World Bowl XXII: Houston, We Have a Problem...

 

Houston's problem is they need a bigger trophy case as the Gamblers won their 6th World Bowl today. The 6 championships are the most of any franchise in league history, and current owner/GM Cjfred68 has led Houston to 5 of those, breaking a tie with Setherick for the most individual championships in the league. Congratulations on those accomplishments and I'm sure I join the rest of the league in wanting to throw a retirement party for Mr. Dean. 

Congratulations also go to CrazyRazor, whose Washington Federals made their 3rd straight World Bowl as National Conference Champs. That's quite an accomplishment as well and shouldn't be forgotten as we celebrate Houston's success.

World Bowl XXII

Houston Gamblers 30 Washington Federals 16

It was a cold 42 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida for the kickoff of World Bowl XXII, but it didn't take long for Tony Dean to heat up. Houston got the ball first and Dean needed just 4 plays to find Jett Black for a 58 yard TD and a 7-0 lead. Washington answered with a long, time consuming 13 play drive, but they stalled in FG range and a John Bazile 42 yard FG cut the lead to 7-3. Houston's 2nd drive lasted 14 plays, but they stalled too and Earl Castro made the score 10-3 with a 28 yard FG early in the 2nd quarter. Washington's 2nd drive resulted in a 46 yard Bazile FG, making the score 10-6.

Washington finally forced the game's first punt, then Scott Bieber led a 9 play, 74 yard TD drive. Bieber found Ronald Matthews for an 18 yard TD pass that gave the Federals a 13-10 lead. On the first play following the 2 minute warning, Bieber threw an interception to Joel Clark, giving Dean and the Gamblers the ball just inside Washington territory. Five plays later, Dean threw a 4 yard TD pass to Donald Turner, giving Houston the lead back, 17-13.

Washington got the ball to start the 3rd quarter and a 57 yard John Bazile FG cut the lead to 17-16. Dean led the Gamblers into the Federals red zone on the next drive, but had to settle for another Earl Castro FG to push the lead back to 4 points. Washington would go three and out on their next drive before Tony Dean delivered the death blow. Dean threw a 15 yard TD pass to Anthony Fulks to extend the Houston lead to 27-16.

The 4th quarter saw Earl Castro miss wide right on a 44 yard FG attempt and John Bazile miss wide left on a 57 yard try. Each team would then punt before Dean led a clock killing FG drive. Earl Castro was good from 44 this time, giving the Gamblers a 30-16 lead with less than 2 minutes to play. Washington ended up turning it over on downs and Tony Dean led the victory formation.

 

 

Tony Dean was named MVP of the game as he completed 25/32 for 368 yards and 3 TDs. His leading receiver was Jett Black, who caught 4 for 139 yards and a TD. Dean drives away from the game in a brand new 1996 Corvette as a bonus for being named MVP. Fittingly, the car's color is jet black.

Road To World Bowl XXII...Conference Championships

 World Bowl XXII is all set and it's a repeat of World Bowl XXI. Congratulations to the Houston Gamblers and Washington Federals for advancing again to our league's ultimate game. Despite falling short of their goal, the Portland Storm and New Jersey Generals had great seasons. They both won their division and were #3 seeds, but perhaps the extra playoff game did them in? That may have been a small factor but there is no denying the best 2 teams in the league are playing for the title. Houston and Washington both finished the regular season 15-1, earned the #1 seed and enjoyed the home field advantage that comes with that.

If Houston wins the World Bowl again, 2 records will be broken. Currently Houston is tied with Memphis having won 5 World Bowls, and a 6th win would break that tie and give the Gamblers the most trophies. At the same time, Washington is tied with New Jersey for most World Bowl losses with 4, and a loss tomorrow breaks that tie.

How did Houston and Washington win?

Houston Gamblers 18 Portland Storm 10

Houston got the ball first and the Gamblers drove into FG range, where Earl Castro's 30 yard FG giving the Gamblers a 3-0 lead. A couple of drives later, Melvin Driggers got Portland on the board with a 22 yard TD pass to Richard Robinson and the Storm led after 1, 7-3. The 2nd quarter was a puntfest until the end of the half when Tony Dean had Houston advancing toward the red zone. The drive stalled as the clock for the first half was winding down and Earl Castro's 2nd FG made the halftime score 7-6 Portland.

The second half started like the 2nd quarter, with multiple punts before Melvin Driggers was intercepted by Thomas Hutson, setting up Tony Dean in Storm territory. The Portland defense hung tough, keeping Houston out of the end zone, but the Gamblers still took a 9-7 lead on an Earl Castro 25 yard FG. Portland answered with a nice drive of 8 runs and 2 passes to get inside the red zone as we entered the 4th quarter. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Melvin Driggers third pass of the drive fell into the hands of Houston's Joel Clark for an interception keeping the score 9-7. Despite that INT, on Portland's next drive they went pass heavy and Driggers responded  but the drive stalled in the red zone. Donald Atkins 34 yard FG gave the Storm a 10-9 lead with 10 minutes to play.

Tony Dean answered that by finally getting the Gamblers into the end zone, finding Jett Black for the 54 yard score and a 15-10 lead. Houston went for 2 and failed, so a Portland TD could win the game instead of tie. The Storm's next 2 drives had bad starting position, one from their 19 and one from their 2. The game clock was nearing the 2 minute warning, so Portland went for it on 4th and 10 from their 18, turning it over on downs. Houston took over in the red zone and Castro added another FG to push the lead to 8. Portland's Jim Voss fumbled the ensuing kickoff but Harry Moorman was there to fall on the loose ball to give Melvin Driggers one last chance to tie the game. Driggers quickly got Portland on the cusp of the red zone but he was intercepted by Albert Bruner to seal another World Bowl trip for Houston.

Washington Federals 16 New Jersey Generals 3

For the third straight season, Washington and New Jersey meet in the National Conference Championship, with the Federals winning the first 2 in New Jersey. This game was played in Washington D.C. and the Generals would love nothing more than to turn the tables on the Federals. Washington dented the scoreboard first, getting a 7-0 lead on a Jonathon Fuller 2 yard run. Don Ferguson finally got the Generals offense moving on their 3rd drive but had to settle for an Al Borland FG  to start the 2nd qtr, cutting the lead to 7-3. 

Both defenses were stout today but Washington busted a big play to get a 1st and goal from the 2 as Scott Bieber found Matthew Cuevas for a 77 yard gain. The New Jersey defense kept Washington out of the end zone, but a short John Bazile FG extended the Federals lead to 10-3. 

The second half began and Washington punted. New Jersey drove into Washington territory before Ferguson was intercepted by Robert Mann. Bieber got the Federals deep into Generals territory, getting a 1st and goal from the 7, but once again the New Jersey defense holds but Bazile added another FG for a 13-3 lead. As the 4th quarter clock approached 4 minutes, New Jersey went for a 4th and 6 from their own 11 which failed, setting up another FG from John Bazile and Washington's lead was up to 16-3. Ferguson then threw his 2nd INT to officially seal the deal as Washington heads to their 3rd consecutive World Bowl.

Road To World Bowl XXII...Divisional Round Continued, National Conference

Washington Federals 20 Baltimore Stars 7

Washington and Baltimore have likely played more games against each other than any 2 other teams in the league, as the division rivals have played twice a year for 22 seasons and this is the 8th time they have played a 3rd time in the post season. Baltimore had won the first 5 playoff games against the Federals, but Washington has now won the last 3 in a row, including last season when they spoiled the Stars run for perfection. Baltimore owner/GM 4343 was not available to the media after the game, and it was later learned he turned control of the Stars over to the league office after the defeat.

Washington got the ball first and had to punt and Baltimore did the same following their first drive. Washington had to punt again on the next drive, pinning Baltimore at their own 12. Jon Snow then led the Stars on a 10 play, 88 yard drive, cashing in the TD with a 9 yard pass to Jerome Kelly. A few punts later and Scott Bieber had the Federals driving for points with a first and goal from the 3. A run and 2 passes went nowhere and Washington had to settle for a short John Bazile FG, cutting the lead to 7-3. Baltimore's next drive looked like it was going to produce points as Snow converted a 3rd and 5 with a pass to Glenn Sprinkle, but Hans Gruber knocked the ball loose and recovered the ball for Washington. Baltimore's next drive also looked promising for points but Jon Snow was intercepted in the red zone. The Stars led at the half 7-3, but were kicking themselves over the two missed opportunities.

The 3rd quarter started with multiple punts from both teams until James Dunn broke free with a 74 yard TD run to give the Federals their first lead, 10-7. Washington then got a 5 yard TD run early in the 4th by Jonathon Fuller to increase the lead to 17-7. With about 5 minutes left, Baltimore faced a 4th and 10 from the Washington 42 and opted to punt, pinning Washington at their own 11. Scott Bieber then led a FG drive that took the clock inside the 2 minute warning and the Federals advance.

Baltimore QB Jon Snow finished 24/47, 238 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and John Warkentin was held to 3 catches for 69 yards. Scott Bieber completed just 14/33 for Washington, good for 154 yards, but the running game picked up the slack. James Dunn led Washington with 135 rushing yards and a TD while Robert Trammell chipped in 69.  

New Jersey Generals 44 Orlando Renegades 36

Orlando hosted New Jersey in the Renegades first playoff game since 1990. The Generals got the ball first and Don Ferguson gave New Jersey the early 7-0 lead on a 14 yard TD pass to Franklin Cherry. Orlando's first drive lasted 7 plays, 5 of them runs, but the Renegades settled for a short Scott Mueller FG, cutting the lead to 7-3. New Jersey's next drive covered 81 yards in 10 plays, with Ferguson finding Sam Beckett for a 9 yard TD pass and a 14-3 lead. Trey Lyons and the Orlando offense answered with a quick TD drive as Lyons found Jesse Carr for a 39 yard TD pass. The Renegades finally stopped the Generals offense only for Lyons to give them the ball right back with an interception. That short field turned into an Al Borland FG extending the lead to 17-10. Mueller matched Borland's FG before David Koresh scored on a 75 yard pass from Ferguson for New Jersey's second 11 point lead of the first half. Trey Lyons matched that TD with a 16 yard scoring toss to Roger Bostic to pull Orlando within 24-20. Ferguson then led New Jersey on their second 81 yard TD drive, finding Cody Schiavo with a 6 yard TD pass. That score gave New Jersey their 3rd first half lead of 11 points and the Generals took that 31-20 lead into halftime.

Orlando got the ball to start the 3rd and Trey Lyons found Jesse Carr for a 64 yard pass, setting up 1st and goal from the 10. The Renegades couldn't crack the end zone and the Mueller FG made the score 31-23. New Jersey was forced to punt, then Lyons found Bostic again for a short TD and Orlando was now within 1 point, 31-30. Toward the end of the 3rd, David Koresh had another long TD, this one on the ground. The 72 yard run pushed the Generals lead up to 8 points and the quarter ended with the score 38-30.

