This will be a weekly series where I will be looking at the box score and giving a summary/ my thoughts of how I felt each game went if I was able to watch it. This may change as the season goes on and the article progresses but for now this is how it is.
Ravens 44 VS Chiefs 46
This was a great back and forth game by two high powered teams. I actually watched this game and the ending was a killer for the Ravens. He had an open touchdown to Andrews with about a minute to go but opted to go down and kill the clock instead. The result….a fumble which lost him the game. My take was he should have scored the touchdown and trusted the defense or at the very least went on conservative when running the football.
Packers 10 VS Eagles 16
This was a very good game versus a great user from last cycle. I went with a very conservative approach as the Packer defense is one of the best in the league. I had plenty of chances to score but opted for field goals instead of going for it on fourth down and it worked out in the end. Wimmy had a chance at the end of the game and actually scored a touchdown to take the lead with no time left, however, he was over the line of scrimmage so it was a penalty.
Steelers 46 VS Falcons 27
I watched some of this game and it was close for a decent amount of time until the turnovers for the Falcons ruined any chance they had in the game. Cousins was pretty accurate and scored 4 touchdowns but he also accounted for 2 fumbles and 6 interceptions which is the reason the Falcons lost the game.
Cardinals 10 VS Bills 37
I caught some of this game and just like a lot of those in week 1 turnovers and lack of defense was to blame. Murray threw for 37 attempts and couldn’t eclipse 250 yards. THe offense was boxed in all game resulting in some desperate throws and turnovers. The Cardinals unique defense of dropping a defensive end most plays and giving Allen time to throw didn’t help either.
Titans 31 VS Bears 55
Miles has been complaining about his team from the start and has already regulated himself as a resident in Cancun for the cycle. This level of confidence doest translate well on the field. WHenever I turned on this game it seemed like Levis was throwing an interception. He led the league this week with 7 interceptions but surprisingly made the game closer at the end. The Bears knew they had the game sealed early and didn’t care how much Miles threw to make it seem closer than it was.
Patriots 21 Vs Bengals 13
I didn’t watch this game but the box scores show a game that had the Bengals on offense way more than the Patriots. 39 passing attempts for Burrow compared to just 18 for Maye was the difference here. Burrow kept the game close but ultimately it seems his 4 interceptions were too much to overcome.
Texans 38 Colts 34
Ant came back for this cycle and looks to be a force to contend for his division. The Texans roster is one of the best and should be helpful for a returning player. I think this division will be one of the closest in the league and this game being close proves that theory. I didn’t watch this game but the Texan running game looks to be the factor here. This madden, its harder to run so if he can surpass 140 yards rushing a game that will lead to more wins.
Jaguars 20 Vs Dolphins 28
This was a sim game and the result was expected given the Dolphins are the better roster.
Panthers 10 VS Saints 31
JT wants to run the ball and send unique blitzes however, the Panthers aren’t set up for that this first season. They are one of the worst rosters and it’s going to be hard to get things going if Young isn’t playing well. He threw 4 interceptions in this game and with no running game to back him up the box score makes sense.
Vikings 30 VS Giants 27
This game was closer than I expected given the roster differences, however, Jefferson being out was a key factor. Sp is a top tier user so the fact he could overcome that and win shows he will be a favorite for the division no matter the team. The Giants played well limiting Jones interceptions to just one but the completion percentage at 40.7 isn’t great. Jones is wildly inaccurate at times and that could be the difference in winning or losing these close games.
Raiders 24 VS Chargers 44
Ironically the Raiders have the “better team” out of these two. This just means the overall is rated higher but we all know that means nothing in madden. Herbert went nearly perfect completing 10/11 passes while the rushing game racked up 195 yards. If they can do that while having the threat of Herbert every week this could be the favorite in the AFC.
Broncos 39 VS Seahawks 41
My knockout pick failed me in this game. I felt that the Broncos deficiencies were going to be enough for Cookie to overcome but I and half of the league were wrong. It was a close game most of the game, however, Nix’s extra interception was the difference. The positive for the Broncos is that even though the roster isn’t the best, being able to put up points with Nix will go a long way this season. This was a great signature win for the Seahawks, showing the league he will be a contender this season.
Cowboys 49 VS Browns 35
Even going back to last cycle I cant count on HD to beat Drama when I need him to. Both of these rosters are stacked and padded with superstars specifically at the offensive and defensive line positions. HD claims that Garrett and his defensive line couldn’t keep up with Parsons which seemed to be the difference in the game. If you’re letting up almost 50 points while having two edge threat defensive lineman in the first game, it’s going to be a long season if something doesn’t change.
Commanders 43 VS Buccaneers 72
DOnt let the box score fool you, this game was pretty close until the end. Three pick sixes are the reason that the Bucs were able to get the score that high but don’t get me wrong they played an amazing game. The defense stepping up when needed while Mayfield is throwing 7 touchdowns is something that was never seen from Casper. If this type of offensive production keeps up, look for Mayfield to be the MVP this season.
Rams 24 Vs Lions 14
Goff throwing 4 interceptions compared to Stafford throwing 1 is the reason for the Rams win in this game. If you can limit the turnovers while creating them in this madden then you have a great shot at winning. Stafford ran a conservative offense based on the box score but it was effective enough to get the win. Ironically it was said that Fallen was the reason Fin quit last time he was in the league, so losing to the same guy has to be frustrating.
Jets 7 VS 49ers 23
This game was which superstar quarterback could play worse and still win. Rodgers threw 4 interceptions compared to Purdy’s 3 which seems to be key for this game. The Jets need to win this season with Rodgers as he will most likely retire next season. If they can’t clean up the turnovers, Rodgers may retire midseason.
