Oakland Raiders Rating – 74
We gave you our most overrated Madden NFL 16 teams, now it’s time to take a look at which teams deserve higher ratings!
Don’t look now but the laughing stock of the NFL for the last decade actually has a nice young core brewing on BOTH sides of the ball and just might be in the mix for a Wild Card this season. Offensively, the Raiders have arguably one of the best young QBs in David Carr, Alabama star rookie WR Amari Cooper, and last year’s surprisingly good 6th round RB, Latavius Murray. The Raiders were also able to add depth by bringing in Michael Crabtree in free agency AND have a good offensive TE in Mychal Rivera. Defensively the Raiders have an excellent young 1-2 LB punch with Khalil Mack and Sio Moore and are anchored by veterans Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck.
Now we’re not saying the Raiders are going to go to the Super Bowl but they should be rated higher than 74 in Madden NFL 16. A 74 rating barely puts them above the Jaguars (73) and the Titans (72) two teams that are going to be REALLY bad and below the three ring circus that is the New York Jets (76) The Raiders have been terrible, but they shouldn’t be Jets and Jaguars terrible this year.
New York Giants Rating – 77
It’s very easy to pick on Eli Manning and the Giants. For much of Eli’s career he’s been a regular season dud that throws a boatload of interceptions. His only claim to fame is being the man who has Tom Brady’s number in the Super Bowl.
Here’s something though that many people seem to be overlooking. Under Ben McAdoo’s new offensive system, Eli Manning had one of his best seasons ever even with losing Victor Cruz most of the season. He missed out on his most career TDs in a season by one (30) and threw for the lowest amount of picks since 2008. A rejuvenated Eli Manning and Giants offensive with Victor Cruz and cover star Odell Beckham Jr. is going to be formidable. Like the Raiders, the Giants probably won’t go to the Super Bowl (but if they reach the playoffs watch out). But as long as no one else blows their hand off with fireworks this season, the Giants should be closer to the vicinity of the high 70s low 80s Madden NFL 16 rated teams.
Kansas City Chiefs Rating – 82
The Kansas Chiefs’ main achilles heal last season was their pitiful WR core which amazingly did not record one TD. Yes you read that right. The Chiefs’ WRs last season did not catch a SINGLE touchdown. Now Alex Smith is no Aaron Rodgers, but still that fact is ridiculous in a bad way. The Chiefs addressed that glaring issue in a big way by signing star WR Jeremy Maclin. The rest of the WR core is arguably thin, but don’t forget they also have one of the best all-around offensive weapons in Jamaal Charles, and a QB that rarely turns the ball over.
The defense could easily be the best in the league with Justin Houston and Tamba Hali running amok. Considering all of the talent on both sides of the ball, an 82 feels far too low. An 82 puts them below the Detroit Lions, tied with the Cardinals and Chargers, and barely higher than the Dolphins (81) and Panthers (80). The Chiefs, on paper, should be better than all of those teams in Madden NFL 16.
Pittsburgh Steelers Rating – 84
As we mentioned in our overrated Madden NFL 16 teams list, the Pittsburgh Steelers are unjustly rated equally with the Baltimore Ravens, despite having one of the best offensive trios in the league:
The Steelers with a rating of 84 has a FRIGHTENING triple threat offense going with Ben Roethlisberger (who is off one of his best years in recent memory), La’Veon Bell (second last year in rushing) and Antonio Brown (first in yards, first in receptions, second in TDs last season).
Although the Steelers are normally known for their defense, they do NOT sleep on their offense this year. That trio might end up rivaling some of the best QB, RB, WR combos of all time. Defensively, the Steelers are moving on from the early 2000s. Gone is iconic Safety Troy Polomalu and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau who led them through those excellent regular season and superbowl runs in the early 2000s. New DC Keith Butler in his first season and may be able to turn things around. So while the defensive players currently on the roster might be rated low thanks to a terrible year last year, don’t be surprised if over the course of the season those ratings slowly creep up and the Steelers’ overall rating also increases alongside with it.
Seattle Seahawks Rating – 91
Yes even the team that is tied for the highest rating this year is underrated. The runner-ups to last year’s Super Bowl should be considered the favorite heading into this year and should have an even HIGHER rating than 91 (the same rating they received last year as of August).
Not only have the Seahawks kept their famed defense largely intact, they also made one of the biggest offseason splashes of the year bringing in the second best receiving TE in the league, Jimmy Graham. Graham is going to give defenses fits and is perfect for QB Russel Wilson’s mobile style. Honestly there couldn’t be a more perfect fit. Also, Russel Wilson is another year older and another year more experienced in the league. Both Marshawn Lynch and Wilson are now also locked up contract-wise and should be able to play without any distractions. This might be one of the most complete teams I’ve personally seen recent memory and should be honored with the highest rating in the league and possibly even the highest rating ever in Madden.
That’s our list! Who do you think are the most underrated teams in Madden NFL 16? Let us know in the comments!
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