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Don’t worry about watching football tomorrow, ‘Madden’ already picked the winners of week 1

Ryan Fleming
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nfl week 1 madden predictions 25 peyton manning 1500
Image used with permission by copyright holder

EA Sports’ Madden series is one of the most sophisticated sports simulators on the market today. The game rates every player individually using a list of attributes, ranks the teams using a variety of factors, and updates itself online with the most current rosters and stats available. So basically it is just like most of the football experts on TV, but it actually knows what it’s talking about.

Here at DT we like football. We also like video games. With Madden 25, it’s a bit like chocolate meeting peanut butter. With the NFL season underway this week, we decided to see just how smart Madden really was.

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Madden 25 didn’t predict that Peyton Manning would throw seven touchdowns, but who did?

This week and every week for the rest of the season, we will simulate the week’s matchups using the Madden 25 “Owner’s Mode.” We’ll then pass those results on. Along with the game results, we’ll also include who Madden predicts the top five quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs are, as well as who it listed as injured. We’ll then post the game results and keep a running tally of how good the game is at predicting results.

We’ll post our picks every Saturday, which means the Thursday game each week will be something of a control. This week, for example, Madden picked Denver to easily beat Baltimore, 34 to 20. The Broncos won that game 49 to 27. Madden 25 didn’t predict that Peyton Manning would throw seven touchdowns, but who did? It got the winner and called that it would be a big win. It even had Manning as the top QB of the week, so it was a respectable first outing for the game.

So go ahead and sleep in on Sunday, and be sure to set your Fantasy Football Lineups accordingly. Oh, and if you are a Vikings fan and Madden 25 is right, you’re in for a rough season (see the injury report below…).

Week 1 Results:

League Leaders

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning: 337 Passing Yards, 2TD
Andy Dalton: 316 Passing Yards, 3 TD 1 INT
Chad Henne: 284 Passing Yards, 3 TD 1 INT
Matt Ryan: 282 Passing Yards, 2TD
Drew Brees: 282 Passing Yards, 1TD

Wide Receivers

Wes Welker: 182 Receiving Yards, 2TD
AJ Green: 140 Receiving Yards, 1 TD
Torrey Smith: 128 Receiving Yards, 1 TD
Julio Jones: 124 Receiving Yards
Cecil Shorts: 116 Receiving Yards, 1 TD

Running Backs

LeSean McCoy: 174 Rushing Yards, 1TD 
Frank Gore: 162 Rushing Yards, 1TD
Matt Forte: 114 Rushing Yards, 2TD
Reggie Bush: 113 Rushing Yards, 1 TD
Darren Sproles: 108 Rushing Yards, 1TD

Injuries

Carson Palmer: QB, 5 weeks with a Hamstring Tear
Ryan Matthews: HB, 4weeks torn knee cartilage
Ryan Tennehill: QB, 5 weeks dislocated ankle
James Jones: WR, 4 weeks pulled groin
Michael Jenkins: WR, 4 weeks broken hand
Christian Ponder: QB, 6 weeks dislocated hip
Kyle Randolph: TE, 4 weeks broken jaw

Week 1 Game Results

Thursday Night Game

Madden Result   Actual Result  
Denver – 34 Baltimore – 20 Denver – 49 Baltimore – 27

Sunday Games

Madden Result   Actual Result  
Buffalo – 24 New England – 6 Buffalo – 21 New England – 23
Pittsburgh – 23 Tennessee – 15  Pittsburgh – 9 Tennessee – 16
New Orleans – 36 Atlanta – 33 New Orleans – 23 Atlanta – 17
Tampa Bay – 26 New York Jets – 16 Tampa Bay – 17 New York Jets – 18 
Kansas City – 24 Jacksonville – 21 Kansas City – 28 Jacksonville – 2
Seattle – 28 Carolina – 6  Seattle – 12 Carolina – 7
Chicago – 34 Cincinnati – 21 Chicago – 24 Cincinnati – 21
Cleveland – 16 Miami – 10  Cleveland – 10 Miami – 23 
Detroit – 24 Minnesota – 20 Detroit – 34 Minnesota – 24 
Indianapolis – 34 Oakland – 12 Indianapolis – 21 Oakland – 17
San Francisco – 34 Green Bay – 10 San Francisco – 34 Green Bay – 28 
St. Louis – 24  Arizona – 7 St. Louis – 27 Arizona – 24 
New York Giants – 25 Dallas – 7 New York Giants – 31  Dallas – 36

Monday Night Games

Madden Result   Actual Result  
Philadelphia 31 Washington 17 Philadelphia – 33  Washington – 27
Houston 33 San Diego 3 Houston – 31 San Diego – 28

Final Tally: Madden 25 correctly predicted 11 games, and was wrong 5 times.

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Ryan Fleming
Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
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