It’s almost a week since Super Bowl 56 (“Roman numerals? We don’t need no stinkin’ Roman numerals!). Which means it’s time to see how Madden NFL 22 did with its prognostication with the winner of that annual contest.
Madden NFL 22 uses statistics from the National Football League to predict how players will preform in computer games where human players play against humans players, or play against computer-controlled teams, or play computer vs. computer. Its results on Super Bowl predictions have ranged from amazing to unremarkable.
Last Sunday? Well, to begin with, the Bengals did not make the first score of the game – a Madden-predicted touchdown. The score was a touchdown, but for the L.A. Rams. Cincinnati’s only score in the first quarter was a field goal.
In the second quarter, the football-simulation program predicted only one score, and that would be by the Rams, giving them a 14-7 halftime lead.
The reality: There was scoring by both teams. The Rams had a touchdown, fulfilling the Madden prophecy. But the snap on the point after was bad, resulting in a lost point after touchdown. The Bengals scored a touchdown.
Rams 13-10 going into halftime.
Madden predicted the Bengals would return in the third quarter to tie the game at 14 all. Indeed, Cincinnati got a touchdown, but went ahead by four instead of a tie.
Last quarter: Madden imagined a fourth quarter dominated by the defenses. The Bengals score a touchdown. The Rams, ditto. With the game still tied and the clock counting down, Cincinnati drives to within field-goal range and makes the final score of the game. It’s a 24-21 win for the Bengals in Maddenland.
In the real world, not so much. Final score: Rams, 23; Bengals, 20.
Madden’s projection was very close to the actual score – the problem, of course, is the bigger number was attached to the Rams.
Over the past decade, the Madden computer simulation has never been right more than two Super Bowls in a row. But it’s never been wrong more than two in a row either. It now finds itself at two wrong in a row (it picked the Chiefs over the Buccaneers last year).
Big year next year. Super Bowl 57. (No stinkin’ Roman numerals, remember?!) Stay tuned.
Lonnie Brown can be found at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.
