As the new NFL season approaches, the makers of Madden NFL 11, EA Sports, has done a simulation of this years football season. I was at first shocked by the results. Some of the year end awards to me seemed a bit far fetched. While 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.

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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.

NFL 2010 Season Awards (as simulated by Madden NFL 11):
• NFL MVP – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Offensive Player of the Year – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Defensive Player of the Year – Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens
• Offensive Rookie of the Year – Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals
• Defensive Rookie of the Year – Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns
• Coach of the Year – John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

Top Ten Offensive Performers

Quarterback
Player Team Yards TDs INTs
Aaron Rodgers            GB               4639               36        9
Matt Schaub               HOU            4592               35        16
Peyton Manning         IND             4542              33         8
Tom Brady                   NE               4471               32        14
Drew Brees                  NO               4459              33        12
Tony Romo                 DAL             4357               29        10
Donovan McNabb     WAS            4309               28        13
Philip Rivers                SD               4303              29        12
Eli Manning                NYG            4248               25        14
Joe Flacco                   BAL              4112               25         12

Running Back
Player Team Yards TD
Chris Johnson             TEN           1784             15
Steven Jackson            STL            1631              8
Adrian Peterson          MIN           1608            16
Maurice Jones-Drew  JAX           1459            13
Rashard Mendenhall   PIT           1403             9
Frank Gore                     SF            1380            10
Ray Rice                        BAL           1311              9
LeSean McCoy             PHI           1288             7
Jerome Harrison         CLE           1235             8
Jonathan Stewart        CAR           1192            12

Wide Receiver
Player Team Rec Yards TD

Andre Johnson            HOU               104           1541                 12
Greg Jennings               GB                 102            1438                13
Marques Colston          NO                 107            1372                11
Randy Moss                   NE                  91             1324                15
Miles Austin                  DAL                88             1323               10
Brandon Marshall        MIA               105             1290              11
Roddy White                 ATL                 86             1257               8
Steve Smith                   CAR                 98             1213               7
Anquan Boldin             BAL                  96             1179               8
Santana Moss               WAS                 85             1174               9

Tight End

Player Team Rec Yards TD

Antonio Gates             SD           102         1179         11
Owen Daniels             HOU        93          1093         8
Vernon Davis              SF            83          1032         6
Dallas Clark                IND         90            992         8
Jason Witten               DAL        97            933         4
Jermaine Gresham     CIN        72            930         7
Jermichael Finley       GB          79            916         9
Tony Gonzalez            ATL         81            882        7
Brent Celek                 PHI          79            881        6
Zach Miller                  OAK        75             841        3

Top Defensive Performers

Sacks
Player Team Sacks
Alex Brown                 NO             14.5
Justin Tuck                 NYG          14.5
Terrell Suggs               BAL            14
Jared Allen                  MIN           14
Julius Peppers            CHI            13
Juqua Parker              PHI           12.5
Antwan Odom             CIN           12
Aaron Kampman        JAX          11.5
Greg Ellis                    NYJ            11.5

Interceptions
Player Team INT
Darrelle Revis             NYJ                  7
Jerraud Powers          IND                  7
Bryant McFadden       PIT                  7
Asante Samuel           PHI                   7
Dashon Goldson         SF                    6
Brandon Flowers         KC                  6
Leon Hall                     CIN                 6
Louis Delmas              DET                6
Adrian Wilson              ARI               6
Donte Whitner             BUF              6