Jaguars come close to making the Super Bowl in Madden 23 sim

Some NFL fans like to collect memorabilia of their favorite team. Others like to play Fantasy Football and there’s also a good chunk that is into playing Madden. If you fall in the latter category and also root for the Jacksonville Jaguars, you’re going to love how the 2022 NFL season plays out in their most recent simulation.

Matthew Liebl of AppTrigger recently ran a simulation of the 2022 season on Madden 23 and the Jags are projected to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. You heard that right, not only does Jacksonville make the playoffs but they return to the Conference semifinals after a four-year hiatus.

According to the simulation, the Jaguars will go 10-7 in the regular season but the Indianapolis Colts will seize the division crown by virtue of a better record. On the other hand, the Tennesse Titans are projected to go 8-9 and the Houston Texans will finish last in the AFC South with a 5-12 record.

So why do the Jaguars go 10-7 in Madden’s sim? The answer is simple: Trevor Lawrence will take the league by storm and throw 45 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions according to the videogame. Also, second-year running back Travis Etienne will finish the year with 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns. Then, there’s wide receiver Christain Kirk, who hauls in 90 receptions for 1,211 yards and 11 touchdowns in the simulation. Last but not least, tight end Evan Engram has a monster season and catches 111 receptions for 1,200 yards and a jaw-dropping 18 touchdowns. Crazy, right?

How does the Jaguars 2022 season end according to the Madden 23 sim?

Of course, all good things must come to an end and the Jags fall to the Chiefs in the 2022 AFC Championship, here’s what Liebl had to say about the matchup.

"Sim result: Jaguars 17, Chiefs 30The Jacksonville Jaguars Cinderella season finally comes to an end. But what a run it would be for Trevor Lawrence in just his second season as a pro. The Chiefs jump out to an early lead but really take control of the game in the third quarterback by rattling off 14 unanswered points. Lawrence struggles early on with three interceptions but does throw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the box office score a little prettier."

All this considered, getting to the Conference championship would be a great way to cap the 2022 season. After all, most analysts predict the Jags will win between five to seven games this year. Conversely, this writer believes they have enough talent in place to rack up nine victories while Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus thinks they can go from last place in the AFC South to first, which would lead to a trip to the postseason.

On the other hand, this is a video game simulation, and as great as it would be to see Jacksonville shred expectations in such a dominant way, it might be a tall order to get as far as the AFC Championship in Doug Pederson’s first year at the helm. Can it happen? Certainly, but it may not be a good idea to bet on it happening.

The Jaguars are a promising team, one that could potentially put some scare into other clubs but they need to win a few games in 2022 before they earn legitimate consideration for the playoffs. For the time being, it might be a good idea to play a few rounds of Madden 23.