Madden 09

[Shadowalker]

Any thoughts on how Madden portrayed the Ravens this year?

Personally not being biased because i am predominantly a Ravens fan but we are very underrated.

Flacco is overrated

Yamon is underrated

our defense line is underrated

the squeelers are overrated

Chris is underrated

Gregg is underrated

Ivy is underrated

oh and the cowboys are OVERRATEDDDDDDDDDDDD

The CLOWNS are going in the pooper this year and Braylon Edwards is going to be another Shaun Alexander.

[BloodRaven]

Ivy wasnt good as a starter last year and one good camp doesnt make Yamon a good WR.

Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata get no love, even though statistically Gregg is more consistant than Pat Williams who got a 98. Theres no excuses for that one.

Still dont know why London Fletcher-Baker and Zach Thomas are rated higher than Ray in strength, tackling and play recognition?

The game itself is the same glitchy trash it was last year.

[Corvus]

So I've been playing on just standard pro level and finished my first 3 season games in the franchise, my results were...

vs. Cincinnati Bengals : W 41-6

@ Houston Texans : W 28-21

vs. Cleveland Browns : W 29-17

Some observations....

The Browns defensive line is impossible to run against, I averaged 3.1 ypc, everytime I got free or had an opening a lineman or linebacker would be there to stop me, so it looks like the Madden developers jumped on the Browns bandwagon in general because Stallworth was getting open all the time as well. I ran very well against the Bengals (5.7 ypc with McGahee, 4.8 ypc with Rice, and a nice 11 TD run with McClain) and also passed very well (Smith to Heap TD, Smith to Williams TD, Flacco to Rice TD, Smith went 12 for 16, Flacco 8 for 10).

I've found that the Ravens run d is excellent. I consistently stuff the run. It does seem that sacking the QB is a bit more difficult (though I did get a sack/safety with Ray Ray in the Browns game) The pass d seems a bit rough though, despite having 3 picks from Fabian, 2 from Landry, and 1 from Reed in those 3 games.

Our Qbs ratings of 79 for Flacco and especially Smith's 73 don't seem to reflect on how good they really are with throwing power (Flacco is 3rd highest in the game, Smith is not shabby either) and accuracy. Although both have realatively low awareness which may be the reason...

Also, I have been tearing it up with Justin Harper in the slot, in the browns game he had 9 catches for 108 yards. He actually is really good at catching over the middle and is pretty fast too, his 68 OVR rating is definitely underrated.

Other than Harper, I think Fabian Washington, Gregg, Yanda, Nakamura and Zbikowski, Gooden, and Demetrius are all underrated (though Demetrius does have the "fantastic catch" ability whatever that means). At the same time, Dwan Edwards comes immediately to mind as far as players getting a significant boost since madden 08 (70 OVR to 82 OVR).

Oh yeah, and with the exceptions of Brown and Grubbs, the o-line is HORRIBLE (big surprise). I have been sacked hardcore at least 4 or 5 times total in each game so far and pressured to throw early even more. Smith's mobility has definitely helped out though, which is why I've used him more than Flacco at the moment.

[Redreed]

Really? Your franchise stats? This Madden thread has gone too far. Madden hasn't even been an exceptional game since Shawn Alexander was on the cover for regular XBox. All the new-Gen Maddens look great but play like ****, and the ratings are all politics. Get over it. Watch or play real football kids.

[RavensIQ]

Really? Your franchise stats? This Madden thread has gone too far. Madden hasn't even been an exceptional game since Shawn Alexander was on the cover for regular XBox. All the new-Gen Maddens look great but play like ****, and the ratings are all politics. Get over it. Watch or play real football kids.

Come on dude don't hate on Madden. Madden is Gods 2nd best gift to the world, 1st being Jesus of course.

What if we could get Jesus in a Madden game? hmmm...haha the hail mary would be the shiz.

[Devastat1on]

Our Qbs ratings of 79 for Flacco and especially Smith's 73 don't seem to reflect on how good they really are with throwing power (Flacco is 3rd highest in the game, Smith is not shabby either) and accuracy. Although both have realatively low awareness which may be the reason...

With the online roster update Smith gets pushed up to a 76.. He still lacks accuracy with a 78 i think it is..

