The NFC’s top dogs are a bit less clear than the AFC but the wildcard race is shaping up to be a bloodbath as there are currently a whopping 11 teams with 5 or fewer losses. That is nearly 70% of the conference. Let’s get right into the divisional breakdowns:

The NFC East has played a hell of a lot better than it has been in recent years in real life. 3 teams sit at 7 wins and the 3-7 Cowboys are no slouches either with Blades at the helm. This is a division to keep an eye on as a surprise contender for best division in the league if the upstart Giants and Gudda and the Eagles can keep on rolling.

The Giants are perched atop the division at 7-3 so far and have been tearing it up on offense feeding Saquads any and every opportunity he gets. Saquon has put up respectable rushing stats with 100/560/9 but has made a killing on wheel routes and checkdowns coming in at 5th in the league in receptions with 53/904/9 en route to a Marshall Faulk-esque season. Also Danny Dimes deserves a shoutout for a positive TD:TO ratio and for leading a winning team for once in his life. Under the radar story with this team is Newbs’ user/defense which is 2nd in the league with 29 total INT. The Giants do face a difficult schedule coming up with a DuckKings GOTW week 12 vs Gudda and the Eagles followed by a run of Strawblacks Dolphins/My Chargers and then finishing out the season with Cowboys/Eagles again/now rising Bears and WFT week 18 in a game that may determine the division. When asked about his chances to seize the division Little Newbs had this to say “I feel pretty confident in my ability to lock up the NFC East. I'll be shocked if I don't at least split with all of the NFC East, but hey, I'm excited to see what kind of competition we've got over there.” Due to this rough stretch coming up I however expect the Giants to finish as a WC team however that is when the Giants make deep playoff runs and watch out if they can go 5-2 to end the season and come into the playoffs hot. 

Spades and the WFT were playing like they were spayed to start the season going 1-3 out of the gate. The Washington Jackson Mahomes’ have rebounded nicely, ripping off 6 straight wins including victories over the 9-1 Broncos, 7-4 Packers and Jonesy’s Panthers. Spades appears to have found his groove and given his history of regular season success appears to be in the driver’s seat for the division moving forward if he can win some tough division games. Antonio Gibson is 3rd in the league in rushing with 963 yard and a league leading 16 TDs which is enough to vault him into 2nd place in MVP voting since Madden is backwards and thinks RBs deserve MVPs not QBs. Scary Terry has also been a beast coming in at 33/1024/13 which places him 3rd amongst WRs in yards and TD’s despite only 33 receptions for 31 YPC, 2nd only to DK amongst qualified WRs. When asked about his slow start Marcus had this to say: “I think we are starting to catch our stride though. Jordan love has been way more efficient. If we can just make it to the playoffs I’m expecting a deep playoff push”. Spades has so far done exactly that going on a run of late and I expect the WFT to secure this division, however I would not be surprised to see it come down to week 18, especially with 5 division games left including 2 against Blades who knows more about this man than his wife does. 

Gudda (not Gouda) has also made his presence felt with a 7-4 record, putting him firmly in the WC and Division race despite Jalen Hurts having 32 turnovers and only 25 TDs combined. Gudda’s resume is bolstered by a marquee win over Jonesy, however that is the only team with a winning record he has defeated so the week 12 GOTW will be a good litmus test for his chances moving forward. That said, all but one of his losses have been close and his defense is balling out so if Hurts can cut down on the turnovers this is a team that could sneak into the playoffs or the division crown with a couple well timed wins. Eagles have been winning games on the strength of their defense which boasts 4 guys with 4+ INTs including DPOY favorite Darius Slay and his 9 INTs having a bit of a renaissance in Philly. 

Rounding out the division we have the 3-7 Cowboys and Sawblade6699 (nice). The boys are one of the better teams in the league with a losing record and the 3-7 start has surprised me after he smoked my Chargers in week 2. As any bad owner will tell you it is hard to win games with a QB throwing 3 INTs for every 2 TDs and that is where Dak stands so far. Blades’ hyper aggressive defense has not been able to overcome all these short fields and his record has paid the price. Zeke keeps rumbling with 659 yards however has only found the end zone 4 times which tells me Blades needs to run the ball more in the red zone instead of throwing picks and reiterated this exact statement to me when asked to comment on his season so far: “We are looking to turn it around by focusing on our run game and minimizing mistakes. Cowboys going 10-7 would be my prediction.” Once again this is not a team to be underestimated and  expect an upset over Spades later this season as well as more opportunities to play spoiler in the division.

