Nerves of Steel Strategy

[AzumAWarrior]

Start a new carrer with the Patriots or Colts, just so everything is in the same save file.


The only way I've found to get a guaranteed defining moment is this:


Get to the 44, 45 or 46-yard line of your opponent with only 1-4 seconds left on the clock in the first half. Spike the ball until it is 4th down. The defining moment will come up and you should choose "Go for it - try to get 6 before the half" - this is ALWAYS the correct choice. I did this exactly 21 times and got the achievement. I have tried from the 43 and the 47-yard line and those both do not work, so it can only be on the 44-46. I have also tried with more than 4 seconds on the clock and that does not work, so make sure it is 4 or under.



Now, to setup this situation, play on 1 Minute quarters. Also, turn the play clock OFF. If you win the coinflip, choose to receive. If you don't, choose the defensive play Field Goal Block (under the Special Teams formation) and they should pass the ball and score. Once on offense, use the play QB Sneak (located under the Goal Line formation) which should get you a few yards every try and a first down eventually (you may actually get a bonus defining moment if you get to 4th down and short, you can choose to go for it and this will also count for the achievement). Keep at that until you get to the target area. If you do this inside the 1st quarter, you will have to run another play to get the clock moving again in the 2nd, so leave yourself a bit short before the 2nd quarter starts. Once you are at either their 44, 45 or 46-yard line, go into the play call screen. The game clock will keep moving and since the play clock is off the time won't stop. When it hits about 3 seconds, call a time out by hitting the Back button inside the play calling screen. Now you want to choose the play QB Spike (under the Special Teams formation) until it gets to 4th down. Once you get to 4th down with less than 4 seconds on the clock in the 2nd quarter the defining moment will always come up, and the answer is always the same.


Note: If you overshoot the target area (by 4 yards or less), you can choose the play QB Kneel (under the Special Teams formation) and you will lose 2 yards to push yourself back. This also loses a down though (and the clock will keep moving), so make sure you don't kneel on 4th on accident or let time run out. Call a timeout again if you need to use this play more than once. If you overshoot it more than 4 yards, just quit the game and retry. You will be quitting and retrying a bit, but this is the easiest method.


Note 2: It may be better to lose the game once you successfully do the defining moment so your approval goes back down. That way, your approval will more easily go up after the next defining moment.

This was posted by The Pants Party, I was wondering if this worked for anyone else, I've counted at least 30 games I've done this now and I still haven't got this last achievement

[Gunstar Red]

The Defining Moment tally is saved on your Head Coach PROFILE and NOT your Career. Make absolutely sure that you save you PROFILE and not just your Career. If you use Quick Save, it defaults to save Career only, so you must scroll over to "Save All".

Once I started doing "Save All" instead using The Pants Party strategy, on exactly my 21st game, I got the "Nerves of Steel" achievement. It popped up during the game right after the Approval Change.

[unkled20]

I just wanted to add to Pants' guide. I actually had a couple of times where I got the DM when I was at the 43. I ended up at the 43 5 times and it worked twice. So, it will not work every time but I just wanted to let everyone know not to just quit the game if you end up at the 43, it may work. Another thing is I had the DM not come up 3 times when I had 4 seconds on the clock. So, I started making sure that I had 1-3 seconds on the clock and it always worked. Other than that, just do what Pants said and make sure you save and this tedius pain in the butt achievement worth 10 whole points will be yours.

[Turbo Choppa]

Wanted to add my 2 cents here as well. The 47 yard line worked for me EVERY time (had several occasions when I was there and it still gave it to me), the 43 did not work at all.

Also, if you want to save a bit of time, I supersimmed to the end of each game after I got the moment and it still unlocked at 21.

[baddawg12]

I have a question. Does this have to be in career mode? Can't I go to Coach Now and play 21 games and get DMs that way?

[Pashos]

Originally Posted by baddawg12

I have a question. Does this have to be in career mode? Can't I go to Coach Now and play 21 games and get DMs that way?

As long as you keep saving your profile every time it could work. I don't know though. It doesn't make it much easier though so just do it in career mode to be sure.

[baddawg12]

Originally Posted by pashos18

As long as you keep saving your profile every time it could work. I don't know though. It doesn't make it much easier though so just do it in career mode to be sure.

In a way it kinda does because if you do it in career mode and you keep losing due to the fact that you're just aiming for a DM you have to force yourself to get more DMs because you probably may not make the playoffs. But who knows, I'll try this out for myself.

[TweetyNurse]

Okay I'm following the strategy and I get a defining moment come up. But if I chose go for it my staff and players approval goes doen but if I punt everythig goes down. So I'm not sure f this is counting, Please help me out this is my last achievement. Thanks

[baddawg12]

I just tried getting in Coach Now. You can't since there are no approval ratings in Coach Now. Such a long and boring achievement for 10 points. WTF

[ROBi816]

I keep getting a DM with 4 and inches and been successful. I get the DM option at like the 45 yd. and I go for it and it's always unsuccessful. This achivement is a bitch.

[Ackis]

Will you get it if you decide to punt?

I've been having issues getting the deciding moment to pop up even... about 20 games and I've gotten 2 to pop up.

One I threw the ball and they didn't catch it, the other I tried to punt.

[GHOST1986]

I have the same question. If I punt the ball and make it will that count toward the 20+ defining moments. Also if it tells me to go for a field goal or touchdown will it count either way as long as I get the touchdown or field goal.

[Saluki 00]

I truly hated this achievement, but, I've calmed down a bit and found the QB SNEAK strategy about the 1 and ONLY way to do this. QB sneak actually makes it doable. If you can't get set on the correct field position before half, just start over. You have to, as the guide above says, be on the 44-46, 4th down, w/ 3 seconds or less. It's really not that tough after all since you have up to 3 downs to "back up" using the QB KNEEL. There's really NO place in the second half of the game to get a DM, or, it's quite a bit tougher to do, so just do the method mentioned above. Do it in the first half as Pants has said. Save the profile. Finished. Thank God.

[Ackis]

One question... when I'm at the 43ish, 2-3 seconds left in the half, 4th down, I throw a hail mary correct?

I have had about 5 defining moments doing this and haven't got a single pass completion. Do these still count towards my total?

[colindy]

First, thanks for the guide, Pants Party, because without it I wouldn't have gotten these miserable last 10 achievement points. Also, the advice about 'Save All' is important, as is the "Career Mode" advice. I got my 20+ moments after an undefeated season and 9 more wins with the Patriots. Be patient, play with 2 minute quarters, and at least one per game will come up (I always quit games that I was losing too). It seemed to me like if you won the game, your decision had been correct, whatever it was. A thing that worked for me was to get down inside the 10 and then spike the ball until 4th down and then kick a field goal. A few times against a weaker team i might go for it and get the touchdown. Patience is a virtue with this one!

[Eggnogga]

I'm assuming you'll know if its a positive defining moment since your approval rating will go up afterwards, right? If so, i've gotten one even when Manning was sacked. Weird. I also completed a pass for a touchdown as well!

Pretty easy, just really boring.