The long wait from early February is finally over, and the NFL returns to action when the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, take on their hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Just because we’re almost done waiting to see what will happen doesn’t mean we’re not still itching to know now, and that’s why we are again turning to the wise minds behind the Madden NFL 26 ratings and in-game engine to provide us the sims we need to find out. Here’s what we learned from Week One action in Madden.
Jerry Wins The Micah Trade!
For one week. In a video game.
After a week of being roundly criticized, including on this website where we examined just how bad the virtual GMs of Madden found the Micah Parsons trade to be, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys take the field for the first time in a national game against the defending champions and with all that pressure all they did was take a 21-0 score into halftime with them.
The Eagles made a push in the second half, cutting the deficit to just 35-27, but never really threatened the Cowboys from the time the lead first became double digits. As for the claim the goal was to make the Cowboys more resolute against the run, they faced off with the most terrifying ground game in the NFL and held them to just 75 yards.
Congratulations to 2025 GM of the Year Jerry Jones.
Upset(s) Of The Week: Giants And Titans
There were a couple of close contenders for the top upset this week, so close in fact that it’s hard to separate them, as each was a multi-score underdog and carried winning percentage chances with ESPN that barely topped 30 percent. First up is the New York Giants, who face off with the remaining NFC East team in Washington. With Russel Wilson under center, the G-Men faithful aren’t overflowing with optimism this year, but Madden thinks things will at least begin with beating a rival coming off a playoff season.
It’s our first trip to the AFC for the next game, as Tennessee takes on Denver. The oddsmakers don’t think this is going to be a close game, and Madden agreed, just not in the way the experts expect. Tennessee beat down the Broncos on their way to a 21-point cakewalk of a game to get their first win in a division that may not require many to find themselves in first place. This would be a fantastic start to the Cam Ward era, and all the Titans’ fanbase needs to start thinking maybe they’re about to see the next rookie quarterback playoff run.
Anti-Game Of The Week: Houston 17, Los Angeles Rams 7
There are sixteen games every week before the byes start, and they can’t all be winners. While New England beating Las Vegas (17-10) or the Colts edging the Dolphins (14-13) were both games you wouldn’t rush to change the channel to, no game is predicted to be more of a dud than Texans-Rams.
Houston won the game 17-7, with the Rams not getting on the board until it made the lead “just” ten, and only ten points scored total through three quarters. All told, there were 12 other teams in the league who outscored this entire game, so fans of either franchise will be hoping that things turn out a little more interesting and there are a few more sparks of life out of their supposedly playoff-caliber offenses when the real games start.
The Rodgers Bowl, Burrow Balling Out Round Out Other Notable Results
It’s quarterbacks who have caught the remaining headlines this week, as is the norm for NFL coverage. The NFL fates have aligned to see two teams who swapped starters (kind of) facing off in Week One when the Jets and Steelers face off. It was the Jets who got the best of it in Madden 31-28. It was ex-Steeler Justin Fields who outplayed ex-Jet Aaron Rodgers, with his trademark short passing being good for just 158 yards on 19 attempts, but four scores, while Rodgers had a gaudier 226 yards but only found the endzone once.
Four touchdowns are cool, but five touchdowns are even cooler. Enter Joe Burrow, who picked up right where he left off last season by tossing five in his first game after a 43-touchdown year last time out. For fans of the Burrow-Chase connection, it would have been a surprising day; however, it was Andrei Iosivas who caught just four of Burrow’s passes, but three of them that went for scores, leaving just one apiece for Chase and fellow standout Tee Higgins.
Full Madden Week 1 Simulation Results
Not every game in our Week 1 Madden simulation may have been worth noting for exciting results, but if your team didn’t make the cut this week, you can still get a preview of how Madden thinks your season is about to begin. Here’s what went down in all 16 games this week:
- Cowboys 35-27 Eagles
- Chiefs 28-22 Chargers
- Bengals 38-14 Browns
- Giants 31-24 Commanders
- Jets 31-28 Steelers
- Patriots 17-10 Raiders
- Buccaneers 31-28 Falcons
- Colts 14-13 Dolphins
- Panthers 28-20 Jaguars
- Saints 24-21 Cardinals
- Titans 28-7 Broncos
- 49ers 24-21 Seahawks
- Texans 17-7 Rams 12 teams
- Packers 21-17 Lions
- Ravens 28-20 Bills
- Bears 22-17 Vikings
Did your team come out on the right side of the Madden engine, or will you be hoping the pretend playing fields remain just that when the first balls of the season are kicked for touchbacks?
