Tom Brady landed the cover of Madden NFL 18 and the game's highest rating. (EA Sports)

Troy L. Smith, Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – One of the fun things about the release of the Madden franchise is comparing it to real life aspects of the NFL.

The creators of the game work hard in establishing ratings for elite players. But that doesn’t mean we always agree with them.

Madden NFL 18, which arrives Aug. 25, might have been a bit too generous to certain players, including its cover boy.

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1. Tom Brady

Position: Quarterback

Rating: 99

Brady may be the best quarterback of all time. He can make all the throws. But in terms of his physical attributes, there’s no way he’s a 99 on Madden. It’s also hard to understand how he was rated higher than Aaron Rodgers, who scored a 98.

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2. C.J. Anderson

Position: Running Back

Rating: 85

Anderson has the potential to get a lot of handoffs in Denver. But he has yet to truly show anything spectacular. Giving him the same rating as Jordan Howard, Todd Gurley or Tevin Coleman seems a bit insane.

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3. John Brown

Position: Wide Receiver

Rating: 84

Really? Brown is a fast receiver who is a very good deep threat on Madden. But he’s not as well-rounded as players with lower ratings such as Jeremy Maclin or Marvin Jones.

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4. Eddie Lacy

Position: Running Back

Rating: 82

Lacy has potential. But he’s currently being subjected to weigh-ins with the Seattle Seahawks. He has a chance to be a huge bust. Having him ahead of Isaiah Crowell or Jeremy Hill is just wrong.

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5. Kirk Cousins

Position: Quarterback

Rating: 85

Cousins somehow landed at the 12-spot at quarterback on this year’s Madden, ahead of Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill. That seems like a bit of a stretch.

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6. Jason Pierre-Paul

Position: Defensive End

Rating: 88

Pierre-Paul is still a threat to get to the quarterback. But at an 88, he’s rated too high with some elite players who haven’t lost a step.

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7. Keenan Allen

Position: Wide Receiver

Rating: 89

Allen has been pretty good when he’s healthy. But his 89 rating puts on the cusp of being elite on Madden. That’s simply not reality.

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8. Mark Ingram

Position: Running Back

Rating: 84

An 84 isn’t exactly a mind-blowing rating. But some people just can’t seem to shake the Mark Ingram fascination. He’s been steady for the Saints. But he’s not really all that much fun on Madden.

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9. Allen Robinson

Position: Wide Receiver

Rating: 87

Two or three seasons ago, I’d be on board with this rating for Robinson. But he’s coming off a tough season. He probably should have dropped lower than studs like Amari Cooper and Demaryius Thomas.

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10. Chris Harris Jr.

Position: Cornerback

Rating: 94

Harris is great. But Madden has him as one of the best defensive players on the game and makes the Broncos a juggernaut on that side of the ball.

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11. Aqib Talib

Position: Cornerback

Rating: 94

Are the Broncos two shutdown corners the top in the NFL? That’s up to you. But Madden seems to think so.

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12. O.J. Howard

Position: Tight End

Rating: 82

An 82 is a high rating for a rookie tight end who hasn’t caught a pass in an regular season game yet.

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13. Matt Ryan

Position: Quarterback

Rating: 96

Ryan just had an MVP season. So no one’s arguing he should be in the top-five at quarterback. But a 96 feels a tad high, especially with Drew Brees sporting a 92. Is there really a four point gap between those two?