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Simulating the 2020 NFL season, Super Bowl 55 winner in Madden 21

By Cody Williams

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 29: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers shake hands with Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs after a preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 29, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 29: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers shake hands with Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs after a preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 29, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Madden 21, NFL predictions
Cam Newton, New England Patriots (Photo by Steven Senne-Pool/Getty Images) /

Madden 21 predicted AFC standings for the 2020 NFL season

AFC East

  1. New England Patriots 12-4 (1)
  2. Buffalo Bills 9-7 (7)
  3. New York Jets 6-10
  4. Miami Dolphins 5-9-2

Not only does Cam Newton keep the Patriots in control of the AFC East but they finish with the best record in the conference, getting the lone first-round bye in the playoffs. Suffice it to say that the replacement for Tom Brady worked out well for Bill Belichick in New England.

Buffalo barely got into the playoffs, taking the new No. 7 seed in the AFC. Josh Allen had a big year but the Bills as a whole didn’t make the leap fans hope they will. As for the Jets and Dolphins, neither team ever found their footing with another sub-.500 finish for each team.

AFC North

  1. Cincinnati Bengals 11-5 (2)
  2. Cleveland Browns 11-5 (5)
  3. Baltimore Ravens 10-6 (6)
  4. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-9

The AFC North standings in this Madden 21 simulation is by far the most shocking. Baltimore makes the playoffs but as the No. 3 team in the division with the Bengals coming up as the winners, edging out the Browns.

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Many people believe that this division is going to be one of the most competitive in the NFL in the 2020 season but they say so with the Ravens, Steelers and Browns in mind, for the most part. Joe Burrow leading Cincinnati to an 11-5 record and a home playoff game is a major surprise.

AFC South

  1. Indianapolis Colts 9-7 (3)
  2. Houston Texans 8-8
  3. Tennessee Titans 6-10
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11

Continuing the longstanding tradition of the AFC South being good but also cannibalizing itself, the Colts win the division at 9-7. But Indianapolis is also the only playoff team to emerge from the division.

The fact that the Titans made the AFC Championship Game last season and fail to even sniff .500 in this simulation is quite fascinating, the same being said of the Texans, though they did get to 8-8. As for the Jaguars, not having the league’s worst record might be a moral victory for those in Duval County.

AFC West

  1. Kansas City Chiefs 8-7-1 (4)
  2. Las Vegas Raiders 6-9-1
  3. Denver Broncos 5-10-1
  4. Los Angeles Chargers 5-11

Kansas City, the reigning Super Bowl champions, winning only eight games is another massive shock to the system. The Chiefs still win the AFC West as the Raiders, Broncos and Chargers all finished below 8-8 on the season but, even then, it’s hard to imagine that the Chiefs end up as the No. 4 seed barring a serious injury (which didn’t happen in the simulation).

Regardless, it’s safe to say that Madden isn’t buying into the Broncos hype or the Raiders taking a big step forward in their move to Las Vegas. Of note, though, Justin Herbert took over for Tyrod Taylor as the Chargers quarterback and had some nice moments to get LA to that 5-11 record.

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