How to defend Option?

Posts: 348 |

3,045

I just played a game against an option heavy opponent. I think he was in Ravens PB, 21 personnel, and ran all kinds of option: triple option, power option

I only won because he fumbled a lot. Other than that I have no idea how to stop it. I set the option defense to aggressive - didn't work, I clicked Option RB pre-play - didn't work, I tried to man up the RB - didn't work: the assigned defender would still leave him to get to the QB. No matter what I tried to do, it would always end like that: the QB keeps the ball, everyone thinks it's a QB run and leaves their players to catch him, and the very last moment before getting tackled he tosses the ball to either RB or FB.

Couldn't stop it from 6-1, kinda stopped it from Dollar, but I guess I was just lucky. I forced 4 fumbles: one went out of bounds, one I recovered late in the 1st half but didn't have enough time to score, one I recovered and did have enough to score, and the last one I returned for 6 immediately - that made my opponent rage quit

Posts: 375 |

1,170

Usually when a guy tries that with me, I send everyone at the QB and then just user the RB myself. If the QB pitches it, I either catch it and take it to the house or stop the RB immediately.

Posts: 35 |

You want it set to conservative not aggressive. Don’t control the DE/LBwho is responsible for the QB. If you need more support, manually move safeties into the box and play the Qb side with ur user. Always try to force a fumble when tackling the qb, spam strip as u switch players.

Players who spam options or rpo’s typically have extremely low IQ (similar to those who use a heavy run scheme) and they’re usually quitters. Just shut em down a few times.

Last edited by skolatchaboi - , edited 1 time in total.
Reason: forgot to add

Posts: 904 |

I’ve only played a heavy option runner once and I blitzed the hell out of him. He broke one run but nothing else. 6-1 Sam Will blitz. Crash inside. Option D on QB. User to cover HB first but ready for QB run.

I ran a lot of option myself early this year. It’s a pretty effective scheme honesty.

Last edited by JuicyJ8787 - , edited 1 time in total.

Posts: 348 |

3,045

skolatchaboi said:

You want it set to conservative not aggressive. Don’t control the DE/LBwho is responsible for the QB. If you need more support, manually move safeties into the box and play the Qb side with ur user. Always try to force a fumble when tackling the qb, spam strip as u switch players.

Players who spam options or rpo’s typically have extremely low IQ (similar to those who use a heavy run scheme) and they’re usually quitters. Just shut em down a few times.

Why would I want to set it to conservative? I thought conservative focused on the QB, while I needed to attack the RB. (edit: or is it conservative = RB, aggressive = QB? I forgot)

I wanted someone to cover the RB, but instead they all rushed the QB like crazy

Last edited by peacedeaths - , edited 1 time in total.