Portland was edged out by New Jersey for the top spot in the commish rankings following Week 9 play, but those don't factor in strength of schedule. Portland defeated Chicago for their 6th straight win, now the longest streak in the league. Oakland defeated Baltimore to keep pace, which makes the West division an incredible 20-2 outside of division play. Every division leader has 7 or 8 wins except for the Pacific division. Los Angeles lost for the first time under Zennarius, but thanks to a Honolulu loss, both teams remained tied for the Pacific lead at 4-5.
We had nine one score games in Week 9, so we'll look at those first.
Hornets 16 Federals 13
Charlotte made a change at QB, benching Stanley Snyder in favor of 2nd year pro Jeremy McDonald. McDonald didn't set the world on fire but the Hornets defense stung Washington time and time again. Charlotte only had 197 offensive yards but they held Washington to 190. The Federals won the turnover battle 4-2, but the Washington OL allowed Shane Bieber to be sacked 6 times. McDonald finished 16/27, 175 yards, 2 INT's and a TD, the game winning 25 yard pass to Harry Henry with 4:41 left.
Invaders 31 Stars 27
Oakland and Baltimore seem likely to reach the playoffs and this game had a playoff feel to it. Baltimore jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Oakland scored the next 17. Baltimore closed out the first half scoring with a TD to cut the Invaders lead to 17-14. The Stars would also score the first 10 points of the second half, taking a 24-17 lead. Oakland would tie the game early in the 4th before Baltimore kicked a FG with 2:43 left for a brief 27-24 Baltimore lead. Oakland would then rip down the field in 4 plays, with Stephen Demmer's 3rd TD being the game winner. Both teams put up at least 400 yards but Oakland was better in the red zone, scoring a TD all 3 trips while holding Baltimore to a Chuck Woolery on their 4 trips (2 and 2).
Gold 18 Wranglers 17
Both teams came into this game 5-3 and the loser would be in the West basement with a difficult road to the playoffs. Arizona had 333 offensive yards but was just 1-9 on 3rd down. Denver had 410 yards of offense and converted 8 of 17 3rd downs. The Wranglers built a 17-6 halftime lead but the Gold defense kept them scoreless in the second half. Denver had a 3 yard Andrew Brewer to Matthew Kluesner TD pass with 6:39 left to cut the lead to 17-15. The Gold went for 2 but were denied. Following an Arizona punt, Denver got the ball down 2 with 4:23 left, but were pinned at their own 5. This is nothing new to Denver, as they drove down the field, using every bit of the clock, and Anthony Schaefer nailed his 3rd game winning FG this year at the final gun.
Bandits 12 Thunderbolts 9
Another game between playoff hopefuls as defense ruled the day in Cleveland. The Thunderbolt defense held the Bandits to 309 yards and just 1 TD in 3 red zone trips (2 FG's) and forced the game's only turnover. Tampa Bay's defense was better though, limiting Cleveland to 240 yards and keeping them out of the end zone all game. Bandits K Edward Walter missed the XP but made both of his FG attempts as Tampa Bay keeps pace with Jacksonville, staying 1 game behind.
Bulls 17 Blazers 13
Speaking of Jacksonville, they traveled to Orlando for a date with division rival Florida. The overall stats were pretty even save for 3rd downs and turnovers. The Blazers were 6 for 16 on 3rd down but lost the turnover battle 2-1. Jacksonville was just 1-12 on 3rd down but both Blazers turnovers happened in their territory, so the Bulls benefited from the short fields. Jacksonville never trailed as the Bulls maintain their 1 game lead over Tampa Bay in the Southeast division.
Stallions 16 Force 13
This turnover free game was all about running the ball, defense, and red zone failure. Georgia has only given up 129 points this season, 6th best in the league but their 90 points scored makes them 1 of 5 teams who haven't cracked 100. Birmingham has the 8th best scoring offense and the stingiest defense. Georgia limited Birmingham to 293 yards, 4 for 14 on 3rd down, and 13 points in 3 red zone visits (1 TD, 2 FG). The Force offense could only muster 184 yards, 3-12 on 3rd down, and no points on their lone red zone trip. Georgia held a 13-10 halftime lead but Birmingham got 2 4th qtr FG's, the last with 1:40 left for the narrow victory.
Steamer 20 Hawaiians 14
Shreveport ran for exactly 200 yards and the Steamer defense withstood the Hawaiian air attack, intercepting Bruno Wilson 4 times. Honolulu actually scored first, taking a 7-0 lead, and they also scored last, with 0:17 left in the game but Shreveport scored 20 in between for the victory. David Oldham ran for 140 yards on 23 carries for the Steamer.
Renegades 27 Maulers 21
Orlando ran for almost 6 ypc while holding Pittsburgh to less than 1. The Maulers were a perfect 3 for 3 in the red zone as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Orlando. Pittsburgh's other 2 TD's came in the 4th qtr, but it was too little, too late. The Renegades ripped off 27 unanswered points after the Maulers took the early lead, and Pittsburgh's final TD occurred with just 1:50 left in the game. The ensuing onside kick failed, and Orlando ran out the clock.
SaberCats 23 Wheels 17
Detroit was hoping to ride the momentum of last week's improbable comeback win, but San Jose had other ideas. The SaberCats came into the game 0 for 1987, and saw this as an opportunity for their first win. San Jose won the turnover battle 2-1, scored TD's on both red zone trips and were 7 for 17 on 3rd down. Detroit had 300 yards of offense and 17 points, which is usually enough for them to win, but the Wheels defense wasn't up to par. It wasn't all roses for the Wheels offense, as they were 2-12 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th.
Storm 30 Blitz 17
It seems the 8-1 Portland Storm can do no wrong lately, despite playing a somewhat sloppy game against Chicago. The Blitz had 311 yards of offense, TD's on both red zone trips and 5 for 13 on 3rd down. Portland lost the turnover battle 3-1 but 524 yards of offense was enough to overcome that, as the Storm jumped out to a 24-0 lead before the bout of sloppiness set in.
Outlaws 34 Breakers 0
Oklahoma shot up the commish rankings following this game, moving from 14 to 8. The Outlaws defense held Boston to 2 first downs, 6 yards rushing on 17 carries, and 56 yards passing on 12 completions. Oklahoma didn't have to do much through the air, though they had success when they did throw (11/16, 159 yards). The Outlaws bludgeoned the Breakers defense with a whopping 58 rushing attempts as they held the ball for virtually 43 minutes.
Showboats 20 Express 10
Memphis didn't play their best offensive game, but they hit several big plays, including an 80 yard TD from Willie Howland, whom I haven't mentioned much recently. The Showboats converted for 2 points and held an 11-10 halftime lead. Los Angeles entered the game on a 4 game winning streak but the World Champs proved too much, shutting out the Express in the second half for their 8th victory in 9 tries.
