Madden 20: The Patriot Way (R Evolution)

 Year 3 of my Patriots franchise begins with preseason, which is essential for this season, with several members of the roster aging and younger replacements needing to be found. I've decided to analyze these four games by breaking the entirety of preseason down into each position battle, before finishing off with any other random observations. We start with the most essential battle of them all, at quarterback. 

Jacoby Brissett vs Donnell Rowland

Brissett has been our starting quarterback for the last year and a half, and even though he's not the best you can find in this game, his contributions have led us to a Super Bowl victory and an AFC Championship appearance. Meanwhile, Rowland, the rookie we drafted last year, is only a single overall rating behind Brissett, and he has the benefit of being six years younger, with star development, which likely means he will end up being rated higher than Brissett by the end of this year, even without playing time. Rowland, as the backup, got the majority of the snaps here in preseason, and it wasn't the greatest four game stretch you'll ever see. Rowland threw an interception in each game, and was relatively inefficient, while Brissett was excellent in the final two games, throwing for 5 touchdowns and only 2 picks across both contests. To start the year, Brissett has the job, although Rowland definitely flashed a ton of potential, and should Brissett struggle at any point this year, I would feel comfortable handing the reigns over to Rowland. 

Sony Michel vs Damien Harris

Before anyone loses their mind, this was not a battle for the starting job, Michel already has that locked down, I'm not going completely bonkers here. Instead, this is about our main powerback role, which I allowed Harris quite a few looks at during preseason. The 24 year old was extremely impressive, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and has persuaded me to try to use all four of our backs in as many games as possible. Michel will hold down the starting job, sure, but he's had a lot of injuries in these last two years, so I need to lessen his workload and try and keep him as healthy as possible. I will attempt to accomplish this by using James White and Trey Edmunds as the two third down backs, with Harris as the powerback, and Edmund also getting work as Michel's primary backup (Trey had a stellar preseason, piling up 344 yards). It's a unique approach to be sure, but all four guys offer something, and they all have been impressive, so I want to spread our touches as much as possible this year. 

Standouts on Offense

Those are the only two positional battle on the offensive side of the ball, so I'll finish out here by mentioning anyone else that did well, but wasn't fighting for a spot. Braxton Berrios showed immediate chemistry with Donnell Rowland, catching 12 passes for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns, as did rookie tight end Will Mabry, who led the team with 3 receiving touchdowns, as well as 137 yards on 14 catches. Both guys won't have starting spots, although each have a path to one. In Berrios' case, his chance to move up the depth chart would be another injury to Phillip Dorsett, while Mabry could be tabbed to be the starting tight end next year if we can't or decide not to re-sign Dallas Goedert. Second year receiver Peyton Hyde also impressed, catching 14 passes for 126 yards. 

John Simon vs Jalen Ricks

This was a battle over the starting left end spot on our defense, with the veteran Simon squaring off with the rookie Ricks. Ricks was a disappointment in preseason, making just a single tackle while playing 95 snaps. On the other hand, Simon got a big sack in a game, plus made four tackles, and only getting 87 snaps. It's clear that Simon is the better rusher right now, and though Ricks will likely play a large role in the future of our team, he's clearly not ready just yet. 

Elandon Roberts vs Ja'Whaun Bentley vs Jason Cabinda

The starting middle linebacker spot on the defense was a three way dance between this trio, with Roberts coming in as the established starter. Because of that, Roberts also did get significantly less playing time, but in fairness, I think Bentley and Cabinda proved why they deserved it far more. Each man had four tackles for a loss, were the two leaders on the team in tackles, each deflected two passes, and Cabinda even added a sack. They were both everywhere on our mostly weak secondary defense, and are clearly ready for bigger things. Bentley will be the starter, with Cabinda serving as the backup, and Roberts dropping to third string. 