[Redreed]

Come on dude don't hate on Madden. Madden is Gods 2nd best gift to the world, 1st being Jesus of course.

I guess it's a matter of personal opinion. Madden wouldn't be in my list of top 100 gifts of god. I would go with more practical things:

ahem...

1. Women. Obviously.

2. Beer. Obviously.

3. Soap. Obviously.

T4. Football and live music are in a dead heat for 4th on my list.

6. Going out to see Football/Live music with women and beer and coming home to take shower.

After that it gets a little fuzzy, but it's safe to say Madden isn't on my list.

[berad]

I hate the stupid online roster updates that also mess around with your depth chart.

I DON'T WANT TO RUN THE 3-4! It plays horribly in Madden, Ray Lewis always gets a Guard in his grill.

I don't want Jarrett Johnson starting, I don't want Corey Ivy as the nickel, I don't want Troy as the starter, I don't want Bart Scott running around on kickoffs, I don't want Matt Stover kicking off, and I definitely don't want to run the 3-4. I can't reiterate that enough.

[catty112]

Really? Your franchise stats? This Madden thread has gone too far. Madden hasn't even been an exceptional game since Shawn Alexander was on the cover for regular XBox. All the new-Gen Maddens look great but play like ****, and the ratings are all politics. Get over it. Watch or play real football kids.

Did you really come to the fantasy football/madden forum, open a madden 09 post, and then talk **** about it? If madden isn't your cup of tea then thats cool but I just don't understand why you would take your time to do so. When football isn't on (last 6 months of my life) or I can't actually play football (can't wait for flag football to start back up at college- going all the way this year) Madden is the next best football related activity I got. When I can't play madden, like now when Im at work, I come on to these forums and talk about football, that would be #4 after madden.

I personally think its pretty cool hearing about the new madden because as of right now I am still loving madden06 for ps2, but when I move into my new house I am defiantly looking forward to buying a 360/ps3 and madden will be one of the first games i buy.

*back on topic*

they have us running a 3-4? what the heck I never used to use the 46 until recently, but now I know how sick it is with our players I am always forcing the 3 and out with multiple sacks. can't you change your def playbook so that it goes back to the 46?

[judge]

still haven't had a chance to crack the game open. Just got it for the wii the other night. can't wait!

[CARavensFan]

I just got the game and after having some time to mess around with it these are the things that I have noticed most:

- They have seemed to fixed the running mechanics so that players at least look a little more natural when they are running.

- However the realism of the players has seemed to take a step backwards in my opinion, they just seem more . . . cartoony . . . to me

- Thankfully they have re-enabled the ability to change the position of players to let you rotate them around the better positions (of in the case of out O-line there REAL positions.)

- Once again the running game is still one of the easiest parts of the game, when I did the opening test I rated nearly perfect on it, which has made playing in a real game situation twice as difficult.

That's all for now though as I fiddle around I'm sure that I'll find other things that I like and dislike about this new edition of Madden.

[Corvus]

I guess it's a matter of personal opinion. Madden wouldn't be in my list of top 100 gifts of god. I would go with more practical things:

ahem...

1. Women. Obviously.

2. Beer. Obviously.

3. Soap. Obviously.

T4. Football and live music are in a dead heat for 4th on my list.

6. Going out to see Football/Live music with women and beer and coming home to take shower.

After that it gets a little fuzzy, but it's safe to say Madden isn't on my list.

obviously posting on an internet message board (isn't that awesome!) is beating out more practical things like women, beer, and soap right now

Update on the season I've been playing, I'm in week 13, Fabian Washington has 10 picks, 3 returned for TDs, Reed has 8 picks, Landry has 8, and CMac has 6. Hopefully our secondary can replicate this to even a degree this season.

And I agree with CARavensFan, the way players run sometimes is a little cartoony...just looks a little awkward, the rest of the game looks great though.

I also don't think I would say I would rather hear Madden over Colinsworth commentating, but I would. More annoying than Madden himself, had to turn the commentary volume OFF.

[theFRANCHISE]

still haven't had a chance to crack the game open. Just got it for the wii the other night. can't wait!

No offense, but the Wii version doesn't even compare to the PS3 & Xbox360 versions.

Not just graphics-wise, but overall presentation and just about every feature.

But, the Wii version is probably still fun to play, though.