Madden 13 Player Ratings: Top Underrated QBs in EA's Latest Installment

Madden NFL 13 has officially been released to the masses, and while Maddenites everywhere are likely drooling over their respective console controllers, that doesn't mean EA got everything right.

When taking a look at some of the game's quarterback ratings, there are more than a few players who got the short end of the stick this year.

Here's a look at Madden 13's most underrated quarterbacks.

Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback starts off the Madden year with an 80 overall rating, two points lower than his total in Madden NFL 12. If injuries aren't supposed to cost a starter his job, they shouldn't decrease Madden ratings either.

EA has the tough task of rating rookies before the players have even taken regular-season snaps, but Andrew Luck should not have an 84 rating if Cassel is sitting with four fewer points.

Sure, the former New England Patriot saw his 2011 season cut short due to injury, but the year before that, he threw for over 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He's not anywhere near as high profile a name as the Colts rookie, but he shouldn't be rated lower because of that.

Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

An NFC Championship Game appearance and a 90.7 quarterback rating in 2011 apparently aren't enough to get Smith some Madden love. The 49ers starting quarterback received just an 83 rating, tied with rookie Robert Griffin III and just ahead of Josh Freeman, who posted an 82.

The 49ers made it to the NFC title game as a team—that's for sure—but that doesn't mean Smith wasn't a crucial contributor.

After losing to the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day, the former Utah Ute never threw for fewer than 175 yards in a game for the rest of San Francisco's season. In the 49ers' playoff game against Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints, Smith threw for 299 yards, which would turn out to be his season high.

For all his efforts last year, Smith is ranked just one point higher than the Buccaneers starter, who threw 22 interceptions and lost five fumbles in 2011.

Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

The second-year starting QB for the Vikings didn't have the most spectacular rookie season, but he deserves better than the 75 overall rating he received. Any Madden player over the last decade or so can tell you just how difficult it is to play with any quarterback under an 80 rating.

Ponder doesn't deserve to be in the mid-80s or anything, but he doesn't deserve to have a lesser score than Detroit Lions backup Shaun Hill, the unemployed Vince Young and Tim Tebow.

Ponder threw for 13 touchdowns and did have those memorable 381 yards passing against Tebow and the Denver Broncos in Week 7 last year.

Again, he doesn't deserve a rating in the 80s, but a 77-78 for Ponder would have been a bit more accurate.