Today, my tour around the NFL divisions in "Madden NFL 15" continues with a stop in what many believe is the toughest division in football: the . Nestled inside this brutal division are the reigning world champion , the NFC runner-up , the "we went 10-6 and still couldn't make the (expletive) playoffs" and the stoutly defensive . Yet, it appears that the Madden rating gods disagree to some extent with this being the NFL's toughest division, as the team ratings differ by a whopping 14 points between the top and bottom team. That's the second largest gap in a division after the AFC West, where 18 points separate the top and bottom team (but you won't need more than one gue s to figure out which teams those are). Still, the NFC West does have the highest combined rating of any division (338) by a solid margin of 10 points over , the NFC North. Anyway, onto our look at the NFC West.Arizona Cardinals -- 80As a fan of both on and off the field, I was glad to
Kenny Moore II Jersey see him get his due with a OVR rating of 96. has earned every point of his 93 OVR rating, and those who think he's on the decline should go ahead and rewatch his preseason tape. He's still . He also has his best supporting cast in years, with running mates (83 OVR) and rookie (65 OVR), who are both underrated if you ask me or anyone who's watched them in the preseason (or last year for Floyd). and his 80 OVR could be on the rise if he gets as many touches as has been promising. Had not been suspended for the season, his 89 OVR rating (what it is in the game, not the old image to the right) would have been very useful for this
Anthony Coyle Jersey defense. However, (93 OVR), (87 OVR) and (84 OVR) should be able to lock things down on the backend. Personally, I feel this team is a tad underrated at just an 80, but that could change once the regular season rolls around.San Francisco 49ers -- 90The are a fantastic football team -- three straight NFC Championship Game appearances speaks to that -- but given the injuries and other troubles swirling around this team, 90 feels just a touch high. An 88 or 89 feels more right, and here's why. They're going to be without two 96 OVR linebackers for significant portions of the season as returns from a gruesome knee injury and awaits a
E.J. Speed Jersey verdict on his potential suspension for repeated off-field i sues. That's not to say losing these two leaves the cupboards bare, as the defense still bosts (96 OVR), (92 OVR), (81 OVR) and (84 OVR). That group will do work in real life and in Madden. Offensively, sits at an 89 OVR, and unle s he evens out his performance once the regular season rolls around, he could be in an up-and-down limbo as he was much of last year. Thankfully, he has a fully-healthy trio of targets in (94 OVR), (90 OVR), (89 OVR) as well as Frank "I'll never get old" Gore (90 OVR). Lastly, it's worth noting that , the punter, is rated a 95 OVR, showing just how talented this roster is. Overrated or not, this team has talent, and is a force in Madden.Seattle Seahawks -- 91Speaking of forces, no team forces their will upon opponents on the field or in Madden quite like the . The self-proclaimed "Legion of Boom" boasts three players with a 90-plus rating in (99), (95) and (93), which is completely justified in my opinion given how they manhandled the offense in the , and most other offenses during the season. Middle linebacker continues to be underrated, as an 88 OVR rating is le s than he deserves. I love , but a 93 OVR rating feels premature. I don't doubt that he'll get there, but let's see him put the team on his shoulders to win a few more games first. It will be fun watching him have and his 90 OVR rating at his disposal for a whole season, though. gets a 95 OVR, thanks in large part to his 99 Trucking and 99 Stiff arm ratings. Uh yeah, . The 91 team rating is the highest in the game. They're the only team with a rating over 90 (the are the second-highest rated team), and I don't think anyone would dispute that fact heading into the 2014 season.St. Louis Rams -- 77Now, keep in mind, this rating was made prior to (85
Will Fries Jersey OVR) being lost for the season, which makes me wonder what the Madden ratings gods will think of a -led (76 OVR) offense. Two of the team's highest rated players are its pair of pa s-rushing defensive ends in (97 OVR) and (87 OVR). I'm a little surprised (81 OVR) and (79 OVR) aren't a tad higher, but I gue s that happens when you're on the . is rightfully a 79 OVR after an underwhelming rookie season, but it's a shame (84 OVR) didn't get a little more love after carrying the offense in 2013. It's a bit sad that , the punter, is the fourth-highest rated player on this squad at an 87 OVR. I feel that has more to do with this unit being underrated than having a lack of talent, as prior to Bradford's injury some pundits were thinking this team could compete for a wild card spot. Now, those hopes have been dashed, along with any hopes for immediate returns in Madden. The pieces are there to build this unit up in franchise mode, but unle s
Quenton Nelson Jersey you're a die-hard fan, it'd be best to choose other options when playing online or with friends.-- Alex writes fantasy and features pieces for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter
