Here at Madden Bible, we have preached about the importance of usering defenders and how to master the art of the user pick.

Today’s post will break down our favorite players to user and why we find them to be such gems. Without further ado, here are the top 11 user defenders in Madden 11.

Honorable mentions include
Sean Smith from the Dolphins never made it though. Dude is a beast! 6’3″, 89 Speed, 92 Agility, 96 Jump, 71 Hit Power and 76 Catch. But then again his 90 Press would be a waste at S. (via chimpy on forums)
Eric Berry who has a similar representative in Taylor Mays.

11. Kenny Phillips- This Giant (pun intended) was becoming a force early in last season before losing out to injury. In Madden 11 he is back and brings a good combo of speed, size and hit power. With all the talk about the G-Men D-Line, this unique talent is often overlooked when thinking about the best user players in Madden 11.

10. Tyrell Johnson - This Viking has been a threat to top the list since his rookie debut, however he has failed to take the step in AWR to boost his rating. His physical attributes are good but he has a small window to make some real life plays to crawl up this list. The Vikings aren’t a tremendous team in the back 7 on D, so his presence and legs really can make a big difference!

9. Taylor Mays- Fresh Faces – This rookie out of USC and his 95 speed are out of control. He backs an insane LB core with speedsters Manny Lawson and Patrick Willis. While his 91 hit power makes him a force,  his 20 point speed advantage (20!)  over M. Lewis makes this youngster the best defender to debut in Madden in as long as I can remember. Borderline silly that he is that good, but its true! He is one of the reasons that many players are running with the 49ers online!

8. D. Sharper- Yuck, this guy is an absolute ball hawk and can turn the tide of a game in real life. However, he is disrespected in Madden. His 98 AWR lends him to being a cpu player rather than a user. He lacks hit power and can barely keep up with WR’s at 86 speed. MB recommends letting this aging veteran cpu control.
Instead, starting Robinson and Porter (press ratings) at CB with Greer at nickel. For run situations bring in Roman Harper and his 86 HPR and U. Young for passing with his speed and agility. Sharper already has 99 PRC and you can boost Young up alot with your user brain.

Poor Saints defense, no respect I tell ya.

7. Laron Landry- I initially had Landry slotted in the top 3, and as I remembered why, the only thing I could hear was Sgibs chirping. “Landry this, Landry that, I want his babies”

While his 92 speed, 96 accel and 97 hit power are impressive, I have a hard time considering him one of the best. Wait, did I say 97 hit power? How tall is he again? I guess his only knock is being 6’0 and getting destroyed by Brandon Jacobs. (And a freshman tebow?)
In other sad news, him and Sean Taylor would have created the most insane secondary of all time. With D. Hall speed, P. Buchanon and Carlos Rogers, the skins really have some option beyond Laron if you wish to user to your hearts content.

6.Champion Bailey- Respect the guys who paved the way. Champ could do it on offense and defense. He was a one man wrecking crew for the Broncos from 06-08. He still totes his 95+ rating in all major categories and is someone you don’t want to mess with. Brian Dawkins can bring the pain but Champ can do it all!

5. Troy Polamalu-The Madden 10 coverboy emerged last year as a top user safety and a hair enthusiast.  The only thing sweeter than his locks are his 95 agilty, 95 accel, 99 pursuit, 92 speed and 88 hit power. The steelers have a few guys with more speed, (Ike Taylor) or hit power (Ryan Clark) but none put it all together in a package like Troy. Sitting behind their fast LB core in the 4-6 with that d-line strength, Troy can make plays all day! We all remember Big Game James laying licks against Sgibs on Twim – Game of the week!

4.Big Bad Pat Watkins-The popularity of Dallas as a tourney/online team has allowed  Watkins to make a place in the hearts of the Madden Community. Couple unique factoids, he is one of the slowest player on the list, but also on of the tallest 6’5. He is the only player with his own lightning round category.

While some people may start rookie FS Owusu-Ansah, I dont think that is the right Answer. (see what i did there, pun intended. ) While Watkins hit power is declining, he seems to still be able to lay licks and get good hit stick animations and defend rocket catches. Dallas is a team with plenty of cpu speed so do yourself a favor and take this big, bad man out for a spin. He will never play otherwise, they brought him back for us!