Generals 29 VooDoo 14
New Jersey came into the game feeling some division heat for the first time in a long time, so they needed to be on point against a playoff caliber opponent like New Orleans. The VooDoo had 371 yards of offense, won the turnover battle 2-1, and were better on 3rd down (8-18 to 4-16). New Orleans also owned the red zone, allowing the Generals only 2 FG's in 3 trips while scoring a TD on their lone trip. So, how did New Jersey win then? Big plays. Rudi Johnson scored first on a 38 yard run, then the Generals added a FG for an early 10-0 lead. Ric Flair followed that up with the first of 2 long TD passes to WR Corey True. True ended the day with 4 catches, 185 yards and 2 TD's, vaulting him into the league lead in YDS and TD receptions.
Gamblers 23 (NY) Stars 9
The (NY) Stars are the team giving New Jersey heat in the East but they had to travel to Houston to face the Gamblers. It's only been a year and a half since Houston was back to back World Champions and Tony Dean is still an All Pro level QB as he showed last week. Houston was off to a slow start again, as late in the 3rd it was a 10-6 Gamblers lead. With 1:13 left in the 3rd, Chase Miles punched it in, giving Houston a 17-6 lead entering the 4th qtr, which they won 6-3. The big difference was Houston had rushing success (33-118) and good 3rd down play. The Gamblers offense converted 8 of 15 3rd downs while their defense held New York to 2-12, plus 0-2 on 4th down.
Houston keeps themselves in the thick of the wildcard hunt while the loss puts New York on the outside looking in, though they aren't out of it by any means.
Gunslingers 39 Bell 6
San Antonio wins their second in a row as they cracked the Philadelphia Bell by 33 points. The Gunslingers limited the Bell to 119 yards of offense, forcing 4 turnovers, getting 2 sacks and holding them to 1-12 on 3rd down. Both of the Bell INT's were taken to the house in the 4th qtr, making the score even more lopsided. Offensively they ran for 107 yards against the vaunted Philadelphia run defense, though it took 32 carries to get that. QB Gary Wiggins and WR Calvin Harper hooked up for 2 TD passes.
Panthers 24 Sun 10
Michigan had 396 yards of offense while limiting the Sun to 230. Southern California committed no turnovers but only converted 1 of 14 3rd downs. Michigan jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Sun cut it to 17-10 late in the 3rd. Michigan scored a TD for the only 4th qtr points, salting away a victory
that gives Michigan a 2 game lead in the Midwest.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Week 8: World Bowl Rematch Deja Vu All Over Again
We are half way through the 1987 regular season and the division races are all very tight. Three divisions have two teams tied at the top, four divisions have a one game separation and one division leader has a 2 game lead. The American Conference has 12 of 16 teams .500 or better so it's going to be a wild wildcard race there. The National Conference has a bit more separation, as it seems we'll have 8 teams fighting for 6 spots unless one of the 3rd or 4th place teams goes on a winning streak.
The Portland Storm have taken the #1 spot in the Commish Rankings from New Jersey and the West division as a whole has put the league on notice with a combined 24-8 record, 18-2 when you take out their division games. Portland is 7-1, tied atop the West with the Oakland Invaders while the Denver Gold and Arizona Wranglers are tied at 5-3. It's a shame at least one of these teams will not qualify for the playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, the ultimate goal of all teams is a spot in the World Bowl and we had another World Bowl rematch in Week 8. The New Jersey Generals traveled to Memphis for a game against the Showboats, who defeated New Jersey in World Bowl VI and XIII. New season, same old result as Memphis won 29-20.
Showboats 29 Generals 20
New Jersey is throwing the ball more often than years past as they try to establish a big play threat to compliment their ability to run the ball. It's worked well for the Generals as they lead the USFL/WFL averaging 459.6 yards a game and they were 3rd in yards per pass attempt entering the game. New Jersey QB Ric Flair threw 59 times, completing 42 without an INT, but the Memphis defense eliminated the big play. The Showboats ran for 1 yard per carry more than New Jersey, but more than doubled the air output, besting them in yards per pass play (9.93-4.02) and yards per completion (17.06-6.36).
Memphis needed to do that because they lost the turnover battle 2-0 and the time of possession (34:22-25.35). New Jersey was even better on 3rd downs, converting 5 of 17 to just 2 of 11 for the World Champs. There were no monster statistical performances in this game as both teams did a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense. Twelve players had at least 20 receiving yards in the game, 5 for Memphis and 7 for New Jersey. Generals RB Rudi Johnson caught 16 passes, but for only 68 yards. The 16 receptions is the most in the league in 1987.
The only stat that matters is the scoreboard, and despite spotting the Generals an early 10-0 lead, the Showboats took care of business and reminded New Jersey just who the League Champions are.
Storm 55 Maulers 9
We have a new sheriff in town and his name is Setherick. Portland has been near the top of the commish rankings all season and they took over the top spot this week after their mauling of Pittsburgh. The Maulers started off 2-0 but have hit the skids hard ever since. The Storm dominated every facet of the game and Timothy Roquemore had 272 offensive yards and 3 TDs. Portland QB Oscar Willis now has 18 TD passes on the year after tossing 6 today.
Invaders 30 Gold 12
Denver had no trouble putting up yards on the Invaders defense but they did have trouble keeping the ball. Gold QB Andrew Brewer was 26/50, 338 yards and 2 TD passes but he threw 3 INTs as Denver was held without a single point the first 56 minutes of the game. Both teams ran for over 4 ypc but Oakland was able to run twice as many times and they didn't turn it over as they amassed a 27-0 lead during those first 56 minutes. The victory allows Oakland to remain tied with Portland atop the West, while Denver falls to 5-3, still in the thick of the wildcard hunt.
Federals 44 Stars 26
My hometown of Dayton, Ohio is known for it's yearly Air Show, but these Atlantic division rivals put on an air display just as impressive. The teams combined for 808 passing yards and 1,019 total yards. No sacks either despite a combined 98 dropbacks. Baltimore's Timothy Harmon caught 8 for 119 and a TD and Knob Creek chipped in 9-116-1. Washington also had 2 receivers over 100 yards, Jason Laughlin (8-184-2) and Cory Martin (9-109-1). The big difference in this game was red zone and turnovers. Washington lost a fumble but intercepted Jon Snow 3 times while the federals offense had 3 TDs and 3 FGs in their 6 red zone trips. Washington held Baltimore to just FGs on their 3 red zone trips.
The victory gives Washington (7-1) the upper hand in the Atlantic over Baltimore (6-2), with the rematch coming up Week 16.
Thunderbolts 21 Hawaiians 16
We had contrasting offensive styles in this game, as Honolulu chucked up 68 passes with just 16 rushes while Cleveland only attempted 19 passes, completing 9 while rushing 36 times. The Hawaiians average 54 pass attempts a game so the bombs away approach was no surprise as they completed 42 of those 68 today, though for just 310 yards. The total yards were almost even and Cleveland committed the game's 3 turnovers, though Honolulu turned it over on downs twice and missed a FG. Honolulu RB Ronald Boatman caught 14 passes. The loss drops the Hawaiians to 4-4, tied with the red hot LA Express for the Pacific lead while Cleveland (5-3) remains a game behind Michigan in the Midwest.
