AFC EAST

Patriots: Hodge has the Pats in a much better spot than they were in last season. Time will tell if the same issues that plagued the team last year will appear again (INTs in bunches, accuracy issues, and untimely defensive breakdowns). Look for the Pats to win the division.

Jets: The main thing holding this team back is Ray’s real-life schedule. If he was able to play at his usual rate, he’d be a lock for the playoffs. We shall see if he has time to make his usual push for the playoffs, because of time constraints the Jets will finish second in the East.

Dolphins: Blood took a poor roster and stripped it down further. Unfortunately, he acquired a boatload of picks for a horrible season one draft. The lone bright spot, Nick Chubb, apparently can’t stay healthy. Blood will have to continue to hit in FA (like he did on the AJ Green signing) to field a competitive team.

Bills: Prime has put together a high-flying offense that relies heavily on the passing game. All with a bargain basement budget. The Bills have a lot of leeway to overpay in FA if a stud becomes available, look for the Bills to continue to live an die by the passing attack.

NFC EAST

Giants: The elegant tanking approach used in season one for Merc some studs in a very shallow draft class. However, he has not translated any of that acquired talent into much on field success. The user will have to improve before the team goes anywhere. There is some talent on this team, but it remains to be seen if the talent aligns with the user’s playing style. Look for the Giants to finish last in the East, or in a tie for last with the Skins.

Skins: Drew has taken a massive step back this season. Last season he was on the cusp of a playoff appearance (even if it was boosted by 4 sim wins) but he failed to deliver in week 17 against the Cowboys scout team. This year has been a disaster, hopefully he turns it around and closes out the year strong but any hopes for the playoffs are likely long gone.

Cowboys: Feed Zeke+ Lawrence blitzing every down+ INTs with LVE= SUCCESS. Where the wheels fall off is when the ancient Big Ben is forced to pass. Look for T-Mac to remain run heavy as that has been his calling card since joining the SFL. Pencil in the Cowboys for another NFC East crown.

Eagles: After rumors he was selling the team it looks like Simply is back on board with controlling the Eagles. This team needs to find their identity as they seem to be a run-first team but are paying PREMIUM money to Wentz. You’d think that kind of contract would require a bit more output from your QB but the lack of receiving weapons (outside of Dyer) is probably holding Wentz back.

AFC NORTH

Browns: Although the passing stats are up the rushing numbers are way down. The Browns will need to find a way to get Hunt involved more and to get that pass rush back on track. Garrett and Childress continue to collapse the pocket, but barely have any sacks to show for it. If the Browns want to get over the hump, they will need to get that intense pass rush back on track. Look for the Browns to win the division with the Bengals coming in a close second.

Bengals: Well who knew a motivated and dialed in Six would be THIS good?! The Bengals defense is anchored by Atkins and the man with the 32-inch biceps, MLB Wolf. After years of reading websites during his games Six has finally dialed into his past Madden days which has resulted in a motivated and competitive Six. We will see if he can keep his usual calm demeanor of if the new desire to win will cause a rarely seen Six rant.

Steelers: Slow offense and minimal cap space has resulted in a frustrating time for Bogey. He has a big decision this season if he wants to re-sign Juju or move him for the best offer. The Steelers should be competitive in future seasons as they have some young talent on defense. The offense needs a complete overhaul though.

Ravens: TC continues to insist things are progressing nicely in Baltimore, but Lamar continues to struggle with ball security and the defense continues to give up splash plays way too often. The issue in Baltimore may be a philosophical one as TC has a physical vertical offense in mind, while lacking the weapons (outside of the recently acquired Keenan Allen) to run that offense. Hippo Hawley has been a pleasant surprise for TC but we will see if he continues to perform as more teams plan to stop that Ravens Stretch run gameplan. Look for the Ravens to finish last in the division again.

NFC NORTH

Vikings: Questionable trades combined with $57m being tied up in the QB position results in a team fielding practice squad players in key positions. The Vikings might want to apply the Blood method and tear the team down and rebuild. We will see how the Vikes look next season, assuming Buddah doesn’t pay Brady an insane amount of money in the offseason. Look for the Vikes to finish last or in a tie with the Lions for last in the division.

Lions: All that pass defense but not a lick of run defense, the Lions need to decide what they are doing before they can be competitive. Aging offensive players like Stafford and D-Jax need to be replaced but the Lions lack the cap space to make it happen. Sooner rather than later Chosen will have to blow it up.

