M21 NFC East Preview

[nb935]

Team Ratings:
Dallas - 83 OVR (T-4th)
New York - 78 OVR (T-24th)
Philadelphia - 83 OVR (T-4th)
Washington - 77 OVR (T-31st)


New York Giants - KING Bernard
Key Players:
HB Saquon Barkley (91 OVR) is an absolute stud. 93 SPD, 93 ACC, 96 AGI, 94 COD, 90 SPM, 94 JKM at just 23-years-old. Saquon is a do-it-all back, and we know KB will ask him to shoulder the load and then some. Expect another cycle of 30 touches per game and 3 injuries per season from one of the game's elite young skill players.

SS Jabrill Peppers (80 OVR) is the Giants top (only?) playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. With great physicals for the position (90 SPD, 93 ACC, 89 AGI, 83 COD), Peppers can cover downfield and play in the box. On a defense without a player rated over 80 OVR, KB will need the 24-year-old Peppers to lead his defense.

Building Blocks:
HB Saquon Barkley (91 OVR): OK so I broke the rules here. Evan Engram (88 OVR) is good and all, but who cares? Definitely not KB. The Giants will run through Saquon all cycle, for better or for worse.

LE Dexter Lawrence (77 OVR): I like big bois, and Lawrence is 342 pounds. He's also just 22-years-old and brings 92 STR, 78 PMV, and 76 BSH to the table. Lawrence should be a dominant interior three-down force by the end of the cycle.

Outlook:
The Giants actually have some solid young offensive skill players to build around, and the d-line is full of capable big bodies. The offensive line is decent, and the defensive backfield has a couple of pieces. Daniel Jones is more than serviceable (72 OVR, 87 THP, 87 SAC, 80 MAC, 81 DAC). But what will KB do with them? If he can find some consistency on both sides of the ball and trim back his turnovers, I think he can challenge for a wildcard spot... but I feel like KB makes throws with his eyes closed and hopes for the best. My prediction is that he's a 4th place finisher more often than not. Sorry King.



Dallas Cowboys - Charter
Key Players:
HB Ezekiel Elliott (91 OVR) is exactly what Charter needs to be successful. Charter is at his best when he's running the ball effectively, and Zeke is an every down beast running behind perhaps the league's best offensive line. Expect Zeke to carry the offense in Dallas this cycle.

LE DeMarcus Lawrence (89 OVR) is a force of nature off the edge and transforms this defense into one of the league's top units. 88 BSH. 93 FMV. 89 PMV. This dude forces the offense to pay extra attention to him every snap and still wreaks havoc.

Building Blocks:
QB Dak Prescott (84 OVR): With the departure of Byron Jones in free agency and the shortage of draftable QBs last cycle, I think this is an easy decision for Charter. Pay the man. Dak is a very good Madden quarterback, and Charter will need someone who can get the ball in the hands of Dallas's loaded WR group when teams load up the box to stop Zeke.

LBs Leighton Vander Esch (83 OVR) and Jaylon Smith (81 OVR): I'm not sure there's a better starting LB core than these two. They're every down players with elite COD ratings and should lead the Cowboys defense all cycle.

Outlook:
The Cowboys have a loaded roster yet again this cycle with a great mix of stars in their prime and stud young pieces. Much like KB, Charter has historically struggled with turning the ball over too frequently. However, this roster base fits his preferred style much better than Arizona, and I expect to see Charter pounding the rock and playing defense. I give him the edge over KB based on the starting roster and have him at 3rd in this division. If he can find an efficient passing game, I think he'll be a big beneficiary of the additional wildcard spot.



The Washington Football Team - Prudent
Key Players:
WR Terry McLaurin (82 OVR) showed up in a big way during his rookie season. With elite top-end speed (94), great hands (86 CTH, 86 SPC, 83 CIT) and strong route running ability (85 SRR, 85 MRR, 83 DRR, 87 RLS), McLaurin has the makings of a true #1 receiver. Expect Prudent to rely heavily on McLaurin in his ball control, short passing game to help bring his college teammate Dwayne Haskins, Jr. along at QB.

FS Kendall Fuller (86 OVR) is this defense's top rated player and lone ball hawk. With Washington's front 5 set to be a dominant force for the entire cycle, Prudent is going to need someone to make plays in the second level. I expect Fuller to be that guy. He can play center field and can absolutely cover receivers in 1-on-1 situations.

Building Blocks:
QB Dwayne Haskins, Jr. (70 OVR): After struggling through playing with the QB-less Chicago Bears, Prudent made a heavy investment in trading for and paying Haskins last cycle. It paid off immediately, as Haskins seems to be a great fit for his offensive playstyle. I think Prudent sticks with Haskins in Washington; he has the ability to make every throw on the field. With a stable of running backs including the still-juiced Derrius Guice (81 OVR despite just 42 carries for 245 yards in his two seasons) and the aforementioned McLaurin, Haskins has some weapons around him and should succeed in Washington this cycle.

RE Chase Young (80 OVR): Have you seen him with his shirt off?

Outlook:
Washington is one of my favorite Madden teams this cycle. Their front 5 includes Young (80 OVR, 21 YO), Ioannidis (86 OVR, 26 YO), Da'Ron Payne (83 OVR, 23 YO), Jonathan Allen (82 OVR, 25 YO), and Montez Sweat (76 OVR, 23 OVR). I guess Ryan Kerrigan is still there and alive too. It doesn't get any better up front from a CFM perspective, and I think this roster is an overall great fit for Prudent. He's more than capable but needs to put it all together consistently. I'm hopeful that he'll continue his progress from last cycle and be a perennial playoff contender in the expanded NFC playoffs.



Philadelphia Eagles - BR
Key Players:
TE Zach Ertz (90 OVR) is arguably the best receiving tight end in the league, and I'd argue that BR uses his tight ends as well as anyone in AWFL. If you want to beat BR, you better stop Ertz.

DT Fletcher Cox (96 OVR) is coming off of what had to have been a 200 sack cycle in M20, and he's only gotten better. He's an absolute gameplan wrecker and a true force vs. both the pass and the run. You better double team him, and even then, it probably won't matter. Good luck.

Building Blocks:
HB Miles Sanders (80 OVR): Like the rest of his division, BR is a run-first type on offense, and Sanders is a very good three-down player in the backfield. I expect Sanders to be a perennial Pro Bowl caliber player for the duration of the cylce.

CB Avonte Maddox (78 OVR): Despite his lack of size, Maddox is a great Madden corner and looks to be a cycle-long starter in Philadelphia's now-loaded secondary. 93 SPD, 94 ACC, 96 AGI, and 98(!!!) COD gets the blood flowing a little bit, yeah?

Outlook:
Sandbagging BR is going to run away with this division again this cycle. He'll need to make a decision at QB early, but I'm not sure he even has a decision to make with Wentz's extension on the books. Both trenches are full of studs, he's got a nice young back, two more than capable tight ends, and a great defensive backfield. I trust that he'll manage the cap concerns well again en route to 4 user playoff appearances. He'll contend for a Super Bowl birth early and often in this cycle's NFC.



Best Rivalry: Prudent vs. BR
This is my favorite NFC division this cycle, and this is my favorite matchup within the division. These guys go way back, and I think Prudent - if he can concentrate for full games all season - is the only one who can challenge BR within this division.



Best (Worst?) Out of Division Game: Week 15 - Cleveland @ New York
Schuck vs. KB. These two are "friends" in real life and surely have this game circled on their respective schedules. Hopefully no one gets booted after this one. Entertainment value: 10/10.