It seems likely that if you are here, you are someone who has already been playing Madden for some amount of time. You are someone who really enjoys the role of taking control of an NFL franchise, and you find intrigue competing against other individuals who will provide the best challenge available. However, what if there was a way to experience the thrill and the entertainment of a Madden league even more, and on a far grander scale? 
 

Ultimate Sim Football Championship (or USFC) is here to try and accomplish this exact goal. USFC will provide sim style franchise players a highly interactive and fun avenue to play games from August to August on each years current Madden NFL. If you are looking to build your team through the draft, free agency and wish to see out the results of your player development, then you've come to the correct place. USFC will strive to create a sim experience that all can enjoy. 


In any league, there will be bumps along the way. Undoubtedly, getting off the ground will always be the toughest portion of a league. As cliche as it may seem the qoute holds true, "if you build it, they wil come". Undoubtedly, we will filter through a good amount of users who are unable to keep up with the advance schedule, do not understand the importance of scheduling, or just flat out can not play by the rules and to our standards. Keeping a strong core of league users intact has been something that has paid off in the past and it's important that we create an experience that will allow the very best and most active users to strive - at the same time, you too will play a crucial part in this process. We ask that each and every user take pride in what they are doing, pitch in and provide content, comment on posted content, speak up to commissioners if therer is an issue. 
 

We believe that every user in the USFC deserves our very best effort on a consistent basis, on the gameplay, the off-season schedules, every request to a commissioner and any involvement in our community. Every single user is entitled to the very best in competitive Madden, entertainment and community activities. The users have a voice and commissioners will attempt to tend to any and all concerns that are brought to our attention. 


We have a lot of great ideas and future plans that are on the horizon to finish out Madden 17 and lead right into Madden 18. We are hopeful that we can accomplish the task of becoming a successful and strong long term Madden league. 



 

In the past we've concentrated on rewarding prizes based solely on a users ability with the sticks on the madden gridiron. We've examined how this has worked in the past and it was clear that it may not have been the most efficient way to induce league activity and comradery among others. We needed to decipher a new way of doing things. Something that would induce league activity and create a fun atmosphere. 
 

Often times throughout a Madden cycle in any league, two or three users can dominate the playoffs and win a lot of championships which banks them valuable prizes. While that is great and it really puts a reward on competition, it really leaves out a lot of valuable and dedicated users who may not be as skilled.

With that, we’ve come up with a better system to reward our users with the opportunity to earn prizes through various league activities and contributions. After all, getting guys involved and making the best experience possible for everyone is the number one priority for us as a commissioner group.

Each owner will be eligible to earn “tickets”. At the end of each season, these tickets will be dropped into a blind pot and will be drawn on video feed via the USFC Network (YouTube). Obviously, the more tickets you are able to earn, the higher the chance that one of your tickets are drawn for prizes.

You may only earn league tickets for the drawings if you are signed up on the USFC Daddyleagues site.

Prizes available:
- NFL Jersey of choice
- Xbox Live Gift Card
(This list will grow before the end of the season. We are still evaluating options for secondary prizes)


Recruiting:
Create an elaborate recruiting post - 3 Tickets.
Recruit a new user - 4 Tickets.
New user plays 8 games - 7 Tickets.
New user plays 16 games - 10 tickets.
(Tickets will be rewarded as the user hits the game count. If user hits the 16 game mark in the next season, those 5 tickets will be grouped into the next seasons drawing)



League Media: (USFC Network YouTube uploads)
Create a podcast - 18 Tickets (Maximum 5 per season)
Create a league highlight reel video - 15 Tickets (Ex. top 10 plays, game highlights, league montage)
Create dynamic league posters/magazines/logos - 15 Tickets


Daddyleagues Articles:
Sign up on Daddyleagues - 4 Tickets (One time set of tickets, let a commissioner know you signed up)
In Depth Game of the Week - 8 Tickets (Preview, Match-Ups, Players to Watch)
Any other game preview - 4 Tickets
Coach Interviews - 3 Tickets (Interview different users around the league)
Injury Report - 3 Ticket (Don’t just copy the in game report, give us some info about a few players on it and the impact it will have on their teams)
Mock Draft - 4 Tickets
Draft Review - 4 Tickets
Free Agency Grades - 6 Tickets
Draft Grades - 6 Tickets
Team Related Articles - 3 Tickets (Anything related to your team)
Draft Stories - 3 Tickets (Elaborate on the in-game draft stories in an article)
Power Rankings - 8 Tickets (Break down the top 10, give us some material to read)
Other Articles - Any other articles that aren’t listed here will be rewarded tickets at an amount decided by the league commissioner teams.
(If you have an idea for a regular article, write it up, bring it to the commissioners and we can review it for more Tickets!)


On-Field Performance
Play all 16 games - 15 Tickets
Play 14 games - 7 Tickets
Play 10 games - 3 Tickets
Super Bowl Champion - 18 Tickets
NFC/AFC Champion - 10 Tickets
Division Winner - 8 Tickets
Undefeated Season - 13 Tickets
Win 14 games - 11 Tickets

Win 12 games - 10 Tickets

Win 10 games - 9 Tickets.
Win 9 games - 8 Tickets
Win 8 games - 6 Tickets


Discord Chat:
Levels in Discord are achieved by chat activity, you earn EXP for each post in discord you make - once per minute. You can earn tickets for hitting a level goal multiple times in a season. Tickets will go toward the season in which you hit the goal.
Reach level 15 - 3 Tickets
Reach level 20 - 4 Tickets
Reach level 25 - 5 Tickets
Reach level 35 - 6 Tickets
Reach level 40 - 7 Tickets
Reach level 50 - 9 Tickets
Reach level 75 - 15 Tickets
Reach level 99 - 20 Tickets


Extra Carricular:
(These are activities outside of the Madden league that are done with the rest of the league)
Run a fantasy sports league for USFC members - 10 Tickets (Try to make the league large enough to host everyone who’s interested if possible, it won’t always be a possibility, but trying to include guys is a plus!)
Participate in a USFC member fantasy sports league - 5 Tickets
March Madness Bracket - 5 Tickets
Get USFC members to play in a franchise on another game - 10 Tickets (NHL, NBA, FIFA, etc.)
Make a Donation to USFC - 20 Tickets (They don’t have to be large, any amount helps!)




Losing earned tickets:
What can be earned, can also be lost. This is a delicate checks and balance system that will promote activity not just all at one time in the season, but continued activity throughout.

Failing to contact/respond to opponent - lose 8 Tickets
(If you do fail to contact/respond before your opponent plays CPU, you can still save your tickets by messaging a commissioner and letting them know that you did not completely disappear. Remember, life happens!)
Failing to show for a scheduled game - lose 10 Tickets
Failing to abide request for ‘Ball-Hawk’ check - lose 5 Tickets
Being suspended from playing 1+ games - lose 15 Tickets
Having a player on your team suspended - lose 3 Tickets
Signing more than 3 80+ OVR players in one season - lose 3 Tickets
Trading a player without being approved by Trade Committee - lose 10 Tickets
Being booted/suspended from discord for any period of time - lose 2 Tickets

 

Commissioners have discretion as to any extra tickets earned for other events, activities and duties involving the USFC. Tickets may even be rewarded for duties such as - Trade Committee member, rules/complaints moderator, helping review games to decipher rule violations and pointing commissioners in the correct direction, etc.




Prize for the Super Bowl champion is still being evaluated, but will be decided soon. The individual with the most tickets at the conclusion of the entire Madden 17 cycle will receive a FREE copy of Madden NFL 18. D



Tickets will begin being dispersed at the START of USFC Week 3 (Saturday May 6th @ 10pm EST)

I can’t speak for the other commissioners, but I am very excited for the starting direction of this league and the possibilities moving forward. I believe with the right group of users and leaders among the league, we can make this league into something great! Through the low and highs, buy in, don’t let your focus on the USFC waiver. Let’s have some fun!

Whether the media doesn’t give certain players enough attention or perhaps they fly under the radar all the way up to the LPL draft, every season there are players who go way earlier than originally anticipated. With that, there are also players who fall greatly in the season leading up to their draft day, be it off the field issues or bad performance.

We’re going to dive in and take a look at 5 different prospects leading up to the 2021 draft in a 3 part series. Part 1 taking place over the first 9 weeks, part 2 being released come week 17, and part 3 being released just before the draft is underway.

Davian Hodges, FB, Wisconsin
Hodges has sparked the interest of many recently as just a few short weeks ago he was playing for the Melbourne Rebels. That’s right, Hodges was a professional rugby player who now is the most recent to convert to american football. We’ve seen this before - Jaryyd Hayne, Nate Ebner - and although the results have been varied, usually in quick flashes of talent followed by long lulls of limited action, it’s intriguing nonetheless. Hodges clearly has the strength and size to play full back in the NFL, the question is whether or not he can adapt to blocking assignments in an NFL offense.

Michael Tull, HB, USC
Heading into the season, Michael Tull was all the rage at the running back position. In an underwhelming class of talent at the position, Tull was the lone candidate for a first round draft grade. He’s extremely quick, he’s shown the ability to avoid defenders in open field and turn into a receiver out of the backfield. He’s been a player that the scouts have been high on for some time. Until this season. Scouts are beginning to sour on Tull after a string of up and down games. One scout gave his input on Tull and was less than enthusiastic, “he’s a great athlete. He’s inconsistent. Not sure if he’s a starting running back at the pro level. When he’s good, he’s great. But…. When he’s having a bad day, it’s like the sky is falling and it’s the worst play you’ll see.” That’s not good news for Tull, who recently has dropped into the late second, early third in most scouts eyes. When talking to a top GM in the league he had this to say, “the scouts have done their work on him for sure. We’re in need of a running back, but man, he could be Reggie Bush. Might give you a good season, maybe a few really memorable plays, but he’s going to get hurt and he’s going to make a ton of mistakes, not the type of player you want to put much stock into.” Michael Tull will have a lot to prove as his season moves forward, he’s going to have to show some consistency in his play to regain traction and trust from the scouts.  



