PML Bleacher Report: (Post) Preseason MVP Predictions

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen

This cycle rests directly on the back of Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills being coached by Bubba are favorites to be in playoff contention yearly. Scouts have seen Josh Allen in pre cycle games go absolutely crazy. Bubba is a passer by nature who knows how to get the best out of his players and will maximize not only Allen’s passing ability but also his rush ability. One of the bigger Qbs in the league, with above average speed he is built to absorb hits and fall forward when needed. The playmakers around Allen make up one of the best cores in the league as well with Diggs leading in the front. Don’t sleep on knox, Beasley, and the wily vet Emmanuel sanders.

Prediction

Allen: 4,450 yards passing, 37 touchdowns
775 rush yards with 9 rush touchdowns

New York Jets: Michael Carter

Coach Arod got his favorite team and has always had a rush first mentality. It looks like Carter has stolen the number 1 spot in pre season and will be the bell cow back all year. Look for the Jets to have a rush first mentality as they get first round pick Zach Wilson up to speed. As arod and his Jets look to play ball control football this year, a lot will rest of the back of the young Carter.

Prediction:

Carter: 2,175 rush yards, 4.6 ypc, 17 touchdowns
31 receptions, 480 yards, 5 receiving tds

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa

Coach Fallen has had amazing vertical offensive game plans each of the last few cycles and expect nothing to change this year. The biggest question mark about Tua will be his injury history, if fallen can keep him healthy expect huge numbers from this offense. The Dolphins might have the fastest wr core outside of Kc. Tua to Waddle will be a familiar call heard this year. Waddle and Fuller will be in position to keep the opposing safeties busy as Tua looks for Gesicki over the middle of the field. This offense will be scary to stop.

Prediction:

Tua: 4,780 pass yards, 43 tds, 69% comp %
375 rush yards, 3 tds

New England Patriots: Mac Jones

A lot will be handed over the the rookie Qb year one. This team doesn’t have many deep threats but they do have pieces to fit around Mac’s strong suit. He doesn’t have the biggest arm in the game but throws with timing snd rhythm. The Pats are expected to roll out many two tight end sets and attack the middle of the defense. They will need to play ball control style on offense as they have a top tier defense and an underwhelming offense. Look for Mac to have an efficient year and be a game manager similar to Alex Smith for years.

Prediction:

Jones: 3,450 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, 72% completion

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys-

RB Ezekiel Elliot

This choice is no surprise since former Cowboys coach is re’in up with his favorite team. Last cycle Ezekiel Elliot was a focal point of the Dallas Cowboys offense. As Elliot went, so did the Cowboys offense. I’m just about every season last cycle Elliot managed to finish within the top 10 in rushing without missing a beat. He even found himself in some suspension trouble after issues with his over-usage. There’s no indication that Madden 2w is going to change that for the bell cow back. The league expects big things from the veteran moving forward.

As a team there were minor to no changes from the Cowboys this past offseason. It’s hard to go against the grain when choosing a possible MVP coming from the Dallas camp. Especially with coach CEO at the helm once again. The conservative coaching style and playcall works off running the ball first, passing second. Other possible candidates would be Dak Prescott who has seen a significant bump in his overall this year. Demarcus Lawrence who has been the face of that Dallas defense for years and years. Some may even throw Amari Cooper into that mix if the offense decides to go a different route. But as a betting man, it’s hard to go against the Cowboys favorite toy.

MVP Chance: 65%

New York Giants-

RB Saquon Barkley

Unlike the Cowboys the New York Giants have went with a whole new head coach going into Madden 22. Coach Que has left the building completely and Coach LQ has taken over. Even though there’s a change at the helm for the Giants I don’t believe they’ll be a change in concept when it comes to their approach. Without having any real weapons on defense, it’ll be up to the offense to carry the load for coach LQ. Known to be a slick runner of the football in all his seasons as a coach. LQ now takes over a team who has arguably one of the best backs in PML. The former Bears coach who had to involve Tarik Cohen in his gameplan last cycle. Now has a huge upgrade. If Madden 20 was any indication on how good the running game can be under coach LQ. Then the whole league should be on notice with him getting his hands on Barkley.

