Week 10 of the NFL is upon us and as the weather becomes colder, the intensity of making the postseason is starting to show around the NFL. While some teams, like the entire NFC East, are in a dogfight to make the playoffs, other teams are barely surviving the season with hardly a fan left in their stadium (ah hem Cleveland Browns).
For this week's look at the Madden NFL 17 ratings, we are going to take a different approach. With the season approaching crunch time, everyone knows that defense wins ballgames and championships. We will look at specific defensive players and how their ratings fared this week. One player who was recently traded from a good team to a horrible team is featured on this list, which also includes two players with the same last name.
To see the full list of the rating updates, check out the Madden NFL 17 Player Rating page. Do you agree with the latest updates? Let us know in our comment section.
Jamie Collins, LB, Cleveland Browns (down four points to 88 Overall)
Maybe Collins Sr. ratings went down because of his recent trade from the Patriots to the Browns, but a four point drop after a hoe-hum week isn’t normal. An eight tackle game against the Cowboys doesn’t scream an awful game, but is it possible that Cleveland's scheme is affecting his Madden rating? A two point drop in awareness, a four point drop in finesse moves and a four point drop in power moves for Collins Sr. is unfathomable. No offense to the ratings folks at Madden, but this is questionable as Jamie Collins Sr. is still entirely worth your time inside Madden.
Maurice Alexander, FS, Los Angeles Rams (up 11 points to 82 Overall)
A 69 rated overall player upon the Madden NFL 17 launch, Alexander may be one of the biggest movers in regards to Madden ratings that there has ever been. An unknown safety when the season began, Alexander has made a name for himself with the Rams and although he only had one tackle last week, he is a mainstay on the L.A. defense. With 22 tackles and one sack on the year, Alexander has seen not just his overall rating go up, but his man and zone coverage ratings went up as well, along with an 18 point increase in Alexander's play recognition rating. Alexander may be on the cusp of being a starting safety in Madden, but he is a card that may be worth keeping in Madden Ultimate Team and stashing away just in case.
Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Packers (down 3 points to 86 Overall)
Matthews has only played in five of Green Bay’s eight games and after those five games, Matthews has accumulated just 13 tackles and three sacks. Needless to say, his overall rating should take a hit but it almost seems like teams are not as scared of him as they once were. Matthews’ block shedding rating is now down eight points (now 70) and his pursuit rating dropped three (now 86) and teams are just pretty much ignoring him. Clay Matthews is still a force on defense in Madden but he may not be the best option in a 3-4 defense. Move him to 4-3 where all he does is rush the quarterback if you pick him up in Madden.
Lorenzo Alexander, ROLB, Buffalo Bills (up 2 points to 80 Overall)
Another Alexander on the list and this time, it’s a linebacker from Buffalo. In coach Rex Ryan’s aggressive 3-4 defensive scheme, linebackers have a lot of freedom and Alexander is reaping those benefits. Speed, agility and acceleration are just three of the ratings that went up for the 10-year veteran, attributes that are important for a linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. 39 tackles, ten sacks and three forced fumbles make Alexander a borderline pickup in Madden Ultimate Team, where you should not depend on Alexander being an impact player unless his numbers continues to go up.
