FOOTBALL: Osweiler gets middling Madden 17 rating

by Joseph Terry
| August 23, 2016 9:16 PM

The folks at EA Sports aren’t as high on Brock Osweiler as many around his new team may be.

The video game company released the latest version of its popular Madden NFL franchise on Tuesday, setting the former Flathead High School quarterback at a rating of 77, the 28th-ranked quarterback in the game.

Osweiler is beginning his first year with the Houston Texans after four years as a backup and part-time starter with the Denver Broncos. Osweiler started seven games with the Broncos in 2015, going 5-2 in those starts while throwing for 10 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards. He was eventually replaced by a healthy Peyton Manning in the final game of the regular season as the Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50. Osweiler signed a four-year contract worth $37 million guaranteed with the Texans in the offseason to become their starting quarterback.

Madden 17 rated Osweiler with a throwing power of 96, the sixth-highest in the game behind only proven big arms: Green Bay’s Aaron Rogers, Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, Chicago’s Jay Cutler, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco and Carolina’s Cam Newton. His short-throwing accuracy is at 84, middle-throwing accuracy at 81, deep-throwing accuracy at 76 and awareness at 74. Those five factors determine 86 percent of his overall ranking.

His rating is up from a 73 in last year’s Madden 16, then the 39th-best QB in the game.

Osweiler is the third-highest rated player from Montana in the game, including players who played college and high school football in the state. Former University of Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson of the Los Angeles Rams leads the list with a player rating of 80 and Buffalo kicker Dan Carpenter (Helena High) is at 79.

Other former Griz players in the game include Cincinnati cornerback Jimmy Wilson at 72, Buffalo safety Colt Anderson (Butte) at 71, Chicago kick returner/wider receiver Marc Mariani (Havre) at 69, Rams running back Chase Reynolds (Drummond) at 67, Seattle linebacker Brock Coyle (Bozeman) at 66 and Jacksonville linebacker Jordan Tripp (Missoula Big Sky) at 65. Montana State alum Mike Person (Glendive), an offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons, is at 70. Hardin’s Kroy Biermann, recently signed by the Buffalo Bills, does not currently have a rating in the game.