The NFC North race has evolved a bit over the past few weeks as the Vikings have emerged on top behind strong play from Vally despite becoming more of a lurker in the chat. The Purple People Eaters are 8-2 as kellen mond has done a fabulous job of taking care of the ball with only 8 INTs to 22 TDs. The Vikes have an aggressive downfield passing attack with JJ/Thielen/Hamler all over 20 yards per reception. Dalvin only has 431 yards but has 6 rushing TDs as does Mond scrambling in the red zone. Valley really put his stamp on the division race last week handling the Packers with ease 45-27 and gaining an important game up in the win column and in the tiebreaker for the division. I see no reason not to pick the Vikes to win the division, especially with 3 CPU games left on the docket.

The Bears and Kav1k (go Huskies) have also rebounded nicely from a brutal first 2 games in which Justin Fields threw 1 TD and 8 INTs. Since then he has thrown for 20 TDs and only 5 INTs so clearly the rook has made some adjustments. The Bears operate as the Bears have historically and ground and pound teams to death as they feed the other Monty in the league, David Montgomery (111/780/11 scores) and Tarik Cohen (65/308/3). True to the style the Bears are one of the few teams that doesn’t pass to their RBs that much and instead feeds the TE with Cole Kmet emerging as a premier TE threat with 36/736 and 10 TDs. Defensively Khalil Mack is still a beast with 8.5 sacks and they lead the league in sacks, while the secondary has played fairly well with 19 picks given the limited talent pool besides Eddie Jackson. The Bears face an uphill battle for the divsion/WC race as they have a brutal upcoming schedule with Cards/Packers/Vikes 2x/Giants/Seahawks lined up however were just a chip shot FG away from beating the Packers so it is definitely doable. Kav1k is “Looking to focus on one game at a time and winning some division games coming up to get a playoff spot”. The only way he makes the playoffs is if he can win 4 of those aforementioned games with the way the WC race is shaping up, but one game at a time is the right mindset and he has put himself in a place to succeed.

Fink and the Pack come in guns blazing with the best offense in the league led by leading passer Aaron Rodgers (3859/41 TDs/14 INts), league leading receiver Davante Adams (63/1650/23) and league leading rusher/MVP favorite Aaron Jones (180/1269/14 and 56/804/8 through the air). That said they are only 7-4 as they have the worst defense in the league with 4247 yards allowed (239 more than any team) and the 2nd most points allowed behind only the 0-10 Aints. This is a team nobody wants to face as that offense is more potent than potent potables and Fink has gone entire games without a punt or a turnover. When asked about his successes so far, HC Al Fink had this to say: “I’m kinda shocked at how well I’m doing. I gutted my defense pretty hard in the preseason and hardly played the game before the season started but seem to have really found a groove on offense making myself a tough out.”  The defense poses a great hindrance to his contention hopes but that is fixable and I expect to see the Pack as a tough WC out in the playoffs. Moving forward Fink is excited to build the team as “with 6 picks in the first 3 rounds to rebuild my defense and hopefully (I’ll) be able to pair some stops with a potent offense”

The Lions are who we thought they were. As a former Lions owner I am sad to see them fall back to irrelevance.

Jonesy has a firm grasp on the division at 6-5 with nobody really in striking distance nor threatening a WC push. William has proved to be human this cycle already dropping 5 games but his recent win over Warrior shows he still can still play with the best of them. Last week's loss to Spades may be foreshadowing a playoff bout and shows the Panthers still have room to grow. The midseason switch from SaMVP Darnold to Feliepe Franks has proven to be incredibly lateral as in 6 appearances each: Darnold is 71/111 with 1282/10 TDs/11 INTs while Franks is 67/116 for 1248/11 TDs/11 INTs. Remarkably similar and prob shows that mid to low end qbs do not really matter for someone of Jonesy’s caliber. CMC is still arguably the best rb in the league with 858/10 on the ground and 37/411 through the air. Moore and Robby have proven to be a dynamic duo as both have 25+ yards per reception and over 600 yards and 6 TDs. I don’t think we will know much more about this panthers team until the playoffs when he gets a tough WC matchup in round 1. Despite the grasp on the division, William L Jonesy was not too thrilled with his performance so far citing mediocre offense numbers and reiterating my sentiment about his squad as well: “As for myself, my lack of offense has been the most frustrating part. Especially with the players I have. Every year I have few problems putting up points/yards but right now both are hard to come by. I'm sitting at the bottom half of the league in every category. But I'm sitting at a decent spot at 5-3 and leading the division so I have some wiggle room to get things cleaned up by the postseason.”

The Falcons have been playing with clipped wings (25th in total offense) after an exciting preseason circuit from STD that had some “experts” excited for what was to come. Overall it has been a disappointing season for the Birds, but there is some hope to build on with a strong win over the WFT and Kyle Pitts emerging as a premier TE behind 51/784/8. An offensive curiosity here is the usage of superstar wr Calvin Ridley who despite appearing in 8 games, only has 12 catches on the year for 237 yards and just 1 score. He appears to have been usurped in the pecking order by Pitts of course and also by Tyler Boyd (26/565/4) and Russell Gage (18/361/3) This is a storyline to track in the 2nd half of the season as STD could pose a threat to teams vying for seeding if he can find a way to get his best WR involved while still threatening with Pitts across the middle. The Falcons’ D also needs some work and an offseason and a draft will go miles to improve that. The Falcons owner could not be reached for comment.