Barkley is a one of a kind athletic bruising back who can not only out run you but run you over. Without having a offensive line to hold up against the likes of Chase Young, Demarcus Lawrence and Fletcher Cox all waiting to feast on Daniel Jones it’s going to be very important to get Barkley going. It’ll also open up some big plays off of play action to Evan Engram who could also do some damage this upcoming season. But Saquon Barkley is the true MVP favorite on this team.

MVP Chance: 22%

Philadelphia Eagles-

DL Fletcher Cox

This was a tough one to gauge. After going with two offensive weapons we finally shine some light on the defense. And it’s a big light we’ll need because our Eagles MVP favorite is a mammoth in the trenches who moves like a defensive end. No matter who is calling the plays in Philadelphia it doesn’t stop Fletcher Cox from wreaking havoc for offensive lines of the NFC East. Cox’s ability to rush the passer as well as he does inside the tackles is something every defensive coordinator dreams of. Offenses have to account for this beast on every single play. Eagles have a lot of work to do with the offense and their approach. After moving Carson Went this past offseason and pretty much handing the keys over to Jalen Hurts. Can hurts be a surprise pick in this situation? Very much so. As a betting man I wouldn’t put my money on him. Miles Sanders is also an interesting choice as well. Especially since Sanders is living in luxury behind that offensive line. They’re both in the convo for possible MVPs out of the Eagles camp, but its hard to ignore how important Fletcher Cox is.MVP Chance: 10%

Washington Football Team-

Edge Chase Young

Sticking with the trend of pass rush, the Washington Football are definitely not lacking in that department. Between Matt Ioannidis, Montez Sweat, Da’Ron Payne and Chase Young. The Football team have arguable one of the most scary defensive lines in the entire league. So its safe to bet on one of these guys capitalizing on the one on one matchups they’ll get week in and week out. That “guy” is going to be the Sophomore Chase Young who came into the league and showed that he was worth his very high selection. In an odd season with no help from loud, fan packed stadiums. The rookie put up 7.5 sacks while adding 12 QB hits and 4 forced fumbles. There is some question in the coaching and if it was the correct move by ownership to draw out all the talent this defense has. Young is a generational talent though, so coaching shouldn’t effect his ability to cause havoc. No matter the coach.Like the Eagles, the Football Team’s offense is a huge question mark going into the season. Theres no real indication if they have a reliable quarterback to hitch their wagon to. Right now the potential head coach is pushing the “Fitz-magic” train down the track. Antonio Gibson looks to build on a solid debut season. While Terry McLaurin looks to cement himself as a top wide receiver in PML.MVP Chance: 5%

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts – Johnathon Taylor

Jonathan Taylor is the prime MVP candidate for the Colts. With a potential question mark at the quarterback decision, the Colts will rely heavily on the ground game, namely through Taylor. Taylor is a second year running back coming off an impressive rookie campaign that saw him receive the majority of the carries as the season progressed. With a Coach Mole, he will get the most out of his best players, especially an elite running back like Taylor.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence will be looking to roll into his first season with a less than impressive Jaguars squad. He will be without college teammate Travis Etienne meaning the Jaguars will have to rely more heavily on the pass game, Lawrence has a very strong arm and will look to impress under the helm of Coach Tbandit who is known for his prolific pass offense. Look for Lawrence to become a top 10 quarterback quickly.

Tennessee Titans – Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry will be a one man wrecking crew once again in Tennessee this fall. With the recent offseason addition of Julio Jones many have written Henry off for one of the top candidates again this season but Henry has shown time and time again that he will let no one stop him. Under Titans new coach, Coach Wimmy, Henry will be expected to lead the league in rushing as the scheme will be run heavy.

