Madden 13 Player Ratings: Underrated Players Who Deserved a 99

The Madden 13 player ratings have been released, providing NFL fans with an endless source for debate, and there are a few players who were unfairly snubbed this year.

The perfect 99 rating was handed out to just four players for this edition of the game, but a few more stars deserved this distinction.

Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers was an obvious choice to get the highest mark, while Darrell Revis, DeMarcus Ware and Calvin Johnson were the other players to max out their rating.

Here are the three players who deserve to be added to this list.

Note: ratings courtesy of EASports.com.

Patrick Willis

The NFL has a collection of athletes who make people stop and say, “How can a guy that big run that fast.” Even while he is surrounded by some of the most spectacular physical specimens on the planet, Patrick Willis stands out as the biggest, fastest guy on the field. 

This, in combination with his toughness and motor, makes him a sideline-to-sideline player who routinely unleashes bone-crunching hits. In addition to striking fear in the hearts of skill position players, he is also excellent in coverage due to his speed. 

Not only is Willis the best linebacker in football, but he has no weaknesses as a player. His strength, speed, size, intelligence and stamina are all elite.

Willis was ultimately given a 98 rating for the game, but the missing point should be perplexing to anyone who has watched the San Francisco 49ers star play.

Haloti Ngata 

If Madden 13 were judging based simply physical talent for a player’s position, Haloti Ngata would easily have a 99 rating.

The Baltimore Ravens’ defensive tackle is 6’4” and 340 pounds. Unlike many players who make their living in the trenches, he has shockingly little body fat.

Ngata is a physical freak who is impossibly strong. He has made a habit of pushing 300-pound offensive linemen out of his way like they were made of cardboard.

The defensive tackle is equally effective when stopping the run or rushing the passer. His technique and intelligence are both exceptional. He is the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL, and is disappointingly underrated at 97. 

Ed Reed 

At 33 years old, Ed Reed is still the NFL’s preeminent ball-hawk and he deserves a perfect rating.

Reed was a 98 in Madden 12 and this year he was dropped to a 97. His reduction is likely due to just three interceptions this past season and he certainly did not help his reputation by contemplating retirement this offseason.

However, no player in football is as dangerous to quarterbacks as Ed Reed. His ability to be around the ball at all times is second-to-none. 

Reed has plenty to prove after a down season by his standards this past year, but his play this season will show that he is still the best player at his position and worthy candidate for a 99 rating.