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Michael Vick, a former Atlanta Falcon, is now a free agent. Four or five years ago, you would have to be down-right insane to think that Vick would no longer be a “dirty bird.” To me, it’s practically unfathomable to the Falcons without Vick at quarterback.

But, here we are in 2009 without him. Many people are throwing around comments,
saying he can’t play anymore or will be too rusty after all the jail time.

If you’re one of those people asking if he can still play, I will strongly stand by the response that he can and will. Yes, Michael Vick has been away from the NFL for two years. Still, it’s hard to imagine he magically lost his feel for the game and his ability to play in that short amount of time. He may no longer have the ability or skill to serve as a prototypical first-string QB in today’s game, and I certainly don’t feel he’s going to resurface as a starter right off the bat. The simple fact is that no team is willing to invest much into him, which explains why the Falcons couldn’t trade him.

Never the less, sooner or later, I strongly believe you will see Vick back on the field, whether it’s as a backup, wideout, halfback, or quarterback. No matter how many people might continue to doubt this claim, I’ll stand by it time and time again–Michael Vick will return to the NFL and he will once again play at the intense and talented level he displayed as an Atlanta Falcon.

As we delve further and further into the Madden 09 offseason, EA Sports continues to leak out exciting new information to keep gamers excited about the upcoming release of Madden 10. With that said, I was pumped to see EA unveil the team ratings at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) but there was one team’s rating that had me flabbergasted-the Denver Broncos.

Looking through the ratings, it’s very obvious early on that EA has completely revamped their team rating’s system. Instead of having 11 teams rated in the 90s at this point last year, there are now only two-the New England Patriots (93) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (92). Simply put, both of these teams have heralded the word “dynasty” in discussions about them in recent years and are very deserving of their high ratings.

Further glancing at the list, other notable teams and their ranks would be last year’s 8-8 San Diego Chargers (88), the 9-7 Dallas Cowboys (85), the 8-8 Washington Redskins (79), the 4-12 Seattle Seahawks (77) and the Detroit Lions (65).

Yet, the biggest glaring teams and their ratings for me would have to be last year’s 5-11 Oakland Raiders (71) and the Broncos (70). Even after keeping the Jay Cutler trade made earlier this offseason in mind, I am completely puzzled and baffled as to why the Broncos are rated so low. Adding more salt to my wounds, it’s nearly impossible for me to fathom that EA rated them worse than the lowly, insignificant Raiders. If I remember right, EA is touting that this version of Madden will be the “most realistic football game ever,” but how can that be if they are trying to pass off ridiculous team ratings like this?

In the end, I respect the amount of talent and speed the Raiders have, but only on Madden. In real life, the only two players that are even worth a damn for them are RB Darren McFadden and CB Nnamdi Asomugha. On the other hand, the Broncos are full of weapons, such as WR Brandon Marshall, WR Eddie Royal, CB Champ Bailey and MLB DJ Williams. That’s not even including the six or so solid RBs they have stowed away.

But, enough with the whining. I’m sure EA had a method to their madness and it will all work out in the end. Hopefully, at some point in the season, the Broncos will perform at a high level and they will be rewarded with a higher rating during a seasonal update. If they end up stinking up the place, then I will concede that their rating will have been deserved.

All I know is that Madden gamers everywhere better be ready to lose to me when I use the best 70-rated team in the game!

Team Ratings:
1st Patriots 93
2nd Steelers 92
3rd Giants 89
4th Chargers 88
5th Eagles 88
6th Titans 87
7th Colts 87
8th Cardinals 86
9th Cowboys 85
10th Panthers 83
11th Ravens 82
12th Falcons 81
13th Vikings 80
14th Bears 79
15th Redskins 79
16th Jets 78
17th Packers 78
18th Dolphins 77
19th Seahawks 77
20th Bills 76
21st Texans 75
22nd Saints 74
23rd Buccaneers 74
24th 49ers 73
25th Jaguars 71
26th Raiders 71
27th Broncos 70
28th Chiefs 69
29th Browns 68
30th Bengals 67
31st Rams 66
32nd Lions 65

We have all played witness to the rollercoaster career of wide receiver Terrell Owens, as he has gone from an unknown face as a 49er, to a celebrity in Philly, to the toast of the town in Dallas–and now as a Buffalo Bill. The Bills signed T.O. to a one,year $6.5 million contract. With the signing, it leads many critics to wonder if Owens will become the all-too-familiar superstar that he was in recent years, or yet again prove to be another disgruntled nightmare for his newest quarterback, Trent Edwards?