Houston Texans – Brevin Jordan

Brevin Jordan is a is looking to make a big impact on the field this year for a lackluster Texans offense with Watson on the cusp of being shipped out. Coach Cookie will be looking towards youth during this rebuild and Brevin Jordan is a young athletic tight end who will be looking to make a splash this season

NFC North

Packers- Aaron Rodgers

This organization has 15 Division Titles, 4 Superbowls, and the regiging MVP in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers enters his 17th year with the Packers. Green Bay starts off the Season of as NFC North Favorites at -160 odds. Will this be a farewll tour for Rodgers or can the front office mend this relationship? MVP for this team will definitely be Aaron Rodgers. He will be here to stay as he is 37 years old and look what hes build in Green Bay, cant see him leaving. Look for him to build off what he did last year 4,299 yards to go along with 48 TD’s to 5 ints.

Vikings- Dalvin Cook

Vikings and co enter the season as runner up favs with +250 odds. The Minnesota Vikings organization has 18 Titles and 0 Super Bowls. Checking out this roster its pretty easy to select Dalvin Cook as this teams MVP. Dalvin cook has avg 3.1 yards after contact per carry over his career. Look for new Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak go into every game gameplanning around Dalvin Cook in the running and passing game. Look for huge numbers for the 5th year Running Back.

Bears- Justin Fields

The bears are keeping Justin Fields on the scout team vs the 1s to let him learn and grow until his number is called. The Bears are at +550 odds to win the North. Its hard not to select Khalil Mack as the MVP. Looking deeper into the roster and with Allen Robinson signing his franchise tag in March. He’s gonna be playing for a new contract and you can definitely expect Allen Robinson to hit the double digit TD mark.

Lions- TJ Hockenson

The running for the number 1 pick in NFL 2022 draft could very well be this Lions squad. This organization has 3 Division Titles and 1 Superbowl. Looking over this roster with a weak WR core along with a weak defense, I see one player that stands out above the rest. T.J Hockenson former #8 overall pick is my choice for this teams MVP. Detriot Lions are in a rebuild mode and T.J. Hockenson will be invovled in the heavily in the offense and inside the red zone.

AFC West

Las Vegas Raiders
Darren Waller
Darren Waller seems like the perfect pick for this Raiders team, especially since this team is ran by Head Coach Dloyd. Dloyd himself has said that he isn’t to familiar with using a speedy type receiver and we already know with the speed Josh Jacobs has that he isn’t going to be having any 2000 yard rushing seasons. So who does that leave him? It leaves him big bodied Darren Waller who is one of the fastest tight ends in the league. He is exactly the type of player that Dloyd is used to throwing too. An big bodied receiver with some oomph to him. He can line up anywhere on the field whether that’s slot or the outside and he can beat anyone that tries to cover him. So if you think your star cornerback, safety, or linebacker can just match up one on one with Darren Waller while he’s being coached by Dloyd you’re dead wrong. This man will be the number one target for this team and he will dominate season 1.

Season 1 predictions: 1563 yards, 13 touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs
Tyreke Hill:
Come on man.. This pick right here is a no brainer. You put Tyreke hill in the hands of coach Que and he’s going to punish everyone in the league for allowing this to happen. With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback Tyreke Hill is able to out run anyone on the field and know that the ball will just float into his hands no matter how far the pass is. I guarantee out of every receiver in PML that in season 1 Tyreke Hill will have the most yards and touchdowns and it won’t even be close! This player is a d*** cheat code to PML and he needs to be removed for our safety especially now that he’s in coach Que hands! Good luck stopping this Cheetah AFC west because you simply can’t this cats game is flawless.

Season 1 predictions: 2112 yards 21 touchdowns

Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler:
We know what Mike can do with a solid running back, and now we get to see him with another great running back in Austin Ekeler. Each season in PML the chargers have been a team that’s known to run for crazy amount of yards with their running back, it’s all up to Coach Mike to keep that tradition going and I definitely believe he will. This chargers roster has a lot of promise at their skill positions but I believe Ekeler stands out the most, I mean he can run routes like a receiver and he has the speed to breakaway for long runs. Ekeler is not a player to take likely and with coach Mike taking control of him I definitely seeing lots of production coming from him out of the back field.

