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Detroit Lions Madden 17 Player Ratings Released

By Colton Wesley

Dec 14, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) celebrates with teammates after making an interception during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) celebrates with teammates after making an interception during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) scrambles away from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison (96) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) scrambles away from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison (96) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

The Competition

Madden handed out four 99s this year, to Rob Gronkowski, Luke Kuechly, Von Miller and J.J. Watt, all of which seem reasonable. Aaron Donald, who is apparently not Eric Ebron, is the only 98 overall.

As far as the division goes, the Green Bay Packers are the strongest NFC North team in Madden, with four 90+ players and 13 in the 80s. On offense, they boast the top-rated quarterback in the game, Aaron Rodgers, at 96 overall and a pair of 91-overall offensive linemen in T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton. Their receiving depth chart is topped by Jordy Nelson (89) and Randall Cobb (86). On defense, Mike Daniels garnered a 92, which seems a little high. He is joined in the front seven by Clay Matthews (89) and Julius Peppers (86), and Sam Shields (86) and Morgan Burnett (85) lead a decent secondary.

Related Story: Detroit Lions Opponent Previews

The Minnesota Vikings are led on offense by Adrian Peterson, no surprise, with a 91. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has a respectable 81, but his receiving corps boasts no receivers rated over 75 except for Stefon Diggs (79), and the offensive line is only decent, with no lineman rating over 86 and only three of them in the 80s.

The defense is pretty strong overall. A mediocre secondary is led by Harrison Smith with a team-high 94 overall rating, but the front seven includes Linval Joseph (89), Anthony Barr (88) and Everson Griffen (88), so expect the Vikings pass rush to be a force.

The Chicago Bears’ roster is extremely thin in this year’s game, with only two 90+ players (Pernell McPhee, 92 and Alshon Jeffrey, 91), and seven players in the 80s. Jay Cutler was given an 80 rating, which is probably a safe grade for a player who elicits a lot of opinions, even from former teammates.

The offensive line is particularly thin, not including a single player ranked above 79. On defense, the Bears have a strong unit of linebackers, but no one to speak of in the secondary beyond Kyle Fuller (80). Even the venerable Robbie Gould was only given a 79 overall. The Bears should be two relatively easy wins each season in this year’s franchise mode.

Next: Final Thoughts

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