Before we start the predictions, I want to take a moment and talk about the longevity and success of this league. 20 years ago, I was a 21 year old kid with an idea to create an online madden league, but really had no idea how it worked. With the help of Dolan (Lhu27) we created the MOF. We had some bumps and bruises in our first few seasons, but now 67 seasons later here we are. One of the most prestigious leagues out there. As we enter our unprecedented 69th season, a number that not many leagues have seen, I want to thank every single one of you for making this league what it is. I say this all the time, but this is a wonderful hobby for all of us. Something to get our minds off the everyday grind and have a place to escape for a few hours a week. I take pride and pleasure in providing that for you guys, so again, thank you for making the MOF great!
Welcome to the Season 69 Predictions! Well last season was a pretty good one for the predictions from yours truly. Out of the 14 teams predicted to make the playoffs 11 were predicted correctly. Who knew the Jets were going to win the East? Who knew the Packers were going to take a step back? And who knew MackDaddy would miss the playoffs for a 2nd straight season? I didn't. As for your champion, well I got that right too! Coach MrWitness36 won his 2nd straight Super Bowl title with the Eagles and it looks like he's already on his way to a dynasty in Madden '23. Last season we saw the return of Coach Estrada and the more things change the more they stay the same, as he won 13 games in the regular season, but was ousted in the wild-card round. We saw the NFC South winner have a losing record, as the Saints finished 8-9. We also saw the coming out party for Coach Krayzie's Bengals who made it to the AFC title game. It looks like this season is going to be full of some surprises and some new comers that will take the league by storm. We see Boobie back with Houston, look out for them. Coach Mack (new mack) with the Giants, who looked to be great towards the end of last season, and we see a new Packers coach as Enzo rode off into the Jersey smog and VictorWrestles has joined the league. So what is in store for this season? Maybe we will see a new champion? Will MackDaddy snap his playoff drought? Will Coach Q take that all-star team to the playoffs? All that and more will be answered as we go through our Season 69 season predictions.
*Remember all these predictions are very in depth. We go game by game with the current schedule and predict games 1 by 1 and that's how we come up with our algorithms. Remember this is all in good fun and for some, some bulletin board material! Enjoy
by Commissioner Jeff
November 30, 2022
Biggest Off-Season Addition: HB Alvin Kamara - NE (94 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: QB Aaron Rodgers - NYJ (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR Quincy Hendrix - NYJ (81 ovr)
Probably the surprise of the edition thus far is the Buffalo Bills and Coach MackDaddy not making the playoffs for 2 straight seasons after making them 29 straight times! Another surprise was the Jets winning 11 games and taking the division by storm after trading for Aaron Rodgers. The Patriots saw some turnover as Hicks left and Powers swung over to New England, but didn't win a game. Then you had Miami and Remo have some success with some upset wins. We begin with the Buffalo Bills. Once again I am predicting the Bills to win this division. The schedule is in their favor and I still believe MackDaddy is going to figure this out sooner rather than later. They have had the #1 defense in the MOF for the past two seasons but still haven't cracked the post-season. I think that ends this season. They have the tools on offense to be great and sometimes it takes a season or two with a new game to figure things out. Josh Allen, James Cook, Stefon Diggs, Andy Isabella, etc. That's a lot of weapons to not be in the playoffs. The Jets were a pleasant surprise last season, although we know DoubleD has the potential to win games we didn't think he'd win the division that quick. He's known for developing his talent better than any coach here (see pick for WR Quincy Hendrix), but last season the Jets made a huge trade for Aaron Rodgers and that pushed them into the post-season. Rodgers retired at the end of the season which propelled the Jets to trade for Matthew Stafford. With the emergence of Breece Hall last season, I think Stafford's load will be light as they should lean heavy on the run game. I think the Jets could easily win this division, it should come down to the head to head games vs Buffalo. The Patriots had a coaching change last season as BHicks14 left after starting 2-4 and hopes were high for them under Hicks. Then RobPowers came over from Houston and completely imploded! The Patriots lost 11 straight games and went 2-15. However, the