I realized that making a full fledged power ranking for all 32 teams is quite annoying, especially when I’m not paying attention to everyone. So I’ve decided to make this new segment, my 8×8. This will feature the 7 teams from each conference who I believe at that point in the season will make playoffs + 1 honorable mention for each conference. 16 teams, 14 playoff spots, 4 unbeaten teams left, & 1 super biased write up. Let’s go! Without further ado:
1. Chargers (5-0) | Warren (previously #1)
Not much to say here other than, Warren is good (shocker). Through 5 games he is completing 75% of his passes with Herbert and spreading the ball around evenly. 5 different receivers on his team have caught 15+ passes. Warren is efficient and deadly, but has been throwing a few more ints than normal lately, sitting at 11 on the year. He will need to clean this area of his game up before playoffs if he wants to remain the de facto super bowl favorite in the AFC.
2. Packers (6-0) | K1ng (previously #13)
A lot of people were unsure of where K1ng would fall this cycle after the up and down cycle he had last madden. The knowledge of the game was always there, and he’s had statement wins over power users (re: Danny). But I don’t think anyone could have predicted this blazing start. K1ng is 6-0 with key victories over Fin, Willie, and Troy. Seems like everything on both sides of the ball is clicking, as K1ng is top 10 in both offensive and defensive ppg. K1ng is hot hot hot and is currently the team to beat in the NFC.
3. Bills (6-0) | SoleDrive (previosuly #5)
Circle the wagons in Buffalo, as the Bills are 6-0 headed into their bye week. The Bills are sitting atop the AFC East standings currently, and have a 2+ game lead over the rest of their division mates. What’s helped them remain successful so far is a balanced offensive approach, ranking top 10 in passing TDs and rushing TDs. The biggest question mark for this squad so far is strength of schedule. The 6 users they have wins over have a combined 7 wins and that doesn’t speak battle tested. They’ll need to win some tougher matchups to rise up in these ranks.
4. Ravens (5-0) | Allen (previously #7)
The Baltimore Lamar Jackson’s came out the gates hungryyyyy. Allen is the last undefeated on the list, but certainly not the least. What’s helped propel this team to this hot start is making smart decisions at the right times. The Ravens are tied for 4th in lowest giveaways on the season while also scoring the 3rd most points per game. So what’s separating them from the other unbeatens on this list? Defense. They are in the bottom half in the league in ppg on the defensive side of the ball and the same goes for their takeaways. We’ll be able to see how good this Baltimore team really is soon, with 3 of his next 5 matchups coming against Warren, HarpDaddy, and Willie.
5. Raiders (4-2) | Nubes (previously #22)
The AFC West is a bloodbath, but surprisingly the team currently in 2nd place is probably not someone that anyone expected. Nubes has these Raiders turnt up and is currently my prediction for the #1 wildcard spot in the AFC. He may be 4-2, but those two losses are against Allen & Warren. In addition, both were very close games. Of all the top teams, his performance may be the most impressive so far. He currently has motherf****n’ Mariota in the MVP conversation for God’s Sake. Don’t worry Nubes, we ain’t sleeping any longer. Watch out when you see Da Raidas on your schedule moving forward.
6. Buccs (3-2) | Ricky (previously unranked)
A surprise addition to the league right before the season started, Ricky is doing Ricky things. Winning tough games and somehow dropping games he should win. After starting out the season 3-0, Ricky is currently on a 2 game slide losing to EG (sim?) and Jordan. Even still, Ricky is a user who can unleash dominant performances at any moment. Relying heavily on the receiving three-headed-monster of Gronk, Mike Evans, & Godwin, he has weapons all over. Brady is slinging it for 340 yards PPG at the time of writing and doesn’t look to slow down any time soon. Give me all bets for Ricky as the NFC South champion.
7. Lions (3-2) | Fin (previously #4)
Fin is just having fun with his Lions. You tune into a stream and bro is half taking it seriously and half just trying shit, cuz why not? He has the f****n’ Lions. Still, after 6 (ish) weeks, he is leading the division after Willie lost his matchup against K1ng. His only losses are to users ahead of him on this list (Allen & K1ng) and he is poised for postseason play. He also has a relatively easy stretch of games coming up ahead until he gets his rematch against Willie in week 12. Willie will be hungry for revenge after somehow blowing a 21+ point lead in the first matchup. That will likely be a season defining moment for the Lions, but for now they are looking ripe for a hot streak.
8. Jaguars (4-2) | Pest (previously #9)
Not too far off from his initial ranking in my preseason rankings, Pest is sitting at a solid 4-2 record to begin this cycle. Pest easily could be 5-1 and have a higher ranking on this list, but dropping that OT thriller against Frank cost him those dreams. Not too much to say here one way or the other, as he hasn’t had too many notable matchups. With a relatively easy schedule rest of the way, Pest should easily compete for a playoff spot as long as he can edge out his division mate Joey by the end of the year.
