ESPN NFL 2K5 impressions

[Razer]

I am not happy with this game. Not that it's a bad game and for the price it would have to be awful but since these are MY impressions, they pertain to me.
They've changed or removed almost everything that made me like the series.

1) No offensive audibles in Coach mode. You can call Defensive audibles but not Offensive? Makes no sense and really kills the game. There've been audibles in football games since the first madden, hasn't there? Either take them out or leave them in but to kill JUST the Offensive audibles?

2) Asshole AI. OK, maybe it's just Bledsoe but on successive plays he
A) ran across the line of scrimmage and then threw a pass
B) threw an INT to a blitzing CB when no WR was in the area (WR ran an Out and he threw an In). Nothing quite so stupid happened after I benched him for Eli (playing in Franchise Mode) so maybe it's just Drew.

3) Milestones must be reached by controlling active player. To get credit for anything that happens in a game you must be controlling the player. Now at first you might say "But Razer, that only makes sense" until you realize how many sacks you'll lose now because even if your team gets 20 in one game you only get credit for the 1 or two you make yourself. You get no credit for anything at all in Coach mode since you're not controlling any player at all.

4) Unintuitive menu screens. Small quibble here but why revamp your screens 100% (including moving things like e-mail altogether) when there's no need? I can't figure this one.

5) Changed playbooks. The Giants playbook (as I'm sure others are) has been totally redone. They don't even have a Pro Set offense anymore! WTF?

6) Kerry Collins. He still retains his 11 Secure Ball stat (how stupid is that?) but after the first week he leads the league in passing after a 32-36 game for 502 yards and 4 TDs. Yes, Kerry can throw. Yes, Kerry can throw. Kerry can even throw but with an 11 Secure Ball shouldn't he have had maybe one fumble in 35 touches? Makes me want to get him back...uh, maybe not.

I think the difficulty levels have been made more realistic as I lost 20-17 on Pro (where the sliders are in your favor) but that was after one (complete) game and Bledsoe selling me out. However in the Situation Mode game I played (Mia vs KC) I lit up the Chiefs for 3 scores in less than four minutes so maybe it's just harder in Coach Mode.

Overall it also doesn't look as tight to me as last year's edition did. I will be going back to 2K4 by the end of the week. It seems like they did moves to discourage Coaching and that's the best part of the game for me.

I also doubt I'll go online except for Roster updates. You guys can rate it for yourself but I'm not pleased with the changes.