The WCMPL will be kicking off following the patch and Roster updates. In the mean time Philly Guy has provided some WCMPL Intel to`see how the division are shaping up . Check it out below.
NFC EAST: Giants”(Dave); Eagles (Squeak); Redskins (DNice); Cowboys (Balkino)
All Eyes on Me……..Now when you get an advance copy of Madden, performance expectations increase. But when you get an advance copy of Madden, work on the game, AND run your mouth, you better deliver. Moving up in the draft and strategically selecting the Cowboys, says a lot about Balkino’s approach to the WCMPL season. The only problem is the gi-normous bullseye on his back. Anything short of total domination will destroy credibility, and relationships built in the EA Community. Can Balkino live up to the hype? Personally I doubt it. DNice and Squeak will be more than up to the task. Playing each other twice a season in this 4 team race will require a close watchful eye by the WCMPL committee. Anything resembling a glitch will come under immediate scrutiny in this division, as will the multiple trade offers for Odell Beckham. Dave may have inherited the Giants, but he’s in the wrong division to have a slow start. Squeak has a new weapon in DGB, and will rebuild the Eagles in his image like in years past. DNice also has his favorite team, and Josh Norman is still nice on the game. The pressure is still all on Balkino. The emergence of Dak Prescott, and the past 3 months of literal EA Access means no excuses for Balkino. He may win the first division title, but that’s about it. Look for Squeak and Dnice to battle it out all season.
NFC WEST: Cardinals (Juan); Seahawks (Strugglin); Rams (MP); 49’ers (Rise)
No Crying in Football…..All new Madden, All new Coaches, all new Division. New faces, in new places, all with something to prove. No longer a WCMPL rookie, Juan painfully selected the Arizona Cardinals. The pressure of winning with one of the best teams in the game pales in comparison to the pressure of selecting a team after your Dallas Cowboys were drafted by somebody not named you. Such is life in the WCMPL. Juan can transfer that rage into his first winning season, playoff berth, or maybe even a division title….except there’s one problem: The Seattle Seahawks coached by former Madden Great ILuvStrugglin. No disrespect to MP or newbie RISE, but the Rams and 49’ers need a few years to develop. And after about 4 seasons, maybe they’ll be able to contend, but I doubt it. Simply put, ILuvStrugglin will win the division every season based on his coaching, team talent, and GM skills. Sorry Juan, but not drafting the Cowboys was only the beginning of your problems.
NFC SOUTH: Panthers (Oak); Bucs (Seeger); Saints (Farriot); Falcons (MF Golfer)
Southern Hospitality……Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers lost the Superbowl last year. Then they lost Josh Norman. For some reason, they found favor with Oaktown Balla (Bay Area Native and avid Raider super fan). The talent alone will make them competitive in every division game. The only problem is that they really really need Josh Norman. This division has some very special talent at receiver. El Seeger’s Bucs are young and talented; Mr. Irrelevant (2 years running) aka Farriot’s Saints have arguably the fastest receiver in the game; leaving MF Golfer with arguably the best receiver in the game Julio Jones. Look for Oaktown’s Panthers to possibly have the worst pass defense in the league. Now it’s hard to not pick MF Golfer winning this division, so I won’t. MF Golfer SHOULD win this division fairly easy (if he doesn’t lose interest and plays his games). El Seeger will try his best to build up the Bucs, but he’ll also need a scheme in order to contend. Mr. Irrelevant, aka Farriot, is good enough to compete for the division title (based on coaching and skill) but not bad enough to be able to draft a defensive back or pass rush that he can use that can contend with Julio.
NFC NORTH: Packers (Va Assassin); Bears (Zilla); Lions (Phillyguy); Vikings (Aggie)
UFC Fight Night………Only the strong will survive. Aggie and Zilla are familiar division rivals. Va Assassin and Phillyguy are familiar division rivals. Familiarity breeds contempt. This division may be the second coming of the AFC North Division from Madden 16. Arguably the most competitive division in the WCMPL, this division will always come down to Week 17. Always. These teams will be played to their strengths by each coach who will devise a scheme where there is no margin for error. Even during the off season and draft, you will see strategic and calculated moves to gain an advantage. Safe to say that there will be no inter-divisional trades. The Packers fit Assassin’s pass heavy attack with Aaron “Discount Double Check” Rodgers and his WR core. The Vikings fit Aggie’s balanced run and pass attack with a stout defense, young mobile quarterback, and future HOF at running back Adrian Peterson. Zilla has speed at the linebacker positions, a premier defensive end, and Alshon Jeffrey at receiver. The field general is the erratic Jay Cutler who will win and lose some games all by himself, so it’s important for Zilla to get the most out of his quarterback. Phillyguy has a young Lions team in year one of the post Calvin Johnson era. They have some talent to build around, but that will take time. Time he won’t have. Look for Aggie and Assassin to rely on their future HOF players to win games late, but in the end, Aggie will win the division. In Week 17.
