Snubbed! Howard, Tunsil Among Madden 20’s Dolphins Oversights

In eight days, the Miami Dolphins will begin training camp.  And while we anxiously wait for the beginning of football season to arrive, many are also counting down the days until the release of EA’s popular video game, Madden.

But before the game is released to the eager public, EA must first reveal the ratings for all 32 teams and players alike.  And just like you would expect with such news, everyone agrees disagrees with their favorite player’s ratings.  This usually makes for an entertaining day on social media, message boards, and other areas of the worldwide web.  So on Monday, when EA released their ratings for Madden 20, disarray shortly followed.

There are four players that a majority of Dolphins fans believe are severely undervalued in this year’s game.  And when we asked Twitter which of those players got the ‘short end of the stick’, the answers were unanimous.

Here’s a look at the top four ‘snubs’ on the Dolphins’ roster in Madden 20.

John Denney – 47 Overall

Awareness – 85

Acceleration – 78

Pursuit – 72

Strength – 76

Unfortunately, EA has yet to implement the long-snapper position into Madden.  Which means Dolphins’ legend John Denney is listed as a tight end.  Tragically, however, he is rated as the worst player on Miami’s roster with a 47 overall.  That’s right, folks.  Arguably the greatest long-snapper to ever play the position, is the worst player on Miami’s lowly roster. Thankfully, and I know this might be tough to hear, but the long-snapper position really doesn’t matter in Madden.  Nevertheless, EA needs to put a little respect on the G.O.A.T’s name, and bump that overall up a good 20 or 30 points.  Then I will be happy where Denney ranks in this year’s game.

Minkah Fitzpatrick – 80 Overall

Man Coverage – 79

Zone Coverage – 79

Press – 75

Press Coverage – 87

One of the things that irks me most, is when a player is listed out of position in Madden.  And although last year it appeared Minkah Fitzpatrick would play a significant amount of snaps at Free Safety, things changed quickly.  And if all reports are true, he is expected to play a majority of his time in the slot in 2019.  However, that does not mean he won’t be utilized all throughout Flores’ defense.  He’s a playmaker that can lineup anywhere on the football field.   But when it comes to Madden, EA did Fitzpatrick no favors.   His duel 79 man/zone coverage ratings seem a bit lazy.  And although he is rated well in man-to-man coverage, according to EA, he struggles to press at the line.  Which isn’t necessarily the case with the 22-year old playmaker.  His ratings are fair, but should be a bit higher.

The future is bright for Fitzpatrick.  And I don’t think it will be long before his ratings are in the high-80’s.  He is going to be a special player.

it wasn't long after minkah fitzpatrick made his NFL debut, that everyone knew he was going to be special. pic.twitter.com/D0BVJ9UYv3

— josh houtz (@houtz) June 25, 2019

Laremy Tunsil – 84 Overall

Pass Block-85

Run Block -79

Interior Blocking- 84

Strength – 91

When you look over the Dolphins’ roster in Madden, there are two players at the top of the list.  One is obviously Laremy Tunsil, and the other is speedy wide receiver Kenny Stills.  But with all due respect to Stills, he is not one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers.  He’s very good, but not elite.  As for Tunsil, he is currently one of the league’s top left tackles.  So to see those two players rated equally at the top of the roster, is a good indication of what to expect from the rest of the ratings.  Nevertheless, it is a travesty to have Tunsil rated outside of the top-10 at his position.  And this is something EA should look to fix in their next roster update.

Tunsil is one of the best tackles in football and should play like one on the virtual gridiron.

Xavien Howard – 83 Overall 

Superstar Ability – PICK ARTIST

Man Coverage – 80

Zone Coverage – 85

Press – 83

Press Coverage – 86

It’s perfectly acceptable to question why Xavien Howard, one of the NFL’s top defensive backs in 2018, is the 27^th rated cornerback in Madden.  Sure, his ratings are a bit more favorable than the overall seems to imply, but Howard was one of the most significant snubs in this year’s game. And while each team has a player with a superstar ability, not all teams will have a superstar x-factor-that includes Miami.  Howard’s ratings in coverage are a bit underwhelming, especially for a guy that prides himself at playing man-to-man.  Nonetheless, if Howard continues on this trajectory, he will be the Dolphins only Superstar X-factor sooner rather than later.  He’s that good and with a hefty new deal in place, should exceed all expectations this upcoming season.

happy birthday to one of the NFL's top shutdown corners and tom brady's favorite target, @iamxavienhoward pic.twitter.com/6pmUee0q6A

— josh houtz (@houtz) July 4, 2019

On this week’s episode of 3 Yards Per Carry, the guys weigh in on Jim Caldwell, Training Camp, and Madden 20 Ratings.

Below are some of the best reactions from #DolphinsTwitter :

All y’all not voting for Denney can just leave. He’s been playing since before Madden game started. No respect. pic.twitter.com/T9Hmom86ir

— One Jay (@OneJay212) July 15, 2019

In the end, the Dolphins are ranked the worst team in Madden 20 with a 74 overall rating.  And although EA will update their rosters weekly during the regular season, it would be disingenuous to expect Miami to be littered with top-level talent.  Nevertheless, EA’s rosters are not perfect, and there are plenty of players and fans that feel slighted.  Some of these gripes will be changed in the coming weeks, others will not.  Madden will always have it’s flaws.  And I, like every year, will buy the newest installment.  Death, Taxes, and Madden.

This article was written by Madden Analyst, Josh Houtz (@houtz)