Hova and the Bucs have been remarkably middling despite a loaded roster and are destined for mediocrity with their user on leave, although the Bucs CPU may be a tough out for some guys who aren’t used to playing the CPU and Brady going 25/25 passing. Not much more to say other than look for this roster to still be one of the best in the league next year.

The Aints are back to their paper bag Archie Manning ways as Madnaiss just cannot catch a break. The switch to Taysom Hill has been a tad more effective and definitely more fun than Jameis and MT has reaped some benefit with 33/799/8 scores on the year. The Saints need to do a better job of getting Kamara the ball on the ground instead of just feeding him through the air where he has 62/715/4. Only 2 rushing TDs is tough for someone of his caliber. I expect Madnaiss to steal a couple games in the 2nd half of the year if only to tank his draft stock.

A preseason favorite for the strongest division, the NFC west has done nothing but disappoint as the inferior western division. Ostrich currently sits atop the division but will also never be seen or heard from again since MikeFML banished him to the shadow realm leaving the west wide open.

The Cards come in at 6-5 however all 5 of those losses have been to winning teams so I expect to see Warrior continue to make noise be it as the division winner or as a WC threat. This team revolves around Kyler Murray and he has been an effective dual threat with 26:18 TD/INT ratio and 423 yards on the ground. The Cards passing attack looks for Hopkins first and foremost (35/788/10) then looks to feed Rondale Moore now that Kirk has been developed and shipped out. James Conner has been solid on the ground with 120/730/8. The defense possesses lots of speed with Isaiah Simmons as the lynchpin and look for this team to be a threat come playoff time with playmakers on both sides of the ball. 

At 5-5 the Seahawks do not wow on paper but much like the Cards every loss has come to either a winning team or the 4-5 9ers who are very solid. Russ (3353/35 TDs/14 INTs and DK (43/1367/18) and a league leading 31.8 yards per reception have taken the league by storm, although questions linger can the Seahawks win games if DK is contained and can you actually contain him? Also note that the Seahawks have had a couple games slip through their grasp as an exhausted DRNB spiked a ball on 4th down in the redzone vs Stavo. When asked about his season so far, Rice was quick to take ownership for his failures as a HC and had this to say: “Games were winnable but I made so many careless and uncharacteristic blunders that were totally in my control. The worst game I played was against DW other than that all of my other games have come down to last minute errors. I played poorly in all of them so the losses fall on my shoulders and there’s nothing to blame EA about. Those ones have hit me the most. If I played all of my games to even a high degree of my potential I believe I’m sitting undefeated”. This is a team I would not want to see come playoff time if he can tighten up the coaching blunders and utilize an elite escape artist QB and a dynamic offensive attack as well as difference makers on defense in Jamal Adams and Bobby Wagner. Seahawks vs WFT this week and then against SF next week will be crucial to Rice’s push for the division. Look for Rice and Warrior to go head to head for the division crown and for both to make noise come playoff time. 

Last but certainly not least in a strong top to bottom division right now sits DW at 4-5 with the 9ers. Jimmy G is an afterthought as this is now Trey Lance’s team and Sir Lancelot has been serviceable in his first year with 17:15 TD:INT with only 2271 yards through the air but a promising 23 carries for 219 on the ground. DW is traditionally a conservative offensive player and that is also evident in Sermon’s 158 rushes for 853 and a staggering 21 TDs en route to an OROY award. Philip Dorsett surprisingly leads guys not named George Kittle in receiving as the primary downfield weapon w/ 15/437/4 and the ball has been distributed all around with 5 guys over 300 yards. I would not rule out DW from the WC race yet as he has a solid team fit to his playstyle and a relatively easy schedule left with potentially multiple cpu games and a few teams with losing records. 

Be on the lookout for playoff picks and superbowl predictions to come.

Brought to you by DuckKings and Monty Python and his Holy Locks of hair.

We are officially halfway through the inaugural SML Primer Madden 22 season and there has been plenty of shakeups and surprises across the league. With the new game from last year and brand new teams for everyone, some of the powerhouses from last year have struggled to adapt while others have continued their dominance. I am contractually obligated to include that this blog is brought to you by DuckKings. If you aren’t playing Primer DFS you are DuckKing crazy. Onto the team breakdowns:

Strawblacks has very quietly continued his run of regular season dominance en route to a 7-1 record thus far including 7 straight wins for the ‘phins. His strength of schedule has been somewhat lacking however 7 straight is impressive no matter how you spin it. Watch out for a real test week 12 when he takes on former conference rival Jonesy and the Panthers. Tua has proved the haters wrong and has been excellent with a 23:5 TD:INT ratio and a 145.5 passer rating. I see no reason to expect anything other than another division title for the league’s biggest One Piece fan. 

