New Article: The Madden Curse Cover

Just came across this good article on Sports Illustrated for Madden Football gamers, Enjoy!



Peyton Hillis / Madden 12

It was announced in April 2011 that Peyton Hillis will adorn the cover of Madden NFL '12. If you're not familiar with it, the Madden Curse is the phenomenon where whomever is on the cover of the game suffers at least a season, if not a career, collapse. SI.com takes a look at the evolution of the Curse.



Barry Sanders / Madden 2000

If you look closely, you can see Sanders in the background. The electric Lions running back started the Madden jinx by announcing his retirement before the 1999 season and never returning to the NFL.



Eddie George / Madden 2001

George is an anomaly in this gallery, because he actually had a career-year following his cover appearance in 2000 (1,962 total yards and 16 TDs). In 2001, however, he rushed for less than 1000 yards for the first time in his career and scored just 5 TDs. He never averaged better than 3.4 yards per carry in any successive season.



Daunte Culpepper / Madden 2002

After a great 2000 season, Culpepper struggled in 2001. He threw 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions before hurting his knee in Week 13 and sitting out the rest of the season. Culpepper then threw a career-worst 23 INTs in the 2002 season and wound up having a mess of a career later in the decade, including multiple knee injuries.



Marshall Faulk / Madden 2003

Faulk and the Rams offense was dominant in 2001, but a nagging ankle injury slowed the All-Pro back and St. Louis' offense suddenly became less dangerous. Faulk ran for just 953 yards in 14 games and the Rams went from 14-2 in '01 to 7-9 in '02. Faulk played in a career-low 11 games in 2003 and began having knee issues that would end his career for good in 2005.



Michael Vick / Madden 2004

Right after Madden '04 became available, Vick broke his leg in a preseason game and didn't return until there were just five games left in the season. The injury spurred a serious debate about the necessity of the preseason, and the Madden jinx was suddenly being discussed everywhere.



Ray Lewis / Madden 2005

After a dominant campaign in 2003, Lewis had a so-so season in '04 and the Ravens failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. Lewis also missed the last game of the 2004 season with a wrist injury and played a career-low six games in 2005.



Donovan McNabb / Madden 06

McNabb led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004, but 2005 was a complete disaster. He had multiple injuries, including a sports hernia that finally ended his season after nine games. In 2006, McNabb tore his ACL and meniscus and played just 10 games.



Shaun Alexander / Madden 07

Alexander set the NFL record for touchdowns (28 -- since broken) and led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005. He fractured his foot in 2006 and ran for just 896 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games.




Vince Young / Madden 08

Young graced the cover following his rookie season in '06. Suffering a true sophomore slump, Young had nine TD passes and 17 interceptions in 2007. On the ground, Young rushed for 157 fewer yards, his Yards Per Carry dropped 1.5, and he scored just three rushing touchdowns after having seven his rookie year. In his first postseason game, Young threw for 138 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for just 12 yards, in a 17-6 loss to San Diego. In 2008, Young wound up playing just three games, starting one.



Brett Favre / Madden 09

In his final season with Green Bay in '07, Favre threw 28 TD passes and 15 interceptions. Acquired by the Jets in the summer of 2008, Favre started well; in Week 4 he threw a personal best six touchdowns against the Cardinals. By Week 12 the Jets had an 8-3 record, but missed the playoffs after losing four of their final five games, in which Favre threw nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 22 of each. It was later revealed Favre had been playing with a torn biceps tendon late in the season.



Troy Polamalu & Larry Fitzgerald / Madden 10

Polamalu finished the 2008 season with a career-high seven interceptions and led the Steelers defense to its second Super Bowl victory in four years. Late in the first half of the Steelers-Titans 2009 season opener, Polamalu, who was having an All-Pro first half, suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee after 262-pound Titan Alge Crumpler fell on his leg. Polamalu played in just four more games for the season. Although Fitzgerald posted lower receiving yards (1,092) in 2009 after consecutive 1,400-yard seasons, he managed to score a career-high 13 TDs. However, much like with Eddie George, Fitzgerald's following season ended with a career-low in TDs (six).



Drew Brees / Madden 11

Coming off a season that brought the Saints their first Super Bowl victory, Brees managed to throw for the second-highest total yardage in his career (4,620) in 2010 and was one touchdown shy of tying his career high (33). He did, however, throw a career-worst 22 INTs, 18 being the previous high. Although Brees made it through the whole season, he did admit to having played through a troublesome tear in his knee. The Saints also suffered a stunning defeat to Seattle (7-9) in their Wild Card Playoff game, through no fault of Brees though, who completed 39-of-60 passes for 404 yards and two TDs. One could argue Brees broke the curse. Unless, of course, he follows the delayed-curse likes of Eddie George and Larry Fitzgerald.