The Los Angeles Chargers are the most improved team from when MXL started until now, Season 5. Overall, MXL is four points above the average for team ratings compared to when madden first dropped the patch on September 5th, and ranges from the highest rated team being a 94 and the lowest rated team being a 76. Despite some turnover, 78% of the teams in MXL have progressed higher than the ratings that they started with. This contributes to our balanced progression system, our committed leaders, and our strong core owners that all come together to make MXL a welcomed and great league to be a part of!

Highs –

 The Hawks win the game 24-17. Second year HB Ahmed scampers for 137 yards on the ground after missing majority of the game in week 1. Offensive rookie TE Hausmann and WR Stove shine with a combined 7 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. Seattle’s defense had a combined 8 sacks against the Titans offense. Second year LB David Long led the charge with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Lows –

 Despite the victory, newly acquired QB Josh Rosen’s interception woes continue. The Quarterback only connected on 44% of his throws and turned the ball over 4 times, for a whopping 8 interceptions on the season. His accuracy will have to improve drastically if the Seahawks want to replicate the success that they found last season.

Week 3 Game plan –

 The Seahawks are up against the 1-1 Packers, who are coming off a big loss against the Cowboys. The Packers QBs account for 42% of the teams total rushing yards, so the Seahawks will seek to contain the QBs and bring pressure against them. That pressure should limit their rushing ability and force a few turnovers.  

The Hawks-Vikings matchup was highly anticipated and it lived up to the hype with Seattle edging out Minnesota 26-17. Injuries plagued this game from the start. After his third carry, star HB Salvon Ahmed was injured and out for the game. His backup Nyheim Hines had a solid game picking up 74 yards on 10 carries, but he was also injured for half of the game. Despite throwing 4 interceptions, Josh Rosen still threw for over 350 yards with 2 added touchdowns. After taking a 17-3 lead, turnovers kept the Vikings in the game. Going forward the Hawks would like to take a more balanced approach to their offense, hoping that leads to less turnovers. Despite all the in-game injuries, they escaped week 1 without sustaining another ongoing injured player.

The Seahawks had a very positive 3-1 preseason record. Their biggest contributors on offense came from rookie WRs Eli Stove and Nico Collins. Stove posted over 400 yards and Collins had just under 300 yards respectively. Despite an already crowded and deep WR core, both WRs made the cut and are part of the 5 WRs on the team. Rookie MLB Connor Taylor put on a show in his four preseason games totaling up a league high of 7 interceptions. Seattle only sports a two deep MLB core, so they’ll expect Taylor to continue that production in the regular season. Preseason didn’t come without its costs, as HB Ito Smith, CB Kary Vincent, and starting DT Malik Jackson were injured. Jackson and Vincent will be ready by Week 4 and Smith will be ready to play by week 8. After talking with the Seahawks owner, he only had this to say when asked about the upcoming season, “It’s an expectation for this team to make the playoffs, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.” 

DEFENSIVE ENDS –     B-

1. Deandre Lane – N.C. State
2. Tyrone Ransom – Michigan State
3. Evan Reilly – Montana State
4. Martin Atogwe – Colorado
5. Doran Cole – East Carolina

DFENSIVE TACKLES –     B-    

1. Bryant Townsend – Arizona
2. Hunter Archer – Arkansas State
3. Ashley Poole – Colorado State
4. Mike Hymes – USC
5. Douglas Mady – N. Illinois

LINEBACKERS –     B

1. Correy Crosby – Penn State
2. Kelon Bannister – Florida
3. Kasheem Newsome – Idaho State
4. Trevon Chanoine – Penn
5. C.J. Drescher – Nebraska

CORNERBACKS –     C+

1. Isreal Stevenson – Wisconsin
2. Trey Boyett – Stanford
3. Daniel Henderson – Washington
4. Lefi Fuller – Georgia Tech
5. Cesar Parks – Cincinnati

SAFETIES –     C+

1. Vaughn Grant – UCLA
2. Roshawn Emanuel – Pittsburgh
3. Marquese Heeney – Northwestern
4. Montrell Logan – Boise State
5. Gage Kehl – Idaho State

In comparison to the offensive class, the defensive side of the draft is truly lacking. Although there are a few defensive standouts that have top 5 status written all over them. UCLA’s Vaughn Grant is a monstrous hard hitting safety that’s going to take MXL by storm. His pursuit and tackling are some of the best traits that scouts have seen coming right out of college. Penn State’s Correy Crosby recorded over 100 tackles his last season and he was a cornerstone for the defense. He is MXL ready and scouts have graded him as one of the top tackling LBs coming out of the draft.