Early in the 4th, Ferguson was intercepted, leading to a FG for the Renegades to trim the lead to 38-33. Sam Beckett fumbled the ensuing kickoff which led to yet another Renegades FG and a 38-36 score. After trailing by 11 points at 3 different spots in the first half, Orlando was putting pressure on the Generals. The Renegades would have 3 drives left in the game, and the first drive started at their own 4. That drive ended with a punt and a Borland FG gave New Jersey some breathing room, 41-36. Orlando's next drive was three and out, allowing Borland to push the lead back to 8 with a FG. The last drive, inside the 2 minute warning, ended with a Lyons INT and New Jersey ran out the remaining clock.

Plenty of stats to talk about in this game, even for the kickers. Orlando's Scott Mueller was 5/5 on FGs and punter Dustin Soares averaged almost 54 yards on 5 punts. New Jersey punter Clark W. Griswold had 3 of his 4 punts land inside the 20 while also averaging almost 52 yards a punt, while former All Pro K Al Borland made all 3 of his FG tries. Trey Lyons completed 26/46, 427 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT for Orlando, producing a pair of 100 yard receivers. Jesse Carr caught 10 for 164 yards and a TD while Roger Bostic hauled in 7 for 135 yards and 2 TDs. For New Jersey, Don Ferguson was 27/52, 341 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INT, with the scores all going to different receivers. Normally the Generals spread the ball around to several weapons, but today was Waco Day as David Koresh had a double triple. Koresh ran for 118 yards and a TD, catching 9 passes for 173 yards and another TD.

Road To World Bowl XXII...American Conference Divisional Round

 The Divisional Round results are in and our new champion will likely be a repeat champion unless the Washington Federals break through for their first World Bowl win. Just like the wildcard round, we had 2 road teams win and 2 home teams win and our final 4 teams have a combined 18 World Bowls between them. In the American Conference we have the Portland Storm at the Houston Gamblers next week and the winner will be looking to stay undefeated in World Bowl play. Houston is our defending champs and the Gamblers are 5-0 all time in the big game while their opponent, Portland, is 3-0. Anyone who has been in the league awhile knows the American Conference owns the World Bowl, winning 18 of the previous 21, including 11 in a row. The last time the National Conference won the big game was World Bowl XI, when the New Jersey Generals won their 2nd title. Speaking of the Generals, New Jersey is facing Washington in the Conference Championship for the 3rd straight season. The last 2 were Washington wins in New Jersey, so the Generals are hoping to send the Federals fans home mad with this game being in D.C. In all, New Jersey is 2-4 in the World Bowl while Washington is 0-4, all in the last 8 seasons. 

We will find out who plays in World Bowl XXII soon enough, but let's look at how Portland, Houston, New Jersey, and Washington advanced.

Houston Gamblers 41 Denver Gold 13

The game started out good for the Gold as they forced Houston into a three and out, then Andrew Brewer drove Denver into FG range. Robert Deacon made a 48 yard FG for an early 3-0 lead, but by the time Deacon made his 2nd FG, Houston had put up 31 unanswered points. The Houston defense was stout today as they kept Denver from hitting big scoring plays, keeping the Gold under 300 total yards. Offensively, Tony Dean did Tony Dean things, completing 22/28, 306 yards and 4 TD passes, all to different receivers. Dean answered the first Gold FG with a 39 yard TD pass to Jett Black to take a 7-3 lead. An Earl Castro FG made it 10-3 then Dean found Donald Turner with an 8 yard TD pass to take a 17-3 lead into halftime.

The second half saw Houston continue to gain momentum as the defense forced a Denver three and out, then Dean led another scoring drive, finding Lloyd Ellis for a 15 yard TD. Denver had another three and out before Donald Turner delivered the death blow, a 62 yard TD run to make the score 31-3. Turner ended the game with a double triple, rushing for 109 yards and that TD and catching 7 for 105 and a TD. Speaking of that stat line of 7-105-1, Turner wasn't the only Gambler to do that, as Jett Black matched that exactly. Denver then got that 2nd FG to cut it to 31-6, but Dean answered with TD pass #4, finding Hugh Chance for the 8 yard score. Denver got a late Andrew Brewer TD pass to Vincent Rodriguez, but it was too little, too late.

Portland Storm 22 San Jose SaberCats 13

Portland's defense shut down the San Jose rushing attack and while they gave up 287 yards through the air, the Storm came up big when they needed to, sacking Jake Plummer 4 times and intercepting 4 passes. Offensively, Portland had a balanced attack with 161 yards rushing and 182 passing. The Storm had the first scoring opportunity, but Donald Atkins was wide right on a 54 yard FG attempt. San Jose pinned Portland at their own 6 on the next drive but Melvin Driggers led a 12 play, 94 yard TD drive that ended when Driggers found Richard Robinson for a 27 yard scoring pass. A couple of punts later, San Jose took over at their own 20 and Plummer led a 14 play, 80 yard scoring drive, capping it with an 8 yard TD to Mark Hsu, tying the game at 7.

In the second half, San Jose got the ball first and punted, while Portland got a Donald Atkins 38 yard FG on their first drive to break the tie. Plummer was driving the SaberCats toward a score when he was intercepted by Harry Moorman. Twelve plays later, Donald Atkins was good from 38 yards again as Portland extends the lead to 13-7. Next San Jose drive, Plummer is intercepted again, this time by Christopher Schneider, which led to an Atkins 53 yard FG.

Time was running out and each defense kept frustrating the offenses until Melvin Driggers connected with Guadalupe Navarette for an 8 yard TD to give Portland a 22-7 lead with 2:43 to play. The 2 point try failed, then things got crazy. Trying to mount a comeback, Plummer connected with Bill Clinton on a long pass play that seemed destined for a TD but Harry Moorman caught him from behind just before he could cross the goal line. San Jose was still in pretty good shape with a first and goal from the 1, but Mark Sumner intercepted Plummer to keep the score 22-7. Melvin Driggers took over on his own 3 and for some reason, he threw a pass. It was intercepted by Jae Travis, setting up another first and goal from the 1 for San Jose. Two plays set them back to the 10, but Plummer finally cashed in the TD, finding Dave McEntee for the score. The 2 point conversion was no good but the onside kick was and the SaberCats still had a chance. It wasn't much of a chance, down 9 with time running out, but those chances went from slim to none when Plummer threw his 4th INT of the game.

Road To World Bowl XXII...Wildcard Weekend

 The Road To World Bowl XXII began today with 4 games on Wildcard Weekend. None of the games featured much late game drama nor any surprises. Portland and New Jersey defended their home fields with wins and now travel for the Divisional round while Denver and Baltimore continue their road trips as 3 of 4 games next week will be rematches from the regular season. Portland travels to San Jose where the Storm are 2 point road favorites. New Jersey advances to Orlando where the Renegades are 3 point favorites. Denver goes to Houston where the Gamblers are 11 point favorites, although Houston might not have CJfred on the sidelines as he is in the hospital with an undisclosed health issue. Get well soon! Our last game next week is the 3rd game between Baltimore and Washington. The Federals are 6 point favorites but it's never easy to beat a team 3 times in one season.

Let's see how the wildcard games played out.

Denver Gold 26 Chicago Blitz 14

Chicago was one of the hotter teams entering the playoffs, but the Gold defense keyed on RB John Gates, holding him to 23 total yards on 9 rushes and 2 receptions. Denver QB Andrew Brewer wasn't sharp, completing 21/32, 243 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT, but the running game was working and Denver built a 17-0 halftime lead. The Gold ran the ball 50 times for 225 yards, converting 11/19 3rd downs and they held the ball 42:31. Peter White got the first TD with a 7 yard run and Brewer's TD pass was the 2nd, a 3 yard toss to Vincent Rodriguez. 

Denver would add a FG in the 3rd for a 20-0 lead before Ronald Brown finally got Chicago on the scoreboard with a 33 yard TD pass to Ian Gordon. Denver would add 2 more Robert Deacon FGs for a 26-7 lead in the 4th quarter. Ronald Brown's 1 yard TD pass to Jason Rambo got the Blitz within 26-14, but that's as close as they would get.

Portland Storm 29 Memphis Showboats 23

The first half of this game was back and forth as Memphis led 16-13, but the Storm pulled away in the second half, with a 13 point lead at the 2 minute warning. Memphis got a TD to pull within 6 but the onside kick failed and the Storm hold on to advance. 

Portland took a 7-0 lead in the 1st on a Jeffrey Frost short TD run but Memphis came alive in the 2nd. USFL leading rusher Steve Ransome had a solid game, rushing 15 times for 77 yards and catching 8 passes for 67 yards and a TD that would have tied the game but for Gary Ridgeway's missed XP. On the Showboats next drive, Ransome ran in a TD and a good XP gave Memphis a 13-7 lead. Ridgeway would add a 52 yard FG for a 16-7 lead inside the 2 minute warning. Melvin Driggers didn't take long to connect with Richard Robinson for a 61 yard TD near the end of the half, but this time it was Donald Atkins missing the XP and our halftime score was 16-13 Memphis. 

In the 3rd quarter, Donald Atkins tied it with a FG before Portland's Mark Sumner intercepted Norman Maldonado to set up the Storm in Showboats territory. Driggers then found Guadalupe Navarette for a 46 yard TD pass and a 23-16 lead. Portland then went on back to back time consuming FG drives for a 29-16 lead with 2:27 left. Maldonado led Memphis on a TD drive, finding Thomas Ballard for the 22 yard score but the onside kick failed and Portland drained the clock to advance.

Norman Maldonado was solid for Memphis, completing 26/44, 315 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. Thomas Ballard led the Memphis receivers with 5 catches, 149 yards and a TD. Melvin Driggers was awesome for Portland today, completing 33/38, 417 yards and 2 TDs. Richard Robinson caught the first score among his 5 for 141 yards while Guadalupe Navarette caught the other one and finished with 4 for 126 yards.

Baltimore Stars 23 Shreveport Steamer 9

Baltimore's defense came ready to play as they kept the Steamer out of the end zone after 2 early turnovers in their own end of the field. On Baltimore's first drive, Cleveland Lang sacked Jon Snow, causing a fumble that Frank Roberts fell on for Shreveport. Taking over at the Stars 22, the Steamer had a golden opportunity to get an early 7-0 lead, but the Baltimore defense held and Shreveport settled for 3. Snow was intercepted on Baltimore's next drive by Matthew Fisher at the Stars 36, but the defense held once again. Instead of being down 10 or 14 to nothing, the Stars were down just 6-0 and had to feel fortunate.

Baltimore scored 10 points in the final 5 minutes of the first half on a Herman Hayes 19 yard run and a Fred Boyce FG to take a 10-6 halftime lead. Those two drives got the Stars offense rolling and they kept the momentum going in the 3rd as Snow found John Warkentin for a short TD pass and a 17-6 lead. The 4th qtr was all FGs, 2 for Baltimore as the Stars advance.

