- Electronic Arts’ (NASDAQ:EA) Madden NFL 26 predicted the Seattle Seahawks would win Super Bowl LX 23–20 — and the simulation got the winner right, though the real game ended 29–13
- The sim highlighted Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Kenneth Walker III as key performers, closely mirroring many real-life impact players
- This continues Madden’s track record of accuracy, echoing its famous prediction of the Seahawks–Patriots matchup over a decade ago.
- EA’s stock (NASDAQ:EA) last traded at US$200.02
EA (NASDAQ:EA) Sports’ annual Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation once again proved its predictive mettle ahead of Super Bowl LX, pegging the Seattle Seahawks as champions over the New England Patriots. While the sim forecast a tight 23–20 finish, the real Seahawks widened the margin in a 29–13 statement win — and delivered a finale that felt every bit as cinematic as the virtual version.
The outcome marks another high-profile hit for the long-running simulation, which has grown steadily in scope and accuracy. Powered by advanced algorithms, nearly a decade of real NFL data, and learnings from millions of Madden NFL games played by the community, this year’s run-through didn’t just project a winner — it mapped out the rhythm, pressure moments, and impact players with uncanny fidelity.
What the simulation said
- Final score (predicted): Seahawks 23, Patriots 20
- MVP (predicted):Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks
- 26-of-36, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
- Key Seahawks performers (predicted):
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD
- Kenneth Walker III: 19 carries, 76 yards; 4 catches, 41 yards; walk-off TD
- Key Patriots performer (predicted):
- Kayshon Boutte: 5 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
- Defensive shape (predicted): Seahawks 4 sacks; Patriots 3 sacks; Christian Gonzalez fumble return TD
- Kicking (predicted): Perfect day for Jason Myers (SEA) and Andres Borregales (NE), two FGs apiece, no misses
- Score by quarter (predicted):
- End 1Q: SEA 7–0
- Halftime: SEA 14–3
- End 3Q: 17–17
- Final: SEA 23–20
The sim set the tone early: Seattle wins the coin toss and receives, Sam Darnold opens hot, finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the game’s first touchdown and Cooper Kupp for another in the second quarter. The Patriots steady themselves after halftime; Drake Maye hits Kayshon Boutte to ignite a rally, and a Christian Gonzalez scoop-and-score flips the script, handing New England a fourth-quarter lead.
Then comes the drama. After a late Patriots punt with :42 remaining, Rashid Shaheed sparks Seattle with a strong return. Darnold orchestrates a composed, clock-bleeding march. From inside the five — a scenario etched into Seahawks lore — Seattle passes up the tying field goal. Kenneth Walker III stretches across the goal line as time expires. Ballgame.
What actually happened
Final score (actual): Seattle 29, New England 13
The sim nailed the winner and much of the flow: a slow-starting New England offense, a Patriots second-half push, and a Seahawks finish defined by confidence and physicality. The point spread deviated — Seattle controlled the fourth quarter more decisively than the model envisioned — but the narrative threads were strikingly similar: early Seattle strikes, New England adjustments, and a Seahawks closer who wouldn’t be denied.
Where the simulation crowned Sam Darnold as MVP on the strength of a clean, efficient passing day, the real spotlight shifted to Kenneth Walker III, whose blend of patience and burst repeatedly tilted the field. Walker wasn’t just the finisher — he was the tone-setter, the hammer that made Seattle’s calls on money downs feel inevitable.
The precision is the point
This year’s run-through underlines how the Madden NFL sim has evolved beyond a coin-flip prognosis. It’s a community-informed football model, shaped by real-world performance data and millions of reps from players testing tendencies, personnel packages, and leverage situations. The sim’s micro-accuracies stood out:
- Early Darnold rhythm and Smith-Njigba impact? Check.
- Boutte as a red-zone problem for Seattle’s secondary? Check.
- Christian Gonzalez creating a defensive touchdown in a high-leverage moment? Check.
- Special teams influencing late-game field position? Check.
And while the exact script diverged — as NFL Sundays often demand — Seattle still ended up exactly where the sim put them: on the podium.
A decade-long track record
This isn’t a one-off curiosity. The last time the Patriots and Seahawks met on the sport’s biggest stage, the Madden NFL simulation famously called New England’s 28–24 victory — a forecast that became part of the sim’s lore. More than ten years later, the model is deeper, faster, and better at mirroring the texture of a game: pressure sequences, matchup leverage, and late-game decision-making.
Super Bowl LX adds to that ledger. The simulation got the winner right, captured the game’s cadence, and spotlighted the right difference-makers — even if MVP honors shifted from the arm of Sam Darnold to the legs of Kenneth Walker III.
By the numbers (simulation highlights)
- SEA QB Sam Darnold: 26/36, 289 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (Predicted MVP)
- SEA WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6 rec, 84 yards, TD
- SEA RB Kenneth Walker III: 19 rush, 76 yards; 4 rec, 41 yards; GW TD
- NE WR Kayshon Boutte: 5 rec, 72 yards, TD
- NE CB Christian Gonzalez: Fumble recovery return TD
- Sacks: SEA 4, NE 3
- Turnovers: SEA 1 (fumble leading to NE TD)
- Kickers: Myers 2 FGs, Borregales 2 FGs (no misses)
Why it matters
For fans, the Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation has become a rite of late January — a conversation starter that now routinely edges into real-world plausibility. For analysts, it’s a hint at how data-driven football storytelling is evolving: not just what might happen, but how it could feel when it does. And for Seattle, Super Bowl LX will be remembered for something the sim understood perfectly: in the final minute, the Seahawks wanted the win more than the tie.
Huddle up
“Every day, fans play up to 23,000 NFL seasons in Madden NFL, with more than 2 billion games played in a given year. Our ratings systems, locomotion data, and engine power an incredibly sophisticated simulation,” Evan Dexter, EA’s VP of franchise strategy and marketing, said in a news release. “Millions of fans wait for Madden to make the call, since our prediction is the only one that matters. We accurately predicted the Seahawks-Patriots matchup in 2015, and now, over a decade later, we’re giving Seahawks fans a reason to get very excited.”
Verdict: Madden NFL 26 didn’t just predict a champion — it anticipated the soul of the game. And this year, the real Seahawks made sure the ending was even more definitive.
It’s in the game
With headquarters in Redwood City, California, and studios all over the world, Electronic Arts is a digital interactive entertainment company that develops, markets, publishes and delivers games, content and services that can be played by consumers on a range of platforms such as game consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, and tablets.
EA’s stock (NASDAQ:EA) last traded at US$200.02 and has risen more than 50 per cent since this time last year.
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