Season 1 Predictions: 1430 Yards rushing, 11 Rushing Touchdowns, 1013 yards receiving, 4 Receiving Touchdowns

Denver Broncos:
Jerry Jeudy
We all know Coach Cookie hasn’t had the best success running the ball but when it comes to passing he is one of the best Coaches in the league. Last year he was definitely a top 5 passer and he enters this Broncos roster with one of the best receiving cores to start out with. One of those players happen to be Jerry Jeudy, who is just a perfect receiver for the coach of the team. Jeudy can do it all, if you want to play a short passing game Jeudy is your guy, if you want to go deep, Jeudy is your guy. There’s really not much that this young receiver can’t do and the amazing thing is he’s only going to get better throughout the whole cycle but in season one Jeudy will definitely be Coach Cookies go to guy. Watch out for his amazing route running because he will have defenders looking lost out there in a matter of seconds.

Season 1 predictions: 1440 Yards receiving 11 touchdowns

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

AntDawgtheGamer

Previous Team: Atlanta Falcons

AntDawg packs his bags and heads out west to Santa Clara where he will have some new shiny toys to play with. In his previous job in Atlanta the quarterback position was an issue for many seasons as the grooming of young Micale Cunningham did not go as planned. The 49ers roster has 2 quarterbacks who are capable of leading the offense in the veteran Jimmy Garappolo or the 2022 NFL Draft #3 overall pick in Trey Lance. It will be interesting to see what direction the club heads in early on. Although this is the most important position in football, it is not the most important for AntDawg. When AntDawg is at his best it’s when he is doing his damage on the ground as we saw in Atlanta with Todd Gurley. The 49ers will feature a 2 headed attack with Raheem Mostert and 2022 4th round pick Trey Sermon. I expect the 49ers to feature a steady dose of RPO and outside stretch runs with the speedster Lance under center and Mostert by his side causing nightmares for defensive coordinators. In Atlanta, AntDawgs defense always was built with speed. His linebacker core was one of the fastest around. Joey Bosa will always be a focus of the opposing teams game plan, but don’t forget about the man in the middle LB Fred Warner. A scary front 7 in San Fran will keep this team in games throughout the season.

49ers MVP Prediction

RB-Raheem Mostert. 40%
LB- Fred Warner. 25%
DE-Joey Bosa 20%
QB-Trey Lance 15%

Los Angeles Rams

BigQueso

Previous Team: New York Giants

BigQueso has become one of the household names in the PML. He has displayed continued success in the tough NFC East which resulted in multiple playoff appearances. Que is packing his bags and leaving the North East and heading to the bright lights of Los Angeles where he will be set up with 2 of the premier defensive stars in the game in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. Que has shown he likes to lean on the running game on the offensive side of the ball as he has ran all over opposing defenses with Saquon Barkley for the past 5 seasons. The question emerges with the loss of Cam Akers to season ending surgery, who will step up in the backfield? On the defensive side of the ball Que also boasted one of the more stingy defenses, that was anchored in the middle by Leonard Williams while in New York. I think this is a team that will be feeding off the defense early on in season 1 as they look to find an identity on offense and I look for the Superstar Aaron Donald to be the dynamic force on the defensive line for the new Los Angeles Rams head coach.

Rams MVP Prediction

DE- Aaron Donald 50%
RB- Sony Michel 25%
CB- Jalen Ramsey 15%
QB- Matt Stafford 10%