Jon Snow finished 22/41, 302 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT with John Warkentin the leading receiver, catching the TD among his 7 for 184 yards. RB William Halford had a combined 161 yards, 131 rushing.

New Jersey Generals 30 Florida Blazers 20

USFL leading passer Don Ferguson sat out Week 16 which may have contributed to his shaky play early on today. Ferguson threw 4 INTs, including one on the first play of the game, setting up a 54 yard Gerald Harmon FG for a 3-0 Florida lead. Ferguson bounced back on the next drive, taking a 7-3 lead on a 43 yard TD pass to David Koresh. New Jersey had to punt on the next drive, pinning the Blazers inside their 10. Stephen Fontenot then sacked Sidney Maggard in the end zone for a safety, extending the Generals lead to 9-3. Ferguson would then throw interceptions #2 and #3, with Florida getting a TD out of them. Stephen Hannah's short TD run gave Florida a 10-9 lead early in the 2nd. Ferguson settled down for the next drive, retaking the lead on a 13 yard TD pass to Sam Beckett. The Generals defense finally forced an INT, with Isaac Asimov thwarting a potential Blazers scoring drive. Ferguson capitalized with a 28 yard TD pass to Duncan Meyer and New Jersey took a 23-10 lead into halftime.

The Generals forced a three and out on the first drive of the second half, but Sam Beckett fumbled the punt, giving the ball back to Florida. The Blazers got a FG to pull within 23-13. Ferguson then found Franklin Cherry with a 22 yard TD pass to lead 30-13. Later in the 3rd, Ferguson threw INT #4 and Sidney Maggard cashed it in with a 4 yard TD pass to William Sheppard. That got the Blazers within 30-20 but several punts for both teams followed until the 2 minute warning. Florida was going to try and get within 7 on a 60 yard FG, then hope to recover the onside kick, but Gerald Harmon was short on the try and New Jersey ran out the clock to advance.

Don Ferguson finished 24/35, 342 yards, 4 TD and 4 INT while RB David Koresh had a combined 178 yards and a receiving TD. Koresh ran for 90 yards with 88 more receiving to lead New Jersey in both categories.

Week 16: Last Call For Playoff Spots

 Week 16 is often a strange week as teams are in various stages of motivation. Some teams know this is their last game of the season, so will they play like their car is running in the parking lot with their bags packed or will they want to go out with a blaze of glory? Some teams know they are playing next week in the wildcard round and benched some key players to prevent injuries. Then we have teams who don't know whether or not their season will continue and had to win and get some help from other teams to give them a playoff spot.

Sometimes a team has nothing to play for except a player's statistics, which was the case in New Jersey where New York Stars WR Albert Olson needed 245 receiving yards to break Mark Hsu's single season record of 2,745 yards set in 1993. The Stars and Generals played to a tie, but Olson didn't need the extra time to break the record. Olson caught 13 passes for 334 yards and 4 TDs, making the new record 2,835 yards. Olson also finished with 25 TD receptions, tied for 4th all time. Congratulations Albert Olson.

The playoff field is all set and last year's World Bowl teams are looking to get back as Houston and Washington both secured the #1 seed. San Jose and Orlando get the other 2 BYES, while Portland, Chicago, New Jersey and Shreveport are your other division winners. The wildcard teams are Denver, Memphis, Florida and Baltimore. Congratulations to the 12 playoff teams and best of luck in the offseason and draft for the 20 teams who will be home for the playoffs.

Gamblers 19 Breakers 16

Houston needed to win to secure home field advantage but they still sat their top 2 RBs for this game. Boston was seeking a win to give them an 8-8 record which would be their first non losing record since 1974. The Breakers scored first on an Adam Scales 5 yard TD pass to Christopher Griffey. Tony Dean then led the Gamblers to a pair of FG drives before finding Hugh Chance for a 59 yard TD inside the 2 minute warning for a 13-7 halftime lead.

In the 3rd quarter, Boston's Larry Ruiz sacked Dean in the end zone for a safety, then Scales connected with Bob carder for a 48 yard TD to give the Breakers a 16-13 lead after 3. The 4th quarter saw just 2 FGs, with Earl Castro tying the game early in the quarter, then kicking the game winning FG inside the 2 minute warning.

Houston finishes 1995 15-1, the #1 seed in the American Conference while Boston finishes 7-9 for the second straight year.

SaberCats 7 Storm 3

The Houston win means the winner of this game would have the #2 seed and get the BYE with the loser hosting a wildcard game next week. Portland had the 2nd best offense in the league, San Jose 7th, so of course both offenses combined had just 432 yards and 10 points. Portland took an early 3-0 lead with a FG and San Jose took the lead just before halftime when Jake Plummer found Mark Hsu for a short TD pass. The SaberCats led 7-3 at the half and the defenses of both teams allowed nothing the final 30 minutes. 

San Jose finishes 14-2, winner of the Pacific and getting a first round BYE. Portland finishes 13-3, winners of the West, and (spoiler alert) will host Memphis next week in the Wildcard round.

Blitz 17 Gunslingers 3

Halfway through this season, Chicago was 3-5, seemingly headed for another year without a playoff game (last playoff game, 1990). The Blitz then went on a second half run, winning 6 in a row to get to 9-5 before losing to Michigan last week. No matter though, as a win today would give Chicago the Midwest title and a home playoff game. The Blitz got the ball first and Ronald Brown drove the offense 75 yards in 11 plays, finding Barry Dawson for a 6 yard TD and a 7-0 lead. San Antonio would get a FG to cut the lead to 7-3 but Brown found Ian Gordon for a 40 yard TD pass to increase the lead. The Blitz would add a FG at the 2 minute warning for a 17-3 halftime lead. 

The second half was scoreless and the victory makes Chicago 10-6, and they host Denver wildcard weekend. San Antonio finishes 5-11, 3rd place in the Southwest.

Gold 27 Wheels 17

Detroit needed to beat Denver and have other game results go their way, but they couldn't take care of business against the Gold. Denver was locked into the #5 seed so they sat QB Andrew Brewer in favor of Hassan Hullinger. They also used 3rd string RB Eric Younker as the lead back today and he responded with 104 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Detroit hung tough, as the game was tied at 17 through 3 quarters, but the Gold broke through for 10 points in the 4th to save the Wheels from scoreboard watching.

Denver finishes 12-4, 2nd place in the West and they travel to Chicago wildcard weekend. Detroit finished 8-8, 3rd place in the Midwest, and the Wheels need to find a way to avoid their backup QB's cameo appearances, as they help nothing but their opponents.

Showboats 17 Hawaiians 0

According to MFN, Memphis just needed a win to claim the #6 seed. The Showboats have had QB issues this season which have been mitigated some thanks to RB Steve Ransome leading the league in rushing. Neither offense was particularly sharp today as the first half saw just one Gary Ridgeway FG and the Showboats took a 3-0 lead into halftime. Dennis Torres intercepted Edwin Clarkson in the 3rd quarter, returning it 46 yards for a TD and a 10-0 Memphis lead. Early in the 4th, RB turned QB, turned back to RB Erik McNamee had a 2 yard TD run to salt the game away.

Memphis finishes 10-6 and will travel to Portland for wildcard weekend. Honolulu finished 5-11, 3rd place in the Pacific.

(NY) Stars 38 Generals 38 (OT)

New Jersey might be hosting a playoff game next week but all eyes were on New York WR Albert Olson today as he was one big game away from breaking the single season receiving yard record. Damien Oleary was clearly trying to get Olson the record and they connected on a 65 yard TD on their opening drive. New Jersey benched the league's leading passer Don Ferguson so he'd be healthy for the playoffs, along with RBs David Koresh and Kurt Cobain as well as leading WR Duncan Meyer. The Generals still had plenty of offensive firepower as New Jersey scored the next 2 TDs. Both were Paul Marcum TD passes to Franklin Cherry for a 14-7 Generals lead. After an exchange of FGs, Oleary found Olson for 2 more long TD passes. The first one was 53 yards, the second 91 as the Stars led at the half 24-17. 

The second half was as explosive as the first, with Paul Marcum firing 3 TD passes to 2 for Oleary and we were tied after 60 minutes 38-38. Surprisingly OT came and went without any scoring and the Stars and Generals kiss their sisters in a tie, the league's first this season.

The teams combined for 1,216 yards with all of New York's 547 coming through the air. The QBs combined to complete 95/147, 1,070 yards, 10 TDs and 3 INTs. New Jersey might have won with better ball security as they lost 2 fumbles and Marcum threw 2 INTs. Marcum finished 47/71, 534 yards, 5 TD and 2 INT while Oleary was 48/76, 557 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and each QB was sacked once. Franklin Cherry did his best Albert Olson impression, catching 10 for 305 yards and 4 TDs, but the real Albert Olson caught 13 for 334 yards and 4 scores as he ends the season with 2,835 yards, besting mark Hsu's previous record by 90 yards.

New Jersey ends the regular season 11-4-1 and host Florida wildcard weekend. New York finishes 5-10-1, 3rd place in the East.

Federals 24 Hornets 3

Scott Bieber threw for 347 yards and 3 TD passes to lead Washington to victory as they gear up for what they hope is another trip to the World Bowl. WR Ronald Matthews caught 3 passes for 117 yards and 2 scores to lead the Federals offense as Washington tripled the Hornets total yards 458-148. The Federals defense intercepted 2 passes and held Charlotte to 1/14 on 3rd down. 

Washington finishes 15-1 with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Charlotte finishes 2-14 and will have a top 2 pick in the 1996 draft.

Renegades 22 Panthers 12

Orlando had the #2 seed and a BYE all wrapped up while Michigan needed to win and get help from other teams. It was a chilly 48 degrees at kickoff and both QBs failed to get hot during the game, with neither completing 50%. Michigan got on the board first with a FG and they led 9-3 midway through the 2nd when Trey Lyons threw a 10 yard TD pass to Arthur Devore and a 10-9 Renegades lead. The 3rd quarter saw an exchange of FGs, with Orlando going first to lead 13-9, then Michigan closing the gap to 13-12. With 3:20 to play, Orlando's Roger Radke's 7 yard TD run extended the Renegade's lead to 19-12. Michigan turned it over on downs and Orlando added a FG to ice the game.

Orlando finishes 14-2, good for the #2 seed and a BYE. Michigan finishes 9-7, 2nd place in the Midwest.

Stars 31 Steamer 6

Baltimore QB Jon Snow completed 19/24, 282 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs, with John Warkentin catching both scores among his 7 for 185 yards. RB William Halford rushed for 116 yards and the Stars dominated red zone play. Offensively, Baltimore scored TDs on all 3 red zone trips while they held Shreveport to a FG in 2 trips. Shreveport opted to start QB #2 James Wright since they were locked in as the #4 seed.

