LA Rams News: Madden ratings adjusters missed it by a mile

What Madden Got Really Wrong

Plain and simple, LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff received a mere 76 overall rating. Just to put this into perspective Goff has the same overall as Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. Over 4,500 yards, third in passing yards, and all that behind a 31st-ranked offensive line. One proponent could be his touchdown to interception ratio of 22:16. While that ratio isn’t the best, five of Goff’s 2019 passes were downed at the opponent’s one-yard line. Unsurprisingly, the offense ran it in for the score.  In an odd statistical anomaly,  five potential passing scores were converted as rushing scores.

In comparison, both Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott received an 84 overall rating. Both annually have offensive lines competing for the best of the season which helps limit turnovers, and neither had Goff’s issues of passes being downed at the one. If Goff’s receivers scored he would’ve had 27 which the same as Wentz and three less than Prescott.  We’d reviewed the 2016 NFL Draft, and Goff definitely is on par with both Wentz and Prescott.

Bad situation, worse ratings

I’m not going to say Goff earned an 84 like them, performance still matters regardless of circumstance. Just look at Wentz who performed with no receiving help. Still, Rams fans should feel slighted at Goff’s rating. With the offensive line issues and deflated touchdown numbers, he should’ve been at least somewhere between an 80-82 overall player.  As it stands, he is the lowest-rated quarterback in the NFC West.  Russell Wilson is tops at a 97 rating, Jimmy Garapollo is second at an 84 rating, Kyler Murray is third at a 77 rating, and Goff brings up the rear with a horrifying 76 rating. Seriously?

Other than Goff,  the other rating to take a huge issue with is Rams All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker. While yes, he is the highest-rated punter in the game at an 86, that’s all he is, an 86. EA never gave much love to kickers and punters (kickers are people too) but the man has turned NFL punting into an art form and beautifully mastered it. How a man with ratings of both 97 kick power and 97 kick accuracy adds up to an 86 is beyond me.  Madden’s rating system missed the uprights, wide right.