Chrisnkells and the Patriots are right in the thick of the WC hunt at 4-4 after 8 weeks with impressive wins over Strawblacks’ dolphins and the Blades led Cowboys. He has struggled a bit of late with losses to the Jets and Texans. Mac Jones has been serviceable so far with 16 TDs, however he will need to cut back on the 16 INTs through 8 games if the Pats hope to make the playoffs. Paul Richardson has been a nice surprise with a team leading 564 yards as well as 4 TDs. Watchout for the Pats on the playoff bubble come week 18 when they take on the Dolphins in what may be a must win game. 

Latin has been a solid addition to Primer as well with a 3-4 record including a surprising win over Jonesy’s Pumas as well as defeating STD and his division rival the Pats. Same as the Pats watch out for the Jets to try to sneak into the playoffs as the AFC East teams possess a remarkably easy schedule. Zach Wilson has been out right bad and needs to stop throwing INTs (1:2 TD/INT ratio) in order for the J E T S Jets to turn it around. Also Latin if you are reading this stop usering your CBs and pulling them away from deep coverage...

Rounding out the division we have the big boss man, MikeFML and the struggle that has been the Buffalo Bills. Starting 0-7 Mike is long past ready to jump through a flaming table just to end his misery. That said Josh Allen is the type of talent that can lead a miraculous comeback and the Bills are loaded with talent. Combine that with Mike being a more solid player than he gives himself credit for and this is not a team to write off when it comes up on the schedule. When asked about his performance our fearless leader said “(The Bills) are just not a great fit for me stock. Hopefully a draft or two gets me more cohesive with the roster”  0-7 unfortunately is pretty difficult to come back from, however I agree with MikeFuckMyLife and expect a more competitive squad next season after reinforcements are added via the draft. 

The AFC North has been full of surprises with DOC emerging as a possible contender, Stavo taking a bit of a step back from whatever the hell his league leading rushing attack was last year, Tiny coming out guns blazing with Lamar, and Sherm showing some life of late with close games against the Bolts and the Broncos.

The Bengals sit at 8-0 led by a dynamic rushing attack including league leader in yards Joe Mixon and a surprising amount of work for Burrow on designed QB runs. Burrow only has 8TDs throwing the ball but 4 on the ground to contribute to a team total of 20 rushing TDs has been more than enough. The defense has been surprisingly solid led by Jessie Bates and his whopping 7INTs at this stage of the season. At 8-0 he has a comfortable enough lead that I expect him to hold on for the division crown. DOC has proved his worth as a regular season player but it remains to be seen if he will crumble on the big stage or seize glory. 

Coming in at 5-2 we have Stavo’s Steelers who are certainly still a threat albeit not the voodoo threat he was last year with the speedy Falcons. Devin Bush and Minkah are still problems on defense with multiple INTs each and he possesses one of the better users in the league. Offensively he has seemed to have struggled a bit without the game breaking speed had last year across the board although he has done a better job of distributing the ball passing. If Stavo can get moved into his new place soon and get back on the sticks he will be a tough out come playoff time and a likely WC contender.

Tiny is also sitting pretty at 5-2 and with all the Pepsi he can drink. Lamar has been dynamic as ever with 5 rushing TDs and 15 through the air despite a high INT total of 18. The Ravens keep winning behind a playmaking defense with a good handful of INTs and timely stops. The question of can Tiny keep it going will be answered soon enough with tests vs the Vikings, @strawblacks  and @bears up next as well as two meetings with Stavo and one with Doc later in the year.

Sherm and his beloved Browns are back to being well, the browns :( Their cursed history continues with a tough run of games for Autoshermatic and co. Chubb is still a monster and Sherm has shown signs of life in recent weeks and that roster is deep enough to threaten any team any week. This has been a surprisingly tough division so far and we will see if that persists.

New addition JJ and the Colts have taken a 2 game lead over the rest of the division behind a 3-0 division record and 2 wins over NYT and the Titans. Parris Cambell has had a great post hype breakout with 23/569/6 on pace for a 1000 yard season and JT has emerged as an elite RB with 550/7TDs. This division is still up for grabs but the Colts control their own destiny. 

The NY Titans are sitting at 3-5 however they are only 2 games back of the division lead (really more like 2.01 games back as Colts have the tiebreaker advantage in h2h). Since starting 0-3, the Titans have bounced back winning 3 of 5 and reentering the division/WC race. Henry as always is a monster that requires stacked boxes to stop and he has 127/685/7 at this point in the season. Brown and Jones both are producing as well with 6 TDs apiece. Watch out for NYT to play spoiler come later this season or even to make a playoff push himself and possibly steal the division.