Wheels 17 Bulls 16
The first 54 minutes of this game was exactly like the first 7 games, Detroit playing tough defense while the offense is allergic to points. The Wheels forced 3 turnovers and held Jacksonville to 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions. Detroit was just 2-13 themselves and ran for 8 yards on 20 carries, or 0.4 ypc. Through those first 54 minutes, Detroit had 119 yards of offense. I don't know if the Detroit offense had had enough of the mean mugging from the defense, if the light bulb suddenly went off, or if the Bulls just quit on defense, but Detroit's last 2 drives covered 173 yards. First, Gregory Skidmore found Thomas Mazzeo for a 75 yard TD pass, then with 1:40 left in the game, Skidmore connected with Raymond White for an 85 yard score, shocking the Bulls faithful who thought their team had it's 7th win all wrapped up.
Wranglers 17 Hornets 10
There isn't much to highlight from this game, as they combined for 12 players with at least 20 yards receiving, but nobody cracked 100 yards. There were no turnovers and not much yardage on the ground, as the teams combined for 44 carries, 94 yards. Hornets QB Stanley Snyder was 36/45 for 317 yards and a TD. Snyder is 5th in the league in completion % among QB's with at least 160 attempts (67.4%). Despite their limited offensive production, Arizona was able to score more points for the victory, helping them keep up with the Jonses in the West.
Panthers 22 Blazers 17
This was a pretty even statistical game except for turnovers. Florida QB Sidney Maggard threw 3 INTs, giving him 18 on the season as the Blazers blew a 17-6 3rd quarter lead. Michigan scored two 3rd qtr TDs and two 2 point conversions to take a 22-17 lead into the 4th. Florida still had a chance to win late, taking the ball with 4:06 left after a punt pinned them at their 2 yard line. The Blazers held the ball the rest of the game, going on a 15 play 96 yard drive that stalled at the Michigan 2 yard line. Had the Panthers simply kicked the XP on their 3rd qtr TDs, the Blazers could have tried a game tying FG, rather than having to go for the end zone.
VooDoo 23 Renegades 19
Was New Orleans looking ahead to their game against New Jersey? Was the sim engine sabotaging the VooDoo? Does it matter? Not really as a win is a win, no matter how ugly they come. Orlando came into the game 1-6, so it was expected that New Orleans would have little trouble beating the Renegades. Orlando scored the first 10 points of the game and out gained the VooDoo 359-227. Orlando won the turnover battle 4-3 and were better on 3rd down (5-19 to 2-13).
New Orleans scored 2 TDs and converted both 2 point tries to take a 16-10 2nd qtr lead before Orlando closed the first half with a FG. Orlando had to be feeling good about their chances, only down 16-13 at halftime, but the first play of the second half quelled that momentum. Robert Shuler intercepted his 6th pass of the season (tied for league lead) and took it to the house, giving New Orleans a 23-13 lead. Orlando closed the scoring with 2 FGs as New Orleans (6-2) remain tied with Birmingham for the South lead.
(NY) Stars 14 Bell 13
Philadelphia continues to be very tough to run the ball against as they held New York to 26 yards on 19 carries. The Stars of NY had air success though, with Willie Bust completing 41/50 for 380 yards and a TD (2 INT). Stars RB Cam Dalton caught 13 passes, as RB's were catching a lot of passes this week. The win makes New York 5-3, one game behind New Jersey in the East.
Stallions 13 Steamer 12
In a game it seemed neither team wanted to win, Birmingham pulled through to keep pace with New Orleans. The Stallions turned the ball over 4 times to just once for Shreveport, but that one was on their last drive of the game, dooming them to defeat. Two earlier missed FG's and 3 points on 3 red zone trips contributed mightily as well. Birmingham had the ball less than 23 minutes but they scored the game's only TD, a 53 yard run by Larry Ceasar.
Express 15 Force 9 (OT)
The punters were busy in this game, with each team punting 11 times. Georgia and Los Angeles played to a 9-9 tie after regulation, Georgia kicking 3 FG's, while LA had a TD and a FG. Mario Price missed the XP try on the TD. Georgia didn't turn the ball over but they also only had 240 total yards and 0-15 on 3rd down. Los Angeles was able to force a 3 and out on Georgia's OT possession and took over on their own 15 following the punt. One play later, LA RB Daniel Franks took a handoff and raced 85 yards to the end zone for the game winning score. It hasn't been pretty but Los Angeles is 4-0 since current owner Zennarius took over.
Bandits 20 Blitz 13
Tampa Bay had trouble running the ball but 4th year QB Melvin Driggers is having his best season so far for the 5-3 Bandits. Driggers threw 38 INT's as a rookie, 31 last year, and has an 82/92 career TD/INT ratio. That's including this year's 17 TD to 8 INT, so he is a big reason for the Bandits success. The Tampa Bay defense held Chicago to 215 yards and intercepted 2 passes in the win that brings them within one game of division leading Jacksonville.
Outlaws 19 Sun 11
Some football game is about to start, so these last 3 will be short and sweet. I think it's called the Super Bowl? Anyway, last week I mentioned Oklahoma needs to win the games they "should". This game is one of those and the Outlaws did what they should. WR/RB Clint Young ran for 157 and a TD as Oklahoma used a ball control offense to control the flow of the game.
Gamblers 45 Breakers 6
Tony Dean did Tony Dean things, tossing 6 TD passes as Houston had no trouble beating struggling Boston. Houston is likely out of the division hunt but they are right in the thick of the wildcard race at 5-3.
Gunslingers 33 SaberCats 9
Lemon Jefferson is a cool name and he ran for 98 yards for San Antonio. WR Chris Cornell broke his rusty cage and ran, catching 8 for 136 and a TD. The Gunslingers doubled the yardage of the SaberCats, taking out some of the season's frustrations out on the winless San Jose team.
The Portland Storm have taken the #1 spot in the Commish Rankings from New Jersey and the West division as a whole has put the league on notice with a combined 24-8 record, 18-2 when you take out their division games. Portland is 7-1, tied atop the West with the Oakland Invaders while the Denver Gold and Arizona Wranglers are tied at 5-3. It's a shame at least one of these teams will not qualify for the playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, the ultimate goal of all teams is a spot in the World Bowl and we had another World Bowl rematch in Week 8. The New Jersey Generals traveled to Memphis for a game against the Showboats, who defeated New Jersey in World Bowl VI and XIII. New season, same old result as Memphis won 29-20.
Showboats 29 Generals 20
New Jersey is throwing the ball more often than years past as they try to establish a big play threat to compliment their ability to run the ball. It's worked well for the Generals as they lead the USFL/WFL averaging 459.6 yards a game and they were 3rd in yards per pass attempt entering the game. New Jersey QB Ric Flair threw 59 times, completing 42 without an INT, but the Memphis defense eliminated the big play. The Showboats ran for 1 yard per carry more than New Jersey, but more than doubled the air output, besting them in yards per pass play (9.93-4.02) and yards per completion (17.06-6.36).