Bears: Unlike the Browns, the Bears have not seen a drastic drop in sack numbers for Mack. This squad will live and die by their defense, but it is on Ninja to avoid putting the defense in bad positions with short fields. The offense will need to carry their end of the bargain, in particular the passing offense which is #22 in the league.

Packers: Who knew we’d see the day where Rodgers was not at least 90 overall. Kudos for Ant though for implementing more of a run game to offset the regression that hit Rodgers and the passing offense. Look for the Packers to win the division again.

AFC WEST

Chiefs: Cap hell will be the downfall of this team; we have already seen some regression as the team had to offload some talented players in order to give Mahomes THE BAG. Eventually the Mahomes roll out cross body throws will not work and Hill will no longer Moss defenders, but until that day comes look for the Chiefs to remain competitive and in control of the division.

Raiders: To say Wolf was humbled after a whole summer of chirping about KC would be a massive understatement. It appears the Raiders have moved on though and are now focused on trying to take back the division. I don’t see it happening this season but look for Wolf to reclaim the division crown in season 3.

Broncos: Traded his 2^nd last year for Alshon, traded Chubb and Sutton for Julio and Takk; now Julio is OTB and Takk still hasn’t been re-signed. Chudd strikes the balance of being equally incompetent in game and as a GM, all while remaining aloof in the chat. I look forward to Chudd’s response a month from now. Also, look for him to come in last in the division, regardless of the season.

Chargers: Arz continues to make winning moves off the field but will need it to translate to on field success. For years he has been on the cusp of turning the corner but hasn’t gotten over the hump yet. If he can limit his turnovers then I could see him competing in the future.

NFC WEST

Niners: Who knows WTF Kenny is doing; he continues to try his junkball offense but lacks any WR who can run it. It is amazing he traded for another RB but didn’t go after a big bodied WR to run his offense. It appears he has moved on from his pursuit of Cam which is puzzling since Cam has the arm strength to stretch the field like Kenny wants. Look for the Niners to finish last or tied with the Rams for last in the division.

Rams: Week to week you cannot tell which version of Lemming will show up. Will it be the guy who seems like he has absolute control of the passing game and outside runs with Gurley? Or will it be the version that comes up short on both sides of the ball? Lemming needs more consistency before he can be viewed as a threat.

Seahawks: After winning the division last year Los has seen a bit of regression. He will have to decide soon what to do with his team because the franchise cornerstones are on the wrong side of 30 (Russ and Wagner). Time will tell if he loads up for one last ride with them or if he will trade them to ensure he remains competitive in future seasons.

Cardinals: What a difference a year makes! Tim seems to have used the motivation from his hoopty/hooptie (depending on the region) being stolen and seemingly used as a bathroom or sex room and has been dominating this season. Murray seems to be playing at a much higher level, but we will see if he can continue the momentum for the back half of the schedule. Right now, look for the Cards to win the division.

AFC SOUTH

Titans: What else can be said about the man who stays winning the SB in here? Killa continues to win at a high rate and continues to stack trophies. There is nothing in the near future to make one think his high level of play will fall off. Look for the Titans to win the division again this season.

Colts: The man who loves to hate Cash Mob, Shayne! Always seemingly on the cusp of dethroning Killa but typically comes up short. A few key FA moves could be the key to Shayne getting over the hump, but time will tell.

Jags: Digga lost to Chudd and got blown out by TC. Never thought we’d see the day where that would happen… but here we are.

Texans: Elite continues to force feed Hopkins which has resulted in plenty of INTs. He needs to get it together to be competitive as it appears he has regressed in season 2.

NFC SOUTH

Falcons: Tre hustled Chudd for Chubb and was able to avoid having to pay Julio. Under Tre the Falcons have consistently been a run first team, but now it appears they are airing it out a bit more. Look for Tre to remain competitive in the division and assuming he finds the mobile QB of the future, for him to win the division in future seasons.

Saints: Reaper continues to have success and short of abandoning Madden for 2k look for that to continue. He will need to find a replacement for Brees once he retires, but that will come in future seasons. Until that happens look for him to continue to win the division.  

Panthers: Meta will need to decide what to do about Cam and his pending free agency. With how important QB play is this Madden it seems unlikely he’d have any success turning the offense over to any other QB on his roster. Meta has some big decisions to make regarding expiring contracts. In a stacked NFC South look for the Panthers to come in last in the division.

