Phil Dawson Madden Career 2000-2019 - Peak 91 OVR
Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2019 rating

Phil Dawson Madden Career 2000-2019 - Peak 91 OVR

Position
K
Team
Browns
Height
5'11"
Weight
200
College
Texas
DOB
Jan 23, 1975
Madden
1999-2018
78OVR
2018 Current
91OVR
Peak 2008
18
Seasons Played

Cleveland's wind-tamer and the kick that changed a rule

Dawson went undrafted out of Texas in 1998 and, after brief looks in Oakland and New England, settled into the hardest kicking job in football: Cleveland's lakefront, where the wind swirls off Lake Erie and swallows field goals. He stayed 14 years and made the swirl look manageable.

His most famous kick did not even count at first. Against Baltimore in 2007, a 51-yarder banged off the left upright, caromed off the support behind the crossbar and bounced back onto the field. Officials initially waved it no good before ruling it through, and the league later adopted the 'Phil Dawson Rule' allowing such kicks to be reviewed. He kept kicking into his 40s, made his only Pro Bowl in 2012, then extended his career with San Francisco and Arizona.

He retired after the 2018 season with 441 field goals on 526 tries, 1,847 points and 305 games across 21 years. Madden rewarded the reliability with a slow, steady climb: an 87 in the 2005 edition, a first 91 in the 2008 game, and another 91 in the 2015 edition as he neared 40, the number rarely dipping despite his age.

Phil Dawson Madden Career Milestones

  • Peak rating: 91 OVR in Madden NFL 2009 (age 33)
  • Appeared in 18 Madden releases (Madden NFL 2000 through Madden NFL 2019)
  • Entered at 46 OVR in Madden NFL 2000, climbed 45 points to his peak
  • Biggest single-year rise: 37 points into Madden NFL 2003
  • Played for 3 franchises: Browns, 49ers, Cardinals
  • Listed as a special-teams player in every Madden release
  • Final Madden appearance: Madden NFL 2019 at 78 OVR

