Before the first season of the Madden 23 cycle began, I attempted to predict how the season would play out for each division.  With the defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders in the final seconds of the AFC Divisional round, my pick to win the AFC and ultimately SFL Super Bowl 46 was dashed.  My NFC selection is still alive, but since I won't be correct no matter how the NFC playoffs finish up, and my Super Bowl pick is already eliminated, I thought I'd see how I did overall wih my pre-season predictions.  It should be noted that some of the teams did not finish the seasons with the same owners as they began, but that's the only excuse I can offer...

AFC East

I predicted the New York Jets would win the division with an 11-6 record.  The Jets did win the division with a 10-7 record.  Not too bad.

My pick for #2 in the division was the Miami Dolphins at 10-7.  The Dolphins struggled and finished 2-15.  Too be fair, I don't think anyone expected this to be the case.

My pick for 3rd was the New England Patriots at 8-9.  They did finish 3rd, but with a record of 7-10.  That's a reasonable margin of error on my part if I do say so myself.

I predicted the Bills would finish 4th with a record of 8-9 as well, but figured the tie-breakers would favor the Patriots.  The Bills ended up 2nd in the division with a 7-10 record.  So I was close on the record, but the Dolphins' collapse doomed my predictions for the AFC East overall.

AFC West

The AFC West is always one of the stronger SFL divisions because of Joe and Goozius.  This year Clanton joined the west and made it even stronger.  Still, because of Clanton being new to the division and Joe's choosing of the Chargers over his beloved Chiefs, I figured the Raiders and Goozius had the best chance to win the west with a predicted 13-4 record.  The Raiders did win the west, but it took every week of the season to settle the division.  Raiders finished the season at 10-7 and edged out the Chargers for the title.

I had Clanton and the Chiefs in 2nd with an 11-6 predicted finish.  Clanton fought to the end but finished the season at 9-8 and out of the playoffs with a week 18 loss to the Raiders in a winner takes all match-up.  The loss placed the Chiefs 3rd in the west.

The Chargers were my pick for 3rd in the ultra-competitive division with a respectable 10-7 record.  I nailed the record at 10-7, but the Chargers ended up 2nd and a playoff team.  

The Broncos were my pick for 4th because of new ownership and knowing how good the rest of the west would be.  The pick was correct for finish, but my 8-9 record was off considerably as they finished 4-13.  I'm predicted much better things from the Broncos in season 2 with another new owner.

AFC North

The Bengals are the model of consistency in the SFL and always a safe bet to win the north.  I predicted Cincy would do just that with a 14-3 record.  Unfortunately, I didn't know anything about the new Ravens owner at the time I made my pick.  The Bengals lost in week 18 to the Ravens to finish at 13-4 and 2nd in the North.  The AFC Title Game will be a 3rd meeting for the Ravens and Bengals and figures to be must-see TV to find out who will represent the AFC in Super Bowl 46.

Coach King is another long-time SFL owner who is always in the hunt.  If not for playing in the AFC North and having to face the always tough Bengals, Ravens, and sometimes tough Browns, the Steelers would always be a solid pick to with the division.  I thought even with the unknown QB situation that the Steelers would finish 2nd with an 11-6 record.  Again, the Ravens were the unknown and played upset to my guesses all season long.  The Steelers finished 3rd at 9-8.

My 3rd place prediction was the Ravens at 9-8.  An early season change in ownership completely blew up my predictions and the division.  The unknown Wilky got the most out of Lamar Jackson from the jump and led the Ravens to a division title at 13-4 with tie-breakers giving it to the Ravens over the Bengals.  The Ravens are looking to be only the 2nd first-year owner to win an SFL Super Bowl if they can get past the last 2 hurdles.  The first being AFC North rival Cincinnati in the AFC Title game.

The Cleveland Brown were my pick to finish 4th in the North, mostly because they were under new ownership and had some unanswered questions at QB.  I expected a 7-10 season and the Browns were only slightly worse at 6-11.  A new QB is likely a must-have in Cleveland for season 2 and hopefully an improved record.  The AFC North is among the toughest in the SFL with the new Ravens' owner bolstering that reputation even further.  The Browns have some work cut out for them, but Skippy can do it.  

AFC South

The Super Bowl 42 Champion Tennessee Titans were my pick to win the South.  Steve had shown great success with the team during the 22 cycle and despite some holes at WR, the team still looked like the best bet for the division title.  I expected an 11-6 season and deep playoff run behind King Henry and the rest of the Titans.  The team was among the bigger disappointments of  season 46 as they finished 3rd in the division with an 8-9 record.  The team struggled to pass the ball and it isn't known what direction they will go in season 2.  Is Tannehill still the man, or will Willis grasp the offense and emerge the starter in season2?  With the accelerated rebuild of the Texans and Jaguars, the Titans can't afford to take another step back in season 47.  

I predicted the Houston Texans would finish 2nd at 9-8 mainly on the strength of Coach Waffle's excelleny game-planning abilities.  He led the Detroit Lions to their 1st SFL Title in only his 2nd season with the team in the Madden 22 cycle.  The signing of Tom Brady to the Lions team that year certainly helped, but Coach Waffle is able to get the best out of all of his players.  The Texans were even more impressive than expected winning the South with an 11-6 record.  The addition of Saquan Barkley was huge and if the team can limit injuries that riddled the roster in season 1, they will be a favorite for the division title again and quite possibly the AFC Title in season 2.