 

Phil Wilber, TE, Florida State
One season ago, Phil Wilber was projected to be a first round draft pick and scouts thought he was a player that could dominate at the tight end position. Wilber went against better judgement and decided to stay another year in college, which has turned out to be a huge mistake. In Florida States first 3 games of the season, Wilber had 5 catches for 87 yards and 1 touchdown - while also dragging along 13 drops. If that wasn’t bad enough, Wilber saw his draft stock plummet in a big game when he fumbled the football on the one yard line on what was the game winning drive. Why was this so terrible? Wilber was seemingly by himself, carrying the ball with one hand when the ball grazed his leg and quickly found its way into the hands of opposing defenders. Florida State had the game won, only to see a silly mistake cost them the game. With tight ends like Shawn Giordano and Trent Cash at the top of the draft boards this season, it’s unlikely Wilber is taken in the first two rounds. A massive disappointment for a player with such promise.



 

Marion Gatewood, CB, Nebraska
Marion Gatewood’s game clinching interception vs Indiana shows why he is going to be a top pick in the upcoming draft. The interception returned for a touchdown will go down as the defining play for a player whose college career wasn’t always on the path for a happy ending. Just two years ago, Gatewood was benched by the Nebraska coaching staff after giving up a series of big plays. On some of the most recent big boards, Gatewood has been ranked as high as the #1 corner and the #9 player in the entire draft. Expert Matt Miller is certainly a believer now, “After what he did last night, Gatewood moved up in my CB rankings. Teams could use an impact defender like him”. Gatewood should easily supply a team with a solid starting cornerback immediately out of the draft. Right now, he’s as surefire of a pick as you may see in this class.


 

Trent Cash, TE, Army
After looking downright unstoppable in back to back games against some of this coming draft's top defensive back prospects, Trent Cash is absolutely ready for pro level football. The question is, will he be playing tight end or wide receiver? While many hint at Cash as a candidate for conversion to wide receiver much like Kelvin Benjamin, he’s not such a fan - “I enjoy playing tight end. I’ve played tight end almost my whole life. Certainly as long as I can remember playing football. It’s fun. You get to be a receiver, you also get to knock guys around at times during the run game. You do a little bit of everything.”, Cash was very adamant that he wanted to remain at the tight end position upon his entry to the pros. Could one blame him? Many scouts have compared him to none other than Tony Gonzalez, a big pair of shoes to fill for sure. Todd McShay recently tweeted, “Cash isn’t just the top TE on my board, but also the top WR. He’s the most dominant prospect since Tony Gonzalez” It’s hard to predict someone be the caliber player Tony Gonzalez was, but it’s certainly hard to pass up someone who has that potential.

The halfway point of the season is officially here with week 8 now in the books. It was a wild first few weeks that had things shaken up majorly. At this point though the league is seemingly returning back to its normally scheduled programming as teams like the Bears, Bills and Panthers have started their ascension back to the top of rankings. This week, I'm going to give the crowd what they want and hit you with a full 32 team power ranking.

In the last version of this piece the power rankings were majorly opinion based. From here on out, we are going to try something a little different with a new system in place. The system will take into account records, upsets and scores. Each team will be given a “power score” with every team starting at a score of 15. As the season moves forward, we’ll see the dominant teams truly separate themselves from the rest of the pack - while we see low ranked teams earn bumps in power score if they can pull off upsets or blow outs. The strength of schedule created by the power score is really what makes this all stand out. This system was created by PS4 gamer Brad Hubbard for MLB the Show, and thankfully with his help he really made it work well with the football standings and match-ups after I put in the request.

To take this a step further, you’re going to notice even next season how the results from this year can still make an impact on you next year. Making the playoffs this season could potentially give you an added boost next season. This system is creative, and it should work extremely well. If you don’t agree with some of the rankings, don’t worry I don’t either just yet, the threshold for true strength of schedule is 12 games for each team. By seasons end, we’re going to see a really solid interpretation of power rankings.

Without continuing to bore most of you, I give you the week 8 power rankings - let the dissension commence!

1. (7-0) PR: 19.0
   You can’t leave the Chicago Bears out of the top spot here. Week 7 was a declaration of dominance as they dismantled the #1 defense (at the time) New Orleans Saints with a score of 33-0. The Bears have games against an under rated Packers team and the Carolina Panthers coming up. Although an early prediction still, they’re likely going to float into the playoffs as the top NFC seed. The question is, can they remain this dominant and get over the hump?
   
   
   
    

2. (6-1) PR: 17.8
   The Bills, in my opinion, are once again the best team in the league. Despite thoughts that maybe this dynasty was slowing down - that’s not the case. A loss to the division rival Dolphins certainly hurt them in the rankings, but this team is every bit as good if not better than the Chicago Bears on the NFC side. Don’t let a divisional loss fool you.
   
   
   
    

3. (6-1) PR: 17.8
   The Giants are currently in a heated divisional race between themselves, the Cowboys and the Redskins. There’s been criticism and thoughts that perhaps the Giants don’t belong near the top of the league, but this team is a threat every time they hit the field. The Giants defense can get to the quarterback in a hurry and cause havoc in the backfield for offensive lines that aren’t firmly prepared. The next two games for the Giants (vs. Redskins, vs Cowboys) are huge for both the Giants stock and playoff hopes.
   
   
   
    

4. (5-1-1) PR: 17.3
   The Panthers have looked much more like the team they were when they dominated the NFC South for several seasons unchallenged. A 5 game win streak has placed them back into the discussion among the top teams in the league. Thomas Rawls and Deontae Goldson are the “thunder and lightning” 1-2 punch that the Panthers have been in search of for the last two seasons. With a rejuvenated ground game, look out NFC.
   
   
   
    

5. (5-1-1) PR: 17.3
   The Raiders look like they could be on their way to a division title at this point, but the Chiefs will never be far behind. The defense is middle of the road but the “bend but don’t break” mantra they seem to employ is working for them. A two man show in the passing game certainly limits their offensive potential, but again, it’s working for them.
   
   
   
    

6. (5-2) PR: 16.7
   Don’t look now, but the Colts are 5-2 and looking like the easy front runners in the AFC South. A big upset by the Vikings hurt the Colts more than they can imagine and down the road that’s going to show. Speaking of that loss, I think that the entire league is still trying to figure out what the hell was going on in that game. It was ugly for both sides.
   
   
   
    

7. (5-2) PR: 16.7
   The New Orleans Saints started out the season as a ball of fire. They’ve certainly fielded one of the best defenses in the league, but the offense leaves a lot to be desired as it ranks near the bottom of the league in all categories. If they ever find their groove on offense, we can start to really consider them potential front runners. 2 tough losses in a row to the 49ers and Bears respectively has dropped their stock, and a close call from the Falcons also didn’t help. The Saints need to start scoring more points and if they can’t, they need to figure out ways to win the time of possession.
   
   
   
    

8. (5-2) PR: 16.1
   Ezekiel Elliot continues to put this team on his back and win them football games. Majority of the Cowboys offensive issues seem to stem from turnovers and quarterback Luke Chung holding onto the football too long. Despite that, this team remains solid on both sides of the football. Dropping 50 on a stingy LA Rams defense was quite a statement, can they continue the trend?
   
   
   
    

9. (5-3) PR: 16.0
   The Redskins have looked good this season and may very well have one of the best rushing attacks in the league behind Matt Jones. A week 5 loss to the Cowboys forced them just below the Cowboys in the rankings. I will continue to reiterate, this NFC East divisional race will be one of the best to follow all season and it’s very possible we see three teams out of the east in the playoffs. The Redskins will head to New York to take on the Giants after their week 9 bye.
   
   
   
    

10. (4-3) PR: 15.8
    Despite being 10th in rushing yards on offense this season, this offense has been very suspect. They are dead last in passing and 28th in total yardage. Lucky for them, their defense steps up when they need it the most by creating turnovers in crucial situations. This team seems to perform extremely well or extremely poor. There hasn’t seemed to be an in between yet, but at the end of the day how they win games doesn’t matter.
    
    
    
     

11. (4-3) PR: 15.6
    The Green Bay Packers are a team that can flat out sneak up on anyone. They’ve not been the same team in the time that Aaron Rodgers missed, but they remain a tough outting. Despite losing to some middle of the road teams and merely winning the games they should win, they’ve snuck their way to 11th in the rankings. Side note: Harvey McKinney may be the best running back in the league that we also may never get to see his full potential. After a week 9 matchup vs the Bears, the schedule lightens up and the Packers can try to make a run.
    
    
    
     

12. (4-3) PR: 15.6
    Another wild week for the Cleveland Browns in week 8 losing 41-38 in Philadelphia. The Browns show as much potential as they do the ability to let you down. Hosting one of the top offenses in the league, the Browns also host one of the worst turnover margins in the league. The defense is on the field often and often looks tired and run down. Shout out to linebacker Christian Kirksey - 5 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions and 5 touchdowns? One may start to think he could be a starting running back the way he gets down field when he gets his hands on the football.
    