Pats went out and made some great deals in the off-season. Powers is known for his GM skills. They signed HB Alvin Kamara, WR Hunter Renfrow, they traded for DT Arik Armstead and drafted one of the fastest players in the draft in WR Jaron Rogers. I think Powers Pats will win some games this season, but I still think he's another season or two away from really competing for a playoff spot. The Miami Dolphins enter their 2nd full season under Coach Remo. Last season wasn't great, but the Dolphins had some fantastic wins, including MackDaddy's Bills and Krayzie's Bengals. The offense is a bit of an issue in Miami, with only 1 player with abilities that being WR Tyreek Hill. Miami didn't do too much to improve their team in the off-season, but they made a really nice pick in LB Kemani Easley who should be a star in this league for season to come. I expect Miami to finish last, maybe fight for 3rd but the talent just isn't there for them.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: DT Aaron Donald - PIT (99 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: CB Denzel Ward - CLE (95 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR Trevor Jarrett - CLE (80 ovr)
The North was dominated last season by the Bengals and Coach Krayzie who made it all the way to the AFC title game! They were swept by the Steelers but 12-3 vs everyone else! The Steelers started off slow but roared back going 10-4 in their last 14 to make the playoffs once again. The Ravens struggled only winning 3 games and the Browns also struggled but won more, at 6. We start with the Cincinnati Bengals. I believe they will repeat as division champions because they just have a great team and Krayzie really has a great grasp on this year's game. Coupled with the talent he has in Burrow, Chase, and 2nd year star Marcus Kirkpatrick, the Bengals can put up points in a hurry. Look at their defense too, Krayzie went and got Danielle Hunter 2 seasons ago, signed Lavonte David last season, and drafted a stud in LB Antoine Hargrove this season. The Bengals Achilles heel is the Pittsburgh Steelers, for whatever reason they cant beat them and if they can't again this season, we might see the division fall to Pittsburgh. Speaking of Pittsburgh, like we said earlier they started off 0-3 but then went 10-4 to finish the season and get into the playoffs. The Steelers might have had one of the best off-seasons we've ever seen. They mortgaged the future for now when they traded for Russell Wilson, Travis Kelce, and Aaron Donald. Those moves should have immediate impact. The issue is their schedule, its a tough one playing the NFC East and AFC West. The division is going to come down to the head to head games vs the Bengals, I think, and a wild-card spot might not be there this season with the AFC South being so great. The Baltimore Ravens went out in the off-season and made some moves. They acquired WR Mike Williams, signed HB Elijah Mitchell, HB A.J. Dillon, LB Denzel Perryman and drafted speedster WR Tylan Wallace. The Ravens on paper have a fantastic team led by Lamar Jackson, but for some reason Jackson doesn't do what he does best under Coach Mindenplaya. He doesn't run the ball. If Lamar was more of a run threat, this offense would open up there's no doubt about it. The Ravens showed some moxie last season but when it comes down to it, moxie doesn't win games as they went 3-14. Unfortunately until they change their offensive style, i don't see them doing much more this season either. The Cleveland Browns went 6-11 last season and had some nice wins, but all in all it was a failure of a season. They went out and traded Denzel Ward to the Panthers in the off-season and drafted WR Trevor Jarrett, who is one of the best rookies coming into the league. They do still have Chubb and Hunt which I'm very surprised of, because i know they can get a haul by trading Chub and probably some nice pieces trading Hunt. They were able to Keep Shaun Watson although they were having some massive cap issues, we're glad they were able to. I think the Browns are a young team, but they are also old in some spots. They need to figure out if they want to rebuild or reload and make that decision flow through the whole team. Until they can figure that out, I think the Browns will struggle.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: LB Micah Parsons - IND (93 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LB Shaquille Leonard - IND (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: TE Daniel Lofton - TEN (74 ovr)
