Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers – 5/27/20 Madden20 NFL Sim Pick, Odds, and Prediction

The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons meet Wednesday afternoon in a Madden20 simulation game. 

The Carolina Panthers may not have won much in real life last season, but they have two difference makers in linebacker Luke Kuechly and running back Christian McCaffrey, both who are ranked 99 overall. The Panthers then have three other players rated 85 or higher in tight end Greg Olsen, defensive end Gerald McCoy and wide receiver DJ Moore. You quickly learn that the Panthers have a lot more talent in the video game world than they may have on the actual football field and you can win playing with this team. Since these are 2019 rosters, the Panthers also have a healthy and effective Cam Newton at quarterback, and he’s a decent 79 overall with an 85 speed rating and 88 acceleration rating. For a club that didn’t do much last year, the Panthers are much better than people would think.

The Atlanta Falcons have two players ranked 90 overall or higher in wide receiver Julio Jones and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Jones damn near dominates single coverage on every play and Jarrett has a 95 awareness rating and 89 strength rating, so he’s consistently doing his job and demands double teams. Austin Hooper is one of the better tight ends in the game of Madden and running back Devonta Freeman is a 92 rating in speed, 91 rating in acceleration and 94 in agility. Quarterback Matt Ryan isn’t as hot as he was when the game first launched, but he’s still a decent 89 in awareness and 80 in acceleration and is a winnable QB to play with. The Atlanta Falcons used to be a fun team to play with, and while they lost some of that steam over the year or two, they still have some highly rated players who can change a game.

The Carolina Panthers are better than you’d think they are in video game form, but they can also drop a stinker from time to time and can go long stretches without having offensive success. The Atlanta Falcons are quite explosive on the offensive side and can be a tad bit underrated defensively with athleticism and pass rushers on their front seven. 

The Falcons are the more balanced team here. I’ll lay the field goal.