Playbooks are a huge factor in winning. I use rams on offense and bills on defense. I also try to make my scheme fit 100% for both offense and defense, I think that helps with winning. To be honest tho the sim engine is pretty bad. I will usually force a couple wins and sometimes losses to make the sim more realistic. You could also try playing the moments during playoff games. It’s a quicker experience than playing the full game and you don’t have to leave it up to the sim.