The Week 14 results leave the chase for the six American Conference spots all but over. The National Conference race, however, is definitely going down to the wire.
American Conference
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| Matthew Eno, Chicago Blitz |
Denver took a 30-29 lead with 2:04 to play on Dustin Nichols' 62-yard TD pass to Jose Buford, but Chicago QB Chester Dougherty fired a 62-yard scoring strike to Michael Steffes on fourth-and-10 to put the Blitz on top, 35-30, with 1:42 to go. The Gold turned the ball over on downs on its final two drives and Matthew Eno's 44-yard field goal clinched the win for Chicago.
The Blitz didn't entirely seal a playoff spot. Chicago is two games ahead of Memphis, but finishes with games against Jacksonville (11-3) and Cleveland (9-5).
The Showboats (8-6) are one game behind Cleveland and two games behind the other three clubs. BUT, Memphis finishes with games against New Jersey (13-1) and Los Angeles (10-4). Memphis has defeated Chicago this season, but lost to Cleveland and Detroit.
National Conference
What we have here is four Atlantic Division teams fighting for two playoff spots. The Baltimore Stars (8-6) and Washington Federals (8-6) currently hold a slight edge over the Pittsburgh Maulers (7-7) and Charlotte Hornets (7-7). Here is the remaining schedule for those teams:
- Baltimore: at Washington, vs. Charlotte
- Washington: vs. Baltimore, at Denver
- Pittsburgh: Boston, at Portland
- Charlotte: Philadelphia, at Baltimore
MFN says Philadelphia is eliminated. But, as usual, MFN is wrong. The Bell (6-7-1) could really mess things up with victories against Charlotte and Boston to close the season. If that happens, this could be the third consecutive season the Bell has earned a wild card spot.
Week 14
- The Los Angeles Express clinched the Pacific Division crown with a 20-10 win over the Honolulu Hawaiians. Express MLB Troy Irwin recorded 13 tackles and recovered a fumble and has 99 tackles and 7 INT this season.
- The Washington Federals claimed a wild 20-17 win over New Orleans when VooDoo QB Bruno Wilson was picked off for the fourth time, setting up John Bazile's game-ending 37-yard field goal.
- The Florida Blazers edged the Tampa Bay Bandits, 26-21, behind Eddie Tyler;s 40-yard INT return for a TD. If the Blazers (6-8) can beat Detroit or Michigan, they will end up with more wins than in any season in team history since 1974, the league's first year.
- Robert Kimball had 10 tackles and an interception during the Michigan Panthers; 7-0 shutout of the Orlando Renegades.
- New Oklahoma Outlaws coach CoachNorm earned his first USFL/WFL win, a 21-11 decision over the San Jose SaberCats, behind three TD passes from Shane Falco. San Jose has lost 10 in a row after starting the season 4-0.
- The Detroit Wheels flexed their muscles during a 27-3 thumping of Southeast Division leader Jacksonville. Fumble recoveries by the Wheels set the stage for two short TD drives.
- New Jersey QB Stephan Labelle threw five TD passes during a 48-20 rout of the Pittsburgh Maulers. Labelle has 31 TD passes this season, second only to Denver's Dustin Nichols (33).
Coach's Profile
bedgerly, Oakland Invaders
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| bedgerly's Invaders trucker hat |
Hometown (town, state): Saint Louis, Missouri
Current residence (town, state): Baytown, Texas
Day job: Truck dispatcher
Favorite teams (all sports): Miami Dolphins, Saint Louis Cardinals, Saint Louis Blues
A real-life sports experience: I played high school football and soccer and ran track. I wish I could go back and play baseball in high school as well
A fantasy sports experience: I've been playing fantasy football and baseball since 2003, and have been breaking even in daily fantasy tournaments since 2014. Cody Parkey will never be forgiven for shanking a field goal and costing me a spot in the Fanduel Championship.
Coach's Corner: (tip for a new MFN coach): Go to the help forums and read pretty much anything written up by Setherick on gameplanning and rule creation. Gameplanning is key, but DO NOT trade draft picks in Rounds 1-3 for current players. Team building begins with picking your own players, and far too many teams have been destroyed by mortgaging the future for a chance to use veterans now. Watch the games of successful players and their teams to see what kind of plays they run.