3. Ed Reed-I was shocked to see Ed Reed so high on our poll of favorite user safeties.

Maybe its the extra Ravens users this year, or the way he makes big plays look so effortless, but there is no doubt he is as good as advertised. Ever since I saw him strip away a ball from his own player to seal a win against BC, I knew he was legit. A few dances and laterals later, he has become an all-time great. His 93+ stats illustrate this fact, but its the 99+ ball hawk stat that is unmeasurable. We salute you Ed Reed!

2. Antonio Cromartie- Charger or Jet, A. Cro always has a place in our heart. For what he allowed us to do with the GL D, by shutting down half the field, we will always love him. His 95+ stats are unreal as he has shined since his draft day. Scouts knew the talent was there if that knee could hold up and thankfully it did.
We were gonna list him at 7 in honor of his children, however with his number 1 Madden 10 rating, he deserves better. With Revis locking up one side, you can do some great things with the Jets this year. Look at the decline in SD users and you will know that A.Cro is one of the best!

1. Michael Huff-With 6 players above 93+ speed, the Raiders are a fierce bunch on defense. You could stick anyone here, but none fits the bill like Mr. Huff. You the user, have the chance to improve his 50 play recognition and horrid 67 awareness.  While not a starter by default, Huff can really change the face of the raiders defense and allow you to do things not before seen in Madden. You can free up Asomugha to lock up half the field and allow Mitchell and Branch to roam free popping people.  While considered a bust (7th overall pick) Huff has remained steady in Madden and become one of the best players in the game if YOU choose to use him!

Who is your favorite user player?

Related posts:

1. Improving Your Madden Defensive “User” Skills
2. Madden 11 Impact Rookies (Draft Time!)
3. Madden 11 Sleeper Spotlight: Darius Butler, CB Patriots

MaddenBible has been breaking down the Madden 11 ratings and finding sleepers. We have checked out Darius Butler, Nick Barnett, Jason Williams and Jahvid Best.

Madden 11 Laser Show: Fabian Washington Tips the Scale

I see no better time than right now to make a very bold statement. Fabian Washington, former Cornhusker, former Raider, and current Raven is one of the most dominant and game changing players in Madden 11 (insert easy button here). We get it, he’s 5 foot nothing, 100 and something, but is speed is laser show worthy. If you want to make plays this upcoming season, believe the hype, Fabian Washington IS that good.

98 speed and 97 acceleration are ratings that are children’s children will talk about. It’s the stuff of legends and luckily for Baltimore Ravens users they will be able to covet this holy grail. Each year one of the first things most Madden gamers look for first are the speed ratings of their prospected teams for the upcoming season. I knew he was fast and I knew he was another year older but, I was caught off guard when I saw his rating this year. If you were to ask this proud father he would surely tell you he deserves it. Over the course of his NFL career he has always been an average corner back in the NFL but on the virtual gridiron he reigns supreme.

Look to utilize Washington’s speed in either a nickel or dime package. Be sure to include him in almost every blitzing package that you possess. He will get to the quarter back and he will get there quickly. If you run into a team that has a burner at the wide receiver position then look to man Washington up and leave him in single coverage, trust me he can handle it.

For all those looking to get real time updates of the fastest man, that covers what Ed Reed doesn’t, be sure to follow him on twitter: @FABEWASH31

*One of ZFarls all time favorites due to his Husker ties and elite speed in NCAA 2004.

Little game for the comments, User, Cut, Sim
You have to pick one player to user, one player to cut and one player to sim with.

Ronde Barber, Al Harris, Fabian Washington
GO Comment below!

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Sleeper Spotlight: Darius Butler, CB Patriots
2. NFC East Madden 11 Ratings Breakdown
3. Madden 11 Team Ratings – NFC West

Its no secret the Lions have been an awful NFL Franchise lately. However, they are slowly putting together quite the roster! Madden 11 will be a chance for Detroit to show off some of its young stars and it all starts in the backfield with rookie RB Jahvid Best!

