With each passing NFL season, the events come to a head with the Super Bowl, where both the victors of the AFC and NFC juke it out for the year’s ultimate prize. SinceJohn Madden Footballreleased in 1989, the video game sphere hasn’t been short of offerings that mimic the events that occur through the season. Withthe emergence of Franchise Mode, the individual player ratings are more important than ever, withMadden NFL 22being no different.
The unveiling of player ratings is a highly anticipated event, with each iteration including an exclusive group that enter the coveted 99 Club. Other players in the league fall in line, too, and as the season unfolds it becomes clear that surprises are aplenty, and judging who will rise to the top and who will fall to the wayside is simply impossible. The unexpected participants in this year’s finale has highlighted this more than ever. As the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams meet at SoFi Stadium for the big game, andpredictions flood in from all sides, the one predictable thing is thatMadden NFL 22’s Super Bowl player ratings are far from accurate.
RELATED:Madden Curse as Been Replaced By Monday Night Football Manning Curse
Bengals vs Rams and Who Rules the Super Bowl Jungle
To many, the biggest surprise during the postseason has been the emergence of the Cincinnati Bengals and the team’s unlikely ascent to the Super Bowl.Madden NFL 22developer, EA, was possibly the most shocked at this, as the team holds an overall rating of 75, the fifth-lowest in the entire game. With atop 10 running back in Joe Mixon(currently sitting at 93), and Comeback Player of the Year Joe Burrow at an—albeit underrated—86, the woeful team rating is decidedly different from what fans are seeing on the field each week. The biggest tragedy on the Bengals roster is Tight End, C.J Uzomah, who has been elite at his position, yet still only wields a 79 overall rating.
The Rams are more adequately rated, sitting at a respectable 84, though this is lower than the Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Ravens, whom the Rams beat in the regular season, as well as a postseason win against both Tampa Bay and Arizona. This is despite having two 99 rated players on their roster, the unstoppable Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald andshut-down Cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The team rating is puzzling, but what is perhaps more perplexing is the score given to quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Throwing 41 touchdowns, over 4800 yards, and scoring 3+ TD passes on nine occasions through the regular season, Stafford currently only wields an 83 overall onMadden NFL 22.
The Hail Mary of Player Ratings
ThoughMadden NFL 22tweaks player and team ratings through the season, many are left largely unchanged, and when the company at the helm of said changes is the very same that set them in the first place, there is potential for not onlyMadden NFL 22players to be displeased, but NFL stars, too. As the veteran football series continues to gain traction, player ratings are more important than ever, as they are one of the few ways in which players across the league are numerically rated according to their overall ability.
The NFL is a stat-driven league, and though a linebacker’sMaddenrating surely isn’t going to have any influence in their contract negotiations, players want to feel respected by the only significant football video game there is. Like the annual NFL Honors,Madden NFL 22player ratings are largely subjectiveand often are forged by a player’s performance the previous year. This doesn’t account for scheme alterations, injuries, or coaching changes that can hugely impact a player’s efficiency. Joe Burrow’s overall rating onMadden NFL 22is undoubtedly hindered by his season-ending injury in week 11 of the 2020 year. Similarly, players for both the Bengals and the Rams like Tee Higgins, Sony Michel and Eli Apple have been subject to significant scheme changes that can drastically alter productivity.
RELATED:John Madden’s Impact is Evident in His Legacy of NFL Games
Crunching the Numbers for Super Bowl Sunday
Of the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams, only one is destined to lift the famed Lombardi Trophy.Madden NFL 22ratings will have no bearing over which team comes out on top, but when the dust is settled and the offseason sets in, the stats of the game may be overshadowed by the player ratings in the next entry in theMaddenseries.ThoughMaddenwill always garner a sizable player-base, when the statistics are determined without the context of some key, significant factors, there is always the potential for disappointment and confusion.
Madden NFL 22is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
