Madden 12 Ratings: Top 5 Most Surprising Detroit Lions Ratings in the New Game

Madden 12 released their full player ratings for the Detroit Lions this morning.

Earlier, it had been reported that the Lions were given a 76 overall as a team, which is considerably low for a team many experts feel could be a surprise in the NFC.

ESPN video games blogger Jon Robinson believes that the team could still be a fan favorite,writing:

"

The overall team number is a little low, but I can see the Lions being a popular team this year for the simple fact that this defensive line is going to give people headaches. Suh (95 hit power) and Fairley (88 hit power) are going to abuse virtual backs so bad, "Madden" might need to bring back the old ambulance.

"

More importantly, this rating could be a "wait and see" rating by the Madden developers, not wanting to put too much stock into expert predictions and waiting until their first roster update before bumping the Lions up any higher.

As far as players are concerned, Calvin Johnson had the best rating on the team—a 93. Again, low for a receiver going in the first few rounds of most fantasy drafts. Other ratings were equally surprising.

5. Kyle Vanden Bosch (80 Overall)

Kyle Vanden Bosch is listed as an 80 overall, the same rating given to Eric Coleman, Jeff Backus, Dominic Raiola and other less talented players.

Really?

KVB is coming off of an injury-shortened season and is certainly a step slower than he once was, but he's also just a year removed from a huge free agency deal and very solid years in Tennessee (2009) and Detroit (2010).

The real story behind this rating is probably the inflation of the importance of sack numbers. KVB hasn't been a sack hound in the last two seasons and Madden does not look to be interested in rewarding a guy who applies pressure but doesn't get to the QB.

Breaking down his numbers, KVB ranks high in strength (85) and power moves (80) but low in speed (69) and hit power (62). His best attribute is his awareness (93) and his worst is his finesse moves (50).

This isn't the most egregious error in the Madden list, but I think division rivals may argue that Vanden Bosch hits so lightly.

4. DeAndre Levy (77 Overall)

Without Justin Durant or Stephen Tulloch on the Lions in the game, (get the update right away) DeAndre Levy is the top linebacker in the unit at 77 overall. 

Now, a 77 isn't a horrible grade for a starter, but virtual DeAndre Levy will probably lose gamers more contests than real DeAndre Levy will cost the Lions.

Most concerning is his 76 awareness rating, low for a player who has started from day one and has worn the defensive headset since his first season. Madden developers must have missed the memo when coaches have said, again and again, how much Levy means to Detroit's defense from a leadership and play-calling standpoint.

In Madden's opinion, Levy's scores highly in pursuit (90) and stamina (93), but lowly in man coverage (59) and finesse moves (54).

Levy's scores scream "rising player" in Madden. With decent natural attributes and solid linebacking skills, your Madden version of Levy should improve considerably once seasons two or three of your franchise roll around.

3. Drew Stanton (68 Overall)

Drew Stanton didn't do much as QB for the Detroit Lions last year, only going 3-3 with over 750 yards passing and a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio (4:3) and over 100 rushing yards.

For a third QB, it's pretty hard to ask for much more than that.

Yet, Stanton seems like he's been given a very general third QB rating by the game developers that doesn't seem like it has anything to do with his play on the field.

Curiously, the Madden version of Drew Stanton suffers from a horribly low play action rating (42). In Madden, a 42 rating basically means someone is pretty much functionally unable to perform a task.

Is there tape out there of Stanton waving the ball around as he feebly tries to carry about play action? Was Stanton struck in the head by a brick without me knowing it?

With this rating, virtual Stanton should just respond to a play action play call by falling on his face and curling up in the fetal position.

Would be just as accurate.

2. Matthew Stafford (80 Overall)

Madden developers fall into the same trap that many onlookers do when they evaluate Matthew Stafford. With such a big frame, strong arm and tall presence in the pocket, he must not be very athletic. Right?

Wrong.

Stafford is a fine athlete for the QB position. Much like Peyton Manning when he first arrived in the NFL, Stafford could run more often but trusts his arm much more than his legs.

Madden disagrees.

Stafford's rankings are pedestrian across the board in speed (70), strength (64), acceleration (67), and agility (64).

Yet, calling Stafford an average athlete rather than a good athlete isn't what's most surprising here. Rather, giving Stafford low marks on awareness (71) and throw accuracy (81) puts Madden developers in my cross hairs.

Basically, Stafford is considered just about as aware as Drew Stanton. Though, with rankings so low, one might question if either knows where they are at any given moment. Worse yet, Madden would have you believe that if you want to throw an accurate ball, Shaun Hill is a better option.

Matt Stafford hasn't put out a lot of tape since his rookie season, but have Madden developers watched anything that's out there?

The one plus for Stafford is a rare throw power rating (97) that's liable to shear a wide receiver's outstretched hands clean off.

Rank Stafford where he should be: a high-80s QB with a low-40s injury rating. Don't pretend he's average.

1. Calvin Johnson (93 Overall)

Does Cris Carter work for EA Sports?

Now, it is a nitpicking to declare a team's highest-rated player underrated. For Calvin Johnson, however, this is deserved.

One can understand that Johnson would be overshadowed by Andre Johnson (97), Larry Fitzgerald (96), and even Reggie Wayne (95). It's hard to swallow that Johnson is similar in talents to Brandon Marshall (92), DeSean Jackson (91), or Dwayne Bowe (91).

A closer look provides some speculation as to where Madden developers have gone off-the-track.

Johnson was only given an 81 in awareness, a perpetuation of the myth that Johnson doesn't run routes well. Compare that to DeSean Jackson, who gets most of his yardage on deep bombs from Mike Vick, who got an 85.

Johnson is quickly becoming a veteran player while leading the Detroit Lions offense as well as coaching up the younger wide receivers. An 81 isn't egregiously low, but probably a rating the Madden people will look at when they're making they're first in-season update.

Worst off all, Johnson was given a piddly 78 in strength. 

Compared to other receivers on the roster, the rating doesn't look exceptionally low, but it is not inconceivable that Johnson, one of the biggest receivers in the game, should be a statistical outlier.

Still, hard to really fault the good people at EA. Johnson and Stafford will just have to prove their respective ratings are too low with their play on the field in 2011.

Michael Schottey is an on-call editor for the Bleacher Report College Writing Internship, as well as an NFL Featured Columnist and an NFL Labor/Draft Expert. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, he has professionally covered the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the Scouting Combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on Twitter.