Arizona Cardinals

GooseDJBrimLo

Previous Team: Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals like the direction their franchise was heading in the previous cycle and have decided to extend Head Coach GooseDJBrimLo to an extension to keep him in Glendale for the PML 2022 cycle. The Cardinals success in the 2021 cycle was with a balanced running attack and a stellar defense. Quarterback Kyler Murray struggled at times throwing the ball through the air and it remains to be seen if the signal caller can flourish in the Cardinals offense. Chase Edmonds will do the heavy lifting in the backfield and receive some help from former Pittsburgh Steeler James Conner. As these guys look to find roles on the offensive side of the ball, the one thing we know we can expect from Goose will be a hard hitting defense. He has been given some new machinery along the defensive line which should help the defensive guru flourish with JJ Watt joining fellow pass rusher Chandler Jones forming a dangerous 1-2 tandem. With that pass rush causing havoc in defensive backfields, look for the hybrid do it all Linebacker/Safety Isaiah Simmons to shine. Look for Simmons to be a household name once again throughout the PML season in defensive player of the year discussions.

Cardinals MVP Prediction

LB- Isaiah Simmons 45%
DE- JJ Watt 20%
LOLB- Chandler Jones 20%
QB- Kyler Murray 10%
RB- Chase Edmonds 5%

Seattle Seahawks

DramaMan728

Previous Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the biggest personalities in the PML finds a new home on the opposite side of the country, leaving the North East in Pittsburgh and heading out to the North West in Seattle. DramaMan rejoins the PML after missing out on Season 5 which saw his Steelers falter. His last season of the previous cycle is when we saw him finally put it all together. A stingy defense coupled with a steady ground game helped catapult the Steelers to a post season berth. A middle of the road passer in the past cycle, Drama will look to improve with former Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson under center. Big play options on the outside with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will be key players in the success of this offense. Drama relied on a 2 headed attack in the backfield at his previous job with Cj Verdell and Josh Jacobs but will he be able to replicate that with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. On the defensive side of the ball, Drama at times showed flashes of brilliance. This season he will be equipped with All Pro Bobby Wagner in the middle of the field and Jamal Adams on the back end, this could be a very difficult unit to play against. Seattle always known for its inclement weather and the 12th man, will always be a tough place for opponents to play and I think Drama will feed off that energy on the defensive side of the ball. Bobby Wagner will be a tackle machine and help the Seahawks compete in a tough NFC West.

Seahawks MVP Prediction

QB- Russell Wilson 40%
MLB- Bobby Wagner 25%
RB- Chris Carson. 20%
SS- Jamal Adams 10%
WR- DK Metcalf 5%

AFC North

Browns- Baker Mayfield

Head Coach HD is at the helm of the Cleveland Browns once again, and this cycle is a loaded AFC (for now). After making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, the Browns are championship contenders in 2021. That can be attributed to QB Baker Mayfield. The Cleveland Browns offense is built for Baker to boom in 2021 as long as guys like Odell Beckham Jr, FA TE Austin Hooper, and rookie WR Anthony Shwartz come to play on Sundays. Not to mention Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns had the #1 rushing attack in 2020 thanks to the two headed monster backfield of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. If Baker can live up to the hype, there’s no doubt he will be in the MVP conversation in 2021.

Ravens- Lamar Jackson

This one is a no brainer, former MVP, Madden 21 Cover athlete, and the human highlight real Lamar Jackson is the MVP candidate from the Ravens. The Ravens will be lead by former Broncos HC FKNJP. The Ravens offense will run entirely through Lamar, in the passing game with new additions of Sammy Watkins, and rookie receiver Rashod Bateman, Lamar could see career highs throwing the ball. As we know Lamar Jackson may be as dangerous of a runner as we’ve ever seen, and with the injury to star RB JK Dobbins, Lamar will have even more opportunity to run the himself. Head Coach JP said “If it’s MVP talk… Lamar is going to be the one”

Steelers- TJ Watt

The Steelers are in good hands this year led by former 49ers HC isNefarious. Nef will compete to win this division, and he says the emphasis will be on the defense. The star of the show will be none other than defensive end TJ Watt. I’m 2020 Watt was a Pro Bowler an 1st Team All-Pro , and DPOY finalist, and he looks to be even better in 2021. TJ is a headache for opposing QBs, but he’s not without some help, All-Pro Saftey Minkah Fitzpatrick, and FA Melvin Ingram make gameplanning for the Steel Curtain a very tall task.

