How does Madden 21 predict that the 2020 NFL season and Super Bowl LV will play out?
Madden 21 was released less than a week ago, which is a tell-tale sign that the 2020 NFL season is just around the corner. That is indeed the case with the year set to kick off on Sept. 10 with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. But before we get there, we obviously have to get all of our predictions for the 2020 NFL season in the chamber.
But why not let the EA Sports video game do the lifting to start out? It’s perfectly reasonable to look at a game that rates every player on every roster and letting Madden simulate how the NFL season will play out. Of course, it’s a game, meaning that things can always get a bit wild but it’s absolutely fascinating to see how a simulation of an entire season plays out.
Now, it should be noted that many fans have decried Madden 21 to this point. There have been starkly negative reviews about the latest iteration of the only widespread NFL video game on the market to this point, even with a new game mode and the excitement created by the buildup for a new season.
That, however, doesn’t totally affect the exercise at hand. Even if the gameplay hasn’t improved all that much, even if there are glitches that players experience and even if Franchise Mode remains lackluster compared to what many fans want, when you simulate the 2020 NFL season on Madden, all your getting is the results of what these players have been rated and the randomness of given games.
You may not want to take this as gospel — especially some of the simulated predictions we’re about to see — but let’s see how this Madden 21 simulation of the 2020 NFL season predicts how the year will play out. We’ll first go through the standings of each division (playoff seeding noted in parentheses), look at the award winners and statistical leaders and then break down the playoff matchups before crowning the winner of Super Bowl LV.
We start with the predicted standings in the AFC.
Madden 21 predicted AFC standings for the 2020 NFL season
AFC East
- New England Patriots 12-4 (1)
- Buffalo Bills 9-7 (7)
- New York Jets 6-10
- 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
- Cincinnati Bengals 11-5 (2)
- Cleveland Browns 11-5 (5)
- Baltimore Ravens 10-6 (6)
- 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
- Indianapolis Colts 9-7 (3)
- Houston Texans 8-8
- Tennessee Titans 6-10
- 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
- Kansas City Chiefs 8-7-1 (4)
- Las Vegas Raiders 6-9-1
- Denver Broncos 5-10-1
- 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.
Madden 21 predicted AFC standings for the 2020 NFL season
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys 14-2 (1)
- Philadelphia Eagles 8-8
- New York Giants 5-11
- Washington Football Team 2-13-1
Think the Cowboys made the right hire with Mike McCarthy? After being mired in Jason Garrett-dom for years, Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott in the Cowboys offense thrived and ended up with the best record in the NFL for this simulation.
What’s interesting is that the defending NFC East champion Eagles failed to go higher than 8-8 this year and missed the postseason. As for Washington, the rebuild continues as they finished with the league’s worst record. Hello, Trevor Lawrence?
NFC North
- Green Bay Packers 12-3-1 (4)
- Detroit Lions 10-6 (5)
- Chicago Bears 8-8
- Minnesota Vikings 3-13
In an NFC North race in which the Packers, who are widely believed to be sure to regress in 2020, go 12-3-1 and the Lions make the playoffs after a 10-6 season, hands-down the biggest stunner in this division is the Vikings. How in the world does Minnesota, even with losing Stefon Diggs and reshaping the defense, Mike Zimmer’s team has no chance of dropping off that much.
This Madden simulation has some unrealistic endeavors that they went into. But Minnesota going 3-13 takes the cake for the most egregious example of that.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints 13-3 (2)
- Carolina Panthers 10-6 (6)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-6-1 (7)
- Atlanta Falcons 6-10
Look at the Panthers! Carolina is a team that I don’t truly know what to make of. They aren’t completely downtrodden but they have a new coaching staff, young defense and a seemingly defined ceiling. So while the Saints going 13-3 and winning the NFC South is par for the course, the Panthers sneaking into the postseason is impressive.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won’t be denied, though. On the back of a terrific season from the 40-plus-year-old, Tampa gets into the playoffs as the last seed in the conference.
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers 12-3-1 (3)
- Los Angeles Rams 7-9
- Seattle Seahawks 5-10-1
- Arizona Cardinals 4-12
Considering that the 49ers were in the Super Bowl last season, it’s expected that they’ll win the NFC West and make it back into the playoffs, poised for another run.
At the same time, there is a large contingent of people who believe the division might be the best in the NFL. So to see no other team — especially not the Seahawks — finish at .500 or better outside of San Francisco is a bit wild. If you’re taking this Madden simulation as gospel, go find odds for this and place your bets right now because you could probably get great odds.
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.
NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round predictions in Madden 21 simulation
Browns 21 at Chiefs 24
Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield neither played their best game. But Frank Clark and Chris Jones came up with a big game as they combined for 3.0 sacks on the day. With that defensive performance, a late score for Kansas City pushed them into the Divisional Round.
