Here, in this article, I wrote about the most interesting games of each week. I wrote about each team individually, then wrote about the matchup, including a description and a matchup to watch, and lastly, I simulated every game in madden.
Week 1:
We get to see one of the ultimate matchups right away in 2020. Tom Brady vs Drew Brees. Bucs @ Saints
The entire NFL gets to find out if the new-look Buccaneers are legit. There’s a lot of questions about that team, most of which regarding their subpar secondary. However, they still have three great weapons on offense in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski. Second year slot WR Scotty Miller from Bowling Green could also be thrown into action early, and his game is compared to none other than Julian Edelman. Their DL looks very good, including Jason Pierre- Paul, Vita Vea, Ndamukong Suh, and DPOY candidate Shaq Barrett. Their LB core includes the likes of the veteran Lavonte David and the star second year player out of LSU Devin White.
We all know that the Saints are legit by this point. At least in the regular season, anyways... They made a few key additions, including getting another target for Brees in Emmanuel Sanders, bringing back safety Malcolm Jenkins to pair up with Marcus Williams, and drafting Cesar Ruiz in the first round to help their OL.
This will be a great game through and through. It will likely come down to the wire. I predict a Bucs win here due to the fact that the Bucs definitely will adopt a new offensive playbook with Brady in town.
Matchup to watch: Shaq Barrett vs Terron Armstead Madden simulation: 20-14 Saints.
Week 2:
Week two brings about a very interesting matchup. Two top defenses square it off. We’re talking about Broncos @ Steelers
The Broncos organization and fans seem to be confident that Drew Lock is their guy. Can you blame them? Lock is 4-1 as a starter. He took a team that was 3-8 and made them 7-9. He even won a shootout game against Deshaun Watson where he passed for 309 yds and 3 TDs. The Broncos also made some key moves in getting Lock some weapons by drafting Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the first round second round, respectively. The Broncos defense continued to improve as well. They traded for Jurrell Casey and AJ Bouye, which were both huge moves for them after losing Derek Wolfe and Chris Harris Jr. The team looks destined to improve.
The Steelers may be one of the most underrated teams in the NFL. Last season, they had a clear top 5 defense, and this year after the Patriots lost all they did, it seems to be a top 3 unit. They have a top defensive line with T.J Watt, Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward, and Bud Dupree. Their LB core is solid, including Vince Williams and Devin Bush. Their secondary is also elite, and it includes the likes of Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Mike Hilton, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Terrell Edmunds. Offensively, they struggled in 2019, but what team wouldn’t with Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges at QB. They have Big Ben back. Juju Smith-Schuster is fully healthy. They added Chase Claypool in the draft and Eric Ebron in free agency. They have an outstanding offensive line.
I expect the Steelers to win this game by a little more than 1 score. Maybe a 10 point game. Most people will predict this game a lot closer, and that is fair.
Matchup to watch: Juju Smith-Schuster vs AJ Bouye Madden Simulation: 31-14 Steelers
Week 3:
Week three, there is a matchup between two Super Bowl contenders right away. This matchup is Chiefs @ Ravens
The Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Their offense is the best in the NFL. They have the best QB in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. They added RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire who perfectly fits their scheme with the last pick in the first round. There is not much more that needs to be said about their offense. It’s without question the best unit in the league. Defensively, that’s a different story. They have three star players on their defense: Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Tyrann Mathieu. Apart from them, their defense is not very good, especially at cornerback. Their starting CBs right now are Baushad Breeland, Charvarious Ward, and Rashad Fenton. Breeland was also recently caught up in legal trouble. One sleeper player that could end up starting for them as soon as mid-season could be UDFA CB Lavert Hill from Michigan. One of the biggest UDFA steals of the season.
The Ravens have the best roster in the league. They had 11 pro-bowlers and 5 first-team All- Pros. Lamar Jackson is the reigning MVP and is one of the most electrifying players in the game. He led the NFL in total and passing TDs and beat Michael Vick’s single season QB rushing record. Their rushing attack is the best in the game, to which they also added rookie RB J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State to. A backfield of Mark Ingram II and J.K. Dobbins with Lamar Jackson at QB is ridiculous. Defensively, they are also a top 5 unit. Their only weakness on defense coming into the draft was LB, and they used their first round pick on LB Patrick Queen from LSU to lead the core along with third round LB Malik Harrison. Their DL is scary good including Matthew Judon, Derek Wolfe, Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, and Jaylon Furgeson. Their secondary is also elite including Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith, Earl Thomas III, and Chuck Clark
The Ravens showed last year they are regular season heroes. Can’t say the same in the playoffs, but I would pick Baltimore to win this in a shootout. Likely both teams reach the 30s.