Bengals – Joe Mixon

A somewhat surprising pick for MVP in season 1, but I believe Joe Mixon will be a force to be reckon with, and new HC Burn agrees “I think Mixon will be MVP”. Under Burn the offense will play a more conservative style, and that is exactly what Mixon needs. Mixon can do it all, but had been plagued with injury and bad QB play his whole and e career. With Joe Burrow and Mixon healthy, along with some new offensive weapons like rookie WR Jamar Chase, this offense could really explode on the back on Joe Mixon

NFC South


The press about the NFC South is not what you’d expect from a division that contains Super Bowl LV champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New Orleans Saints, a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2016. Despite the recent success, the expectations are extremely low for the NFC South heading into this season. On August 22nd, 2021, a Premier Madden League official coach rankings was released to the public. These rankings revealed that three of the four NFC South coaches were considered in the bottom five by a collective group of their peers and fellow coaches. The beautiful thing about football is that anything can happen on any given Sunday, and a fresh cycle of Madden Football provides new beginnings for Cammyuno, Malirojo, ThatsJT, and Vet20.

When it comes to the MVP discussion, the odds are stacked against this division to have a candidate. The straightforward reason for that is the fact that MVP’s in the NFL typically reside on playoff caliber teams. As we have established, this isn’t exactly a group of coaches that is expected to win very often. It will take a huge turn around for these coaches to find one of their players named the MVP. However, any coach in the Premier Madden League could surprise us and do just that. Let’s look at the odds and who could possibly emerge as MVP for these four teams.

Atlanta Falcons:

Odds: 60-1

Player: Tight End Kyle Pitts

Vet20 finds himself leading the Atlanta Falcons in the Madden 22 cycle after a cycle with the Kansas City Chiefs in Madden 21. Vet had trouble winning in Madden 21, but that didn’t stop him from getting solid performances out of players such as Tyreek Hill, Chuba Hubbard, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce. With the Atlanta Falcons he certainly finds himself in an offense that is quite a downgrade. However, he finds himself in an easier division with the highly touted rookie Kyle Pitts. The reason Kyle Pitts is such a game changer is his rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism. Combine that with exceptional route running a catching ability and you have a recipe for a deadly mismatch and potential MVP candidate.

Carolina Panthers:

Odds: 50-1

Player: Quarterback Cam Newton

Of the four coaches in the NFC South, Coach ThatsJT, was the one able to make it out of the

bottom five in the coach rankings at #19. This gives ThatsJT some better odds to have an MVP level performance. Cam Newton is a player that stands out as an MVP candidate in this offense. JT targeted and secured Newton in the free agency draft and was very excited for his return to Carolina. Additionally, JT has always been a coach that spreads the ball out to every possible weapon on the team. He’s so well balanced I don’t see any one weapon standing too far above the others, but Newton can have an MVP year getting the ball to the likes of Christian McCaffery, D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson, and Dan Arnold.

New Orleans Saints:

Odds: 60-1

Player: Wide Receiver Michael Thomas

Coach Cammyuno has already shown us in the past that he can get a quarterback to pass for over 5000 yards in a season, and with a gunslinger mentality I imagine we will see much of the same in the Madden 22 cycle. Turnovers have been the problem in the past for Cammyuno, but he has a chance to clean that up this cycle. Regardless, with that those passing numbers I expect Michael Thomas to have a monster year either way. With little options behind him and exceptional talent Thomas should easily establish himself as the primary option in this offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Odds: 60-1

Player: Running Back Ronald Jones

Coach Malirojo has been known to utilize the running back position. We will never forget when he landed Rashaad Penny a double suspension for breaking the overuse rule and target % rule in a single season during the Madden 21 cycle. That same season Penny lead the team in rushing yards and receiving yards. That shows that the running back is a huge part of his gameplan. Opportunities through the air and on the ground for Ronald Jones are a guarantee in this offense and makes him the most likely candidate for MVP on this team.