Time to bust out the stop watch. A good measure is on this play but the results are similar to the speed test in beta i recently conducted.
Simplest explination is size matters...AKA smaller is faster.
The lower end of the speed scale has been bumped up a bit as of a recent change in beta...making slower guys faster.
The 40 yard dash tests there have an 80 spd 80 acc. wr at 198 pounds runn faster than a 91 speed 79 acc. RB at 217 pounds..there is a19 pound weight difference. The RB was faster at the 5 and 10 yard splits but by 20 yards the slower rated wr began to take the lead and edged him out at the 40 yard mark.
Insert your two players and 4.5 doesn't look much different. I tested a 93 spd cb vs a 95 wr under 4.5 and the db had a faster 40 time. I chalked that slight edge to the gunner experience the db had...and the 7 pound weight difference.
Your 89 speed back ran a sub 5 second 40 time if you look at the clock. Its really close to the fastest you can get, but almost impossible to tell exactly without a stop watch, but i have an 89 speed fb would is considerably slower than my 88 spd wr who is still a little faster than my 89 spd SS. The results are severly tied to weight when considering 20 points of speed difference on the card.
That 77 spd defender that ran down the rb here was 207 pounds. I has assumed he was playing @191 pounds...needless to say but this is probably the limit of the code. If that back was playing at 198 pounds he would have out ran the Safety.
The 60 speed DB who made the tackle was slowing down incrementally so at least a 60 speed DB is slower than that RB. Sorry to say but going by the speed on the card just doesn't reflect 5, 10, 20, and 40 yard splits. Something tangible is there but thats why ive always lobbied for a real combine that tests guys.
Getting real out there i have noticed rookies taking more snaps in general than veterans. Its almost as if there less wear and tear on the player so hes a bit more fresh during games out performing his ratings. Just anecdotal and probably not tied to the play out come.
As it was a blitz but neither play was overused and the back had only 9 touches by then. Thanks! for the great example of how speed functions in this game.