Patrick Chung vs Duke Dawson vs Floyd Bush

The starting strong safety role was on the line in our final position battle, as the two strong safeties on the roster, established starter Chung and his younger backup Dawson, were also joined in the fight by free safety Bush, our top draft pick. Though Chung has been a great piece of this defense in the past, he's reached 33 now, and is clearly starting to show his age. Chung's decline in his athletic abilities really doesn't help when our starting free safety is Devin McCourty, who is a year older than Chung and beginning to slow down as well. It was time to bring in fresh blood, and the 25 year old Dawson is my pick. He's slightly worse physically than Bush, but is a much better run stopper, which is what our archetype calls for from the position. Dawson was great in the run game in preseason, making two tackles for a loss, and coming into a contract year, I think the former Florida Gator is ready to go. 

Standouts on Defense

Not a ton outside of the guys I've already mentioned, though I was impressed by second year nose tackle Bob Marrow, who had a tackle for a loss and two sacks. Our defensive ends didn't do much; the best was probably rookie Thaddeus Cannon, who had four tackles, one of which was for a loss. New signing Morgan Fox failed to make a single tackle, and after I took a closer look at his stats and realized he only has a 64 rating at block shedding, I decided to cut him, that was a big mistake of an acquisition on my part. 

I'll see you again next time when the first half of the regular season is complete.

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Gift Horse)

 We start off our second offseason in charge of the New England Patriots with several high-profile retirements. 

Future Endeavors

I was prepared for three potential exits from our team once the season ended, as kicker Stephen Gostkowski, cornerback Jason McCourty, and defensive end Michael Bennett all had expiring contracts, and there was a solid chance that all three veterans would decide to ride into the sunset. I was mostly correct, as McCourty and Bennett both said their farewells, though Gostkowski has decided to stick around, giving me a chance to re-sign him if I wish. From elsewhere around the league, we got the expected news that Tom Brady was ending his career after one season on the Lions, while DeSean Jackson, Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Emmanuel Sanders, Adam Vinatieri, Terrell Suggs, and Ndamukong Suh also ended their tenure in the NFL. 

Even though I could bring Gostkowski back now, at 37 and only a 73 overall, I elected not to, as I've done a decent amount of kicker scouting and would like to replace him with someone younger. I attempted to bring back outside linebacker Jamie Collins, but he declined my initial bid, I'll come back for him in free agency. I also let tight end Dwayne Allen walk, we'll be drafting a third tight end later on. 

Free Agency

I started with two depth signings in free agency, bringing back Jamie Collins and bringing in defensive Morgan Fox, each on a single year deal. Then, an unexpected bit of fortune, as I joined a bidding war for 24 year old cornerback Richard Jones. Jones was an undrafted rookie last year, is a 73 overall, and most importantly, has Superstar development, which is huge, as it allows to both gain abilities in games, and also progress extremely quickly. I gave Jones an absolutely massive deal, as we had tons of free cap space, ending up at 4 years and 36 million dollars, and he was eager to sign on the dotted line, as we now have a golden replacement for Jason McCourty. This was such a lucky break. 

Although that was the end of me signing players, we only had 2 million dollars left in the bank to spend and there was no one of interest left, we weren't done spending money on the future yet, as I accepted Sony Michel's fifth-year option, which will give him a decent pay rise for the 2022 season, about six million dollar more than what he'll earn in 2021. I declined the option for left tackle Isaiah Wynn, as I have my eye on potentially bringing in someone to compete with him via the draft. 

The Draft

We started our draft near the end of the second round, and got things going by taking safety Floyd Bush (72 Overall), who is excellent in zone coverage, which we run a lot of, and I plan to be the long term replacement of Devin McCourty, who is likely on his last legs. The third round finally saw us fill our hole at tight end, as I drafted 21 year old Will Mabry (73 Overall), who immediately becomes the highest rated player at that position. Mabry is a tremendous blocker and an average receiver, so he may not be the best weapon in the passing game, but he will elevate our already impressive run game. The fourth round was time to help our struggling defensive line, as I picked up 22 year old Jalen Ricks (72 Overall), a hulking beast that already has shown some promise as a pass rusher, and could fit anywhere on the line. I missed out on a few of the most promising offensive line prospects on the board simulating from our first fourth round pick to our second, including Taven Quinton (77 Overall, drafted by the Dolphins), a guy whom I really wanted, so I made sure not to miss out on our backup choice, tackle Riley Groom (70 Overall). Groom isn't quite the player Quinton is, but he's already a quality pass blocker, and should provide an excellent option should Isiah Wynn's contract demands be too high. At the end of the fifth round, I drafted another defensive lineman, this time 23 year old Thaddeus Cannon (68 Overall). We typically value more power rushing in our line, which Cannon isn't, he's a finesse rusher, so we'll see how that works out. The sixth round was the time to draft a new kicker, and I got the guy I wanted, 24 year old Brent Younger (74 Overall). Younger has a slightly better leg than Gostkowski, but is a little less accurate. We had one more pick left, the penultimate pick of the draft, and I selected outside linebacker Alex Jameson (60 Overall), who has decent athletic abilities but will need a lot of development defending the run and the pass. 

