Drinking the Yaterade - Season 74 Predictions
by AST1N | 3 years ago | 0 Comments
Late in November, SGO (Sports Gamers Online) posted an article saying that they had caught wind of EA scrapping any future CFM updates for Madden 22, in which the community became outraged. The CFM community has been promised over and over that we would finally get some love and live updates throughout the year. With this news breaking, EA had to respond to keep the community at ease, saying the following:
We do not like to comment on rumors or speculation; however, we are committed to continuing to improve Franchise as a part of our ongoing Madden NFL 22 live service and beyond. This includes two upcoming Franchise updates that we'll deliver in Madden NFL 22. We will have more details on the updates in the new year.
This reply came early December. Today is the first day of March, and we have had zero updates. They even had the audacity to double down on this comment in a January 14th Title Update notes, saying:
In December, we reiterated our commitment to continuing to improve Franchise as a part of our ongoing Madden NFL 22 live service and beyond. This includes two upcoming Franchise updates that we'll deliver in Madden NFL 22. We will have more detail on those updates in an upcoming Gridiron Notes, thank you!
Coaches are getting fired when they shouldn’t. We can’t get 32 users in the league. Drafts are bugging out for some leagues. But don’t worry, new packs and cards are getting released all the time in MUT. Go get that swag for your Yard player. These are the important things. This is what we really want.
It is frustrating, but we can’t even act surprised anymore. Year after year, the same story exists. Over promise, under-deliver. The new EA way. I heard they are even going to adopt a new slogan for EA Sports.
E. A. Sports. It’sNotInTheGameButWeWillPromiseItWillBeInTheFuture
What a mouthful. Anyway, enough of my rant and displeasure. That’s not what this article is about (unless you make me look dumb on my picks, then the displeasure will be immesurable)! Let’s recap!
Season 73 Predictions
Enough is enough
The Bengals missed the playoffs. The Bengals just lost to the CPU Broncos. Some might say those are alarming. Not me. I say those are motivating. THE BENGALS WILL WIN THE AFC NORTH. Adel had his fun, now it’s back to Moji’s turn. Trading DeAndre Hopkins to a potential Super Bowl threat. That’s good for the league! Sometimes you just need to step back and ask yourself “Is this compensation worth the agony of watching my guy hoist a Super Bowl trophy this season?”
FINALLY. It took 18 full weeks for Moji to bounce back and take the North, but he did it. Now let’s just not talk about how the playoffs went.
The race for world first
By about Week 10ish, we start to get a glimpse of who is pushing for the playoffs and who is just getting their shit pushed in. Half the teams eye wild card spots, the rest start eyeing draft position. The race for the 1 seed will be a new team this year. Sorry Jets and Falcons fans (Is that something to be sorry over?) The Seahawks are going to win the top pick in the draft and get their QB of the future, and they might not even need to blow many games in the process. Here are teams that *should* beat them: SF, ARIx2, LARx2, NE, LV, PHI, BUF, MIA. So that’s 0-12 right there. Of these 7 games, I could see either side pulling it out and might favor most of them (GB, CHI, DET, NYJ, NO). Even if they split, we are looking at 3-14. The QB position is suspect on the team, and the team as a whole is bottom 5 in overall talent. It will be an uphill battle for this roster/team.
Alright, I will be honest. I had no idea they traded away their 1st round pick this year. And man… what a bad decision that was. While they didn’t secure the top pick in the draft, they did, in fact, finish at 3-14. It makes you wonder with all the issues they have had finding a QB if they wish they would have kept Russ instead. They should have used hindsight.
Long live the king
A long, long time ago, there sat a man/boy who decided screw your rules, I am hucking and chucking this rock as much as I can. He is remembered as Gstar, but with our INT regression rules he would now be known as Gnormal. Anyway, he had Matty Ice throw for 6,223 yards in a 16 game season back in Season 53. In a 17 game window, that is 366 yards per game. We currently have 4 players averaging more than that, and others pretty close. It really wouldn’t surprise me to see someone toss 6k yards this year and flirt with the record, especially now that 15 carries a game isn’t going to slow some guys down in games they absolutely should be throwing it late.