The AFC South was an absolute juggernaut of a division last season. We had three teams, THREE teams with 12 wins. The Titans won the division at 12-5, the Colts came all the way back from a 5-12 season with a 12-5 season, and the Jaguars also finished 12-5 as they are becoming one of the most consistent teams in the MOF. Don't forget those Texans who signed Boobie to coach when Powers left too, they're gonna be a problem going forward! We are starting with the Colts. Coach Healy made some serious moves in the off-season as he remained busy and traded for LB Micah Parsons, signed RE Rashan Gary, and traded for Donte Jackson and CJ Henderson. Don't forget they also signed Penei Sewell too. 2nd year QB Jake Bowen returns with a QB of the year title under his belt already and I expect him to get better and better. The workhorse Jonathan Taylor is in his absolute prime right now as he is arguably the best back in the game. I am giving the edge to the Colts in the division, but not by much you could easily flip flop all three of the top teams. However I think the Colts are ready to take that next step with their moves and the skill of Healy. The Tennessee Titans are 1 season removed from representing the AFC in the Super Bowl and there's no question they could easily get there this season too. The Titans won the division last season at 12-5 and they are doing it with their running game and turnovers. They are causing turnovers like CRAZY as Caleb Farley had 21 interceptions alone last season. QB Malik Willis is being used like Lamar Jackson should be used, with 92 speed he's so dangerous. Derrick Henry is a 30 year old RB but he's still a 99 overall with 93 speed, unreal. TE Okonkwo has been developed into an x-factor and is dominating the TE Award for the AFC two seasons in a row. The Titans are loaded, period. The only thing getting in their way is Roclo and his turnovers. If he can limit his interceptions at crucial times, he will hoist up that MOF trophy. The Jacksonville Jaguars were also a dominant team at 12-5 last season, but lost the division on tie breakers. Dre is becoming one of the most consistent coaches in the league and when that happens, people start overlooking and that would be a mistake. I expect more of the same from the Jaguars this season, with another playoff appearance and another fight for the South. Dre made a couple of moves in the off-season, the big one was trading for WR Cam Boston from KC who has 97 speed, wow, expect him to return kicks and be a big deep threat that was needed in Duvall. They also went out and grabbed SS Grant Delpit from Cleveland who was unloading salary. Those two moves will really improve their team in spots that they needed most. That's what Dre does, he goes out and fills the needs and reloads. Coach Powers started off with Houston last season and went 1-6 before leaving to go to New England. Enter Boobie. Boob took the Texans on a 6-4 finish including some nice wins over the Colts and Saints. I think talent wise the Texans are the worst team in the division, a division that's already established with three hall of fame coaches, so obviously this is going to be a serious test, probably Boobie's biggest competition since he's been here. I still expect them to win 9 or 10 games and be a contender for a wild-card spot. They didn't make any huge moves in the off-season but they drafted 6 players in the secondary, clearly focusing on stopping the pass. I would watch out for Tony Pollard this season, expect big things!
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Tyler Boyd - LAC (83 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: TE Travis Kelce - KC (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: RE Deon Avery - KC (75 ovr)
The AFC West was once again dominated by Coach BigReub's silver and black as they went 14-3 and won the division by 6 games. The Chiefs had a bit of a better season going 8-9 but were far from what they once were last edition. The Broncos had a 6-11 season, and Shawty went through his streaky wins and losses again and the Chargers who were 11-6 in Season 67 went 2-15 last season! We begin with those Raiders. The defending AFC Champions are back and they are bringing back virtually the same exact squad from a season ago. The offense is solid, with the Carr/Adams hook up. Josh Jacobs is a bruiser at SS dev and 220 pounds! Don't forget Darren Waller, the x-factor Tight End that is an easy target for Carr. The bread and butter of these Raiders is their pass rush. It seemed like every game they had 10-15 tackles for loss and thats led by LB Maxx Crosby. Crosby lines up all over the field getting serious pressure, along with Chandler Jones these guys are all over you. Jose Grant the 2nd year DT is also a beast at 340 pounds and 99 strength. I don't see these guys losing this division, and I expect another dominating lead. The Kansas City Chiefs come into this season making some serious moves in the off-season. Highlighted by the trade of Travis Kelce. Bubba seems to know exactly what he is doing as he continues to draft well and make tough but smart moves. Last season HB Deron Williams was a breakout rookie, this season he's a superstar RB that's ready to dominate