Trades, Trades, Trades

The rule I established last year was that I could acquire a player that had no history with our team and wasn't undrafted, so long as I traded our first round pick for him, and he had to be on the trade block. Last year, I used the pick to trade for Josh Reynolds, and this year, I traded for a new starting tight end, picking up Dallas Goedert from the Eagles. He will need to be re-signed, and I don't know if I really want to give him a new contract, this might just be a stopgap while I wait for Will Mabry to develop. I also made a second trade, sending safety Duron Harmon (expendable now after the Bush pick) and playoff hero Cameron Meredith (I didn't want to deal him, but he's already declining in ratings at just 28, and I'd rather develop our younger receivers) to the New York Giants for a second round pick this year and one next year. Those two picks, along with a second round pick for this year we had from a previous trade with the Rams, gives us plenty of draft capital for the next draft, which I'm excited for. 

Now that we have a lot of new and/or younger talent on this roster, I figure preseason will be a lot more interesting than last year, so I'll hope to make an entire post out of that. If those exhibition games somehow turn out uninteresting, I'll see you back here at the end of the first half of Year 3. 

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Magic Man)

 Last year, our New England Patriots emerged from the postseason as the most unlikely of champions, a team that seemed destined for the basement after ditching our franchise quarterback to begin a new era. But in a shocking twist, just as it has so many times before, destiny came knocking for the Patriots one more time, and our men answered the call, winning the franchise's seventh ring, yet again proving the doubters wrong. Now, that title must be retained, and along the way, hope remains high for the dream Super Bowl matchup, where New England could face Tom Brady and his Detroit Lions. Will fate beckon us once more? 

Wild Card Round

Hosting the Denver Broncos in the opening round of the playoffs, we looked to be in genuine trouble in the first half, as young quarterback Drew Lock was going wild, rushing for 63 yards and adding on 77 more in the air. But Denver's hopes of an upset came crashing down after a hellacious hit by Dont'a Hightower on Lock, which caused a significant abdominal injury that ended Lock's day. Veteran Joe Flacco was solid in relief, but couldn't make the big plays to keep the Broncos in it, as Sony Michel (22 carries, 114 yards, 3 touchdowns) took over in the second half to slam the door closed. We advanced to a showdown in Kansas City by a final score of 27-15. 

Meanwhile in the NFC, Tom Brady (27-36, 300 yards, 3 touchdowns) looked like his old self, as Detroit rolled over the Panthers in a game that was never close, and ended 38-0. Just like us, Brady is on the road next week, destined for a trip to "Jerry's World" in Dallas for a meeting with the Cowboys. 

Divisional Round

The Chiefs handed us a comprehensive defeat during the regular season, which we looked to avenge here, and this one prove to be a nailbiter. Our defense held Kansas City in check early, and Jacoby Brissett delivered two touchdowns to N'Keal Harry and Matt LaCosse, as we opened up a 24-6 lead. But Brissett's second interception and methodical passing from Patrick Mahomes got the Chiefs 13 unaswered points, and we looked in trouble, with Sony Michel suffering a devastating leg injury, as we had to rely on Trey Edmunds to try and finish off the game. But there was no reason to fear, as Edmunds (10 carries, 44 yards) clutched it out, picking up two essential first downs to enable us to run out the clock on a 24-19 win. 

Over in Dallas, Tom Brady wasn't as fortunate. He had a solid day through the air, throwing for 210 yards, but the run game rushed for a measly 5 yards, and Detroit got stomped by Dallas, losing 24-3. The Cowboys, at 14-2, are the big Super Bowl threat this year, and there was certainly no shame in losing to this incredible unit, though it would've been nice to see the Brady vs New England matchup. 