The Jaguars are always a tough team to predict.  They have a talented roster but seem to struggle to get the most out of them so I picked them 3rd at 8-9.  This year was different primarily because Super Bowl 45 winning owner Coolstops took over the team.  The Jaguars re-wrote the record book with an astonishing 617 points scored in the regular season.  A slightly improved defense would have made the Jaguars almost unbeatable but the defense struggled to stop teams.  Still, the team ended up 11-6, 2nd in the South and in the playoffs.  If the Jags make defense a priority in the off-season, the sky is the limit for them come season 2. 

The Indianapolis Colts were picked last in the South at 6-11.  The team boasts some great talent on both sides of the ball, but QB was a question mark and turned out to be their biggest problem.  Matt Ryan struggled early and was released.  A revolving door of QBs started several games but none found any consistency.  The early retirement of Andrew Luck seems to have put this team in a downward spiral that they can't climb out of.  A mid-season ownership change may be what the franchise needed but it came too late in the season to matter.  It will be interesting to see what Coach Wa Chin Yu can do with a full off-season to prepare.  The team finished 4th at 4-13 for the season.   
 

The New Mexico State football program won their first Heisman Trophy in school history when QB Shane Leno was selected by the Downtown Athletic Club as this year's winner.  

Leno led one of the top offense in college football in 2022, but was considered a longshot due to the comeptition that NM State faced.  Leno throws a beautiful deep pass and the long ball was a big part of the Aggies offense.  Leno was fearless in throwing into tight windows with his quick release.  He played well inside and outside of the pocket which made him hard for opposing defenses to scheme around.  

Leno is considered a top 5 prospect in the upcoming SFL draft and the #2 QB behind South Dakota State's Brandon Campbell.  Leno's level of competition in college may count against him when SFL owners are considering the QB position so he might fall a little in the draft, but he looks to be a sure 1st round pick.  

Week 17 of the SFL season has several intriguing matchups with both playoff and draft implications.  So here is a look ahead to the penultimate week of SFL season 46.

49ers (11-4) at Raiders (9-6)

The 49ers were the team to beat in the NFC all season long, boasting the league’s best record before the last couple of weeks.  They appeared to be cruising to the NFC West Championship and the likely #1 seed for the NFC playoffs.  However, the previous two weeks have not been kind as the 49ers have dropped the last two games to the Washington Commanders in week 16 and their division rival Seattle Seahawks in week 15.  These two losses have opened the door for the Seahawks to win the NFC West and the Packers, Commanders, or Seahawks to grab the #1 seed.  It’s not a must-win for the gold diggers, but the team would undoubtedly like to get back on the winning track heading into the postseason.

The Raiders are in a must-win of sorts.  They are currently in a 2-way battle for the AFC West with the Chargers.  The Chiefs have faded and have to win out and have some help, but the Chargers and Raiders are tied 9-6 with two games to go.  The Raiders hold the tie-breaker over the Chargers, so two wins guarantee the West Championship for the Raiders, but the 49ers are desperate for a win as well.  This should be a great game between 2 teams with a lot to play for going down the stretch.

Bears (10-5) at Lions (9-6)

The Bears have overachieved all season and find themselves in the thick of a playoff chase in a season where four wins seemed unlikely.  Now, the Bears have an outside shot at the NFC North title if they can win out, and the Packers have a slip-up.  But first, the Bears must get past the much-improved Lions in Detroit.  The Bears dominated the favored Lions in week 10 38-21, but that was in Chicago.  Can the Bears match that intensity on the road in hostile Detroit?  We’re going to have to tune in to find out. 

The Lions have dropped three games in the last four weeks.  They once looked like a sure playoff team, but now they may be out altogether if they don’t win the next two games.  However, coach Kelly has the Lions ahead of schedule on their rebuild, and a win against the rival Bears could catapult them into a nice playoff run.

Jaguars (10-5) at Texans (11-4)

The Jaguars are looking to steal the AFC South title from the Houston Texans and need a win in Houston to accomplish their goal.  The Jaguars have been very impressive all season and, if not for the surprising success of the Texans, would have been the favorites to win the South.  Unless the Jags collapse over the next two weeks, they should be a playoff team regardless of the outcome against the Texans, but AFC South Champs has a nice ring in Jacksonville. 

The Texans have shocked the SFL under new head coach Wafflemaker.  Wafflemaker won a Super Bowl with the historically underachieving Detroit Lions during the Madden 22 cycle, but that was only after securing Super Bowl legend Tom Brady in free agency.  Everyone expected Waffle to make the Texans competitive, but no one could have predicted how well he’s done with an underwhelming roster.  The early season trade for Saquan Barkley was an excellent addition but hardly seemed enough to make the team a Super Bowl contender.  However, a win against the Jags will secure the AFC South title for the Texans, and another win in week 18 could have them with the #1 seed in the AFC, depending on how the Bengals do against the Bills and Ravens.

