Yes, at this point even the late late game between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders is over, which means most of the Madden Next Gen team have laid it all on the line for their team, and a chance to improve their Madden rating. There are a few usual suspects at the top of the list, and a surprise candidate trending downwards. You can view the whole Next Gen team here if you need a refresher before reading on.
Breakout Performers
While it was the Next Gen defense making headlines last week, a pair of wide receivers decided to make some noise in Week 5. T.Y. Hilton had a monster day against one of the best secondaries in the league, catching five passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns to help the Colts defeat the 4-0 Seattle Seahawks. Hilton even got the better of Richard Sherman a few times, adding to the luster of his big day. Meanwhile in Green Bay, Randall Cobb showed his versatility by tallying 107 total yards, 72 of them coming on the ground. That's right, Cobb lined up in the backfield and ripped of a 67-yard run to help jump-start the Packers offense. He also reeled in an impressive one-handed catch. Both wide outs should expect solid returns from the Madden ratings gods later this week. Luke Kuechly rounds out the breakout performers, returning from Carolina's bye week and making plays all over the field against the Cardinals. Unfortunately for Kuechly, his impressive effort and production (seven solo tackles, one interception) couldn't net the Panthers a win.
Solid Effort
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Nick Fairely only had one tackle, but it was a big one for a loss against the Packers. He walked Josh Sitton several yards deep into the Green Bay backfield and took out Eddie Lacy in the process. Patrick Peterson snagged another interception in the Cardinals win over the Carolina Panthers, bringing his season total to three. Tyler Eifert caught five passes for 53 yards, helping the Bengals beat Tom Brady and the Patriots 13-6. Speaking of the Patriots, Chandler Jones had himself a nice afternoon, notching two tackles and 1.5 sacks to help limit the Bengals offense. Lastly, Ryan Tannehill threw for 307 yards and a touchdown in a 26-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but he only completed just over 50 percent of his passes.
Out of commission
Alfred Morris, Ryan Kerrigan, Doug Martin, Kyle Rudolph, Antonio Brown, - BYE. Stephon Gilmore, Casey Hayward - INJURY.
Not their best Sunday
Even though he led the San Francisco 49ers to a 34-3 victory over the Houston Texans, Colin Kaepernick had a mediocre night. He didn't complete a single pass in the second or third quarter, and only threw for 113 yards, with more than half of those coming on one pass to Vernon Davis. Kaepernick has taken a hit in the ratings in consecutive weeks, and that trend could continue heading into Week 6. Dion Jordan only managed one tackle against the Ravens, which likely won't do him any favors when the ratings are released. Likewise, Lamar Miller managed just 15 yards on seven carries for a painful average of 2.14 yards-per-carry. Miller and Jordan are both still in the 70s overall, and these performances don't indicate they'll be leaving that threshold any time soon.
Check back on Thursday for the updated ratings for the Next Gen team before Week 6, 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 New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
- Follow Alex on Twitter @AlexGelhar for his musings on Madden, food, film, and of course, the occasional insightful football comment