AFC Championship

The AFC title game ran through Cleveland this year, as we faced off with a Browns team that had beaten us all the way back in Week 1. This was to be a war of attrition, with Cleveland coming in without running back Nick Chubb, while we were missing Sony Michel, Phillip Dorsett, and lost N'Keal Harry early in the first quarter. The first half was a stalemate, ending 7-7, and the two teams then traded until late in the fourth. There, Odell Beckham (8 catches, 114 yards) continued an incredible second half, and Rashard Higgins hauled in a touchdown throw from Baker Mayfield to give the Browns a seemingly insurmountable 3 point lead with under 30 seconds to play. I say insurmountable here because our receiving corps looked dreadfully outmatched, having been bullied around by the far superior Browns secondary, leading to multiple Jacoby Brissett interceptions throughout the day on jump balls. All hope appeared to be lost when Myles Garrett collected his third sack, leaving us backed up. In desperation, Brissett threw up a prayer to Cameron Meredith, who, along with Josh Reynolds, was the only receiver with significant NFL experience left on the roster (the other two healthy receivers were rookies, our fourth round pick and star returner Jermaine Bryson, and the undrafted Peyton Hyde). Meredith lost his man on a wheel route, hauled in the pass, then broke a tackle and was off on a miraculous 82 yard touchdown, leaving just six seconds on the clock. We knocked down Baker's Hail Mary, and somehow punched our ticket to yet another Super Bowl. All hail Cam, baby. 

Out in the NFC, the 8-8 Seattle Seahawks pulled off a miracle of their own, unseating the juggernaut Dallas Cowboys with a big 4th quarter comeback, setting up a Super Bowl 49 rematch. 

Super Bowl 55

Russell Wilson lost said Super Bowl in infamous fashion, throwing a pick at the goal line to Malcolm Butler, and he was determined not to miss his chance at vengeance six years later. Wilson (33-41, 450 yards) was damn near unstoppable, slicing our defense apart with clinical precision, while Chris Carson (20 carries, 78 yards, 2 touchdowns) pounded away at shorter yardage. We did stay in it for a little while, as Jonathan Jones blocked an extra point, and Patrick Chung returned it for a two-point conversion, but Seattle had opened up a 22-9 lead by halftime, and we just couldn't compete. Not having Sony Michel and N'Keal Harry in this game meant we were severely underpowered on offense, and while Trey Edmunds (7 carries, 50 yards, 1 touchdown) and the returning Phillip Dorsett (6 catches, 67 yards) did their best to try and fill the void, we just didn't have enough in the tank. An errant throw by Jacoby Brisett in the fourth quarter was taken away by Bobby Wagner, and that sealed it, as Seattle drove down for one more touchdown, winning 36-19. The revenge had to feel great for them, and while I would've loved to bring home another title, these setbacks are just the nature of football. You can't win them all. 

Next time on The Patriot Way, we head to the offseason, where we could see several veterans depart the team, and I get another opportunity to add new talent via the draft. 

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Back to the Top)

 When we last left off, our Patriots were sitting at 6-2, a game ahead of the Bills and Jets in the AFC East, looking to claim a division crown and a playoff spot, where we would look to retain our Lombardi Trophy. Let's see if the second half of Year 2 could prove just as fruitful as the first. 

Second Half Results

We started the back slate of game with a couple very different results against AFC East opposition, as we crushed the Bills at home, 22-3, but lost to the Jets in a game that reached overtime, where Sam Darnold totaled 384 yards through the air and on the ground to beat us, 25-22. Back to back Thursday night games followed, and we crushed the 49ers, 33-14, before beating the Raiders by 9. A trip to Kansas City allowed the Chiefs a chance to get revenge for their AFC Championship loss last year, and they did just that, dominating en route to a 27-9 win. We stayed on the road and rebounded with an 8 point win in Tennessee, before losing another overtime game, this time to the Rams, a thriller that saw Jared Goff almost choke the game away by throwing a pick to our Devin McCourty, before a N'Keal Harry fumble set them up for a game-winning field goal. That bitter defeat also got Los Angeles some revenge after consecutive Super Bowl losses to us in recent years, but they're far out of the playoff picture, so they won't be able to beat us in a game that matters anytime soon. We finished out the year with an 11 point win at home against the Dolphins, giving us a final record of 11-5, which was good enough to claim the AFC East crown, with the Jets finishing at 9-7. 

