Madden NFL 11 Player Ratings Evaluating Minnesota Vikings

In todays society, we are constantly surrounded by numbers of various forms. Whether that be how much time you have before your project deadline, or how many calories are in that slice of pizza, numbers are an intricate part of our lives. As sports ns, we are all enticed by statistics. While they cant explain everything, it is a tangible tool that can help identify a team or players strengths and weaknesses. As many would sayyou cant argue with statistics. On the other hand, ratings and rankings are always a very debatable issue. Every year, EA Sports Madden NFL, the popular video game franchise, comes out with a deeper edition. Accompanying it, comes updated rosters with newly revised player ratings. Gradually, the company is releasing team-by-team ratings in order to maintain the suspense. For some strange reason, these mere ratings are already amongst the hottest discussion topics in the football world. In ct, ESPN, the so-called world wide leader in sports, has its own articles being published on the matter. Honestly, is there nothing better to talk about? Nonetheless, here are my evaluations of Madden 11s ratings for the Minnesota Vikings. Begin Slideshow Ratings: Travaris Jackson: 71 Sage Rosenfels: 69 Very realistic portrayal of the Vikings QB situation as this is clearly their biggest weakness. Note, according to reports, Brett Favre has informed the team of his plans to retire. He was given a rating of 92 Ratings: Adrian Peterson: 98 Nauhu Tahi: 76 Toby Gerhart: 71 Ian Johnson: 64 Darius Reynaud: 56 Great job giving Adrian Peterson his well-deserved respect as one of the games elite players. Just for your info, he was rated 62 in carries, corresponding to his 20 fumbles over the past three seasons. Ratings: Sidney Rice: 90 Percy Harvin: 84 Bernard Berrian: 75 Greg Lewis: 66 James Johnson: 55 Rice and Harvin are emerging stars and theyre ratings display that. Moreover, the reason Berrian is rated lower than some may expect is due to his inability to make catches in traffic over the middle of the field. Ratings: Visanthe Shiancoe: 86 Jim Kleinsasser: 74 Jeff Dugan: 63 Shiancoe played extremely well last year, so it seems fitting that he receives a relatively high rating. Hes a great red-zone target and is a capable blocker. Ratings: LT Bryant McKinnie: 90 LT Drew Radovich: 62 LG Steve Hutchinson: 97 C John Sullivan: 77 C Jon Cooper: 63 RG Anthony Herrara: 70 RT Phil Loadholt RT Chris DeGeare: 63 As demonstrated by the rankings, the Vikings have a very powerful offensive line that will pave the way for Adrian Peterson and provide adequate protection for Brett Favre. Ratings: LE Ray Edwards: 85 LE Everson Griffen: 70 LE Mike Montgomery: 68 DT Kevin Williams: 97 DT Pat Williams: 88 DT Jimmy Kennedy: 73 DT Fred Evans: 60 DT Letroy Guion: 58 RE: Jared Allen: 99 RE Brian Robinson: 69 Very appropriate ratings as the Vikings defensive line is one of the best in the league. Ratings: LOLB Ben Leber: 80 LOLB Erin Henderson: 62 MLB E.J. Henderson: 85 MLB Jasper Brinkley: 69 ROLB Chad Greenway: 88 ROLB Heath Farwell: 68 I thought the ratings for just right. The teams linebacker core, led by Chad Greenway, is a very solid group. Ratings: Antonie Winfield: 88 Cedric Griffin: 82 Lito Sheppard: 77 Chris Cook: 70 Benny Sapp: 69 Asher Allen: 68 I would have probably rated Winfield a couple points higher. Other than that, I was satisfied. Ratings: FS Madieu Williams: 74 FS Husain Abdullah: 63 SS Tyrell Johnson: 75 SS Jamarca Sanford: 71 I felt the game designers did a very nice job here. The Vikings safeties are mediocre at best. Ratings: K: Ryan Longwell: 92 K Rhys Lloyd: 75 P: Chirs Kluwe: 60 Great job displaying Longwells talents. Last year, he nailed 92.9 percent of his field goals. Madden 11 awarded the Minnesota Vikings with an overall rating of 88, which is one of the highest in the game. I completely agree, because they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Do note, that the rating includes Brett Favre. If he officially retires, expect a significant drop. I, myself, am not much of a gamer, as the latest version of the game I own is Madden 05 on the original Xbox. Id much rather go outside and play actual football, as opposed to moving my thumbs around in a virtual world. Nonetheless, based on what Ive read, like always, Madden decided to make this years edition a more exciting experience and it is set to be the best football game ever. The game is officially scheduled to release on August 10, 2010. It will be available on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, and PS2 consoles. Moreover, Gamestop is having a pre-order promotion for the game. If youre interested, dont forget to check that out. Of course, most importantly, the real football season kicks off in just under two months, when the Minnesota Vikings head down to New Orleans to take on the defending Super Bowl Champ Saints in a rematch of last years unforgettable NFC Championship Game. Be sure to tune in to NBC on Thursday, September 9th at 8:30 PM ET as you wont want to miss it! Note: Feel free to check out my Madden 11 rating evaluations on the 49ers and the Rams B/Rs Writer Program and Advanced Program in Sports Media can give you the edge you need to get ahead. Apply Now