Madden 13: Players Who Do Not Deserve Their Lofty Ratings

EA Sports has outdone themselves once again with Madden 13, making a number of changes that not only make the game more realistic than ever, but that are sure to make you rethink your strategy when it comes to playing the game

With every new edition of the long-running franchise comes debate over the ratings given to every player in the game. Some players are deemed to be nowhere near as good as they should be while others are mirror images on the television screen.

Of course, there's always a group of players that are given ratings that they simply don't deserve.

Who lands in that group this year? Let's take a look.

All ratings courtesy of EASports.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Rating: 86

Jeremy Maclin is a solid NFL receiver, and one who is an excellent complement to DeSean Jackson on the other side of the field in Philadelphia.

But is he as good as Jackson?

I don't think so, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who does.

Yet Maclin sits with an 86 overall rating—the same rating given to Jackson.

They missed the mark big time on this one.

Andrew Luck, QB, Indianpolis Colts

Rating: 84

Yes, Andrew Luck is the greatest prospect in the history of the game, rivaled only by John Elway.

We get that.

The first overall pick in this year's NFL draft comes in with a higher rating than Cam Newton had last season.

His awareness is only 60, but they've jacked up his other numbers: 82 speed, 88 acceleration, 88 throw on the run, 93 short-passing accuracy and 90 medium passing accuracy.

While Luck may very well prove to be worthy of such high numbers to start his career, let's see how he does in real-game action before making him the 16th best quarterback in football.

Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco 49ers

Rating: 98

Between Justin Smith and Jared Allen of the Vikings, which player would you consider to be the better pass-rusher?

Allen, and it's not even close. Smith excels at dominating the edge on his side of the defensive line and squashing any running play that comes his way.

Yet Smith has been made into one of the elite pass-rushers in the game, with 94 strength, 97 awareness, 96 block shedding, 95 pursuit, 96 play recognition, 83 tackling and 94 in power moves.

Maybe the developers just haven't figured out how to accurately portray Smith's style of play into the virtual world of Madden.