Every team hopes to put themselves in a position to not only compete, but hold their spot in the Premier Madden League. What is a teams realistic ceiling in season 2? How good can each team be with their current roster, user, and divisional foes? Or how badly can things fall apart? Lets dive into NFC…
NFC East
Cowboys: Drama
Ceiling: 11-6, Divisional Round
Coming off of a season where Drama was able to win the division after a horrendous start of 0-6, or something along those lines, should speak volumes to the timeshare Drama has here. No offense to the other coaches of the division, but we just haven’t seen it yet. Again, the Philadelphia Eagles have been rebuilding since the Gettysburg Address, The Commanders are still finding their way in the league, and the Giants are.. well the Giants. Not to mention, the Cowboys had to win both games vs the Giants down the stretch to not only tie for the best record in the division of 9-8, but he had to beat the Giants twice down that stretch, and that’s what he did. Nonetheless, the Dallas Cowboys can only play who is in front of them, and I expect no different this season. At his best, we could see Drama leading this Cowboys team to a 11-6 record and upsetting someone in Wild Card Weekend, but only time will tell.
Floor: 7-10, Missing the Playoffs
On the flip side of that, we have seen Drama have these stretches of a lack of cerebral presence in his games. We have all been there one time or another, but sometimes it can be hard to stop the skid, and Drama had to finish the year with a record of about 9-2 just to squeak out a division title with a record of 9-8. He started season 1 with a similar season, but just flipped, as he rallied off a hot start to the season and ended on an elongated losing streak. It’s hard to explain the science behind what may be causing this, and it’s being studied until this day. Nonetheless, if everything hits the fan, I’ve got Drama going 7-10 and missing the playoffs and the division crown by a game or two. -DK
Eagles – HD
Ceiling: 10-7, Wild Card Weekend
The Philadelphia Eagles have been in “rebuild mode” since season 1, but it is now season 3, and you have to think that they are almost done with it. They have all of the tools necessary to go on a run, but will HD be able to make it happen? He has the division to take advantage of it, but after two 6-11 seasons, I’m not sure he does. Regardless, he can still turn this ship around, and best case scenario, I could see him finishing 9-8 or even 10-7. With that being said, I’m not sure he would make a lot of noise in the playoffs, but who knows. Anything can happen in the big dance, you just have to get there.
Floor: 6-11, Miss the Playoffs
Just as we mentioned before, the Eagles have gone 6-11 in their two seasons to start the cycle. There is always the talk of HD being able to play to his competition, but is that really true? Two back to back to seasons finishing with a record well under .500, and he has had all of the tools at his disposal. He has an X-Factor QB, two amazing wide receivers to pair with his former WR in Quez Watkins, who he traded away, and an amazing defense with a great mix of young and old talent. With all of that being said, he still has not sniffed the division crown. It makes you wonder what’s really left in the tank. -DK
Giants – Burn
Ceiling: 10-7, Wild Card Weekend
After finishing this past season at 9-8 and losing the divisional tiebreakers to the Cowboys, you’ve got to think that was the Giants best chance to win the division. They lost both of those games with the score being 27-17. If the Giants were able to walk away with a win in either of those matchups, then we’d see them winning the division and going to the playoffs. Nonetheless, I’m not quite sure that we see the Giants have another opportunity like this. With all of that being said, I think best case scenario we see the Giants win the division with another record of 9-8 this year, but that defense will need to step up in order for that to happen.
Floor: 7-10, Miss the Playoffs
With the Giants being in an easier division, you would think this may have an effect on them to have a better record on the year. However, sometimes having an easier division can make you less prepared for those more competitive matchups, but that is more of a test of your mindset rather than the division you have been placed in. Nonetheless, worst case scenario I could see for the Giants is having a down season with a 7-10 record, as I believe the Cowboys will be better, and you have to think the Eagles have to be close to done with their rebuild. -DK
Commanders: Miles
Ceiling: 8-9, Miss the Playoffs
Miles and the Washington Commanders came out in their debut season exceeding expectations. In his previous stint, he was winless, but this time around he was able to garner a few wins, but well short of the glory in his own division. It’ll be interesting to see how he comes out in his second season, as there is certainly room for improvement. I think he can improve upon his previous record, but can he make the next step? That is the story that will be told this season. It all comes down to decision making and the risk you decide to make. We’ll see if Miles is able to weigh those pros and cons across many situations.