Los Angeles Rams (9-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)

The Rams are in the hyper-competitive NFC West, with three teams in the NFC playoff race.  The Rams will need to win to keep pace with the 49ers, the Seahawks, and the Cardinals.  Cam Akers leads the Rams’ offense and is in the running for league MVP honors.  If the running game can get on track, the Rams have a good chance of coming away with the win against their crosstown rivals.  But, on the other hand, a loss could end their season altogether. 

The Chargers have been up and down all season.  Justin Herbert was a preseason pick to be a top QB this season.  His 42 interceptions have most people in the Chargers’ camp scratching their heads.  However, if he can play mistake-free or even minimize some mistakes, the team is as good as any in the league talent-wise.  The added pressure of securing a playoff spot may be too much pressure for Herbert and his 2^nd-year slump to overcome.  The rest of the talent on the roster is immense and will need to step up to give the Chargers a chance against the Rams.

Several week 18 games may have playoff implications depending on how week 17 plays out.  We will spotlight those games next week.  

As the league anxiously awaits the next update for Madden 23, I thought we'd look at an interesting stat line through 12 weeks of SFL play.

Defensive TDs have been crazy this season due in large part to the ridiculousness of the rate of interceptions thrown. And maybe even more unrealistic is the number of INTs that are easy pick 6s.  Through 12 weeks (plus 1 game of week 13) the defenses have scored 147 TDs (882 points).  These TDs have been scored by 103 different defensive players.  The real NFL record for defensive TDs in a season is held by the 1961 Chargers with 9.  3 SFL teams have already surpassed that number in fewer than 12 games and 4 other teams are very close to breaking that number as well.  

The interception issue is the single biggest complaint about Madden 23's gameplay so far.  Madden 23 did a much better job this season of "fixing" some long standing issues with defense.  But, in true EA fashion, they fix something and break something else.  The cost of improved defensive coverages has been absurdly ridiculous interception numbers.  While improved defense undertsandably would lead to increased interceptions, the rate of which they have increased is comical to the point of being game-killing for several owners and even leagues.  The problem is made even worse by the fact that sliders are broken and can not be used to make adjustments to make the game more realistic.  Madden is supposed to be a simulation of real football, and yes, it is a videogame so slightly exaggerated stats are to be expected.  But c'mon, this isn't acceptable in any game mode that claims to be a simulation.   

All we can do is hope that the next update will provided some relief even if only in the form of the ability to use the sliders again. 

Going into week 6 three SFL teams remained unbeaten.  The 49ers, Packers, and Cardinals were all 5-0. 

San Francisco survived an early 10-0 defecit to the Falcons and rallied for a convincing 38-25 victory.  The 49ers will face arguably their toughest test of the season when they travel to 3-2 Kansas City week 7.  The Chiefs are coming off an impressive win over the AFC favorite Las Vegas Raiders, and Mahomes looks like he's getting comfortable without Tyreek Hill.  This should be a measuring stick game for both teams.  

Green Bay fell to the surprising New York Jets 37-25.  The Jets harrassed Aaron Rodgers into 4 INTs and limited their own turnovers for the win.  The Packers won't have an easy game in week 7 as they will face the 5-1 first place Washington Commanders.  The Commanders have surprised several teams through the first 6 games, but now the league has started to take notice.  Green Bay will need to win to keep their slim lead over the 4-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North. 

The Arizona Cardinals traveled to a rain-soaked Seattle with a ton of confidence.  Their defense leads the league with 35 turnovers and 10 defensive TDs.  The offense was playing well enough to win especially with the way the defense was playing.  The Seahawks came into the game 2-3 and on paper looked overmatched by the unbeaten Cardinals.  However, the game ended up looking like it was the Seahawks who were the undefeated team with a suffocating defense and extremely efficient offense.  The mix of bad weather, the Seattle 12th man, and bad football by the Cardinals led to an embarrassing loss 51-3.  The Seahawk defense made the Cardinal offense feel what most opposing teams had felt when playing the Cardinals.  Murray threw 7 INTs and the Cardinals turned the ball over 9 times in all.  The Seahawks also added 4 sacks of Murray.  Jordan Love wasn't overly impressive on the stat line, but was good when he needed to be.  He found DJ Metcalf for 3 TDs of Love's 10 total completions on the night.  The Seahawks used a balanced running attack to keep the Cardinals guessing and once the Hawks had the lead, it was too much for the Cards to overcome.

The Cardinals loss will either be a motivator and refocus the team, or it may be the kind of loss that deflates them and carries over for several weeks.  Only time and the next game will tell.  The Cardinals will face the 0-6 Saints in week 7.  The Saints have struggled all year and will have their hands full with a Cardinals squad that will want to put the week 6 loss behind them in a hurry.  

The Seahawks are now 3-3 but still 4th in the NFC West.  The win should boost their confidence, but they have a big hole to climb out of in their own division.  Next up for them is the first place AFC West Los Angeles Chargers (4-2).  A win against another 1st place team would be a huge next step out of that hole.  

Through the first 5 grueling weeks of the SFL's 46th season only 5 teams remain unbeaten.  