at 93 speed. Another 2nd year star, Eric Herman is ready to split time with Brevin Jordan at TE, both with 85 and 83 speeds. They also developed WR Jameel Underwood, who has a 97 speed at WR. The offense is there for Bubba's Chiefs, especially with Mahomes at the helm. The defense will need to step up and win some games for these guys though, especially against the Raiders! I think the Chiefs can battle for a wild-card spot this season. The Denver Broncos had some bright spots last season as they had a stretch where they won 3 in a row with wins over the Vikings and Packers. To get that back they really need to play sound offense. However, they traded X-factor QB Russell Wilson and drafted QB Callum Harrison with the 8th pick in the draft. It looks like he's going to be ready to start, but I expect growing pains, especially when they play the pass rush of the Raiders. I also like the draft pick of RB Isaiah Foster who should split some time with Javonte Williams. They also drafted WR Chris Hamm who was highly touted coming out of Ohio St. The Broncos are in rebuild mode, it's clear to see, so I do not expect much out of them this season. Will they upset some teams? Probably. Will Shawty go on his streaky wins and losses runs? Probably. The Los Angeles Chargers took a deep dive after going to the playoffs in Season 67. They went and traded QB Justin Herbert and WR Keenan Allen to the Washington Commanders, in what some call the worst trade in MOF history. The Chargers finished 2-15 last season and in dead last place. To make matters worse, they traded the 2nd overall pick to the Cardinals for QB Jeff Monroe, who was the 3rd pick in last season's draft. Monroe looks to be the starter going into the season. The Chargers look to be in rebuild mode as well, but WR Terry McLaurin (X-factor) and HB Austin Ekeler (X-factor) make that a little hard to believe. The Chargers went out and also signed WR Tyler Boyd and drafted TE Jonathan Dalton to give Monroe some weapons coming in. The Chargers are in a division where they could finish in 2nd place if they play well, but I just don't see Monroe coming in and lighting the world on fire.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: DT DeForest Buckner - DAL (93 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LB Micah Parsons - DAL (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR Oscar Wilson - PHI (79 ovr)
The NFC East was once again the NFC BEAST! The Philadelphia Eagles didn't only go 14-3 but they won the Super Bowl, AGAIN. MrWitness' 5th overall title, and 2nd in a row. You then had the Dallas Cowboys who welcomed back Estrada and saw them go 13-4 and make the playoffs. THEN we had Coach Betts' Commanders go 12-5 and finish in 3rd place, what!? On top of all that, we welcomed in a new coach named Mack (Not MackDaddy just Mack) and we saw him play extremely well going 9-6 to finish his season. We begin with the 2-time defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles clearly did not have to do much in the off-season but they did draft the top prospect in the division, with WR Oscar Wilson (79 ovr). We saw an emergence of Nakobe Dean as he has been developed into an x-factor linebacker. The Eagles have a great team all around, it starts with Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders. Sprinkle in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith and you have a solid offense. The Eagles will clearly be the favorites once again and I do not see them giving the division away, and I expect another deep run in the post-season. The Washington Commanders made the deal of the century last season when they traded for Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen. Sure they traded Terry McLaurin, but so? The trade was made after their Week 3 game, after the trade Washington went 11-3 the rest of the way and I expect them to continue that success to begin this season. You can easily flip flop Washington and Dallas, but I'm giving the edge to Washington just because of that Herbert trade. When you look at the depth chart, Washington doesn't have many holes and they went and drafted a new starting TE in Larry Harrison (75 ovr, 88 speed). The defense is in tact from last season, so I expect another strong season out of Washington and probably the top wild-card spot. The Dallas Cowboys saw the return of Estrada last season and Estrada immediately made an impact going 13-4. However, in true Estrada fashion their post-season dreams were crushed by the 8-9 Saints in the wild-card round. The Cowboys were busy in the off-season. Not only are they having a fantastic time developing players (see SS Martin Rose, CB LaMarcus Poyer, TE Joey Harbor) but they made a huge trade for DT DeForest Buckner. Sure they traded LB Micah Parsons in the deal but they replaced him with Tanner Muse, who should be able to do some damage with his 90 