Everyone is anxious for M18 and the energy and excitement is great.  That said, we don't want to lose that energy with a good 6-8 weeks before we even think of playing so we will do a reveal one team a day 6 days a week until we're complete. 

Yes, for some of you it will be torture but just think of the anticipation as you see divisions and conferences taking shape, old rivalries continued and new rivalries blossoming. Nutt will want to start trading immediately but don't be tempted, who knows what ratings will be, what new rules will be put in place or even how we will start the season. 

Patience is a virtue.

So without further ado, the first team assignment for M18...

Buffalo Bills:  SyrcsePride
AFC East:  BUF – Pride, MIA - ?, NE - ?, NYJ - ?
Is there really any surprise here?  Pride is dedicated to the Bills, everyone knows that to the point that Buffalo wasn’t even mentioned by anyone else as a desired team.  Let’s be honest though, nobody but a Bills diehard would want this team.  The roster is thin, the weather is terrible, and they’re in the same division as the Patriots, ewwwww.   

Roster Notes:   Sammy Watkins was pretty successful in M17.  Can he maintain that success?  Who will emerge as the #2?  Someone must or Sammy will get all the attention.  In fact, depth seems to be a general issue in Buffalo.  Injuries to key players could be devastating.  So it makes sense Buffalo drafted Tre-Davious White to add depth at DB and hopefully take some of that pressure off Darby.  But the biggest question of all has to be at QB.  Is Tyrod Taylor the answer?  We will see.

Play Style Profile: Pride's playbook was printed in 1962.  He is a conservative Xs and Os playcaller.  Smashmouth run game and Alex Smith passing game. He relies on his defense to lead his team to victory.  Want to drive him crazy?  Make his FB look like an idiot on a blocking attempt. 

M18 Projection: So how will M18 treat Pride in Buffalo?  Well, can’t say too much as we don’t want any spoilers.  BUT, he enjoyed some very consistent success in the AFC East making the playoffs every season and proving to be a formidable opponent.  As a group, we thought he might appreciate a little more competition and he will get it.  Let’s just say, it’s highly unlikely he runs the table on playoff appearances again.

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498256711)

A few statistics from the responses:

MOST REQUESTED #1 TEAM:
CLE, DAL, LAR, KC, MIA, NE, PIT each received 2 requests.

MOST REQUESTED TEAM IN ANY FORM:
OAK received 9 requests.
KC received 7.
DAL, JAX, and TEN each received 6.

TOP OWNERS IN YOUR DIV:
Predictably, the two groups picked each other. 
Outside of those cliques, ace and Pack were the overwhelming favorites. 

TOP OWNERS OUT OF YOUR DIV:
No reason to call anyone out here but the top 3 reasons provided were lag, skill gap, and play style.  There were several comments I generalized as "beef" that did not fit into those other 3 categories and quite honestly there were no surprises on who has beef with someone else.

TEAM SELECTION METHOD PREFERRED:
40% of league preferred balanced divisions as top priority.
27% preferred a specific team.
22% preferred a division with friends.
10% preferred to do what was best for league.
1% preferred to be too lazy to answer this question.

RULES, SUGGESTIONS, ETC.
I was very impressed with the effort put in to this portion.  Obviously, the league wants rules to improve and took the time to submit their suggestions.  These will be reviewed in July some time and I am confident some new and improved rules will be put in place AND enforced.

Philadelphia Eagles:  ace
NFC East:  DAL - ?, NYG - ?, PHI - ace, WAS - ?

Boom!  Now that’s a surprise.  I’m sure nobody saw that coming.  Oakland was a popular destination as noted in the stats above so I decided to pack my bags and get out of town, like the real life Raiders actually.  Ultimately, I would have been happy almost anywhere but I’m very happy to settle in Philly.   

Roster Notes: Offense won’t be an issue here, Philly is stacked with a young, high upside QB in Wentz, deep receiver corps at wideout and tight end, and plenty of options in the backfield.  Fletcher Cox and rookie DE Derek Barnett will be anchors on the defensive line but we start to see giant holes when we look at the DBs.  Philly drafted several but will any of them pan out?  Maybe long snapper Jon Dorenbos can help me with a magic trick and make a couple DBs appear out of thin air.

Play Style Profile:   (courtesy of Tosh) ace is determined not to give up on the run game but excels throwing, especially to big time receivers. His never give in attitude can cause some games to look lopsided on the bad side but that mentality will prevail in the end and he proved it with playoff wins vs Tosh and Luigi.  His defense is always looking to pressure the opponent’s QB.

M18 Projection: The initial return to Madden was rough for me and it took me longer than expected to knock the rust off but the last couple seasons saw turnover numbers on offense trend down and ability to move the chains trend up.  That was a gamechanger.  The playoff wins mentioned by Tosh were confidence builders and hopefully that carries over as improved ability in M18.  I’m going to need it…

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498332768)

Cincinnati Bengals:  Knugs
AFC North:  BAL - ?, CIN - Knugs, CLE - ?, PIT - ?

