September 2, 2010 — After getting a taste of the NFL Playoffs during the 2009 season, the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers are expected to build on last year’s performance by securing their conference’s best record in 2010 according to the official Madden NFL 11 regular season simulation. With less than a week before the season kicks off, EA SPORTS predicted divisional winners, league leaders and individual award winners for the 2010 NFL season.
Behind the arm of QB Aaron Rodgers (named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year), the road to Super Bowl XLV in the NFC will go through Lambeau Field as the Packers finished with a 12-4 record, while Baltimore relied on the exceptional play of OLB Terrell Suggs (named Defensive Player of the Year) to secure home-field advantage in the AFC. The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts both posted NFL-best records of 13-3, with the Ravens securing home-field advantage due to a better divisional record.
New England, Indianapolis and San Diego won their divisions in 2010, while the upstart New York Jets secured a Wild Card berth in the AFC. After years of being tapped as the next up and coming team, the Houston Texans made the playoffs as a Wild Card team with a 9-7 record, grabbing the sixth seed in the AFC.
The Minnesota Vikings tied for the best record in the NFC with Green Bay at 12-4, but due to the Packers’ better divisional record, settled for the fifth seed in the playoffs as a Wild Card team. After seven years without a playoff appearance, the San Francisco 49ers joined the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints as division winners in the NFC, while the Atlanta Falcons secured the final Wild Card spot in the conference.
TE Jermaine Gresham of the Cincinnati Bengals and CB Joe Haden of the Cleveland Browns were named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively. Entering his third season as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh was named the Coach of the Year.