Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

[Steve_OS]

Joystiq has posted a list of every player with the "clutch trait" in Madden NFL 25, most of which are the same as last year.

Looking at the list below, who do you think should be added or removed?

• CB Darrelle Revis (TB)
• CB Champ Bailey (DEN)
• FS Eric Weddle (SD)
• FS Ed Reed (HOU)
• FS Charles Woodson (OAK)
• HB Marshawn Lynch (SEA)
• HB Ray Rice (BAL)
• HB Frank Gore (SF)
• HB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)
• K Rob Bironas (TEN)
• K Adam Vinatieri (IND)
• K Matt Prater (DEN)
• LT Joe Thomas (CLE)
• MLB Patrick Willis (SF)
• MLB Derrick Johnson (KC)
• QB Aaron Rodgers (GB)
• QB Tom Brady (NE)
• QB Peyton Manning (DEN)
• QB Drew Brees (NO)
• QB Joe Flacco (BAL)
• QB Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
• QB Eli Manning (NYG)
• QB Tim Tebow (NE)
• RE Justin Smith (SF)
• RE DeMarcus Ware (DAL)
• RE Jared Allen (MIN)
• ROLB Clay Matthews (GB)
• SS Troy Polamalu (PIT)
• TE Jimmy Graham (NO)
• TE Antonio Gates (SD)
• WR Calvin Johnson Jr. (DET)
• WR Andre Johnson (HOU)
• WR Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)
• WR Steve Smith (CAR)
• WR Anquan Boldin (SF)
• WR Santonio Holmes (NYJ)
• WR Mario Manningham (SF)

[LucasWVU]

I'm assuming the whole Tebow thing is a marketing ploy.

[Redskinsfan26]

No redskins

[juggalotusx]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

No redskins

How can fletcher not be on there, or even morris after a stellar year?

[mvb34]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

How can fletcher not be on there, or even morris after a stellar year?

Those guys aren't clutch..

[juggalotusx]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

holmes,tebowand manningham thats funny maybe 2 years ago.
I wonder if all of them are going to be rated with a 1 consistancy.

[juggalotusx]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

Those guys aren't clutch..

Fletcher is not clutch, your kidding me right he is so underrated its not even funny.

[RogueHominid]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

This is kind of a baseball-oriented debate with the evolution of Sabermetrics and other such statistical models, but I wonder if Champ Bailey all of the sudden gets better at covering receivers and playing the ball when it's the 4th quarter, or if he's just generally a smart, reliable corner with still exceptional speed and ball skills.

Obviously the list goes on, but I wonder about the concept itself and think that if any boosts are given they should be relatively small.

I'm sure that's a firestarter of a claim, but that's what I think.

If I were to make that list, I think I'd omit OL and go with a shorter list of players:

Bailey
Reed
Vinatieri
Brady
Manning
Rodgers
Polamalu
Fitzgerald

Not a perfect list, but there are guys who are really, really good most of the time if not all the time who I wouldn't necessarily consider clutch. Clarifying that distinction is important.

I would love to hear the rationale from a designer for choosing certain players. What stats did they look at? Which game tape? How do they weight career averages and relative talent on the team such that one player's performance can be evaluated discreetly? (That's easier to do in baseball).

Anyway, interesting topic...

[davo1021]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

Fletcher is not clutch, your kidding me right he is so underrated its not even funny.

I'm not trying to be a dick but are you sure you know what clutch means?

[jmurphy31]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

I think its way too many people. Plus, just like with their ratings Madden seems to never let go of previous star players or players who were hurt the previous year.

I think it took them like 3/4 years to finally make Chris Johnson below 90.

I would remove:

All Linemen - not sure how they are clutch
Jones Drew
Weddle
Tebow
Woodson (Loved him as a player, but he was barely signed this off-season)
Holmes
Mannigham
Steve Smith
Bailey (still decent Cb, but past his prime)

[RogueHominid]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

I think its way too many people. Plus, just like with their ratings Madden seems to never let go of previous star players or players who were hurt the previous year.

I think it took them like 3/4 years to finally make Chris Johnson below 90.

I would remove:

All Linemen - not sure how they are clutch
Jones Drew
Weddle
Tebow
Woodson (Loved him as a player, but he was barely signed this off-season)
Holmes
Mannigham
Steve Smith
Bailey (still decent Cb, but past his prime)

Excellent post.

Some have argued about Jeter, who is often labelled as the epitome of a clutch player, pointed out that before a few key hits he had been in a miserable post-season funk--notably not clutch, but that we often tend to forget these moments.

This is relevant to the history of Peyton Manning's career. There's a history of Manning throwing nasty INTs in the clutch. The NE playoff games offer examples, as does the Porter INT.

Here's an article that lays out his post-season performance relative to Brady's:

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/brady-vs-manning-complete-unabridged-vol-ii/4682/

I'd like to know that good, solid data is behind these traits if they're to govern the game in key moments. And/or I'd like the ability to be able to edit them out as I see fit in franchise mode--for all teams.

[N51_rob]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

Ware is clutch now? He absolutely wasn't clutch in week 17 with the playoffs and division title on the line.

[mvb34]

Ware is clutch now? He absolutely wasn't clutch in week 17 with the playoffs and division title on the line.

Not to defend a cowboy but he was not a 100 percent in that game

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[jmurphy31]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

Started thinking more about this topic. Clutch in a team sport is subjective and tough to put a number on it.

For example, look at Manning. As the previous post suggested his bad playoff games vs the Pats and Saints. Throw in last years bad int in OT. Also look at the year he won the Super Bowl. He didn't gave a great game, but he won. Is he clutch.

Look at Brady, he's struggled the last two Super Bowls, but his line gave him no time. Should that effect his Clutch Rating. If Welker doesn't drop that pass, the Pats win the Super Bowl. (Glad Welkers not on the list)

Some of its a little bit of luck. Flacco rode the tails of the worst end of game defense to a huge contract. If that safety takes a normal angle, they lose. Eli throws up two prayers and two phenomenonal catches are made.

Another question. Can you be clutch on a losing team? Is it based on regular season, post season, or both.


Finally, what does this rating actually do in Madden. Does it actually matter?

[GiantBlue76]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Clutch Players Revealed

I'm sorry, but reading this list just made me shake my head and realize that not enough has changed at Tiburon. This is a list that came from a 10 year old kid right?

So let me get this straight... Mario Manningham is now suddenly "clutch" because he made a great catch in the super bowl and had a TD reception in traffic against the 9ers in the NFC championship game? Or Charles Woodson is clutch because he nearly retired this offseason?

Tim Tebow is clutch because he made a play in one game against Pittsburgh, but played on a terrible Jets team last season where he saw little relevant playing time?

It's amazing how ratings and other important statisitical data are managed by someone who knows less about football than an Eskimo Hermit living in the outer reaches of Alaska.

SMH...