Arachnosapien and the Texans also check in at 3-5 behind the play of totally not a sex offender Deshaun Watson who in the maddenverse can play without affecting fan support. The Texans may be the only team in the league that doesn’t have Kyle Pitts that has a TE leading the team in receiving as Jordan Akins has 37/502/3 scores. This roster is quite depleted as the Lions of the AFC so 3 wins already is impressive and Watson is good enough to continue to drag this roster to mediocrity. In a wide open division race anything is possible but this roster will be tough to overcome.

Goku and the Jags finish out the Division at 2-5, however i think he will be able to turn it around and compete for a WC spot or even the division title with the talent the Jags have on the offensive side of the ball. When asked about his team’s performance Goku said “I’m disappointed on my defensive performance and having an underperforming defence is really upsetting. Few sacks, little to no interceptions overall poor display. Moving forward defence is going to be a huge priority, via either Free agency, draft or trades.” Look for the Jags to be active this offseason making the moves they need to address the D.

And to wrap up the AFC we have the AFC West featuring a powerhouse Broncos team, a dynamic Chiefs offense, an underwhelming Chargers roster and a guy playing true sim football just in his head since he doesn’t have a PS5...

Montazuu started the season on a tear winning his first 7 before a slight detour in a 35-20 loss to Spades and the WFT. The ponies have been dominant on each side of the ball this year ranking 5th in total offensive yardage and 8th in scoring, while also coming in at 1st in scoring defense and top 5 in turnovers forced. This team has been solid top to bottom with Javonte Williams powering the rushing attack and the Drew Lock to Noah Fant connection propelling Lock to a potential MVP season. When asked about his hot start, Monty had nothing but kind words to say about Drew Locks efficiency and accuracy and also praised Bradley Chubb calling him a “difference maker and being top 3 in sacks is huge”. Monty is an early super bowl pick and the favorite to come out of the AFC. 

In 2nd place in the west we have Gramz and the offensive juggernaut that is the KC Chiefs. Gramz has had a bit of an up and down season with wins over the Eagles/Chargers/Giants but also losses to Tiny and the ravens as well as the Titans and WFT. That said he sits at 5-3 ready to strike in either the division race if he can take down Monty or more likely in the WC race as a team nobody wants to see come playoff time. Mahomes has been his usual self slinging it to Tyreek and Hardman down field, however his INT numbers are higher than usual at 18 already and may have to be cut down if the Gramz wants to make a deep playoff push. Also keep an eye on Juan Thornhill for DPOY with 5 INTs and 2 scores already.

My Bolts sit in 3rd place at now 4-3 after a rock fight 13-10 win over Gudda’s Eagles and hope to push for a WC berth. The offense has been downright anemic coming in at 25th in the league in both total offense and in scoring which is unacceptable given the weapons this team has and the ability of Justin Herbert to make any throw. Herbert has a measly 10 TDS and 14 INTs while Ekeler only has 372 yards on the ground. Changes need to be made with the scheme or else look for a coordinator to be fired come offseason. The defense has been the one bright spot keeping this squad in contention as Murray and Derwin both are playing at an All Pro level and new addition Lorenzo Carter sits in the DPOY conversation with 6 sacks, a pick 6 and a FF. Joey Bosa is playing like he’s former teammate Manti Teo’s girlfriend right now with only 1 sack and is nowhere to be found. Look for the Chargers to either make a deep playoff push if they figure out offense or fade into the abyss that is La Brea.

The Raiders in Primer may be more of a mess than the current Raiders as Tom has yet to secure an elusive PS5 replacement but hey at least he isn’t a racist! Hopefully he finds some hardware soon and can make some noise in a competitive division next season

That wraps up the AFC half of this blog, NFC wrap up to come in the next day or so as will a comprehensive midseason surprises/awards and league opinions piece as well as the EBDBBNB’s playoff predictions brought to you by DuckKings.

DuckKings Presents: Week 3 Top 10 Lists

These lists are brough to you by DuckKings Primer GOTW daily fantasy games. Sign up now @DoubleRiceNoBean or JSmoove's DMs.

Top 10 PSN Usernames

10. Im_just2_nice10

9. TINYTITAN529/NYTitan21

8. SawBlade6699 (nice)

7. Montazuu

6. Arachnosapien5k

5. Prime-Time487

4. trickotreat789

3. DoubleRiceNoBean

2. academic_ostrich

1. S6ixRingY7

Top 10 Zones

10. Cover 2

9. Cover 4

8. Hard Flats

7. The Friend Zone

6. Gerrymandering

5. Autozone, Get in the Zone!

4. The Twilight Zone

3. Danger Zone!

2. Calzones

1. Cover 3 Match

Top 10 Ways to Consume Corn

10. Canned Corn

9. Candy Corn

8. Corn on the Cob (Eaten in circles)

7. Indian Corn

6. Dad Jokes

5. Popcorn

4. Street Corn

3. Cornbread

2. Kettle Corn

1. Corn on the Cob (Eaten across the cob like a normal person)

Brought to you by DuckKings

Alrighty then onto the NFC which to remind everyone has won at least the last 3 super bowls and is obviously the superior conference when it truly matters. NFC saw a very strong showing from the 1 seed Falcons behind a loaded roster and speed all over the field. A surprising standings shakeup late as the Rams steal the division our from under Grams as the clock strikes 9:53 and claim the 4 seed as well. Let’s dive right into the seeds and matchups:

1. Atlanta Falcons

Stavo is another user who came into the league guns blazing and has put up some truly ridiculous stats much to the chagrin of some of the league ;) Even with all the points being scored the most impressive aspect of his game is his user MLB stats which are otherworldly with lurks left and right. Lurk! While it does help starting off with a pair of 90 spd LBs and drafting another that doesn’t make them magically good and his user in the middle is one to be cautious of.

2. Minnesota Square Pizza Lovers vs 7. Seattle Seahawks

Montazuuuuuuu takes on the Nbakid aka Glizz Markie apparently in a battle of two talented users. The Vikings reclaimed their throne as division champions this season and look to make another deep playoff push. Look for Dalvin Cook to make a triumphant return and feature prominently as there are two things Montazuu can’t help himself from doing: Gambling till the wee hours of the morning and giving Dalvin Cook the ball over and over again. We shall see if the seahawks are feeling the loss of DK Metcalf in this game however they still sport some dynamic deep ball threats. When asked about it: Montazuu was very composed and said “We just gotta take this game one play at a time and not get overwhelmed in the moment of playoffs or the pressure of being the 2 seed”. Wise words from a Primer playoff regular who may or may not be scarred from some blown leads in the past and also from my 2^nd favorite team in the NFC North. I expect a lower scoring game than some are used to as Dalvin will control the clock throughout and look for the Vikings to conquer Seahawks  24-17 in a hard fought victory. Ms. Randsbottom agrees and expects the Vikings defense led by Whitworth to stymie the Seattle offense and overwhelm a suspect line. #letdalvincook

3. Los Angeles Rams vs 6. Detroit Lions

Starscream Lucas and the Pride of Detroit head out west to take on the NFC West champion Rams. Despite faltering in their last 2 games of this season as well as their last two first rounds the Lions are eager to get out of the wildcard round and show the league they are back from the jungle and bigger and stronger than ever just like Simba upon his return to pride rock. The Rams are another consistently competitive franchise and the trickster could certainly do some damage in the playoffs with a strong rushing attack and some explosive weapons in the receiving corps as well. I may be biased in predicting a 27-21 Lions victory so ill hand this one over the Anne Randsbottom a big fan of the band Kansas for her take on the game: “Kerryon my wayward son” she was heard singing in the locker room showers. Anne expects the ground and pound game of the Lions and Johnson coupled with the big play ability of Lucas and Metcalf to prove too much to overcome. She did note that the Rams boast some talent on the D-line and Aaron Donald could play a crucial role in stopping the run to give them a fighting chance.

4. Dallas Cowboys vs 5. San Francisco 49ers

In a battle of storied franchises who haven’t won anything in real life since before I was born and before the mp3 player was invented, the 49ers will march into Dallas looking to take down the reigning primer champions. Mastheace sports a potent offense led by Dak Prescott/zeke the freak and a stable of elite WRs which Grams will need to contain. Hopefully young superstar CB George Vanover will be up to the task. Grams has had a great season coming out with some marquee victories while Mas had a bit of a super bowl hangover leading a couple surprising losses this season albeit in weak NFC East that has been locked up for weeks. Look for the Cowboys to control the game behind Zeke and plenty of tight window slant and post throws by Prescott to move the chains en route to a 29-20 victory. Anne agrees and expects the Cowboys to make another super bowl push as Zeke will stay hungry.

The NFC is anyone’s ballgame as every single team here has shown repeatedly an ability to win ballgames over top competition and the slate of three competitive games shows a deep talent pool. Watchout for Montazuu and his Vikings to get rolling now that Dalvin Cook is back and looking like AP after his ACl surgery and he is my pick to represent the NFC in the big game. The Cowboys as defending champs and the Falcons as the one seed will both have targets on their back and it remains to be seen if they can handle the newfound and increased pressure plus the scrutiny that comes with it. Only time will tell but it is shaping up to be an all time primer playoff bracket.