Buccaneers: Mike Evans is OP; Streak Specialist is NOT! Prime will continue to make splash plays with Evans, the rest of the rushing attack will need to step it up as they seem to be the weak link in what is usually a high-flying offense. Look for the NFC South to send three teams to the playoffs again this season.

Let's sit down and take a look around the league shall we? The results of this current week did not play into the ranking of each team.

Whiz Kids A+ Club

Jets: Somehow this team is sitting atop the AFC East in spite of the lack of talent on this team prior to the Dez Bryant trade. It seems like despite the squad or talent Eeever will always be able to field a team of lineman that will plow through opposing defenses. If he was able to win without a beast WR in Dez I could only imagine what he will do now that people have to key in on Dez.

Bills: Niles has compiled a disgusting defensive line that would shutdown any all you can eat buffet restaurant. With his unorthodox offensive play the Bills are flying high and only recently suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Patriots. Between that nasty defensive front and Watkins the Bills will prove to be trouble.

Panthers: What can be said about Demonic, he gutted his defense to make a stacked offense. It is fairly obvious the remaining pieces he has on defense is more than enough. Add in the addition of Tramon Williams and this is a scary squad.

Raiders: Harold has been on a roll this season, those of us from M25 know he is a solid player and will maximize the talent on his squad, add in the beast that is Mack and Harold will continue to make noise in the loaded AFC West.

Honor Roll

Titans (A-): Despite Trey saying his pick will be top 10 has a respectable 4-2 record. It looks like he has knocked off the rust from his Madden layoff and is battling for the division lead with the Texans. He has won some ugly games but at the end of the day all that matters is the win total.

Chiefs (A-): Sitting on one loss on the season (and a controversial sim win awarded via DL from SKYNET) the Chiefs are riding high. So far their only loss came against divisional rival Denver and the Sheriff using his GOAT playmaker powers on a huge 3^rd down conversion. Look for the Chiefs to continue their winning ways.

Saints (B+): The Saints have bounced back after getting lit up by Harry Douglas and the corpse of J. Finley week 1. Since then the Saints haven’t tasted defeat. The Saints have taken down some quality opponents during this win streak. Their schedule spikes up in difficulty for the second half of the season and they will be tested by some quality opponents.

Texans (B+): We all know this Texans squad is better than the overall rating given in Madden. Loaded on defense and more than capable of getting it done on offense Legend has brought winning to Houston. As Clowney continues to develop I see Houston taking the division.

Bless their heart, overachieving in spite of talent

Vikings (B): Frozen has done the impossible- turned Teddy into a solid QB in less than a season! Teddy’s preseason woes are well documented but it’s nice to see the kid has progressed and is now capable of hitting all the throws out there. Add in AP plugging along and moving the chains and you have the surprising Vikings making noise.

CPU Steelers (B): CPU Steelers have gone back to smash mouth football and are somehow leading their division.

On the outside looking in

Broncos (B): A case could be made to drop the Broncos even lower. A stacked offense and equally cheesy Madden defense this team should be undefeated based off the talent alone. Veezy has been solid since joining the league, if he puts it all together and maximizes the talent on this Broncos roster he will be a force. As of right now the Sheriff will have to cut down on his interception count for this team to make some real noise in the AFC.

Eagles (B): Nase has continued his run first offense from Madden 25. Shady is piling up the carries and leads the team in receptions. The only problem as shown in the loss against Botz is can Nase piece together a passing attack for when he is losing?

Cowboys (B-): Kenny is a user known for his powerful if not questionable offense, this Madden hasn’t followed that script though. This team has struggled to move the ball through the air and will only go as far as Murray and a shaky defense will take them.

Falcons (B-): The question is which Falcons defense will show up? We know Blood can move the chains with his play style and his willingness to throw to his lesser known targets but this team has been held back by their defense. I have faith Blood will be able to carry this lackluster defense the remainder of the season but will definitely be looking to upgrade via the draft.

Underachievers

Seahawks (C): For whatever reason Lynch can’t stop fumbling. This does not bode well for a Seahawks squad controlled by a user who will admit passing isn’t his strong suit. Currently the Seahawks lead the NFC West but this division is a toss-up, if Lynch returns to beast mode status I see Seattle winning this division.

Patriots (C): Just like the team below them this is a great defensive squad being held back by a lackluster offense. Putt will get it together and I believe he will be able to string together some sustainable offense to finish the season.

Cardinals (C): Fierce defense will have to carry this team as the front office has completely overhauled the offense and is attempting to go run heavy. The jury is still out if the offensive line is talented enough to provide the required results. In the wide open NFC West the Cards still have a chance at winning the division.

