We have been getting tons of ratings for both positions and divisions over the last few weeks for Madden 16, with us getting our first taste at the NFC with the East. Now, it is time to move to the NFC North, where EA Sports does not predict much change.
The NFC North has seen the same team win the division for the last four years and EA Sports expects that to become five with the 90 OVR rating for the Green Bay Packers. Led by 99 OVR Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are stacked at too many positions to count. The WR position is locked down with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, with RB Eddie Lacy in the backfield. The defense is also impressive with MLB Clay Matthews back again alongside LOLB Julius Peppers.
Seven points lower, we get the Detroit Lions at 83 OVR. QB Matthew Stafford once again has the dominant WE Calvin Johnson to throw to, along with Golden Tate, but the defense may be even more impressive. They may have lost Ndamukong Suh at DT, but Haloti Ngata should be able to help, with ROLB DeAndrew Levy and FS Glover Quin helping out immensely.
The Minnesota Vikings were the back-to-back winners of this division only 6 years ago, but the team has taken a beating over the last few years, leading to the 77 OVR rating. One of the big keys will be if QB Teddy Bridgewater can improve in his sophomore season, with RB Adrian Peterson in the backfield after his nearly season long suspension last year. The defense should help keep the team in games, with a strong secondary led by FS Harrison Smith, along with DT Sharrif Floyd up the middle.
The Chicago Bears are not that far removed from a winning record, but last year was a major setback of the worst kind, which makes the 75 OVR rating quite fitting. The team parted ways with its coach, but replaced him with the always reliable John Fox. Jay Cutler is still at QB, rated as one of the lower starting QBs in the game, but he has some talent to throw to with Alshon Jeffrey at WR and Martellus Bennett at TE, as well as handing it off to RB Matt Forte, though Brandon Marshall’s departure certainly does hurt. The defense was last in all of the NFL in 2014 and they hope to see some improvement with the addition of LOLB Pernell McPhee, but this is not going to be a very highly rated defense at the start of the season at least.
