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

Atlanta Falcons

9-8, 3rd place in NFC South

A favorable schedule sees the Falcons improving on their 4-12 record from last year. While they finish above .500, they still miss out on the playoffs, but there are some positive predictions for fans to look forward to.

For starters, Calvin Ridley led the entire league in receptions with 111. His 1,500 yards was third-most in the NFL. He only finished the season with 3 touchdowns though, a big reason for that is the emergence of rookie tight end Kyle Pitts.

Pitts is predicted to have a monster rookie season with 99 receptions, 986 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s the most receptions and third-most receiving yards among tight ends. The hype surrounding Kyle Pitts is real and Madden 22 expects big things this year for him.

Unfortunately, the simulated play of quarterback Matt Ryan leaves a lot to be desired. On the season, Ryan threw for 25 touchdowns, which was fourth in the division, and 11 interceptions.

As a team, the Falcons were near the bottom in offensive points per game (23.7) despite being one of the leading teams in terms of overall yards (7,802). Their defense played well though with just 395 points allowed on the year (ranked 5th). The unit was also second in the league in interceptions with 17. Surprisingly, it was MLB Deion Jones who led the team with six picks.

Madden 22’s simulation for the Falcons is more positive than most analyst predictions. I don’t think anyone is expecting to see this team make the playoffs, but an above .500 record also seems like a longshot given the division they play in.