If your not familiar with the Lions 30th overall pick, he is an explosive talent with a knack for breaking huge gains. He instantly becomes the number 1 choice at RB with 95 SPD, 96, ACC, 97 AGI! If Best can make a few highlight runs early, his ratings will continue to grow. With incumbent starter Kevin Smith only having 86 speed, you need to put Best in your Madden 11 lineup!

Jahvid Best easily competes with Bills RB CJ Spiller (95 Spd) for the top Madden Rookie in the game. WR’s Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant will look to play catchup, but these rookie RB’s are some of the quickest players in recent memory!

With Megatron’s (an MB Favorite) size and speed, Burleson Spd, Byant Johnson size and Pettigrews overall athleticism, the Lions are no joke and a top 20 team! We loved Matt Stafford last year and while he lost a few speed points, he still has a “laser rocket arm” with 97 THP.

Their D-line improved greatly with additions of Suh and Vanden-Bosch. They did lose Ernie Sims, but added some depth in the secondary. While not highly rated, you can make this secondary work with the right scheme.

He only has 83 jump? Looks more like 99!

Do you think the Lions can compete as a top tier Madden 11 team?
Will you be giving Jahvid a Go? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Impact Rookies (Draft Time!)
2. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC North
3. Madden 11 Team Ratings – NFC West

Ouch, I thought this was the year the Green Bay Packers would get some respect. BUT, it looks like EA has delivered the shaft just one more time. After losing a slow but solid Aaron Kampman, most thought the Pack would be back and packing some respectable speed on the D, instead they are disrespected.

I’m not talking about a few points on a guy here or there, but a full LB core whose face’s were just spit on. Your telling me that the Giants have 4 DE’s with as much speed as the Packers fastest linebacker?
The most interesting being Nick Barnett, now when healthy he is a lock for 100+ tackle seasons, with his 77 speed he simply won’t pan out to these numbers in Madden. He is only the 3rd to 4th best LB on the team which is removed when playing Nickel and Dime packages to match up against other teams speed. With a slow line, you may have to bring him down to DE and utilize his skills just to get him in the game. I KNOW the Packers in real life won’t need to find a reason to get Nick Barnett on the field!

They have Al Harris at 84 speed? He is only as fast as Justin Tuck and slower than the Colts DE’s?(Mathis and Freeney at 87+)
Anyone want to be on who would win that race? These guys will be able to play some serious press coverage but have no chance to recover with such slow speed ratings. Atari Bigby has 91 Hit Power, but wont be able to get in the position to make plays with just 82 speed. OUCH! Their fastest player Will Blackmon is the only guy above 90 speed and he clocks in at just a 63 overall, no game changing there.

I thought this was the year the Packers would Vault into the top 5 with a solid QB, some height and a burner in Greg Jennings. However, they will either have to win their first 10 and get some love via roster updates OR hover in the middle of the pack of Madden Obscurity. Lets hope this game plays differently, for Packers fans everywhere!

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC North
2. Madden 11 Winners Via Draft – Madden 11 Rookie Ratings
3. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC South

Sleeper Spotlight: Darius Butler DB: New England Patriots

This former second round pick from Uconn is an emerging star and starting to show up more and more on the radar in New England. 2^nd year defensive back Darius “DB” Butler has caught the eye of many as he pushes toward the start of the 2010 NFL season. The New England secondary needs Butler to fill the role as the shutdown corner for the upcoming season. A secondary that has been considered to be soft, unaware and inexperienced  has been the achilles heel in recent years. Fortunately for Patriots users Darius Butler has all the makings of superstar.

What DB lacks in height (5’11) he makes up for with his quickness and play making ability. While he won’t be the fastest player on the field, at 91 speed, 92 acceleration, and 92 agility, he will certainly have some of the best hands with a 70 catch rating. Another surprising rating for Butler is his 97 jumping ability. This allows Butler to play much taller and defend against the bigger receivers in the game. Butler also has the hard hitting ability (68) that should jar a few balls loose here and there and allow you to be a bit more creative in how you use him in your defensive scheme.

A few Patriots wins early on, a few Butler INT’s, and a few roster updates later, Darius Butler has the chance to become a Patriot all time great with the likes of Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, and Asante Samuel.

