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The Madden NFL '13 cover vote via ESPN's SportsNation has officially moved past the opening round of 32 and will continue forward with Sweet 16 fan voting. There weren't many surprises in the first round, so there remains an extremely strong field with plenty of contenders.

Things went the way of chalk in the first round with the exception of 11th-seeded San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis handily defeating sixth-seeded Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte. Aside from that, every favorite advanced and kept their dreams of appearing on the cover of the premier sports game in America alive.

The "Madden curse" is well documented as almost every player to ever appear on the game's cover has dealt with some trials and tribulations the next season. That was true of former Cleveland Browns and current Kansas City Chiefs running back Peyton Hillis last season as he followed up a career year with an absolute dud.

Here are the results from the Round of 32 and my personal predictions for how things will shake out in the Sweet 16.

Round of 32 Results

No. 1 Cam Newton def. No. 16 LeGarrette Blount 87%-13%

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No. 8 Antonio Gates def. No. 9 Dwight Freeney 55%-45%

No. 5 LeSean McCoy def. No. 12 Reggie Bush 68%-32%

No. 4 Larry Fitzgerald def. No. 13 Troy Polamalu 72%-28%

No. 11 Patrick Willis upset No. 6 Matt Forte 62%-38%

No. 3 Maurice Jones-Drew def. No. 14 Sebastian Janikowski 64%-36%

No. 7 Darrelle Revis def. No. 10 Stevie Johnson 60%-40%

No. 2 Victor Cruz def. No. 15 Brian Orakpo 82%-18%

No. 1 Aaron Rodgers def. No. 16 Joe Haden 79%-21%

No. 8 Marshawn Lynch def. No. 9 Chris Johnson 71%-29%

No. 5 Ray Rice def. No. 12 A.J. Green 65%-35%

No. 4 Drew Brees def. No. 13 Matt Ryan 78%-22%

No. 6 Calvin Johnson def. No. 11 Dwayne Bowe 92%-8%

No. 3 Arian Foster def. No. 14 Tim Tebow 54%-46%

No. 7 Jared Allen def. No. 10 DeMarcus Ware 58%-42%

No. 2 Rob Gronkowski def. No. 15 Brandon Lloyd 85%-15%

Sweet 16 Predictions

No. 1 Cam Newton def. No. 8 Antonio Gates

Although Gates has the advantage of longevity on Newton, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year is one of the most popular athletes in sports right now and all of his flash and dash will lead to a decisive win.

No. 4 Larry Fitzgerald def. No. 5 LeSean McCoy

Fitzgerald has already been on the cover once before as he shared it with Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. That could work against him, but he seems to have more wide-reaching appeal than a rising star like McCoy.

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No. 11 Patrick Willis def. No. 3 Maurice Jones-Drew

Willis was the only underdog to advance in the first round and the Cinderella story is likely to continue. Although MJD is well liked, he is stuck in the albatross that is Jacksonville while Willis is a cornerstone for a Super Bowl-contending team.

No. 2 Victor Cruz def. No. 7 Darrelle Revis

This matchup has everything as it is a battle of New York and a clash between a wide receiver and a cornerback. Coming fresh off of a Super Bowl victory, Cruz is simply too popular for Revis Island to shut down.

No. 1 Aaron Rodgers def. No. 8 Marshawn Lynch

Despite Rodgers' status as a top seed, this matchup is going to be incredibly close as Lynch's wacky personality appeals to many. However, the reigning NFL MVP will ultimately outlast Beast Mode and advance to the Elite Eight.

No. 4 Drew Brees def. No. 5 Ray Rice

Even with all of the uncertainty surrounding the Saints following the bounty scandal and Brees' refusal to sign the franchise tender, the NFL record holder for passing yards in a season is a fan favorite and will have a massive showdown with Rodgers in the Elite Eight.

No. 6 Calvin Johnson def. No. 3 Arian Foster

It's really tough to figure out how Johnson is only a No. 6 seed following one of the most dominant seasons by a wide receiver in recent memory. Still, he demolished Dwayne Bowe in the first round and will take down the favored Foster in the Sweet 16.

No. 2 Rob Gronkowski def. No. 7 Jared Allen

Allen most definitely has one of the best personalities in all of football, but Gronkowski is a rising star at tight end after his historic 2011 season and will set up a battle between two of the league's top pass catchers in the next round against Megatron.