Super Bowl LI is upon us and the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots will be playing for the most prestigious football championship in the world.
As is the tradition every year, EA Sports simulated “The Big Game” using Madden NFL 17 and the exact rosters of each team going into the matchup. EA Sports’ Super Bowl prediction has always been one of the more accurate prediction engines in sports; they perfectly simulated the last New England Super Bowl victory. Madden accurately predicted that the Patriots would come back from a 10-point deficit against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Going into the game, New England are three-point favorites over the Falcons. With those odds, many are putting the game down as a pick ‘em, as both teams have their weaknesses the other can exploit.
The Madden NFL 17 simulation of Super Bowl LI started fast as both teams scored touchdowns on their first possessions. Devonta Freeman caught a 15-yard pass from NFL MVP Matt Ryan while New England legend Chris Hogan caught 38-yard touchdown from Tom Brady. Freeman continued his big game as he ran in a five-yard run for a TD as Atlanta went into halftime with a 17-10 lead over the Patriots.
New England started the third quarter taking advantage of an overly aggressive Falcons defense, as Dion Lewis tied the game at 17-17 with a rushing touchdown. The Patriots also turned up the pressure on Matt Ryan which gave him no time to find star receiver Julio Jones. New England continued their momentum taking a 20-17 lead into the fourth and final quarter.
Defense was the story in the fourth quarter as neither team wanted to give up a big play. Ryan finally late in the game, Atlanta took the lead back after a touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu Jr. The score was now 24-20 in favor of the Falcons. Here is how EA Sports described the final moments of Super Bowl LI on Madden NFL 17.
“With under four minutes left to play, Brady and company returned to the field with their sights set on victory. They showed tremendous patience, riding short passes and the power run game to march the ball across midfield, but with less than two minutes to play they knew they had to find the end zone. The Falcons defense, harangued by Brady and company all day, stiffened and forced the Pats into a 4th and 4 situation with only 20 seconds to go. With his Super Bowl legacy on the line, Brady turned to his most trusted receiver, hitting Julian Edelman for the game-winning touchdown and history is made.”
Tom Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to win five Super Bowls after New England defeated Atlanta 27-24. If the real Super Bowl 2017 is anything like the Madden NFL 17 simulation, we could be in for a great game on Sunday. Check out this quick Madden simulation video below.
Notable Stats
New England
Tom Brady: 30 for 39, 305 yards, 3 TD’s
LaGarrette Blount: 9 rushes, 78 yards
Julian Edelman: 9 Catches, 102 yards, 1 TD
Atlanta
Matt Ryan: 24 for 36, 287 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 INT
Julio Jones: 7 Catches, 89 Yards, 1 TD
Mohamed Sanu Sr.: 6 Catches, 64 Yards, 1 TD
