Season 26 Predictions
by Chris Berman
Updated: August 31, 2013: 8:25pm EST

Welcome ladies and Gentleman to the annual MOF Season predictions. This year will be a little different as you can see, yours truly Chris Berman has been hired by Commissioner Dypko and the MOF to write up these season predictions. I have gone through each coaches tendencies, how they would fit with the team they are coaching, and came up with these predictions. Remember guys, do not take this personal, it is all in good fun. Besides, when was the last time anyone was right on any prediction? Eh?

Hello again MOF Coaches and fans. Welcome to the Season 26 predictions!! It's a great time of year, as the new edition of Madden is released every August, another edition of MOF Seasons also begins. Madden '25 was released on August 27th and the draft was completed yesterday afternoon, so now there must be a prediction column!! I hope you all enjoy the column, as I broke down each game and picked a winner throughout the season and came up with very detailed predictions.

AFC East
Buffalo: Phil Heiner (Darthblunt) - Last Season (San Francisco 5-11) *Season 24*
Miami: Chris Keith (Ukcat98) - Last Season (Tennessee 8-8) *Season 23*
New England: Trev Pappas (Trevpap)- Last Season (Chicago 4-12)
New York Jets: Alex Leivano (LatinYank77478) - Last Season (N.Y. Jets 9-7)

Another MOF Season, and another season the Jets are coached by LatinYank! The 21st pick in the draft went to Alex, and there was little doubt that he would be coming back, especially after his lackluster 9-7 season in Season 25. However, this division should be somewhat competitive. I think Latinyank has taken a step back over the recent seasons, and everyone is starting to catch up. We start with Buffalo. Coach Darthblunt was absent last season, but Season 24 he took the 49ers to a 5-11 record. Which is not very impressive, given the face that the 49ers have been the top rated team for 2 Madden's in a row now. Darthblunt is going to have his work cut out for him, but if he's going to make a comeback, this is the division to do it in. CJ Spiller, and EJ Manuel give the Bills speed, but that's about all they got. I don't expect Darth to have a very good season. The Miami Dolphins are coached by Ukcat who's last season here was Season 23. he took the Titans to a 6-2 record, if my memory serves me right, and then he vanished. If he can get to mid-season form quick enough, he will win this division no doubt in my mind. But he's been gone for a while, and MOF competition sometimes takes a toll when  you take a break for that long, I think the hole he will dig to start off the season, will be too deep to come out of, but I think he will be the biggest threat to the Jets. The Patriots come into the season with Coach Trevpap who coached the Bears to a 4-12 record last season. Trev also subbed for the Seahawks last season, and took them to the post-season. Coach Trev is getting alot of experience here in the MOF, but he's yet to break that barrier of becoming an elite coach. I think he will have to wait one more season, but like I said about the Bills, this is the division to make some noise. If he can get hot, there's no telling what he can do! Last but not least are the Jets and Coach Latinyank. These names have been linked to one another for some time now, and this season is no different. Coach Latin has lost his mojo a little bit, he was once a dominant force in the AFC East with the Jets, winning at a rapid rate, and being a shoe in for the playoffs season in and season out, but last season he did not play well at all. Now without Tim Tebow, James McKnight, and Darrelle Revis, the team is just getting worse. He adds Geno Smith, who will most likely be his option QB, but the losses outweigh the gains. The Jets are still the favorite in my eyes to win this division, and if all goes well he should win it by a good margin. The head to head matchups against Miami could make or break the Jets season.

AFC East Predictions:
Ny Jets: 9-7
Miami: 7-9
New England: 4-12
Buffalo: 3-13

Rewind: This is a weak division. Although Ukcat and Latinyank are season veterans, and could easily win 10+ games, I think Ukcat needs a season under his belt to get back into the groove, and I think the Jets just aren't a good enough team to win that many games with. Buffalo and New England could surprise some people, but in all honesty I think we will see poor seasons out of both.