    
    
     

13. (4-3) PR: 15.6
    It’s hard to read this team. By all means, this team should be better than 4-3. They are extremely balanced and have shown that their defense is tough this season with the #1 rushing defense in the league. The passing attack struggles once inside the red zone despite a few very big and physical receivers, including one Julio Jones. Perhaps as the season moves forward Baltimore will find it’s stride.
    
    
    
     

14. (4-4) PR: 15.2
    The Rams have been pedestrian to the eye test, however they find ways to win. Big losses to the Bills and the Cowboys hurt them, but they maintained their division lead with the 49ers also taking on some relatively big losses, including one to the Rams. Strangely, this Rams defense has looked well on field, but is ranked near the bottom of the league. They need to find ways to get Aaron Donald involved on defense again as it seems opposing offenses are starting to figure out ways to slow his impact.
    
    
    
     

15. (4-4) PR: 15.0
    Things started off great for the 49ers this season and Jameis Winston looked like he finally pulled a little something out of his back pocket to help him perform. Apparently the mojo wore off. In the last 3 weeks, Winston has thrown 11 interceptions - certainly the reason for the recent fall in the standings. If the 49ers are to succeed, they will need to stop these turnovers.
    
    
    
     

16. (4-4) PR: 15.0
    Another team that started off strong and has since fell into a bit of a slumber. The Dolphins were all the rage earlier this season after they knocked off the Buffalo Bills for only the third time this cycle. Since then they’ve been dealt a few tough losses to the Chiefs, Raiders, and Rams. The Dolphins are second in the league in passing, but only 29th in points scored. Weird combination. After their bye week, they’ll have another shot at the Buffalo Bills. Following that match-up, the schedule seems to lighten up somewhat and they may be able to stage a run for the playoffs.
    
    
    
     

17. (4-4) PR: 15.0
    Last years Super Bowl champions have taken a small step back. Despite this system having them ranked 17th, I believe that moving forward we’re going to see this team really take off. They’ve looked incredibly solid on both sides of the football and if many can remember, they dominated down the stretch last season.
    
    
    
     

18. (4-4) PR: 15.0
    The Houston Texans seem to be able to win against anyone, unfortunately they also seem like a team that can lose to anyone as well. Despite what seems to be a struggling run game, the Texans find a way to compete and maintain control of the football, keeping opposing offenses off the field. Cam Newton continues to be a one man offense, they’re going to have to find more ways to move the football if their going to win games against the better teams in the league.
    
    
    
     

19. (3-4) PR: 14.6
    Is the Super Bowl hangover a real entity? I’m still skeptical. However, if it is - the Falcons are certainly experiencing it. The Falcons defense hasn’t been as potent as it was last season, despite the same cast on the starting roster. A tough loss after a late interception in week 2 to the Redskins set the tone for their season. Another tough loss after seemingly sealing the game late against the Broncos only to see a quick slant go for a 75 yard touchdown continued the trend. If they’re going to make any noise, they’ve got to start now as they are quickly losing ground.
    
    
    
     

20. (3-4) PR: 14.4
    After struggling early, the Steelers look like they may have found some sort of revival. Perhaps not a playoff worthy revival, but a revival nonetheless. It’s been astonishing to see how much success Matt Ryan has had for the Steelers since taking the starting job from Roethlisberger. Ryan has thrown for 1,305 yards, 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions while completing 70.3% of his passes for a QB rating of 103. Those are the type of stats that help win football games. If the Steelers can find a way to run the football more often with an always explosive Le’Veon Bell, they could find themselves racking up numbers in the win column soon.
    
    
    
     

21. (3-4) PR: 14.4
    The Bengals haven’t looked very good defensively this season and their secondary, despite being ranked 10th in pass defense, has gotten a good name because opposing teams have been dedicated to ramming the football down the Bengals throat on the ground. Much of the Bengals poor offensive statistics come merely from not having as many series as most teams. Until their defense can start slowing down opposing ground games, it will likely be more of the same.
    
    
    
     

22. (3-4) PR: 14.4
    The Jaguars look extremely solid everywhere. They’re just coming out on the wrong side of things come time for the whistles to blow and mark the end of games. Blake Bortles continues to hold this team back with badly placed footballs that more often than not result in interceptions - 16 of them through 8 weeks. Yikes. So to put it in a nutshell….. The Jaguars do everything well, but Blake Bortles still sucks.
    
    
    
     

23. (3-4) PR: 14.3
    The Los Angeles Aftershocks are one of the very few teams this season that I haven’t had the liberty to personally see in action during a live broadcast. This team is clearly being held back by a struggling offense though and they’ve certainly lost ground in the divisional race to the Raiders and Chiefs. This team has been in somewhat of a rebuild mode, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see a user sticking it out and trying to get it right. If you build it, the wins will come?
    
    
    
     

24. (3-5) PR: 14.2
    The Vikings defense has been absolutely fantastic this season. They’ve had a relatively tough schedule to this point, but they held their own in both match-ups vs. the league best Bears, and against the Carolina Panthers. I believe the Vikings can make some noise, but their going to have to take a signature win if their going to improve their ranking.
    
    
    
     

25. (3-5) PR: 14.0
    It’s obvious what this team needs to do, put the ball in David Johnsons hands more often. I believe the Cardinals are failing to utilize this incredible playmaker to his full ability as he only has 19 catches on the season so far. Johnson is unique in that he can be a ground and pound back and a pass catching back, you don’t see that often. It’s a crime to not feed this guy the ball 8 out of 10 snaps you take. The other head scratcher with this team seems to be that despite all the great talent on defense, they rank in the bottom of the league. What’s going on in Arizona this year?
    
    
    
     

26. (3-5) PR: 14.0
    The Broncos seem capable of competing, just can’t get over the hump. A week 7 upset over the Atlanta Falcons certainly showed what they are capable of as they stole a win right from the Falcons’ grasps. They need to work on the defensive side of the football, but it’s easy to like what you see on the offensive side. Wide Receiver Tomas Lindsey has been an absolute freak - 43 catches for 740 yards and 6 touchdowns - that’s as good as you can ask for with a struggling team only 8 weeks in. Continue to put the ball in his hands and good things will happen.
    
    
    
     

27. (2-5) PR: 13.3
    A middle of the pack football team that hasn’t been able to win games, also in the toughest division currently in LPL? Yeah, that’s not going to equate to a playoff run, they will certainly be in the running for a top 5 pick at the rate their season has been flowing. A week 8 win over a solid Cleveland Browns team was uplifting and they may notch another vs. a struggling Bengals team, but after that the schedule is going to get pretty tough.
    
    
    
     

28. (2-6) PR: 13.0
    The Seahawks are a tough team to judge this season. They can absolutely put up yardage and compete despite an atrocious offensive line that leaves Wilson under pressure every down. However their aging defense is finally showing it’s colors, ranking at the bottom of the league in every category.
    
    
    
     

29. (1-6) PR: 12.1
    J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! Well, that’s all the excitement you’re going to get out of the New York Jets this season. Easily the worst offense in the league, the Jets won’t be in the way of many this season. 2 seasons ago, the Jets were playoff contenders and now they’ve fallen back to the bottom of the league. It’s a dog eat dog league I suppose.
    
    
    
     

30. (1-6) PR: 12.0
    It’s been a struggle this season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There is talent on this football team though, and new ownership could help in fantastic ways. Sneak peek to week 9, the Buccaneers man handled the Oakland Raiders with this new owner. Perhaps the Buccaneers fortune is about to change.
    
    
    
     

31. (1-6) PR: 11.7
    The Titans haven’t been very good at all this year. The turnovers are piling up in Tennessee. It’s obvious that forcing the ball to Hopkins every passing down isn’t working out with the rest of the league clearly knowing he’s the only threat in the passing game. The Titans need to eliminate pre-determined reads from this offense and start figuring out a different way. Rushing the ball could be their best friend with Derrick Henry in the backfield and a solid offensive line.
    
    
    
     

32. (0-7) PR: 9.3
    Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, Dick Chaney didn’t even misfire this badly. The Lions find ways of beating themselves every week. They did come close week 8 in Dallas, but close doesn’t count for much when you haven’t got any wins on the season. There’s a lot of work to be done in Detroit, but currently they’re looking like the surefire holders of the #1 overall draft pick.

Legends Premier League has been around for a while now, and never have we seen what we're seeing. The whole damn league is as unpredictable as it's ever been. New comers defeating established power houses, powerhouses falling to what are believed to be lackluster opponents. It's a bizarre time right now and to think, we're only 6 weeks in. Everything is different this season.

The Saints looked like an absolute force to start the season. Then week 5 came. Apparently the defense can't score enough points to win a game. That's right I said defense, not offense. Believe me, there was very little during their week 6 match-up against the San Francisco 49ers that looked like a pro offense.

Just a few short weeks ago the Falcons and the Dolphins looked like they were contenders - perhaps they still are - and then the Raiders came steam rolling through town with a giant can of whoop ass peeled wide open.

Many believe that the Bills are still the team to beat in Legends Premier, but the games we are seeing play out so far have much different to say. Perhaps the league has finally cought up to the unstoppable freight train that has been the Buffalo Bills.

Should we continue? I'm not sure we need to explain any more how strange and competitive this league has turned in just a matter of a season. In past seasons, clear front runners ruled all. This season, it still seems to be anyones game. Without continuing to give examples of how competitive the league has looked this season, we give you. . . Power Rankings.