9. Eagles (3-2) | Clutch (previously unranked)
Another surprise entry, Clutch has impressed so far. He has user wins against the league’s pride and joy Jsmoove and Danny. Yes, Danny. He currently holds #1 in the NFC East and if I had to make a bet on who would win the division… well it would still be Danny. But I do think Clutch will make a wildcard appearance if he can continue his solid start. He’s got Hurts going crazy at 16/5 TD:INT ratio with a 73% pass percentage. This is a playoff user in my eyes.
10. Cowboys (2-3) | Danny (previously #2)
What a fall from grace. From consensus NFC championship predictions to a 2-3 start, Danny’s start is one that none of us expected. This is a user that usually loses 2-3 games a season, not 3 of their first 5. Danny is usually prolific on both sides of the ball, and honestly his offense is fine. The problem is his defense can’t stop a nosebleed. He is usually a takeaway monster, but so far is sitting in the bottom 3rd of defensive takeaways. I think he will right the ship and claim a wildcard spot, but his beginning to Top22 is disappointing to say the least.
11. Bears (3-3) | Willie (previously #10)
Another ranking that didn’t change much from last time, Willie was poised to be a top 5 candidate after 3 weeks of play. However, now he is currently on a 3 game skid and sitting at 3-3. So how can a .500 team be a top 10 user? Well, not all losses are equal. Willie has had a tough strength of schedule these last 3 weeks and battled fairly well in all of them. He blew a huge lead to Fin, got blown out by Nubes, and struggled against K1ng. On top he plays Ricky next week… Phew maybe Willie might be in hot water after all. I still have faith in him making the playoffs though.
12. Broncos (3-3) | Steel (previously #8)
Steel is an interesting case. He is .500 on the year so far and all of his games are decided by either 1 or 2 touchdowns. With that being said, he is tied for 9th on the year in defensive interceptions and has had mostly competitive games. A blowout loss against division rival Nubes has him on the ropes and sitting at last in the division with Donny. Despite all that, he is a playoff hopeful with Cole McDonald as his starting QB, which is respectable in and of itself. The last user to be great with Cole McDonald was… I’m not even gonna go there lol.
13. Falcons (3-2) | JSmoove (previously #20)
Smooooooooooove, the man, the myth, the legend. What a bounceback he has had after starting off this cycle with 2 straight losses. Smoove has since won 3 in a row. His losses were both against top 10 power rankings users as well, so this guy wasn’t losing to scrubs. JSmoove has the ATL jump jump jumpin’ for joy man. Jordan Love is leading the team and has them ready to march forward, sporting a 2:1 INT ratio on the year, but with only 4 picks. Don’t sleep on Mr. Smoove.
14. Jets (3-2) | Digga (previously #23)
I’ll be honest, I genuinely believed Digga would be ready to compete after 1 offseason to reshape this Jets team to his liking, but he has quickly shown that he doesn’t need an offseason. Digga is ready to compete year one. Already in his bye week, Digga sits in sole possession of #2 in the AFC East. I believe he will easily be a wildcard team, and should things shake up in Buffalo, he might have a shot at the division. This is not to say that Digga is without fault, he clearly has some things he needs to clear up. Zach Wilson is sporting an abysmal TD:INT ratio at 1:2 and the run game hasn’t found it’s footing yet. The best part of his game so far has been his opportunistic defense, tied for 9th with total defensive takeaways. He will need to improve his offense before being considered a super bowl Contender though.
15. Chiefs (2-3) | Donny (previously #3)
Donny is suffering from defensive adjustments this madden in combination with the Chiefs defense being flat-out horrible. Offensively, he is fine. Mahomes and his supporting cast have him in the MVP race. Hoever, on the other side of the ball Donny is currently sitting at #32 in defensive ppg and #31 in defensive takeaways. That is not a recipe for playoff success, or any success for that matter. This is a user who usually is great on the defensive end, so playing with this Chiefs roster is really going to challenge him, as we’ve seen so far. One positive on that side is that he is tied for 6th in sacks. If he can get his pressure to force more turnovers, he can definitely compete for wildcard placing.
16. Rams (2-4) | Ptown (previously #12)
Ptown ptown ptown… What an interesting user. Ptown plays some halves like he could be a championship game contender, and other halves like he is destined for a top 5 pick. There is no balance. He is TOP Madden’s J.R. Smith. Streaky. Although Ptown is 2-4, he has some very close losses and I could still see him competing for a playoff spot. In theory, he should win his division. But theory is just theory, he’s gonna have to start winning games. The formula is there, pound the rock with Cam Akers and let Ramsey and Donald do work on defense. But can Ptown stop throwing the games down the toilet (literally) remains to be seen…
