Sam Bradford, Vikings – 83
Sam Bradford, one of the most fragile QBs of this generation somehow has a higher overall rating than the likes of Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston, to name a few. We are very confused as to how anyone could think Bradford earns the rating that he has in Madden 18. In what was one of his better seasons (mostly just because he physically played in it), Bradford threw for 3,877 yards (good for 16th) and 20 TDs (good for 20th).
Sure, Bradford did a decent job of protecting the football with only 5 INTs, but does one season where he wasn’t a complete embarrassment mean he gets to leapfrog some potential future hall of famers (that still produce mind you) and two of the best young QBs in the league? I get that he’s a former number 1 pick, but that was a long time ago. This rating doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys – 86
We really shouldn’t be surprised that the QB of the Dallas Cowboys would get a very healthy bump in his rating for Madden 18 after last year. The Cowboys are “America’s Team” and Dak Prescott, their leader, had a fantastic rookie season. That said, all the way up to an 86 after just one season? A season where he had a TREMENDOUS amount of help from arguably one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and the leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliot.
An 86 puts Prescott just three points lower than a more established young talent such as Derrick Carr, and only one point behind proven veteran Matthew Stafford. Listen, I get it, Prescott was awesome in his first year, but can we at least wait to see him play another season before throwing him in among the best in the league?
Russell Wilson, Seahawks – 90
Russell Wilson is a very good QB. He’s a Super Bowl champion, and certainly would be welcomed in as a starter on the wide majority of teams in the league. That said, a 90 overall in Madden 18 is a little high for someone that threw for only 21 TDs, and had 11 INTs. He was top 10 in passing yards sure, but ahead of him was Phillip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins, all QBs that are rated much lower.
Sure it’s worth noting that Russell Wilson can also do a lot with his feet, but in all honesty, last season it didn’t really translate into much production. He added 259 yards and 1 TD on the ground. Fine, but nothing that should blow your mind. Again, Russell Wilson is very good, but putting him as the 6th best QB in Madden 18 seems a little much.
Andrew Luck, Colts – 90
OK I’m just going to say it. Andrew Luck is a little overrated, not only in Madden 18, but just in general. Luck came into the league with a ton of deserved hype, as the successor to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. He’s been very good when healthy, but a lack of support has kept him on the injury report way too often than Colts fans would like (which is zero time of course). Luck was sacked an incredible 47 times last season which obviously makes it difficult for him to get done what needs to get done. Yet, he still gets treated like it’s a given he’s going to take up the mantle of “the next Tom Brady/Peyton Manning” and obviously have an incredibly successful career. Listen everyone, he was drafted in 2012, and still has less AFC Championship appearances than Mark Sanchez. The honeymoon is over, it’s time for Luck do actually start doing something. That said, we fully admit that it’s probably due to a lack of support around him, rather than a lack of talent, but results are results.
Because of his injuries, he usually misses out on truly leading the league in categories that would earn him his 90 rating. Hell, because Wilson at least has won a Super Bowl, an argument can be made that he gets a little ratings bump from that, Luck can only claim that one AFC Championship visit. Like Wilson, Luck is another QB that is very good, but in his case, we’d like to see him stay upright, and accomplish a little more before just handing him the title of 6th best QB in the league and a 90 overall. If the Colts management actually put some support around him, he could easily earn that and then some.
Matt Ryan, Falcons – 96
Yes Matt Ryan made the Super Bowl last season and had a career year, but can we simmer down a bit? A 96 Madden 18 rating which is good for third best QB in the league; that seems a little excessive for Matty Ice. Granted, if we’re going off of last season’s production only, then yes a 96 would make total sense. The thing is though, as we’ve seen with other player ratings, that isn’t always the case. It seems like sometimes past history factors in, and sometimes it doesn’t.
If we’re considering Ryan’s usual production before this season, he’s certainly not someone that deserves to be only three points shy of a 99. In 2015, he threw a 14 less TDs and 2 more INTs than Eli Manning, a guy who is only rated an 80 this season, and it’s not like Manning was trash last season either, he had a down, but still overall fine year. Yet somehow there is now a 16 point rating difference between the two. This seems like a knee jerk reaction to Ryan’s Super Bowl trip, which by the way in case you forgot, didn’t end well.
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