Final Stat Leaders

Passing Yards

Jacoby Brissett (4,108)

Passing Touchdowns

Jacoby Brissett (26)

Interceptions

Jacoby Brissett (8)

Rushing Yards

Sony Michel (1,001, 4.4 per carry)

Rushing Touchdowns

Sony Michel (7)

Receptions

N'Keal Harry (75)

Receiving Yards

N'Keal Harry (911)

Receiving Touchdowns

Cameron Meredith (7)

Tackles

Kyle Van Noy (125)

Tackles For Loss

Kyle Van Noy, Dont'a Hightower, Lawrence Guy (16)

Sacks

Lawrence Guy (15)

Interceptions

Jason McCourty, Devin McCourty, Stephon Gilmore (3)

Pass Deflections

Stephon Gilmore (10)

Forced Fumbles

Jamie Collins (2)

Analysis

Overall, these 8 games didn't go as well for us as the first 8, though we still finished with excellent numbers. Our offense gained the 3rd most yards and scored the 2nd most points, while our defense allowed the 3rd least yards and 3rd least points. We had 48 sacks, 2nd most in the NFL, and tied with the Buccaneers for the most interceptions, at a hefty 17. On the offensive side of the ball, Jacoby Brissett had an excellent year, even with rookie Donell Rowland breathing down his neck in practice, as Brissett minimized mistakes and spread the ball around between multiple weapons. On defense, Lawrence Guy was a revelation this year, Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy remain great playmakers, and our secondary really was fantastic outside of just picking off passes. We did suffer two high-profile injuries, with wide receiver Phillip Dorsett likely to miss the entire playoffs, while safety Patrick Chung is guaranteed to be out for the Wild Card Round. 

Our Playoff Fate

Speaking of the Wild Card Round, we're in it again this year, as being division winners wasn't enough to get us a bye. We'll host the 10-6 Denver Broncos, whom we comprehensively beat in Week 9 of the season, and hopefully there will be more to come up next. 

What About Tom?

I'm sure there's going to be interest in how Tom Brady fared this year for the Detroit Lions, and I'm happy to report that it seems to have gone very well. The Lions won 10 games, and will travel to Carolina to start the playoffs. Brady threw for exactly 4,000 yards, and added 27 touchdown and 7 picks, very similar numbers to what Jacoby Brissett had for us. You never know, if Brady gets hot in the postseason, there is the potential for him to face us in the Super Bowl, it's not anything close to impossible. 

I'll see you up next time for a recap of our playoff journey, which hopefully won't be a short post. After that, it's on to the offseason, where we welcome in another round of promising youngsters. 

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Trio Attack)

 I've decided not to do any post for Year 2's preseason, as while a lot of younger players did see the field, not many of them did anything worth talking about. Instead, I've moved ahead to complete the first 8 games of our schedule, so let's see how things are shaping off in the first half of our title defense. 

First Half Results

Week 1 was an AFC Championship rematch, as we hosted the Browns, coming up short after Nick Chubb totaled 131 yards on the ground in a 7 point Cleveland win. Week 2 was an immediate bounceback, with a 16 point win over the Dolphins, and Week 3 was even better, an absolute demolition of the Chargers, as we romped to a 27-6 win. Week 4 continued our winning ways, as we survived a nailbiter against the Seahawks, just beating out the best Russell Wilson had to offer, and Week 5 ticked the win streak up to 4, as we edged out the Cardinals thanks to a fourth quarter comeback, scoring 14 unanswered in a 7 point win. Unfortunately, a Week 6 trip to Buffalo ended poorly, as Bills receiver Robert Foster caught the game-winner in overtime, but we quickly got back in form, trouncing the Jets 29-3 to head into our bye week. The first half of the season ended with a road trip to Denver, where we pummeled the Broncos 39-15, leaving our record at 6-2 currently, giving us the top spot in the AFC East. 