Floor: 4-13, Competing for Top 5 Pick
The Commanders have made some offseason moves, and one of which was really big in trading away X-Factor DT Jonathan Allen. I thought there was a rule beforehand that stated any win percentage under .333 cannot trade away superstar players, but maybe that is an old rule that has been thrown out. Nonetheless, I don’t think Miles’ struggles are really roster related as much as they are scheme related. If Miles wants to be looked at as a top user, then he is going to have to show us on the Gridiron. -DK
NFC North
Bears – Jefe aka Half A according to ChatGPT
Ceiling: 11-6, Divisional Round
After returning from a Brazilian road trip, you have to think Jefe (also referred to as Half A by ChatGPT) is ready to lock in and make some noise. He has the tools he needs after making some move via the trade block and draft. Justin Fields is a weapon himself every play, and now has multiple weapons around him. I could envision a path of him making it to 11-6 on the season and making some noise in the playoffs early on, but time will tell if he has the cerebral approach to make that happen.
Floor: 8-9, Miss the Playoffs
There is also a world where maybe he is just not fully bought in. Maybe it will be a little bit of an adjustment coming back and making some noise for a full season. If he doesn’t lock in from the jump, then it could be difficult for him to be on the path he wants to be, especially if he has some early divisional games in a division that all 4 members could make the playoffs if we get them all in their prime for a season. Only time will tell, but I could see this version for a season for Jefe where he doesn’t quite have the success he may be seaking. -DK
Vikings: Wimmy aka Wimdawg
Ceiling: 11-6, Divisional Round
We’ve seen Wimmy at his best, but there has been talk about having his best days behind him. He was a quarter away from playoff football last year before the Packers came storming back to win that one, but you have to think in year 3 with the improvements Wimmy has made, along with the acquisition of Tua taking over the starting job, that he has enough to at least make it to the dance. Wimmy has the firepower to make this a great year, but will he be able to make that happen? I think that this year’s performance will also indicate whether or not Tua has a future in Minnesota as well.
Floor: 8-9, Miss the Playoffs
There is also a world where maybe the Tua project doesn’t go so well, as adjusting to a left-handed quarterback certainly has its challenges. On the other hand, Wimmy is in no easy division, but he’s also not in the toughest division. Nonetheless, this year could certainly prove to be a challenge in many aspects, and the NFC seems to be getting tougher year after year. Will we see the Wimmy of old, or will the rumors prove to be true. Only time will tell in the tale of the NFC North. -DK
Packers: hypemike
Ceiling: 13-4, champ game
A 12-5 finish szn 1 followed up by a 14-3 szn 2 where he lost a heartbreaker vs the rams in the champ game. Hypemike has shown us he is a close 2nd to Cookieboy in the NFC and a few bounces in his favor away from a Super Bowl. Mike has never won one and this Packers team has been his best chance so far, but so far has yet to fulfill his destiny. Aaron jones is officially washed and off the team so things have gotten a little harder but I think rookie RB jawar will be good enough to minimize that loss. But the defense has lost both inside stuff and no outsiders from their two stud lineman last szn. Overall this window is closing fast but I don’t think we see the loss of these players affect him until playoff time.
Floor: 11-6, wildcard L
As said before this packers team is a lot different and even another year it’ll get even worse. So maybe you see the losses hurt now, along with the division getting better. Lions made the playoffs, Bears took the szn off after making a champ game and the Vikings are here with alot of young talent and a new QB, Along with being about a game from playoffs last szn. So I definitely see a world where the packers aren’t the NFC North champions. -Matigy
Lions: Fallen
Ceiling: 11-6, Divisional Round
Fallen. Where do we start? Fallen has a lot of speed on this Lions team, and that can make it hard to approach how exactly you want to defend his offense. However, the streets have been saying that he has had the same playbook that was passed down from his father, which was passed down from his father’s father, so his grandfather. It seems to be a tradition in the Fallen family, almost like Shanahan, but just less innovative and more, well I guess Mike McCarthy-ish. It’s stale, and that can make it an easier game for your opponent to know what you may be doing, but when you have an explosive offense like Detroit has, does it really matter? Everyone knows when the Titans were 1st & Goal on the 2 yard line with Derrick Henry in his prime, that he was toting that thing 4 times if that’s what it took. I guess the same can be said with Fallen, but things change year after year in PML, and if Fallen can just throw in a couple curveballs and takes care of the football, I could see him going 11-6. Even if he doesn’t change anything, if everything goes right, he’s probably still going 11-6.