Niners (C-): Elite LBs couple with solid secondary play is being wasted by a terrible Madden offense. The Niners came in highly rated at the WR position with a collection of receivers that simply did not translate well to the game of Madden. The addition of Kenny Stills has helped Kaep but it came at the price of shipping out Frank Gore. The Niners rushing attack has been brutal the first half of the season. In order to save this season the Niners need to find some sort of balance to ease the load on Kaep.

Lions (C-):  Chozen has struggled to get anything going this season. The talent is there in Detroit after pulling off some trades to help the defense. Unfortunately outside of dump off passes to RBs and Ebron Stafford has struggled this season. Like the Niners this is a squad struggling to find a solid rushing attack.

Redskins (D+): The talent is there, but Bravo is controlling the team.

Dolphins (D+): Once again the talent is there on both sides of the ball but the user needs to put it all together,

Your child is being held back… Again

Rams (D): 3 year plan

Giants (D): Botz has taken over the mediocre Giants and has kept the mediocre tradition going!

Jags (D): Hard to be critical of a team that lacked talent from the beginning and has completed 1 trade that further removed talent by trading away rookie WR Lee.

Bucs (D): Zilla is taking over the ruined team left by the owner we shall not name. The Bucs could be ranked higher but we need more game tape from Zilla to justify that. One thing we do know, regardless of his record Zilla has shooters on discount peep.

Chargers (D-): Chudd picked this division himself, nobody is surprised by him being last in the division

Colts (D-): This team might be suffering from the same problem as the Niners. Offense that is highly rated but does not translate well to the world of Madden.

Bears (D-): That offense is Madden gold but somehow they have only won 1 game. The defense is TERRIBLE but one would think Marshall, Jeffrey, Cutler, and Forte would be able to carry this team to a few shootout victories.

Browns (F): This team has too much talent for it to go to waste. Simmed games coupled with a user who was lit up against the CPU Steelers has Cleveland fans angry.

Bengals (F): AJ Green should result in at least 2 wins on his own.

Ravens (F): Just like Cleveland the Ravens are suffering from ownership that has failed to take care of the team.

Packers (F): Self-proclaimed King still hasn’t won a game

AFC East

1. Patriots- Talented is a solid player and inherited a solid squad in New England, the addition of Revis basically shuts down one side of the field and Browner has proven to be near elite at the CB2 spot. Look for the Pats to win this division by at least 3 games
2. Jets- Eeever is a solid player saddled with a horrible team. The defense (except for the bad secondary) will have to carry this team as the WR group is lacking a true #1 WR. A power run game limiting mistakes could keep this team in the wildcard hunt.
3. Dolphins- Randizy struggled majority of the M25 franchise but comes into M15 with a much better squad. We will see if he can limit his mistakes and utilize Mike Wallace to stretch defenses, this in turn could possibly result in some big games for the stable of Miami RBs. With that said, I don’t see this team making much noise season 1.
4. Bills- Niles learned firsthand that EJ Manuel needs A LOT of work to cut it as a competent passer in M15. He has assembled a nasty group of DTs in hopes of switching to a hefty 3-4 defense. We will see how those big hogs play when placed out of position. Without stable QB play I see this team coming in last for the first season.

AFC West

1. Chiefs- Dream was always a top contender in M25 and I don’t see that changing this first season. He doesn’t have Megatron this Madden but he has young developing stud Mike Evans and surely will utilize that big frame. He also has one of the top RBs in the game in Charles and a solid QB in my man Alex Smith. Couple this with Dream’s usual stellar defensive play and you have a contender for the #1 seed in the AFC.
2. Raiders- Ahh Harold vs Dream, we’ve all seen their lengthy exchanges and great battles. Although I listed the Chiefs as winning the division Harold could easily win the division and battle for the #1 seed in the AFC. Harold is inheriting a much better squad going into M15 and has the steal of the draft (for Madden players) in Mack. Look for Harold to continue his solid play.
3. Broncos- Not much is known about Veezy but from what I have gathered he is a solid player and has the Broncos stacked offense & defense. Unless Veezy is absolutely terrible he should be able to contend for a playoff spot.
4. Chargers- Chudd has a lot to prove this Madden, after struggling through M25 he decided to move to an even harder division in the AFC West. Look for him to continue to struggle in this stacked division.