Our take: Look to use Butler as your primary shutdown corner. He has the potential to become the next big thing in the NFL and in Madden. A ratings boost in speed is all that is keeping this “sleeper” away from being a Madden superstar!

We were talking about Butler at Dinner the other night. My dad had reffed him at a charity basketball game and mentioned what type of an athletic specimen he was. We were trying to recall his name and we ran through the recent Pats picks like Jonathan Wilhite, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and others in the secondary. However, I’d say within the first quarter of this season, we will have the chance to never forget it!

Pats have a serious Madden Secondary

Merriweather has all 90+ for speed
Chung (92) and Sanders (85) both have great hit power.
Wilhite, McCourty and DB all are above 90 speed! Throw in the solid but slower Leigh Bodden and you have a full deck of players for your dime look!
Stick Wilfork, Warren Mayo, Guyton on the field and thats 11 players who are going to create some havoc with their overall team speed.

Do you think the Pats have what it takes to get back to their 08 Madden Level? Are you nervous about lack of WR speed depth and HB Speed? Let us know in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Sleeper Spotlight: Jason Williams LB, Cowboys
2. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC North
3. Sgibs Dime Defense!

Madden 11 Studs: Jason Williams LB, Cowboys

When you think of dominant linebackers in the NFL you don’t typically think Cowboys 2^nd year line backer Jason Williams. However, if you’re thinking of dominate Madden linebackers then look no further. Jason didn’t register one single tackle during the 2009 season but looks to make a big impact during the 2010 season. Blame it on injury, blame on a deep Cowboys depth chart, blame it on whatever you like but this former 3^rd round pick from Western Illinois University has a chip on his shoulder.

Williams is no slouch when it comes to the virtual gridiron. In terms of Madden ability he can do it all. His full ratings give you an idea of how explosive he really is. Jason rings in at a 56 overall but boasts one of the highest speed ratings in the game at 87. Not only can he keep up with the leagues fastest but he also soars through the roof with an impressive 89 jump rating. Madden is a funny game because in order see any type of field time you need to be fast enough to get involved in plays. Having the speed that Williams has allows him to make plays that other higher rated, but slower players can’t. This means that Jason Williams is an equal to a guy like DeMarcus Ware in Madden. He can get to the same amount of plays that Ware can and in Madden that can mean the difference between a win and a loss.

All around the country Williams will see the starting spot over more seasoned vets because he has what it takes to make plays in Madden. With these key stats in order you can expect Williams to wreak havoc throughout the Madden 11’ season. Let’s hope that he gets these same opportunities on Sundays.

Leave us your best cowboys depth chart, winner gets a free guide!

I used to rock Victor Butler, but J-Will simply blows him away. Brooking wont see the field. Im Looking at Ware off the edge, then Williams, Lee and Spencer. When I drop into dime, I will set those guys to rush at DE and take advantage of Dallas’ tremendous speed in the secondary.

They have my two favorite random plays in Jay Ratliff at Nose and Big Bad Pat Watkins roaming in the secondary, Dallas is the team to beat again in Madden 11!

Related posts:

1. Dallas Cowboys – V.10: Still America’s Team!
2. ZFarls FO Game Archive – Cowboys Vs Texans
3. NFC East Madden 11 Ratings Breakdown

Arizona Cardinals- 79

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Not only did the Cardinals lose their Hall of Fame starting QB Kurt Warner to retirement, but they also lost their All-Pro wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The loss of both these Madden all-stars leaves major holes on the offensive side of the ball. Larry Fitzgerald is going to have to fill these shoes and he’s going to have to do it quickly. On the defensive side of the ball the secondary will be blanketed by both Adrian Wilson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. We suggest that you look to control Wilson over the deep middle and leave Cromartie matched up on the outside one on one. The ability to have Cromartie shutdown any wide receiver in the game is a luxury for a defensive master mind. On offense focus on ball control and on defense bring a heavy dose of man to man cover 0.