1. (6-0)
   Sitting at 6-0, the Bears are the last of the undefeated following week 6. Despite a so-so performance from Tate Kaufman (they’re far and few between), the Bears continue to be one of the toughest teams in the NFC to defeat.
   
   
   
    

2. (5-1)
   The New York Football Giants have looked impressive this year, starting at a fast 5-0. A slight week 6 hiccup shouldn’t drop their stock too far, this team is decently balanced and can win games with their passing attack. Their bend but don’t break defense has yielded only 16 points per game this season.
   
   
   
    

3. (4-1)
   The Colts have looked impressive this season and should be considered as one of the best offenses we’ve seen roll out since week 1. Their defense has helped them by not allowing teams to score, however their secondary is ailing. Ranked 32nd in passing yards allowed on defense, the Colts offense is impressive because it has to be. Every week seems like it could turn into an offensive shoot out.
   
   
   
    

4. (4-1)
   The Saints are coming off a tough week 6 loss to the 49ers. That doesn’t change the fact that their defense has been the best in the league through 6 weeks though, ranking first in every category. While the offense has been sputtering as the season opens up, I believe they will finally start clicking soon and take the NFC South by force.
   
   
   
    

5. (4-1)
   The Browns haven’t been anything extremely impressive to write home about. However, they are winning football games. Dak Prescott seems to finally be on the same page as his receivers and the Browns defense seems to be doing their jobs - albeit middle of the road. What could make this team slip down the stretch? A running game that seems to be no where in site.
   
   
   
    

6. (4-1)
   Dear Buffalo, I’m sorry for placing you so low. Fact is, there’s plenty of new blood for you to feast on. Despite being the highest scoring offense this season, something about the Bills isn’t right to me. I say this now with the absolute knowledge that come the end of the season, the Bills will be the team to beat. Perhaps we shall just call this a handicap. Anyway, yada, yada, yada - the Bills will be great.
   
   
   
    

7. (4-2)
   Your defending Super Bowl champions looked like they were showing signs of weakness early, but they’ve since recovered and look fine. The Patriots are going to employ the same scheme as they did last season, fast hard nosed football resulting in the usual turnoverville for New England. These guys don’t need to score on their own possessions, as they’ll just steal your possession away from you.
   
   
   
    

8. (4-1-1)
   There’s been a changing of guard with the Oakland Raiders, however I believe they’re still the team to beat in the AFC West. Rolling through the Dolphins and the Falcons proved that this team can contend with the roster they have. Now, it’s time to step up and claim the division.
   
   
   
    

9. (4-2)
   Ezekiel Elliot is the heart and soul of this football team right now and it couldn’t be more evident. With lackluster quarterback play, the Cowboys have found their way to a 4-2 start. This team has potential and it’s flashed in huge ways. The question is whether or not they can keep the turnovers (interceptions mainly) at a minimum and let Zeke and the defense lead them to a division title. It won’t be easy with the Giants on top currently.
   
   
   
    

10. (4-2)
    The buzz in the off-season was that the 49ers were looking good and could be on the move in the NFC West. Apparently that was true, as their currently leading their division behind the quarterback play of Jameis Winston. After several seasons at the top of the draft board, the 49ers look like they’re finally in shape to contend for the playoffs and perhaps in the playoffs.
    
    
    
     

11. (3-1-1)
    Since trading Cam Newton, things haven’t exactly went the Panthers way. What used to be the dominant NFC South team in LPL had turned into several seasons of question marks and searching for a solution at quarterback. It looks as though Scott Childress can be “the guy” in Carolina, but they’ll have to be patient. With the Saints ahead, and the Falcons hot on their heels, this division could be anyones right now. A tie with the Raiders a few weeks ago didn’t help their cause. Who ties in football? C’mon Panthers.
    
    
    
     

12. (3-2)
    Super Bowl hangover? Perhaps it seems that way, but the numbers seem to be telling a different story. This defense still ranks near the top of the league in every category, except scoring. Last season the Falcons were allowing a mere 17 points per game, this year opposing offenses have figured out this stout red zone defense. Their going to have to find new ways to keep teams out of the end zone. Meanwhile, the offense ranks 4th in scoring. What is going on in Atlanta? They better figure it out quick.
    
    
    
    
     

JUST MISSED THE CUT

With all the twists, turns, bumps and holes that Madden gives us from week to week, predicting what will happen in Legends Premier League can be tough at times. Who could have guessed that the New England Patriots would finally take the next step last season and give the forever dreaded Buffalo Bills a run for their money - and succeed at that? Probably not many of you.

Within this article we'll take a look at several bold predictions and why I believe them to be possible. You'll also get an inclusive look at my 2020 season playoff predictions, as well as a Super Bowl match-up and prediction. 

1. Jameis Winston will lead the 49ers to the promise land. Well, maybe not the promise land. However, I believe that a 49ers resurgance is about to take place, and it's going to take place with Jameis Winston showing everyone that he's still got it. Winston will lead the 49ers to their first LPL playoff birth this Madden cycle by being the front runners of the NFC West. 
    
2. New England Patriots take a step backwards. It's tough to believe that a team which looked so dominant - winning the Super Bowl by a large margin over the Atlanta Falcons - could take a step back so quickly. This league can be unpredictable at times, but I don't see a New England repeat in the cards. With the addition of Rich back to the Dolphins, I believe that division just got quite a bit tougher to compete in. The Patriots in the past have shown little restraint throwing to their #1 target in Rob Gronkowski, opponents will catch on, I believe it will bite them this year. I believe the Patriots will miss the playoffs. 
    
3. Matthew Stafford throws 30+ inteceptions. It's no secret that new users in the league struggle with our sliders when first getting acclimated. After a rough week one outting, I believe that our new Lions owner ItzKyleHomie704 is about to embark on a first season journey that few have experienced. With an aging quarterback, and a shotty offensive line, Stafford will shatter our interceptions numbers. Sorry Detroit! 
    
4. New Orleans Saints win the NFC South. CEO has been a solid addition to the league since entering, and he's been competitive. Unfortunately, he's been on the wrong side of the win column for a couple seasons now. With a fantastic off-season and a stellar draft, the Saints are finally restocked with talent and ready to make a run at the South title. 

2020 SEASON PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS




#1 Seed - Buffalo Bills (15-1)
The Buffalo Bills, as always, are a model of consistency. Year in and year out, they are the gold standard. With a few contenders to the Bills starting to show, they will have a tougher road to follow this season. I believe they are once again going to walk into the playoffs as the AFC East champions however. Everyone will be playing catch-up with Janko and his Bills. 


#2 Seed - Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
It's been quite a while since we've had a Colts user that can compete. While it's always tough to deipher what a new user will be capable of, I believe that's exactly what WhiteKimbo is going to come in and do. Despite quite a few aging pieces scattered among the roster, the Colts are still in relatively good shape. The receiving core is one of the best in the league, and the Colts have also restocked at corner to compete with the Jaguars' potent passing attack. More so, the Colts schedule looks like a straight path to the playoffs, as the Bears and the Jaguars look like the only thing standing in their way. That's three games this year that could be on the tough end. 

#3 Seed - Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) 
I believe the AFC West is going to come down to the final couple of weeks. This Chiefs team is loaded with explosive playmakers - Canidate, Hill, Allen, Kelce - and now they've added a true dual threat quarterback that can bring the offense to it's true potential. Pair that offense with a defense that always seems to force turnovers and you've got a team that I'm not sure the rest can compete with. If any of the other teams in the want to win the division, it will go through Kansas City. 


#4 Seed - Baltimore Ravens (8-8) 
The AFC North is somewhat of a wild card every season. The Ravens have been suspect in years past and the Browns have been in control of that division. The Ravens have made several strides this off-season to get better, including adding Julio Jones which should change the entire dynamic of their passing game. I;m not sure whether or not Baltimore is any more than a middle of the pack team but the Ravens should come out on top this year. 


#5 Seed - Miami Dolphins (11-5)  
Call me crazy, but I believe in this Dolphins team. There's a reason why one of my bold predictions had to do with the New England Patriots missing the playoffs and this is it. I believe the introduction of Rich into the AFC East will add a new dynamic that the Patriots don't overcome. The Dolphins added talent at quarterback, wide receiver and retained a key cog on the offensive line in Laremy Tunsil. They also found speed and playmaking ability via the draft when they took linebacker Pone Artis-Payne. A dolphins resurgance is in the making. 


#6 Seed - Oakland Raiders (10-6)
With the same record as their AFC West counterpart, the Raiders won't overcome the road block that is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders will take the final wild card spot in the AFC. I'll be honest in saying that I'm not sure what, if any, threat that the Raiders will pose in the playoffs but they will be there none the less. If they can keep interceptions at a minimum and control the flow of their games, they are a lock. 






#1 Seed - Chicago Bears (14-2)  
The Bears should once again sweep through the NFC North division and win their respective title. With Tate Kaufman behind center, there's no doubt that the Bears will have one of the best offenses in the league. The defense shouldn't have to do much to keep the Bears checking off names in the win column. 


#2 Seed - New York Giants (11-5)
I believe that Fridge is ready for a surge in the NFC East and will turn heads this year with a solid passing attack. Two seasons ago Darrin Waller was among the top 5 in receiving yards and touchdowns - I see signs leading toward another dominant season incoming. 


