Madden 12: Aaron Rodgers and 3 Big Ratings Bumps for Week 2

Video games, specifically sports video games, have come an incredibly long way. It wasn't long ago that you had to manually edit a player's ratings in Madden if you wanted to make them better or worse. Now, with Madden NFL 12, all it takes is a quick download on XBOX Live or the Playstation Network, and you have a completely new roster file.

Donny Moore, the man in charge of Madden's ratings, made a myriad of changes following Week 1 of the NFL season with regards to player ratings and transactions. By virtue of strong performances in the NFL's opening week, here are three players who received big ratings bumps this week.

Scott Chandler - Buffalo Bills

A virtual unknown prior to his breakout Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills tight end Scott Chandler received a generous boost in his overall rating, going from 63 to 73. Chandler, who had just one career reception prior to last week, exploited the middle of the field following safety Eric Berry's season-ending injury.

The 6'7" tight end was a favorite target of Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 as he nabbed five passes for 63 yards and the first two touchdowns of his young career. It has been quite a long time since the Bills have had a legitimate threat at tight end, so hopes are high for Chandler. If he continues to play like this, he has plenty of ratings boosts in his future.

Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback was much-maligned as he entered the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick. Many observers were skeptical about whether his skill set could translate to the professional level. Newton silenced his critics by putting on the greatest debut passing display in NFL history last week against the Arizona Cardinals.

Newton threw for a whopping 422 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for an additional score. Thanks to that performance, Newton's overall was increased from 77 to 81. Such a high rating is quite rare for a rookie quarterback, but Newton certainly earned it. While he can't be expected to throw for 400 yards every week, it will be interesting to see if Newton can live up to his new rating. 

Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have only been bumped up by one overall point this week, but the reason he makes this list is because that one point allowed him to join the mystical 99 overall club. In the game of Madden, 99 overall represents the cream of the crop and is reserved only for the NFL's elite players.

If Rodgers wasn't already in the conversation after winning the Super Bowl last season, he certainly is now after decimating the New Orleans Saints defense last week with surgical precision. Rodgers completed a whopping 77 percent of his throws in the season's opening week for 312 and three touchdowns.

If ratings could go higher than 99, then Rodgers would probably continue to improve throughout the season. He has already reached the top of the mountain, though, and is likely to stay there.