Matchup to watch: Tyreek Hill vs Marcus Peters
Madden simulation: Chiefs win 38-28
Week 4:
Week 4 has one matchup that could be between two of the most controversial teams in football. The game I am talking about is Browns @ Cowboys
The Browns continue to be a very interesting team. Many said 2018 was their year to get back into the playoff race. It wasn’t. Even more said the same last year. They did even worse. So what’s the problem? They have loads of talent. Why can’t they win? Coaching. Their coaching has been terrible over the last few years. I think they finally got their head coach in Kevin Stefanski. He knew how to get the best out of his offense in Minnesota. They have all the weapons they could possibly want for Baker: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and David Njoku. They will likely run a lot of 2 TE and 2 RB sets. Their WR3 will likely be Michigan rookie WR Donovan Peoples-Jones or Damion Ratley, but they will be on the field very rarely I would assume. They are above average defensively, but have a glaring weakness at LB after losing Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey. They should do all right though. They will be an interesting team to watch to say the least.
The Cowboys are another very interesting team. They had a very active offseason. They lost all- pro center Travis Frederick and star CB Byron Jones, but they made a lot of additions, including Dontari Poe, Gerald McCoy, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Tyler Biadasz, and Neville Gallimore, who will all be impact players for them. The Cowboys are a very well-rounded and skilled team. They are solid both offensively and defensively, especially up front. The biggest change the Cowboys underwent was a head coaching change, finally letting Jason Garrett go after years of nothing. They brought in Mike McCarthy, who has a ring on his resume, which always helps. I don’t believe that Garrett was a terrible coach, but they definitely needed a change of scene there.
This matchup will be very, very exciting. Two very controversial, skilled teams going after it. It will likely be an entertaining game to watch with a lot of big plays. I expect this to be a relatively high- scoring game. My prediction is that the Cowboys win in a 1 score game.
Matchup to watch: Amari Cooper vs Denzel Ward
Madden simulation: Browns win 46-40
Week 5: There were so many interesting games to choose between here. There was Minnesota @ Seattle, Denver @ New England. However, I decided to go with the Pennsylvania matchup. Eagles @ Steelers.
The Eagles are a very talented team. They are stacked up front both offensively and defensively. They have a very skilled QB in Carson Wentz, and as long as he can stay healthy, they should be competing for a top seed in the NFC. They did a great job in addressing their weaknesses. They acquired multiple cornerbacks this offseason, including Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman. They lost Malcolm Jenkins, but he was passed his prime, and they decided to convert Jalen Mills to SS to replace him, which should work out well for them. They also addressed their God awful WR situation by drafting Jalen Reagor in the first round, who will be a day 1 starter and traded for Marquise Goodwin, the speedy WR from San Francisco. The need they failed to address was LB, and it is a very big one for them. I was surprised that they took Jalen Hurts over Gus like Malik Harrison and Logan Wilson. They did take developmental LB Davion Taylor in the third round, and he will likely be a day 1 starter, but he is not ready for that yet. The Eagles are a great team though and should compete.
I previously did my analysis on the Steelers, so I won’t repeat myself. If I already spoke about a team, I will not repeat. I’ll just get right into the matchup.
I expect the Pennsylvania battle to be very close. The Eagles won the last matchup, but I expect this one to have a different outcome. I think this game is a 1 score game that ends in a score of like 24-21, 21-17, or something like that in favor of the Steelers.
Matchup to watch: Zach Ertz vs Devin Bush/Minkah Fitzpatrick
Madden simulation: Steelers win 41-35 (OT)
Week 6:
There’s only one way to describe this matchup right here. Rodgers vs Brady. That’s the reason why this matchup is highlighted. It was tempting to pick Chiefs @ Bills, but I couldn’t pass up on Brady and Rodgers.