Memphis needed to do that because they lost the turnover battle 2-0 and the time of possession (34:22-25.35). New Jersey was even better on 3rd downs, converting 5 of 17 to just 2 of 11 for the World Champs. There were no monster statistical performances in this game as both teams did a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense. Twelve players had at least 20 receiving yards in the game, 5 for Memphis and 7 for New Jersey. Generals RB Rudi Johnson caught 16 passes, but for only 68 yards. The 16 receptions is the most in the league in 1987.
The only stat that matters is the scoreboard, and despite spotting the Generals an early 10-0 lead, the Showboats took care of business and reminded New Jersey just who the League Champions are.
Storm 55 Maulers 9
We have a new sheriff in town and his name is Setherick. Portland has been near the top of the commish rankings all season and they took over the top spot this week after their mauling of Pittsburgh. The Maulers started off 2-0 but have hit the skids hard ever since. The Storm dominated every facet of the game and Timothy Roquemore had 272 offensive yards and 3 TDs. Portland QB Oscar Willis now has 18 TD passes on the year after tossing 6 today.
Invaders 30 Gold 12
Denver had no trouble putting up yards on the Invaders defense but they did have trouble keeping the ball. Gold QB Andrew Brewer was 26/50, 338 yards and 2 TD passes but he threw 3 INTs as Denver was held without a single point the first 56 minutes of the game. Both teams ran for over 4 ypc but Oakland was able to run twice as many times and they didn't turn it over as they amassed a 27-0 lead during those first 56 minutes. The victory allows Oakland to remain tied with Portland atop the West, while Denver falls to 5-3, still in the thick of the wildcard hunt.
Federals 44 Stars 26
My hometown of Dayton, Ohio is known for it's yearly Air Show, but these Atlantic division rivals put on an air display just as impressive. The teams combined for 808 passing yards and 1,019 total yards. No sacks either despite a combined 98 dropbacks. Baltimore's Timothy Harmon caught 8 for 119 and a TD and Knob Creek chipped in 9-116-1. Washington also had 2 receivers over 100 yards, Jason Laughlin (8-184-2) and Cory Martin (9-109-1). The big difference in this game was red zone and turnovers. Washington lost a fumble but intercepted Jon Snow 3 times while the federals offense had 3 TDs and 3 FGs in their 6 red zone trips. Washington held Baltimore to just FGs on their 3 red zone trips.
The victory gives Washington (7-1) the upper hand in the Atlantic over Baltimore (6-2), with the rematch coming up Week 16.
Thunderbolts 21 Hawaiians 16
We had contrasting offensive styles in this game, as Honolulu chucked up 68 passes with just 16 rushes while Cleveland only attempted 19 passes, completing 9 while rushing 36 times. The Hawaiians average 54 pass attempts a game so the bombs away approach was no surprise as they completed 42 of those 68 today, though for just 310 yards. The total yards were almost even and Cleveland committed the game's 3 turnovers, though Honolulu turned it over on downs twice and missed a FG. Honolulu RB Ronald Boatman caught 14 passes. The loss drops the Hawaiians to 4-4, tied with the red hot LA Express for the Pacific lead while Cleveland (5-3) remains a game behind Michigan in the Midwest.
Wheels 17 Bulls 16
The first 54 minutes of this game was exactly like the first 7 games, Detroit playing tough defense while the offense is allergic to points. The Wheels forced 3 turnovers and held Jacksonville to 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions. Detroit was just 2-13 themselves and ran for 8 yards on 20 carries, or 0.4 ypc. Through those first 54 minutes, Detroit had 119 yards of offense. I don't know if the Detroit offense had had enough of the mean mugging from the defense, if the light bulb suddenly went off, or if the Bulls just quit on defense, but Detroit's last 2 drives covered 173 yards. First, Gregory Skidmore found Thomas Mazzeo for a 75 yard TD pass, then with 1:40 left in the game, Skidmore connected with Raymond White for an 85 yard score, shocking the Bulls faithful who thought their team had it's 7th win all wrapped up.
Wranglers 17 Hornets 10
There isn't much to highlight from this game, as they combined for 12 players with at least 20 yards receiving, but nobody cracked 100 yards. There were no turnovers and not much yardage on the ground, as the teams combined for 44 carries, 94 yards. Hornets QB Stanley Snyder was 36/45 for 317 yards and a TD. Snyder is 5th in the league in completion % among QB's with at least 160 attempts (67.4%). Despite their limited offensive production, Arizona was able to score more points for the victory, helping them keep up with the Jonses in the West.
Panthers 22 Blazers 17
This was a pretty even statistical game except for turnovers. Florida QB Sidney Maggard threw 3 INTs, giving him 18 on the season as the Blazers blew a 17-6 3rd quarter lead. Michigan scored two 3rd qtr TDs and two 2 point conversions to take a 22-17 lead into the 4th. Florida still had a chance to win late, taking the ball with 4:06 left after a punt pinned them at their 2 yard line. The Blazers held the ball the rest of the game, going on a 15 play 96 yard drive that stalled at the Michigan 2 yard line. Had the Panthers simply kicked the XP on their 3rd qtr TDs, the Blazers could have tried a game tying FG, rather than having to go for the end zone.
VooDoo 23 Renegades 19
Was New Orleans looking ahead to their game against New Jersey? Was the sim engine sabotaging the VooDoo? Does it matter? Not really as a win is a win, no matter how ugly they come. Orlando came into the game 1-6, so it was expected that New Orleans would have little trouble beating the Renegades. Orlando scored the first 10 points of the game and out gained the VooDoo 359-227. Orlando won the turnover battle 4-3 and were better on 3rd down (5-19 to 2-13).
New Orleans scored 2 TDs and converted both 2 point tries to take a 16-10 2nd qtr lead before Orlando closed the first half with a FG. Orlando had to be feeling good about their chances, only down 16-13 at halftime, but the first play of the second half quelled that momentum. Robert Shuler intercepted his 6th pass of the season (tied for league lead) and took it to the house, giving New Orleans a 23-13 lead. Orlando closed the scoring with 2 FGs as New Orleans (6-2) remain tied with Birmingham for the South lead.
(NY) Stars 14 Bell 13
Philadelphia continues to be very tough to run the ball against as they held New York to 26 yards on 19 carries. The Stars of NY had air success though, with Willie Bust completing 41/50 for 380 yards and a TD (2 INT). Stars RB Cam Dalton caught 13 passes, as RB's were catching a lot of passes this week. The win makes New York 5-3, one game behind New Jersey in the East.
Stallions 13 Steamer 12
In a game it seemed neither team wanted to win, Birmingham pulled through to keep pace with New Orleans. The Stallions turned the ball over 4 times to just once for Shreveport, but that one was on their last drive of the game, dooming them to defeat. Two earlier missed FG's and 3 points on 3 red zone trips contributed mightily as well. Birmingham had the ball less than 23 minutes but they scored the game's only TD, a 53 yard run by Larry Ceasar.