Floor: 7-10, Missing the Playoffs
Now with all of that being said, if the lack of innovation continues, he very well could be seeing a down season relative to last year. With how Drama embarrassed Fallen in the playoffs last year, it makes you think, did Drama watch tape? That had to be the only reasonable explanation for how the game went down, right? Even with the team and the speed, if teams are calling out your plays like prime Luke Kuechly at the line, then it has to be somewhat concerning. Will Fallen make the proper adjustments, or will he continue his same approach. I don’t mean to use this platform to talk down on Fallen, as I have respect for the guy, but I am simply the messenger passing along what the talk of the town has been surrounding this subject. With that being said, he very well could have a down season of 7-10 and missing the playoffs. -DK
NFC West
Rams: Cookie
Ceiling: 14-3, Super Bowl L
Defense has been top 7 since the cycle started and the offense has been good enough to win games. 2 superbowl Ws in 2 years so maybe his ceiling should be another one but I simply don’t think it’ll happen. Donald lost no outsiders but besides pretty much the same player and will still elevate this defense near the top. Rookie QB Henderson fixed the offense, changing the Rams from the 28th best rushing team szn 1 to the 9th best szn 2. The rookie did struggle to complete passes at times so I expect it to be a little smoother. Overall the NFC has 0 champions besides cookie so is it really that surprising?
Floor: 11-6, champ game L
Cookieboy17 frankly could sleepwalk to 11-6. Having a player like AD also raises the floor a bit. Cookie runs the ball well and often and is able to replicate what he does every game, So that makes him very consistent. Someone is gonna have to step up and beat cookie if any of these NFC dudes want their first ring. But so far really only the packers have given them comp. I’d bet someone he hasn’t seen much or packers get him. -Matigy
Cardinals: Que
Ceiling: 11-6, champ game L
Well we are at szn 3 and que is back to where he always is, taking on one of the worst teams in the league to already an 86 OVR which is the best in the NFCW. Last szn finished 10-7 and was sent home in the wildcard vs cookie so with another year of progression and maybe a path that doesn’t involve cookie so early, I could see Que once again making a champ game
Floor: , 8-9 missed playoffs
Que just doesn’t lock in for the regular szn. He constantly made the playoffs last cycle at 9-8 after his 12-5 szn with the 4th place schedule. But he didn’t need to win more games. In this division he might need 10 or 11 to make the playoffs and it’s very easy to drop games in this league. So if que isn’t locked in he has a good chance of finishing around this record. -Matigy
Seahawks: Zstvr
Ceiling: 12-5 champ game L
After missing the playoffs going 9-8 I think Z bounces back here and finishes 2nd in the div. Missing the playoffs sucks and Z knows what that means for his cycle. So I don’t think there’s a chance it happens twice in a row. 49ers have sold off most of what made them the 9ers so I don’t see them competing too much. Cards had a stellar szn 2 but que tends to be up & down. Seahawks have struggled heavily vs the rams and have yet to beat them so far. But this schedule is much more like their szn 1 schedule when it was ranked near the easiest in the league.
Floor: 10-7, wildcard L
I would be shocked if Z does worse than this with the schedule he has and even this record would require some key injuries like last szn. In a season where the offensive stats went up, the Seahawks took a step back from the previous season and the defense followed suit of the rest of the league and gave up more points. So I’m expecting things to be restored a little bit closer to season 1. -Matigy
49ers: CEO
Ceiling: 10-7, Wild Card Weekend
Cardiac CEO. My fellow hoodie wearing fellow. Gloves on. Stay ready, never gotta get ready. CEO has to be a favorite for us all. He doesn’t make many appearances in chat, but boy when he does, it’s a good time. I think it’s fair to say that last season was a down season for CEO. There were a lot of games where he was going toe to toe offensively with some of the best team and coaches in the league, but d*** it was hard to come by a stop, and I’m sure he can own up to that. We know the 49ers for their offensive mastermind in Kyle Shanahan, no matter who is at the helm behind center, and CEO has somewhat lived up to that. However, we also know the 49ers as a gritty defensive team that could very well win them a game single handedly. We know there is going to be an explosive CMC run and a clutch first down with a backside dig, but what is going to make the difference this season for us to get a prime CEO is a defense that can get stops when it needs to. If everything pans out for him and this team, I could see them making Wild Card Weekend as a six seed and making a little bit of noise.