The Packers, in my opinion, are the most overrated team in football. They cake walked through an easy schedule last year, and they got lucky to be able to play a beat-down, injury-ridden team like Seattle who beat a beat-down, injury-ridden team like Philly. They got destroyed when they played the 49ers and that exposed them as frauds of contenders. They had a very weak offseason, in which they lost linebackers Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell, star RT Bryan Bulaga, starting TE Jimmy Graham, and starting WR Geronimo Allison. They did add injury prone WR Devin Funchess and veteran LB Christian Kirksey. They also failed to add for the present in the draft. I do love the Jordan Love pick, but it doesn’t do anything for them now. The AJ Dillon pick seemed stupid because they already have Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. I expect the packers to be an average team this season with single digit wins.
I do not think the game will be close. I think it will be at least a 2 score game. However, this may be one of the last Brady vs Rodgers that we ever get, so it is worth the watch. They are all time greats and won’t be in the league much longer, as they are getting very up there in age.
Matchup to watch: Chris Godwin vs Jaire Alexander Madden simulation: 42-20 Bucs
Week 7:
This week, we got a matchup of the two most elite defenses in the league. The game is 49ers @ Patriots.
The 49ers are currently showing no signs of slowing down. They did deal a key piece of their defense away in DeForrest Buckner, but they replaced him in the draft with a top 10 prospect in Javon Kinlaw. They also lost LT Joe Staley due to retirement, but they quickly replaced him with former All-pro LT Trent Williams shortly after. They also dealt away RB Matt Brieda and WR Marquise Goodwin, but they seemed to not be interested in keeping them in their future plans anyways. They were both moving down the depth chart and were going to get limited snaps. They have been a top tier defense through and through from DL to LB core to secondary. Their offense also has a fantastic OL, and they have the best TE in the game in George Kittle. They are once again Super Bowl contenders.
The Patriots had a huge amount of losses this offseason. They most notably lost Tom Brady to the Bucs. They also lost LBs Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, DB Duran Harmon, and TE Rob Gronkowski (althought they didn’t have him last year anyways). Each loss was a major impact player. For the first time, we are going to see a Bradyless Patriots team, and it is a dream come true for bills fans around the world. They will likely be a team fighting for a wild card depending on how Jared Stidham performs.
The reason this was selected as the most interesting game is the defensive battle that will take place. The game will likely be very low scoring. I see a game that ends in a score like 17-6 in favor of the 49ers.
Matchup to watch: George Kittle vs Dont’a Hightower/Devin McCourty
Madden simulation: 49ers win 27-20
Week 8:
We had to go with the next rematch of one of the best games of 2019. 49ers @ Seahawks.
What more is there to say about Seattle than Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, and Pete Carroll? Not much. They are going to be a wildcard team due to these three, but their team elsewhere is painfully average. Their offensive weapons are above average with Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, an older Greg Olsen, Will Dissly, and Chris Carson. Their offensive line is one of the worst in the league. Their defense is average. They also have not helped themselves in the draft very much recently either. In the past three first rounds, the Seahawks have taken Rashaad Penny, LJ Collier, and Jordyn Brooks. All three of those players likely would have been there at their next pick. So far, their prior two did not pay off for them. We will see if Jordyn lives up to where he was selected. In all honesty, Russ, Bobby, and Pete Carroll will have to carry this team yet another year to the wildcard. They haven’t had a solid team around them since the Legion of Boom broke up.
This game will likely be close, as it is every year. I see the 49ers winning this game at a score something close to 20-17 or 24-20.
Matchup to watch: Bobby Wagner vs George Kittle Madden simulation: 31-28 Seahawks
Week 9:
This matchup should be a great one. Two of the most historically iconic franchises in football going at it. We got Steelers @ Cowboys
These two are great teams currently and seeing how the Cowboys offense can perform against the Steelers defense should be very interesting. I expect this game to be down to the wire. Coming into play at AT&T stadium is never easy, but I expect the Steelers to win this game in a very close manner. Likely a 1 score game.
Matchup to watch: Demarcus Lawerence vs Alejandro Villanueva Madden simulation: 28-24 Steelers
Week 10:
Some of you may be wondering why the Buffalo Bills haven’t appeared on here yet. While, they finally have. Week 10 we got Bills @ Cardinals
What a time to be a Buffalo Bills fan! This is the best Buffalo Bills team this century for sure. Josh Allen will likely take a huge leap, and the acquisition of Stefon Diggs will give Allen a chance to make a run for MVP. Some other key acquisitions include Mario Addison, AJ Epenesa, Josh Norman, Darryl Williams, AJ Klein, Zack Moss and Quenton Jefferson. I won’t go much more in depth with the bills because if you are reading this article, you are likely a bills fan, so I don’t need to explain much else to you all.