Express 15 Force 9 (OT)
The punters were busy in this game, with each team punting 11 times. Georgia and Los Angeles played to a 9-9 tie after regulation, Georgia kicking 3 FG's, while LA had a TD and a FG. Mario Price missed the XP try on the TD. Georgia didn't turn the ball over but they also only had 240 total yards and 0-15 on 3rd down. Los Angeles was able to force a 3 and out on Georgia's OT possession and took over on their own 15 following the punt. One play later, LA RB Daniel Franks took a handoff and raced 85 yards to the end zone for the game winning score. It hasn't been pretty but Los Angeles is 4-0 since current owner Zennarius took over.
Bandits 20 Blitz 13
Tampa Bay had trouble running the ball but 4th year QB Melvin Driggers is having his best season so far for the 5-3 Bandits. Driggers threw 38 INT's as a rookie, 31 last year, and has an 82/92 career TD/INT ratio. That's including this year's 17 TD to 8 INT, so he is a big reason for the Bandits success. The Tampa Bay defense held Chicago to 215 yards and intercepted 2 passes in the win that brings them within one game of division leading Jacksonville.
Outlaws 19 Sun 11
Some football game is about to start, so these last 3 will be short and sweet. I think it's called the Super Bowl? Anyway, last week I mentioned Oklahoma needs to win the games they "should". This game is one of those and the Outlaws did what they should. WR/RB Clint Young ran for 157 and a TD as Oklahoma used a ball control offense to control the flow of the game.
Gamblers 45 Breakers 6
Tony Dean did Tony Dean things, tossing 6 TD passes as Houston had no trouble beating struggling Boston. Houston is likely out of the division hunt but they are right in the thick of the wildcard race at 5-3.
Gunslingers 33 SaberCats 9
Lemon Jefferson is a cool name and he ran for 98 yards for San Antonio. WR Chris Cornell broke his rusty cage and ran, catching 8 for 136 and a TD. The Gunslingers doubled the yardage of the SaberCats, taking out some of the season's frustrations out on the winless San Jose team.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Week 7, Part 2: The Games
Showboats 22 Gamblers 20
Houston fell back to their slow starting ways, punting on their first 5 possessions followed by a turnover as they fell behind 12-3 at the half. Memphis would extend that lead to 19-3 before Houston cut the gap to 6 points with 5:37 remaining. The Showboats would add an important insurance FG at the 2 minute warning to make it 22-13. Important because Tony Dean led Houston on a TD drive to cut the lead to 22-20 but Memphis WR Willie Howland recovered the onside kick, preserving victory for the 6-1 Showboats.
Memphis didn't throw the ball great but who needs to throw when you run for over 300 as a team. Donut Mogul Tim Horton had 158 yards while former Gambler Mark Lambert had 133. Houston WR Gabriel Ahrens caught 4 for 151 and a TD in the loss.
Invaders 25 Thunderbolts 17
Oakland jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in this game of playoff contenders before Cleveland scored the next 17 for a 17-13 lead after 3 quarters. Oakland completed the scoring sandwich with 12 unanswered 4th qtr points for the victory that keeps them tied atop the West. Oakland intercepted Cleveland QB Allen Rose 3 times and kept the ball 37:42 despite running for just over 1 yard a carry.
Hawaiians 19 Force 13 (OT)
Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium was 3 quarters full but those fans had an extra quarter of free football as these two teams nearly played to a 13 all tie. Before we look at the improbable game winning TD, let's see how we got to OT. Honolulu turned it over on downs 3 times, including 2 inside the Force 10 yard line. Had they elected to try a FG in either situation, the OT may have been avoided. Then again, Hawaiians K Howard Bury missed his lone FG attempt and an XP attempt, so nothing is certain, except Honolulu had no trouble generating yards.
Georgia ran for 232 yards in the loss and led for most of the game despite losing the turnover battle 3-0. In the extra session both teams had 3 possessions. Georgia's third OT punt pinned Honolulu at their own 10 with only 0:24 left and everyone's sister began putting on lipstick, anticipating the seemingly inevitable tie. Following a pass for -1 yard, this happened. Mark Moody broke free from coverage and Bruno Wilson hit him in stride as Moody outran everyone to the end zone as the Hawaiians snatch victory from the knots of the tie. The tough luck continues for Georgia, who are better than their 1-6 record indicates.
Bandits 30 Blazers 22
This game was a tale of 2 halves and the power of 3. Both teams committed 3 turnovers and kicked 3 FG's, but only Tampa Bay scored 3 TD's, earning them the victory. Tampa Bay's 3 turnovers came in the first half, helping Florida build a 22-7 halftime lead, but Florida returned the favor with 3 second half turnovers as the Bandits scored the game's last 23 points. Tampa is in the playoff hunt as they seek to end their recent playoff drought. The Bandits made the playoffs every year between 1976-1980, but only once since.
Hornets 22 Steamer 20
You can't tell by looking at the team stats, but there were several big plays in this game. The teams combined for 517 yards of offense, 116 on the ground and 8 for 32 on 3rd down. They combined for 3 turnovers and 2 red zone trips, both by Shreveport. The Steamer had a 13-10 lead at halftime that quickly evaporated in a matter of seconds. Steamer RB David Oldham was tackled in the end zone for a safety, then Robert Bonfiglio returned the free kick 91 yards for a TD to give Charlotte a 19-13 lead. Early in the 4th, Steamer WLB Christopher Landreneau intercepted a Stanley Snyder pass and took it to the house. The ensuing XP gave the Steamer a 20-19 lead which they could not hold. Charlotte K Samuel Hoye split the uprights with a 55 yard kick with 1:27 left for the final points of the game.
Storm 27 Gold 6
Portland shut down the Denver offense, holding the Gold to 225 total yards (13 rushes 12 yards) and intercepting 4 passes. The Storm enjoyed a 35-25 time of possession advantage and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's), holding Denver to FG's on their 2 trips inside the 20. That being said, it was just a 10-6 game after 3 quarters before Portland stormed to 17 4th qtr points to keep pace with 6-1 Oakland atop the West. Denver is 5-2 on the season despite giving up more points than they've scored (147 PF 148 PA).
VooDoo 43 SaberCats 3
New Orleans declawed the SaberCats today, holding them to 147 total yards, 1 for 12 on 3rd down and forcing 3 turnovers. The VooDoo was almost in complete balance today, allowing 73 rushing yards, 74 passing while offensively they ran for 237 while throwing for 230. New Orleans was 11 for 19 on 3rd down plus 2 for 2 on 4th while holding the ball nearly 38 minutes. New Orleans WR Ricky Hash had 3 total TD's.
Outlaws 30 Bell 0
After a rough start to 1987, Oklahoma is playing better football lately. If the Outlaws simply win the games they "should" they would be 8-8, while an additional upset or 2 could put them in the wildcard hunt. The Outlaws defense sacked Philadelphia QB's 4 times , forced 4 turnovers and held the Bell to 207 total yards in the shutout.
Blitz 12 Wheels 3
One of these days we're likely to hear a report about a large brawl in the Detroit locker room as the Wheels defense surely must be completely frustrated with the offense. Detroit gives up just under 15 points a game but the offense scores only 7 a game. Chicago forced 3 INT and RB Max Howard had exactly 100 yards rushing as the Blitz make up a game on both Michigan and Cleveland.
