Year in and year out, right around playoff time, EA Sports likes to use a specific sport's video game in order to predict which team will take the championship. Although the prognostications are in no way 100% accurate, they do seem to be right more often than they are wrong. As you may already know, the NFL season is set to get underway next Thursday night, and in anticipation of the kickoff, the EA seers have shaken up the Magic 8 Ball that is Madden NFL 11 to predict how this season will go. According to their sim, the road to the Super Bowl this year will go through Green Bay in the NFC and Baltimore in the AFC.

If a football video game can be believed, the Ravens and Colts will tie for the NFL-best record at 13-3, but that Baltimore will lock up homefield advantage on the strength of a better divisional record. Meanwhile, the Packers will finish at 12-4, good enough for the best in the NFC. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will secure MVP honors, as well as being named Offensive Player of the Year. The other AFC division winners after the Ravens and Colts will be comprised of the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers with the Jets and Texans locking up Wild Card berths. The NFC division winners be the Packers, the Dallas Cowboys (like bile in my throat), the New Orleans Saints and, after a seven year absence from the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers. Despite tying the Packers' record of 12-4, the Vikings will only manage a wild card spot along with the Falcons.

The predictions don't stop there, oh no they don't. The game went on to pick offensive and defensive players of the year, as well as coach of the year. In fact, it went pretty deep in terms of stats. Check it out below.

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