#3 Seed - New Orleans Saints (11-5)  
The Saints have been at the bottom of the league now for a couple of seasons. They have restocked and reloaded and are ready to make a run. Always a tough out to play, CEO can hang with some of the best the league has to offer.  He understands how to take advantages of mismatches and defensive schemes. Look for him to start making his mark this year as he will win the NFC South title. 


#4 Seed - San Fransisco 49ers (10-6)
The 49ers haven't had the best history of owners in this cycle. However things are about to turn around. Jameis Winston should be heading toward a comeback year. Much more, the loss of some talented owners in the NFC West should help the 49ers' cause. One year after 3 NFC West teams making the playoffs, the division as a whole should fall back to earth as the 49ers take the reigns and run. 


#5 Seed - Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
While I don't usually rank myself, I truly believe that a wild-card birth is in the cards here. With such a talented roster, it will be hard not to make the playoffs. 


#6 Seed - Carolina Panthers (9-7)
The Panthers previously owned the NFC South before last season. This is a tough team to beat that has suffered from poor quarterback play since trading away Cam Newton to the Houston Texans. They are loaded both at wide receiver and at cornerback and there's no reason they shouldn't win enough games to sneak into the playoffs. 










SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

It's tough enough to predict who will and won't make the playoffs in LPL. What's tougher is predicting who will be in the Super Bowl and who will win. No one expected the Bills to miss out on two straight Super Bowl appearances. No one expected the Falcons to come out of the NFC side and appear, only to get blown out against the Patriots. It's been a complete list of surprises in the Super Bowl the last two straight seasons. The Chiefs/Cardinals Super Bowl from two seasons ago may go down as one of the most enjoyable to watch in recent seasons. Without further dragging out, here is my Super Bowl prediction.......

Carolina Panthers vs Buffalo Bills 

Despite predicting the Panthers at a mere 9-7 record, there were a few obvious reasons. One being the quarterback situation. The Panthers will be slow to get used to their new quarterbacks throwing motion. They'll sneak into the playoffs and consequently gain momentum at the perfect time as the playoffs begin to heat up. 

The Buffalo Bills will dominate from start to finish, sweeping their way through the playoffs behind the strongest run game in the league. They will capitalize on several big turnovers in the playoffs making easy work of the AFC. 



SCORE
Carolina Panthers: 24
Buffalo Bills: 21

Why: In recent seasons, we learned that the Bills aren't unstoppable. They can be beat. With a stout group of cornerbacks, and an extremely fast linebacker core - the Carolina Panthers will have the tools in place to stop the Bills from stretching the field while also being able to keep the damage caused by the Bills rushing attack at a minimum. For a third straight season, the Bills will continue to fall closer to mortality. 
 

After days of preparation and speculation in an off-season whirlwind, the 2020 Legends Premier League draft is over. Franchise-altering decisions were made by future Super Bowl Champions, and every team in the first round exited with some sort of optimism. Whether filling huge holes on the roster, picking players that will pay off down the road, or adding to positions of strength - every first round pick was imprtant to the future of each franchise. 

I took the privelage of  diving into every first round selection in the 2020 draft and evaluated all 32 players that came off the board. Prospects are just that, prospects. No matter what their collegiate resume looks like as they approach the big stage, there is no guarantee that a player will be successful on the next portion of their journey. Below is my first round drafted prospect review. 


 

1. Los Angeles Aftershocks
   OLB Damarr Reese - Purdue (Dev: Star - Age: 23)
   Reese is one of the most polarizing conversations in the entire draft. This kid can do it all and he has an innate nose for finding the ball carrier and stopping them in their tracks. He has burst off the line of scrimmage that few have seen before which should translate to results on the field. Quarterbacks will be looking over their shoulder as he barrels through offensive lineman.
    

2. New Orleans Saints
   DT Markese Rivers - Notre Dame (Dev: Quick - Age: 21)
   The Saints have been awful on defense, so going defense is not a surprise here for me. What is a surprise is that they took a defensive tackle. With an already solid defensive line (albeit aging), it’s hard to imagine what the Saints were thinking here. Many thought they would go after a cornerback at second overall. It’s quite a leap of faith for a team that has needs to take a sub-package interior pass rusher, regardless of how good Rivers can turn out to be.
    

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
   MLB Brandan Kent - Tennessee (Dev: Normal - Age: 23)
   Brandan Kent is today’s typical NFL linebacker. Fast, agile and able to cover some of the premier tight ends in the league when asked to do so. Despite needs along the offensive line, the Buccaneers know that if they are going to win football games, they are going to need a strong front seven. With Kent, they should now have just that.
    

4. Pittsburgh Steelers
   OLB Marshall Florence - Georgia (Dev: Star - Age: 24)
   Projected to enter as a 3-4 pass rusher, the Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping they don’t get a repeat of Jarvis Jones or Bud Dupree - both of which had promise coming into the league and didn’t pan out for the Steelers. Florence is fast enough to drop into coverage when the situation arises, but he’s going to make the difference for the Steelers by getting after the quarterback. Huge frame at 6’7 and 260 lbs that could punish opposing blockers. His best trait will be using his raw power and length to bull rush the opposing force.
    

5. Cincinnati Bengals
   QB Barry Dailey - Oregon (Dev: Quick - Age: 22)
   This pick left many of us scratching our heads. Still held up under a massive contract handed to Teddy Bridgewater, the Bengals were forced to cut ties with veteran Andy Dalton this past off-season. With such a large contract, you would think that the Bengals would bite the bullet and roll with Bridgewater behind center - you know, make the best of a bad situation. Instead, they used the fifth overall pick to take Oregon quarterback Barry Dailey. We just don’t understand this one. Wasted selection aside, Dailey was one of the best prospects at quarterback in the entire draft. This kid is F-A-S-T. We haven’t seen a quarterback with this speed since RG3 was selected by the Redskins in 2012. His ability to stay calm under pressure and bring his teams back from the brink of losing is circa Tim Tebow. Perhaps the Bengals were hoping this kids on field mojo could help them out of the Bridgewater fiasco. Sorry Cincinnati, not quite how the salary cap operates.
    

6. Green Bay Packers
   CB Demetrious Richmond - Wisconsin (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
   Demetrious Richmond could end up being one of the best selections the Packers have made in recent years - which we all know how many times they’ve ignored their defensive backfield. Richmond has the footwork to stick stride for stride with some of the best receivers the league will have to offer. With a little work, he could very well turn himself into a shutdown corner.
    

7. Denver Broncos
   CB Dareon Bookman - Alabama (Dev: Normal - Age: 23)
   Bookman doesn’t necessarily excel at any one aspect of his game. However, scouts were more than impressed with the fact that he was solid and polished in every aspect of his game. Bookman comes up big when needed the most, leading Alabama to yet another national championship last year. He’s a clutch player, this was a solid pick for a team that will soon need youth at the position.
    

8. Miami Dolphins
   MLB Pone Artis-Payne - USC (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
   The needs that the Dolphins had heading into this off-season were plenty, heading into the draft little had changed. The team clearly couldn’t see Kevin Minter being a suitable solution so they knew they had to take Artis-Payne. A lot like Deion Jones, Artis-Payne will use his speed to make running backs (and anyone coming over the middle) lives miserable. If his speed wasn’t enough to make offenses account for him day one, his ability to hit like a Mack truck will have running backs and receivers alike looking up field before bringing the ball in. He should be a center-piece of the Dolphins defense for some time to come.
    

9. San Francisco 49ers
   CB Nick Golliday - Auburn (Dev: Slow - Age: 23)
   Golliday has a large frame and comes from the Richard Sherman mold. That’s not to say he’s going to be as good as the aforementioned. Golliday has a low ceiling and often gives up on plays that he thinks he’s taken out of. With less room to improve than the other draftees, the 49ers can only hope that he can prove a lot of naysayers incorrect and use that frame to lock his side of the field down. While it was a good move for the 49ers with a need at corner, they may have whiffed - only time will tell.
    

10. Oakland Raiders
    HB Ephram Todd - Notre Dame (Dev: Normal - Age: 23)
    “I had pick 10, I panicked” - the famous mid-draft words from Raiders user MadHadder. The Raiders traded away a signifcant haul for the #10 overall pick, but it appears they didn’t quite have a plan. Or at least, they didn’t have a back-up plan if their original plan fell through. A panick pick at #10 overall isn’t quite the way I’d like to see a team start the year, yikes! It’s not all bad though. Ephram Todd is a great talent and will surely steal the show from Latavius Murray from day one. He’s not going to plow through defenders, or shove them to the ground with a mean stiff-arm, but he’s going to out run and avoid them with quite a bit of success. Scouts were worried with his ability to be a three down back due to shotty pass blocking skills and multiple holding calls in big situations in his college years, but he should pan out as a solid selection.
     

11. New York Jets
    LT Delano Cockrell - Florida State (Dev: Quick - Age: 23)
    The first offensive lineman to come off the board is Delano Cockrell. Cockrell is the most NFL ready prospect along the offensive line in the draft. After putting a premium on stocking up with offensive fire power in recent seasons, the Jets are now putting a premium on protecting their big money quarterback, Derek Carr. Cockrell should plug in and play at left tackle on day one. This is a solid selection that makes sense for the Jets, especially with some elite pass rushers in the AFC East.
     

