Quick Stats from 2009 Franchise Sim

QB Stats:

QB Rating of 90+
2008 (real NFL): 9
Madden 10 2009 Sim: 11

QB Rating of 80+
NFL: 24
Madden: 23

4,000 yard passers:
NFL: 6
Madden: 6

30+ Touchdowns
NFL: 3
Madden: 6

20+ Touchdowns
NFL: 10
Madden 20

60%+ Completion Rate
NFL: 20
Madden: 19

Running Backs:

1,000 yard rushers:
NFL: 16
Madden: 13

Rushing TD
NFL: 12 RB with at least 10 rushing TD
Madden: Tops in the league had 8.
(This may be the reason we have a lot more 20 TD+ QBs)

WR:

1,000 yards Receiving
NFL: 22
Madden: 17

Team Stats:

Number of teams with 5,000+ total yards
NFL: 23
Madden: 15

Super Bowl
Steelers 28
Saints 17

Browns were 6-10 -- we somehow were 3rd in the NFL in sacks. (I need to check sack stats come to think of it)

Free Agency:

Pickings were incredibly thin. The highest rated FA was Sproles -- an 86 rated HB. The next best player was Edge -- an 81 rated HB who did not play at all in 2009. Everyone else was 79 and under. No marquee FAs. This may have to do with the cap room teams start off with -- a lot of teams have serious money to play with, including Cleveland. Re-Signing Braylon was simple. Was it too expensive? Maybe. But we have a lot of cap space so I am assuming we won't see more of an FA impact until a season or two down the road when these backloaded contracts start coming into play.

But overall, the stats definitely fall within the realm of believability. Anomalies are fine and expected, but we have no NCAA 09 QB Stat Snafu going on here. Tom Brady was a 4,800 yard 35 TD 14 INT QB. I can live with that. QB TDs are a tick too high, but so what. Nothing looks silly. And that's always my litmus test. Keep it from being stupid, and I'm fine.

I still do not like the fact that player rosters are limited. Braylon Edwards gets hurt for 7 weeks in week 1 I should be able to DEACTIVATE him and bring a player up from the practice squad.

I shouldn't have to cut a player to sign a FA to maintain roster eligibility. Madden's been like this for years, and I hope next year we get some more room to sign players and leave room for deactivated players. That's pretty important for a NFL franchise game.

The between week "recap show" is ok. I don't know the lady who is detailing the past week's games but you can tell it's cut together; her sentences don't flow too well. Still, it's a recap show and they give you stats from the games and I like this a HELL of a lot better than that fake radio show that Madden used to do. Is it as cool as NFL2K5's ESPN thing? No. That recap show had highlights. And Chris Berman before he was an ass.

Of course NFL 2K5's franchise mode was a complete mess, but that recap show was sweet.

Thus far, the franchise mode AI is a lot smarter than in year's past. Stats look ok, and besides the lack of real NFL roster management rules, I'm happy.

It's funny. I saw Minnesota finish 4-12. I wondered "Maybe AP was hurt?"

He had 47 carries on the year and sat out due to injury. Cool.

Draft is coming up next...