Back to the AFC.  The speculation for this division has been some of the most interesting.  Not sure if this revelation helps or hurts that.  We certainly didn’t want to toss you guys a softball with Cleveland or Pittsburgh, those conversations are too interesting to kill off just yet.  Carry on boys…

Roster Notes: As with Philly, offense won’t be an issue for Knugs in Cinci.  A killer combo of Green and speedy John Ross will give the North fits.  While most were struggling with the running game, Knugs was making it look easy with Gurley.  Will Bernard or Hill fill that role or might it be the kid Mixon?  Is there a QB controversy?  Dalton or McCarron?  Something odd I noted about the roster; there are very few middle-aged players in the Madden sense of age.  A bunch of youngsters and a bunch of old-timers, what effect will that have on team development?

Play Style Profile: (courtesy of Bundy) Knugs was one of three players in M17 to make it to multiple Super Bowls AND to win a Super Bowl. As with most of DWHO, Knugs played mostly zone, and did not rely heavily on the blitz.  He instead relied on the extremely talented front 4 of STL, especially the best DT in Madden, Donald. On offense, DK can beat you with the run game and then switch it up with the pass next.   He is proof that you don't have to use every trade you have.  GM skills means acquiring key pieces for championship runs and Jarvis Landry was an excellent example.

M18 Projection: Knugs will again be a deep playoff contender BUT he will have stiff competition and will not repeat the prolific success he enjoyed in M17. 
ovfd’s bold prediction:  Knugs makes at least one Super Bowl. 
John Ross will get a lot of attention but he will simply be a decoy and Gio Bernard will be the MVP in Cinci.  Geno Atkins will be a poor man’s Aaron Donald but age will render him ineffective quickly. 

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498503165)

Minnesota Vikings:  noexult
NFC North:  CHI - ?, DET - ?, GB - ?, MIN - noexult

It’s only fitting for the guy that lives in Norway to be the Vikings right?  Considering his heritage, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that noexult is in fact a Vikings fan so he will be anchoring the NFC North for M18.  The predictions for the remainder of the div have been all over the map so it will be interesting to monitor the predictions.  What do you guys think?

Roster Notes: Minnesota completely overhauled their roster this offseason with an excellent draft.  They had traded their first to the Eagles for Bradford but got first round talent in the second by selecting FSU standout HB Dalvin Cook.  The Vikes are obviously scrambling to fill the massive hole AP left as they not only drafted Cook but signed Latavius Murray and Bishop Sankey and still have McKinnon on the roster.  In addition, they drafted some talent on both the OL and DL to bolster the trenches.  Big question:  can Michael Floyd limit his kombucha consumption to stay on the field?  Bigger question:  Bradford or Bridgewater?

Play Style Profile: noexult has the best FG defense in the league by far.  Kidding aside, it’s no secret that the US to Norway connection presents lag issues for most and this caused problems for most opponents in M17.  It’s really hard to talk about anything else when you mention noexult, I tried.  Hopefully that improves.

M18 Projection: The consensus is that noexult will struggle a bit in this division but will make the playoffs at least once in M18.  I predict the Vikings have a very tough time in season 1 and search for a franchise QB with their top 10 pick to take the pressure off the run game that should be good with Cook in the running for OROY.

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498588995)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  KotB
NFC South:  ATL - ?, CAR - ?, NO - ?, TB - KotB

You guys were picking up on my pattern so I had to switch it up and stay in the NFC.  KotB made it clear from the start that he was looking for a change of scenery and Tampa, Florida was his #1 desired destination.  I’ve never seen a picture of him but I have a feeling he would fit right in dressed as a pirate.  Anybody have a puffy shirt for him to try on? 

Roster Notes: The entire NFC South is stacked with talent including the Bucs.  Famous Jameis is the face of the franchise and still very young.  Bucs fan sites are chattering about Mike Evans being the best WR in the league next season but that seems far-fetched. Does DJax have any gas left in the tank?  If so, he and rookie TE out of Alabama OJ Howard may be able to attract some attention away from Evans.  On defense, TB drafted a big hitter in safety Justin Evans that appears to be just as comfortable playing near the LOS as he does in deep pass coverage.  In fact, there are playmakers all over this defensive roster from Hargreaves to McCoy to Kwon Alexander.  No excuses on defense.

Play Style Profile: (courtesy of Bundy) KotB is an analytical GM, especially about his acquisitions as evidenced by his obtaining both Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans.  He thinks of himself as a “sim god” but really he just refuses to take advantage of Madden AI exploits.  He would prefer to lose a game than win in that fashion.  He digs deep into his playbooks and plays a balanced attack on both offense and defense.  He has a certain coaching ability to surprise you with a perfectly timed play call that makes you say "Wow, I've never seen that play before."  Finally, if you’re having trouble scheduling with KotB, you’re not trying hard enough. 

M18 Projection: As I work through this exercise in analyzing each team and each division, it is very obvious that DWHO has stiff competition across board.  The skill in this league is excellent. The NFC South is no different, and this division really is up for grabs.  Any of the 4 including KotB can win it.  That said, the Bucs opening season schedule is brutal, excessively brutal.  But if KotB is anything, he is confident and is always happy to remind everyone about some long-forgotten M16 game where he beat Luigi in the playoffs.  I’m sure if you ask, he will tell you about it.