Federals 37 Renegades 3
Washington forced 4 Orlando turnovers while doubling their yardage as they cruised to victory. Justin Bieber's dad Scott tossed 4 TD passes and 322 yards. The only positive for Orlando was 7 for 17 on 3rd down.The Federals extend the league's current best win streak to 5, helping them remain tied with 6-1 Baltimore atop the Atlantic.
Express 31 Gunslingers 14
This game had a lot of points considering the limited offensive output. San Antonio had 255 yards and 4 turnovers to Los Angeles's 219 and 3. Red zone efficiency was golden however, as both teams were 2 for 2 scoring TD's inside the 20. San Antonio took an early 7-0 lead and we had an unbreakable record on the ensuing kickoff. Dane Britt took that kickoff 110 yards to the house, tying a record that's been done 21 times previously. This is the 3rd win in a row for the Express as they continue to put pressure on the Hawaiians.
Stallions 24 Sun 3
Birmingham wasn't spectacular but they did what they needed to do to keep pace with the VooDoo. Both teams struggled on the ground but the Stallions had a better air day than the Sun, 270 yards to 101. Birmingham was 7 for 17 on 3rd down and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's) to go with their 35-25 time of possession advantage.
Generals 29 (NY) Stars 7
The East has belonged to New Jersey since 1978 but a win for the (NY) Stars would tie them with the Generals at 5-2. New Jersey doesn't look like they're going to loosen their grip on the East anytime soon however, as they flexed their muscles. New Jersey had 443 yards of offense to just 174 for New York. The Generals also sacked Willie Bust 4 times while keeping the Stars out of the red zone. Free agent acquisition WR Corey True has energized the New Jersey offense in 1987, catching 2 TD's among his 3 for 90. New Jersey currently sits atop the commish rankings, but 5 of their 7 games have been in the division so it's fair to wonder if they're about to tumble down a few spots the next several games.
Bulls 31 Breakers 6
Fans in Boston are already thinking about 1988 as 1987 has been absolutely horrible. The beat rolls on as Jacksonville had almost 5 times as many yards as Boston (555-113). Boston did win the turnover battle 3-0 but that's of little consolation. The Bulls got a lot of players involved in the offense so the only stat star was QB Joseph Serio (29/38, 388 yards, 4 TD/1 INT). The win pushes Jacksonville to 6-1, maintaining their 2 game lead on Tampa Bay.
Stars 41 Maulers 9
Pittsburgh scored the first 3 points of the game and the last 6, but the 41 Baltimore points in between were a bit of a problem. Stars QB Jon Snow threw for 318 yards and 4 TD (0 INT) while WR Brian Darden made the most of his 2 receptions, both of them touchdowns covering 85 and 71 yards. The Baltimore win allows them to keep pace with Washington atop the Atlantic at 6-1 while Pittsburgh lost their 5th straight after a 2-0 start.
Wranglers 36 Panthers 13
Arizona might be in last place in the West but they're 4-3, right in the thick of the playoff race. Michigan remains a game ahead of Cleveland in the Midwest despite the loss. Arizona racked up 542 total yards, 418 through the air as perhaps Michigan suffered a post big win hangover? Emotion doesn't seem to factor into MFN but if this were real football, it would only be natural for Michigan to come out flat after such an emotional, come from behind win last week. Arizona WR Eric Duncan caught 5 passes for 146 yards and a TD.
Houston fell back to their slow starting ways, punting on their first 5 possessions followed by a turnover as they fell behind 12-3 at the half. Memphis would extend that lead to 19-3 before Houston cut the gap to 6 points with 5:37 remaining. The Showboats would add an important insurance FG at the 2 minute warning to make it 22-13. Important because Tony Dean led Houston on a TD drive to cut the lead to 22-20 but Memphis WR Willie Howland recovered the onside kick, preserving victory for the 6-1 Showboats.
Memphis didn't throw the ball great but who needs to throw when you run for over 300 as a team. Donut Mogul Tim Horton had 158 yards while former Gambler Mark Lambert had 133. Houston WR Gabriel Ahrens caught 4 for 151 and a TD in the loss.
Invaders 25 Thunderbolts 17
Oakland jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in this game of playoff contenders before Cleveland scored the next 17 for a 17-13 lead after 3 quarters. Oakland completed the scoring sandwich with 12 unanswered 4th qtr points for the victory that keeps them tied atop the West. Oakland intercepted Cleveland QB Allen Rose 3 times and kept the ball 37:42 despite running for just over 1 yard a carry.
Hawaiians 19 Force 13 (OT)
Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium was 3 quarters full but those fans had an extra quarter of free football as these two teams nearly played to a 13 all tie. Before we look at the improbable game winning TD, let's see how we got to OT. Honolulu turned it over on downs 3 times, including 2 inside the Force 10 yard line. Had they elected to try a FG in either situation, the OT may have been avoided. Then again, Hawaiians K Howard Bury missed his lone FG attempt and an XP attempt, so nothing is certain, except Honolulu had no trouble generating yards.
Georgia ran for 232 yards in the loss and led for most of the game despite losing the turnover battle 3-0. In the extra session both teams had 3 possessions. Georgia's third OT punt pinned Honolulu at their own 10 with only 0:24 left and everyone's sister began putting on lipstick, anticipating the seemingly inevitable tie. Following a pass for -1 yard, this happened. Mark Moody broke free from coverage and Bruno Wilson hit him in stride as Moody outran everyone to the end zone as the Hawaiians snatch victory from the knots of the tie. The tough luck continues for Georgia, who are better than their 1-6 record indicates.
Bandits 30 Blazers 22
This game was a tale of 2 halves and the power of 3. Both teams committed 3 turnovers and kicked 3 FG's, but only Tampa Bay scored 3 TD's, earning them the victory. Tampa Bay's 3 turnovers came in the first half, helping Florida build a 22-7 halftime lead, but Florida returned the favor with 3 second half turnovers as the Bandits scored the game's last 23 points. Tampa is in the playoff hunt as they seek to end their recent playoff drought. The Bandits made the playoffs every year between 1976-1980, but only once since.
Hornets 22 Steamer 20
You can't tell by looking at the team stats, but there were several big plays in this game. The teams combined for 517 yards of offense, 116 on the ground and 8 for 32 on 3rd down. They combined for 3 turnovers and 2 red zone trips, both by Shreveport. The Steamer had a 13-10 lead at halftime that quickly evaporated in a matter of seconds. Steamer RB David Oldham was tackled in the end zone for a safety, then Robert Bonfiglio returned the free kick 91 yards for a TD to give Charlotte a 19-13 lead. Early in the 4th, Steamer WLB Christopher Landreneau intercepted a Stanley Snyder pass and took it to the house. The ensuing XP gave the Steamer a 20-19 lead which they could not hold. Charlotte K Samuel Hoye split the uprights with a 55 yard kick with 1:27 left for the final points of the game.