The result of our next game means that this was a playoff preview and a home and home series. This game was in Baltimore, and the Stars win makes them 10-6, good for 2nd place in the Atlantic and the #5 seed. Shreveport finishes 9-7, champions of the South, and they will host Baltimore wildcard weekend.

Thunderbolts 13 Blazers 6

Florida was locked into a wildcard spot coming into this game and they are literally and figuratively limping into the playoffs. Four time All Pro TE William Merkel heads the long Blazers injury list as he is Out for awhile with a severe knee injury (MFN says 14 weeks). Florida was hit particularly hard at RB and DE, and they fumbled 3 times today, although they recovered them all. Florida scored first and last with FGs, but in between, Sidney Maggard threw 2 INTs and Cleveland scored 13 points for the win. 

Florida finishes 9-7, 2nd place in the Southeast and will travel to New Jersey wildcard weekend. Cleveland finishes 7-9, 4th place in the Midwest.

Express 16 Invaders 13

Los Angeles needed a win over Oakland and some outside help that never came. It's never easy playing an AI team as you don't quite know what to expect. Oakland took the opening drive 75 yards, taking a 7-0 lead on James Moon's 2 yard TD run. The Invaders would add a FG on their next drive for a 10-0 lead. Los Angeles finally got on the board with a FG, then in the 3rd, Gary Sappington's 5 yard run tied the game at 10. Oakland retook the lead 13-10 with a 3rs qtr FG but the Express got a pair of Mario Price FGs in the 4th, one to tie and one to win the game inside the 2 minute warning.

Los Angeles finished 10-6, 2nd place in the Pacific. Oakland finished 5-11, 4th place in the West.

VooDoo 13 Maulers 6

This game featured a pair of teams heading home for the season and it showed in the uninspired performance of the players. There was not much offense to speak of today and the score was 6-6 in the middle of the 4th quarter as each team made 2 FGs. The only TD of the game came with 5:32 left when Will Allison was intercepted by Michael Nieves who took it 22 yards to the end zone. Allison would throw another INT on the Maulers last drive to preserve the New Orleans victory.

New Orleans finishes 5-11, tied for 3rd in the South. Pittsburgh finishes 4-12, 3rd place in the Atlantic.

Outlaws 23 Wranglers 22

These teams are improved over last year, when they combined for 2 wins, with one of Oklahoma's wins coming against 0-16 Arizona. The Wranglers struggled after a 4-1 start, but their young players gained valuable experience and despite today's loss, there is some optimism for the future. Oklahoma has struggled in the 90's, with this season's 4 wins matching the decade's high water mark. Arizona QB Brian Carmichael led the Wranglers to a TD on their opening drive with a 17 yard TD pass to Michael Jones. Carmichael finished 21/26, 228 yards and a TD, but Arizona struggled in the red zone, settling for 4 FGs in 5 red zone trips. John Crisp completed 17/21 for 255 yards and 2 TDs, both in the 4th quarter. Both teams had their RBBC working with the Wranglers getting 204 yards on the ground with no one getting more than 57. If Arizona was able to convert better in the red zone, then John Crisp wouldn't have been able to throw the game winning TD in the final minute as the Outlaws come back down 10 points in the 4th to win the game.

Oklahoma finishes 4-12, 4th place in the Southwest. Arizona finishes 6-10, 3rd place in the West.

Stallions 23 Sun 9

Birmingham QB Willie Benge threw for 292 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Stallions to victory at Southern California. The Sun hung with the Stallions in yardage, out gaining Birmingham by 3 yards, but turnovers and the red zone cost them. Gary Wiggins threw for 338 yards, but had 3 INTs to 0 TDs and the Sun had just 3 points from 3 red zone trips. 

Birmingham finishes 5-11, tied for 3rd in the South. Southern California finishes 2-14, 4th in the Pacific and will pick 1st or 2nd in the 1996 draft.

Bulls 28 Bell 23

The best 4 drives of the game were the first 2 and the last 2, with some turnovers in between. Jacksonville got the ball first and drove 75 yards in 9 plays, with a 9 yard Derek Joyce TD pass to William Morrison giving the Bulls a 7-0 lead. Joseph Serio answered with a 75 yard drive of his own, but facing a 4th and goal inside the 1, Philadelphia opted for a FG to cut the lead to 7-3. It looked like a genius move when Philadelphia legally blocked a punt on the next possession to set up a short, 10 yard TD drive. Joyce then threw an interception to set up another Bell TD drive for a 17-7 Philadelphia lead. The tide turned here though, as Joseph Serio threw a pair of INTs leading to a pair of Derek Joyce TD passes. That gave Jacksonville a 21-17 halftime lead.

Derek Joyce finished 37/47, 347 yards, 4 TD and 1 INT, and his last scoring pass came late in the 3rd to extend the Bulls lead to 28-17. Joseph Serio completed 24/32, 227 yards, 3 TD and 3 INT. His last TD pass came in the middle of the 4th capping a 13 play, 80 yard drive. The 2 point try failed and the Bell were down 5 with 6:46 to play. Plenty of time to get the ball back right? Right? Normally yes, but Joyce led a 17 play, 74 yard drive that could have resulted in points but Joyce knelt down 3 times following 1st and goal from the 2, taking all remaining time off the clock for a Jacksonville win.

Jacksonville finishes 6-10, 3rd place in the Southeast. Philadelphia finishes 5-11, 4th place in the East.

Force 20 Bandits 17

We'll skip right to the 3rd quarter as the first half was a scoreless tie. Georgia recovered a fumble, one of 5 they forced on the day (recovering 3) and that led to a Thomas Jacobi 30 yard TD pass to Glen Hampton for a 7-0 lead. Tampa Bay would get a FG to cut it to 7-3 before the Force got that back. The first 48 minutes saw 13 total points as Georgia led 10-3, but the final 12 minutes were as exciting as the rest of the game was not. Tampa Bay was driving late when Darren Cotton fumbled trying for yards after the catch, with Georgia recovering. One 67 yard pass from Jacobi to Hampton later and the Force led 17-3. Antonio Martinez quickly got the Bandits into the end zone with a 53 yard pass to Earl Noble. Time was running out, so the onside kick came and failed initially, but Matthew Taylor fumbled it away before being down and the Bandits recover the loose ball. Tampa faced a 4th and goal from the 8 with just over 1:00 to play and Martinez found Wm Jones for the 8 yard TD that tied the game at 17. Martinez finished the game 31/55, 354 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT with Darren Cotton catching 13 for 116 yards. Thomas Jacobi was 22/37, 297 yards and 2 TDs, both to Glen Hampton, who caught 8 for 159 overall. Jacobi led the Force into FG range and James May was good on a 36 yard FG as time expired to give Georgia the thrilling victory to avoid OT.

Georgia finished 8-8, 2nd place in the South. Tampa bay finished 5-11, 4th place in the Southeast.

Week 15: How the West Was Won

 Just one regular season game left and 10 of 12 playoff spots are spoken for. Week 16 will feature 5 teams fighting for 2 spots, details here. Let's dive right into Week 15 action.

Storm 10 Gold 7

Denver and Portland met for the second time this season with the West division title on the line. The loser will still be a wildcard, but not having a chance at a BYE week hurts in this loaded playoff field. The Gold got on the scoreboard first after a Max Ellis 6 yard TD run. That capped a 10 play, 90 yard drive for Denver, but any thoughts of a shootout wild, wild, west style were quickly dissipated as the defenses took over. The 7-0 Gold lead held up until midway through the 3rd, when Denver went for a 4th and 1 from the Portland 4 yard line. The measurement was short and replay confirmed it, and Portland took over, still down 7-0. Fast forward to the 4th, 9:15 to play, and Denver faced another 4th and 1, this one from the Storm 14. Just like before, Ray Anderson ran the ball, the measurement was short, and replay confirmed it. 

Melvin Driggers led a 10 play, 66 yard drive and Donald Atkins got Portland on the board with a FG. Trailing 7-3 with less than 4 minutes to play, some teams might try an onside kick but Portland kicked away and the Storm defense forced a three and out. This time Driggers led a 10 play, 71 yard drive that ended with a short TD pass to Jeffrey Frost. Denver would have had 41 seconds for a tying FG drive if Jerry Murphy didn't fumble the kickoff return. He did though, and the Storm nearly added another TD, losing a fumble on 4th and goal from the 1, which Denver recovered in the end zone. Andrew Brewer completed 2 passes but ran out of time and Portland wins the West.

Panthers 19 Blitz 10

Michigan faced a must win game against Chicago and the Panthers defense keyed on the best Blitz playmaker John Gates. They held Gates to 43 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards and a TD on 5 receptions. Michigan's offense struggled in the red zone, getting FGs on all 4 trips, with a Larry Henderson 33 yard TD pass to Lawrence Schroeder thrown in. Schroeder led Michigan with 69 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards on 6 receptions as the Panthers led at the half 16-0. They exchanged FGs in the 2nd half before Ronald Brown found Gates for a short TD pass to make the final score closer, but Michigan hangs on for the important win.

Steamer 17 Express 16

Los Angeles traveled to rainy Shreveport to face the South division champs. With the division wrapped up, the Steamer started James Wright at QB, and he played decent. It's hard to match the 7 TDs in his previous start as he had 0 today, but he also didn't turn the ball over, completing 28/37 for 194 yards. Los Angeles scored first, taking an early 3-0 lead before Orville Barker's short TD run gave Shreveport a 7-3 lead. In the 2nd qtr, David Tavarez connected with Patrick Peavey for a 20 yard TD pass as the Express took the lead back, and they extended it to 13-7 with a FG at the end of the half. Orville Barker ran for 65 yards and his 2nd short TD run gave the Steamer the lead again 14-13. Los Angeles would get a FG late in the 3rd for yet another lead change, then mid 4th, Jeffrey Smith made the score 17-16 with a 44 yard FG. The Express offense couldn't get in FG range the rest of the game as the Steamer hold on for the narrow victory.

Gamblers 34 Outlaws 7

Houston said they changed their gameplan, but the box score shows the same old Gamblers. Tony Dean threw for 276 yards and 4 TDs while the defense held Oklahoma to 209 total yards and the Outlaws only score came late in the game down 34-0. The star of the game for the Gamblers was RB Donald Turner, who had a double triple. Turner ran for 114 yards and caught 3 passes for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Dean's other 2 scores went to Anthony Fulks, who caught 6 for 113 yards overall. 

SaberCats 22 Hawaiians 14

This game took place December 10th, but with this being the last time they see San Jose, QB Edwin Clarkson played Santa a little early. Clarkson gift wrapped 6 INTs for the SaberCats defense, but the game was in doubt until the last 2 presents. Clarkson gave 3 first half gifts that San Jose only turned into 3 points, but the SaberCats scored 10 more first half points thanks to a FG and a Jake Plummer TD pass to Mark Hsu. That 13-0 lead lasted until the 4th, when Clarkson found Michael Argueta for a 46 yard TD pass. Plummer responded with another TD pass to Hsu, this one for 73 yards. That gave San Jose a 19-7 lead as the 2 point try failed. Clarkson got the Hawaiians back in the game with a 41 yard TD pass to Luis Martinez. San Jose responded with a FG for an 8 point lead but Honolulu's last 2 drives ended with Clarkson gifts.

