We are now in weird week that occurs right before the Super Bowl. The hype for the game hasn’t really started yet and everything seems to be quiet in the NFL (except for the Pro Bowl, but no one cares about that game). This upcoming week is when both the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots will touch down in Houston, but until then, the only football many will be watching will be when they play Madden NFL 17 .
As we move into Super Bowl week, EA Sports released the latest Madden NFL 17 player ratings. In this week’s update, we see a Patriot receiver who continues his move up the Madden ratings and a quarterback attempting to cement a legacy that many did not see coming this soon. Let's start with the receiver from New Jersey who is rewriting the playoff record books.
Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots (up two points to 82 Overall)
Nine catches, 180 yards and two touchdowns were the numbers from Hogan in the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers. The Monmouth University alum (my alma mater) has become Tom Brady’s number one target as he is running many of the same passing routes that Rob Gronkowski ran before he was injured for the season. Hogan is probably in many of the Falcons’ gameplans heading into the Super Bowl.
Based on his AFC Championship performance, Hogan saw his Catch and Route Running ratings go up. Hogan is becoming the slot receiver that you should want on your Madden Ultimate Team and at 82, it’s becoming clear that he is the number one target for Madden players going forward.
Ha Ha Clinton Dix, FS, Green Bay Packers (up one point to 83 Overall)
The entire Packer defense should all see rating drops after the 44-21 demolishing that the Falcons put on Green Bay, which showed weaknesses all over the Green Bay defense. Clinton Dix was at the helm of a defense that was just plain awful.
While the awareness ratings dropped by two, Clinton Dix’s man and zone coverage went up in the process, which is odd. To be honest, the porous Packer defense is not entirely his fault as he is one of the few highlights for a squad that has seen injuries kill the unit. But with that said...boy was that Green Bay defense awful last week. Clinton Dix is a pick-up for any Ultimate Team, but there are better options before getting his card and using it.
Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons (up three points to 95 Overall)
Let’s discuss arguably the best quarterback in the NFL today, Matt Ryan. 27-of-38, 39 yards and four touchdowns was what he did to Green Bay in the NFC Championship game. It was a game where everything he did was perfect. Ryan was surgical in his dissection of a Packer defense that had okay showings in the playoffs up until last week.
With his awareness ratings already at 98, Ryan saw his accuracy, speed and agility ratings go up in a week that showed just how good he really is. He is now a top five quarterback in the NFL and a must to have in Ultimate Team if you are able to get his card. Heck, even if you sell his card, you may get a lot for him.
For the full list of rating changes, check out the Madden NFL 17 Ratings Database. Let us know what you think about this week's ratings in our comment section.