speed. Speaking of speed, its the name of the game for Estrada as all of his WRs have 90 speed or higher, especially KaVontae Turpin with 96 speed. I look for rookie QB Carey Barber to start over Dak Prescott, as Estrada put Prescott OTB. I also look for Dimitri Yancy to start at RB over Elliott, because yep you guessed it, 94 speed. I expect Dallas to win 11,12,13 games again and be right in the wild-card chase. The New York Giants were a sh** show to begin the season. We had 3 coaches in the first 3 weeks of the season. The one that stuck though is Coach Mack, not to be confused with the OG MackDaddy. Coach Mack came in and went 9-6 as the Giants finished 9-8 on the season. Mack had wins over Dallas and Philly late in the season which makes you think, can these guys really make a run too? The Giants probably have the weakest team in the division, which hurts, but they are also in a division with two hall of famers, and a potential hall of famer in Estrada. The Giants saw Ryan Tannehill light things up last season, with 50 TDs and 5,820 yards passing! WR Elijah Moore also tore things up as Tannehill's #1 target. The Giants didn't make too many moves in the trade department, but they signed CB Kendall Fuller (91 ovr), LB CJ Mosely (80 ovr), and WR Curtis Samuel (80 ovr). Coach Mack has the skills to get to the post-season, but I think the problem is this division. It's way too strong, so I think they will just fall short but it's going to be a real fun division to watch.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Cooper Kupp - DET (96 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: HB Alvin Kamara - DET (94 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR Landry Kellum - CHI (76 ovr)
The NFC North was a bit of a surprise last season. We expected the Packers to come out on top, instead Enzo lost focus and wound up in the basement of the division! We saw the emergence of JeromeMP to an elite coach as his Vikings went 13-4 and won the division. We also saw CoachQ move to Detroit and immediately make an impact. We also saw the Bears just miss reaching the 500 mark going 8-9. We start with the defending NFC North Champions, the Minnesota Vikings. Like we said before, the Vikings finished the season 13-4 and Jerome turned into an elite coach! The Vikings season was cut short in the wild-card round as Washington knocked them out. We saw rookie QB Ed Kowalski have himself a fantastic season, winning NFC QB of the year, and he will be well on his way to upgrading his development this season. The Vikings went out and signed WR Amari Cooper in the off-season to add to an already beefy WR core in Jefferson and Thielen. We love Dalvin Cook, obviously, but it looks like he's on the block with the breakout season from Dion Vanover who looks to steal carries and the starting job. The Vikings also went out and traded for FS Jabrill Peppers from the Raiders, and he will immediately make an impact in the secondary. The Vikings are the team to beat in the division and if they can win their head to heads against the Lions, I think they will repeat as North champs. Speaking of the Detroit Lions, Coach Q finished the season 8-8-1 and 8-5-1 after starting 0-3. The Lions are on their way up, with the draft pick of QB Will Robbins who has turned into an x-factor QB. The Lions also traded for Kamara during last season but cut him in the off-season to sign Joe Mixon. They also traded for WR Cooper Kupp in a huge move. The Lions have a ton of weapons on offense, don't forget WR Jameson Williams (98 speed). And they are going to put up a lot of points. They also went out and traded for LB Shaquille Leonard and moved Bobby Wagner to OLB. The Lions have star power, but their schedule is absolutely brutal. I still expect them to win 9 or 10 games and if they can beat the Vikings twice, I think they have a true shot at overtaking them for the division title. Sadly, I think thats the only way Detroit makes the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers saw the retirement of Coach Enzo in the off-season, but Enzo made his mark last season by trading Aaron Rodgers for Zach Wilson. Everyone called him crazy, but Rodgers retired and Zach is a SS dev at 25 yrs old. Enter rookie Coach VictorWrestles. He takes over a team that is pretty stacked. They drafted TE Collin Herman who is a hidden dev with 89 speed and looks to be the top target of Wilson. Aaron Jones is getting older but still an x-factor RB. Their d-line is still great with Clark and Jones, and their LBs are also nice with Preston Smith and Campbell. The Packers on paper have a very nice team, but as you know we do not give rookie coaches too much respect out of the gate, that's something you have to earn. So little is known about Victor, we will see what happens. Will he come out of the gates and win 12 games? He could? Or will he go 6-11? Time will tell. The Chicago Bears had a nice season 68 winning 8 games and that's without a single x-factor or superstar player. What? It's true. The Bears do not have a single player with abilities on their roster. That is the issue in Chicago, I believe they will win some games but that will haunt them, especially with a tough schedule like they have. I like Justin Fields, i like the draft pick of RB Will Rhodes (94 speed). But they are in desperate need of a WR. On top of that, the Bears didn't really do too much in the off-season. I think this season will be a struggle for the Bears as they try to fight their way out of the basement.