Showboats 34 Gunslingers 3

Memphis continues their playoff run by doubling the rushing attempts of San Antonio but gaining almost 10 times as many yards (210-22). Norman Maldonado played decent, completing 25/38, 255 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and the Showboats converted 12/17 3rd downs. USFL leading rusher ran for 132 yards and 2 TDs and caught 4 for 44 yards and another score. Erik McNamee has been back at RB now and he chipped in 72 yards and a TD as Memphis got out to a 20-0 halftime lead, then continued the momentum in the second half.

Wheels 38 Bandits 7

Detroit won the game going away as the Wheels had much better QB play than Tampa Bay. The yardage was similar for both, but Gabriel Flanagan tossed 5 TD passes while Antonio Martinez threw 4 INTs. Tampa Bay ran much better than Detroit, 5 ypc to less than 2, but the Bandits had slippery fingers, fumbling 3 times, losing 2. Gabriel Flanagan spread the passing yardage around to several different receivers, but Matthew Houston caught 3 of his 5 TD passes. Tampa Bay cut Detroit's lead to 14-7 early in the 2nd, then the Wheels went on a 24-0 run to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Federals 27 Maulers 0

The first half was a struggle for both offenses as Washington had the only 3 points before the break. Edwin Clarkson wasn't the only QB to play Santa Claus as Will Allison threw 4 INTs, all in the second half. The first 2 enabled the Federals to begin those drives in the red zone. It didn't take very long for Robert Trammell to find the end zone either time, scoring on a 15 yard run and a 20 yard TD catch. Just before the 3rd qtr ended, Allison threw INT #3, and Billy McCaa figured he'd save Trammell the trouble of scoring a 3rd TD by returning it 13 yards for a TD.In the 4th qtr, Allison threw INT #4, which led to a FG and Washington earns home field advantage.

Blazers 24 Renegades 13

Orlando out gained Florida 412-284 and had a better 3rd down conversion rate (6/21 vs 1/15), yet the Renegades lost by double digits. The main reason for the yards discrepancy is Orlando ran 28 more plays than Florida, and actually had a slightly lower yards per play average. The Renegades offense sort of looked like New Jersey, peppering the defense with a ball control passing attack, as Trey Lyons completed 36/71, 343 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and they scored the first 6 points of the game with a pair of FGs. Florida's defense was more all or nothing, and it was all nothing until Sidney Maggard connected with Richard Carstens for an 80 yard TD pass and a 7-6 lead. Orlando rookie RB Anthony Milan had a combined 161 yards, including 7 catches, 109 yards and a TD from Lyons to answer the Blazers big play. Orlando now led 13-7, but they were done scoring for the day. Maggard gave the Blazers the lead inside the 2 minute warning with a TD pass to Perry Salgado and increased it in the 3rd with his 2nd long TD pass to Richard Carstens. The rest of the game was mostly punts, with Orlando turning it over on downs a couple of times, allowing the Blazers to increase their lead to 24-13. Sidney Maggard only completed 12/25, but those 12 went for 230 yards and 3 TDs. Richard Carstens ended with a stat line of 3-149-2.

Generals 27 Bell 21

Speaking of New Jersey, the Generals offense out gained Philadelphia 427-290, but had a slightly lower yards per play as they ran 79 plays to the Bell's 53. Don Ferguson completed 40/50, 344 yards and 2 TDs while Joseph Serio was 15/34, 268 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT for Philadelphia. The Generals had been having injury issues at RB, having to resign rookie RB Timothy McVeigh. They got David Koresh back for this game, but sat Cobain and Beckett for injuries. Koresh responded with 17 carries for 60 yards and a TD to go with 10 receptions covering 82 yards while McVeigh had a combined 112 yards and a receiving TD, leading the Generals with 86 yards through the air. New Jersey led 24-7 at the half but had to hold on at the end as Philadelphia mounted a late comeback that fell short. 

Stars 34 Invaders 3

Oakland had the more efficient QB while Baltimore had the more productive one. Andrew Moreno completed 26/33, 143 yards, 0 TD and 1 INT for the Invaders while Jon Snow completed 24/43, 395 yards, 3 TD and 3 INT. John Warkentin caught 2 of Snow's scoring tosses as part of his 4 catch, 123 yard game. RB William Halford had a combined 132 yards with 62 rushing and 70 receiving as the Stars gear up for their January trip to Shreveport or New Jersey.

Breakers 29 (NY) Stars 27

New York is out of the playoffs but WR Albert Olson is having a terrific season, and his 12 catches for 294 yards and 3 TDs today give him 2,501 yards for the season. Olson needs 245 receiving yards against New Jersey to break Mark Hsu's record 2,745 yards from 1993, and he torched the Generals for 228 last time. On a side note, how in the hell do the New Jersey Generals keep popping up in seemingly every game thread? 

New York only had the ball 17:35 but they gained 459 total yards as the Stars called just 1 running play all game. Damien Oleary was 36/65, 463 yards, 4 TD and 2 INT and Olson wasn't the only big play receiver for New York today, catching 4 for 101 yards and a TD. RB William Hall was upset at not getting any carries but he did get 13 catches for 57 yards.

All of this New York talk and they didn't even win the game. Boston's offense moved the ball well, gaining 373 yards, including 123 on the ground and the Breakers were turnover free. They couldn't crack the end zone however, settling for 2 FGs in 3 red zone trips and overall, K Curtis Zuniga made 5/6 FG tries. Boston might have been buried in the beginning as Oleary had 2 early TD passes but Boston KR Gregory Williams returned each kickoff for a TD. When the Stars went up 7-0, Williams added his name to the list of players with the maximum 110 yard return, then not learning their lesson, kicked off to Williams again after going up 14-7. He made them pay with a 106 yard TD to tie the game at 14. Over the next 3 quarters, Boston would add 4 FGs for a 26-14 lead, with the last FG coming just inside the 2 minute warning. Oleary then found his boy Olson for a 74 yard TD pass to make it 26-21. New York recovered the onside kick and Oleary promptly found Olson again, this time for 53 yards to take the lead. The 2 point try failed, then Boston drove into FG range where Zuniga made FG #5 at the gun to give the Breakers a victory.

Thunderbolts 13 Bulls 6

Tony Romo completed 23/29 for 210 yards and he threw for the game's only TD. Romo found Bobby Colley for a 5 yard TD late in the 3rd to break a 6-6 tie. The rest of the game was mostly punts while Jacksonville missed a FG and had the clock run out on them with the ball in Cleveland territory. 

VooDoo 33 Sun 13

New Orleans RB Thomas Thomas didn't score but he led the VooDoo with 92 rushing yards and 67 receiving yards while as a whole, the RBBC had 40 carries, 173 yards and 2 TDs. New Orleans did turn the ball over 3 times, with two coming on Joseph Jones INTs, but the VooDoo defense forced 5 by Southern California. Red zone was not a happy place for either team as New Orleans had just 2 TDs in 6 trips (2 FGs, 2 nothing) while the Sun had 1 TD and 2 FGs in their 3 trips. New Orleans led 13-3 at the half, then scored the first 17 points of the second half for a commanding 30-3 lead. 

 Force 20 Stallions 19

Georgia got a Paul Meade TD run and a FG for a halftime lead of 10-3. Force QB Thomas Jacobi found Glen Hampton for a 76 yard TD pass early in the 3rd for a 17-3 lead. Willie Benge then mounted a comeback, firing a pair of TD passes to Felix Nguyen, but the XP was missed after the second score, leaving Birmingham trailing 17-16. The Stallions then took the lead on a FG with 4:42 to play but Jacobi led Georgia to a FG of their own in the final minute for a come from behind after a comfortable lead was blown victory. They all count the same in the standings though.

Wranglers 7 Hornets 6

Charlotte took the lead in the middle of the 2nd on a FG then Brian Carmichael answered with a 13 play, 75 yard TD drive. TE Daniel Lorenz was on the receiving end of Carmichael's 6 yard scoring toss and Arizona took that 7-3 lead into halftime. As the 3rd quarter changed to the 4th, Charlotte was in the middle of their best drive of the game, going 77 yards in 14 plays, but the 14th play was an INT, thwarting the scoring opportunity. Charlotte did get a 55 yard FG inside the 2 minute warning but the onside kick failed. The Wranglers had to punt but they pinned the Hornets at their own 6 and left them just 0:49 to get into FG range, but Charlotte couldn't get across their own 30. Arizona hangs on for their 6th win of the season, which is one more win than they had in the 1990's heading into this season (5-75 from 1990-1994). 

Week 14: Schedule Glitches and the Stretch Run Begin

 Other than exploit ball, the most frustrating thing about MFN are the standings glitches. In case you're new or been living under a rock, you should pay little attention to the "x" and "e", as there is something in the code that screws this up. JDB has said they use NFL tiebreakers, but at some point MFN diverges from that and I've never had a clear answer as to where. The teams involved, Georgia, Florida, and Detroit are all aware of the situation this season, but it will likely come up again in the future.

Week 14 had a lot of games featuring playoff hopefuls, but with just 2 weeks to play, the number of teams in contention are dwindling. The playoff rundown is here.

Gamblers 26 Panthers 10

No special teams shenanigans this week for the Gamblers as they put a dent in the Michigan playoff chances with today's victory. After an early FG, Tony Dean tossed a pair of first half TD passes as Houston led 23-0 at the break. Michigan scored a 3rd qtr FG and got a Larry Henderson TD pass early in the 4th to pull within 23-10, but the Gamblers defense stiffened the rest of the game. Tony Dean completed 28/50, 331 yards, 2 TD and an INT while Lloyd Ellis had a 128 combined yards, leading the team in rushing and receiving yards.

Blitz 16 Outlaws 10

Chicago earned a hard fought win today, and coupled with New Jersey's loss, the Blitz are now the hottest team in the league. The defenses ruled the first half, as each team could only muster a FG. In the 3rd qtr, Oklahoma took advantage of good starting field position, thanks to their punter pinning the Blitz at their 1. John Crisp led the Outlaws down the field and Douglas Arnold's 2 yard TD run gave Oklahoma a 10-3 lead. The Chicago offense finally put together back to back TD drives in the 4th as Dale Davis ran in the first score from 3 yards out, then Ronald Brown had a 6 yard TD pass to David Karim. The XP was no good following the 2nd TD, but the Blitz still led 16-10, and Oklahoma's last 2 drives ended on an INT and on downs. Chicago now has sole possession of 1st place in the Midwest.