Floor: 5-12, Competing for Top 5 Pick
However, we also see that CEO looks be pivoting to a rookie QB in Shedeur Sanders, and we know how rookie quarterbacks get down sometimes. Although the AFC Championship was a snow game, we even saw Deshaun Watson look like he was a 12th player on the field for the New England Patriots with some of the key throws he missed in that game with the season on the line. It’s that variability and inconsistency that can be scary as a head coach, but Shedeur does bring an aspect to the game that maybe Brock Purdy doesn’t as well, and that is his legs. Brock wasn’t the fastest, but he could move a little bit and extend a play or nab a couple yards, but Shedeur’s legs can be an X-Factor in a game. Despite speaking highly on the potential of the rookie QB here, there could be struggles, and it could cost CEO the season, so it’ll be important for CEO to put his young guy in a position to succeed. If he doesn’t, this season could go south quick and finish with a record of 5-12, as he competes for a top 5 draft pick. -DK
NFC South
Saints: JC
Ceiling: 15-2 champ game L
Saints own this division easily, pretty much a timeshare at this point. And This schedule is looking easy. Got maybe 4 games against top users total so another season of the saints on top of the NFCS is in store. Playoff wise, jc hasn’t found much success but all it takes is a few lucky breaks and some good gameplay and next thing u know ur on a run. But JC has to not lay down and roll over for cookie and actually go out there 10 toes down
Floor: 11-6 wildcard L
This is what would happen if JC sleepwalked thru the season. Like I said, a very easy path to the playoffs and a free divisional title every szn. It will be interesting to see the rookie QB Murphy play and how that affects an offense that was 6th in total yards & 3rd in PPG. Might be what he needed for playoffs. -Matigy
Falcons
Ceiling: 8-9, missed playoffs
Yes I am projecting Nef to have his worst szn of the cycle. Very classic of Nef to get so close to being a respectable user then take 3 steps backwards. This schedule is difficult though. The first 12 weeks or so is a gauntlet and Nef doesn’t have the fortitude to push through and once he gets to the easy part the games won’t matter or he will fold. You can talk about the team all you want and what he has but at this point it’s in between the ears.
Floor: 6-11, missed playoffs
Jc and his saints own this division so they are really just fighting for 2nd place and 3rd place has no chance bc of the NFCN & NFCW. So after two years of tanking I think the Bucs are primed and ready for a takeover of 2nd place. Cammy is the better user in the games outside of the two but nef has owned Cammy so far, but because it’s nef I don’t think that will continue. -Matigy
Panthers – JT aka The Real Jefe
Ceiling: 8-9, Miss the Playoffs
With the Carolina Panthers coming off of yet another early down season in the cycle, you have to think that JT is slowly but surely building his freak athletic army as always, but there have been rumors flying around that we may see playoff JT earlier than season 5. With that being said, I have been around for a few cycles now, and I’m not quite sure that we will. JT is always looking for ways to improve the league and find another way to make it that much more immersive, and I think he’ll find something else to do to keep him busy. I don’t think JT is truly locked in until season 5. Nonetheless, I foresee an 8-9 season full of many ups and downs per usual.
Floor: 5-12, Competing for Top 5 Pick
On the other hand, maybe JT needs a couple more 6’7’ 4.40 35 reps on bench press guys on his team. He could be even more immersed in providing more to the league, while subtly tanking. Some may call it a soft tank, as he tries new things and plays, and he actually tries here and there as he shows flashes of competing. Who knows, it’s really hard to say with JT sometimes as he truly does have a lot of things going on, especially as a father. It’s a blessing and a curse, but ultimately it’s a blessing. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Panther logo in that top 5 come draft time. -DK
Buccaneers – Cammy
Ceiling: 10-7, Wild Card Weekend
Last cycle, we saw a Cammy that was giving the big dawgs his best stuff. Now we have to take into consideration that he did have Joe Burrow and that Bengals squad in Cincinnati, but you have to give credit where credit is due, and it created a sense of parity. We’ve seen flashes of Cammy, as he was dubbed best passer in the league 5 weeks in last season. However, he seemed to have cooled off since then, and he missed out on a playoff birth last year. I think if we get prime Cammy, that we could see him make Wild Card Weekend with a record of 10-7 as the 6 or 7 seed. Would he upset anyone? I’m not sure, but only time will tell as Cammy will have to settle that on the gridiron.
Floor: 7-10, Miss the Playoffs
As mentioned before, we have seen flashes of Cammy, but we have also seen Cammy at his lowest as well. He shows flashes of greatness, and then does something that may make you turn your head about 1o degrees to the left, as you try to envision the head space he was in to make such a decision. He’s not in a crazy tough decision, but any one of those guys have the potential to beat anyone on any given Sunday. It’s hard to definitively say what the floor is for Cammy, but if all goes wrong, I’ve got him going 7-10 on the season, with the starters taking an early trip to Cancun in week 18. -DK