The preseason pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl is not a real surprise as one of the last unbeatens.  The 49ers have shown little weakness so far and are on track to fulfill their preseason destiny through the first quarter of the season.  The 49er offense is 3rd in the league in scoring at 34 points per game.  The defense is stout in the scoring department allowing just 17 points per game.  The rush defense is only allowing 65 yards per game.  The defense has forced 16 turnovers (10 INTs and 6 FR) and scored 2 TDs.  Trey Lance has been outstanding completing 71% of his passes with 9 TDs to 3 INTs in a season where most SFL QBs are throwing 3 INTs per game.

The Arizona Cardinals are also among the unbeatens and in the same division as the 49ers.  Obviously, these two juggernauts have not met yet, and won't face each other until week 11.  A lot can happen between now and then but what a game that would be if they both roll in undefeated that late in the season.  The Cardinals have the top scoring offense in the SFL at 38 points per game.  Their defense is last in yards allowed but 4th in scoring, only allowing 17 points per game thus far.  The defense has a league-leading 35 INTs and 10 defensive TDs which has been a huge part of their 5-0 start.  The scariest part is that DeAndre Hopkins hasn't played a down yet due to his suspension, but will return to the lineup soon. 

The Green Bay Packers are the final unbeaten of the season.  The Packers have the 2nd highest scoring offense in the league at 37 points per game.  The offense doesn't seem to miss Devante Adams as much as was feared when he left for the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the season.  An early season trade with Seattle sent Tyler Lockett to the Packers and he has filled in nicely for Adams.  Lockett has 26 receptions for 501 yards and 3 TDs.  Meanwhile, Adams hasn't caught on for the Raiders with only 1 TD and 237 yards through his first 4 games.  Aaron Rodgers has thrown an uncharacteristically high number of INTs (9) but his protection has been outstanding.  So far the QB has only been sacked one time.  The defense isn't putting up great average per game numbers but has 18 INTs and 5 defensive TDs.     

Week 1 of the SFL's 46th season saw an unusually high number of interceptions thrown by starting quarterbacks.  95 interceptions were thrown to just 57 TD passes.  The interception issue was known to be a problem prior to the start of the season, but no one expected just how bad it would be.  To help combat the flawed portion of the Madden gameplay, admins set the slider for interceptions to 15 (down from a default of 50).  The remaining pass defense-oriented sliders were left on default settings.  Typically, the SFL will evaluate slider adjustments every 4 games, but with such an outrageous number after week 1, the sliders were adjusted for week 2.

The results for week 2 were slightly better with the interceptions slider set to 0.  The total number of picks thrown did drop to 83 for week 2, but so too did TD passes from week 1 totals down to 37.  Some of the week 2 drop in TDs is possibly attributed to users being shell-shocked after week 1's crazy totals and throwing less especially since pick 6s were also at comedically high levels.

For week 3, the pass defense reaction slider and pass coverage slider were both adjusted from defaults of 50 to 35 and 40 respectfully.  This seemed to have a noticeable and positive impact on the rate of interceptions and number of TD passes.  Interceptions fell to their lowest weekly total to 65 and TD passes returned to the same 57 from week 1.  However, it should be noted that week 3 had the fewest number of user versus user games played and a closer look at the CPU games showed that interceptions thrown by CPU QBs were fewer than 1 per game on average while user games stayed around 5 picks per game.

Week 4 had an increase in user games and as such an increase in interceptions but also TD passes.  Interceptions were at 82 and TD passes were at 59.  These numbers are still slightly skewed by at least 5 CPU versus CPU games where picks were again around 1 per game and the user games still around 5 on average.

The league will give the current slider settings one more week of play for evaluation before deciding if another slider adjustment is needed.  Some users seem to have adjusted to the new passing mechanics and are trending down while others are still struggling.  There will always be a skill gap in users and the league is not trying to lessen that with slider adjustments.  The purpose is to find that balance where user skill and programming flaws can co-exist so the game is fun and fair for everyone.    

The staff writers at SFL: The Magazine have put out their pre-season prediction for the AFC and NFC representatives of SFL Super Bowl 46.  A lot of factors went into this prediction like roster talent, previous success by the owner/coach, strength of schedule, etc. While there are plenty of teams that look like they could be playing in Super Bowl 46, when we looked at all these factors two teams appear to have a favorable combination of all these considerations.  Anything can happen with injuries, upset wins, collapses or other unforeseen circumstances, but our pre-season prediction for Super Bowl 46 is...

The San Francisco 49ers versus the Las Vegas Raiders with the Raiders as the favorite to win it all.*

*This article was produced and sent to press prior to the announcement of the Josh Jacobs trade to the Atlanta Falcons.  Jacobs figured to play a big part in the Raiders' offense and give them a balanced attack.  It is unclear if the offense will have the same success without Jacobs.