Ravens 42 at Colts 17
The high-octane Baltimore Ravens offense showed up for the playoffs as Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns. But the defense came up just as big, limiting Philip Rivers to only 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Bills 21 at Bengals 40
Talk about a playoff debut for rookie Joe Burrow. The young quarterback diced up Buffalo with 286 yards and three touchdowns while Joe Mixon dominated with 19 carries for 92 yards and a score. Josh Allen threw two picks and the Bills run game was ineffective.
Lions 7 at Packers 38
Detroit and Matthew Stafford were boat-raced in this one as Za’Darius Smith recorded a monster 2.5 sacks. Aaron Rodgers was fine with two touchdown passes but Aaron Jones was the truly dominant force, taking only eight carries for an impressive 128 yards and one touchdown.
Panthers 17 at 49ers 28
While Christian McCaffrey had 20 carries for 100 yards and two scores, the 49ers were too much for Carolina. Jimmy G tossed three touchdowns but the Niners defense also limited Teddy Bridgewater to just 165 yards and no scores with a pick.
Bucs 23 at Saints 31
2020 NFL MVP Tom Brady couldn’t overcome a division rival in this matchup, despite 297 yards and a touchdown to his credit. Cameron Jordan was a game-wrecker on defense while Drew Brees diced up the Tampa Bay defense to pick up the win.
NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round predictions in Madden 21 simulation
Ravens 38 at Patriots 35
In a true offensive showdown, it really came down to who scored last in this matchup. Jackson was a monster again, throwing for 334 yards with four touchdowns and no picks while Cam threw for 311 of his own with Sony Michel taking two carries for 60 yards and two scores. Still, the Ravens prevailed in a thriller.
Packers 29 at Cowboys 26
Despite having the No. 1 seed in the NFC and with Dak Prescott throwing for 289 yards and three touchdowns, the Packers went to Dallas and knocked off the Cowboys. Rodgers was fine with 236 yards and one score with a pick but Aaron Jones and a strong early defensive showing helped Green Bay jump out to an early lead that the Boys couldn’t climb back from.
Chiefs 21 at Bengals 17
Patrick Mahomes struggled more than you might expect, at least by his standards, against this Cincinnati defense, throwing for just 265 yards and one score. However, Tyrann Mathieu and Rashad Fenton both picked off Burrow, which proved to be the difference in a tight game to propel the champs forward.
49ers 29 at Saints 21
After the 49ers defense was dominant in the Wild Card Round, they continued the trend against the vaunted New Orleans offense, limiting the Saints to just 306 yards of total offense. San Francisco dominated time of possession while Garoppolo threw for 335 yards and three scores.
NFL Playoffs: Conference Championships predictions in Madden 21 simulation
Ravens 14 at Chiefs 33
This is the AFC Championship Game matchup that we all want to see but the way it played out was truly not all that impressive. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire out due to injury, Darrel Williams came up with two rushing scores while Mahomes had 260 yards, two scores and an interception.
Lamar Jackson’s hot playoff run came to a close in this one, though, as the Ravens star had just 201 yards passing with one touchdown and one pick and was completely stifled in the rushing attack.
Packers 38 at 49ers 16
Last season, the 49ers dominated the Packers in both matchups, once in the regular season and then again in the NFC Championship Game. Green Bay returned the favor in this one.
Rodgers tossed three touchdowns on the day while Aaron Jones had another strong game, taking 17 carries for 88 yards. The Packers defense did fine against Garoppolo, holding him to 217 yards, one score and an interception but they stopped the run beautifully as the 49ers’ leading rusher was Tevin Coleman with just 31 yards on 12 carries.
Super Bowl LV prediction in Madden 21 simulation
Packers 17 vs. Chiefs 35
An old-school matchup for the people in Super Bowl LV, we get two of the most storied franchises and passionate fanbases involved in the Big Game for this Madden 21 simulation as the Green Bay Packers represent the NFC with the Kansas City Chiefs coming out of the AFC and looking to defend their title.
While this is a great matchup for narrative, the game itself turned out to be a dominant effort for the reigning Super Bowl champs.
Patrick Mahomes proved his big-game moxie once again as he went 19-of-28 for 269 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. Edwards-Helaire returned to have 24 carries for 68 yards but Tyreek Hill was a stud with five catches for 80 yards and two touchdown grabs to his credit.
Green Bay, on the other hand, struggled to get anything consistent against the Chiefs defense. Aaron Rodgers did throw for two touchdowns but he had only 194 yards, was picked off by rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and, most unfortunately, completed only 13 of his 30 passing attempts. Aaron Jones was fine with 77 yards on 14 carries but that wasn’t enough.
The Chiefs enter the 2020 NFL season as the favorites to win the Super Bowl given that they did so last year. And according to this Madden 21 simulation, that will be the case as Andy Reid’s team will give us a familiar sight as they hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second straight year.