Wheels 10 SaberCats 3

Detroit played pretty good on offense today, rushing for 133 yards, with 370 total yards, had 1 turnover (so did San Jose), converted 8/17 on 3rd down and had 5 red zone trips. The red zone was quite an adventure for the Wheels as they got all of 10 points out of all the red zone action, thanks mainly to K Kent Olden missing 4/5 FG tries. I don't know if Olden had the bad day, or if it was holder or snapper related, but no matter how you slice it, that's too many points to leave on the field. Good thing for Detroit their defense shut down the 4th ranked offense of San Jose. The Wheels held the SaberCats to just 137 yards, well off their average of 407. They sacked Jake Plummer 3 times and kept them out of the red zone all day. The second half was scoreless, but at least it was 58 degrees at kickoff in Detroit so the fans didn't freeze.

Storm 44 Invaders 0

This was likely the last chance Portland has to win a game by such a high margin as the Storm will face nothing but playoff teams until next season. Portland didn't force any turnovers but their defense held Oakland to 115 total yards, while Melvin Driggers and Jeffrey Frost led a 548 yard offensive attack. Driggers was 30/42, 290 yards, 5 TD, and 1 INT while Frost had 195 combined yards, rushing for 151 and a TD. Jose Moses chipped in 70 rushing yards and led the team in receiving yards, catching 6 for 82 yards and a TD. Richard Robinson had 79 receiving yards and 2 TDs as Driggers spread the ball around.

Gold 37 Sun 0

It's safe to say neither Portland or Denver were looking ahead to their rematch next week that will help determine who wins the West and possibly a BYE. You just read about the Storm's shutout win and the Gold matched them defensively. Denver held Southern California to 109 total yards, sacking Gary Wiggins twice and intercepting him 3 times. Andrew Brewer threw for 239 yards and 2 TDs while Fredrick Whidden ran for 134 yards and a TD to lead the Gold offense. Denver scored their first points via punt return, with Douglas Crowley taking one 81 yards for a TD. Overall, the Sun barely had the ball as Denver hogged it for 45:30.

Express 27 Thunderbolts 13

Los Angeles took another step toward a wildcard berth as David Tavarez completed 22/28, 251 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT while getting support from the running game scoring 2 TDs as the Express got out to a 17-3 halftime lead. Cleveland tried to come back in the second half, but could not get any closer than 7 points. The Thunderbolts hung with Los Angeles in yardage, but they lost the turnover battle 3-1 behind 2 Tony Romo INTs. There were a combined 8 red zone trips and all had scoring but Los Angeles got the best of that, with 3 TD and 2 FG in 5 trips. Cleveland's 3 trips resulted in 1 TD and 2 FG. 

Showboats 27 Generals 6

Memphis opted to go back to Norman Maldonado at QB, but the Showboats would need a good game from their defense as they hosted East winners New Jersey and their #1 ranked offense. Maldonado gave Memphis an early 7-0 lead with a 43 yard TD pass to Mark Glenn then added a FG after recovering a New Jersey fumble. The Generals clawed back with a pair of Al Borland FGs to trail at the half 10-6. New Jersey got the ball to start the 3rd qtr and Don Ferguson wasted little time giving Memphis good field position with his first INT of the game. The Showboats cashed it in when USFL leading rusher Steve Ransome scored the first of his 2 second half TD runs. The Generals defense bottled him up, allowing just 57 yards on 25 carries but Ransome was also the leading receiver with 88 yards. New Jersey's offense couldn't put drives together as they ended the game punt, punt, punt, downs, INT, INT. 

Federals 62 Hornets 9

Washington dominated Charlotte, yet the box score doesn't quite look like you think it would. Charlotte had 17 first downs, Washington 8...Charlotte converted 9/26 on third down, Washington 2/13...Charlotte QB Robert Ament completed 34/67 while Washington's Scott Bieber was 13/24. Charlotte also had a slight edge in time of possession and there were a combined 17 accepted penalties. Now for numbers you expect...Scott Bieber threw for 359 yards on those 13 completions, including 5 TDs while Ament got 264 yards from his 34 completions...39 if you count his 5 completions to Washington defensive players (I could have just said INT's, whatever lol). The only TD pass Ament threw was a pick six to Billy McCaa. Federals RB Robert Trammell had 60 yards rushing with another 111 and 2 TDs on 6 catches while fellow RB James Dunn ran for 123 and 2 scores.

Renegades 10 VooDoo 6

Not sure if the Orlando players are just tired or if their strategy is to play like crap to get it out of their system before the playoffs, but whatever it was it almost got them beat. The Orlando defense intercepted Joseph Jones on the opening drive and Trey Lyons turned that into a 13 yard TD pass to Rufus Williams. The Renegades forced a three and out, then added a FG for a quick 10-0 lead. At this point Orlando pulled a Costanza, feeling they hit their high note they just up and left.

They didn't really walk off the field, but they were done being productive as Lyons ended up throwing 3 INTs. New Orleans couldn't take advantage however, letting the Renegades off the hook for their uninspired performance.

Steamer 30 Bandits 6

Shreveport beat Tampa Bay and clinched the South division in the process. This game boiled down to the play of the 2 QBs, as George Marcil completed 25/33, albeit for just 156 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. The Steamer also ran the ball often, even if they didn't run well. Their RBBC combined to rush 41 times for 101 yards and the offense held the ball over 40 minutes and had 7 red zone possessions. For Tampa Bay, I am running out of ways to describe how bad Antonio Martinez plays at times, but I think I have this game covered...disastrous. Martinez completed just 15/53 for 188 yards and 7 INTs. Without WR Luis Dean (6-112), I shudder to think how bad the stat line would be for MarINTez (I know it's spelled wrong).

Blazers 13 Stallions 0

Florida may have broken their TD drought but their offense is still sluggish as they close in on a wildcard berth (they already have it if you believe MFN and their standings of lies). Birmingham held the Blazers to 213 offensive yards, 55 rushing on 35 carries, 2/14 on 3rd down and just 2 FGs in 3 red zone trips. The only problem is the Stallions offense wasn't any better except for 3rd down, where they converted 5/17. The biggest difference was turnovers as Florida lost a fumble but Birmingham QB Willie Benge threw 3 INTs. The Stallions crossed the 50 three times with those drives ending INT, punt, missed FG.

End of Blog for this week

 Sorry if I didn't get to your game, but I got sidetracked by some stupid stuff and now I have to find 2 new owners instead of 1. I've been up nearly 24 hours, I need to eat and I won't be in the mood to finish this tomorrow.

Week 13: No More Zeros

 Orlando was the last undefeated team standing, but they didn't stay there long. The Jacksonville Bulls upset the Renegades and now there are no zeros in anyone's W-L record unless you count the one in 10. In fact everyone has at least 2 wins, first time in awhile I think that we've had no 1 win teams. I'm not going to spend a lot of blog time rehashing playoff scenarios, as they can be found in our league forums right here. 

Gamblers 27 Gold 10

We had a clash of recent champions that would go a long way in determining seeding for this year's World Bowl tournament. This game wasn't without controversy as the Houston special teams coach was fired for illegal substitution/insubordination/dereliction of duty. GM/Owner Cjfred68 said after the game "I don't know what that guy was thinking, sending Hugh Chance out on the punt block team. Like nobody is going to notice #84 on the front four, come on man. We take pride in our history and legacy and cheating has no place here."

As for the game itself, Houston jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a pair of Tony Dean TD passes. Denver's defense made the Gamblers work for it, as their longest play from scrimmage was 36 yards. Dean threw 3 TD passes in all and spread the ball around to several different receivers as the Gamblers had a 21-3 halftime lead. The illegal punt block came in the 3rd quarter and led to a FG for Houston and Denver never got closer than 14 points the rest of the game.

Bulls 20 Renegades 17

The mistakes started early as Jacksonville was intercepted on the 2nd play from scrimmage but Orlando couldn't convert the 48 yard FG, pushing it wide right. Derek Joyce then led the Bulls on a TD drive with a 4 yard TD pass to Anthony Holland. That would be his only TD pass today and would throw 2 more INTs. Trey Lyons then tied the game for Orlando at the beginning of the 2nd quarter with the first of his 2 TD passes. Our halftime score was 7-7 and the Renegades scored the only points of the 3rd with a FG to take a 10-7 lead into the final 15 minutes. A Tyron Bailey TD run gave Jacksonville a 14-10 lead but Trey Lyons took it back for Orlando with a TD pass to Jesse Carr. Jacksonville had to punt on their next possession, but they were able to pin Orlando at their own 2, and following a 3 and out, took over at the 50 down 3. They used all but 30 seconds and tied the game with a FG. In hindsight, Orlando should have just played for OT, but hindsight is always 20/20. Lyons tossed a costly INT with 20 seconds left that put Jacksonville in instant FG range. Bulls K Neal Williams has missed just 2 FG tries all year and this kick at the end of regulation wasn't one of them as he splits the uprights to give Orlando their first L of the season.

Federals 13 Maulers 3

Washington held the ball nearly 42 minutes so Scott Bieber tried to make it fair by throwing 3 INTs. Will Allison and the Pittsburgh offense couldn't sustain drives though, and the Maulers scored just 3 points all game. Bieber got Washington on the scoreboard toward the end of the first half with a 6 yard pass to Andrew Favela. John Bazile booted a pair of 2nd half FGs and RB Robert Trammell had a combined 193 yards as Washington is back in play for the #1 seed.

Steamer 33 Force 25

Georgia and Shreveport faced off today and the winner would have sole possession of first place while the loser will be on the outside looking in, needing help to crash the postseason party. The Force out gained the Steamer 395-247 but turnovers and special teams mistakes were Georgia's downfall today. Thomas Jacobi completed 31/43, 321 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT and he led the Force to an early 10-0 lead with a 32 yard TD pass to Glen Hampton and a FG drive. Shreveport got on the board on the ensuing kickoff when James McMahon took it 103 yards for a TD. QB George Marcil returned to action today after missing last weeks game with a hand injury, and Marcil gave the Steamer a 13-10 lead with a 15 yard TD pass to Jeffrey Morris. Morris struck again in the 3rd quarter with a 4 yard TD run before Georgia got a FG and a Timothy Arnold INT return for a TD. Billy Thompson missed the XP (and also missed a FG today) so the score entering the 4th was 20-19 Steamer. Marcil bounced back from that INT with a 46 yard TD pass to David Shafer, then a later FG gave Shreveport a 30-19 lead. Jacobi then hooked up with Glen Hampton for a 67 yard TD pass, but the 2 point try failed. Trailing by 5 inside of 2 minutes, they tried an onside kick, which failed, then Shreveport adds a FG and intercepts Jacobi to seal the win. Glen Hampton had a monster game with 9 catches, 196 yards and 2 TDs.