Phil Dawson Madden Career Ratings

Madden Team Pos OVR Speed ACC AGI STR JMP STA INJ TGH AWR PRC THP TAC TAS TAM TAD PAC TOR CAR TRK BCV SFA SPM JKM CTH SPC CIT SRR MRR DRR RLS RBK PBK IBL TAK POW PUR MCV ZCV PRS KPW KAC KRN
2000
1999 NFL season
 Browns K 46* 34 34 38 34 - - 76 - 55 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75 69 -
2003
2002 NFL season
 Browns K 83 26 15 31 15 37 73 85 44 - - 26 - - - - - - 21 - - - - - 19 - - - - - - 23 22 - 20 - - - - - 87 90 -
2004
2003 NFL season
 Browns K 83 26 15 31 15 37 83 85 44 82 - 26 - 21 21 21 - - 21 - - - - - 19 - - - - - - 23 22 - 20 - - - - - 86 90 0
2005
2004 NFL season
 Browns K 81 41 46 48 15 37 83 85 44 80 - 26 - - - - - - 21 - - - - - 19 - - - - - - 23 22 - 20 - - - - - 86 89 -
2006
2005 NFL season
 Browns K 87 41 46 48 15 37 83 85 - 85 - 26 - 21 21 21 - - 21 - - - - - 19 - - - - - - 23 22 - 20 - - - - - 87 91 0
2007
2006 NFL season
 Browns K 88 55 60 52 15 37 83 85 44 85 27 26 - 21 21 21 - - 21 20 10 10 10 10 19 - - - - - - 23 22 23 20 - 22 29 15 - 87 92 0
2008
2007 NFL season
 Browns K 88 55 60 52 15 37 83 85 - 85 27 26 - 21 21 21 - - 21 10 10 10 10 10 19 10 10 10 10 10 10 23 22 23 20 10 22 29 15 10 87 92 0
2009
2008 NFL season
 Browns K 91 55 60 52 20 37 83 80 60 85 27 26 - 21 21 21 - - 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 10 10 10 10 10 10 23 22 23 20 10 22 29 15 10 91 94 10
2010
2009 NFL season
 Browns K 80 55 60 52 20 37 83 80 60 - - 26 - - - - - - 40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 86 90 10
2011
2010 NFL season
 Browns K 82 55 60 52 20 37 83 80 60 91 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 86 91 10
2012
2011 NFL season
 Browns K 87 55 60 52 20 - 83 80 60 87 - 26 21 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 92 89 -
2013
2012 NFL season
 Browns K 88 55 60 52 20 37 83 80 60 89 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 92 88 10
2014
2013 NFL season
 49ers K 89 55 - 52 20 37 83 80 60 93 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 87 90 10
2015
2014 NFL season
 49ers K 90 55 60 52 20 37 83 85 60 94 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 93 87 10
2016
2015 NFL season
 49ers K 91 55 60 52 20 37 83 85 60 93 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 92 89 10
2017
2016 NFL season
 49ers K 80 55 60 52 20 37 83 85 60 65 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 92 89 10
2018
2017 NFL season
 Cardinals K 80 55 60 52 20 37 83 85 60 65 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 10 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 92 89 10
2019
2018 NFL season
 Cardinals K 78 55 60 52 20 37 83 85 60 64 27 26 - 35 30 25 20 20 40 10 10 10 10 10 19 12 10 10 - 10 12 23 22 23 20 12 22 10 15 10 92 82 10
How to read these: Each row is the player’s rating in that year’s Madden, listed by the NFL season it covers (Madden NFL 2001 = the 2000 season). Madden sets its ratings before the season is played, so they reflect the previous season’s performance - a player’s breakout year tends to show up as a jump in the following year’s game.
Note: Some Madden releases tracked fewer attributes than others. Cells shown as - were not published by EA that year.

Era Special Teams who played alongside Phil Dawson

Adam Vinatieri Madden ratings
Adam Vinatieri
Madden NFL 1997-2020 - Colts
99
 Shane Lechler Madden ratings
Shane Lechler
Madden NFL 2001-2019 - Texans
99
 David Akers Madden ratings
David Akers
Madden NFL 2001-2014 - Lions
99
 Mike Vanderjagt Madden ratings
Mike Vanderjagt
Madden NFL 2000-2007 - Cowboys
99
 Brian Moorman Madden ratings
Brian Moorman
Madden NFL 2003-2015 - Bills
98
 Matt Stover Madden ratings
Matt Stover
Madden NFL 1992-2010 - Colts
98
 Todd Sauerbrun Madden ratings
Todd Sauerbrun
Madden NFL 1996-2009
98
 Sebastian Janikowski Madden ratings
Sebastian Janikowski
Madden NFL 2001-2019 - Seahawks
97
NFL career stats: View Phil Dawson's NFL stats & grades →

Phil Dawson Madden Ratings by Year

Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2000 rating: 46 OVR (1999 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2003 rating: 83 OVR (2002 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2004 rating: 83 OVR (2003 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2005 rating: 81 OVR (2004 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2006 rating: 87 OVR (2005 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2007 rating: 88 OVR (2006 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2008 rating: 88 OVR (2007 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2009 rating: 91 OVR (2008 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2010 rating: 80 OVR (2009 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2011 rating: 82 OVR (2010 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2012 rating: 87 OVR (2011 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2013 rating: 88 OVR (2012 NFL season, CLE). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2014 rating: 89 OVR (2013 NFL season, SF). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2015 rating: 90 OVR (2014 NFL season, SF). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2016 rating: 91 OVR (2015 NFL season, SF). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2017 rating: 80 OVR (2016 NFL season, SF). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2018 rating: 80 OVR (2017 NFL season, ARI). Phil Dawson Madden NFL 2019 rating: 78 OVR (2018 NFL season, ARI).