AFC North
Baltimore: Andre Scott (BigDre245) - Last Season (Atlanta 11-5)
Cincinnati: Andy Matheson (LokiDoki) - Last Season (Miami 11-5)
Cleveland: Jason St. Hilaire (Whosnext83) - Last Season (Minnesota 4-12) *Season 21*
Pittsburgh: Ron Clark (IGotASxyWife) - Last Season (Pittsburgh 11-5)

This division looks like a dandy on paper. You have 3 coaches who made the playoffs last season, and the other coach is a Hall of Famer! This division has very good teams, even the Browns have a decent squad, so this division is hard to predict. First you have the Ravens and Coach BigDre. BigDre won comeback coach of the year last season, when he took the Falcons to an 11-5 record and a division title. This season he has the luxury of playing the real life Super Bowl Champions. I expect Dre to be a tough team this season, and them to really compete for the division and a wild card spot. I am predicting him behind the Steelers and Bengals, but they can very easily wind up winning this division as well. Ray Rice will be an MVP candidate when its all said and done. The Cincinnati Bengals have been the talk of the town lately, with high hopes coming into the season, they picked up Coach LokiDoki who busted onto the season in his rookie season last year. Loki took the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs. Now he has an even better team, and a chance to really propel himself deeper into the best coaches in the MOF conversation. I predict the Bengals to absolutely be a playoff team, and I think they will come out on top of this division as well. AJ Green is an absolute beast, and if Loki can play as good as Fuzzberg did last season, maybe Andy Dalton could win back to back MVPs. The Cleveland Browns are coached by Whosnext83. Coach Whosnext has been out of the league for 4 seasons now and his last season here he went 4-12 with the Vikings. Whosnext is a hall of fame coach, which some people disagree with, never the less he is in there and he commands the respect. Just like Ukcat in Miami, Whosnext is going to have some rust in his comeback to the league, and when you have rust, in a division like this, with the Browns, it spells disaster. I expect Whosnext to be in mid-season form towards the end of the season, where he could easily play the spoiler but I just don't see him doing anything special with the time off he's had. Coach IGotASxyWife is back with Pittsburgh once again, and he's really been a perennial playoff coach. He just can't seem to win a playoff game once he gets there, but that's neither here nor there. The Steelers will be a team to watch as well, and I expect Coach Ron to battle for the division, and the wild card too. I put him slightly above the Ravens, only because he knows the Steelers inside and out, and that gives you a huge advantage. The Steelers are getting up there in age, and their running game isn't what it used to be, but Ron will find a way to win games.

AFC North Predictions:
Cincinnati: 11-5
Pittsburgh: 10-6
Baltimore: 9-7
Cleveland: 4-12

Rewind: This is going to be a great division race. You can never count out a HOF coach either, so the Browns might throw their name in the hat and surprise us all. I think the Bengals will win this division and the Steelers and Ravens will battle for 2nd place and a wild card. There is a very good possibility that both wild cards come out of this division.

AFC South
Houston: Quincy Peterson (Qpeezy35) - Last Season (San Francisco 8-8)
Indianapolis: Chris Cheefer (CheeferD) - Last Season (Indianapolis 10-6)
Jacksonville: Zac Hults (Woody_08) - Last Season (Tennessee 11-5) *Season 22*
Tennessee: Brad DeVito (rMossIsDirty) - Last Season (St. Louis 13-3) *Season 11*

What might be the most intriguing division in the MOF this season, the AFC South comes at you with some great coaches to say the least. You have 2 big time veterans, Qpeezy who is always a great competitor, and Cheefer who is considered the "newbie" of the division. First off, you have the Houston Texans who are coached by Quincy Peterson (Qpeezy35) who took the 49ers to an 8-8 record last season, which was more than a disappointment, especially after he started 7-2. I think the interest of football kind of slipped Peezy's mind a bit, and he lacked the drive to win the division at the end. However, this is a new season, and the Texans are a very strong team entering Madden '25. Great defense, and great running attack Peezy will be in the wild card mix, but he might not have enough fire power to over take the Colts. The Colts are back with Coach Cheefer who took these Colts to a 10-6 record last season, and into the playoffs where was beaten by Miami in the divisional round. Cheefer has been getting better and better each season, and I think this is the season he takes the leap to elite. He knows this team like the back of his hand, and he has all the talent he needs to dominate. I expect the Colts to win this division and I also expect the Colts to be a serious Super Bowl contender. The Jaguars are coached by Woody_08 who has been on a leave of absence as well. His last season was Season 22 with the Titans, as he took them to an 11-5 record and into the playoffs. Woody is a very good coach, there is no denying that at all, but like I've said in the previous two divisions, it takes a little while to shake off the rust and with the worst team in the league, it's going to spell a disaster for him. I expect Woody to battle hard, and to earn some upsets, but I don't expect the Jaguars to make any sort of splash this season. The return of Coach DeVito has the league buzzing. Most of the league now does not know who DeVito is, or ever even heard of him. Let's teach you a MOF history lesson. DeVito's last season was Season 11, MOF for PS2. He won the Super Bowl with the Rams and then switched over to Xbox360. He just recently got a PS3 and entered back into the MOF world. So shaking off rust is an understatement for him. But this is rMossIsDirty, he's a classic MOF Veteran, with one of the highest winning percentages in league history. I expect his Titans to battle for a wild card spot, I don't think he will have enough to beat out the Colts for the division, and he will have some bumps and bruises to start, but there's something special about DeVito, look for great competition out of him. 