AFC North

1. Ravens- Ant was saddled with a decimated Falcons squad in M25. He is now stuck with a better squad but HORRIBLE contracts. With that said he has a solid if not older defense and a unspectacular but more than competent offense. I see him winning this division but most likely as the 4^th seed in the AFC.
2. Bengals- Lemming should be able to battle for this division title with Ant, it’ll come down to the play of the Red Rifle Andy Dalton and if he can utilize AJ Green.
3. Steelers- Once Polamalu joins this team will be solid, even if they remain as a CPU team for any prolonged amount of time they still beat the Browns.
4. Browns- Lost to the cpu Steelers, maybe he will be able to turn it around but I don’t see the Browns making much noise this season

AFC South

1. Texans- White Legend has a nasty young defense, and a solid offense. I see him winning this division as long as the defense continues to put heat on the QB and he plays clean football on offense (of course utilizing Andre Johnson).
2. Colts- The talent is there on offense and they have stud CB Vontae Davis and the ageless Mathis harassing opposing QBs. We will see if Pursue can take advantage of the talent and make some noise.
3. Jaguars- Hawk was always solid on defense in M25, I look for him to continue that trend and finish the season on a hot streak once Bortles gets more game prep.
4. Titans- Trey has been away from the Madden scene for a bit and inherits a very MEH Titans team. Look for this franchise to struggle this season.

NFC East

1. Cowboys- Kenny has always been solid (if not basic) on offense, I see him leaning on the power run game he spammed in M25 and once that is patched it will go back to being deep balls to Dez and T-Will. All jokes aside look for Kenny to contend for the top 3 spots in the NFC.
2. Eagles- Nase finally has his Eagles squad. Based off his playstyle from M25 look for Shady to dominate the touches on this team. Make no mistake about it, this team goes as far as Shady takes them.
3. Giants- Botz returns as the Giants, we will see if the GM moves he has made pays off, personally I don’t see the Giants making any noise this season.
4. Redskins- Bravo will continue to stink but then claim he was top 5 months later. Look for him to completely waste DJax and Garcon.

NFC West

1. Niners- Always a top contender look for the Niners squad to continue the tradition and win this always competitive division. The addition of OU boy Kenny Stills finally gives the Niners speed at the WR spot. Time will tell if the solid (but unspectacular) CBs and RBs can hold up their end.
2. Seahawks- Six has always been solid on defense and now he inherits the best defense in the game. Look for him to pound the rock with Lynch and when needed try to utilize the deadly duo of Percy Harvin and Julio Jones. As long as Six doesn’t have turnovers in bunches he should be battling for a WC spot.
3. Cardinals- RC is a solid player but we will see how he does without Fitz on offense. No doubt the defense on the Cards will be solid but the question mark at QB could hold this team back until season 2.
4. Rams- Year 1 of his usual 3 year plan.

NFC North

1. Lions- I’m going out on a limb here but someone has to win this division. I see Chozen winning the division if he can acquire a solid CB. We already know Megatron will get his, time will tell if the defense will hold up their end of the bargain and be able to stop their opponent’s passing game.
2. Bears- Stacked offense but old defense. Even with some defensive shortcomings the trio of Alshon, Forte, and B-Marsh should be able to carry this team.
3. Vikings- This team will go as far as Teddy takes them, he has a tall task but having the best RB in the game should take pressure off of Teddy and keep the opposing defense honest. Unfortunately I don’t see Teddy being ready to steer this team to the division title this season.
4. Packers- Ponder consistently yielded the #1 draft pick in M25, he inherits a much better squad in GB but will need to limit his mistakes to contend. We will see if his huge interception numbers was the result of having bad QBs or if it was the result of bad user play, time will tell.

NFC South

1. Falcons- Blood returns home! Look for Blood to battle Carolina but ultimately win this competitive division. Balanced playcalling and solid defense will help mask some of the warts on this Falcons squad.
2. Panthers- STACKED offense but DECIMATED defense. Demonic put a lot of faith in his user skills being able to overcome his self-inflicted defensive deficiencies. I think he will be able to fight for the division title but the defensive holes will do him in.
3. Bucs- Not much is known about Levi’s style but I do know he beat the Panthers week 1. If he can continue to get solid play out of the RB position look for him to make some noise. Me predicting him to come in 3^rd isn’t a dig at his skill, it’s a testament to the toughness of his division.
4. Saints- Time will tell if trading for Gore was a mistake or not. The Saints already had plenty of offensive weapons but lacked a true bell cow back prior to Gore joining the squad. The talent is there but I don’t see much coming from this team in this tough division.