The MXL combine is just a few weeks away and we will see if there are any prospects that improve on their current status. We could also see a few names that aren’t in my top 5 shoot up, we all know how much speed is coveted in MXL and often leads to players being drafted much higher than they should be.

* Letter grades denote the overall average of the traits for each position

QUARTERBACKS:     A

1. Reilly Ali – Louisville
2. Henry Levoir – Penn State
3. Dustin Townsend – USC
4. Eric Fisher – Mississippi State
5. Garrod Montgomery – Alabama

The 2022 QB class is one the strongest draft classes that we have ever seen in MXL history. Four out of the five top prospects are projected to go in the first round. Reilly Ali dazzled scouts this season with his combination of power and accuracy. His crisp and precise throws led Louisville to their first bowl victory since 2015. We saw Henry Levoir and Dustin Townsend face of this past season, with Penn State demolishing USC to a tune of 45-15. Levoir just 21 years old, displayed pin point accuracy and decision making as he outplayed Townsend. Despite the loss, Townsend came to play delivering perfect throws under pressure. Penn State’s defensive line wouldn’t leave the QB alone, but he showed perfect poise and power behind his throws. Mississippi State’s Eric Fisher was the winner of the Heisman award, he dominated defenses all season long. Scouts have questioned his arm strength but there’s no denying that this man can light up defenses with his play action ability. Alabama’s Garrod Montgomery has question marks written all over him. There’s no denying his arm talent, but he has had a tendency of making wild passes especially when facing pressure. There is a concern with his accuracy and it’s a wonder how well he would have done without all-star wideout Alexander Martinez this season.

HALFBACKS:     B+

1. Juan Gray – LSU
2. Deron Miller – Boise State
3. Lewis Walker – North Dakota
4. Deshawn Mumphery – Beth Cookman
5. Marcus Boone – Grand Valley State

WIDE RECIEVERS:     B+

1. Alexander Martinez – Alabama
2. Derek Finch – Washington
3. Gary O’Dowd – Utah
4. Josiah Prather – S. Illinois
5. Romel Cole – San Diego State

TIGHT ENDS:     B

1. Barry Ostrowski – Connecticut
2. Spencer Garnes – Utah
3. Zach Leggett – Tennessee
4. Nikolas Holman- Oklahoma
5. Howard Pearson – UL Lafayette

OFFENSIVE TACKLES:     B

1. Sascha Reed – Florida
2. LaJarvis Holloway – Auburn
3. Chet Motta – Kansas State
4. Dixon Rabb – N. Illinois
5. Ali Whittington – Ole Miss

OFFENSIVE GUARDS/TACKLES:     B

1. Wesley Carter – Wisconsin
2. J.D. Devey – Florida State
3. Derek Duarte – UCLA
4. Richard Carden – Notre Dame
5. Asher Watts – Tennessee

* Letter grades denote the overall average of the traits for each position.

NFC Playoff Predictions:

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. New York Giants
4. Detroit Lions
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Dallas Cowboys

The bye will go to the Seahawks and the Buccaneers. Both teams have had success relying on their rookie HBs this season. The Giants are locked into the third seed despite having a challenging couple games remaining on their schedule. The 4^th seed is wide open in a division that has had its ups and downs all season. The Lions are hot right now and riding a five game winning streak that will lead them into the playoffs. After starting out 0-4, it was a miracle for this team to even be thinking playoffs. The Packers are only one game behind the Lions, so they could swoop in if the Lions revert back to their early season woes. The Eagles have almost locked up the first WC spot with a very easy schedule, (all three opponents are below .500) to finish out the season. The Cowboys control their own destiny with the final WC spot. They have a difficult schedule ahead of them but if they can win at least one of their remaining games, they’ll clinch a spot with a 9-7 record.