AFC South Predictions:
Indianapolis: 12-4
Tennessee: 9-7
Houston: 9-7
Jacksonville: 5-11

Rewind: This is the Colts division to lose. I think they will build a nice cushion for themselves, and coast into the 1 seed in the AFC. The Titans and Texans are going to seriously battle for 2nd place and for a wild card spot. I think they will fall short, but I wouldn't be surprised if either team was able to make it. The Jaguars will be the basement team of the division, but I expect them to win a game that will cost a team a shot at the playoffs later in the season.

AFC West
Denver: Christopher Duran (Bubbaduran07) - Last Season (St. Louis 5-11)
Kansas City: Kyle Kimble (Duckfat95) - Last Season (St. Louis 1-15) *Season 24*
Oakland: Chris Pixton (Maddenusa2009) - Last Season (Tennessee 4-12)
San Diego: Brandon Weakland (MMXCalibur) - Last Season (Minnesota 5-11) *Season 24*

The AFC West might be the worst division in the MOF this season. The combined record of all 4 coaches previous season's in the league is 15-49, wow. I think this division is going to come down to who gets hot at any point in the season. Excluding the Chiefs. The Denver Broncos are coached by Bubbaduran this season, who won the rookie of the year last season by default, with the Rams. He went 5-11 and did not play very well all season long. But he was the Rams. The Broncos are obviously a much much better team. Quite possibly the best AFC team in the game. Peyton Manning and company are going to be a very difficult squad to deal with and I think he could definitely surprise some people and win this division, the reason I think he doesn't is because he still has alot to learn in this league, and I think the lack of experience will comeback to hurt him as the season goes on. The Kansas City Chiefs have a very underrated team. Jamaal Charles, Alex Smith, and Dwayne Bowe balance out a very good offense, and the defense is good too. However Duckfat has had a season off, and last time he was here he took the Rams to a 1-15 record. I do not expect Duckfat to compete in this division, but BIG but, if he were to get hot with Charles, you never know. The Oakland Raiders are coached by Maddenusa, which is widely known as his favorite team. Like we always say, when you play with your favorite team, it makes you that much more dangerous to deal with. He will prove that point as I expect the Raiders to compete neck and neck for the division title, and maybe a wild card spot. The speed of the Raiders is what is the most dangerous part of the team, if McFadden can dominate the way we know he can, the Raiders could run away with this division. The San Diego Chargers are coached by the veteran coach MMXcalibur. MMX has the most experience out of any coach in this division, and that really matters. The problem is the Chargers are a very bad team. MMX will make it work though, and I really think the Chargers will eventually end up on top of this division. Don't be shocked if the Chargers finish 8-8 and in 1st place, because this division is as bad as at is going to be competitive. MMX could easily win 11 games, or he could win 8.. same thing goes with Denver and Oakland. So this is a real crap shoot.

AFC West Predictions:
San Diego: 8-8
Oakland: 8-8
Denver: 7-9
Kansas City: 3-13

Rewind: I was undecided as I was writing this the entire time. Three teams stand out here, San Diego, Denver, and Oakland. These three teams are going to fight for this division. San Diego is slightly rated above the rest because of MMX experience and skill, but the Broncos are easily the best team out of the bunch. It will be exciting to watch this division unfold.

NFC East
Dallas: Commissioner Dypko - Last Season (Kansas City 10-6)
New York Giants: Damon Clark (Dpanther95) - Last Season (Denver 4-12)
Philadelphia: Terrance Weeks (MrRoclo) - Last Season (Oakland 14-2) *Season 16*
Washington: Thomas Betts (NYRedskins35) - Last Season (Washington (10-6)

