It’s still early in the NFL season, and EA has done a good job of updating player ratings in Madden 19 through the first two weeks.
Every Week 3 game in the NFL has been played with the exception of the Monday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there is a new list of players who have earned an increase in their ratings.
Mind you, this list could get a little longer if Ryan Fitzpatrick continues his FitzMagic for another week against Pittsburgh, but for now, we’ll go with the following 10 players as the men most deserving of an increase in their Madden ratings.
Drew Brees
OK, he’s already the third highest-rated QB in the game at a 92, but the future Hall-of-Famer saw his rating drop a point after Week 2. After a Week 3 performance that saw Brees complete 39 of 49 passes for three touchdowns to go along with two rushing scores, it would seem a 92 is a bit low.
Brees is now leading the NFL in passing yards with 1,078 and he’s tied for second in the league in passing touchdowns with 8–and he still hasn’t thrown an interception despite 129 pass attempts.
Khalil Mack
Like Brees, Mack is already seen as an elite player in Madden 19. He is currently rated a 96 overall. As good as that is, Mack’s play through three games with the Chicago Bears has been so good, it doesn’t feel like a 96 is enough. Quite honestly, Mack is playing like a 99-overall rated player.
His 4 sacks in three games are tied for first in the NFL. He also has three forced fumbles (one in each game), and an interception return for a touchdown.
He is the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year through three games and a terror even though he’s being double and triple teamed on some plays.
Matt Breida
While he hasn’t had a lot of touches, Breida has been productive with his opportunities. He’s tied for the league lead in rushing yards with 274–despite having just 32 carries in three games. After rushing for 138 yards in Week 2 on the strength of a 66-yard TD scamper against the Detroit Lions, Breida followed that performance up with a 10-carry-90-yard outing in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He also caught three more passes bringing his receptions total to seven.
He’d already gone up 2 points to a 79 after Week 2, but it seems another increase is in order.
Adrian Peterson
A.P. is defying Father Time through three weeks of football with the Washington Redskins. He’s sixth in the league in rushing, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and he has already found the end zone three times. In the Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers, Peterson reeled off a 120-yard performance on 19 carries with two scores.
He’d dropped to a 79 overall after Week 2, but that was probably a hasty decision by the Madden ratings guys and girls. I believe he has earned a spike.
Adam Thielen
Slowly but surely, Thielen is earning his respect as a top-flight receiver. His 32 receptions and 338 receiving yards through three games are second in the NFL. He’s already rated an 88, but it might be time for him to hit the 90 mark.
Taylor Decker
O-linemen rarely get any love, but someone has to be recognized for the protection Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford has been getting this season. Despite 135 pass attempts, Stafford has only been sacked three times. O-Line play is as much of a team effort as anything in sports, but the left tackle Taylor Decker has been playing well above his 78 overall rating. I know the Lions are just 1-2, but it seems as if Decker has played well enough to be rated an 80.
Robbie Gould
You can’t be any better than Gould has been this season. He’s already rated an 85, but the veteran is a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals this season. There is a disrespect for kickers in the game, but Gould should be rated a little higher.
Myles Garrett
The Browns’ pass rush has been pretty solid through three games. The biggest reason for that is the play of former No. 1 overall pick Garrett. He is tied with Mack, the Saints’ Cameron Jordan and Denver Broncos’ Von Miller for the league lead in sacks.
He came into Week 3 rated an 89, but his second two-sack game warrants a boost in Madden 19.
Xavien Howard
This is one of the easiest cases to make for a bump up in ratings. The Miami Dolphins’ Howard came into Week 3′s contest with the Oakland Raiders rated a modest 76 overall.
After two more interceptions to go with the one he had in Week 2 against the New York Jets, Howard is now tied for the league lead in picks with 3.
We can’t overreact after three weeks of play, but a guy with three picks in as many games should be rated higher than a 76.
Donte Jackson
We can almost copy and paste Howard’s argument here for the Carolina Panthers’ Jackson. He is tied with Howard and the Seattle Seahawks’ Earl Thomas for the league lead in interceptions.
Like Howard, Jackson had two interceptions in Week 3 after getting his first pick of the season in Week 2.
However, Jackson also has a forced fumble and 19 tackles this season to further support a boost to his Madden 19 rating.
Jackson is currently rated a 74 overall, but that should change in the next update.