Storm 27 Gold 6
Portland shut down the Denver offense, holding the Gold to 225 total yards (13 rushes 12 yards) and intercepting 4 passes. The Storm enjoyed a 35-25 time of possession advantage and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's), holding Denver to FG's on their 2 trips inside the 20. That being said, it was just a 10-6 game after 3 quarters before Portland stormed to 17 4th qtr points to keep pace with 6-1 Oakland atop the West. Denver is 5-2 on the season despite giving up more points than they've scored (147 PF 148 PA).
VooDoo 43 SaberCats 3
New Orleans declawed the SaberCats today, holding them to 147 total yards, 1 for 12 on 3rd down and forcing 3 turnovers. The VooDoo was almost in complete balance today, allowing 73 rushing yards, 74 passing while offensively they ran for 237 while throwing for 230. New Orleans was 11 for 19 on 3rd down plus 2 for 2 on 4th while holding the ball nearly 38 minutes. New Orleans WR Ricky Hash had 3 total TD's.
Outlaws 30 Bell 0
After a rough start to 1987, Oklahoma is playing better football lately. If the Outlaws simply win the games they "should" they would be 8-8, while an additional upset or 2 could put them in the wildcard hunt. The Outlaws defense sacked Philadelphia QB's 4 times , forced 4 turnovers and held the Bell to 207 total yards in the shutout.
Blitz 12 Wheels 3
One of these days we're likely to hear a report about a large brawl in the Detroit locker room as the Wheels defense surely must be completely frustrated with the offense. Detroit gives up just under 15 points a game but the offense scores only 7 a game. Chicago forced 3 INT and RB Max Howard had exactly 100 yards rushing as the Blitz make up a game on both Michigan and Cleveland.
Federals 37 Renegades 3
Washington forced 4 Orlando turnovers while doubling their yardage as they cruised to victory. Justin Bieber's dad Scott tossed 4 TD passes and 322 yards. The only positive for Orlando was 7 for 17 on 3rd down.The Federals extend the league's current best win streak to 5, helping them remain tied with 6-1 Baltimore atop the Atlantic.
Express 31 Gunslingers 14
This game had a lot of points considering the limited offensive output. San Antonio had 255 yards and 4 turnovers to Los Angeles's 219 and 3. Red zone efficiency was golden however, as both teams were 2 for 2 scoring TD's inside the 20. San Antonio took an early 7-0 lead and we had an unbreakable record on the ensuing kickoff. Dane Britt took that kickoff 110 yards to the house, tying a record that's been done 21 times previously. This is the 3rd win in a row for the Express as they continue to put pressure on the Hawaiians.
Stallions 24 Sun 3
Birmingham wasn't spectacular but they did what they needed to do to keep pace with the VooDoo. Both teams struggled on the ground but the Stallions had a better air day than the Sun, 270 yards to 101. Birmingham was 7 for 17 on 3rd down and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's) to go with their 35-25 time of possession advantage.
Generals 29 (NY) Stars 7
The East has belonged to New Jersey since 1978 but a win for the (NY) Stars would tie them with the Generals at 5-2. New Jersey doesn't look like they're going to loosen their grip on the East anytime soon however, as they flexed their muscles. New Jersey had 443 yards of offense to just 174 for New York. The Generals also sacked Willie Bust 4 times while keeping the Stars out of the red zone. Free agent acquisition WR Corey True has energized the New Jersey offense in 1987, catching 2 TD's among his 3 for 90. New Jersey currently sits atop the commish rankings, but 5 of their 7 games have been in the division so it's fair to wonder if they're about to tumble down a few spots the next several games.
Bulls 31 Breakers 6
Fans in Boston are already thinking about 1988 as 1987 has been absolutely horrible. The beat rolls on as Jacksonville had almost 5 times as many yards as Boston (555-113). Boston did win the turnover battle 3-0 but that's of little consolation. The Bulls got a lot of players involved in the offense so the only stat star was QB Joseph Serio (29/38, 388 yards, 4 TD/1 INT). The win pushes Jacksonville to 6-1, maintaining their 2 game lead on Tampa Bay.
Stars 41 Maulers 9
Pittsburgh scored the first 3 points of the game and the last 6, but the 41 Baltimore points in between were a bit of a problem. Stars QB Jon Snow threw for 318 yards and 4 TD (0 INT) while WR Brian Darden made the most of his 2 receptions, both of them touchdowns covering 85 and 71 yards. The Baltimore win allows them to keep pace with Washington atop the Atlantic at 6-1 while Pittsburgh lost their 5th straight after a 2-0 start.
Wranglers 36 Panthers 13
Arizona might be in last place in the West but they're 4-3, right in the thick of the playoff race. Michigan remains a game ahead of Cleveland in the Midwest despite the loss. Arizona racked up 542 total yards, 418 through the air as perhaps Michigan suffered a post big win hangover? Emotion doesn't seem to factor into MFN but if this were real football, it would only be natural for Michigan to come out flat after such an emotional, come from behind win last week. Arizona WR Eric Duncan caught 5 passes for 146 yards and a TD.
Week 7, Part 1: Statistical Leaders
With last week's Memphis loss, we lost our big story of the season so far, so we're back to the grind. Week 7 is in the books and we're almost at the midpoint of 1987 so I thought we'd look at some statistical races. I thought I would do this real quick, but it's getting quite long so this is Part 1.
Among QB's, we have 5 over 2,000 yards and 2 over 2,200 and 20+ TD's, Baltimore's Jon Snow and New Jersey's Ric Flair. There are 3 starting QB's over 8 ypa, Snow, Flair, and Memphis QB David Allen. We have 7 QB's with 10+ INT's led by Florida's Sidney Maggard and Denver's Andrew Brewer with 15 each.
Looking at ball carriers, Memphis RB Mark Lambert leads the league with 711 yards, more than 100 ahead of second place Rudi Johnson of New Jersey (596). The next 2 leading rushers are listed as WR's, Cleveland's Samuel Draper (572) and Portland's Timothy Roquemore (547). Nobody else has topped 500 yards rushing. Houston RB Ryan Dearing paces the league with 5 rushing TD's, seven are tied for second with 4.
We have 4 players over 50 receptions, Tampa Bay RB Paul Meade has 58, Oakland's Oliver Thomas (RB) has 57, RB Ronald Boatman of Honolulu has 52 and Washington WR Cory Martin has 51. Memphis WR Willie Howland leads the league in receiving yards with 780 but New Jersey's Corey True is hot on his heels with 772. Houston WR Gabriel Ahrens rounds out the top 3 and the 700 club with his 716 yards. Corey True is tied with Birmingham's Jeffrey Zimmer for the league lead in TD receptions with 9. True (30.9) and Gabriel Ahrens (29.8) are the top 2 in yards per catch among those with more than 1 reception. Arizona RB Desmond Kirkland almost literally catches everything thrown his way. Among players with 10+ receptions, he has the highest catch % at 96.6% (28-29).
We have had 5 kickoff return TD's, one each by Oliver Thomas (Oak), Robert Bonfiglio (Char), Dane Britt (LA), Chris Cornell (STO), and Arthur Strickland (Fla). Britt's return is listed as 110 yards while Thomas and Cornell's were 108. There have been no punt return TD's and 2 average double digit yards with double digit returns, New Jersey's Aaron Paul (12.5 avg, 11 returns) and Oklahoma's Leroy Jenkins (11.1-17).
