Welcome to the Unified PML Power Rankings presented this week by Nef (Power Rankings Specialist), CB (Graphic Specialist), Fallen (1-16 Analyst), Arod (17-32 Analyst). With a combination of User Rank and Team Rank we were able to come up with an opening day Power Rankings for ya’ll.
Chiefs – We have the 4th highest ranked user (Matigy) getting the 8th best team in the Chiefs. Huge aspirations and expectations for Matigy this cycle, but I think we can expect to see Patrick Mahomes staying in Kansas City for the next five seasons unlike lase cycle. Mahomes has the “Pass Lead Elite” ability and the “Hot Route Master” ability, two of the best abilities for a quarterback in the game and we expect Matigy to use the former MVP the way he was intended to be used (good luck to anyone getting passed on while Mahomes is diving.)
Raiders – KingMike is the highest rated user but his Raiders are in the middle of the pack in 14th overall for team ranking. Chandler Jones and “Mad” Maxx Crosby have edge threat elite, so despite the lack of a secondary for Las Vegas, KingMike can have a soft defense and still be able to rush the passer efficiently.
Chargers – The 7th best team for the 6th best user in Codes. The Chargers are starting out with seven superstar/x-factor players, so despite the lack of speed on offense, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have abilities that will get them open against any defense they face. Not to mention, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack have the “Edge Threat” ability and without the “Fearless” ability to counteract it, we’re going to see a lot of missed passes in the AFC West.
Packers – Despite Rodgers departure, the Packers are the 11th best team and HypeMike is the 8th best user. In most of the prediction shows, he is the favourite to come out of the NFC and for good reason, the Packers are loaded on defense. Jordan Love can be a game manager, especially when Aaron Jones has the “Juke Box” ability and for those that have played Madden 24, juking is by far the best special move in the game.
Seahawks – Seattle is the lowest team out of the top five on our list coming in at 20, but Z was the 5th highest ranked user and he is very familiar with the Seahawks and will be looking to take them to the promise land this cycle. Despite just 1 ability player, the Seahawks are loaded with athleticism, and Z will have the team back in the playoffs just about every season.
Vikings – The Vikings are aging, but they are ranked 15th overall and Wimmy is the 9th best user. Kirk Cousins is the biggest drawback to the Vikings, but he is serviceable for the first season. Justin Jefferson can be lined up all over the field, but he is best suited on the outside where he’ll have four additional routes to run, and with the “Route Technician” ability, good luck defending him in man coverage.
Rams – This is the biggest margin we’ve seen so far with the 2nd best user taking the 27th best team in the Rams. I know Cookie is up for a challenge and a rebuild, but the Rams are going to be tough to turnaround. Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald are the face of the Rams, but they’re old. Matthew Stafford is 35, 75 overall, and has a $74M cap penalty.. I know Cookie is hoping he retires after the first season, but if anyone can turn this team around, it’s Cookie.
Jets – I think Greeny is the favourite to come out of the AFC East and he is the 16th best user taking the 5th highest ranked team. Aaron Rodgers may only last a season, so Greeny will have to make the best out of season 1. The addition of Mecole Hardman and Dalvin Cook will make it more difficult for defenses to stack the box, so Aaron Rodgers could have himself an MVP-esque last ride.
Saints – Here we are rounding out the top ten with the 10th best user taking over the 16th best team in the Saints. The Saints are in the middle of the pack, but their quarterback situation isn’t ideal for CFM. Derek Carr is 32, a 78 overall, and has a $54M cap hit in the first season, so it appears as if he’s the guy. I really like Alvin Kamara in this offense though, he’s one of the only halfbacks with “Runningback Apprentice” and the he’s shifty enough to beat man coverage on just about any one of those four extra hot routes.
Broncos – The 29th ranked Denver Broncos aren’t as bad as they appear, especially in the hands of the 3rd best user. Russell Wilson is a lot better than his 77 overall makes him look and lock down corner Patrick Surtain will help DK immensely on defense. Marvin Mims is the only deep threat on the team with Jalen Virgil out for the season, so Russ will not be able to cook up a lot of deep routes season 1.
Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins got a lot of love last cycle and they’re sitting at the 3rd best team this Madden. Deebo was ranked as the 19th best user and this team is miles better than his Broncos team last cycle. Expect to see a lot of mid routes taken to the house, because Tua is going to have trouble throwing the deep ball, but with 99 and 98 speed receivers, there’s more than one way to get the ball in their hands.
Buccaneers – Is Cammy a product of Joe Burrow, or can the 13th best user take the 13th ranked Buccaneers to the promise land like we saw Codes do last cycle? Baker Mayfield is far from Tom Brady, but Cammy has the weapons in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to move the ball on offense, and rookie Trey Palmer is expected to contest for offensive rookie of the year with his 95 speed.
Bills – Not a lot is known about Beast, but he is taking over the 6th best team in the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen and the Bills were hyped up last cycle and didn’t deliver, but I think beast will do all he can to make sure Allen doesn’t lose his abilities. One note about the Bills is that their cap situation isn’t ideal and falls into the negative after the first season, so Beast will have some tough decisions later on.
49ers – The 9th ranked 49ers are without a startable quarterback, but CEO was the 17th best user and after using Kirk Cousins, then drafting a quarterback, then trading him, it will be interesting to see who he settles on. Regardless, he has the best team in the division, and the 49ers are loaded with weapons in Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner. Although, Nick Bosa did just sign a record breaking contract, who knows if it’ll be added to the newest roster update.
Eagles – HD can’t keep getting away with this, can he? He was the 25th ranked user, but he is taking over the best team in the league in the Philadelphia Eagles. There are zero excuses and the Eagles are far from a rebuild, so if this team doesn’t make the playoffs in season 1, the GM/head coach has to be held responsible, but I think HD will finally pull off a few playoff wins this cycle.
