Madden Rating Projection: Benny Cunningham
What should the Madden rating for Chicago Bears running back Benny Cunningham be?
Team ratings and other rumors are starting to be released around the new Madden 19 video game set to release this summer. It got us to thinking what the ratings of the 2018 Chicago Bears should be. This series will look at how what the players should be and projects what they will be rated in the new game. Today, we look at Benny Cunningham.
2017 Review
Benny Cunningham finished the year rated a 75 in Madden. With just 29 rushing yards, and 240 receiving yards, it could be argued that he should be rated lower. However, he did get on the field as a reliable pass catcher, and a reliable pass blocker.
It got him on the field for third down snaps, and he finished the year playing 175 snaps on offense.
2018 Projections
Mike Clay of ESPN.com has Benny Cunningham slated for similar rushing stats with almost all of the receiving yardage being given to Tarik Cohen. The fact of the matter is that Cohen is not a bad pass blocker for his size. He can step in for the majority of the Cunningham snaps, and this season may be one in which Cunningham is teaching from the sideline much more than playing.
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Player Comparables
Still, if a player were to go down, would you want Cunningham to be that third back on your Madden team? His stats last season would be similar if Cohen were not in-line to break out this season.
When comparing his 2017 stats to others, it is tough to find a strong comparison. Danny Woodhead in eight games had similar numbers to Cunningham. He is rated 81 in the last edition.
From there, the best comparison found would be Charcandrick West. West had 72 rushing yards and 150 receiving yards. However, he did play 250 snaps, about 75 more than Cunningham.
That is because West is regarded as a strong pass protector. He was better than Kareem Hunt last season, and is one of the better backs in this regard.
West was rated a 78 last season.
Madden Projection: 77
Given that Howard is a better pass protector than Hunt, it is unfair to say the West should be deemed much better than Cunningham in the area due to snap counts.
Cunningham may not be quite at the level of West, but he certainly understands his assignments as a pass blocker and should be looked at as above average in this area.
Cunningham may come in underrated at 75, where he finished last season. His decline is statistics and potentially playing time could see him fall even lower. However, if called upon, it would not take long to shoot him up to a 77, which a more realistic rating of what you would get out of Benny Cunningham.