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: CB Denzel Ward - CAR (95 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: HB Joe Mixon - CAR (95 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: RG Sam Irwin - ATL (78 ovr)
The NFC South all came in under 500 last season, ew. But it's true, its almost like no one wanted to win the division. We saw the Saints and 8-9 win the division after starting 1-4. We also saw the Falcons go 8-9 after starting 8-5. Then we saw the Buccaneers drop the ball and finish 7-10, and then the Panthers who might've been the worst of all go from 6-2 to 6-11. I will begin with the Saints, because when they acquired Christian McCaffrey last season, they turned into a completely different team. Finishing the season 7-5, then knocking out the Cowboys in the wild-card round and then giving the 49ers all they could handle in the divisional round losing 16-13. The Saints are a much better team than 8-9 and MMX will show that with a full season of McCaffrey in the backfield. I guess the biggest news coming out of the boot is the signing of 47 year old Tom Brady to be the starting QB. Brady still has something left in the tank and he looks to stick it to his old team in Tampa for letting him walk. We saw Jaylen Waddle absolutely go off last season at kick returner, as Waddle broke the record for most kick return yards in a single game and he returned 5 for touchdowns on the season. The Saints also went out and traded for DE Trey Hendrickson, which will give Cam Jordan some 1 on 1 blocks. I believe the Saints are the team to beat in the division, although I'm not as confident as the other divisions, I just really like how the Saints finished and looked in the playoffs, and for the record i really like the signing of Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had this division won last season only if they beat the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears in Week 13 and 14. Those back to back losses put them in a hole that they couldn't climb out of. Fast forward to Season 69 and Tom Brady is now a Saint. The Buccaneers will be starting Matthew Stafford's little brother Phillip Stafford, the 2nd year QB who was drafted 20th overall last season. The Bucs didn't do that much else on offense, but they didn't really have to. Fournette is back along with Rachaad White in the backfield, and Godwin, Evans, Gage, and Scotty Miller are all great weapons for the 2nd year Stafford. I expect the Buccaneers to play much better this season, and I wouldn't be shocked if they won the division either. It all depends on the play of QB Stafford. If Jfon can get those turnovers down, and play that user safety like we know he can, they will take down the Saints and Tom Brady. The Atlanta Falcons were tie breakers away from representing the NFC South in the playoffs, but instead they lost 4 straight games to finish the season and fell right out of contention. The Falcons drafted very well, as RG Sam Irwin was the top prospect drafted in the division. Don't forget they drafted LG Jonathan MacKenzie last season in the 1st round as well. Desmond Ridder is turning into a very good QB as well. Sure RB Cordarrelle Patterson retired, but the draft pick of Eli Barrett looks to pay dividends as we hear he might start in the backfield. We obviously love TE Kyle Pitts and WR Calvin Ridley as well. The Falcons have nice weapons on offense, underrated to be honest, and their offensive line is shaping up to be very strong. However it's their defense that we are worried about, a little weak in some spots however FS Joe Streets who was just drafted, has a hidden dev and 91 speed. I think the Falcons could also shun these prediction and win this division too, like we said this division is a crap shoot. I am picking Atlanta to go 7-10 but they could easily go 10-7. It's all going to depend on the in-division games. The Carolina Panthers were well on their way to winning this division last season. They started 6-2 and looked absolutely dominant. Not so fast my friend. They then proceeded to lose 9 straight games and finish 6-11, in last place in the South. The Panthers went out and traded for CB Denzel Ward. Him and Trevon Diggs are quite possibly the best 1/2 CB combination in the MOF. They also have SS Chin and FS Pitre to cap off one of the best secondaries, period. We did see the Panthers let go of HB Joe Mixon, but they wanted to spend elsewhere and help that defense. They did however, trade for WR Danny Gray from the 49ers, and with his 94 speed he should be a nice target for QB Matt Corral. Speaking of which, i think Corral will be the reason the Panthers don't finish higher in the division. I know I said this division is a crap shoot, but if i had to pick a team to finish last, it would be the Panthers. Put that on your bulletin board.