ZFarls: Bring on the Beanie Wells era (Unless they still have Marcell Shipp, or Emmit)

San Francisco 49ers- 79

This is a team that will be one to watch in the beginning stages of the NFL Season. Head coach Mike Singeltary has transformed this team from the lowest of the lows to the beginning stages of the upper echelon of the NFL. On offense they still have concerns at the quarter back position, but what they lack at quarter back they make up for with Frank Gore and Vernon Davis.
Both Davis and Gore are game changers and are the type of playmakers that every offense wants to have. Gore should be the first option on most plays and when he is covered look to get the ball to Davis in open space.

On the defensive side of the ball the 49ers have two of the most effective linebackers in all of Madden. Most know about Patrick Willis and what he brings to the table but they have also had a quiet assassin that is beginning to make a name for himself off the virtual gridiron, Manny Lawson. At 6’6 and 90+ speed in Madden he is the ultimate user play in Madden. We suggest player all cover 2 defense with the 49ers and look to drop deep into coverage with Lawson to cover the deep middle of the field. This is hands down one of the deadliest teams in Madden 11

Seattle Seahawks- 75

Having a mobile quarterback is a luxury in Madden and unfortunately the Seahawks lost that luxury this offseason. With Seneca Wallace being shipped off to the Cleveland Browns, Matt Hassellback will resume his duties as the quarter back for this upcoming season. For the past few seasons the biggest concern for the Seahawks has been their wide receiving core, it did not get any better this off season. They have size at wide receiver and tight end, but they lack a true number one target. (Housh cant get it done, Gibs?)

Their backfield gained some speed in signing Leon Washington but Washington is coming off a season ending injury and he can only be counted on so much. Defensively the Seahawks have a versatile defensive line and linebacking core, backed by a speedy secondary. Leroy Hill, Aaron Curry, and Lofa Tutupu are one of the better line backing groups in the game.  Defensively you will have plenty of options to choose from. The strength in this team is in their defense and not their offense.

St. Louis Rams- 66

When you have one of the highest rated players in the game, at the half back position, that is usually a good thing. However Steven Jackson has never really been a good half back in Madden. He doesn’t have the breakaway speed that’s needed in order to build a offense around. This team has so many inefficiency’s it’s tough to find a bright spot. Laurent Robinson, at wide receiver, is the closest thing the Rams have to a threat and that’s a far fetch. This team is going to struggle and it will be difficult to put points on the board on a regular basis. Defensively they may never force a stop so. I don’t know how many games you will be able to win without being able to have confidence in the squad that’s protecting your red zone. If you figure a way to make this team work, please let us know

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC North
2. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC South
3. Dallas Cowboys – V.10: Still America’s Team!

In todays breakdown, Sgibs looks at the NFC South

NFC South has 3 very balanced and sim style teams! Tough division for online franchise mode.

· NFC South

· New Orleans Saints: 92
· Atlanta Falcons: 83
· Carolina Panthers: 75
· Tama Bay Buccaneers: 69

NFC South has 3 very balanced and sim style teams! Tough division for online franchise mode.

New Orleans Saints: 92

- The Super Bowl champs, has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? If you’re a Saints fan then yes it does. However I fully expect the same bugaboo to plague the Saints once again in Madden 2011. No one can deny the explosiveness of Bush, Henderson, Meachem, Shockey, and Colston. It is far and beyond the best offense in the game but, there are real question marks on the defensive side of the ball. There secondary and linebackers are slow which will limit your ability to play man to man defensive. In return it forces less man to man bump n’ run blitzing schemes which only makes your defense more predictable. If you can score every time then the Saints are your number one option.

Atlanta Falcons: 83

- The Atlanta Falcons where a big time sleeper team in the beginning of last season. They had a solid QB and some big targets to hit in the open field. In the backfield they had one of the most reliable options in the game as well as a big threat running back. In 2011 you can expect all those same things as the core nucleus of this team as stuck together. You might expect more of a progression from one season to the next but unfortunately don’t expect a much different team from last year. Major question marks are up and down the Falcons defense. Outside of league play the Falcons simply won’t have the fire power to compete on either side of the ball.

Carolina Panthers: 75

Careful, these kittys got claws!