12. Detroit Lions
    DE DeSean Thrash - Auburn (Dev: Quick - Age: 22)
    Understand here that the Detroit Lions base defense is a 4-3 front. Thrash projected from the beginning as a 3-4 defensive end from the time he declared. We’re not sure if the Lions plan on playing him outside, or if they think the big body on the outside is going to help their run defense. Since losing Ziggy Ansah a few seasons ago, the Lions pass rush has struggled and their defensive line as a whole has been lackluster. Thrash could turn out to be a very good addition to the Lions defensive line, but right now I’m going to hold judgement as the Lions had so many other needs.
     

13. Philadelphia Eagles
    WR Mavin DeVan - Auburn (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
    Another pick, and another Auburn player off the board. It looks like the Eagles will continue to throw caution to the wind by adding yet another big body wide receiver. DeVan is a fantastic talent, but the receiving core is crowded at the top and DeVan being such a talent could prove to be an interesting mix. Cornerback was a big need for the Eagles and with a few left on the board that rated as first round prospects, this move has some scratching their heads. Despite that, DeVan will be a fantastic receiver for the Eagles. He comes out as a complete all around threat, something that doesn’t show up too often. If the Eagles can find a way to work him into their passing attack consistently, it’ll be tough to find a defensive backfield that can match-up with them. Carson Wentz now has the talent around him, all eyes are on him.
     

14. Indianapolis Colts
    CB Parker Hawthorne - Florida (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
    Hawthorne should have been off the board when the Eagles went on the clock, somehow he made it past them. With an aging Vontae Davis leading the way, the Colts got just what they needed with Hawthorne. A solid all around corner with the ability to turn into a guy that can stick stride for stride with the likes of Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson. Great pick here.
     

15. Washington Redskins
    CB Latteral Stringer - Ohio State (Dev: Star - Age: 22)
    A cerebral assassin in a zone coverage scheme, Stringer was a great addition for the Redskins. At 22 years old, he has a lot of time to improve and an extremely high ceiling. To become an elite corner, Stringer is going to have to work on tendency to draw flags down field. His vertical jump blew the rest of the corners at the combine out of the water, which should translate to winning more jump balls.
     

16. New Orleans Saints
    RT Cobie Hinton - Alabama (Dev: Normal - Age: 21)
    With an offensive line that is solid all around and seems to have it’s starters already entrenched on the roster, it’s tough to imagine taking an offensive lineman here if I’m the Saints. They clearly know something I don’t. Hinton is a great talent and should provide for solid protection, if he plays.
     

17. New York Giants
    OLB Devin Wistrom - Ole Miss (Dev: Star - Age: 24)
    The Giants cut ties with a lot of aging talent this off-season and had a big need at linebacker. Wistrom will fill that need. He’s an old-school linebacker that will give the Giants heavy production. He’s big, strong, and can get sideline to sideline on a dime - the sky is the limit for Wistrom. This was a great pick for a Giants team that looks to compete.
     

18. Chicago Bears
    OLB Ronny Upshaw - South Dakota (Dev: Quick - Age: 23)
    Who would have thought a linebacker out of South Dakota would be going in the top 20 of the draft? Upshaw has blazing speed and uses it to force turn overs. He’s got a high motor and opposing players will quickly learn to cover the football when they see him rushing down the lane toward them. What’s more impressive is his coverage abiities. Upshaw despite being a linebacker, can cover like a safety - a trait that many teams absolutely covet.
     

19. Minnesota Vikings
    WR Donald Sawyer - Auburn (Dev: Quick - Age: 24)
    Big frame, substantial speed, strong hands - that’s what every team asks for in a receiver. Sawyer is just that. After letting Treadwell walk in free agency, the Vikings knew they needed a solid #2 option to pair with Stefon Diggs, they also knew that Rishard Matthews was not that guy. Sawyer should be able to take advantage of some lackluster defense in the NFC North (outside of the Bears) and get his own.
     

20. Houston Texans
    OLB Earl Ricks - Louisville (Dev: Normal - Age: 23)
    Earl Ricks was a decision based absolutely on speed. The Texans knew their linebacker core was lacking and they needed an upgrade. Ricks will give them that, but he’s a work in progress without a doubt. He’s not a good tackler and he doesn’t necessarily show anything special in his pass coverage. Ricks is your run of the mill linebacker that will get you by.
     

21. Atlanta Falcons
    MLB Josh Groves - Louisville (Dev: Slow - Age: 22)
    Playing alongside Earl Ricks at Louisville was Josh Groves. A run stuffing savant who has a high motor - unfortunately Groves also has a temper and is extremely undisciplined. He’s a clear work in progress but many scouts were, and still are, of the belief that he has a low ceiling and won’t get any better than what he is now. While this pick doesn’t appear to make sense for the Falcons, this could be the beginning of the end for linebacker Lamar Pointer in Atlanta as his contract expires at seasons end.
     

22. Kansas City Chiefs
    QB Tremaine Francoise - Florida State (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
    Francoise is an electrifying talent at quarterback. Passing for 4000 yards and rushing for 1000 yards at Florida State, all without winning a heisman, that’s impressive. This is the Chiefs’ third quarterback in as many years - could they possibly miss on another one? Francoise should be a lock to be a franchise quarterback for the Chiefs. Best case scenario he’s of the Cam Newton mold. Worst case scenario? Look out Jamarcus Russell, you may have someone to share a cheeseburger with.
     

23. Dallas Cowboys
    RG Derron Bess - Hawaii (Dev: Star - Age: 23)
    Derron Bess comes into the next level of football already near the top of the game. We haven’t seen a lineman with footwork like Bess come out since Zach Martin a few years back - who just so happens to be his teammate now. Bess will instantly start and should help this run game reach new heights again. This was a great selection for a Cowboys team that has lost some talent on the line in recent years.
     

24. Tennessee Titans
    DT J.D. Mabin - LSU (Dev: Quick - Age: 23)
    Mabin is a lane clogging defensive tackle that knows how to abuse offensive lineman. Don’t let his size fool you, he’s got a quick burst off the offensive line and if you’re not accounting for him, he will get to the quarterback as well. The drafting of Mabin should open up more lanes for Jurrell Casey to get to the quarterback. Solid addition for a team that got a haul moving out of #10.
     

25. Jacksonville Jaguars
    TE Sherard Warford - Pittsburgh (Dev: Star - Age: 24)
    At the time of the draft we were asking, “so Jaguars, how many tight ends will you field this year?”. But upon review of Sherard Warfords game tape, this guy should be an absolute beast. 6’7 264 lbs, but can run and catch like a wide receiver. That’s not a guy that I would want to have to gameplan for. He should turn out to be a better version of Julius Thomas.
     

26. Seattle Seahawks
    WR Lewellyn Jeffries - Florida State (Dev: Quick - Age: 24)
    With Doug Baldwin being in the twilight of his career, the Seahawks needed to add talent at wide receiver. Jeffries is an immediate upgrade to the Seahawks passing attack and will instantly turn into a nightmare to cover for opposing defenses. Not saying that I agree with this pick, however. The Seahawks offensive line did them in during the playoffs, finally proving why an offensive line is key. If they can’t protect the quarterback, then this selection is null and void.
     

27. Arizona Cardinals
    WR Demarcus Richard - Oregon (Dev: Normal - Age: 24)
    The Arizona Cardinals were thin at receiver and the talent they did have available were lacking. John Brown hasn’t got much time left in his career, Demarcus Richard should give the Cardinals an outside threat they haven’t had since Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. With the addition of Jimmy Garoppolo, the Cardinals may be looking to take some of the pressure off elite running back David Johnson. It was smart for the Cardinals to get a reliable option at receiver.
     

28. Buffalo Bills
    TE Kris Garland - Oregon (Dev: Normal - Age: 24)
    Could it be? Did the Buffalo Bills really go offense in the first round? Garland is a fine talent coming out. Being on the Buffalo Bills immediately boosts his value and will likely mean some great productivity moving forward.
     

29. Carolina Panthers
    QB Scott Childress - Wisconsin (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
    The Panthers were in a search for a quarterback long before draft day. It was no secret that the team struggled offensively with Brett Hundley calling the shots. Childress is a solid talent, but he’ll likely be competing with Theodore Francis for the starting job. Either way, the Panthers hope to have found their franchise quarterback finally. It’s fair to say, trading Cam Newton did not work out.
     

30. Chicago Bears
    S Raymond Lowery - Florida State (Dev: Normal - Age: 23)
    The Chicago Bears upgraded their defensive backfield by taking safety Raymond Lowery. Nothing can change the game like a big hit and Lowery can deliver just that. Lowery was one of the most physical safeties in this draft class, yet he’s still a more than capable safety while in coverage. The Bears got a steal with Lowery, as I thought he was going to go a bit higher than 30.
     

31. Carolina Panthers
    OLB Eric Hamlin - Nebraska (Dev: Slow - Age: 23)
    Much like Josh Groves who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons, Hamlin is a complete linebacker already - but he has little room to improve at this point. In what is already a stout defense, Hamlin should be more than a fine replacement for the talent that they lost.
     

32. New England Patriots
    RT Ben Muhammad - Pittsburgh (Dev: Normal - Age: 22)
    The Patriots clearly want to run the football. Ben Muhammad is an above average run blocker, but he will struggle when asked to pass protect. You have to take the good with the bad when starting Ben Muhammad, but hope is that he’s young enough to greatly improve moving forward. At pick 32 and a talented roster, the Patriots had little to lose.

With the rookie draft taking place this morning, it's time to officially wrap up the last of this past season with the release of our Legends Premier League awards. Over the past couple of weeks, majority of the league took their time to submit ballots and choose who they feel deserved recognition for their performance on the Madden field, and even some recognition as some of the best users and most active users in the league. 

