The playoff race got a little tighter following week 10 as 5 teams that were either leading or tied for the lead in their division lost. In the Pacific, Los Angeles and Honolulu remain tied after both lost this week. Oakland lost to break their tie with Portland and they fall to second place in the West. Jacksonville lost their battle of division leaders and are now tied with Tampa Bay for the Southeast lead. New Jersey lost, slicing their East lead to 1 game.
In the American Conference we have 10 teams .500 or better fighting for 5 playoff spots, while Honolulu and Los Angeles fight it out for the Pacific division playoff spot. In the National Conference we have 9 teams .500 or better fighting for 6 spots. The Michigan Panthers lead the Midwest by 3 games, the only division with more than a 2 game separation.
Force 20 Generals 17
New Jersey looked to be driving for a score on the game opening drive when Generals RB Fred Dunagan fumbled the ball on a reception. Georgia CB Caleb Raley scooped up the loose ball and outran everyone to the end zone 84 yards later for an early Force lead. Georgia would add a FG for a 10-0 lead before New Jersey would tie the game in the 3rd qtr. The Generals doubled Georgia in yardage (444-203) and were decent on 3rd downs. New Jersey took the lead at the 2 minute warning on a Ric Flair to Freddie Mercury TD pass, and it seemed the game was over.
Certainly a team that's been to 5 of the last 6 World Bowls can preserve a 7 point lead for 2 minutes right? Not today, as Georgia marched 75 yards down the field in 10 plays, culminating in a 2 yard TD pass from Norris Thomas to Calvin Sipe. The XP tied the game at 17, and rather than play for OT, the Generals opted to try to push the ball downfield. Ric Flair threw his second INT of the game on the first play, and Georgia booted the game winning FG one play later.
Storm 24 Stars 17
These teams are heading opposite directions, as the win is Portland's 7th in a row and this was Baltimore's 3rd straight loss. The Stars put up 355 yards but the Storm intercepted 2 passes and had 2 sacks. Portland's offense had 409 yards of their own and were perfect on 4 red zone trips. The West logjam has loosened a bit as Portland is finally alone at the top with their 9-1 record. Baltimore slips 2 games behind Washington in the Atlantic and their 6-4 record would not qualify for the playoffs if they started now.
Panthers 41 Bulls 10
In a battle of division leaders, Michigan put it to Jacksonville. The Panthers built a 31-7 halftime lead on their way to a 589 yard day. The only thing Michigan did wrong on offense was settle for FG's both red zone trips. The Michigan defense gave up 303 yards but forced 2 INT's and sacked Bulls QB Joseph Serio 4 times. Michigan's James Hills and Peter Lewis made the most of their 4 catches apiece. Hills had 159 yards, Lewis 140 and both caught a pair of TD's.
Bandits 27 Hornets 11
Taking advantage of the Jacksonville loss, Tampa Bay struggled with Charlotte through much of the game before pulling away in the 4th qtr. Bandits QB Melvin Driggers tossed 3 60+ yard TD passes, 2 to Thomas Whitley. They needed those big plays as 30 Tampa Bay rushing attempts netted just 44 yards. The Bandits defense limited Charlotte to 145 yards with an INT and 4 sacks. Tampa Bay improves to 7-3, tied atop the Southeast division.
Wranglers 22 Invaders 10
Arizona continues to be the best last place team in the league and their 6-4 record still has them in wildcard contention. The Wranglers forced 2 fumbles while shutting down Oakland's ground game and not allowing big passing plays. Arizona wasn't spectacular offensively, but effective enough on this day. They played turnover free football in knocking Oakland out of their tie with Portland for the West lead.
Gold 33 Hawaiians 7
No last second FG needed for Denver this week as they doubled the yards of Honolulu. The Gold built a 24-0 halftime lead and coasted to victory in the second half, sending the Hawaiians to their 3rd straight loss. Gold WR Richard Huff had 276 total yards and a TD while teammate WR Jose Buford had a combined 182 yards and 2 TD's. If the season were over now, Denver would be the #6 seed by virtue of their win over Houston earlier this season. Honolulu remains tied with LA for the Pacific lead.