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: FS Kamryn Lowry - SF (87 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: DT Aaron Donald - LAR (97 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: FS Kamryn Lowry - SF (87 ovr)
The NFC West was won once again by the 49ers, as we predicted. The Seattle Seahawks also had a great season at 11-5-1, and Kenneth Walker won NFC MVP once again, as we predicted... the Rams finished 4-13 and in 3rd place, as we predicted, and the Cardinals and Coach Tex finished last with 17 losses. Let us begin with the defending NFC West Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers fell short once again in the NFC title game to the Eagles, but they are close to getting over that hump. The 49ers have been developing players at a rapid rate as DE's Drake Jackson and Jamar Rushing both have turned to x-factor dev. They also drafted, in what many call the greatest draft pick in MOF history, FS Kamryn Lowry who is projected to be the best safety in the league by this time next season. Trey Lance has also been developed into x-factor as the 49ers and Coach Betroit continue their success. They also drafted HB Earl Campbell who has a 93 speed and will prob see snaps at HB during the season. I believe the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFC West and Seattle could have an outside shot at knocking them off, but it's going to take a herculean effort. Speaking of Seattle, their Achilles heel is the 49ers. Pettigrew is 1-4 against them this edition (including playoffs) and 23-6-1 against everyone else. We saw HB Kenneth Walker III win another MOF NFC MVP award as he rushed 405 times for 2,182 yards and 18 touchdowns. Walker is really getting some wear on those tires early in his career. The Seahawks went out and signed DT BJ Hill (81 ovr) and LB Patrick Queen (80 ovr). Other than that Seattle stayed quiet in the off-season, but why fix what's not broken? The Seahawks know what the problem is, it's the team they are staring up at, the 49ers. If they can beat them, they can tangle with the Eagles and the rest of the NFC. I expect Walker to have another huge year, and the Seahakws to easily earn a wild-card spot in the NFC. The Los Angeles Rams are in rebuild mode. The finished last season at 4-13 and they had enough of that. So they broke it all down. Trading Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald all in one off-season. What did they get in return? TE Pat Freiermuth and HB Michael Carter. No in all seriousness the Rams mortgage the current for the future, as they are starting a bunch of rookies. They went ahead and drafted QB Dorian Jennings with the 19th overall pick and he expects to start. They also drafted QB Paul Falk in the 3rd round, which we questioned but he could give Jennings a run at the starting job. Akers is also OTB for the Rams as Michael Carter looks to start in his place. We talked about the trade for Freiermuth and he looks to start at TE. The receiving core is not very good, rookie Matt Branch is the #1 he has 92 speed but I'm not sure where that's going to get him. So obviously the Rams have some work to do in the development side of things. I'm not sure how long CB Jalen Ramsey will be there either if they are rebuilding, we know how cranky he gets if they aren't winning. I expect the Rams to finish in 3rd place, and maybe are a season or two away from competing for a wild-card. The Arizona Cardinals are the first team in MOF history to lose 17 games in a season. Ouch. Adding insult to injury, they were shut out in their first 3 games 30-0, 40-0, and 41-0. They are trying though, in addition to the 1st pick in the draft, they traded QB Jeff Monroe for the 2nd pick in the draft. They went with RT Brian Fowler and LT Danny Linder to sure up the line. They drafted HB Jahlil Phillips in the 2nd round, who has 94 speed and we are very excited to see what he's got! They still have Kyler Murray who isn't going anywhere and DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals have some talent on defense as well, led by MLB Isaiah Simmons (93 speed) who is attracting attention from all over the league (don't trade him). I expect the Cardinals to finish last, but i wouldn't be shocked if they leap frogged the Rams and won 3 or 4 games either.