The results were great, 21 of our 32 league users voted - although I am not accounting for those who did enter just prior to the draft. I think this was a great turn out. 

So without making you guys read on any further, the awards! 

Offensive Rookie of the Year
Winner: RB E.J. Burke - Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are an absolute dynasty in Legends Premier League. Last season, they added some serious play making ability when they took running back E.J. Burke out of Massachusetts with the 29th pick in the 3rd round of the draft. Splitting time in the backfield, Burke stole the show to the tune of 1,800 yards and 24 touchdowns on just 210 carries - good enough for 8.6 yards per carry! Despite the Bills not being able to get back to the Super Bowl for the second straight season, Burke took the team to a higher level - something many didn’t even think was possible.


Defensive Rookie of the Year
Winner: OLB Rashaud Lamar - New England Patriots
Being the 5th overall pick in the draft, no one was doubting Rashaud Lamar and his ability to get off the edge at the snap. Lamar was the clear leader in the Patriots defense, providing them a pass rush that proved nearly unstoppable en route to a Super Bowl victory. If a 22 sack rookie season wasn’t enough to earn him a ROY award, perhaps the 4 forced fumbles and 4 touchdowns was what really pushed him ahead of the rest. Lamar will be a force for years to come, offenses may want to consider triple assignments soon.


Offensive Player of the Year
Winner: QB Tate Kaufman - Chicago Bears
Tate Kaufman has been the poster boy of consistency since coming into the league, providing the Bears with one of the best passing attacks that we can remember in recent time. While the rest of the league were passing the football to keep defenses honest, the Bears were taking advantage of their stout run game and moving the ball effectively and aggressively down field. Kaufman is accurate, and he makes defenses pay when they choose to try and stop the Bears rushing attack. It’s likely that Kaufman continues his surge right into this coming season and leads the Bears to even more success. Pick your poison coaches.

 

Defensive Player of the Year
Winner: LB Reginald Barton - Buffalo Bills
A Buffalo Bill tops the chart again as the defensive player of the year. Reginald Barton won 44.4% of the votes. Although he doesn’t see the tackle totals other linebackers may see, Barton gets the job done with superb effectiveness. Tying Rashaud Lamar with 22 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 touchdowns, everyone has to be wondering what in the world the AFC East is feeding these players.


Most Valuable Player
Winner: QB Tate Kaufman - Chicago Bears
See - Offensive Player Of The Year.
Put another check in a box on the list for Tate Kaufman.




Most Surprising User
New England Patriots - SimplyMouse (George)
George received 39% of votes, enough to be named the Most Surprising User this past season. Although many knew he was competitive, no one quite expected him to be so dominant. Not only did he defeat Bjanko, he also won the Super Bowl - establishing himself as one of the top users in the league. Certainly we haven’t seen the last of the Patriots in the playoffs, expect him to be a perennial contender.


Toughest User to Play Against
Buffalo Bills - Bjanko
Janko winning this award surely will surprise no one - winning 85% of the vote. Janko has established himself so well at the top of the league that even guys who didn’t play the Bills this past season found themselves voting for him. Prior to the last two seasons, he went undefeated for nearly 5 straight. Regardless of how much better he is than the rest, it’s an amazingly impressive accomplishment with all the different swings and slants that Madden will give you on a week to week basis.


Favorite User to Play Against
Washington Redskins - Tom Marvalo (Tom)
Clearly, people love playing against the Washington Redskins - knowing it’s a free win. Just kidding .Tom does a good job at keeping it sim and mixing up his play calling. He also knows the rules pretty well. Having the privelage to play him before, I can see where this award came from. He earned 38% of the votes.

 

Legends Premier Man of the Year
Atlanta Falcons - iLLmaculate 0ne (Chris)
I’m not sure what’s more strange, the fact that I have to write about myself winning an award or the fact that Tom was almost named Man of the Year. So weird. Tom received 8 votes, I received 9 votes - it was a tight race. Then Derek came up the rear with a whopping 1 vote, however I think we all know that he voted for himself on this here. Just kidding, I hope. Thank you everyone, the fact is we really stepped up - all of us - this season and the league is really starting to turn into what Rich and I always envisioned it could when we started. Seeing the uptick in league activity and interest is exactly what we needed to keep this thing moving along smooth and what we needed to really get excited for what’s in front of us too.

Thank You, Julio Jones. 

The Atlanta Falcons announced today that Julio Jones has been traded to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a first round draft pick, ending an illustrious career with the Falcons that has cemented him in the conversation of some of the greatest of all time. 

Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank commented, "Julio is without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever wear a Falcons uniform and even more importantly, he is a tremendous person on and off the field that everyone fans and staff alike have grown to love. When people say the name Julio Jones, he will always be thought of as an Atlanta Falcon. He has meant so much to the Atlanta community and at times, trying to separate the business from the emotion is hard to do - painful even." 

Julio Jones has apparently taken the news well with his normal grace and dignity tweeting, "thank you atlanta. i will always be a falcon. football is business." 

Maybe you're not surprised by the Falcons cutting ties with the best receiver in franchise history, but many truly expected Julio Jones was going to be on this football team until he sailed off into retirement - given his leadership and potential to help the young receivers that the Falcons have built their core around now. The Falcons will eat a little over $2 million in cap with trading Jones, but what may have played a larger factor is the $17 million that they have now freed up with many of the younger players on the roster needing to renew. 

Of course, many will feel that when you're dealing with an absolute Atlanta icon like Julio Jones, it shouldn't just be about what is practical. It doesn't seem to matter that the Falcons seem to be well off at receiver and as a whole, fans are only going to see the fact that the Falcons just traded away someone who is leaving behind the finest career a receiver has ever enjoyed in Atlanta - with franchise marks in receptions, receiving yardage and even touchdowns. Just two seasons ago, Julio Jones had over 2,000 yards receiving and last season was no different as he hadn't appeared to lose a step yet. 

This trade will bum us out in Atlanta for quite a while - but as many of you are quick to remind me, this is the cold "what have you done for me lately" game of football, where move's like this are par for the course. The Falcons can only hope that they see success this season without Julio Jones, as odd as it is to read that as a sentence. Julio Jones should be a fantastic addition to Baltimore and should surely continue his dominance for at least a couple of seasons. 

Thank you and farewell, Julio Jones. 

After what was an enduring and hard fought season for many alike, the silly season is finally upon us. Nothing like the frantic offerings of the off-season to shake things up league wide. As free agency, scouting, the draft - and let us not forget about the start of the trade season - all begin, there are a few new rules that the commissioner team has approved moving forward. 


Trades: 

• The trade limit will be decreased from 3 trades to 2 trades per season. (Super Bowl to Super Bowl) A trade alotment will be used for any trades involving a first round pick OR a player. 
   
• The commissioners have passed new guidelines on trading a top 10 draft pick moving forward to closer replicate the value of these picks in real world situations. Guidelines can be found on the Discord server and will be added to the official rules pages shortly. 
   

Gameplay:

• Rules forcing users to keep their playcalling fresh and non-reptitive are expected to be enforced more heavily. 
   
• Rules regarding pre-snap hot routes will be enforced more heavily. 
   
• Anyone refusing to agree to a spot check on the "ball-hawk" rules will immediately be considered in violation of the rule regardless of the final outcome. Commissioners have the right to spot check anyone on this setting at any time. 
   

Broadcasting: 

• Beam is now an acceptable way to stream your league games. Be sure that you log into their desktop website and check the option to save recordings as we will need to be able to view replays for a short time for any rule issues. 

For new owners: 
 

• New users in the league are still technically required to play 6 games before being allowed to make trades. This will be a case by case scenario and if you are allowed to earn trades early, they will be scrutinized and looked at more closely. 
   
• Don't be afraid to ask questions - if you have a question, ask a commissioner! There are five of us and we're always willing to help. Be sure to read up on the rules a second time. 
   
• If you're struggling with the sliders, chances are you need to slow down and worry about getting used to them before winning games. These sliders aren't for everyone, people often struggle their first season and then take off their second. Give it time. 
   
• Do not under any circumstances quit a game. You will be at the commissioners discretion, as a new user - that is not a good thing. 

What was a strong and competitive game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons, turned ugly late as the Cardinals were thrashed in the third and fourth quarters last night. Atlanta sealed the game up late with a long touchdown run from running back Al Blackstock in the fourth quarter with just 3 minutes remaining in the game - putting the Falcons up 38-18. 

Following the game, things went even uglier. Not being able to take the drubbing, despite having a 13-3 record heading into the playoffs, Hi Im Ayman turned into every leagues worse nightmare. . . A giant douchebag. 

The attempt to release the entire Cardinals roster was made, but Hi Im Ayman sucked at being a douchebag as well - announcing in the discord "you're fucking garbage" and leaving ubruptly. Luckily the commissioner team was quick to react and booted the flaming asshole from the league with only limited roster casualties. (3 players)

The commissioners have of course decided to permanently ban Hi Im Ayman from the league and will add him to Daddyleagues "bad owner list" as well as Operation Sports' bad owner list. Hopefully, this will make it next to impossible for him to join a well established league and try to screw over multiple people again. 

After taking the division crown for the first time in several seasons, a division the Panthers have reigned supreme of, the Atlanta Falcons are preparing to embark on their playoff journey. First up on their list of opponents may be the very team that the Falcons were hoping to draw, the Los Angeles Rams. 

