Madden Bowl: Draft Edition Quarterfinals Recap

The Madden Bowl: Draft Edition has definitely proven that it’s a competition like no other. We’re about to head into the explosive Semifinals, but let’s take a quick look back at the epic Quarterfinal round.

Team Spoto vs. Team Dusty

The opening match in each series was Squads. So it was clear what Spoto’s strategy was when he drafted Dcroft first overall in the Madden Bowl Draft. The TNC crewmates dominated Game 1, shutting down almost everything Team Dusty threw at them.

But that momentum came to a massive halt in Game 2. The 16-year-old Team Captain could’ve easily let his highly-skilled teammates carry the load, but Dusty called his own number to start the comeback. He said he could take Spoto 1v1, and did just that in an exciting match that came down to the final play.

Then came Game 3, Dcroft vs. Noah. Noah carried the momentum into Game 3, hitting an 80-yard touchdown run on his first offensive play. The communication picked up from there. KMaC especially showed that he might be the best hype-man in Madden, cheering Noah on and spotting gaps in the defense. After a crushing Game 1 loss, Team Dusty pulled off an clutch comeback.

Team Jwall vs. Team Prodigy

If you needed proof of TNC’s dominance this season, all you need to do is look at this Madden Bowl lineup. This is the second team featuring two of the best competitors TNC has to offer, Jwall and Fancy. On top of that, they might have pulled the steal of the draft by picking up DatBoi late in the second round. All eyes were on them after Team Spoto’s exit.

As expected, the chemistry between Fancy and Jwall was a massive boon as it led to a Game 1 victory in Squads. But the real drama came with Game 2.

In a move that faced immediate criticism, Prodigy called his own number to face Jwall 1v1 in MUT Draft. A lot of people expected CleffTheGod to go up, but let’s be real, Prodigy is an exceptional Madden player too. This entire event is filled with outstanding competitors, and there isn’t a single one of them that wouldn’t want the game in their hands with money on the line. Even Cleff said as much: 

It was a great matchup, but ultimately, Jwall continued his successful  MCS season and sealed the win.

Team Henry vs. Team Pavan

Squads in Game 1 was an defensive-focused outing. But like any game with Henry at the helm, he will find a gap in the coverage and is always just one play away from turning the game around. He called out a gap in coverage at TE and they hit it for the only TD of Game 1.

That’s when Game 2 led to immediate tension. Team Captain Pavan did not call his own number. Instead, he let SpamminButtons take the reigns in full MUT format. Pavan believed in Spammin a lot, to the point where he spent a 1st Round pick in the Draft to get him. He stood by his decision, leaving Spammin to take on Henry.

It started looking solid for Spammin, but in his typical fashion, Henry found gaps in the defense. Team Henry moved on, leaving Pavan to question his decision to not call his own name. 

Team Drini vs. Team Ape

There was some drama between these two teams during the Madden Bowl Draft. Word was that Drini wanted to take Alan, so the belief is that Ape snatched up Alan before Drini had a chance.

Regardless, Team Drini entered this series with one of the most talented rosters of the tournament. They took Game 1, and their communication and teamwork was critical in the Squads.

Communication continued to be a key factor in Game 2. Team Ape chose Alan to face Drini in MUT. The interesting choice here came when Team Ape elected to shut down the audio feed within the team, so they could not talk to each other. Without the audio, Alan was left to play against three sets of eyes between Drini, JonBeast, and So Not Gucci. Drini made some key plays on offense and shut down Alan’s offense, completing the sweep.

A look ahead

The Semifinals kick off Sunday, May 2, at 7 p.m. ET, then again on Monday, May 3, also at 7 p.m. ET. All followed by the ultimate conclusion with the Finals on Tuesday, May 4, 7 p.m. ET.

We’ve got Team Dusty vs Team Jwall, and Team Henry vs. Team Drini as the final four teams!

Team Jwall showed exceptional teamwork and is riding a hot streak right now. But Team Dusty is possibly the most balanced team in the tournament. Dusty has shown he can hang at this level, and he’s backed up by the insane duo of Noah and KMaC.

There is also Team Henry up against Team Drini. This might be the most talented grouping of players you’ll ever see in a team battle. Will Team Henry build off their already outstanding chemistry. Or will the overpowering talent of Team Drini move one step closer to Madden glory?

The action returns Sunday. Don’t miss out!

- Daniel Williams (Follow Dan on Twitter @thatDanW)

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