Two of the league's top cornerbacks will square off tonight on "Thursday Night Football" in Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson. Peterson is a weekly standout on the Next Gen team, and you know he'll be looking to make an impact against his divisional rival Seattle Seahawks and trash-talking king Richard Sherman. But, before you sit down for kickoff, check out the risers and fallers for the Madden Next Gen team after Week 6. The Next Gen team is made up of 25 of the brightest young stars in the NFL who are relying on you to vote for them and increase their Madden rating so they can be crowned the Madden Next Gen Champ!
Risers
Patrick Peterson continues his ascent into both the NFL and Madden elite. After another rock-solid performance that included two passes defended in last Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Peterson received a bump up to 91 OVR. Look for him to try and build on that in Thursday's matchup against the Seahawks. Similarly, Antonio Brown was rewarded for his consistency as the most reliable piece of the Steelers offensive attack. Brown is averaging 10 catches and 123 yards receiving per game over the last three weeks, which is why he now finds himself on the cusp of entering the 90s in OVR. If he keeps up this level of production over the remainder of the season, there's no doubt he'll cross into that elite group.
Missing in action
For the second straight week, the Next Gen team saw a number of key players out on a bye. Jacquizz Rodgers, Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller, and Dion Jordan all were resting this weekend, while Bobby Wagner and Casey Hayward nursed injuries. On the playing field, the meager performances of Tyler Eifert and Stephon Gilmore didn't net them a loss in their OVR rating yet, which is a good sign. Both will look to bounce back in Week 7.
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The Curious Case of Kyle Rudolph
Rudolph, who exploded last week to the tune of nine catches for 97 yards receiving and one touchdown, failed to receive an increase in his OVR rating. Not only was Rudolph one of the few contributors on the Minnesota Vikings offense in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers, but he showed grit and determination by shaking tackles to score his touchdown when the game was essentially over in the fourth quarter. Perhaps we'll see some "make up" points awarded to Rudolph next week, regardless of his performance, as the fourth-year pro out of Notre Dame deserved an increase this week and was slighted.
Fallers
Geno Smith's roller coaster rookie season continued in Week 6, and in the Madden Ratings. Geno struggled against the Pittsburgh Steelers (two interceptions, three sacks taken), and as a result his rating dropped one point to 75. The Madden ratings czars must still have faith in Geno, as they didn't drop him all the way back down to a 74, which is where he was before his stellar performance in an upset win over the Atlanta Falcons. After weeks of filling the role of the "Invisible Man" on the Rams offense, Tavon Austin finally took a hit to his OVR rating, dropping one point to a 76. Austin is losing precious playing time for the Rams as he was on the field for just three offensive snaps last Sunday, which doesn't bode well for his Madden rating as the season progresses.
Check back tomorrow for Adam Rank's reactions/predictions piece for the upcoming slate of games on Sunday, and be sure to vote for the "Madden NFL 25" Next Gen champ! Voting for this week will open after the Monday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
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