SportsGamer Madden NFL 09 Power Rankings: Top 10

#10

Jacksonville Jaguars-The Jags are a good team all the way around. They have a very good defense, running game and are solid at the quarterback position. Garrard took over last year as the full time starter and played well. His rating will be even higher this year. Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew in the backfield will be a solid duo. If there is a weak spot on this team it’s at the wide receiver position. It’s not terrible but could definitely be better.

The defending Superbowl Champs will be rated high just by having won the Superbowl the previous season. They proved in the Superbowl how good and fast their defense is. They should be able to get pressure on the quarterback on a regular basis. Was last season’s playoffs Eli Manning’s coming out party? Or was it a fluke? Either way he’s sure to get a bump in the ratings. He’ll have the very tall Plaxico Burress to throw to. He’s always been a great weapon in Madden. And Jeremy Shockey is still on the team. He’s always one of the better rated TEs in the game.

The Browns were a nice surprise last season. I don’t think anyone could have picked QB Derek Anderson to play that well. Most were waiting for Brady Quinn to take over. The Browns offense played very well. Anderson will be throwing the ball to emerging star Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. Both had over 1000 yards receiving last season. Jamal Lewis is an oldie but a goodie. He should get a bump back up in ratings based on his season last year.

Whoa, the Raiders at no. 7? Remember this is Madden not the real NFL. And their players at key positions are great for Madden. JaMarcus Russell is a big mobile quarterback with a very strong arm. He will be throwing to Javon Walker, who’s always been a great weapon in Madden because of his height and jumping ability. And if that’s not enough they added the best runningback in the draft in Darren McFadden. This team has a ton of speed on offense at key positions. This will make them a very dangerous team. Unfortunately for Raiders fans, Madden doesn’t translate to real life.

It probably wasn’t the type of season they expected last year in the real NFL season, but they were still a good football team in Madden. This year will be no different. The Saints feature one of the best Madden offenses in the game. Reggie Bush should be overrated again, which will make him one of the best players in Madden. The Saints also upgraded their defense in the offseason. This should be a very fun team to use.

The Steelers offense just got even better after the draft. There were already good players at the runningback (Willie Parker) and wide receiver (Holmes, and Ward) positions but they added RB Rashard Mendenhall and WR Limas Sweed. Big Ben will have quite a few weapons at his disposal. Add in TE Heath Miller and you have a very good offense.

If you haven’t learned by now offense is very important in Madden. The Colts have great WRs in Harrison and Wayne. And of course they have future HOFer Peyton Manning. That should be enough, but they have more! TE Dallas Clark and RB Joseph Addai make this one of the best offenses in the game. Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney will add speed to the defense and make them a good team in Madden.

I’m always tempted to put any team with Moss no. 1 because of how effective he is in Madden. But I think the two teams ahead of them are just better all around in the game. Remember Madden doesn’t take into account chemistry, coaching etc…I think if the Pats defense was better they’d move up. With Brady and Moss though, they are definitely in the top 3.

The Tony Romo love fest won’t stop so he should be rated very high. He also has T.O to throw to and a very good TE in Jason Witten. The Cowboys might have actually upgraded their runningbacks by letting Julius Jones go and drafting Felix Jones. A combination of Barber and Jones should be deadly. You can also use Jones on kick returns. Their defense will be good and they’ve also added the controversial Pacman Jones who is very fast and can help on special teams as well. Cowboy fans will be very happy with this team.

This is the best team overall by positions. L..T. is the best runningback in the game, and Gates is the best TE in the game. Having Antonio Gates on the roster helps because he’s very tall. Tall receivers who can jump are lethal in Madden. The defense won’t lose anybody and was already great. They are also a very hard team to run the ball on. Merriman and Phillips can get pressure on the QB.