Division: NFC East 2003 Record: 4-12 2003 Offensive Stats: 308.4 yards gained per game (20th overall) 2003 Defensive Stats: 332.5 yards allowed per game (22nd overall)
Key Players:
The New York Giants enter 2004 with a controversy at quarterback. The Giants sent Kerry Collins packing (he ended up at the Oakland Raiders) but acquired two capable signal callers. Ex-Ram and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner and first-round draft pick Eli Manning (brother of all-pro Colts quarterback Peyton Manning).
Their Madden 2005 ratings are quite close. Warner has a slight edge in throw power, accuracy, and awareness (Eli is a rookie after all) but Manning is more mobile and durable (Warner is the injury rating equivalent of a toothpick). The Giants do possess some weapons on offense. Tiki is fast, agile, and one of the top pass catching running backs available. Toomer is a solid receiver and Shockey is one of the game's premiere tight ends.
Division: AFC East 2003 Record: 6-10 2003 Offensive Stats: 308.9 yards gained per game (19th overall) 2003 Defensive Stats: 332.4 yards allowed per game (21st overall)
The Jets had high hopes in 2003 but lost starting quarterback Chad Pennington to a broken wrist during the preseason. He didn't make it back until late in the year when the Jets season was already essentially over. Pennington is highly accurate but lacks the arm strength to consistently hit the deep ball. If you do test a defense deep, Santana Moss is your primary target; he's one of the fastest wide receivers available in the game.
The veteran Curtis Martin has lost a step or two but still retains respectable stats (just nothing explosive). He's a dependable ball carrier that should pick up consistent yardage. Just don't expect Holmes-like breakaway runs. Kevin Mawae at center provides excellent blocking. Use dives and blast plays to get Martin through the line.
Division: AFC West 2003 Record: 4-12 2003 Offensive Stats: 285.8 yards gained per game (25th overall) 2003 Defensive Stats: 369.0 yards allowed per game (30th overall)
The Oakland Raiders suffered through one of the worst seasons for a team that was just one year removed from going to the Super Bowl. It was as if their lopsided defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Bucs lingered well into the next season. To compound matters, the Raiders opened the season without wide receiver Jerry Porter and quarterback Rich Gannon also missed most of the season with a shoulder injury.
Jerry Rice, the best receiver of all-time, lacks speed at 41 years old but he's a dependable target and rated the highest awareness possible in the game. Porter is a good secondary receiver. Both are similarly rated; neither will pose much of a deep threat. The Raiders' running back situation is cluttered--several average backs and no real standouts. Use Wheatley to punch through the line.