The NFC East is blessed with Commish Dypko and Dpanther this season. Two coaches who haven't been in the NFC East in a very long time, or ever! We see the Redskins and Coach Betts once again, and we see another veteran Mr. Roclo who hasn't been here in a very long time. The Dallas Cowboys are coached by Commish Dypko, who actually subbed for the Cowboys and went 3-2 last season including a huge win over the Redskins and Coach Betts. Dypko has the 3rd best regular season record in the last 10 seasons combined, only behind Betts and Youngcat, and that's pretty impressive. Dypko always seems to play very well in the regular season, and fall in the playoffs. It will be very hard to beat out Coach Betts for the division, but if anyone can do it, it will be Dypko in this division. I expect Dallas to be a wild card threat never the less. Coach Dpanther is with the Gmen this season, after yet another disappointing season. He went 4-12 with the Broncos last season, and we're just waiting for Dpanther to break out and have a great season. He's in the wrong conference and division this season, it will no doubt be a tough season for Dpanther, let's just hope he doesn't go winless. The Philadelphia Eagles are coached by Mr. Roclo. It seems that every division thus far has an old timer coming back. Mr. Roclo played last 10 seasons ago in Season 16, where he took the Raiders to a 14-2 record and to the AFC Championship. Roclo is definitely a coach to reckon with, but like the others, he will have a lot of rust to shake off, and he will have to deal with the Redskins and Cowboys in this division. I expect a frustrating season for Mr. Roclo and the Eagles, because yes the Eagles have a lot of talent and speed, but they will turn the ball over, and play mediocre defense. The Washington Redskins are back with Betts once again, after Betts teased that he would be going elsewhere, but that wasn't the case. Last season was Betts' first season he failed to make the playoffs, and it arguably was because of Coach Dypko and the interim Cowboys game. So Betts will have a personal vendetta against Dypko this season. I expect nothing less than the division title for Betts, and quite possibly another trip to the Super Bowl. Dypko will challenge, but Betts is just too good to overtake. Redskins will be back this season, and back with a bang!

NFC East Predictions:
Washington: 13-3
Dallas: 11-5
Philadelphia: 4-12
Ny Giants: 3-13

Rewind: This is Betts' division to lose. He has a monkey on his back from missing the post-season last season, and he will be ready to go. Dallas will be a playoff team if not, they'll be a 10 or 11 win team that misses the playoffs. The Eagles and Giants will battle for 3rd place, but both teams will be out of the hunt by Week 10.

NFC North
Chicago: Vinny Caturano (YoungCat21) - Last Season (Ny Giants 13-3)
Detroit: Adam Nielson (Fuzzberg75) - Last Season (Cincinnati 11-5)
Green Bay: Brett Williamson (Uccbrett) - Last Season (Dallas 10-6)
Minnesota: Steve Sutton (Dagger27) - Last Season (San Diego 7-9)

The NFC North is blessed once again with Coach Youngcat's presence. Youngcat and the Bears are a match made in heaven, and that marriage continues in Season 26. This division is one of the best in the MOF without a doubt. The Chicago Bears are back with Youngcat, and with a very good defense, and good offense. It doesn't really matter who they have out there, when Coach Youngcat is under the helm, this team is very hard to beat. The last time Youngcat coached the Bears, he went 16-0. He will be once again dominant, and I expect him to win this division handedly, and earn the #1 seed in the NFC. The Detroit Lions are coached by a disappointed Fuzzberg this season. Fuzzy coached the Bengals to a division title last season and to an 11-5 record. Very impressive. The Lions are not quite the team that the Bengals are, but they still have a lot of weapons. They could very easily be a playoff team, and challenge the Bears if all goes well. The Green Bay Packers are coached by Brett Williamson, who coached the Cowboys last season, and just missed the playoffs. Coach Brett is always a threat in this league and this season will be no different. The Packers are one of the best teams in the game, and I expect Brett to be a playoff team. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson and Coach Dagger, and that's about it. Dagger went 7-9 in his rookie season last season with the Chargers which is pretty impressive in itself. However, in this division, things are going to be very very tough. You have 6 games against very good coaches and teams, and I think that will really due him in. I do expect the Vikes to win some games though, and surprise some people when its all said and done.

NFC North Predictions:
Chicago: 14-2
Green Bay: 11-5
Detroit: 9-7
Minnesota: 6-10

Rewind: This division is Youngcats. The Packers and Lions could easily swap spots, but I'm giving the edge to the Packers only because of their talent on offense and the longevity of Brett. The Lions could easily get the other wild card, but it will be a challenge. The Vikings are going to have a tough season, but Peterson might gain 3,000 yards.