For me, this is a difficult question to answer considering that the Bills already have another No. 1 wide receiver who will line up on the opposite side of the field in Lee Evans, who racked up 63 receptions and 1,017 yards last season. I know T.O. said he came to Buffalo just to help the team win ball games, but that sounds oddly familiar. We heard that from him back in Dallas, and I’m pretty sure none of us have already forgotten how badly that saga ended. When they were winning games, Owens had a big smile, but when they lost, it was certain that he would be blasting off to the media about something. With that being said, the Bills finished last season with a 7-9 record, last in the AFC East.

Like all athletes, T.O. isn’t a big fan of losing. We can assume he will give his all for the first few weeks, but if and when the Bills start losing, I wonder what will happen then? With him being in one the hardest divisions in the NFL, it will be essential for him to keep playing hard week in and week out, or this could be Owen’s first–and last–year as a Bill.

With the highly anticipated Aug. 14 release date getting closer by the day, it’s causing many fans of the storied franchise to ponder exactly what Madden 10 will be like. To be honest, I don’t have the slightest clue. Take it as gossip or rumor if you please, but I can tell you that I heard from someone who attended E3 that there will be no more rocket catching in the upcoming version of the game. Also, he said that pure user catching has been improved and that the passing style will be tuned more towards how Madden has played on the ps2.

For self-proclaimed, offensive geniuses like myself, Madden has always been seen as a venue used to display a tight gameplan and a professional looking passing game similar to what you would see on any given Sunday. As most of us have already noticed, passing in Madden 09 was fairly easy, not including such faulty animations as the dreaded bionic swat and the defensive backs magically swatting passes down that they somehow saw with the two eyes on the back of their head. From what I’ve hear though, passing in madden 10 will be revamped and more realistic. Sticking with the information I have heard from a source, the new physics engine won’t allow the dreaded rocket catch that plagued this year’s game. Putting it as simple as possible, it’s most likely that Madden gamers will no longer be able to rely on stopping their wide receiver on a dime, turning him around and holding the catch button, only to have the ball go directly into his hands, no matter how many people were covering him. .

User catching is something that has always been used by big-time Madden players to judge skill level. Simply put, it’s looking like Madden 10 will require more than just user catching. Recognizing coverages and timing will also be key to success in the passing game. For the first time in years, maybe ever, You will actually need a real gameplan and precise execution to become an elite player in Madden 10.

Chad Johnson, once the face of the Cincinnati Bengals, is now percieved as somewhat of a bother. He’s made it public that he does not want to be a Bengal any more, and it’s quite apparent that he wants very little to do the with organization. Will Chad come back in 2009 and be the “old” Chad again, or will he again be known as just a big mouth distraction?  He has stated that not only will he be back this season, but he will be back to a top notch wideout for the Bengals. In an interview with NFL Network when asked about mini camp, he said “Of course, why not go and show off the product?”  When asked if he would be present at the team’s upcoming minicamp he continued, “Why not leave my coaches’ mouths wide open? I’m sure all the people in Cincinnati think I’m really not doing that much, but you’ll see the results with the work I’m putting in right now.”

With that being said, Chad is apparently looking to have a breakout 2009 season and become the go to guy once again. Looking at some of Chad’s 2008 stats, he only had 53 receptions and 540 yards. Those stats are career lows since his rookie season.  Many sports analysts say that he’s playing for all the wrong reasons and he doesn’t have that same drive and hunger he once had.  Chad like usual doesn’t care what the analysts have to say, claiming that “He will be hungrier than ever.”

In my personal opinion, I believe that Chad now thinks that he has something to prove; To the Bengals, the fans, the NFL, and most importantly himself.  He’ll be that game changer that has to be accounted for. But, with 2 years left on his contract the question remains, does he still want to be a Cincinnati Bengal?

Madden 10 Online Franchise Mode

Madden 09 came out with the revolutionary idea of online leagues.  However, with so many problems in it and lack of basic features, like multi-player trades, it quickly became irrelevant.  I truly believe that they should have improved the leagues and single season online modes before they tried to jump into online franchises.  Nevertheless, part of me is excited because franchise mode has always been my favorite part of the game.  It just became too easy playing against the computer for 16 games and making whatever trades you wanted to simply because you could.  Now you will be able to take it to the next level and play your friends online.

Pretty much every true NFL fan thinks that if they were the general manager of their favorite team, they would be winning the Superbowl every year.  The online franchise mode allows you to have the power to build and maintain your team.  You can build your team the way you want to via  trades, free agent signings, the draft, and lots of other new features.