6. Atlanta Falcons (Madden NFL 2004)
What could a flawed team coming off a 9-6-1 record that was handled easily by Philadelphia in the Divisional Playoffs possibly achieve in the next season? Game-breaking dominance, that’s what. Despite not even being the highest-ranked team in their division, the ’04 Atlanta Falcons rose to prominence based chiefly on the presence of Michael Vick at quarterback. 95 speed, 95 agility, 94 acceleration, and away you go, you dirty scoundrels, you.
Though Vick wouldn’t be able to hit the broad side of a barn as a passer, it didn’t matter, because his gratuitous 97 throw power statistic meant he could heave it over defenders’ heads. And even if every single receiver was locked down, Vick was simply impossible to catch. He was like a cheat code all unto himself, to the point where the following year’s Madden entry made a concerted effort to buff up defenses.
Vick may have ended up disappointing as a football player (and even more so as a human being), but his digital persona of the mid-2000’s will always have its place in pigskin lore.
