Madden 2013 Cover: Why Final Battle Must Be Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Willis

The real Final Four of 2012 is underway, with Patrick Willis taking on Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers locking horns with Calvin Johnson to determine who will be this year's Madden cover athlete. 

Looking at those matchups, one stands out above all the others: Willis vs. Rodgers. In the never-ending battle between offense and defense, who better to represent their respective brothers-in-arms than the best quarterback and linebacker in the NFL?

The voting is once again being handled by SportsNation, with fans being able to select their favorite athlete to grace the cover of the most popular sports video game franchise in this country.

One of the great things about fans voting is all the upsets that take place. If it were up to EA, they would go for the slam-dunk pick in Rodgers. This way, the people that really matter get to decide the fate of the cover.

Rodgers likely has an "easier" matchup than Willis. Winning an MVP award and playing on one of the most popular franchises in the NFL can give you certain advantages.

Willis is a clear underdog against Newton, though he clearly has a large fanbase that wants to see him get the national respect he so richly deserves.

Putting Rodgers and Willis in a final battle would be very apropos in today's NFL. Sure, there has been a dramatic shift towards offensive football. The league has changed almost every rule possible to make it easier for teams to move the ball up and down the field.

Willis, however, is a transcendent star who can overcome the limitations of being "just a defensive player." He is a monster in the middle, similar to what Ray Lewis was in the prime of his career.

Newton and Johnson are great in their own right, but we can truly get a battle of the unstoppable force and immovable object if we get Rodgers and Willis matched up in the finals of the Madden cover tournament.

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