Remaining Schedule for Teams in the Mix:

Lions – Panthers, Colts, Saints (3-0)

Eagles – Steelers, Bengals, 49ers (3-0)

Cowboys – Giants, Packers, Browns (1-2)

Falcons – Seahawks, Buccaneers (0-2)

Saints – Raiders, Buccaneers, Lions (1-2)

Packers – Bears, Cowboys, Vikings (2-1)

Panthers – Lions, Chargers, Chiefs (1-2) 

AFC Playoff Predictions:

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Houston Texans
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Cleveland Browns
6. New England Patriots

The bye will go to the Ravens and the Bills. Both teams have remained dominant throughout the season. Despite the Bills and Texans both sitting at 11-2(8-1 Conf) the Texans (Colts, Jags, and Ravens) have the harder schedule remaining whereas the Bills only have one opponent above .500 remaining.

The Chiefs have a comfortable lead in the AFC West and only have one team remaining over .500(Broncos) on their schedule.

The WC spots are up for grabs at the moment. I think a 10-6 record will take these spots. The Browns, Colts, Jags, Broncos, Patriots, and Dolphins are all in the mix. The Browns and the Colts are the front runners but I think the Patriots have a solid chance of sneaking in. They have a favorable schedule and if they can pull off the upset in week 17 over the Bills, they should finish the season strong with a 10-6 record, and in doing so, they’d finish ahead of the Colts (6-6) with a conference record of 7-5

Remaining Schedule for Teams in the Mix: 

Browns – Giants, Bengals, Steelers, and Cowboys (3-1)

Colts – Dolphins, Texans, Lions, and Broncos (2-2)

Jaguars – Chargers, Ravens, Texans, Bengals (2-2)

Broncos – Jets, Chiefs, Colts (1-2)

Patriots – Dolphins, 49ers, Bills (2-1)

Dolphins – Colts, Pats, Bills, Jets (1-3)

1.       Oakland Raiders

2.       Indianapolis Colts

3.       Baltimore Ravens

4.       New York Jets

5.       Tennessee Titans

6.       San Diego Chargers

It’s that time of year again, we’re going into the latter part of the season and despite some strong records currently, I foresee some teams falling in rank and others missing the playoffs completely.  

             In the AFC, the Raiders have shown their dominance with only 1 loss on the season. They only play two teams above .500 in their remaining games, so I expect them to stay atop the AFC. The Colts currently sit in 5th place in the AFC, but with a strong push near the end I see them overtaking the South. They have 3 more games against their division rivals and just 1 other game against an opponent with a winning record. The Ravens suffered a tough loss against the Jets this week, but with only 3 remaining games against teams with a winning record, they’ll remain atop the North and battle for that 3 spot, although with one more loss, the Jets may overtake them. The reigning AFC Champions are under new ownership but are looking just as dominant. They only have 1 game left versus a team over .500 and that is a huge game against the Texans with dramatic implications. I can see them fighting with the Ravens for that 3/4 spot in the playoffs. The Titans have started their first 10 games off insanely hot with a 9-1 record. However, 4 out of their last 6 remaining games are against divisional opponents. Despite the difficult schedule, the Titans hot start will keep them in the playoffs as a wildcard team. The Chargers are sitting at 5-4, and in need of some help to get into the playoffs. Although, they only play 2 teams above .500 in their last 7 remaining games. Their road to the playoffs is paved before them if they can squeeze out a win in one of those two games while winning the ones that they ‘should’ win. 

Honorable Mention: 

The Houston Texans(8-2) 

Htown is having a magnificent season but 5 out of his last 6 games are against teams above .500. He definitely has his work cut out for him, but even with squeezing a few wins in, I foresee him on the outside looking in come playoff time. 

Good Luck to everyone though and feel free to prove me wrong!!