Musings The Lion’s Den: Primer AFC Playoff Primer

            This is it boys. One last ride before we pack it up and go out into the sunlight for the first time since before we knew who Mike Longcock or Anne Randsbottom even were. Speaking of Anne, we are delighted to welcome her to our sidelines and to our hearts and she was kind enough to step into my office for some extracurriculars I mean to give some quality insight into these matchups. You can also find her takes on each matchup on twitter https://twitter.com/randsbottom @randsbottom. We are entering the stage where every game could be your final game in SML Primer (on the PS4 at least, or okay on the PS5 moonlighting as a PS4). As such every game carries significance and rumor has it Duck Hodges and Primetime himself may even be calling games live on the air. Without further ado, here are your SMLP AFC final standings

http://daddyleagues.com/smlp/standings/conference

Works out here that the standings are in that order of the playoff seeding and as such the AFC WC matchups will be as follows:

1. New York Jets

Jonesy’s Jets secure the bye and he gets to rest on his (regular season) laurels until the next round. There was some buzz around an undefeated season but those dreams were quashed quicker than Mecole Hardman gets off the line as he fell to Guttah aka not Gouda and cross state rival the Bills in week 11. Ever since Ostrich’s exodus there have been some rumblings from disgruntled owners about stat padding and William has found himself in the midst of plenty of it given how newly minted SMLPHOFer Brenton Staley went from scrap heap rb to one of the best to ever do it. Look for Jonesy to attempt once again to overcome his playoff demons and push for that ever elusive first Primer Simbardi.

2. Las Vegas Raiders vs 7. New England Patriots

The battle of brothers is a great way to kick off the playoffs with plenty of intrigue in star power never mind Primer’s newest shock jocks. Spades takes on Blades to see not just who’s the better madden player but who’s the most clutch under pressure in what I’m sure will be a competitive playoff environment… do they play these games sitting next to one another like they are teenagers again? Look for this game to get marquee billing and maybe the highest viewership a primer game has seen in a long time. Spades came out firing on all cylinders and that high powered vertical passing attack was as lethal as ever. His counterpart much prefers to ground and pound utilizing more of rpo based scheme and quick hitting passes coupled with oodles of touches for Dennis “the Golden God” Blakley who can take every touch to the house. Both teams have a first ballot SMLPHOFer in Blakley and Henry Ruggs who who both possess as Gus Johnsons would say “that running from the cops speed”. I expect a competitive game between these two, however if Sawblade is to pull off the upset he will need to meticulously control the clock and keep the ball out of Nic Walton’s hands. This is easier said than done with how few touches Ruggs needs to change the game and I expect a 38-21 victory for the Sahagun Raiders. Watch out for the blood frenzy if DB of the cycle Linton gets a momentum shifting INT early on. Anne projects a raiders blowout behind the air raid(ers) dynamic passing game.

3. Houston Texans vs 6. Los Angeles (Not San Diego) Chargers

Relatively new owner STD aka Stack the Deck has done an admirable job replacing an actual NFL player and leading the Chargers to their first playoff birth that I can remember. Sidebar, what happens if the deck is stacked with kings of spades? AFC West is a weird place… The Texans have continued to impress after making a Super Bowl appearance and are a contender year in and year out behind a strong rushing attack and some different DB user looks on defense. When asked about this matchup Anne Randsbottom believed that the Chargers lackluster pass coverage on the year would ultimately lead to their downfall and I must concur as I also expect the Texans to advance 31-17 behind a strong rushing attack led by Johnston and the passing attack behind Watson.

4. Cincinnati Bengals vs 5. Cleveland Browns

Strawblacks burst onto the scene upon entering the league and has been nothing but a problem to face ever since with a potent offense relying on the big play ability of guys like Joe Mixon, John Ross and others. Just like Jonesy however, he has no Super Bowl hardware to show for it and is chomping at the bit to get another shot at glory. Alfink and his browns have also shown an affinity for the vertical passing attack with diminutive speedster Donovan Williams putting up big numbers from the moment he was drafted. In fact the Browns really announced themselves this season knocking off the Bengals in week 1. Look for this game to be the highest scoring of the bunch with the Bengals avenging the beginning of the season and winning 48-24. When asked about this game, Anne was much more optimistic on the Browns chances and foresees Nick Chubb as the games X factor if he is able to move the chains and wear down a relatively undersized Bengals LB corps.

The AFC possesses some truly electric offenses, and you can look forward to some high powered matchups both in the wildcard round and as the playoffs progress. In my 3 years in the league an AFC team has never won a title so each and every one of them is itching to claim the ultimate throne and go out on top of Madden 21. Keep an eye on the Jonesy vs Strawblacks matchup in the divisional round if the WC round goes chalk. All of these teams are legitimate threats with the ball in their hands and the team to emerge will be the one that gets it done in the trenches and on the defensive side of the ball. I expect the winner of the Jets/Bengals projected matchup to emerge victorious on the AFC side of things however as always anything can happen on any given Sunday.