Stat Leaders

Passing Yards

Jacoby Brissett (2,015)

Passing Touchdowns

Jacoby Brissett (16)

Interceptions

Jacoby Brissett (4)

Rushing Yards

Sony Michel (364, 4.4 per carry)

Rushing Touchdowns

James White (3)

Receptions

Matt LaCosse and N'Keal Harry (34)

Receiving Yards

Matt LaCosse (439)

Reciving Touchdowns

Cameron Meredith (5)

Tackles

Kyle Van Noy (60)

Tackles For Loss

Dont'a Hightower (8)

Sacks

Lawrence Guy (10.5)

Interceptions

Jason McCourty and Stephon Gilmore (3)

Pass Deflections

Stephon Gilmore and Jamie Collins (4)

Forced Fumbles

Jamie Collins (2)

Analysis

Our defense has been electric this year, allowing the least yards, second-least amount of points, and intercepting the most passes in the NFL. The offense has struggled a little bit more, mostly due to the health of Sony Michel, who only played 4 of these 8 games, though James White and Trey Edmunds have filled his spot admirably, with all three backs finishing the first half with over 350 rushing yards. In the passing game, Jacoby Brissett has been largely mistake-free, and while his receivers haven't been the best quality, Matt LaCosse, N'Keal Harry, Phillip Dorsett, and Cameron Meredith have all had their moments. I added an extra weapon for Brissett right before the start of the season, trading our first round pick and nose tackle Danny Shelton to acquire Josh Reynolds from the Rams. I know Reynolds has no prior history with New England, technically breaking my rules from the outset of this series, but I allowed myself to do it, with the qualifier that we had to give up our first round pick, and Reynolds was on the trade block, so he clearly didn't hold much important to Los Angeles. Reynolds hasn't done much yet, and will need to be re-signed, so it probably wasn't the best usage of that pick, but oh well. 

I'll see you again at the end of Year 2, where we will likely be preparing for another playoff run, unless the wheels totally fall of the bus between now and then. 

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Motown Mayhem)

 I was certainly not prepared for the possibility that we would go into the Year 1 offseason as defending Super Bowl Champions, but that's what our New England Patriots are, beating the Los Angeles Rams for the second year in a row. We now face the inevitability of several high-profile departures, as our aging roster gives way to new blood. 

Happy Trails, Partner

When it came to re-signing players, I brought back pretty much everyone, since this is a majority of the talent we can use right now, there was little point to allow anyone to leave. The main two I refused to re-sign were Tom Brady and Benjamin Watson, under the assumption that both tenured veterans would hang up their boots in the offseason. I was half right, as Watson has decided to go out on top, but just like in real life, Brady has elected to leave, meaning we will see him in a new uniform for the 2020 season. In a shocker, Julian Edelman also retired, likely seeing his days were numbered after being on the sideline for our Super Bowl triumph. Edelman's retirement, combined with my decision to let the aging Demaryius Thomas walk, means there are now two spots to fill in our receiving corps. One of those spots will be filled by River Cracraft, whom I signed to replace Edelman after the latter's injury, and will return on a new 2 year deal. I let loose of depth players like running back Bruce Anderson, defensive end Keionta Davis, center James Ferentz, and tackle Dan Skipper, none of whom offered much to the team this year. The last player to re-sign was free safety Devin McCourty, a star on the team this past season after notching six interceptions. I gave McCourty a lucrative 1 year contract, but he declined, so I put him on the franchise tag, which will eat up the majority of our budget, though it will avoid the difficulty I would face trying to replace him. 

Free Agency

It was difficult to find many players whom I could even negotiate with, as they had to have either gone undrafted or previously been on our team. I did make three signings, bringing back tight end Dwayne Allen and linebacker Jamie Collins, as well as picking up 24 year old linebacker Jason Cabinda, all of whom will likely just be depth this year. To free up some cap space, I cut Rex Burkhead, who's spot had been taken by Trey Edmunds, who was extremely impressive in the playoffs. The big story was waiting to see which team would sign Tom Brady, and Madden's designated offseason weeks came and went without an offer, a definite anti-climax. 