NFC South
Atlanta: KA Crosby (TeamKA) - Last Season (Oakland 12-4)
Carolina: Garry Callis (RichVA804gg) - Last Season (Carolina 11-5)
New Orleans: Josh Nelson (Krayzie300) - Last Season (Minnesota 7-9)
Tampa Bay: Jason Fontaine (JFon) - Last Season (Tampa Bay 6-10)

This division has both Super Bowl 25 coaches in the champ RichVA and TeamKA. I'd have to look it up, but I'm sure that hasn't happened in a long time. That makes this division definitely one to watch. The Atlanta Falcons are one of the best teams in the game, and Coached by TeamKA who really came into his own last season with the Raiders, finishing 12-4 and #1 in the AFC, as well as a Super Bowl appearance. TeamKA really showed that he belonged in the elite conversation. Now he plays with an even better team in the Falcons, so the sky is the limit. I think he will battle RichVA and the Panthers for the division title, but if he doesn't win the division, it's going to be very tough to get into the playoffs with these teams and coaches in the NFC. The Carolina Panthers bring Coach RichVA804gg back after he won the Super Bowl last season with these Panthers. Going back to back is very hard, but the way Coach RichVA did it last season, there is no reason to believe he cannot do it again. Cam Newton running the option is all you need, and he will be doing that very well. This is his division to lose, and if he's on his game and showing up to play, there's no one that can stop him. The New Orleans Saints are bringing in Coach Krayzie300 this season and to quote Julie Garland, we're not in Minnesota anymore. The Saints have an explosive offense and Nelson will be happy with that. However, being in this division, and having to play the SB coaches from last season 4 times, it's going to take a toll. I expect the Saints to finish 3rd, and not win that many games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bring back Jfon once again, even him finishing 6-10 doesn't matter. The loyalty will never die. The Buccaneers are definitely an improved team coming into this edition of Madden. With the addition of Darrelle Revis in itself, it makes them very dangerous. However, just like I said before with the Saints, the Panthers and Falcons are going to rise above the other two teams in this division and it's going to be very difficult to catch those two. The Buccaneers are going to be fighting their way to not finish in last place again, but unfortunately for Jfon, I think it's inevitable.

NFC South Predictions:
Carolina: 12-4
Atlanta: 10-6
New Orleans: 6-10
Tampa Bay: 4-12

Rewind: It will be all Falcons and Panthers, they could easily flip flop but I think they will both be in the playoff discussion. However, the team that does not win the division is going to really have to fight for that wild card spot. So the division title is extremely important here. The Saints and Bucs could have some spoiling wins, but that's about all from those two.

NFC West
Arizona: Marcel McLaurin (Hovadagod_23) - Last Season (New England 6-10)
St. Louis: John Healy (Canesbucs1) - Last Season (San Francisco 13-3) *Season 20*
San Francisco: Dan Holleman (Trigrdan) - Last Season (New Orleans 11-5)
Seattle: Frank Thomas (Mindenplaya) - Last Season (Jacksonville 9-7)

The NFC West usually is a division that is poor quality, with 3 teams finishing under .500 or sometimes no team finishing above .500, like last season. But this season we will see very good competition out of this division. The Arizona Cardinals will be the 1 exception. Coach Hovadagod returns after only playing half a season last season with the Patriots. We know that Hova does not have the most impressive skill set in the league, and that will hold him back, especially in this division. The Cardinals are never a good team in the MOF, and that's why we deemed running with them the "Arizona Challenge". The Cardinals will be lucky to win 3 games this season, I'm really hoping that Hova can win more. The St. Louis Rams have hired long time MOF veteran, two-time champion, and HOF Coach John Healy (canesbucs1). It's great to have Healy back because his last season, was Season 20, where he won the Super Bowl with the 49ers. The Rams will be a challenge, no doubt about it, but Healy knows how to play, and knows how to win. So the Rams will absolutely be competitive. The San Francisco 49ers are the crème of the crop. The highest rated team, and they are stacked at every single position on the field. To not win with them, would be a disgrace. Coach Trigrdan has been solid for a number of seasons now, and this could be the season he takes the next step into the Championship. He has the talent, and he has the coach skills, now it becomes mental hurdles. The 49ers will win this division, the real question is, can Trigr win it all. The Seattle Seahawks are coached by Frank Thomas, the big hurt. Mindenplaya made his debut last season with the Jaguars, and went a quiet 9-7 with them. No one seems to be talking about that, but I think that is a very impressive feat. Now he has the 2nd best team in the game, in the Seahawks. So just imagine the damage he can do. I do expect great things out of Coach Minden, but this division with Healy and Trigr will be very tough. I can see him getting a wild card spot, but more realistically he's a 3rd place team.

NFC West Predictions:
San Francisco: 13-3
St. Louis: 10-6
Seattle: 9-7
Arizona: 3-13

Rewind: It's the 49ers division to win, but the Rams and Seahawks will have some sort of say about it. The Rams and Seahawks will battle all season for that 2nd place spot, and if they don't win the division, they both might miss out on the post-season in this conference.

Season 26 Standings + Playoff Predictions