Improving/Declining Players after Week 1 - Kushmir's Blog

Kushmir's Blog

Improving/Declining Players after Week 1

Posted on September 14, 2010 at 12:35 PM.

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I've gone on the record voicing my displeasure with Donny Moore's Knee-Jerk Reaction System to rating players several times. It's the opinion of many that while you take into account a great play or even a great game, the shortest period to responsibly rate players is a four game period, or one quarter of the season. Its silly and almost child-like to give players ratings boots for one play--even a great one. It invites poor ratings first, doesn't reward consistency and invites ratings to fluctuate too much. Want Proof? Here are some of the tweets from Madden's so-called ratings guru last night:

1. Dexter!!! + SPD, + BCV, + RETURN (this was after Mccluster's PR, call me crazy but shouldn't he already be fast? if he's top ten in PR after 4 games THEN we'll talk--Charger fans better hope he didn't see Matthews' fumble--he'll never be able to hold onto the ball in Madden if he did.)

2. Jamaal Charles can run. (we kind of already know this, he had 1120 yards in 2009. Should one 56 yard run boost his rating? I'm gonna say NO. This mentality would lower the ratings of DeAngelo Williams, Benson, Gore, Turner, Portis and Ray Rice. All of whom struggled in Week One. So? make sense?) The NFL season is a marathon, not a one game sprint. Campaigning for ratings boosts after one game probably means you're fifteen.

3.Brandon Flowers for KC looking tight however, +++ MCV (sigh...since when do you raise coverage ability based on one game? Isn't San Diego's best WR in street clothes?)

4. Goodness Eric Berry Man Coverage, did Gates twist his ankles or what!? --- MCV (again here with the one-play foolishness. I sure hope he didn't see Polamalu get faked out by Peelle in Week 1. Troy might be a 72 next week Pittsburgh fans. FYI: ANYONE can get beat on one play.)

5. Matt Slausen Pass Block Strength --- Ngata Power Move +++ (this was after Slausen was knocked down resulting in a sack, FYI Ngata's Power Moves are already a 97--the highest in the league--meaning he did exactly what he was SUPPOSED to...DUH!)

A better system would be keeping the rosters ACCURATE with transactions and player numbers (not an easy task apparently--don't we have a player named Defensive Tackle and didn't Eagles TE Cornelius Ingram get cut after preseason? SMH.) on a weekly basis and updating ratings at the four quarter-poles of the season.--but maybe we're just crazy) Here are some of the players we noticed seemed to be hot topics after week one:

1. Let's hope Donny Moore resists the urge to give Arian Foster a 90 after one week. You wouldn't lower Andre Johnson's ratings after 3 rec for 33 yds would you? One week tells us very, very little. Baby steps Donny, let's see how he looks after week four, ok?

2. Hines Ward just keeps doing it doesn't he? He'll get that 85 back if he keeps this up (we rated him an 84 at the end of last season).

3. Doesn't Troy Polamalu make you wish you had an option to fake a coverage? seeing defenders fake a blitz and then dart back to the flat would be niiiice. He's getting back to where he was before the knee injury.

4. Rough day for Kevin Kolb, huh? We'll hold out judgement for the end of the season's first quarter, but it doesn't look good. FYI: we had him rated at a 71/72 max if you'll remember.

5. Vick could be returning to the dynamic, electrifying Vick of 2005. Still misses too many easy throws for me, though. His rating is exactly where it should be. In the low 70s.

6. CJ Spiller - He's still a rookie. UPS and DOWNS are a part of the game. still rated too high, though.

7. Jake Delhomme - Keep in mind that based on last year we rated him below average (less than a 70) we can't see how Madden wouldn't either. No longer a starter. PERIOD.

8. Jason Campbell - We'll certainly wait until the first quarter of the season is through, but dangerously close to a rating in the very low 70s (if not lower)

9. Hakeem Nicks - 3 TDs is nice, but we won't crown him the new Jerry Rice just yet, could be breaking away from the rest of the Giant's receiving corps though. we'll check him again at the quarter-pole.

10. Bob Sanders - The guy simply can't stay healthy. As of yesterday he's played in 48 games and missed 49. I can't see how he'll be rated above an 80 in the future.

11. Tim Tebow - It's early, but someone doesn't know how to evaluate players. Tim Tebow get two rushing attempts (for two yards) in reality, but starts online (and excels) in most games versus the Broncos? Get it together, Donny Moore.

12. Miles Austin - We were skeptical in the off-season because he's basically had ONE big year, but starting off the year with 10 rec, and 146 yards is the way to go.

13. Mark Sanchez - This is why its important to rate players based on what they've actually DONE. Instead of crowning "Paper Champions" in the off-season. Sanchez an 82? how? based on what? he's struggled as a passer since he entered the league. He's not even average yet, a 72 is too high at this point.

14. Guys that VALIDATED their ratings - Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Welker, CJ2K, Eli (watching the game will tell you not one of those INTs was his fault) MJD, these guy's ratings shouldn't move an inch. They've done EXACTLY what we've come to expect from players ranked above a 90.

15. Alex Barron - Seems to be the goat of the moment, and although we don't like to pile on, we've got to admit history suggests he been bad for some time. (he's the most penalized lineman in the NFL the past three years) The real question? Why he's rated a 77? Is there a better example of a below-average linemen? I DOUBT IT. Why do players get charity, too-high ratings because they're starters? We should be looking at a rating in the 60s.

16. Clay Matthews - Hit the ground running as a rookie and doesn't seem to be slowing down in Season 2. He's looking at breaking the Almost-Elite "85 Barrier" as a second year player if he keeps this up.

17. Mathias Kiwanuka & Juqua Parker - Two reserves that are tied for the league lead in sacks after week one. Considering they finished with 3 sacks (Kiwanuka) and 8 sacks (Parker) last season, we'll wait until the season's first quarter and THEN see where they rank.

18. Brett Favre - Is the offense out-of-sync? Was it the Saints defense? Could it be the lack of weapons? While we thought he was rated too high (we had him at an 86--there's no way one year gets him a 90 after the debacle in NY) we'll just continue to collect data and see how he looks after 4 games.

19. Brandon Jacobs - He's no longer the starter in NY. We'll see how long it lasts before we make a decision on him declining in ratings. Bradshaw just wasn't that impressive.

20. Jay Cutler - Sure, it WAS the Lions. (and everyone KNOWS they LOST) But 372 yards with 1 INT is impressive for him. We'll continue to watch.