The Draft

We had to wait a while to get involved with the draft, as we wouldn't pick until the bottom of Round 2. With our first pick, I selected defensive tackle Bob Marrow (70 Overall), a quality run stopper who could shift to either end position if needed. The third round saw us pick up right guard Kevin Sturdivant (72 OVR), a really strong pick as he has hidden development and is already an excellent run blocker. In the fourth round, I added quarterback Donnell Rowland (61 OVR), who does well operating outside of the pocket and also has hidden development. We had another fourth round pick, traded here by Chicago before my tenure, and I took a chance on speedster wideout Jermaine Bryson (56 OVR), who needs a lot of work but does have physical intangibles. In the sixth round, I selected center Martin Guerrero (49 OVR), and in the seventh, I took right tackle Jarry Freeman (62 OVR) and got the honor to select Mr. Irrelevant, outside linebacker Shannon McPherson (58 OVR). All in all, a solid class, nobody that's going to immediately be the best in the league or anything, but it's about as good as you can expect given the lack of a first round pick. 

Terrific Tom and Miraculous Matt

In between the end of the draft and the start of the year, Tom Brady finally got a new home, and it's quite a choice. Brady has signed with the Detroit Lions, returning to Michigan after playing for the Wolverines back in his college days, and has immediately sent Matthew Stafford to the bench as a result. Brady will have weapons at his disposal, with receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, plus young tight end T.J. Hockenson, whom the Lions obviously hope could line up with Brady in the way Rob Gronkowski has in the past. We'll see if the winningest quarterback in NFL history can finally get the Lions back on track in what will likely be his final season. 

Up next is preseason, which may or may not be it's own post, depending on how much actually happens in those four weeks. We have some interesting new players to check out, especially quarterback Donell Rowland, who will replace Jarrett Stidham as Jacoby Brissett's backup, and should get a lot of playing time in preseason, so hopefully he makes an impact. 

- Henry

Madden 20: The Patriot Way (Mission Impossible)

 One month ago, with our New England Patriots sitting at 4-7 and coming off a last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys, there was little reason for optimism in Foxborough. Tom Brady was out, Jacoby Brissett was in, and the results had proved that the golden days were finally over. But, carried on the strength of young running back Sony Michel, the Patriots slowly rose back into contention, finishing at 8-8 and sneaking into the playoffs, where a trip to Buffalo awaited. We would be the longest of long shots, a unit many would bet against, guaranteed to be on the road at all times, with an unproven quarterback at the helm and an aging defense that was likely to struggle against the high-powered offenses that were lined up, sniffing blood in the water. Could our Patriots restore faith in the fanbase, or were we just dead meat waiting to be chopped? 

Wild Card Round

It's safe to say that Buffalo wasn't prepared for the buzzsaw that was Patriots postseason football. We went into their home and absolutely whopped them, a 31-13 thumping that was the most decisive win in the Brissett era thus far, and a clear statement sent to the rest of the league. We were here to play. N'Keal Harry (6 catches, 88 yards) and Sony Michel (25 carries, 117 yards) both continued to prove themselves invaluable members of the organization, but it was the contributions of recently signed running Trey Edmunds, playing directly against his brother Tremaine, who proved to be the biggest hero. Edmunds was brought in after the injuries to James White and Rex Burkhead, and piled up 91 total yards, split between receiving and rushing, in addition to a rushing score in the 4th quarter that sealed the victory. In the end, the final stats showed complete domination, as we held the ball for 11 more minutes, and finished with 412 total yards, well above the Bills' paltry 189. The only negative was 2 interceptions thrown by Brissett, though he did throw for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns, so it was by no means a poor outing. 

Divisional Round

A rematch with the Chiefs, whom we beat in an overtime thriller back in Week 14, was next on the docket, this taking place in KC. To pull off a massive upset on the road, we would need the absolute peak performance from Jacoby Brissett, and playing against Kansas City's lackluster defense, he gave us the best we could've ever hoped for. Brissett kept pace with Patrick Mahomes the whole way, and it would be the former MVP who blinked first, as Pat was picked off by second year linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, who made the play of his life, lurking while matched up with running back Damien Williams, then jumping in to snatch the ball at the last second. This was deep in the fourth quarter, with us already holding a 7 point lead, and Brissett made the most of his opponent's mistake, delivering a touchdown to Phillip Dorsett to seal it. Brissett was unbelievable in this game, throwing for 370 yards and 5 scores, losing a fumble early but finishing without an interception. Mahomes held serve, with 446 yards and 4 scores of his own, but that pick by Bentley will forever be the defining story of a miraculous triumph by our boys. The stars on offense for us today besides Brissett were Dorsett (8 catches, 106 yards) and Sony Michel (20 carries, 135 yards, 1 touchdown), as we were now somehow off to Cleveland, one win away from the Super Bowl. 

