[GameSpot] - Madden 23 Best Teams: From The Dominant Bucs To The Cellar-Dwelling Texans

[343iBot]

Madden 23 once again reignites the debate over which virtual NFL team is really the best. While EA Tiburon has revealed its ratings for all 32 teams, that's hardly the end of the debate. Football fans love arguing things like Madden player ratings, and the overall (OVR) team ratings are just as fiery a topic. With the launch ratings of all 32 teams now made public, it's time to argue for your favorites. Who got snubbed? Who is overrated? Which team will make the biggest leap by the season's end. Here are your Madden 23 ratings for all 32 NFL teams, starting with the top 10.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 92 OVR

With Tom Brady unretiring and rejoining his Bucs squad with very few holes to fill on either side of the ball, it's no wonder Tampa Bay sits alone at the top as the only 90-plus team to start Madden season. Brady loses Gronk (for now anyway), but he still has veritable playmakers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, a strong offensive line, and a newcomer with high upside at wideout, Russell Gage. Unless Brady falls off a ratings cliff, look for the Bucs to remain a favorite in Madden leagues and head-to-head (H2H) play all season.

Buffalo Bills - 89 OVR

The Bills come into Madden 23 as the team that arguably should've won the Super Bowl. Of course, they didn't make it, but perhaps only because Josh Allen's offense never got the ball in overtime against the Chiefs. He played what may have been the best 60 minutes by a QB in NFL history, which accounts for his high placement in this year's Madden 23 QB ratings. Along with a stifling defense, the Bills will are right in the middle of their Super Bowl window, and Madden players get to reap the benefit.

Los Angeles Rams - 88 OVR

The defending champs come in third on this list, but shouldn't feel slighted by it. With two of the game's best defenders in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, plus the rejuvenated Matt Stafford and Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, the Rams are likely to be the favorite team of H2H players out of the gate. With impressive young linebackers and a fun young running back in Cam Akers, the Rams are as well-rounded as it gets in Madden 23.

Green Bay Packers - 88 OVR

The big headline for the Packers entering the season is the loss of Devante Adams, who decided to regroup with his best friend Derek Carr in Las Vegas. But the Packers remain a top-flight team in Madden 23 thanks to who they didn't lose: Aaron Rodgers. The veteran QB has yet to show his age, winning two consecutive MVP awards and still making his surrounding talent better every season. In Madden 23, players may be wary of his lack of pass catchers, but he's got one of Madden 23's best running backs in Aaron Jones to help keep defenses guessing, not to mention the shutdown corner Jaire Alexander on the other side.

Baltimore Ravens - 87 OVR

The Ravens fell out of the spotlight a bit last season, but Coach Harbaugh has helped them stay as a consistently tough matchup season after season, so this year's high marks in Madden are, in some part, a sign of respect for a team that no one looks forward to facing--not in real life or in Madden. With the game's speediest QB in Lamar Jackson and a bruising approach to player development on offense and defense, the Ravens are the go-to team for Madden players looking to play a smashmouth style of football and punish opponents into submission.

Los Angeles Chargers - 87 OVR

The NFL must love that both LA teams are poised for success this fall, as the brand has made a huge effort to turn the formerly football-indifferent city into a den of fanatics. While the Chargers have so far played second fiddle to the Rams in real life, they may wind up the more exciting pick for Madden 23. That's owed to young phenom QB Justin Herbert and his incredible cast of surrounding talent, like Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Derwin James, Joey Bosa, and new face J.C. Jackson. On paper, the Chargers may actually have the league's best roster, and that will translate to a ton of Madden players taking Herbie and company for a ride.

Dallas Cowboys - 86 OVR

Like the Yankees in baseball, the Cowboys will always receive some flak for being "overrated" according to a large number of football fans, simply because they're the Cowboys. But you can't really deny the team's roster. Dak is still a great QB, the backfield has two solid RBs in Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard, and last year, the team drafted not one but two Rookie of the Year candidates in Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons. The Cowboys might always flame out in January in real life, but in Madden, it's you who decides how far they go, and in Madden 23, the Cowboys will remain a fan favorite for high-stakes virtual football because they have a roster worthy of the brand.

Kansas City Chiefs - 86 OVR

This is the lowest the Chiefs have been rated to kick off a Madden season in three years (84 in Madden 20), and that largely comes down to the departure of Tyreek Hill, who now bloviates in favor of his new middling QB Tua Tagovailoa, but the Chiefs are still one of those teams that no one wants to face in Madden H2H. That's mostly due to the connection between Patrick Mahomes and Madden 23's best TE, Travis Kelce, but the team also quickly improved its o-line and returns several key defenders such as Chris Jones to solidify one of the game's most-feared teams.

With Tyreek Hill heading south to Miami, can the Chiefs offense stay dominant?

San Francisco 49ers - 86 OVR

The 49ers have a championship-caliber roster pretty much up and down the field, with just one glaring exception: quarterback. If Trey Lance can live up to his pre-draft hype, the Niners will be a contender for years to come. Regardless, his speed and elusiveness will make the virtual Niners a more compelling pick in Madden either way. With George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, and Trent Williams all providing a core of 90-plus players, the Niners have plenty of surrounding talent to give any scrambling QB-favoring Madden players a dominant team with which they can compete.

Philadelphia Eagles - 85 OVR

The Eagles looked to be a team on the rise in the back half of last season, and in Madden 23, players will benefit from their continued upward trajectory. This comes in part due to the trade for former Titan wideout A.J. Brown, who should pair well with Devonta Smith to give young QB Jalen Hurts an uncoverable duo. A speedy QB is always a draw in Madden because they can screw with defenses in ways more statuesque signal-callers can't, and in Madden 23, Hurts is supplemented with a terrific offensive line, a monstrous defensive line, and stars in the defensive backfield, such as Darius Slay Jr.

11-32

While the above list highlights the game's top 10 teams, here's the rest of the league for good measure. Who do you think has the best chance to climb into the top 10 as the season plays out?

Cincinnati Bengals - 85 OVR

Arizona Cardinals - 84 OVR

Cleveland Browns - 84 OVR

Denver Broncos - 84 OVR

Las Vegas Raiders - 83 OVR

Miami Dolphins - 83 OVR

Tennessee Titans - 82 OVR

New Orleans Saints - 82 OVR

Indianapolis Colts - 82 OVR

Washington Commanders - 81 OVR

New England Patriots - 81 OVR

Minnesota Vikings - 80 OVR

Pittsburgh Steelers - 80 OVR

Carolina Panthers - 79 OVR

New York Jets - 79 OVR

Chicago Bears - 78 OVR

Detroit Lions - 78 OVR

Atlanta Falcons - 77 OVR

Jacksonville Jaguars - 77 OVR

Seattle Seahawks - 76 OVR

New York Giants - 75 OVR

Houston Texans - 74 OVR

For more on Madden 23, check out our complete Madden 23 ratings hub, or read our feature on the way this year's franchise mode seeks to mirror the chaos of the real NFL offseason.

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