AFC EAST: Patriots (TDot); Jets (Batman 74ever); Bills (Xave); Dolphins (Big Steve)
Thunder buddies for Life……..William Stephen Belichick is a HOF coach. CFM Tdot is not. What they do have in common is Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and a vision for the future. Tdot’s vision was to secure multiple draft picks to build up the Patriots in the post-Brady era. But does having the Madden poster child, multiple 1st round picks, and a great team equal success? The remaining 3 teams in this division say no! The Batman 74ever Jets have the most formidable defensive front on the game. Add in HOF Darrelle Revis, and a revamped linebacker core, and the Jets defense will punish you for not being prepared. Xavier’s Buffalo Bills are young AND talented. They have talent at every position on offense AND defense. When focused, Xave is an elite coach and can maximize the talent on both sides of the ball. The key word though is focused. Xave has a tendency to lose interest when his back is not against the wall, and compared to his division in Madden 16, he should be the favorite in the AFC East. Big Steve returns for a 2nd tour as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Known for his patented family west coast short passing attack, Steve knows his divisional opponents strengths and weaknesses. Consistency is his only problem for winning the division. Big Steve spends half of his time masquerading as Mr. Irrelevant aka Farriot, and is unable to play more than 1 schedule league game at a time. Depending on the schedule, he may or may not be able to play enough games to win the division. Overall Cfm TDot is still the favorite to win this division, based on his team and gi-normous chip on his shoulder from previous seasons of failure. Expect to see a division banner wrapped around a scarecrow somewhere in the cornfields of Stockton, California.
AFC WEST: Chargers (Barker); Broncos (Shock); Raiders (Mobb); Chiefs (Va Dimes)
Put sum respek on my name…….Five time WCMPL Superbowl Champion Va Dimes has decided to take his talents to the AFC West. In Madden 16, out of this group, only Mobb was able to stand up to Dimes. But that was last year. Instead of returning as the Chiefs’ Head Coach, Mobb selected his Oakland Raiders to thwart Dimes Superbowl Runs in Madden 17. Seasoned Vet Shock, who got the game early, will take his shots at the 5 time champ by using the defending NFL champion Broncos. Barker, who willingly chose his hometown Chargers to play with, will be the all-season-long underdog to root for in this division regardless of who he plays. All that being said, Las Vegas wouldn’t bet against Dimes in this division. A man of the cloth, Dimes has everything in his favor: the team, the scheme, and the rings. Look for Dimes to dominate this division and use all 21 weeks to gather up as much XP as possible to prepare his team for his regular season…the playoffs.
AFC SOUTH: Titans (BrianJames); Colts (Smooth); Jaguars (Thizzney); Texans (Lethal)
Ne Cede Malis……..When you build a multi-billion dollar organization like the WCMPL from the ground up, you’re bound to get a perk or two in life. Early social media reports even showed a 12 – 0 ranked record! In spite of this, Thizzneyland and Smooth didn’t hesitate when it came time to draft their teams. They read all of the tweets and facebook posts. They didn’t care. They WANTED to take on the Titans. They WANTED to show the rest of the league what they could do, what they WOULD do. Problem is, neither one of them dedicated the off season to getting better. There are many qualities that can lead to greatness. Dedication, sacrifice, talent, intellect. But if you come from the Bronx, you also have to be LETHAL. A few years back, the Titans scored a ridiculous amount of points on Lethal Jimmy. And every year, the Titans commemorate that event at the expense and public humiliation of Lethal Jimmy. Some say people are measured by adversity, and how they rise to their feet. If that’s true then I say Lethal Jimmy is taking off, like Jordan, from the free throw line. His training and preparation is second to none. He got the team he wanted. He got draft picks. He’s got the Titans in his division. He gets to play them two times a season. On his way to the playoffs and a divisional title, Lethal will see to it personally that the Titans make amends.
AFC NORTH: Steelers (Tlew); Bengals (Gwestwing); Browns (Tpain); Ravens (CalBear)
A First Time for Everything……….Unlike every other division in the WCMPL, there aren’t any pre-existing rivalries. For the first time in a long time, the division has all new members, all new teams, all new styles. Ravens Coach CalBear, who drafted his team first, is finally playing with his favorite team in the league. From a fans perspective, he’s replacing a legendary 5 time Superbowl winning coach that established a blueprint for success. From his perspective, he could care less. But don’t take his “rebel without a cause” attitude for apathy. CalBear has always been a student of the game. He fully believes that the division is his to lose. Steelers Coach Tlew is another seasoned vet. The inventor of the Atari 2600, his technological aptitude is second to none. With two decades of competitive Madden under his belt, and a team vastly different in talent from his M16 team, Tlew believes that his glory years are just beginning. Bengals Coach Gwestwing is, and always has been an enigma. He’s finally got a top team in Madden, but his success is always determined by his off the field issues. Growing up in the shadows of Team Brian James and Batman74ever can’t be easy. But all of the fringe benefits that come with your family legacy allow you the flexibility to be the best when it fits into your schedule. So where does that leave Tpain? In a very surprising move, he selected the Browns over his hometown New Orleans Saints. Even though the Browns are new to him, Tpain is used to being in a competitive division. He’s also won a competitive division. When the bar has been set, and it’s all you know, it stands to reason that Tpain’s preparation and mental toughness won’t change. The culture he’s been in is what makes him the favorite for winning the AFC North.