AFC Championship

There was no magic for our Patriots in Cleveland this week, largely because we didn't need it. The Browns' high-powered offense never really looked right going against our defense, who sacked Baker Mayfield 4 times, and also picked him off twice, the honors going to JC Jackson and Ja'Whaun Bentley, the latter continuing to elevate his status as a Patriots postseason legend, adding on a sack. Jacoby Brissett wasn't quite perfect this week, as he threw a pick in the end zone looking to make a play, but he moved the ball well, piling up 268 yards passing, 97 of which went to Benjamin Watson. Sony Michel took a little while to get going, but finished with 109 yards rushing after finally start to find room to run in the fourth quarter, with Cleveland's defense tiring. The game-sealing touchdown went to fullback James Develin, who rammed his way to paydirt from a yard out, finishing off a 24-6 win that sent this organization to another Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl 54

2020's headliner was a rematch of the previous year's snoozefest, as our Patriots took on the Los Angeles Rams to determine a champion. It definitely looked like a repeat was on the cards early, as we jumped out to a 21-0 lead following a Jonathan Jones pick six. But the Rams stayed in it, with a couple clutch plays on both sides of the ball. Their defense intercepted Jacoby Brissett twice, and forced a fumble by Benjamin Watson after a huge hit stick from linebacker Samson Ebukam. A 74 yard touchdown run by Darrell Henderson was a big part of LA's comeback, as the game would go to the fourth quarter, with our lead now cut to just six, the scoreboard showing 30-24. The lead would've been bigger had Stephen Gostkowski not missed a field goal just before halftime, set up after Jones forced a fumble that JC Jackson returned 71 yards into the red zone. Gostkowski also missed an extra point in the third quarter after Sony Michel's second touchdown, but redeemed himself slightly, knocking through three points in the fourth, which was answered by the Rams. The lead remained six inside of the final six minutes, where we drove down to the field, with several incredible throws by Brissett getting us just short of the red zone, but on a fourth and short. The clock was inside of the final two minutes, so I decided to go for it, something we had done more than anyone else in the NFL this year. But the coverage from the Rams was excellent, and Dante Fowler sacked Brissett for a third time in the game, giving the Rams hope, down by six with two timeouts. Los Angeles got just past midfield before facing a fourth down of their own, and Jared Goff looked to Robert Woods for the conversion, never spotting Jones lurking. For a second time, Jones snatched the pass, quickly running out of bounds to seal the most unlikely ring in this franchise's collection. For the two interceptions, in addition to the forced fumble and a sack, Jones was named the Super Bowl MVP, well deserved, as we couldn't have won this without him. Sony Michel (30 carries, 198 yards) was also tremendous, Phillip Dorsett (9 catches, 99 yards) continues to grow into a steady weapon, and Braxton Berrios (5 catches, 81 yards) stepped in after our starting slot receiver, Cam Meredith, went down hurt. 

Well, I certainly didn't expect that we would be this good, this quickly, especially after the struggles with Brissett during the regular season. I have played this game a lot, and know a ton about exploiting the computer's weaknesses, but that was never necessary for this end result. The incredible blend of acceleration and raw power that Michel possesses, plus the clutch play of several of our defenders, most notably Bentley and Jones, proved to be the difference maker, not me. I wasn't controlling those players when they made those plays, that was just them being in the right place at the right time. Either way, the Lombardi Trophy was never going to be the be all, end all for this series, as I wanted to see how the roster would develop in the long term, so while it's nice to have won it, things will continue on as I intended. Next time, we head to the offseason, where we say farewell to, at the very least, Tom Brady and Benjamin Watson. 

- Henry