The Cardinals are a sleeper team this season as well. I don’t see them winning the division over San Francisco, however they will likely make a push for a wildcard spot. They had some huge additions, headlined by Deandre Hopkins and Isaiah Simmons. The former first overall pick from a year ago, Kyler Murray, will likely improve drastically next season in his sophomore campaign. They also signed former Buffalo Bills’ DT Jordan Phillips to a three year deal, who should help them by adding another pass rusher to their DL to pair with all-pro Chandler Jones. They also signed former Atlanta Falcons LB D’Vondre Campbell, who will be looking to have a breakout season in 2020 paired with Isaiah Simmons. Second year corner Byron Murphy had a solid rookie season and will look to improve even more. Their spot of weakness is definitely their offensive line, but they should be able to manage well with it.
This game will be a super competitive game. It’s going to be a battle through and through. We also get to see a rematch of Deandre Hopkins and Tre’Davious White, which will be incredibly fun to watch. They have arguments for sure for the best wide reciever and best corner in the league. I expect this one to be another one score game, likely favoring the Bills in a last second effort by Josh Allen and the offense.
Matchup to watch: Deandre Hopkins vs Tre’Davious White Madden Simulation: 26-24 Cardinals (last second missed Hauschka FG from 52)
Week 11:
This is the rematch of one of the biggest upsets in the playoffs last year We got Titans @ Ravens
The Titans are a very solid team. They franchise tagged their workhorse RB Derrick Henry, who destroyed defenses late last season and in the playoffs. They signed QB Ryan Tannehill to a long term deal to keep him around for the next four years. Also, they had an under the radar free agency move, bringing in OLB Vic Beasley, who had a monster second season, but has failed to gain any traction since. He hopes to come to Tennessee to find what he lost and restart his career. Second year players AJ Brown and Jeffery Simmons looked like stars in their rookie year, and they hope to continue to grow and progress to be key pieces of this 2020 Titans team. They suffered the loss of RT Jack Conklin, but replaced him in the first round of this year’s draft with OT Isaiah Wilson, who will compete for the starting job with OT Dennis Kelly. They also lost CB Logan Ryan in free agency, who is still a free agent somehow, but they did a great job in replacing him by drafting LSU CB Kristian Fulton in the late second round, which I believe is a steal to snag him that late. The Titans are the favorites this year to win the AFC South, and they hope to make a big splash in the playoffs once again.
The 6 seed Titans shocked the world by dominating the 1 seed Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs. Derrick Henry dominated that entire game, and Baltimore is looking for their revenge. This game will be interesting, and I believe the Ravens get the win here, as they are incredibly hungry for revenge, and I think they win in dominant fashion.
Matchup to watch: Matt Judon vs Taylor Lewan Madden simulation: 30-7 Ravens
Week 12:
This week we got a battle of the goat and the future. We got Bucs @ Chiefs
Tom Brady vs Patty Mahomes. Two teams with explosive offenses and average defenses. Two of the best teams in the league heading into 2020. This will be a shootout game for sure. My bet for this game is on the future. I think Andy Reid and company take care of business and win in a high scoring game, with both teams in the upper 30s- lower 40s.
Matchup to watch: Rob Gronkowski vs Tyrann Mathieu Madden simulation: 38-3 Chiefs (what??? I know, right lol)
Week 13:
This week we have a matchup between the best two defenses in the NFL. We got Bills @ 49ers
This will be a defensive battle. Both defenses will play their hearts out. This game depends on which offense can show up more. I believe that the 49ers will get it done on the ground and dominate the bills in the run game behind their incredible offensive line. I expect it to be close and low scoring, but I think the 49ers take this game in a score around 21-17.
Matchup to watch: Stefon Diggs vs Richard Sherman Madden simulation: Bills win 24-21 (OT)
Week 14:
This week, there were a lot of great choices. The one that stood out to me was a battle between two of the best teams in the NFC. This matchup is Saints @ Eagles.
The Saints will likely be in a battle for the division at this point with the Bucs, so this win will be critical for them. The Eagles are likely looking promising at this point to be the NFC East champions. I expect this game to be relatively close, but I think that the Saints feel the pressure of this being a must win game for them, so they go into Philly and take care of business on the road in a score relating to 24-14.
Matchup to watch: Cameron Jordan vs Lane Johnson Madden simulation: Saints win 21-18
Week 15: This week, we got a battle between two of the top 5 teams in football once again. This could very well be a Super Bowl matchup. We got Chiefs @ Saints.
