Madden NFL 2017 ratings are completely inaccurate

The New York Jets have been undervalued in the past by critics and fans alike. Madden NFL 2017’s unflattering, inaccurate ratings continue this trend.

Throughout my teenage years, Madden NFL was my release. A late summer, after practice, pre-dinner escape from real-world limitations. Sunk into a bean bag chair, A/C on full blast, I could take control of any NFL player, from an offensive lineman to a Pro Football Hall of Fame gunslinger, and do as I please.

Nothing was more satisfying. Well, seven years later, something feels a bit different, a bit off. This once beloved franchise now has me scratching my head, wondering what happened to my youthful, rose-tinted immersion.

For those of you that purchase Madden yearly, you may notice something different about this installment. Madden NFL 2017 tunes a system that remained generally unaltered for over a decade prior. They trimmed down the effectiveness of players across the 32-team pool in the interest of eliminating overpowered rosters. Unfortunately, for teams that aren’t the New England Patriots or the Carolina Panthers, this change isn’t beneficial.

Let’s take a look at the in-game roster of the New York Jets, for example. Gang Green, in Madden 2016, had a lineup that was spearheaded by four “A”-rated standouts: Darrelle Revis, Muhammad Wilkerson, Nick Mangold, and Sheldon Richardson. Now, in Madden 2017, the only player that hasn’t dropped to a “B” or lower is Revis.

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Not to knock Revis, but labeling a 31-year-old, well-traveled cornerback as the only elite performer on the Jets just feels off.

I mean, Marshall finished the 2015 NFL regular season with the fourth most receiving yards in the league at 1,502. He also tied for the most receiving touchdowns with 14.

However, in Madden 2017, Marshall didn’t even crack the top ten best receivers.

If that weren’t suspect enough, let’s take a look at the face of the franchise.

In Madden 2016, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick received a 78 rating. The former Harvard scholar had a breakout season following the game’s release, recording the best statistical outing of his career. Last season with the Jets, Fitzpatrick totaled 4,175 total yards and 33 touchdowns. Surely, this clear-cut improvement should, in theory, move him up a peg to the “B” quarterback range, right?

Well, in Madden 2017, Fitzpatrick’s rating did rise. To a 79.

As the cherry on top, the Jets, with a 77 overall rating, are tied with the Miami Dolphins for the label of second-worst team in the AFC after coming off of a 10-6 season.

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In an attempt to be “realistic,” Electronic Arts merely managed to seem out of the loop, if not a little bias, with this broken overhaul. Unless a massive patch is released, Madden NFL 2017‘s new rating system will remain completely inaccurate.

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