Madden 23: Our 2022 NFL season sim and Super Bowl LVII prediction
NFL Playoffs 2022
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a big surprise here, but I think the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Packers are all realistic Championship contenders. How will it play out?
AFC Championship
Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 6) vs Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1)
Sim result: Jaguars 17, Chiefs 30
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Cinderella season finally comes to an end. But what a run it would be for Trevor Lawrence in just his second season as a pro.
The Chiefs jump out to an early lead but really take control of the game in the third quarter by rattling off 14 unanswered points. Lawrence struggles early on with three interceptions but does throw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the box office score a little prettier.
NFC Championship
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 2) vs Green Bay Packers (No. 1)
Sim result: Buccaneers 38, Packers 38 (OT)
The Road to Super Bowl Super Bowl LVII for Tom Brady runs through the Frozen Tundra. What a showdown this would be.
Another overtime thriller, but this time Tom Brady falls to Aaron Rodgers. In what will likely be his final NFL game, Tom Brady throws for 500 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Rodgers delivers a playoff performance we’ve all been waiting to see from him, throwing for 425 yards and a whopping six touchdowns. With the win, Rodgers returns to the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade. His one and only appearance came in 2011 when the Packers defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Super Bowl LVII
Green Bay Packers (No. 1) vs Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1)
Both No. 1 seeds square off in Super Bowl LVII. We’ve got old-school versus new school as Aaron Rodgers attempts to cement his legacy in the NFL while Patrick Mahomes looks to continue to build on his already successful resume.
Sim result: Green Bay Packers 18, Kansas City Chiefs 28
Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs to the franchise’s third Super Bowl championship, defeating the Packers, 28-18. With 328 passing yards and four touchdowns, Mahomes earns Super Bowl MVP honors, the second of his career.
Rodgers, ultimately, fails in his bid to win a second Super Bowl, although he does throw for 264 yards and two touchdowns.
Interestingly, it was Marquez Valdes-Scantling — the former Packers receiver — who proves to be the big difference maker with 142 receiving yards and two touchdowns. What a twist this would be.
Yearly Honors
NFL MVP – QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Coach of the Year – Doug Pederson (Jaguars)
Offensive Player of the Year – HB Christian McCaffrey (Panthers)
Defensive Player of the Year – LOLB T.J. Watt (Steelers)
Offensive Rookie of the Year – WR John Metchie III (Texans)
Defensive Rookie of the Year – LOLB Aidan Hutchinson
Conclusion
And that concludes our Madden NFL 23 simulation of the 2022-23 NFL season. While the road to get here took some interesting paths, I can definitely see a scenario in which the Chiefs, Packers and Buccaneers all wind up in the late rounds of the playoffs. Sub the Jaguars for a team like the Bills or Bengals and I think the simulation would’ve been near perfect.
With our results now recorded, we will continue to conduct weekly simulations throughout the season. Each week, we’ll simulate the slate of Sunday/Monday games. With weekly roster updates and ratings changes, this will allow for more accurate week-by-week simulations to see just how good Madden is at predicting the NFL.