Both teams are going to be fighting for the 1 seed spot at this point in their respective conferences, along with New Orleans having to fight for the division against Tampa Bay. Coming into play at the super dome is incredibly difficult, especially for opposing offenses. This will be a close game, but I expect the Saints to ride the home field advantage and steal a win from the Chiefs in a shootout form. My expectation is about 35-31 Saints.
Matchup to watch: Tyreek Hill vs Marshon Lattimore Madden simulation: Chiefs win 38-28
Week 16:
Week 16. Prime time. Monday night. Divisional rivals. We got Bills @ Patriots A battle between two top five defenses in the league. I expect the Bills to have taken the first game by a wide margin, establishing themselves as the new kings of the AFC East. At this point, I expect that the Bills have already clinched the AFC East and are fighting for seeding now. However, this is a must win game for the Patriots, who will be competing for a wildcard game. Bellichick knows this. The world knows this. The Bills also do not have a good rap sheet playing primetime against divisional opponents. I expect this game to be a very close game, low scoring, but I expect the Patriots to steal this game out from under the Bills in a score of 17-16.
Matchup to watch: Stefon Diggs vs Stephon Gilmore
Madden simulation: Bills win 31-12
Week 17:
This week we have a battle for the division on our hands. Who will win this game and take the division for their own? A must win game for both franchises. I’m of course talking about.....Vikings @ Lions.
Now, now, now. I know I will be getting a lot of controversy for this choice. The Lions, Dave, really? They’re terrible. They won’t win anything, let alone for a division title. Hold on, let me explain.
The Lions are an all around solid team. Most forget that last year, they were off to a hot start that went until they got cheated by the refs in the Green Bay game (one of the worst officiating games I’ve ever seen) and then when they lost Matt Stafford for the rest of the season. They do have a hole at LB aside from Jamie Collins, where they are currently starting Jaraad Davis, however, that seems to be their only issue. Matt Stafford is an elite and extremely underrated QB. The injury he suffered was his first in his ten year career, and I have no doubts that he’ll be able to stay healthy next year. They have solid offensive weapons including D’Andre Swift, Kerroyn Johnson, Kenny Golliday, Marvin Jones Jr, Danny Amendola, and TJ Hockenson. Their offensive line is solid across the board, especially after signing Big V from the Eagles to a five year deal. Their DL is getting better and better, including the Okwara brothers, Danny Shelton, Da’Shawn Hand, Mike Daniels, and Trey Flowers. Their secondary looks solid as well, including Desmond Trufant, Jeff Okudah, Justin Coleman, Duran Harmon, and Tracey Walker. I see the Lions as competing for the division, as it is currently, in my opinion, the worst division in football.
The Vikings are a team that’s all over the place. They either have a star or a hole. There’s very little average players on the Vikings roster. For example, at one of their DE spots, they have Danielle Hunter, who is a superstar. Alongside Danielle Hunter, they are starting Eddie Yarborough, who is definitely not starting material. Their secondary is atrocious after losing almost the entire unit in free agency (Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, McKenzie Alexander, Andrew Sendejo). Currently, it consists of Mike Hughes, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Harris. This team is the opposite of the Lions. They are not well rounded at all. They have stars like Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Michael Pierce, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith. However, a majority of the players I did not name in that sentence have no business starting, and some of those names include, Tajae Sharpe, Riley Reiff, Dakota Dozier, Brian O’Neil, Eddie Yarborough, Shepard Stephen, Eric Wilson, and Anthony Harris. This team got worse. I see these two teams both at 8-7 at this point battling to be crowned the NFC North Champions. I believe the Packers will be slightly worse at a record of 7-8 at this time, as well. This game, I expect the Lions to take on Vikings soil, establishing themselves as the 4 seed and Champions of the NFC North. I know the Lions are probably not a playoff worthy team right now, but they are more worthy in my opinion than the rest of the division. They are the definition of an average team, but all that needs to be done this season to win this division is to be average. They get it done, then likely lose in the wildcard.
Matchup to watch: Adam Thielen vs Jeff Okudah
Madden simulation: 31-24 Vikings
Written by co-creator "Dave" of this website and of the twitter account @ChatterBuffalo and aided by contributor "John"
Make sure to share this link and follow our twitter @ChatterBuffalo
Comments