- If you make the commitment to yourself today that throughout the Madden 2011 season you are going to have a run heavy offense then the Panthers NEED to be your team. Deangelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart is the best backfield in the game, end of story. This two headed monster will be able to control the clock and move the chains. Mix in a few creative plays to get Steve Smith into openfield and you might be able to make this offense tick. On defense the loss of Julius Peppers certainly hurts but the loss of Peppers won’t hurt you as bad as you might think. Look to fill that position with a athletic linebacker and your problem should be addressed.

Tampa Bay Bucs: 69

- The Bucs have two dominant players on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately they both play QB. Josh Johnson will make more plays with his feet then arm and Josh Freeman will be a mix of both. The problem is how can you have a functional offense when you two best players can’t be on the field at the same time? Big question makes surround this team and I wouldn’t expect many bright sports from this team in Madden 11

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Team Ratings: NFC North
2. NFC East Madden 11 Ratings Breakdown
3. Dallas Cowboys – V.10: Still America’s Team!

Will Brett Favre be back after coming so close? Can Aaron Rodgers take over the division?

NFC North

· Minnesota Vikings: 88

· Green Bay Packers: 87

· Chicago Bears: 77

· Detroit Lions: 68

Lets check out how these teams will play in Madden 11!

Minnesota Vikings: 88

- Brett Favre coming back has a big outcome of how effective this team will be. They have a very potent offense but you need to seriously worry about Adrian Peterson’s ability to hold onto the ball. There are other backs in the game that are just as effective as Peterson, in Madden, but hold onto the ball much better. They do have other weapons that you can take advantage of in Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, and Sidney Rice. On defense a strong defensive line is backed by a slow defensive secondary as well as line backing core. The Vikings defense will need to focus on stuffing the run first and controlling the line of scrimmage.

ZFarls Take: Ta-Ta-Ta TAVARIAS. The have speed and playmakers, but I am not very good with them. I feel like you have to try to hard to work around the lack of linebackers and secondary speed. It tough to make their amazing d-line shine and would rather have colts d-line with all that speed. On Offense, I enjoyed using AP and Percy but met my demise by trying to get to cute with T-Jack.

Green Bay Packers: 87

- The Packers have been one of our favorite Madden teams for the past couple seasons. However they lack a dynamic half back to really push them into the upper echelon of Madden. Ryan Grant is a solid back who will help to grind out tough yards. Unfortunately to be effective in Madden Grant lacks the major quality he so desperately needs, speed. The same rating that plagues the backfield of the Packers plagues their entire offense. They have big targets in Nelson, Finley, and Lee but they lack a guy that can spread the field and pick up yards on underneath routes (other than Jennings.)

The Packers defense is a major strength as they have two shutdown corners in Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Atari Bigby anchors the defensive secondary with a huge hit power rating. If you’re looking for a team that is balanced on both sides of the ball we recommend you take the Packers out for a test drive.

ZFarls: Bummer on losing Kampman, he was a able to take advantage of the 3-4 style outside rusher which really boosted ratings when subbed in. He really allowed you to do some interesting things with that defense and incredible secondary. Aaron Rogers and this offense just don’t do it for me. (Top 10 wise)

Chicago Bears: 77

- Jay Cutler was a big disappointment last year and that will set the pace for the Madden 2011 season for the Bears as well. They still have one of the most feared players in Madden, in Devin Hester, but outside that the Bears struggle to produce an effective Madden squad. Greg Olsen is the most dependable player on the offensive side of the ball so make sure to get him a lot of looks. The defense for the Bears gives you the ability to user Brian Urlacher and creates an effective three deep shell with some creativity. We recommend you user Urlacher short, spread the deep safeties out wide, and then drop deep to the middle of the field. Get creative with this defense and you can expect to cause FEAR in your opponent.

Detroit Lions: 68

- The Lions where one of our (correction, SGIBS) favorite “sleeper” teams in Madden 2010 and there is potential for the same occurrence in Madden 2011. However a lot depends on what is effective and what is not in this year’s version. Much of what the Lions strengths where last year was what was effective in the game. I do think that these same ratings will carry over to the latest installment.

