The Great Debate: NFC vs. AFC

by ROORshock | 7 years ago | 5 Comments

The Great Debate

Who is the supreme conference? It is one of the debates that gets revisited most often in the SFL chat.  And on the surface, it can be a difficult question to answer definitively.  There are just so many things to consider: owner turnover, past super bowl winners, overall record of playoff teams etc. etc.  And what’s more, each cycle plays completely different from the last.  Madden 17 saw a dominant NFC, where a 13-win season was no lock for the playoffs.  This cycle the script has flipped, so to speak, as the AFC wildcard spots have been far more elusive.  The NFC also has yet to win its first Super Bowl in Madden 18, bolstering the AFC’s argument for SFL’s best conference.  But it only takes one team to win a championship – so what of the other 15? It’s time to settle the debate.  And what better way to settle it than to look at head-to-head conference record.  

 

The AFC North

-Home to arguably the most dominant SFL owner, Brian aka B aka im ur pops (B holds a slight edge over Q in championship rings with 7 to 6).  However, B has not faired all that well in interconference games this cycle.  Yes, a loss to Q is not all that surprising on paper, but he has also dropped games to Green Bay, Minnesota, New Orleans and Los Angeles.  No one would doubt that B’s madden game reigns supreme, he is and always has been one of the toughest owners to win against, but starting out our NFC-AFC debate, he holds a somewhat surprising 5-7 record vs. the NFC thus far.  Throw in the fact that the Jack’s Steelers have one categorical win (a lone victory against Chicago) and the ultimate result is not quite as jarring.

Combined AFC North Record vs. NFC opponents: 22-26

 

The AFC South

-The AFC South has been one of the more diverse divisions record wise, with 2 of the AFC’s top owners and 2 owners who have underperformed thus far.  Now it is worth mentioning that Clint was late to the party, and his predecessor survived 4 rough defeats before jumping ship midgame in week 4 of season 1, but when you consider that Clint has been here for 2 and a half seasons, the sample size seems reasonable enough for relevant analysis.  Chan helps the AFC’s argument with a dominant 10-2 record vs. NFC teams this cycle, but Clint took a while to get going and though he is currently dominating his competition, let us not forget the 58-0 thrashing at the hands of the Eagles last season that saw picks rain.

Combined AFC South Record vs. NFC opponents: 22-26

 

The AFC East

-The biggest takeaway from this division? Deme’s Jets were involved in the only 2 ties this cycle.  No idea what this says about him as an owner, but a pretty weird statistic nonetheless. In all seriousness, the Jets have been one of the league’s top teams thus far.  However, Austin regressed a bit after a championship season 1, while Mr. Bowie, historically one of the AFC’s top owners, has not quite lived up to usual expectations, also showing up in his H2H conference record of 5-7.  

Combined AFC East Record vs NFC opponents: 23-23-2 (so weird)

 

The AFC West

-Ahh the west, home to one of my favorite rivalries, Mr. Carter vs. Lance.  After tanking season 2 and making a blockbuster trade that saw Ezekiel Elliot don a red jersey, AC has finally regained his old form, putting together a very nice season and earning a trip to the playoffs.  Mike has also impressed this season, posting 11 wins and claiming a wildcard spot.  However, lest we forget, this division is also home to the beloved Robb, one of the league’s most polarizing owners.  I have never been able to figure out Robb.  When I first joined in the Madden 16 cycle, he was one of the better owners in the NFC.  He has even made a trip to the big dance when he was piloting the Bengals, however now he has fallen from grace and seems to be eternally tanking.  But his 6-6 interconference record does improve on AC’s 4-8.

Combined AFC West Record vs. NFC opponents: 23-25

 

We’ve now heard from one conference.  So, let’s see where we stand.  Adding up the numbers, the combined record for the AFC versus the NFC this cycle, is 90-100-2.  Not quite what some might expect I imagine.  Now we can already deduce that the NFC has been marginally better record wise, and we can already determine their final interconference record, BUT let’s see how we got here.

 

The NFC North

-What can we say about the NFC North? Well, their divisional race has at least been competitive...in all seriousness, this division has had its struggles, but is a perfect example of why you can never take any team lightly.  Turk has losses to Baltimore and Miami, but wins over Cleveland and New England.  Chicago is the only NFC team to lost to the Steelers, but has wins over the Chargers and Chiefs, both very formidable opponents.  This is why we love the SFL.

Combined NFC North Record vs. AFC opponents: 18-30

 

The NFC South

-Long considered the powerhouse of the NFC, the south greatly helps their argument.  Though that is mostly due to the Atlanta Falcons, led by our commander and chief Quaun.  With a lone loss to the Colts being his only blemish, Q brings a league best 11-1 interconference record to the conversation.  After that, things get interesting.  Steps carries a respectable 8-3-1, but the real surprise is Carolina and New Orleans at 6-6 and 5-7 respectively.  Still, their overall record cannot be understated.

Combined NFC South Record vs. AFC opponents: 30-17-1

 

The NFC East

-RIP Gomes.  It is hard to believe we are only 2 seasons removed from this being considered one of the league’s best divisions.  Bryce turned in his trademark stellar season 1 with a forgettable encore.  The Redskins have gone through multiple owners.  Gabe will give anyone a game, but flies under the radar.  Fortunately, Zach has helped instill some life in this division.  All that said, the results have still been there.  

Combined NFC East Record vs. AFC opponents: 28-19-1

 

The NFC West

-Now that B has taken his talents to the AFC, it paved the way for a new team to take control of the NFC west.  That team? The Seattle Seahawks.  Specifically, their autopilot defense.  The Seahawks AP defense has shown up in interconference play this cycle as well, posting an 8-4 record vs the AFC.  Despite losing Zach to the Cowboys, Arizona stayed relevant with Mr. Munster taking over, that is of course until his hunger for stats overcame him and he padded his way out of the SFL.  Regardless, the numbers have been there, with a 7-5 interconference record.

Combined NFC West Record vs. AFC opponents: 24-24

 

So, there you have it.  

 

At least for now, the debate can officially be settled: NFC>AFC

 

The best part about facts is they are indisputable.  Though, ultimately I just thought this would be a fun project and good idea for an article.  Take it for whatever its worth.  Cheers!