Heading into the playoffs in season 6 of Primer (my 3^rd season) I wanted to put together a write up to kickoff what will be possibly biweekly or at least semi regular blog post, The Lion’s Den where I’ll comment on league happenings and musings. As summer is upon us and the cycle winds down while Madden 22 looms, there has been a good share of turnover in the league and some new faces in the playoffs this year. These include the Browns, Eagles, Titans who snuck on past the TVA with a big win maybe before maybe after 10pm, and the upstart Falcons who overtook reigning primer GOAT Ostrich and his Panthers for the division and the 2 seed. Some big questions heading into ‘yoffs revolve around the teams that have consistently finished atop the league… Can Ostrich pull off a never before seen in the NFL 3 peat to cement his primer legacy? Wil Jonesy run the table all the way for 19-0 or will he suffer heartbreak similar to the greatest team to never win a title in the 08 Patriots? Can Strawblacks finally get over the hump and shake the label of just a regular season team, never mind the bungles cursed history? Will a team such as the Cowboys, Texans, Raiders or Vikings be able to build on the success of recent seasons and parlay that into a championship run or can a new face such as possibly the falcons make some noise?  Lets tackle some divisional round matchups and find out.

AFC Divisional Round:

1.     Bye: Jonesy’s J E T S JETS JETS JETS

Jets chase perfection, nuff said although the irony in perfection and the jets in the same sentence is not lost on me…

2.     Bengals vs 7. Titans

This game figures to be a shootout as Strawblacks has never really struggled to put numbers on the board and the Titans new user is coming off a clutch 37-31 victory. Admittedly since he is quite new I haven’t studied the game tape so going with my gut here in projecting a welcome to the league type game and the Bengals to emerge victorious 42-24 behind explosive games from Mixon and John Ross.

3.     Raiders vs 6. Bills

A matchup of 2 guys who have been in the league longer than I have and I’m sure have had some battles over in the AFC. Gudda finished the season strong taking 3 of his last 4 and runs into a somewhat sputtering raiders team that dropped 2/3 albeit to the Jets and Bengals. AFC has some teams that love to put up points and the Raiders lead by Ruggs sure are one of them so I project another shootout with the Raiders taking the cake 38-28.

4.     Texans vs 5. Browns

Texans finish the season as just the 4 seed in a strong AFC, however history tends to repeat itself and the Texans last year were a wildcard team that rode a heater all the way to the not quite as coveted as the Simbardi, but the Sim Kelly Runner Up Trophy. Browns have also shown an ability to score but look for Texans CB and S user to throw a wrench in Cleveland’s passing attack en route to a 27-21 finish.

Moving on, I look forward to some enthralling matchups in the AFC and some crazy O/U lines if some of the high powered offenses atop the division face off. I think this is the year that Jonesy makes it out of AFC after 2 tough playoff losses and squares up with the best the NFC has to offer in the Super Bowl.

NFC Divisional Round:

1.     Bye: How bout dem Cowboys

In a late seeding surprise (or I just wasn’t paying attention) the boys finish atop the conference with a tiebreaker over the falcons for the 1 seed behind a strong offense and a good user all season. We will have to wait and see if they can live up to the pressures that come with the #1 seed target on their back and a potential NFC championship rematch with Ostrich looming next round.

2.     Falcons vs 7. Eagles

A pair of new teams this season, both of which have come out strong throughout the year to secure playoff spots. Falcon’s even knocked off defending champ Ostrich and stole the division from him on the 3^rd or 4^th tiebreaker and I expect to see him take his regular season success and turn that into playoff results behind an explosive game from rb Devoe and wr Morris. Look for a final score in the ballpark of 42-27.

3.     Lions vs 6. Vikings

Montazuu has been lounging by the pool sipping mai tais so hopefully he has one too many and makes a costly mistake or 12 against me tonight… in actuality this should be a marquee matchup between two division rivals who split this year and eagerly await a chance to assert dominance over the other ;) I’d be remiss if I didn’t pick myself here to win 31-27 behind a late Kerryon my wayward son Johnson TD although Dalvin cook scares the bejesus out of me on the ground and will be one to watch out for.

4.     Rams vs 5. Panthers

Gotta say I feel for the trickster winning his division and drawing the back to back champ round 1… it really do be like that sometimes. Ostrich aims to kick off his pursuit of a threepeat behind Nolan Banks and CMC on offense and a still strong Dline that wrecks havoc after the snap. Don’t underestimate the Rams however, as I expect this to be a close one with a 28-24 finish in the Panthers favor.

As much as I would love to pick myself to come out of the NFC, a more level headed analysis would have the winner of the conference semifinal projected matchup between the Panthers and Cowboys as the favorite to rep the conference in the big game. That said this is the year of the Ox not the ostrich and I look for the Cowboy’s to emerge out of a crowded field behind a strong Zeke led rushing attack.

While there has been much debate over which conference is better, the Super Bowl will be a perfect time to settle some scores and while I will always pull for my fellow NFC mates I think this is Jonesy’s year provided Hardman stays off the FG blocking team and he will be the last one eating crab legs atop the podium.