SFL Season 46 NFC East Preview

Dallas Cowboys: BigHurt33 is back again in Big D for another cycle with the Cowboys.  Hurt is another long-time SFL owner who is always in the playoff hunt.  Much like the real Cowboys though, he hasn't been able to capture the title.  He hopes to change his luck this cycle.  The talent is there on both sides of the ball.  The improved pass rush may see the Cowboys turn back the clock to the 90s and lean heavily on the best O-line in fake football to open up holes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard rather than put the game in Dak Prescott's hands.  The defense will be solid with Lawerence, Diggs, and Parsons making life tough on opposing offenses.  Hurts biggest obstacle in recent seasons has been his lack of timely communication.  Hopefully real-life has slowed down for him and he can get his games scheduled easily this cycle.  The Cowboys look to be the class of the East with a deep roster and solid coaching.  Season 1 prediction: 12-5

Washington Commanders: Coach KillerKevin took the short trip south from Baltimore to Washington D.C.  Kevin never found his groove with the Ravens but is said to like his chances in the nation's capital.  The Commanders have a roster than is littered with great players.  Scary Terry McLaurin is among the best young WRs in the game.  The defensive line may be the best in the NFC with Payne and Allen at DT and Montez Sweat and Chase Young on the edges.  At QB the team went out and got Carson Wentz from the Colts.  Wentz began his career in Philly, so he is very familiar with the East.  That should help shorten the learning curve for his 1st season in DC.  Sam Howell has impressed the coaches and looks to be the #2 guy unless some trade rumors prove to be true.  Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic will split the carries at RB behind a good offensive line.  The Commanders should be a competitive team if Coach Kevin can salvage Carson Wentz's young career.  Season 1 prediction: 10-7  

Philadelphia Eagles: Massimo1984 moves all the way across country from San Diego in Madden 22 to Philly for Madden 23.  The Eagles look to be much improved over the recent past and Coach Massimo will get the most out of his team.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the question for the Eagles remains QB.  Jalen Hurts is a 74 OVR with 86 THP.  His accuracy is spotty at times as well.  If Massimo can get consistent play from Hurts, the rest of the roster is pretty stout.  The running game with Miles Sanders will help take some pressure off of Hurts.  Brown, Smith, and Goedert will be reliable, if not great weapons in the air.  The defense will be strong up the middle with Hargrave and Cox at DT.  The Eagles are built to stop the Cowboys running game with their best players on defense at the DT position.  Josh Sweat will help on the perimeter to pressure QBs and Slay and Bradberry are capable of locking down WRs.  Team success will come down to QB play.  This is likely a make or break season for Hurts.  If he struggles the team will likely look for his replacement in the off-season.  Season 1 prediction: 7-10

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones have to get it together for the Giants to compete this season.  Barkley was once thought to be the next great RB in the league.  Injuries have hampered him and cost him his SS abilities.  The good news is Barkley is still an 86 OVR despite the injury issues.  The bad news is that 86 OVR makes him the highest rated player on the Giants opening day roster.  Daniel Jones comes in at a dreadful 70 OVR.  That is not what you want to see for your starting QBs rating.  But Jones has upside and will need to bring out that upside to give the Giants a chance to win.  The East will have some really good competition the entire Madden 23 cycle so the Giants and Coach Vertigo will need to get his team motivated to play above their heads every week.  It is probably more realistic to consider season 1 an evaluation year for the Giants.  Season 1 prediction: 4-13

SFL Season 46 NFC West Preview

San Francisco 49ers: Owner Amfish88 exits the Vikings and NFC North (thank goodness!!! haha) for the west coast and San Francisco 49ers.  The Vikings under Coach Fish were one of the better teams of the Madden 22 cycle.  The 49ers' roster is solid and includes a Club 99 offensive lineman in LT Trent Williams.  With the much improved pass rush of Madden 23, a Club 99 member on the o-line is huge!  Who will Williams be protecting at QB is the big question for Coach Fish.  The odds on favorite is 2nd year pro Trey Lance.  Lance has upside but hasn't been consistent.  Jimmy G is more consistent but lacks that wow factor everyone wants a QB.  There were trade rumors swirling around Jimmy G early in the pre-season, but talk has been quiet for a while now.  No matter who lines up at QB, the 49ers have solid receiving threats all around.  Deebo Samuel can do it all and is expected to line up all over the field.  George Kittle looks poised to take over the title of best TE from Travis Kelce.  Brandon Aiyuk is a better #2 than a lot of team's #1 WR.  The defense is stout with Warner and Bosa leading a solid unit that should pressure opposing QBs and force plenty of turnovers.  All of the teams in the West have new coaches for the Madden 23 cycle, but the 49ers look to be in the best position to win the division.  Season 1 prediction: 13-4

Arizona Cardinals: Coach Tiger leaves sunny Jacksonville for sunny Arizona for the Madden 23 cycle.  Tiger was building something special with the Jaguars, but the Madden 22 cycle ran out before he could get them to the promised land.  Tiger will have less roster building to do in Arizona which should mean he can start stacking the Ws right out of the gate.  As one of the longer-tenured SFL owners he should have an advantage this cycle.  The suspension of star WR DeAndre Hopkins for the 1st 4 games of the season may slow him down to start the year, but there is plenty of talent to go around to pick up the slack.  The offense is scary without Hopkins, but will be crazy good with him.  JJ Watt leads the defense and while older, he still can bring the pressure.  Forcing bad passes that will almost certainly be intercepted may be better than sacks.  With Byron Murphy Jr at CB and Budda Baker at SS the picks should come in bunches.  This team will go as far as Kyler Murray can carry them.  He can keep plays alive with his legs which will be important with the improved pass rush.  How well the Cards do in the 4 games without Hopkins will go along way in determining how their season goes.  Season 1 prediction: 11-6