Storm 33 Showboats 13

If anyone has a QB to trade in the offseason, Memphis will likely be interested although I'm not sure if Tony Dean would have helped the Showboats today, as Portland's offense produced 536 yards. Memphis went three and out on their first drive, pinning the Storm on their own 4. Melvin Driggers then led a 15 play, 96 yard TD drive that took nearly 8 minutes off the clock. Memphis would answer with a FG but Portland went on a 16-0 run the rest of the half. Melvin Driggers tossed a pair of TD passes and Donald Atkins made a FG but missed an XP for a halftime score of 23-3 Storm. The Portland scoring run continued in the 3rd, building the lead to 33-3 before a late Memphis rally fell way short. Driggers was 36/47, 437 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT and Jeffrey Frost had a combined 197 yards and 2 TDs. Portland converted 12/18 third downs, while allowing the Showboats just 3/11. 

SaberCats 27 Wranglers 12

Arizona scored first for a 3-0 lead before Jake Plummer found Mark Hsu for TDs of 29 and 86 yards, sandwiching a FG for San Jose as the SaberCats took a 17-3 lead. Arizona cut it to 17-6 by halftime but Jake Plummer's 3rd TD pass pushed the San Jose lead to 24-6 and that was all she wrote for the Wranglers. Arizona hung close in total yardage, but they had to settle for FGs while San Jose was scoring TDs, and the Wranglers defense had no answer for Mark Hsu today, as Hsu caught 5 for 151 yards and 2 TDs.

Blitz 21 Bandits 14

Chicago is one of the hottest teams in the league, winning their 5th straight game despite scoring 21 the hard way. Tampa Bay out gained the Blitz 377-238 and was better in the red zone, as each team made 4 trips inside the 20 with the Bandits getting 2 TDs and Chicago 2 FGs. Tampa Bay converted 7/13 on 3rd down, while holding Chicago to 2/16. That's where the good ends for the Bandits as RB Charles Granier lost 4 fumbles and Antonio Martinez tossed 2 INTs. Martinez wasn't all bad, completing 26/43, 310 yards, 2 TD and those 2 INTs, but losing the turnover battle 6-0 meant Chicago would kick Tampa Bay to death, as Evan Joseph booted 7/8 FGs in the Blitz victory.

Hawaiians 13 Panthers 0

Honolulu entered the game having lost 3 in a row and 9 of 10 and had to face the stingiest scoring defense in the league. Michigan has allowed 148 points in 13 games (11.4 ppg), yet were just 8-4 thanks to an offense in the middle of the pack in scoring. Today's shutout loss gives Michigan 5 losses, while the other 5 teams in the league that have allowed less than 200 points have combined for just 8 losses. The Panthers defense did their job today, holding Honolulu to 13 points and less than 300 yards, but the offense was held in check by the Hawaiians 26th ranked defense. Michigan can't even blame turnovers, as they had none. They simply had trouble producing yards and first downs, gaining 147 total yards and 6 first downs with a combined 3/21 on 3rd/4th down conversions. This game was a scoreless tie for nearly 42 minutes until Edwin Clarkson connected with Robert Shuler for a 3 yard TD that would end up the game winning score.

Express 21 VooDoo 6

New Orleans hung with current #6 seed Los Angeles in yardage, but the VooDoo had less scoring chances and some early mistakes got them in an early 14-0 hole. New Orleans missed a FG on the opening drive, then David Tavarez threw a 16 yard TD pass to Robert Lott for an early 7-0 Los Angeles lead. James Jones then threw an INT in his own end of the field, but the Express fumbled it back. New Orleans took over on their 4 and had to punt, and Juan Nichols ended the short, 45 yard TD drive with a 2 yard scoring run. New Orleans chipped away with a pair of FGs to trail 14-6 at the half, but the VooDoo made just 1 red zone trip all day and couldn't make up the early deficit. In contrast, Los Angeles made 4 red zone trips, scoring 3 TDs.RB Gary Sappington had a combined 141 yards and a receiving TD for the Express.

Thunderbolts 16 Wheels 13 (OT)

This game featured 679 combined yards, 8 total turnovers (7 INTs), 0/4 in the red zone with 3 FGs, and extra football. Detroit QB Gabriel Flanagan did his best Antonio Martinez impression, completing 33/56, 343 yards, 1 TD and 4 INT while backup Steve Abrego completed 5/14 for 20 yards and an INT. For the life of me, I don't understand why Abrego pops up in most every box score, but IMO he's cost the Wheels at least a couple of wins as Flanagan is clearly the better QB. Detroit alternated the 2 QBs on their final OT drive and Flanagan's 4th INT gave Cleveland the ball just outside the red zone, leading to Cleveland's game winning FG. 

Generals 32 Blazers 10

With Orlando finally losing, the longest win streak in the league now belongs to New Jersey. The Generals have now won 6 in a row thanks to the #1 offense in the league in terms of points and yards. Today was no different as New Jersey racked up 447 yards and 32 points, their 11th game of 30+ points this year, as they hog the ball for over 41 minutes. Don Ferguson throws way more passes than anyone else, which I don't mind as it keeps my leaky defense off the field. Today, Ferguson completed 39/67, 383 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT as the Generals leaned on the pass more than normal. Sam Beckett was the only healthy RB today, and he responded with 140 combined yards as New Jersey got out to a 26-0 lead, then cruised to victory.

Stars 40 Hornets 6

Jon Snow really likes facing Charlotte this season, although he fell well short of the 10 TD passes he lit the Hornets up with earlier this season. Snow was 26/36, 462 yards and 4 TDs, all to different receivers as he led Baltimore to their 5th win in the last 7 games. WR John Warkentin caught 5 for 130 yards and a TD while RB William Halford had a combined 139 yards and a receiving TD. The Stars had chances to make the score more lopsided, but the offense had to settle for FGs 4 times.

Outlaws 35 Bell 32

Oklahoma had their best offensive game of the season as the Outlaws had 368 yards of offense and a season high 35 points. Philadelphia had more yards, 448, but they also had 2 turnovers while John Crisp and the Outlaws did not turn it over. Both QBs played well, with Joseph Serio completing 29/42, 316 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT, connecting with 10 different receivers. John Crisp completed 25/31, 248 yards and 4 TDs, connecting with 11 different receivers. This was a back and forth game, with 5 lead changes after Oklahoma scored first for a 7-0 lead. Philadelphia then scored 14 unanswered for lead change #1 (14-7 PHI). Oklahoma tied it and the halftime score was 14-14. In the 3rd, Philadelphia took a 17-14 lead, then Oklahoma went up 21-17 before yet another lead change with a Bell TD making the score 24-21 after 3. John Crisp then threw a pair of 4th qtr TD passes, the first one giving them the lead, the second extending it to 35-24. Serio brought the Bell back with a TD and 2 points inside the 2 minute warning but the onside kick failed, allowing Crisp to kneel down in victory formation.

Gunslingers 23 Breakers 10

San Antonio could be poised to make a playoff run in 1996 if they can add a player or 2 to help their offense score more consistently. Houston's Tony Dean is getting older and this is a QB driven league as Memphis knows all too well with their struggles this season. Charlie Shanks had 76 rushing yards and a TD, adding 61 receiving to lead the Gunslingers in both categories. Neither team turned the ball over and while Boston QB Adam Scales (26/36, 146 yards, 1 TD) was more efficient than Robert Fanelli (21/37, 216 yards, 1 TD), Fanelli enjoyed more help from his running game. The Gunslingers ran for 158 yards as a team, nearly 100 more yards than the Breakers (61 yards) and Fanelli converted 9/18 on 3rd down. San Antonio scored the first 17 points of the game, then held on for the win.

Stallions 17 (NY) Stars 14

New York has struggled this year, but where would they be without league leading WR Albert Olson? Today, Olson caught 4 for 124 and 2 TDs, including a 97 yard score, giving him 2,006 yards with 3 games to go. This is the 23rd 2,000 yard receiving season in league history and Olson needs 740 yards to pass Mark Hsu for most yards in a season. There was a game involving players on both teams, and offensively, New York had little going on outside of Olson. Birmingham controlled the ball 40 minutes, converted 10/23 third downs while holding the Stars to 2/11, yet the Stallions found themselves trailing 14-9 at the 2 minute warning as all that ball control produced just 3 FGs. Birmingham QB Willie Benge completed 44/59 for 287 yards and he took over on his own 47 after a punt. Benge led an 8 play, 53 yard TD drive as Stanley Gordon punched it in from 2 yards out with 0:08 on the clock. Benge then completed the 2 point pass to Gordon to pull out a last second, come from behind victory.

Sun 34 Invaders23

Matthew Tipps led Southern California with 51 rushing yards and a TD while catching 6 for 73 and another TD as the Sun take control of a close game in the second half to defeat Oakland. The Invaders actually out gained the Sun 442-399 but their 4 red zone trips produced 2 TD and a FG while the Sun went 4/4. Oakland K Lawrence Linville missed 2 FGs and an XP today. Not much to talk about stat wise other than Tipps and Oakland WR Juan Morgan, who caught 7 for 109 yards. Both teams use a RBBC and the Invaders had 10 players catch a pass while the Sun had 8 different receivers. 

Week 12: Orlando the Last of the Undefeated

 The Washington Federals played their 3rd consecutive former champion and couldn't complete the sweep, losing to the Denver Gold to leave the Orlando Renegades as the last undefeated team remaining. In the long run this won't hurt the Federals too much as they will most likely still get a BYE and they no longer have any self imposed pressure to try for a perfect record. Washington has a 2 game lead and a victory over New Jersey for the #2 seed and all that's left on the schedule are home and home with Charlotte and Pittsburgh. Speaking of New Jersey, the Generals clinched the East with their victory over Boston and they join San Jose and defending champion Houston in punching their playoff ticket.

We now know 5 of the 12 playoff teams, and they are all division winners, which leaves just 3 divisions with drama at the top. Denver and Portland are tied atop the West with 10-2 records, and it would take an epic collapse for one of these teams to miss the playoffs altogether. We also have a tie in the South between a pair of 6-6 teams, Georgia and Shreveport. In the National Conference, 6-6 puts the loser of this division in the middle of the wildcard hunt with most of the rest of the conference. Our third division with competition is the Midwest, where Michigan has a 1 game lead on a very hot Chicago Blitz and a 2 game lead on the Detroit Wheels.

Wildcard races look to be truly wild down the stretch, especially in the National Conference. Between 6-11 teams are in contention for 2 wildcard spots, depending on where you feel the line of contention falls. If the season ended today, you'd first ask me why we're only playing a 12 game season, but the Florida Blazers would be the #5 seed with their 7-5 record. Georgia and Shreveport are 6-6 but one will win the South, while the other would be in a tiebreaker with the Baltimore Stars for the last spot. Since the season has 4 games remaining, there is still time for the 5-7 teams to make a move. Tampa Bay has a playoff hopeful all 4 remaining games (Chicago, Shreveport, Detroit, Georgia) which is a tougher schedule than fellow 5-7 teams Boston and Philadelphia. Even with 4-8 records, Pittsburgh and New York are just 2 games out of a playoff spot while Jacksonville, Birmingham, and New Orleans are mathematically alive at 3-9. 