Houston Texans:  NWStudly65
AFC South:  HOU - NWS, IND - ?, JAX - ?, TEN - ?

Mixing it up!  Two reveals in one day… ooooooohhhhhh!  Nobody should be surprised by NWS in Houston and here’s another player going to their #1 team choice.  How the division fills out will be the interesting part of the AFC South.  By all statistics, this division had the most mentions in the team selection poll. 

Roster Notes: We can talk about Watt and Clowney, or we could talk about Hopkins but the real story here is the rookie class.  Houston added a whopping 20 rookies to the roster this offseason.  Obviously, the big name is Deshaun Watson and H-town finally believes they have their franchise QB.  But it was also clear Texans management was searching for a slot receiver by adding Deante Gray, Justin Hardee, Shaq Hill, and Riley McCarron, all of which are smaller guys and ran 4.4 40s.  Will NWS find any of these useful?  On defense, keep an eye on LB Dylan Cole.  He was snubbed from senior games and the combine but posted 4.5 40 times, 32 reps, and a 39” vertical.  He could be a future monster in DWHO.

Play Style Profile: Had we wrote this profile 6 months ago, it would have been “NWS runs 3-4 regardless of the offensive formation” but he eventually adapted and started mixing in some additional DBs which actually improved his game.  Without a doubt, NWS takes full advantage of the talents of the Watt-Clowney combo.  His run D is always stout and there is no reason to expect a change.  Watch out for that nail-in-the-coffin FG to kill the game when he’s up by 21.

M18 Projection: NWS had some moderate success in M17 and I think we can expect similar results in M18.  He will probably win the division once or twice but the X factor here is really his thumbs.  NWS has been a lock for 40 to 50 picks per season.  His success is directly tied to his turnover ratio.  I predict Watson leads the league in picks the first season. 

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498683533)

Kansas City Chiefs:  zoufan
AFC West:  DEN - ?, KC - zoufan, LAC - ?, OAK - ?

Has zou ever played with his team?  Not while I’ve been part of this league.  He made it clear this time around he wanted to man his own team and he receives his #1 choice.  Seems like this fits into most predictions you guys have been posting so I doubt there’s any surprise here unless you believed the most recent chatter which had King going to KC.  Interestingly, KC was a popular choice in responses from the league.

Roster Notes: Reviewing the draft, Mahomes has to be one of the most desired rookies in Madden with that big arm.  There is no doubt that he will start from day 1.  Anybody need Alex Smith?  He’s on zou’s trade block.  BUT, who will Mahomes throw the ball to?  Maclin was run out of town.  Kelce is an outstanding option at TE and Hill is a playmaker but neither are #1 targets.  This will be a hole until addressed.  zou will also need to quickly address the LB corps as they all seem to be at the end of their Madden careers. 

Play Style Profile: zou lives and dies with the passing game.  He will beat you with it but is also susceptible to a heavy passing attack that he has difficulty defending against.  His defensive user skills improved throughout M17 and certainly were a factor in his breakout season. 

M18 Projection: zou was an 8-8 team for most of M17 until he had the breakout season late.  He was always near the top of passing stats but his defense just didn’t seem able to keep up.  The play style and makeup of the AFC West will prove to be a totally different experience than the AFC South of M17.  zou will match up well with this change of play style and continue to contend every season for the top spot in the div.  If the draft board feature proves effective, you can count on zou being less active in trading picks.

Arizona Cardinals:  Widow
NFC West:  ARI - Widow, LAR - ?, SEA - ?, SF - ?

With zou revealed as the Chiefs, Widow has to vacate Kansas City and he heads South to the desert which was #3 on the list.  NE wasn’t going to work out for him for several reasons and after all is revealed, it will be clear that the NFC West was the perfect destination.   

Roster Notes: Arizona’s roster made them the most attractive destination in the West.  David Johnson is arguably the best back in the league, Carson Palmer still has an arm, and Peterson and Mathieu in the secondary change games.  Add to that the 1st round pick of LB Reddick who is being compared to Von Miller and you have a stingy defense.  But it doesn’t stop there, safety Budda Baker was then drafted and will start alongside Mathieu to make that secondary even more versatile.  Interested in a sleeper?  Keep an eye on WR Chad Williams.  The 6’1 pass catcher out of Grambling with 4.4 speed could develop into something special.

Play Style Profile: I believe Widow stuck around way longer than anyone expected him to.  He inherited a stripped team and still had flashes of brilliance, particularly against Tosh.  He is a heavy blitzer relying on one-on-one matchups in the secondary to apply pressure on the opposing QB.  Widow, like NWS, is a pick machine. 

M18 Projection: Fact of the matter is we didn’t see the best Widow has to offer in M17.  From an emaciated Kansas City roster to a hospitalized baby he struggled mightily, but Widow may end up being the Most Improved Player in M18.  He definitely won’t be the top-5-draft-pick-every-season team he was in M17.

Last edited by aceblazer13 (1498844259)