Texans – It’s a tough transition to go from the Ravens to the 31st ranked Houston Texans. Keraun was the 7th best user and he will get his team in shape, but without any ability players starting out, it’s a tougher road than most. He does have Cleveland’s first round pick, which has top ten potential, but Keraun will have C.J. Stroud looking like Lamar Jackson soon enough. Houston’s has no offensive threat above 90 speed, but I think Keraun will be able to scheme his guys open, especially against the competition in the AFC South.
Cowboys – When you’re the Cowboys in a very winnable division, the bar is set high for Dramaman to succeed. He’s got his favorite team and the only thing standing in his way season 1, and possibly the entire cycle will be HD and the Eagles. Many consider the Cowboys the most well rounded team in CFM. Cowboys are my favorite coming out the division and should rise in the rankings in no time.
Panthers – This may be JTs toughest rebuild to date. Equipped with a rookie QB that may or may not be geared towards JTs play style, the Panthers have their backs against the wall early in the cycle. Will it get much better? They do not have Christian McCaffery this cycle, or do they possess their 1st round pick. The good news is the Panthers have the 49ers 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks in 2023 and I am sure JT will know how to use those to expedite the rebuild in Carolina.
Cardinals – Que is essentually playing with a glorified Evolve team this cycle. This is arguably one of the worst team assignments where he also doubles up as maybe the lowest tiered user in the division. Que and the Cardinals will scratch and claw to climb out the NFC West basement all cycle long. I hate to see it, but they will certainly have their work cut out for them this year. I.Simmons going to the Giants before week 1 roster update was salt in the wound.
Bears – One of the most dangerous users in the PML gets one of the most dangerous weapons in the league. Jefe loves his mobile quarterback and should have fun scheming up a Justin Fields offense. The problem is the rest of his roster is bare bones. Any chance of the Bears competing at a high level season 1 will come down to Jefe’s ability to scheme around the lack of talent.
Jaguars – Tbandit as a chip on his shoulder after his poor showing in Madden 23 with the Buffalo Bills. He is the early favorite to win the AFC South and playing with his favorite team should add some fire to the mix. While the rest of the division is climbing up on a rebuild, expect the Jaguars to strike early and run away with the season 1 divisional crown.
Patriots – Patriots are a sneaky team in the AFC. Dot is lurking in the shadows as the attention is all on the AFC West for season 1. I totally expect the Patriots to not only make a run at the AFC East, but an early trip to the Super Bowl is not totally out of the realm of possibilities.
Ravens – Arod gets the keys to Maddens most dangerous weapon, Lamar Jackson. The pressure isn’t necessarily on him to win, but rather not to mess up a golden ticket QB. He is flying under the radar early as many anticipate the Browns to win the division, but Arod is confident that he could prove otherwise.
Falcons – Nef likes his weapons and will certainly build around them while pouring content into the rest of crew. Bijan has the potential to become the best RB this cycle and I’m excited to see his ceiling. The Falcons are confident they can be THE team in the division. Usually Nef is the underdog story, but this cycle he isn’t humble about his season goals.
Browns – I know Mali has been in the lab this summer. He’s killing it in the H2H circuit, for what it’s worth- but he’s grinding. He’s got a dangerous roster that can keep up with most teams in the league. He’s got a very winnable division in what most call the weakest in the league. Mali has the best resume out of the 4 users and he is heavily favored to win it.
Lions – Fallen will have a difficult time this year competing with Wimmy, Jefe, and HypeMike. It will be a daunting task to sneak the Lions into the playoffs this year no matter which way you shape it. I will say a prayer my friend Fallen because the cycle seems bleak.
Giants – So Burn has the capability to compete and take this division. Only issue is his roster isn’t as stacked as the Eagles and Cowboys. Burn has shown in the past that he can build a roster, and once he does so, I anticipate the NFC East becoming a 3 man dance. He has the foundation other rebuild teams don’t, so it should be one of the more quicker rebuilds.
Bengals – Goose gets arguably the best pocket passer in the league. We seen what Cammy was able to do with the Bengals as he took his PML career to a new level. Like Arod with Lamar, the main focus will be not s******* up Burrow and his God given abilities. Goose didn’t have a great showing in his PML return last cycle as he went winless, lets see if the Bengals roster and low tiered division could change this.
Titans – Dlloyd gets his favorite team this cycle, but in a year they are probably at their weakest in a long time. Dlloyd seems in a better position this cycle to put a bit more focus into the game and also provide content to build his roster. Watcha gonna do brother, when the run-and-shoot runs wild on youuuuu!
Colts – CB is another user getting a crack at his favorite team. Jonathan Taylor will miss the first four weeks of the season so the Anthony Richardson era will begin without his best playmaker. CB is one of the bigger question marks this season as we finally get to see him compete in a not-so-h*** division. Could very well be the sleeper of the division.
Steelers – The defense is golden. The offense is trash. Sure they have Dionte and Najee, but they aren’t necessarily Madden good. Kenny Pickett is not a long-tern CFM solution, so my grumblings tell me Curt has been on the phone with the Jets regarding the availability of Zach Wilson, and with the Cowboys regarding Trey Lance. Either way, it will be a difficult start for Curt this cycle.
Commanders – Hands down the worst team designation of the cycle. He could have easily had the Cowboys or Eagles and been in a position to compete with the rest of the NFC East. Instead he’s handed one of the bottom 3 teams in the league. Will be many dark days in Washington this cycle. Tbey cannot match the firepower of the Eagles and Cowboys.