Los Angeles Rams:  Coach Boo takes over the reigning NFL Champs for the Madden 23 cycle.  The Rams did lose Von Miller in the offseason, but still have Club 99 member Aaron Donald.  That alone could be enough to win 6-7 games.  But the Rams also have 98 OVR Cooper Cupp and 98 OVR Jalen Ramsey.  It's possible that the Rams will have 3 Club 99 players by week 4 of the SFL season!!  Matthew Stafford has been reborn in LA and should be among the best QBs in the league again this season.  Coach Boo joined the SFL late last cycle so his body of work is still a mystery.  He definitely has the tools to compete right away with the Rams' stellar roster, but he'll have some stiff competition in the West.  Without more game experience to evaluate it's hard to put Boo ahead of Coach Tiger and Fish in the West.  Season 1 prediction: 9-8

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks were the SFL Super Bowl 45 champions to close out the Madden 22 cycle.  However, the team has a new coach and a huge problem at QB.  Those two factors alone are enough to put the Madden 23 Seahawks at the bottom of the NFC West standings.  That's not to say Coach Vex doesn't have some talent, because he certainly does.  DK Metcalf is a WR that 31 other SFL teams would kill for.  And Metcalf isn't even the highest rated WR on the team.  90 OVR Tyler Lockett holds that distinction and will make it hard for teams to focus solely on Metcalf.  On defense, SS Jamal Adams is a beast and should force plenty of turnovers for the Hawks.  That will help keep some of the pressure off of the offense.  QB is where the team has to get better quickly.  Coach Vex has already made some noise and put feelers out for a QB.  Will he pull the trigger on a trade to try and compete right away, or will be look to the draft and go the rebuilding route?  I guess we will find out soon.  Season 1 prediction: 4-13

SFL Season 46 NFC North Preview

Green Bay Packers: Mndvl20 returns to the SFL and to his Packers for the Madden 23 cycle.  Gone is Davante Adams to Las Vegas so Rodgers will need to find a new #1 WR, and there doesn't seem to be a clear choice on the roster.  In fact, the best receiver may be the TE, Robert Tonyan.  Or the best receiver might actually be Jaire Alexander, but he plays defense.  Regardless, with Rodgers at QB the passing attack will be just fine in GB.  The offense will feature Aaron Jones at RB and lean heavily on the defense.  The Bears and Lions are led by 2 of the best SFL owners in league history, but both have weak rosters coming into season 1.  The Vikings are led by a complete newcomer and have a solid team on both sides of the ball.  Ultimately, Mndvl20's league experience, and the Packer's solid defense should be enough to win the North this first season.  Season 1 prediction: 13-4

Minnesota Vikings: New owner WKXT85 is stepping into a pretty good situation in Minnesota.  The team has some great young players in Cook, and Jefferson on offense, and some great veteran leadership on defense in Kendricks and Smith.  The team will be really good on offense as long as Cousins can play mistake free.  The running game will keep the defenses honest and should open up plenty of playaction shots for Jefferson.  Playaction passing is where Cousins excels.  Kendricks has the lurker ability and will make passing across the middle a nightmare for opposing offenses. WKXT85 is another one of those unknown talents coming to the SFL so this prediction could be off in a good or bad way.  Only games will tell.  Season 1 prediction: 10-7

Detroit Lions: Coach Kelly shocked the SFL world by accepting the job in Detroit for the Madden 23 cycle.  The team hadn't won a Super Bowl in 43 SFL seasons until Waffles accomplished the feat in season 3 of the Madden 22 cycle.  But that was with Tom Brady at QB.  It looks like Jameis Winston will be the day 1 starter for Detroit to begin the Coach Kelly era, and while Winston is a solid Madden QB, he's no Tom Brady.  The highest rated player on the Lions team is Hockenson at TE (89 OVR).  However, it was some really promising rookie prospects that lured Coach K to the Motor City.  Jameson Williams boasts ridiculous 98 SPD and 95 ACC ratings and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson could be the next JJ Watt.  Coach Kelly has had success in the SFL as a 2-time Super Bowl champion with the Titans and Seahawks, but winning a championship with this Lions franchise would be his greatest coaching achievement in a storied SFL career.  If anyone can turn the Lions into a winner, it is Coach Kelly, but it won't happen in season 1.  Season 1 prediction: 5-12

Chicago Bears: The Bears, under Coach Mynatt, have won more titles than any other team in SFL history.  The Lombardi Trophy banner has been raised in Chicago a staggering 8 times in 45 seasons.  Coach Mynatt has a 9th SFL Super Bowl title to his name as the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs for 1 season during the Madden 16 cycle.  None of that is really relevant here, but there's not a lot of good to talk about with the Madden 23 Chicago Bears so I wanted to mention it to make me feel better.  Back to reality; this is among the worst starting rosters of any Mynatt-owned Bears' squad.  There are no SS or XF players anywhere to be found after Mack bolted for the Chargers at the end of last season.  Mynatt is no stranger to rebuilding teams, but this roster needs a lot of help in a hurry.  The NFC North will also feature 2 great long-time owners in Coach Kelly in Detroit, and Mndvl20 in Green Bay, plus a complete unknown newcomer in Minnesota to further complicate the rebuilding efforts in Chicago.  Evaluating the talent and finding some gems in the draft and free agency will be the top priorities for the Bears in season 1.  Winning will be nice, but not necessarily the goal this season.  The Bears are eying the near future and that 9th title during the Madden 23 cycle.  Season 1 prediction: 4-13  

