January 13, 2005 - Last week, we put both Madden and ESPN to the test and simulated all of the Wild Card games to see which computer engine would do the best at predicting the outcomes. Both games finished with a 2-2 record, but with all of the upsets, not to mention some of the experts going 1-3 and even 0-4 (some crazy people picked Denver!) 2-2 is actually a pretty decent start.

So we updated the rosters again this week and put the simulators to work. Here is what each game predicted for this week's Divisional Playoff round.

Madden NFL 2005
Last week: Predicted wins for the Vikes and Colts, but also simulated wins for the Chargers and Seahawks.

Jets at Steelers

It's a battle of head coaches who actually used to play on the same team. That's right, back in 1983, both Bill Cowher and Herman Edwards were teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles. Not that that matters in terms of simulating the games, but I just thought it was an interesting tidbit to throw out this weekend while watching the game. Anyway, this is a game that is a lot closer in the simulation than it should be in real life as the Steelers barely beat the Jets 16-13. Chalk up another one for Big Ben who has announced that he is donating his entire salary for the game to Tsunami relief charities. In case you were wondering, that's $18,000 for the Divisional Playoff. If he continues the trend, he would donate $36,500 for the Conference Championship and $68,000 for winning the Super Bowl (you only get $36,500 if you lose). Back to the simulation, though, the game was all Duce as he rumbled for 118 yards, and Plax came down with a big touchdown catch in the 4th to win the game.

Colts at Patriots



Tom Brady has already won his first six playoff games and according to Madden, you can chalk up win number seven (a mark that would tie Troy Aikman's NFL record). The Patriots defense once again locks Manning up with the 3-4 blitzes, limiting the Colts to 24 points, four short of the Patriots 28. Brady plays clutch once again, as Mr. Smooth throws for two touchdowns while Corey Dillon rushes for the other two. If the Patriots are going to pull this out for real, Dillon is the key as the Pats will need a strong running game to eat the clock and eliminate the amount of touches for Manning and his numerous weapons.

Rams at Falcons

Madden is a game basically built around the skills of Michael Vick, so it should come as no surprise that Vick and his DVD offense outplay the Rams for a 23-17 win. In the video game, Vick actually throws to his wide receivers, proving the simulations still aren't quite perfect, as Peerless Price catches 6 balls for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Patrick Kerney and Brady Smith are able to provide enough pressure on Marc Bulger to force three turnovers, so even though the Rams have been winning despite losing the turnover battle all season, it finally comes back to haunt them in the playoffs.

Vikings at Eagles



Randy Moss was fined $10,000 for his split-second fake moon in the end zone while Eric Barton was fined $7,500 for throwing an elbow to the head of Drew Brees. Does anyone else see a problem with this? Anyway, the Eagles without T.O. don't provide much firepower in Madden, and they might not in real life either, but we wouldn't know since the first string hasn't really played in about a month. They could be good, then again, they could suck. Either way, the Eagles were outplayed in Madden by maybe the second best team in the video game, the Minnesota Vikings. Pep is the star, throwing for three scores and running for two more. That's right, 35-14 Vikings. If only you could create your own "disgusting" celebration in the game.