Madden 15: Top Player Ratings and New Features to Utilize

Less than a week's time sits in the way before NFL fans everywhere can get their hands on Madden 15, the latest installment in EA Sports' annual franchise.

As is the case each year, this new edition comes packed with a host of new features and improved gameplay that promises to even better mirror the on-field product for fans who simply cannot get enough of the sport.

While much of the attention this year has been leveled at the player ratings, which we gloss over here for good measure, the real meat of the new Madden experience is the new features that make the game even better.

Below, let's take a look at the three most notable upgrades fans will want to key in on right after ripping the game from its case.

Madden 15 Info

Release Date: August 26 in North America and August 29 in Europe

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Madden 15 Top Player Ratings

Top Quarterbacks	Team	Rating
Top Fullbacks	Team	Rating
Top Running Backs	Team	Rating
Top Tight Ends	Team	Rating
Top Wide Receivers	Team	Rating
Top Offensive Linemen	Team	Rating
Top Defensive Ends	Team	Rating
Top Defensive Tackles	Team	Rating
Top Middle Linebackers	Team	Rating
Top Outside Linebackers	Team	Rating
Top Cornerbacks	Team	Rating
Top Strong Safeties	Team	Rating
Top Kickers and Punters	Team	Rating
Peyton Manning, DEN	Denver Broncos	98
Aaron Rodgers, GB	Green Bay Packers	98
Drew Brees, NO	New Orleans Saints	96
Russell Wilson, SEA	Seattle Seahawks	93
John Kuhn, GB	Green Bay Packers	93
Mike Tolbert, CAR	Carolina Panthers	92
Marcel Reece, OAK	Oakland Raiders	92
Anthony Sherman, KC	Kansas City Chiefs	90
Adrian Peterson, MIN	Minnesota Vikings	98
LeSean McCoy, PHI	Philadelphia Eagles	97
Jamaal Charles, KC	Kansas City Chiefs	97
Matt Forte, CHI	Chicago Bears	95
Jimmy Graham, NO	New Orleans Saints	97
Rob Gronkowski, NE	New England Patriots	96
Vernon Davis, SF	San Francisco 49ers	94
Jason Witten, DAL	Dallas Cowboys	93
Calvin Johnson, DET	Detroit Lions	99
Brandon Marshall, CHI	Chicago Bears	96
Andre Johnson, HOU	Houston Texans	95
A.J. Green, CIN	Cincinnati Bengals	95
Joe Thomas, CLE	Cleveland Browns	98
Evan Mathis, PHI	Philadelphia Eagles	97
Josh Sitton, GB	Green Bay Packers	97
Trent Williams, WAS	San Francisco 49ers	95
J.J. Watt, HOU	Houston Texans	99
Robert Quinn, STL	St. Louis Rams	97
Cameron Wake, MIA	Miami Dolphins	96
Calais Campbell, ARI	Arizona Cardinals	96
Ndamukong Suh, DET	Detroit Lions	97
Geno Atkins, CIN	Cincinnati Bengals	96
Gerald McCoy, TB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	95
Kyle Williams, BUF	Buffalo Bills	95
Patrick Willis, SF	San Francisco 49ers	96
NaVorro Bowman, SF	San Francisco 49ers	96
Luke Kuechly, CAR	Carolina Panthers	94
Derrick Johnson, KC	Kansas City Chiefs	91
Von Miller, DEN	Denver Broncos	96
Aldon Smith, SF	San Francisco 49ers	96
Justin Houston, KC	Kansas City Chiefs	93
Lavonte David, TB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	93
Richard Sherman, SEA	Seattle Seahawks	99
Darrelle Revis, NE	New England Patriots	97
Joe Haden, CLE	Cleveland Browns	95
Patrick Peterson, ARI	Arizona Cardinals	93
Top Free Safeties	Team	Rating
Jairus Byrd, NO	New Orleans Saints	96
Earl Thomas, SEA	Seattle Seahawks	95
Devin McCourty, NE	New England Patriots	94
Eric Weddle, SD	San Diego Chargers	94
Kam Chancellor, SEA	Seattle Seahawks	93
Troy Polamalu, PIT	Pittsburgh Steelers	93
T.J. Ward, DEN	Denver Broncos	91
Eric Berry, KC	Kansas City Chiefs	90
Brandon Fields, MIA	Miami Dolphins	96
Matt Prater, DEN	Denver Broncos	95
Andy Lee, SF	San Francisco 49ers	95
Robbie Gould, CHI	Chicago Bears	93

Note: All Madden 15 player ratings courtesy of EASports.com

Features

Player Sense 2.0

This was long overdue, and the thing fans will notice most upon booting up the game.

Remember in the good old days when defensive backs would swat away passes users threw after accelerating on apparent ice skates—without ever turning their head around, no less?

Gone. Thanks to improvements afforded by ever-evolving technology, EA Sports has been able to ensure that virtual defensive backs react realistically, which in turn will create a better balance between run and pass as it becomes more difficult to take to the air.

It applies to the offensive side of the football, too, as EASports.com details:

"Thanks to Real AI 2.0, computer quarterbacks understand different passing concepts, and will read defenders before making correct throws. They'll also audible and call hot routes based on Real AI, and also have improved logic for handling pressure in the pocket."

No more games against the computer in which the quarterback checks down for a majority of his passes.

For a franchise that strives to be a realistic simulation, this is a major step in that pursuit—and one fans will appreciate right away.

Updates to Connected Franchise

The strive for realism extends to the mental side of football on an individual basis.

One of the major points to this year's game is the addition of a confidence rating, a numeral between one and 99 that fluctuates based on a bevy of factors, as EA Sports' Josh Looman explains:

"

Among the things that can change a player’s confidence are losses, poor performances, trades, etc. How much confidence fluctuates is determined by several different factors: whether the player is a starter or backup, their consistency rating, and how big the game was. Get blown out by a rival at home? Confidence drops more than a one-point road loss.

"

As if that is not enough, the addition of Game Prep—which allows players to train each member of a roster to gain confidence or experience points on a weekly basis—puts the game mode over the top.

It seems that now the challenge of taking a struggling franchise and building it into a juggernaut is all the more intimate, as players have new ratings to manage and more productive things to do during the week that leads up to a game.

Tackling Mechanics

Remember the quarterback vision cone from back in the day?

Defenders are people, too. Now each member of a defensive unit has a tackle cone to utilize with a range of options, from the famous Hit Stick right on down to a conservative tackle best utilized in space.

It is a new wrinkle to classic gameplay that clearly emulates the decisions defenders in real games must make at a moment's notice based on a variety of factors.

Now players in control of the virtual athletes will be tasked with doing the same. In other words, the excellent simulation just took another major step in the right direction.