madison does holds his own, put on opponents best wr, ie. owens or moss or whomever, he's not a shutdown cb like surtain was but u can trust him. I mix up with blitzes and zones, ull have to help on opponents te, weak side lb gets beat often, dont have the luxury of greenwood anymore. Dfense will keep u in the game, provided u dont give up alot of turnovers. Hopes this extra info helps, dude above nail it on the wall with that info, i do it too.