After getting a taste of the NFL Playoffs during the 2009 season, the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers are expected to build on last year’s performance by securing their conference’s best record in 2010 according to the official Madden NFL 11 regular season simulation. With less than a week before the season kicks off, EA SPORTS predicted divisional winners, league leaders and individual award winners for the 2010 NFL season.

Behind the arm of QB Aaron Rodgers (named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year), the road to Super Bowl XLV in the NFC will go through Lambeau Field as the Packers finished with a 12-4 record, while Baltimore relied on the exceptional play of OLB Terrell Suggs (named Defensive Player of the Year) to secure home-field advantage in the AFC. The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts both posted NFL-best records of 13-3, with the Ravens securing home-field advantage due to a better divisional record.

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.

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.

TE Jermaine Gresham of the Cincinnati Bengals and CB Joe Haden of the Cleveland Browns were named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively. Entering his third season as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh was named the Coach of the Year.

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

4 Total                                     11

 

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