Jordan Love finished as the passing leader with 5,432 yards, and Davis Mills would have flirted with 6k if he had played all 17 games (5,410 yards in 15 games, or 360 yards per game.) So close.
The Colts stink
That’s it. Don’t think I don’t remember you burning one of my predictions to the ground in the first season of the cycle. I am here to remind you.
Side note: Does anyone know if Darius Leonard is available for trade?
LOL.
Wild, Wild West
Y’all ever watch “Wild, Wild West” starring All-Pro Actor William Smith? Yeah, me either. But both conference’s Western folk will be having some divisional battles. First, the NFC. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Rams actually pull this out this season, with the Niners taking a wild card spot and the Cardinals sadly watching from home. A big shift from last season. In the AFC, give me the Raiders taking the division, the Chargers to grab a WC, and the Chiefs to barely miss out.
I was close for the NFC side of the Westerners. While Kelly ran away with the division title at 15-2, Tiko had a nice bounce back year, taking a wild card spot, and Spencer regressed back to watching the playoffs from home.
Bobby. I know you are reading this. Figure it out. Stretch it out. Create a track team. Run two routes all game. You have found ways to win in the past with your own identity that you ran with. I don’t feel like you have that this year and your record shows it. And now you made me look dumb believing you were ready. Thanks, A LOT!
Season 73 Offensive Rookie of the Year – QB Jeff Rushing, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It is awfully bold of me to pick a late 4th round player to win this award, but I am feeling dangerous today. We saw how Roc took Cole McDonald and made him usable. Don’t scoff at Rushing’s OVR, it is highly drug down by his AWR rating, which is meaningless.
Robbed. That’s all I can say. Give me the starting QB who threw 4,833 yards and 42 TDs and a 114.2 QB rating AND TOOK HIS TEAM TO THE PLAYOFFS over a guy who was force fed 36 catches for 612 yards and 8 TDs in his last 4 games of the season on a 6-11 team. Voters got this one wrong, sorry… not sorry.
Season 73 Defensive Rookie of the Year – DT MIKE JONES!, Buffalo Bills
How Jones fell to the 2nd round baffles me. He is strong as shit and will throw your OL out of his way. Will the voters give big boys love two years in a row?
Easiest prediction I have done in a while. Mobley had a really good season in LA, but Jones played like he was an NFL All-Pro vet.
Season 73 Offensive Player of the Year – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Do we call this a redemption tour? I heard that with all of the money Miami gave him in his cancelled contract + his new contract with Miami, he has purchased his own private island and has been working out there this offseason. You wouldn’t believe how good the Bahama Mama’s are that his personal caterers provide for guests. 10/10, would go back just for those. Aside from that, he is looking very good and if I was in the AFC, I would be afraid of what he’s developing into.
Initially, I thought I blew this one bad. However, Tua was close to having that kind of year. BUT, Weeks 3-7 killed his season. He threw 13 picks over that stretch, causing him to hover near the 25 INT mark and forced his team into benching him in favor for a punter in Week 17. Even with only 16 games played, he threw for 5,141 yards and 32 TDs, but those 24 INTs was his undoing and likely contributed to both more losses for the team and likely forced Terry to attempt to play safer down the stretch.
Also, Lamar was robbed here too.
Season 73 Defensive Player of the Year – S Justin Reid, Minnesota Vikings
Justin Reid’s last three seasons INT numbers: 3, 10, 12. He currently has 3 INTs in 2 games. I would be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t hit 10+ again this season, especially looking at his schedule.
Reid’s S73 was plagued with injuries, forcing him to only play in 10 games and finish the year with only 6 INTs. I can’t predict injuries, especially with guys with a 99 INJ rating.
Season 73 Most Valuable Player – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
This will be where Lamar will finally get the love he deserves and I finally look dumb in NOT picking him. Will he be deserving of the award? Probably. Did he bribe me to put him here with allowing me to visit his island? No comment.
This was where Lamar was finally supposed to get the love he deserved and I was supposed to look dumb in not picking him.
Season 73 Superbowl Prediction
Cincinnati Bengals 41, Carolina Panthers 31
Yes, I know this is who I picked for Season 72. I think I just jumped the gun by a year.
