EA Sports’ Madden franchise has the daunting task of ranking all NFL players and their attributes. While they have the ability to correct these rankings with in-season roster updates, there are some issues with the initial rankings of players. So, The Game Haus will be analyzing the most questionable ratings for players on every NFL team.
Here are the most questionable Madden 21 ratings for the Los Angeles Chargers.
A rating of 81 seems criminally low for Mike Williams, who had an NFL-high 20.4 yards per reception in 2019. The young receiver also had over 1,000 yards receiving last year and was targeted 90 times in the 15 games in which he played.
The low rating could be due to his lack of red zone usefulness, as he caught only two touchdowns. Most of that, however, is due to circumstance and positioning. He still catches the ball at a high percentage and clearly can bang out yardage in a hurry. Not to mention, he had to compete with Keenan Allen, one of the best wide outs in the league.
If he returns to form and gets some more looks inside the 20, Williams could be a top-10 receiver and a fantasy icon. It will definitely depend on his relationship with his new quarterback, whomever that may be. But his potential is through the roof, and his rating should reflect that.
Adjusted Rating – 85
Casey Hayward was given a very generous rating by Madden 21, which is most likely due to his veteran status.
Chris Harris will play his first season as an L.A. Charger in 2020. (Photo by Mark Reis/The Gazette)
The 30-year-old cornerback had two interceptions in 2019, eight passes defended and 32 combined tackles. He collected those numbers in a full 16-game season, his third in a row where he started in every single game.
Those numbers are not bad by any means, especially for a cover corner. But, compare them to Chris Harris, Jr.’s numbers last year and the discrepancy between their ratings make no sense. Harris (also 30-years-old) collected one interception, one forced fumble, six passes defended and 24 more combined tackles than Hayward did in 2019. He is rated an 87 in Madden 21.
The two may only be separated by two points but when discussing ratings in the high-80s and above, those two points make a world of difference. Considering both players are good, but somewhat underwhelm in game-changing stats, they should both be a bit lower.
Adjusted Rating (for both players) – 85
Offensive guard Trai Turner has played and started in 13 games like clockwork each of the past three seasons. In those seasons he has played exactly 79, 72 and 80 percent of all offensive snaps. He has only missed the Pro Bowl once in his six seasons in the NFL (his rookie season).
So why, exactly, is he only ranked an 80?
Madden 21 cannot even fall back on penalty numbers, as he only committed three last season, including one holding penalty and zero false starts. He has even been used, albeit rarely, on special teams.
Turner is an extremely versatile guard who puts up extremely steady production. That is quite literally all one can ask for out of an offensive line. A ranking almost in the 70s just seems like a disrespect to the position as a whole.
Adjusted Rating – 85
Featured Image courtesy of Los Angeles Chargers
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