A week 6 match-up between the two teams exposed every weakness that the Falcons possessed at the time as the Rams put a 22-0 drubbing on the Falcons - a game that was very well the beginning of the end for quarterback Nick Adams after a 6 interception performance. The Atlanta Falcons fell behind early and threw their rushing attack to the curb, making matters all the worse was that the Falcons' defensive backs were clearly caught off guard by a Rams passing attack that was before that match-up a non factor for the Rams. 

"They can't cover me," said Tavon Austin following his 7 catch 105 yard and 1 touchdown performance, "they were moving like stones out there. I was having a field day, I'll tell you this, I'll be happy to come back here and play these corners again." 

The comments were dirt in an open wound to the Falcons secondary. The Falcons secondary is still young, and they received a pass on it for the time being. The ever so vocal leader of the secondary Keanu Neal, though had some words to the media earlier this week - "they caught us off guard. We were all keying on the run, no one expected Tavon to come out and have a performance like that during that week, I mean most weeks no one covers him because he can't catch the ball when he's by himself anyway. We're ready for them." 

Shots fired. 

On the offensive side, it was a disaster. There was no offense. None. Nick Adams made more plays that went into the hands of defenders than he did to his own receivers it seemed, and the Falcons coaching staff gave him every opportunity to turn it around. He just never did. Adams was eventually benched in favor of the veteran, Landry Jones. Jones has been exceptional for the Falcons down the stretch and he seems to have good chemistry with the receiving core - especially Julio Jones. Despite being a career back-up with no real starting experience outside of a few games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, players say that he gave the offense some "swagger" down the stretch and turned it around for them. 

The Falcons held a walk-through yesterday afternoon and the team seemed confident in their upcoming match-up. Head Coach Jerry Glanville has been more than positive in how the team has prepared, "They came out and they knocked us in the mouth that week. That's what it was. They just killed us. We had nothing for them all afternoon. Not to say the defense played poorly, but we certainly could have done a better job on both sides of the ball. It showed how resilient these guys are this year, this is a hard nosed defensive football team now and they're going to show it this weekend. We're prepared, we feel the Rams pulled out all of their artillery the last time we faced them, which is a little unlucky for them and great for us. We've got a few guys back from injury and ready to go at 100 percent. We're just ready. We'll see what happens Sunday." 

The Atlanta Falcons are clearly looking for a big redemption game agains the Los Angeles Rams - if they can pull it off, it may give them the momentum they need to get a playoff run rolling. 

This is an exciting time of the season as despite the regular season not quite coming to a close yet, awards voting is upon us! Week 16 and 17 for most teams in Legends Premier League are merely a formality at this point, with all but a few playoff seeds decided. Some teams are opting to rest starters with their spots locked up, some are opting to possibly sim games altogether. We've seen our fair share of amazing performances this season from all over the league. 

In a year where rookies have glimmered and shown they are ready for the big stage, just a few have separated themselves from the rest of the pack this season. On the veteran end, Tate Kaufmann of the Chicago Bears heads into the voting as the favorite in the MVP race, but players like Jarret Canidate and E.J. Burke were hot on his heels down the stretch. 

While the Buffalo Bills generally dominate the in game awards on the AFC side, league users should shake things up a bit now that they have their handle on the reigns of the voting.  There were of course a lot of players/performances that simply didnt quite make the discussion. Honorable mentions will always be given to guys like running back Matt Jones, who absolutely carried the Washington Redskins to what looks to be a division title - that team was defunct on offense, but Matt Jones put the team on his back and absolutely crushed it this year. Don't let your players missing out on awards voting keep you from taking part in this great activity for the league! Use it as a chip on your shoulder and come back next season plugging away. 

Newest addition to the awards voting is the Legends Premier Man of the Year - reserved for the owner in which has shown the largest dedication in making the league great this season. A lot should be taken into consideration for this prestigous award - games watched, articles/media content submitted, suggested rules and league changes, discord chat activity and even games played. This award should set those who truly love this league apart from the rest. Winner of the Man of the Year award will receive a soon to be announced prize that is still under discussion. (Anyone who votes for themselves will be immediately disqualified and shunned to the maximum effect of mockery on the leagues main chat in discord - beware!)

To take part in voting head over to surveymonkey.com at the link below and get started! Awards will be revealed at some point during or shortly after this seasons Super Bowl has been played. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TK6HS5N

Last season was a strange one in the Legends Premier League, as the Buffalo Bills were finally taken down in the playoffs by the division rival Jets after a little more than 5 seasons of undefeated football. Yes, you read that right - the Bills losing a football game is more strange in the league than the latter which is the Jets even making the playoffs.

Despite the crushing loss, it was still hard to imagine anyone challenging the Bills' supreme reign of the AFC, much less the AFC East division title. A strong New York Jets team from last season took a huge step backward falling back to earth as they rank near the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category, including most importantly -- points scored. The Miami Dolphins, years later, have still yet to give up on the Ryan Tannehill experiment (Yes, it's gone wrong, it's over, take the hint Miami). Along with one of the worst teams in football, the Dolphins have made little noise to try and win football games - no where near even considering a divisional title. 

By process of elimination, that leaves the New England Patriots. Under new ownership, the Patriots are now flourishing once again. At 10-1, it looks like they may actually have a shot to challenge the juggernaught that is Bjanko's Buffalo Bills. While many feel that the notion of the Patriots defeating the Bills is one of the "I'll believe it when I see it" type of thoughts, the week 13 match-up between these two dominant AFC teams will do exactly that - let us all see it. The game may not determine the outcome of the AFC East, but it could certainly teach us a lot about both the Patriots and the Bills. 

- Can the Bills stay focused with a hot Patriots team in hot pursuit, or will they fold under pressure? 
- Can the Patriots step up and play with the high rollers of the league - or are they merely another awaiting victim for the Bills to chew up and spit out?

The New England Patriots can defeat the Bills and we'll break down exactly how it can be done. 

Step one: Rush Clay Fasano

In the Buffalo Bills playoff loss to the New York Jets last season, the Jets not only knocked Fasano from the game early - but they were relentless in rushing the passer. The Jets were able to keep themselves in the game by getting to the signal caller on 7 different occassions. 

Under so much pressure, the Bills completed only 53% of their passes on the afternoon and were forced into throwing 2 interceptions - something that's abnormal for a usually consistent and careful Bills attack. 

That's not to say that BJanko struggles as a passer under pressure, but any time that anyone has come close to defeating the Bills, it's been much credited to a great pass rush. 

Step two: Win the turnover battle

This seems like an obvious statement, and that's because it is. There's quite a bit of luck involved with turnovers at times, but the Buffalo Bills are consistently among LPL's best at avoiding them. Forcing mistakes is difficult against the Bills, but it's definitely a must. 

There's little reason to go deeper into this aspect. To put it simple: making mistakes is a problem, and not capitalizing on the Bills' extremely rare mistakes is even worse. 


Step three: Dominate the time of possession

Anytime you can keep a high scoring offense on the sideline, that's going to be a winning formula. The Buffalo Bills have the number one offense in the league - and that's for good reason. They have so many different ways of attacking even the best of defenses. We talked about Clay Fasano already, and he's great -- but the real threat are the Bills dynamic running backs. What makes the Bills so dominant is their ability to score early and often on big chunk plays and then when their opponent is looking weak and tired, they ram the ball down their throats, usually to the tune of 150-200 yards of rushing. 

Keeping the Bills offense off the field as much as possible is going to be something the Patriots need to think about when they take the field week 13. Getting in a shootout with Bjanko will merely result in a frustrating afternoon of football. 





If the New England Patriots can somehow pull off a stunning victory, they should easily become the favorites in the NFC to go all the way. The Bills have eluded any form of competition for 5+ seasons and it's without a doubt that they haven't any intention of lifting their foot off the gas pedal. While the Bills don't have much to prove at this point, the New England Patriots seem to have every bit to lose. This may be one of the biggest match-ups of the entire LPL season. 

The Atlanta Falcons surprised the league when they took the field vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars and their first round draft selection from last year wasn't taking the field. Instead, Landry Jones took the start - and he did about as well as the Falcons could have asked him to do. 

Despite a huge win, reporters were less focused on the what the team just did to the Jaguars after the game, and more interested in what was going on with QB8 - Nick Adams. 

Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville wasn't having any of it at first, "that's sort of a dumb question at this time. We just dominated the Jaguars. We went out and smashed them right in the teeth, that was a huge defensive win just like we've been doing all year and what you're going to ask is why we benched a player? We won!" 

Although clearly ticked about the questions, after several more of the same from different reporters, Glanville finally let it out. . . 

"He's stunk! Let's spell it, S-T-U-N-K. We the coaches know that, his team mates know it, and he certainly knows it at this point. He's a great talent and he can be a great quarterback, but he's not confident enough and everyone knows it. When you've got one of the best defenses in the league backing you, a multiple time over all-pro wide receiver and other great supporting cast players - you don't go out and throw 24 interceptions in merely 10 games and expect to keep seeing the field. If he's not confident in his own arm, we sure as hell aren't going to be either!" 

When asked if he expected to see Adams on field again during a game this season Glanville was hesitant, "well, he's going to work. We're going to help him every day at practice, probably after. He's going to put his work in and we know that, but he's got to get it right.. Right now Landry Jones is going to remain our starter. There's no ill feelings here, Nick knows he's stunk and he wants this team to win games." 

Could Landry Jones finally be getting his first fair shot at a starting gig in the NFL? Quite possible. He certainly has one of the best teams he could have possibly wished for around him.