Gamblers 41 Express 9
Houston started off slow but for only 1 quarter as the Gamblers defense shut down the Express offense. Houston limited Los Angeles to 115 yards with 2 sacks and 2 turnovers. Houston QB Tony Dean threw 3 INT's but also 5 TD's, 3 to Gabriel Ahrens (4-138-3). The other 2 went to Chase Miles who had 164 yards rushing and receiving. Houston is currently tied with Denver for the #6 seed, though they lose the tiebreaker while Los Angeles remains tied atop the Pacific with Honolulu at 4-6.
Showboats 47 Sun 17
Memphis has kind of flown under the radar since their long winning streak ended, but this week they reminded the league, and specifically the Sun that they are still the Champions. Showboats QB David Allen threw for 443 yards and 5 TD without an INT and Willie Howland had a big day with 271 yards and 2 TD's on 5 receptions. Memphis built a 41-3 halftime lead and cruised in the second half to improve to 9-1 on the year.
VooDoo 25 Breakers 10
The good news for Boston is their 10 points tied their season best from Week 1 against the Champion Showboats. The bad news is their defense gave up 25 points as the Breakers fall to 0-10 on the season. The game stats were closer than expected, though New Orleans played turnover free football. The VooDoo amassed a 19-0 first half lead before cruising in the second half. This win keeps New Orleans as one of the wildcard teams if the season ended today, too many tiebreakers and too much football left to figure out tiebreakers.
Federals 20 Maulers 3
Washington out gained Pittsburgh 393-172 as the Federals built a 20-3 halftime lead before the second half punting contest. Washington WR Luther Ellis caught 6 passes for 172 yards in the win. The Federals improve to 8-2 and have a 2 game lead on Baltimore in the Atlantic.
Stallions 23 SaberCats 6
Birmingham didn't play their best game, turning the ball over on 3 INT's and scoring just 2 TD's in 5 red zone trips (2 FG's too). The Stallions defense forced 2 San Jose turnovers in holding them to 269 yards and no red zone trips. Birmingham maintains their 1 game lead in the South over New Orleans.
(NY) Stars 30 Renegades 16
This was a mundane, 13-6 game after 3 quarters before both teams decided to light up the scoreboard in the final quarter. There were 2 TD's and a FG in the last 2 minutes alone, though New York was in control throughout. The Stars of New York had 412 offensive yards and 6 red zone trips (3 TD/3 FG), holding the ball for 36:30. Orlando had 330 yards in the loss. The (NY) Stars are now just 1 game behind New Jersey in the East.
Steamer 13 Bell 3
This game played out like most Philadelphia Bell games do, they stop the opposing rushing attack but struggle against the pass and have difficulty on offense. This is the second win in a row for Shreveport as they even their record at 5-5. That's currently 2 games out of the wildcard but with 6 weeks to go, they still have a chance.
Blazers 23 Thunderbolts 6
Cleveland is going the wrong direction lately as their second straight loss has them 5-5 in the crowded American Conference. Florida held a 10-3 lead through 3 quarters and Cleveland cut it to 10-6 early in the 4th. Florida scored the last 13 points of the game for the lopsided final margin. The Blazers defense forced 2 turnovers and kept Cleveland out of the end zone all game, allowing FG's on both Thunderbolt red zone trips.
Outlaws 13 Gunslingers 10
This was a defensive struggle as the teams combined for just 498 yards. San Antonio tied it early in the 4th on a Gary Wiggins to Juan Morgan TD pass, but Wiggins threw an INT on the next drive to set up Oklahoma with a short field. The Outlaws only got 17 yards in 6 plays but it was enough to get in FG range for Roger Ruzich. The 53 yard FG was good, his second from 50+ on the day, and Oklahoma escapes with a win, making them 6-4 and still with a playoff chance.
Blitz 13 Wheels 6
Detroit played bend but don't break defense, allowing 362 yards but just 6 points in 3 red zone trips. The Detroit offense again showed an allergy to the end zone, generating just 200 yards for the game. The win improves Chicago to 5-5, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