A few things we know about the Lions for the Madden 2011 squad. Matt Stafford is a great Madden QB, Calvin Johnson is Megatron, and the Lions supporting cast is phenomenal up and down the roster on BOTH sides of the ball. The departure of Ernie Sims is going to make a huge dent in the effectiveness of their defense but I still think there is big time potential in the effectiveness of this team. Delmas and White at the safety positions are absolute monsters and they will help to dictate the flow of the game. If your goal is to catch your opponent off guard your best bet in Madden 2011 will be with the Lions.

ZFarls: Lets see if Sgibs can try and sell us on the lions being a Top 10 team in Madden 11 again on another episode of TWIM? I just don’t see it.

Boom, see you Madden Biblers tomorrow for another division breakdown. Which NFC North team will you be using?

Related posts:

1. Dallas Cowboys – V.10: Still America’s Team!
2. Madden 11 Winners Via Draft – Madden 11 Rookie Ratings
3. NFC East Madden 11 Ratings Breakdown

Has the Madden 10’ season come and gone already? It seemed like just yesterday Zfarls and myself spent sleepless nights trying to find a remedy to the HB direct snap glitch. Nevertheless it is time for Madden 11! Every year we eagerly await the latest breaking news on the upcoming release. It all starts with the NFL draft each April and then continues full steam ahead to team and player ratings. With the release of the entire leagues overall team ratings let’s take a snapshot look at what we expect from each of these teams for the upcoming Madden season!

NFC East

• Dallas Cowboys: 87

– There is a solid chance that we may see the Dallas Cowboys as being the most balanced and dominate team in Madden for a 3^rd consecutive season. Believe us, this for a good reason. With the emergence of Miles Austin and the newly acquired Dez Bryant the Cowboys will have hands down the best offensive attack in Madden 2011. Each position has strengths for any style of play. Want to have a smash mouth run game? No problem, give the rock to Marian Barber. Maybe you want to play a west coast offense and get the ball to your speedy playmakers, Felix Jones, Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree, and Miles Austin will give you depth and endless options all over the field. Oh wait it gets better! Maybe you will want to have a possession passing attack, well then look to your big targets in Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, and Roy Williams. The point is you can pick the Cowboys and expect to run any offense that you can think of. It doesn’t matter what their defense looks like because their offense is THAT good.

• NY Giants: 81

-          Brandon Jacobs is still Brandon Jacobs and Eli Manning is still Eli Manning but there are some major question marks on this team in Madden. Who is their true playmaker?

Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are solid players but neither of them is going to win you games in Madden. The closest thing the Giants have to a true dominate player is Ramses Barden and that’s a lot of pressure to put on a fifty something rated player. The Giants will need to rely on their defense to secure them a top spot in Madden 2011. They have the key ingredients and it all starts with Kenny Philips. The injury last year is certainly going to derail his development, especially in Madden. However he should still be versatile enough to be one of the dominate user safeties in the game. With the defensive line taking a step back in two consecutive seasons the Giants have a lot of catching up to do.

• Philadelphia Eagles: 80

-          The loss of Donovan McNabb helped the Eagles more then it hurt them. The reason for this is that people will see Michael Vick as a more viable option and anytime Vick is on the field you can expect a big play. Mix in Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Lesean Mccoy and the Eagles will try and replicate what the Atlanta Falcons of Madden 04 once had. If Vick can get a few solid roster updates we may see a rise in “Vick users” once again.

• Washington Redskins: 76

-          Donovan McNabb on the Redskins makes them a legit threat in Madden….Madden 08 that is. No knocking McNabb and his ability but the supporting cast of the Redskins just isn’t what it used to be. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas have been absolute busts, Santana Moss has been caught drinking the steroid water, and Clinton Portis is shell of his former self. Willie Parker will help to relieve some of the duties of Portis and may even see a starting spot for most but he is another player on the Redskins that is going down rather then up. If there is something to get excited about on the Redskins its Laron Landry and Deangelo Hall. Both are absolute monsters in this game and will make plays for you that can change the pace of any game. The Redskins might be able to get it done but they shouldn’t be your first option.


Join us again tomorrow as we break down another division and 4 more teams for Madden 11

Related posts:

1. Madden 11 Winners Via Draft – Madden 11 Rookie Ratings
2. 5 Most Signifigant Draft Picks For Madden 10!
3. Top 10 Madden Teams of All-Time!