One day, one of these two teams will get hot in the playoffs. Maybe. Well…it’s already March. Time is running out and that ship is ready to sail.
Overall, not a bad prediction year. Voters get things wrong, interceptions and injuries kill POTY awards, and Lack Magic is now fighting the CPU at the bottom of the division.
SEASON 74
They are who we thought they were, that’s why we took the virtual field!
Stop it. I know it’s week three and they currently have a top 10 offense, and just destroyed the Bills. The Jets are not good. It’s fun to root for the underdog, but don’t go wasting money in Vegas because the Jets have an incredible payout. Here are the hard facts. Not only do they pay their OL over $100M, they still have almost $19M in free cap space. The team just isn’t good… they have a bottom 5 team OVR rating and are still giving up FORTY FIVE points a game and over 500 yards a game. I don’t see it.
4 team race??
Look, I know before the cycle started the NFC East was supposed to be up for any of the 4 guys to win each year, and honestly it’s almost been that way. I don’t think anyone could have predicted how bad of a time Tauph has had with the Eagles. They got Mixon in a trade and I absolutely love the move, and Garland is a freak that Tauph needs to get comfortable with. While still only 1-1 so far, keep in mind they are playing without X-Factor Emmett Wright lining up opposite of DeVonta Smith for the first 6 games. This offense should be hard to defend, and once at full strength there is no room for excuses anymore. It’s make it or break it time.
More Bengay!
Andy and the Titans started out the cycle as a surprise team that was contending for divisional titles. Just like all their older players they have now, they are regressing. They cannot rely on 31 year old Derrick Henry, instead asking 36 year old Russell Wilson and 41 year old Aaron Rodgers, and 33 year old Keenan Allen to help with the work load. Henry’s YPC every year: 6.6, 5.6, 4.9, 4.1. That’s not a trend line you want to see. I think the Titans window to make a push has passed.
Adjust your focus
We typically like to watch a few things: Playoff seeds and who’s going to be drafting early. This season, there is a new focus I will be watching: 3rd in the NFCS. I think both the Falcons and Saints are looking much improved, and while I don’t think they will ever overtake the RamFam, their records aren’t going to tell the full story. The Falcons are 2-0 right now and have shown the ability to throw the ball. If he keeps his INTs in check, he could pull out some surprise wins. The Saints went out and picked up Nathan Peterman and he looks much better in gold than he did in green. Again, INTs will be the downfall for this team, but I like what I am seeing for the most part. It should be a fight for 3rd in the NFCS, with the winner finishing near .500, and I could see either team sneaking a win against the RamFam duo if they aren’t careful.
Season 74 Offensive Rookie of the Year – QB/WR Tory Farmer, LAR
What a fun story. A QB turned WR turned QB is now the starting QB for the Rams. While I really, really would love to see Garland be the winner, I just think the Eagles will rely on their running game more and the Rams are going to throw more. Farmer is very athletic but only has 3 runs in the first two games. I would love to see that number increase and to utilize him to his full potential.
Season 74 Defensive Rookie of the Year – DE Marcus Sweat, WFT
While he’s not the athletic freak of his cousin Montez, he is much stronger and still raw. As he starts to progress, he is only going to become scarier. I think this DROY award voting will actually be very close and not have obvious break out stars like we did last season, so it’s anyone’s award to win if they get hot enough.
Season 74 Offensive Player of the Year – QB Lamar Jackson, BAL
For the love of anything and everything, don’t mess this one up voters. He is going to deserve the award this season. Don’t overlook his running.
Season 74 Defensive Player of the Year – MLB Patrick Queen, BAL
Once again, another DPOY award that I am just shooting in the dark on. Queen? Jamin Davis? Through two games, there isn’t anyone screaming “PICK ME!”. And no, I refuse to pick Maxx Crosby out of spite.
Season 74 MVP – Lamar
Don’t.
Mess.
This.
Up.
Season 74 Super Bowl
Houston Texans 34, San Francisco 49ers 37
When in doubt, take the 1 seeds from the previous season and the team that’s been to 3 of the 4 SBs from the AFC. Sexy picks just make me look bad next month.