SFL Season 46 NFC South Preview

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady just won't go away and new owner Hungry Lion is happy about that.  TB's presence makes the Bucs an instant favorite to win the NFC South even with a new owner in his first full season in the SFL.  The roster is stacked with good to great players at almost every position.  The age of Brady means he will likely need to win in season 1.  Retirement seems probable after this coming season, but the Bucs look poised to win the South and possibly Super Bowl 46.  The rest of the division is good though so nothing is guaranteed even with Brady at the helm.  Season 1 prediction: 12-5

Carolina Panthers: MrX_2yu's patience has finally been rewarded and he has taken over as the owner of his beloved Carolina Panthers.  X is one of the longer-tenured players in the SFL and is always among the best.  He gets the most out of any team he's ever led since he first came into the league.  Now that he finally has his preferred team, his motivation to succeed should be even higher.  Christian McCaffrey is a bad man in Madden and X will use him all over the field to creat mismatches.  It will not be surprising to see CMC in the running for league MVP every year.  Baker Mayfield comes over from the Browns and has a pretty big chip on his shoulder.  Mayfield should make the Panthers passing game much better and take some pressure off of CMC to carry the team.  If Baker can play up to his abilities the offense could be really special.  The defense will feature pass rusher Brian Burns and OLB Shaq Thompson.  That duo will keep opposing offensive coordinators up at nights for sure.  Season 1 prediction: 11-6

New Orleans Saints: The Saints will have a new owner for the first time since the Madden 19 cycle.  Madman is taking over in the Big Easy and will bring his high-pressure blitzing style of defense with him.  The defense should be solid and former Tennessee Volunteer RB Alvin Kamara is a versatile weapon on offense that could get some serious MVP consideration as well.  The biggest question will be at QB.  Rumor is that Madman is already looking to move Winston who has enjoyed success as an SFL QB every since his Madden 16 debut.  Winston has played above his ratings like someone at EA might be related to him or something.  Still, Madman is looking to move him before the season starts and sources indicate that Jarrod Goff may be the day 1 starter in NOLA.  Whoever is at QB will have Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, rookie Chris Olave, and versatile Taysom Hill to throw to and Kamara and Mark Ingram to run the ball.  The team is set on defense as well with Tyrann Mathieu, Cam Jordon, Marshon Lattimore, and Demario Davis just to name a few.  They should all excel in Madman's pressure oriented defensive scheme.  Depending on how the QB situation plays out, the Saints could easily find themselves winning the South and even the NFC, but losing has plagued the Saints for a while now.  Do they now how to win?  That's what we are going to find out.  Season 1 prediction: 10-7

Atlanta Falcons:  Coach Deon is taking over a rebuidling Atlanta Falcons squad for the Madden 23 cycle.  Deon enjoyed success in San Francisco last cycle but this Falcons roster is nothing like what Coach D is used to.  Gone is Matt Ryan, who was among the best QBs in the league for several years.  Will the Falcons go with Marcus Mariota or the rookie Desmond Ridder?  The smart money is on Ridder to get him some valueable playing time and XP.  The Falcons' offensive roster has some talent sprinkled around in TE Kyle Pitts, WR Calvin Ridley (who may be suspended for the season), and an aging Cordarrell Patterson but little else that will scare most teams.  The defense also has some decent players but not a lot of depth.  It is hard to see them competing for the NFC South in season 1 with all 3 other division foes having much better rosters.  The Falcons have some nice young pieces to build around so teams better kick them while the Falcons are down.  They will quickly rise from the ashes and be on top of the NFC soon.  Season 1 prediction: 5-12

SFL Season 46 AFC East Preview

New York Jets: Coach Johnson returns as the owner of his beloved Jets.  Johnson has been a consistent SFL owner for many cycles and will be the elder statesman of the AFC East as the remaining teams will all have new owners for the Madden 23 cycle.  The SFL Jets and NFL Jets share little more than a name.  Johnson is always among the top players in the AFC East and looks to continue that trend this cycle.  The majority of the roster's talent is on defense, but we all know the offense is led by one smooth motherfu**er.  At least off-the-field, but if Wilson can harness some of that mojo on the fake football field, Johnson and the Jets should be in the hunt for the AFC East crown every season.  At least until those early bedtimes limit coach Johnson's availability... Season 1 prediction: 11-6

Miami Dolphins: Bhawk decided to try his luck in the AFC East for the Madden 23 cycle.  There was a lot of hype around free agent Tyreek Hill joining the team in the off-season and that had to play a big part in Hawk's decision.  His experience with the Cardinals last cycle should serve him well as the Dolphins are similarly situated with a young mobile QB and loads of talent at WR.  Hill and Waddle are the fastest duo of WRs in the league.  The defense also features two of the best DBs in Xavien Howard and Byron Jones who should be interception machines the way Madden 23 is playing.  QB is the biggest question mark on the team, but if Tua can improve on his accuracy the Dolphins are going to be a scary team that no one is going to want to face.  Season 1 prediction: 10-7