The American Conference wildcard race isn't as crowded as the National, with the loser of Denver/Portland likely grabbing the top wildcard spot. They both have 10-2 records, 3 games clear of the competition. That leaves 1 wildcard open for Los Angeles, Memphis, or Chicago. Those 3 teams are all 7-5, but Chicago also has a shot to win the Midwest which would put Michigan in this mix. Detroit is 6-6, not out of it, but they will need help, especially with San Jose and Denver still on the schedule. Oakland and Arizona need to get hot and have help as well, while San Antonio and Cleveland are mathematically alive, but on life support.

I started this blog late, so I'm planning on doing a quick review of the games.

Gold 30 Federals 21

Andrew Brewer threw for 273 yards and 3 TD passes, all to Douglas Crowley as the Gold got out to a 27-10 lead after 3 quarters. Crowley finished with 183 yards on 5 catches, with scoring plays of 56, 84, and 21 yards respectively. Washington cut the lead to 27-21 with 5 minutes to play but Denver ran the remaining time off the clock, tacking on a FG at the final gun.

Renegades 37 Bandits 14

Trey Lyons completed 31/43, 323 yards, 4 TD and 2 INT as Orlando scored 21 first quarter points to seize control of the game and remain unbeaten. Anthony Milan and Jose Rush led the Renegades rushing attack that gained 172 yards and helped Orlando hog the ball over 41 minutes. Orlando was also 5/5 in the red zone. For Tampa Bay, it was the bad Antonio Martinez again. Martinez completed just 22/54, 211 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT, and had no support from the running game.

Gamblers 20 Gunslingers 13

San Antonio did a lot of things right today, out gaining the champs 431-273 and not turning the ball over. Robert Fanelli was 31/47, 302 yards and a TD and Charlie Shanks led a RBBC that had 129 yards. The only thing the Gunslingers could have done better was finish drives. They settled for too many FGs, and missed a pair which would have altered the end game. San Antonio had the ball last, getting all the way down to the Houston 1, but couldn't get it in the end zone for the tying TD. Had Benjamin Regalado made those kicks, he would have had an opportunity for a game winning kick. He didn't, so he didn't and the Gamblers stay ahead of Denver/Portland for the all important BYE.

SaberCats 23 Express 19

Los Angeles needed to win if they had any hopes of winning the Pacific but division leaders San Jose scored first thanks to a Jake Plummer TD pass. David Tavarez then led the Express to 16 unanswered points with a pair of TD passes and a FG drive. The XP was no good following the first TD. Jake Plummer's 2nd TD pass got the SaberCats within 16-14 after 3 quarters, with Daniel Hartwig catching both (4-129-2). Los Angeles extended the lead to 19-14 midway through the 4th, but Plummer's 3rd TD pass gave San Jose the lead for good. That score went to Mark Hsu, and the 2 point try failed, but they would add a FG following a turnover on downs for the final margin. Los Angeles made little mistakes that cost them, in addition to the early missed XP, they lost the turnover battle 2-1 and scored just 2 TDs in 4 red zone trips.

Storm 24 Maulers 9

Portland traveled to rainy Pittsburgh and the Storm scored quickly thanks to a Melvin Driggers 72 yard pass to Richard Robinson. That was it in the first half for Portland, as the Maulers defense hung tough. Will Allison led a pair of long scoring drives, but they both fell short of the end zone as the Storm led at the half 7-6. Jose Moses had a 12 yard TD run to extend the lead in the 3rd quarter then Melvin Driggers found Jeffrey Frost for a 61 yard TD in the 4th for a 21-9 lead and the Maulers turned it over on downs their last 3 possessions. Richard Robinson caught 9 for 146 yards and a TD while Jeffrey Frost had a combined 178 yards (102 receiving) and a TD to lead the Portland offense.

Blitz 26 Panthers 21

Since a 1-3 start, Chicago has won 6 of their last 8, with their 2 losses coming at the hands of 12-0 Orlando and 11-1 Houston. The Michigan Panthers have led the Midwest most of the year, withstanding an early challenge from the Wheels, but now it's the Blitz coming up on the Panthers fast. Michigan still has games against 12-0 Orlando and 11-1 Houston coming up, plus a rematch with Chicago, so a win over the Blitz would really enhance their playoff chances. This was a back and forth game with 4 lead changes, so if this was a normal blog, I'd be writing a short story for this one. We'll skip to the 4th where Chicago had a 17-13 lead. Larry Henderson threw a 24 yard TD pass to Harvey Williams and Lawrence Schroeder ran in the 2 point try for a 21-17 Panthers lead. It only took Ronald Brown 2 plays to give the Blitz the lead back with a 26 yard TD pass to Daniel Johnson. Inside the 2 minute warning, Henderson was sacked in the end zone for a safety to extend the lead but Michigan recovered the onside free kick. The Blitz defense came up huge again, intercepting Henderson and sealing victory. RB John Gates paced the Chicago offense with 128 rushing yards and 66 receiving.

Generals 30 Breakers 6

Don Ferguson passed for 345 yards and 3 TDs to lead New Jersey over Boston. WR Duncan Meyer caught 6 for 162 yards and a TD while Kurt Cobain rushed for 103 yards, just the 2nd 100 yard game of his career. Cobain also chipped in 78 receiving yards on 11 catches. The Generals out gained the Breakers 497-191 and were pretty good on 3rd down, converting 9/15 and holding Boston to 2/13. 

Stallions 34 Force 17

If this were real life, the media would say Georgia got caught looking ahead to next week's showdown with Shreveport. The box score reads like the Stallions defense took it to the Force offense, forcing punts the whole first half. That doesn't explain how the Georgia defense let Birmingham walk all over them, getting out to a 24-0 halftime lead. The Stallions have 7 games this season scoring single digits and just 2 games where they scored more than 13, so 24 in a half is a point explosion. RB Francis Schultz ran for 139 yards with a TD and delivered the backbreaking blow. Georgia was kicking off after finally scoring to cut the lead to 24-7 with plenty of time left in the 3rd, but Schultz took the kickoff 103 yards for a TD to instantly take momentum back. 

Steamer 52 Sun 6

One team that wasn't looking ahead to next week was Shreveport. QB George Marcil was nursing a hand injury so the Steamer started veteran journeyman James Wright. Wright spent most of his career in New Jersey where his most notable season was 1992. That year he played RB and had over 1,000 combined yards, rushing for 884 (4.6 ypc) with another 187 receiving. Today, Wright enjoyed his best day ever as a pro QB, completing 26/32, 408 yards, 7 TD and 1 INT. His favorite target was David Shafer, who caught 6 for 264 yards and 4 TDs and RB Milton Schwab ran for 114 yards as the Steamer scored on their first 7 possessions of the game. Had the Southern California defense been able to slow down the Steamer, it might have been a different game, as the Sun ran for nearly 8 yards per carry. It's kind of hard to keep running the ball with such a big, early deficit however.

Showboats 17 Wheels 10

Well I wasn't ready for this box score, but it's fitting. The game prior, I spoke about a QB I turned into a RB for a season. It seems Memphis RB Erik McNamee was drafted as a QB and turned into a RB, who has now been switched back to QB. Norman Maldonado has not had a good season, tossing 23 INTs and finding himself on the bench as Memphis tries to qualify for the playoffs. McNamee wasn't bad, completing 23/38 for 183 yards, but the running game was working well. USFL leading rusher Steve Ransome ran for 110 yards while William Magallon ran for 83 yards and a TD and Detroit ran 3 times all game. The aerial attack only produced 10 points though as Detroit loses their 2nd in a row to watch their playoff hopes slowly fade.

Blazers 20 Bulls 13

The Florida drought has come to an end finally. The Blazers scored a TD on a Sidney Maggard 14 yard TD pass to William Sheppard late in the first quarter to snap a TD drought that lasted more than 5 games. More importantly, that TD gave Florida a 10-7 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Blazers would add another TD in the 2nd quarter and led 17-10 at the half. Not much happened in the 2nd half and the Blazers hang on for an important win that keeps then in the top wildcard spot.

Stars 37 (NY) Stars 10

Baltimore is having a subpar season by their standards, but the Stars can still light up a scoreboard. The New York Stars Albert Olson still leads the league in receiving, and he got his today (5-114), but the next guy on the receiving yards list is Baltimore WR John Warkentin. The All Pro caught 9 for 215 yards and 2 TDs, including a 92 yard score in the 3rd to give Baltimore a 24-0 lead. New York's only TD came when John Wayne sacked Jon Snow, causing a fumble in the end zone that Danny Devito's cousin Patrick recovered for a TD. Snow finished with 380 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs.

Bell 44 Hornets 7

Philadelphia was hoping to build on the momentum from the last couple of seasons and take the East from New Jersey, but a 3 game losing streak had the Bell clinging to dwindling playoff hopes. Today, they took out their frustrations on Charlotte, building a 20-0 halftime lead that grew to 41-0 after 3. Joseph Serio completed 21/32, 293 yards and 3 TDs with Craig Hines leading the receivers with 5 catches, 123 yards and 2 scores. Jamie Epperson led the RBBC with 107 rushing yards and a TD while the Bell defense bent (319 yards allowed) but didn't break (forced 4 Hornets turnovers).

Wranglers 11 Invaders 9

Not much offense to talk about as the teams combined for just 433 yards, or what the 4th ranked offense (San Jose 432.9) gets on the weekly. Arizona got on the board first after a punt pinned Oakland deep in their own end. Andrew Moreno was sacked in the end zone by Dan Daniel for a safety and a 2-0 Arizona lead. The rest of the game was a kicking contest with each team booting 3. Arizona held a late 11-9 lead when Oakland attempted a 53 yard FG. It was wide left and the Invaders last drive ended on downs as Arizona snaps a 6 game losing streak. 

VooDoo 10 Hawaiians 7 (OT)

For the most part this was a punting contest. Honolulu took a 7-0 lead in the 2nd quarter on a Jeffrey Richins TD run then Joseph Jones answered for New Orleans with a 10 yard TD pass to Tom Jacobs. On the first drive of the 3rd quarter, Jones was intercepted in the red zone, keeping the score 7-7 and it would stay that way until OT. Honolulu got the ball first, going three and out. New Orleans was able to drive to the edge of FG range and Emil Porter sent the crowd home happy as his 53 yard kick sailed through the uprights for the VooDoo victory.

Thunderbolts 31 Outlaws 12

Tony Romo threw a 30 yard TD pass to Andre King in the first quarter then Marvin Williamson returned a John Crisp INT 62 yards for a score and a 14-0 Cleveland lead. Oklahoma came back with a FG and a John Crisp TD pass to pull within 14-9 after the XP was no good. That was the halftime score and the teams exchanged FGs as Cleveland led 17-12 midway through the 4th. Tony Romo then led another TD drive, getting his 2nd TD pass  when he found Edward McGeehan for a 12 yard score. Oklahoma turned it over on downs then Howard Buxton ran in a 22 yard TD to seal the win for the Thunderbolts.