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| Daniel McKee, QB, Chicago |
After 12 weeks, only one game separates the Arizona Wranglers (7-5), the current No. 6 seed, and five other potential playoff entrants--the Cleveland Thunderbolts, Michigan Panthers, Houston Gamblers, Portland Storm and Detroit Wheels.
The Chicago Blitz (9-3) are in the driver's seat for the Midwest Division championship and one of the automatic berths after handing the Baltimore Stars their first loss of the season, 13-6, to highlight Week 12 action.
The Stars (11-1) managed only two drives that netted more than 20 yards--one of them coming on Baltimore's final possession of the game. The Blitz recovered the ensuring onside kick with 1:53 to play and ran out the clock.
Daniel McKee's 25-yard pass to WR Wendell Pinegar accounted for the game's only TD. McKee ended the day with a 137.27 QBR on 14-for-18 passing, Max Howard had 68 yards passing and 70 receiving, and DT Buford Leblanc had a pair of sacks.
The National Conference is a bit less crowded, with the Charlotte Panthers (6-6) and Georgia Force (6-6) knotted up at No. 6 and the New Orleans VooDoo (5-7) and New York Stars (5-7) a game behind.
In other Week 12 games:
- Jacksonville QB Charles Evans was a perfect 18-for-18 passing with three TDs as the Bulls extended their Southeast Division lead to three games with a 28-11 win over the Florida Blazers.
- Washington WR Allen Boyer caught six passes for 216 yards, including fourth-quarter TDs of 81 and 97 yards, to lift the Federals to a 16-9 comeback win over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
- New York DT Jimmy Atwell and LDE Howard Zacharias combined for six sacks as the Stars won their third in a row, 25-3, over the Birmingham Stallions.
- New Orleans MLB Anthony Munoz made nine tackles and intercepted a pass as the VooDoo edged the Boston Breakers, 13-9.
- Tampa Bay led Arizona, 30-20, with 42 seconds to play. But a TD pass, a recovered onside kick, a 59-yard field goal on the final play of regulation time, and a 61-yard TD pass in overtime gave the Wranglers a 36-30 win.
- In Week 11 action, the Southern California Sun snapped an 0-14 history against Los Angeles by beating the Express, 21-19, stopping a 2-point conversion pass attempt with 15 seconds to play.
- In other Week 11 action, Arizona WR Quincy Adams had 86 yards rushing and 221 receiving during a 27-3 win over the Florida Blazers and Michigan QB Jerry Ruiz was 24-for-25 passing as the Panthers outlasted the Oakland Invaders, 17-9.