New England Patriots: The Patriots are another hard team to predict for the Madden 23 cycle.  The roster is decent, but not great with 16 players rated 80 OVR or higher.  As with most teams the QB position is where the Patriots have the biggest questions.  Coach Drew has to figure out if Mac Jones is the long-term answer in New England or if it's already time to start looking for his replacement.  With 85 THP it's hard to see Jones ever excelling in the league, but with the right scheme maybe Jones is the next Drew Brees.  The AFC East is the only division in the conference without a former Super Bowl champ, but it will take the best effort every week to compete because there are no slackers here either.  Season 1 prediction: 8-9

Buffalo Bills: Veteran SFL owner Narutofan06 (or Jason) has been around longer than most and all of that time has been as the owner of the New Orleans Saints.  Jason had his struggles in the Big Easy and a new environment will hopefully help him turn things around.  Jason has had some major upset wins in the SFL, but never found the consistency he needed to get over the hump and into the playoffs.  Playing in the NFC South didn't help as it always had strong teams.  On paper Jason will have the strongest roster in the AFC East, if not the entire AFC.  Micah Hyde and Justin Poyer are the best safety duo in the league.  Josh Allen has a cannon and can make all the throws to Dawson Knox and Stefon Diggs.  SS and XFs dot the entire team.  With playmakers all around the wins should come easier in Buffalo.  However, we need to see what Jason can do on the fake football field before we can forget the struggles in New Orleans.  Season 1 prediction: 8-9

SFL Season 46 AFC South Preview

Tennessee Titans: SteveSteve7216 took over the Tennessee Titans at the launch of the Madden 22 cycle.  Steve had been a longtime owner of the Houston Texans franchise for the previous SFL cycles, but decided it was time for a change.  Both the Titans and Steve would agree that it was the right move.  Steve shocked the SFL by winning Super Bowl 42 behind a dominating running attack and complimentary passing scheme.  Steve returns to the Titans for the Madden 23 cycle and hopes to repeat that early success from 22.  Gone is Julio Jones so the passing attack may not scare many teams, but that running attack should still be among the best in the SFL.  King Henry hopes to lead the league in rushing as he did most of the 22 cycle.  It will be interesting to see if Robert Woods and Austin Hooper can fill the void left by Julio on offense and keep teams from stacking the box against Henry.  Of course the Titans drafted a young mobile QB last year in Malik Willis and will want to see what he can do.  How long can Tannehill keep the yougster on the bench?  He'll have to play well to make sure the coaches don't have to make a tough decision.  The defense has some solid players but is getting old.  The Titans will need to win in a hurry or they may miss their window this cycle.  Season 1 prediction: 11-6

Houston Texans:  Wafflemaker1 stunned the world by taking the Detroit Lions to their first ever SFL Super Bowl title in only his 3rd season.  The Lions were sad to learn that he would not be returning and has decided to take on an even bigger challenge by accepting a job with the Houston Texans.  The Texans are one of only two teams in the league without a single SS or XF player on their roster.  However, Waffles has proven that he can win with lesser talent (although he did have Brady during his Super Bowl run now that I think about it...).  Waffles plays old school, grind-it-out, control the clock, football and that can frustrate his opponents.  Waffles also rarely turned the ball over last season which made other teams play nearly perfect to even have a chance.  If Waffles is able to succeed with the woeful Texans, he will cement his legacy as one of the great young owners of recent SFL history.  If not, he may forever be considered the next George Seifert.  Season 1 prediction: 9-8

Jacksonville Jaguars: Coolstops won SFL Super Bowl 45 with the Seattle Seahawks last cycle and has taken his talents all the way across the country to Jacksonville for Madden 23.  The Jaguars have a great young QB in Trevor Lawrence and RB in Travis Etienne Jr to build around, but lost some key players to free agency.  Gone are LB Myles Jack (Pittsburgh) and WR DJ Chark (Detroit).  Cool will have to contend with those big free agent losses, a Super Bowl hangover, 2 previous SFL Champion coaches and a much improved Colts  team in order to get back to the playoffs.  It will likely take Cool a season or two to find his groove in Jacksonville, but once he does, the sky is the limit!  Season 1 prediction: 8-9  

Indianapolis Colts: Metsfan82 struggled last season with the Denver Broncos in the ultra-competitive AFC West.  To be fair, the QB situation in Denver was pretty bad.  Fortunately, for Metsfan82 the QB situation is better in Indy.  The Colts have a solid starter in Matt Ryan and a great RBs in Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.  Michael Pittman Jr is a strong #1 WR and the offensive line is among the best in the AFC.  With 6 players rated 81 OVR or above on defense, the team should win more than a few games.  The AFC South isn't the deepest division in the league so anyone can win it and get a playoff spot.  The Colts may struggle or they may dominate.  We'll just have to wait and see.  Season 1 prediction: 6-11