Madden NFL 2013 shipped in summer 2012 for the 2012 NFL season. Launch ratings are set before the season is played, so they reflect the previous year’s performance - a player’s breakout shows up in the next year’s game.
Madden NFL 13 launched August 28, 2012 with Calvin Johnson on the cover. Aaron Rodgers, Johnson, Darrelle Revis, and DeMarcus Ware anchored the 99 tier.
Baltimore beat San Francisco 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII, the game halted by a Superdome blackout, Joe Flacco named MVP. Adrian Peterson won regular-season MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, running for 2,097 yards off a torn ACL. J.J. Watt took Defensive Player of the Year with 20.5 sacks, and Robert Griffin III and Luke Kuechly won the rookie awards.
Calvin Johnson backed his 99 by breaking the single-season receiving record with 1,964 yards. The miss was Darrelle Revis, a 99 cornerback who tore his ACL in Week 3 and played just three games before the Jets traded him.