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Madden 22: Our 2021 NFL season sim results in some wild predictions

By Matthew Liebl

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 27: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on August 27, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 27: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on August 27, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Sam Darnold #14 of the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Chris Keane/Getty Images)
Sam Darnold #14 of the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Chris Keane/Getty Images) /

Carolina Panthers

10-7, 2nd place in NFC South (No. 7 seed in NFC)

We’re only on the second team and we’ve already got our first surprise of the sim. Madden 22 predicts a playoff season for the Carolina Panthers who enter as the No. 7 seed in the NFC.

A big reason for the team’s success is the play of quarterback Sam Darnold. After a disappointing stint with the Jets, Darnold rebounded in a big way with 4,434 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

It helps when you’ve got a running back like Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. Coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season, McCaffrey carried the ball 289 times for 1,498 yards (5.2 avg.) and a whopping 15 rushing touchdowns. He also led the team in receptions (62) and receiving yards (1,259). That’s a 20.3 average per reception, which is just insane. He finished fifth among all running backs in rushing on the season.

As a team, the Panthers had one of the most efficient offenses in the league with 6,500 total offensive yards. They were fourth in the NFC and seventh in the league in points per game (28.2). They also had a top 10 defense that allowed a total of 402 points, while racking up 50 sacks (4th in NFL) and 13 interceptions (6th in NFL).

Personally, I think the Panthers are a sleeper this season and apparently, Madden 22 does also. They’ve got the best running back in the league, decent receivers and now a quarterback capable of delivering the ball. They could make a run for the playoffs, but how deep will they go?

Because the Panthers finished second in the division with the worst record of all eligible playoff teams, they enter as the lowest seed (No. 7) in the NFC.

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