So I just did the NFC and I said how it definitely wasn’t as deep as the AFC but I wouldn’t sleep on the top of the NFC. The AFC will still see the cream rise as it usually does come playoff time. I waited til week 17 was ended cuz I didn’t want to do 11 of these. So here we go. 

 

1 - Browns - contender: playing Hero twice a year makes me want to rip my hair out and eat it. It’s so frustrating because you know what’s coming but he is so efficient with it and gets it done. It’s going to be some inside zone, and some short passes to Schwartz/Chubb. This is no disrespect to Hero but I don’t see him winning a super bowl unless he opens it up and adds some medium Dots to his game. ‘But you said he’s a contender’ well if you don’t knock him off his game he’s going to run it down your throat, get mobile with Baker and hit his dump offs. He doesn’t turn it over and plays solid defense. You gotta man up and stop the run if you’re going to force Hero to do things he doesn’t wanna do. 

 

 

2 - Patriots - Contender: I just don’t see a list like this without Austin being a contender until he shows us he’s out of it. I didn’t play Austin this year but you know what he’s going to do, throw those outside routes and throw the ball 50+ times a game. I don’t think Austin has the defense this year to shut teams down but if it’s a shootout I have very little doubt that Austin doesn’t win those type of games. Austin’s Achilles heel looks to be his lack of skill/speed at wideout. Man press should be your friend and if you can get touchdowns and not have to settle for field goals you can beat Austin but playoff Austin is a whole other animal. 

 

 

3 - Chargers - pretender: Justin can not throw the ball. More often than not the games Justin wins rely on hit stick fumbles and his opponent not being able to stop the run. We don’t even know if Justin will be in the playoffs but I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled out a win if he did make it. Justin is a very matchup dependent user, if he gets someone who can score a ton I don’t think he will fare well. 

 

 

4 - Colts - pretender: Matts in the same convo as another NFC user who didn’t beat any body really worth a damn. The only team he beat this year who will be in the playoffs was the Titans. All of the games he has played against playoff users have ended in at least a two score game as well. I’m really proud of taint for going from a top 5-10 pick normally to a playoff contender, that’s no easy feat but let’s pump the brakes on Matt making any noise in the offs, for now. 

 

 

5 - Bengals - Contender: he does what you want to see from playoff users, win the close games and blow out the users you should blow out. He’s top 10 in every statistical category on DL and he has an EZ mode QB. His defense is crazy with the pressure he gets while seemingly having everyone covered. I played two tight games with hooty and forced brady into some throws that he normally wouldn’t make. I don’t think he’s as great of an offensive user that his stats would suggest, you can confuse him with mixing up coverages and having a solid user. His defense is what will put him over the top. As long as he keeps the turnovers down and plays solid defense he’ll be there at the end of games. 

 

 

6 - Ravens - contender: because of Lamar, Cmass will always be a contender. He’s the cheesiest most instant offense player I have ever seen, used, played against, in this madden or any other madden ever. His abilities make him glide on the field and he’s faster than pretty much every player on the field. Once truzz is activated it’s a (qb) wrap. I think Cmass is a great user but what’s scary is that I think he could be even better if he had a pocket passing QB with some throwing abilities. He gets happy feet in the pocket with Lamar and you can use that against him and make him throw passes that he shouldn’t. You can also get some lucky fumbles if you can get a hit on Lamar before truzz is activated. As long as Cmass doesn’t see hooty he should be in line for his third BL sb appearance

 

 

7 - Titans - pretender: playoffs started week 18 for you and you lost to Ben. Maybe it won’t hurt you for the playoffs depending on how the other games play out. Cloud had a health problem in the middle of the season and maybe that will hurt him but obviously clouds health is priority number one and we all hope he’s doing better. But for the purpose of this article, cloud is very predictable on offense and hasn’t beat anyone worth anything either. If you watch njoku you can  get some nice user picks. Cloud has always been a top notch defensive user and that’s where his bread and butter is, but this game doesn’t reward defensive users. 

 

8 - Raiders - pretender: I’m going to say pretender only because Kumar is so hot and cold you never know what you’re going to get. Are you going to get the guy who runs 9 times a game and throws 19 picks. Or will you get the efficient passing user who plays some solid defense and baits you for some nice lurks. this team isn’t ready for the playoffs yet but I do like what he’s doing and next year, we should see a more consistent user.