Madden 13: Teams That Are Better in Video Game Than Reality
One of the best parts about the yearly release of Madden is that gamers can make something impossible in real life become reality. The Minnesota Vikings can win this season's Super Bowl and the running back from your favorite college team can rush for 2,000 yards.
In the same vein, there are always a couple of teams overrated in the game, making them more potent in the virtual world than the real one. Let's take a look at three teams that fall in that category for the recently released Madden 13.
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The defending Super Bowl champions would normally be hard to rate too high. After all, they reached the pinnacle of the sport just a handful of months ago. But the Giants did it after going just 9-7 in the regular season.
That says that the Giants weren't clearly the best team in football, but rather got hot at the right time and rode a wave of momentum to the championship. So giving them the third-highest rating overall, behind the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots, seems a bit high.
The Giants will probably face another fight to qualify for the playoffs in the tough NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. They aren't a lock like the ratings would make it seem.
New York's other team falls into the same category. The Jets are slated to battle for a playoff spot and are ranked second in the AFC East based on Madden ratings. Based on the team's lack of offensive firepower, though, that seems excessive.
The combination of Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow is the equivalent of a black hole at quarterback. And the team's running backs, led by Shonn Greene, won't put a scare into opposing defenses, either. It will be a struggle to score points every week.
When you consider the improvements made by the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots' ongoing dominance, it looks like third place is where the Jets are destined to land, even if Madden might suggest otherwise.
It was surprising to see the Seahawks listed as a fringe playoff contender, ahead of a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, by Madden. Even though they went undefeated in preseason play, they still have a lot prove before the playoffs become reality.
Rookie Russell Wilson will get the start at quarterback, and that's surely to get met with a fair share of ups and downs as he transitions to the next level. And there's aren't a lot of big playmakers on offense for him to lean on heavily.
While the Seahawks defense is definitely an underrated unit in reality, the team as a whole is probably still a season or two away from becoming postseason contenders. Still some work to do on the roster.
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