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. I got a little behind on this series so we are going to speed up to the last two weeks in the season, with a full comeback next season.
Chiefs 34 Vs Steelers 10
One of the best teams in the league versus one of the worst. This went about as usual as you would expect. Mahomes continued to play lights out as he got nearer and nearer to the MVP title. Fields didn’t actually play too bad, he only had 3 incompletions if you minus the four interceptions he threw. Fields was one of the better Madden quarterbacks so it will be interesting to see if the Steelers go for one of the top quarterbacks in the draft.
Ravens 35 VS Texans 56
This was a game the Ravens needed in order to stay in the AFC North race. Taking a look at the schedule they had the favorable advantage to win but it didn’t work out that way. In what was possibly the most complete game for the Texans of the season, Stroud threw 7 touchdowns versus one of the best defensive rosters in the league. On the flip side, they forced Jackson to throw 6 interceptions. Where was this Ant at all season. Whatever it took to play like this is what should be happening going forward. This Ant has the potential to take the division next season.
Broncos 43 VS Bengals 3
The Broncos killed the Bengals in this one. You would have thought that this was a user game given the score but no it was a computer game. This Broncos computer is going to take out a playoff team if they make it to the playoffs.
Cardinals 26 VS Rams 10
This game summed up the Rams season perfectly, hopeful at the beginning and dead at the end. The Rams self imploded on offense in this one and it’s a shame because they held the offense to just 26 points. Murray and the Cardinals offense didn’t do much and that’s because they didn’t have to. They forced 4 Stafford interceptions and sacked Stafford 9 times. Where was this defense all season? If Greeny can repeat this defense performance even half of next season then he could be your NFC West champion.
Colts 45 VS Giants 24
I watched this game and it was shocking to see. I fully expected that the Giants would come out here and dominate the Colts, especially considering RIchardson was knocked out early in the first quarter. The Giants, fighting for their playoff spot, definitely wouldn’t lose to a backup quarterback right? Wrong, Flacco had his resurgence in this one throwing 25/29 for 316 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He played like he was in the superbowl and this win gave the Colts the AFC South. The Giants on the other hand are now in a win and get in a game versus the Eagles next week.
Falcons 27 VS Commanders 22
I needed two things this week to get into the playoffs even if I lost all my games for the season. That was a Commander lost and a Saints loss. I got the first of these in this shocking upset. No way did I think that the Falcons would upset a Commander team that had been playing well of late. Que was well on his way to secure that last playoff spot. Arod was here to let him know that even though he doesn’t have many wins, you better take him seriously.
Jets 49 Bills 35
The collapse of the Bills is Drama like. Josh Allen had a historic first half of the season and a terrible second half. Ironically, in this one, Allen was back to his old self and threw all over the Jets. He threw for 4 touchdowns and only 1 interception, however, he wasn’t the only quarterback to play in this one. Mitch T came into the game at some point and threw 2 picks. If you take these interceptions and throw in a cook fumble lost mixed with the defense being run all over on and you get a loss. This isn’t a good look for the Bills who are looking to gain momentum going into the playoffs.
Packers 20 VS Vikings 35
This was a big game for both teams. The Packers needed to win out in order to have a chance at the playoffs and the Vikings needed to show the Packers they weren’t going to let them sweep them. The turnover battle was the key in this two score game. The Packers lost a fumble as well as threw one more interception than the Vikings. When you can’t create turnovers versus this team, they are going to score on you. It’s a shame that the Packers will miss out on the playoffs after having some high expectations this season.
Raiders 28 VS Saints 24
I tuned into this one at times and the Saints were playing very well but ended up failing at the end. In the battle of Minshew versus Carr, I would have taken Carr any day of the week, especially given the season Carr has had. Minshew surprised me by making some amazing throws. I was very happy with this outcome as the Saints were the other team I needed to lose in order for me to clinch a playoff spot this week.
Panthers 25 VS Buccaneers 41
This could have been a trap game for the Bucs. The Panthers aren’t as bad as their record shows. JT can play with most players and had a decent amount of close games that didn’t go his way. The Buccaneers did what they had to and won a game they had to have in order to clinch the division. The combination of Franks and Young couldn’t get it done. I’m not sure what the Panthers are going to do at the quarterback position, but I think we will see a new one next season. Baker had a fantastic day and even though he won’t be upgraded to an ability player, he has had a fantastic season outside of the interceptions.
Titans 13 VS Jaguars 31
This was another game where the user lost to the computer. Miles losing actually helped his draft pick in the long run. This game could be huge when deciding the placements at the end of the season.
Cowboys 42 VS Eagles 28
I actually won the turnover battle in this game but it didn’t matter in the end because I couldn’t stop the run. The entire Cowboys roster broke the first tackle every play. They had 16 broken tackles as a team with Elliot leading the team with 8 broken tackles. I just couldn’t stop the broken tackles which lead to huge yards each play. Even when the yards were at a minimum, it still wasn’t enough as he was getting at least 4 yards per carry with everyone. This was an annoying loss that didn’t matter in the end. Both the Commanders and Saints lost so I was moved into the last playoff spot when we advanced to week 18.
Seahawks 63 VS Bears 27
Both of these teams were expected to do well early in the season but they both ended up in different spots. This game I would have thought it would have been a close one but it looks like it got out of hand quickly. The answer for this one is pretty much the Bears have no one playing quarterback. Bagent and Bradley are two guys who wouldn’t start anywhere and aren’t good at all. The Bears did not have much to work with here and fortunately for them, there wasn’t much on the line here.
Chargers 42 VS Patriots 48
This was a huge win for the Patriots. We have a team who is possibly one of the worst Madden rosters in the league beating one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Both defenses sucked in this one, however, the running game for the Patriots was key. They ran for 243 yards and just took off the game. Maye tossed 3 touchdowns as well and didn’t outplay Herbert, however, he did throw less interceptions. This game was really important for both teams and with this win the Patriots got the tiebreaker over the Chargers.
Dolphins 32 VS Browns 42
This was a game that HD in the past would lose and miss his shot at winning the division. HD this year has something to prove. He is winning the winnable games and that is the sole reason that he has won the division this week. The Browns don’t have much cap and they have some regressing guys so this season was super important to win and get into the playoffs. I think that the other guys will catch up eventually, however, I appload HD for this win.
Lions 29 VS 49ers 42
This was one of the most unexpected things to happen this week. No one thought that the 49ers were keeping this game close and certainly not winning it. The 49ers proved that they can be the team that they were projected to be at the start of the season. This was a great roster and had high expectations. This win could skyrocket Silent to the top of division come next season. As for the Lions, it doesn’t hurt their stock or their playoff spot, but it has to hurt their momentum as they for sure would have projected themselves as a win here.
