Simulating the 2020 NFL season, Super Bowl 55 winner in Madden 21
Madden 21 NFL Awards predictions
MVP: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Though the Buccaneers just snuck into the playoffs, Tom Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay was a resounding success. The league’s elder statesman at quarterback threw for 4,406 yards with 44 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions while also rushing for three scores as well. Cam Newton came in second in the voting but he got some hardware of his own.
Offensive Player of the Year: Cam Newton, QB, New England Patriots
As is often the case, the second-place finisher in the MVP voting tends to get the Offensive Player of the Year honors, which is the case with Newton. Spoiler, he wasn’t one of the leading passers in the league nor was he a leading rusher. But his combination in addition to leading the Pats to the No. 1 overall seed earned him some hardware.
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
We’ll get to this momentarily but Aaron Donald was, as per usual, dominant on the interior as he led the NFL in sacks and wrecked opposing offensive lines. The Rams may have had a 7-9 finish to the season but the defensive tackle once again affirmed himself as the best defensive player on the planet.
Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
If Mike McCarthy leads the Dallas Cowboys to a 14-2 regular-season record in addition to the top seed in the NFC, this is a lock. That would be a terrific job and a true testament to what a good coach can do with a good roster (and, for Jason Garrett, what a bad coach can do with it).
Madden 21 simulation NFL statistical leaders
Passing Yards: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Despite the heavily observed lack of passing weapons, Rodgers led the league in passing yards with a phenomenal 4,744 yards to go with 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Matt Ryan nearly matched that with a 4,726-39-17 line. The No. 3-5 range was a bit out of left field though as Josh Allen, Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield rounded out the top five, which would be a crazy turn of events for the 2020 NFL season.
Rushing Yards: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott won the rushing title, pun intended, running away. The Cowboys star had 312 carries for 1,728 yards and 15 touchdowns, a mark which also led the league. Christian McCaffrey was the closest with 248 carries, 1,393 yards and nine touchdowns. Mark Ingram, Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb comprise the rest of the top five, all topping 1,000 yards and scoring 11 or more touchdowns.
Receiving Yards: Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons
With Ryan finishing second in the league in passing, it’s no surprise that Julio Jones had a monster year 109 catches for 1,527 yards and 12 touchdowns. Second in yardage and first in touchdowns was Davante Adams (I guess that’s where Rodgers’ big year came from) with a 103-1,464-16 line for the year. The outlier in the top five is at No. 3 as Cole Beasley — yes, Cole Beasley, had 99 catches for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sacks: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
As mentioned, Donald dominated the league as he had 19 sacks on the year, continuing to terrorize defense. Not far behind him, though, were DeMarcus Lawrence and T.J. Watt with 17.5 sacks apiece on the season. There was a dropoff after that as Khalil Mack had 13.5 while Calais Campbell and Von Miller each earned 12.5.
Interceptions: Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
The ever-reliable Patrick Peterson anchored the Cardinals defense, even if Arizona finished at the bottom of the NFC West, as he led the NFL with seven interceptions. Denzel Ward was second in the league with six while Kendall Fuller, Joe Haden and Marlon Humphrey all finished the season with five picks.