The Denver Broncos had a terrific 2025 season, going 14-3 and earning home-field advantage in the playoffs. But Broncos fans have a sour taste in their mouth after falling to the New England Patriots 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game. While no Broncos fan wants to have flashbacks of how last season ended, the latest addition to the Madden franchise is about to tear open that old wound.
EA Sports revealed its gameplay changes for Madden NFL 27 on Thursday night, which will be released worldwide on August 13, and one of them was the introduction of “dynamic weather.”
The feature means that a team could start with a clear day at the beginning of the game and play in a snowstorm by the end of it, and while it is a unique change, Broncos fans may be less than thrilled the next time they hit the sticks.
Madden 27’s dynamic weather feature is inspired by Denver Broncos’ heartbreak in AFC Championship Game
The Broncos hosted last year’s AFC Championship Game, and it began on a clear but chilly day. But as the game went on, flurries turned into full-blown blizzard conditions, leaving the field covered in snow in the second half and reducing downfield visibility.
While the Broncos were forced to start Jarrett Stidham due to Bo Nix’s broken ankle suffered in the divisional round, both offenses spun their wheels in the second half like they were stuck on I-25. Despite the trouble, the Broncos drove into field goal range with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and trusted Wil Lutz to tie the game.
The 45-yarder was doomed from the start as the field was so snowy, Wil Lutz believed that holder Jeremy Crenshaw lined up seven yards behind the center instead of the standard of eight yards. While Lutz retracted that statement on social media a few days later, Leonard Taylor III was still able to tip the kick, forcing it wide left.
The kick was Denver’s best shot at points in the second half, and while they got the ball back with another chance to tie the game, Sean Payton admitted most of his play-sheet wasn’t available due to the conditions.
“There were certain throws…that we weren’t going to call,” Payton admitted to reporters after the game. “I thought [Stidham] fought hard in tough conditions. We’re gonna look at the film. I know this, I’m gonna look at it and be critical of myself. There were a number of things that we had to do better. We didn’t finish some runs. We dropped some passes again – I felt like that was a problem all year.”
There were other plays that could have been made in that game, but the loss and the weather are something that Broncos fans don’t want to re-live, even if it’s part of a video game. There could even be more salt in the wound, considering EA used Empower Field at Mile High as the example of how the feature works.
It’s a memory that is best served to stay in the back, but Broncos fans will be reminded when Madden is released later this summer.
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