If the kicking keeps pace, we'll have a new All Pro PK this year as John Bazile isn't as prolific as in past years. Oakland's John Hensley leads the league with 22 FG's, and 5 others have made 100% of their FG's (10+ attempts), including former Generals and current Oklahoma Outlaws K Roger Ruzich, whom I cut long ago for not being accurate enough ironically. Ruzich is a league best 6 for 6 from 50+. Punting wise, Cleveland's Thomas Brott has a league best 46.7 net avg and 29 of 48 punts inside the 20.
Florida's Ramon Carter and Michigan's Alton Pastor pace the league with 5 sacks while Portland's Thomas Miller and Memphis's Shawn Hicks are tied with a pair of New Jersey Generals with 4 each. One General is Len Bias, who leads all DT's with his 4 sacks, the other General is Indiana Jones. Jones leads the league with 14 hurries in his first year as a DE after spending his first 6 seasons at MLB.
Mr. Low Catch % 1986, Thomas Welker is at it again. The All Pro Hawaiian has regressed, but it's hard not to regress from 16.2%. I'm sure trslick isn't complaining about his current 25% rate. Looking only at the first page of the players most thrown at, only Welker was below 30% and just 3 more were under 40%: Honolulu's Robert Skinner, Portland's Christopher Schneider and Houston's Robert Sokol.
The interception leaders with 5 each are: Oakland's Ralph Hooks, Oklahoma's Jeffrey Danko, and New Orleans CB Robert Shuler. 8 players are tied with 4 apiece. We have had 5 INT returns this season: Herbert Brigham, Chicago, Joseph Walton, New Orleans, Timothy Hall, Oklahoma, Robert Givens, Denver, and Christopher Landreneau, Shreveport. Jacksonville's Tony Morrisson leads the league with 18 knockdowns (71 thrown at) but the two in second place knock passes down much more frequently. Steven Minton (Bir) has 17 knockdowns in 38 passes while Cleveland's Brandon Johnson has his 17 in 42 passes.
Boston's Ronnie Waltz leads the league with 6 fumbles but Jacksonville has 2 players in the top 4 and 3 of 9. Not surprisingly, a Jacksonville OL leads the league in recovered fumbles, RT Rodrigo Stephens. Too many are tied at 2 to list them all. Portland WLB James Waggoner and (NY) Stars MLB Alfred Payeur lead with 3 forced fumbles each. Again, too many tied at 2 to list.
Washington center Eddie Long has allowed 6 sacks while his cousin Isaac Long of Charlotte has given up 5. Detroit center Mark Daniels paces the league with 6 penalties and 44 penalty yards are also tops(?).
The top 3 in overall yardage are Arthur Strickland (Fla) 1,279, Oliver Thomas (Oak) 1,159 and Rudi Johnson (NJG) 992. The league's TD leader is James Sheckler of New Orleans with 10, one ahead of Jeffrey Zimmer (BIR) and Corey True (NJG), and two ahead of Tim "Donut Mogul" Horton of Memphis.
WEEK 7 Part 2: The Games will be out this evening
Among QB's, we have 5 over 2,000 yards and 2 over 2,200 and 20+ TD's, Baltimore's Jon Snow and New Jersey's Ric Flair. There are 3 starting QB's over 8 ypa, Snow, Flair, and Memphis QB David Allen. We have 7 QB's with 10+ INT's led by Florida's Sidney Maggard and Denver's Andrew Brewer with 15 each.
Looking at ball carriers, Memphis RB Mark Lambert leads the league with 711 yards, more than 100 ahead of second place Rudi Johnson of New Jersey (596). The next 2 leading rushers are listed as WR's, Cleveland's Samuel Draper (572) and Portland's Timothy Roquemore (547). Nobody else has topped 500 yards rushing. Houston RB Ryan Dearing paces the league with 5 rushing TD's, seven are tied for second with 4.
We have 4 players over 50 receptions, Tampa Bay RB Paul Meade has 58, Oakland's Oliver Thomas (RB) has 57, RB Ronald Boatman of Honolulu has 52 and Washington WR Cory Martin has 51. Memphis WR Willie Howland leads the league in receiving yards with 780 but New Jersey's Corey True is hot on his heels with 772. Houston WR Gabriel Ahrens rounds out the top 3 and the 700 club with his 716 yards. Corey True is tied with Birmingham's Jeffrey Zimmer for the league lead in TD receptions with 9. True (30.9) and Gabriel Ahrens (29.8) are the top 2 in yards per catch among those with more than 1 reception. Arizona RB Desmond Kirkland almost literally catches everything thrown his way. Among players with 10+ receptions, he has the highest catch % at 96.6% (28-29).
We have had 5 kickoff return TD's, one each by Oliver Thomas (Oak), Robert Bonfiglio (Char), Dane Britt (LA), Chris Cornell (STO), and Arthur Strickland (Fla). Britt's return is listed as 110 yards while Thomas and Cornell's were 108. There have been no punt return TD's and 2 average double digit yards with double digit returns, New Jersey's Aaron Paul (12.5 avg, 11 returns) and Oklahoma's Leroy Jenkins (11.1-17).
If the kicking keeps pace, we'll have a new All Pro PK this year as John Bazile isn't as prolific as in past years. Oakland's John Hensley leads the league with 22 FG's, and 5 others have made 100% of their FG's (10+ attempts), including former Generals and current Oklahoma Outlaws K Roger Ruzich, whom I cut long ago for not being accurate enough ironically. Ruzich is a league best 6 for 6 from 50+. Punting wise, Cleveland's Thomas Brott has a league best 46.7 net avg and 29 of 48 punts inside the 20.
Florida's Ramon Carter and Michigan's Alton Pastor pace the league with 5 sacks while Portland's Thomas Miller and Memphis's Shawn Hicks are tied with a pair of New Jersey Generals with 4 each. One General is Len Bias, who leads all DT's with his 4 sacks, the other General is Indiana Jones. Jones leads the league with 14 hurries in his first year as a DE after spending his first 6 seasons at MLB.
Mr. Low Catch % 1986, Thomas Welker is at it again. The All Pro Hawaiian has regressed, but it's hard not to regress from 16.2%. I'm sure trslick isn't complaining about his current 25% rate. Looking only at the first page of the players most thrown at, only Welker was below 30% and just 3 more were under 40%: Honolulu's Robert Skinner, Portland's Christopher Schneider and Houston's Robert Sokol.
The interception leaders with 5 each are: Oakland's Ralph Hooks, Oklahoma's Jeffrey Danko, and New Orleans CB Robert Shuler. 8 players are tied with 4 apiece. We have had 5 INT returns this season: Herbert Brigham, Chicago, Joseph Walton, New Orleans, Timothy Hall, Oklahoma, Robert Givens, Denver, and Christopher Landreneau, Shreveport. Jacksonville's Tony Morrisson leads the league with 18 knockdowns (71 thrown at) but the two in second place knock passes down much more frequently. Steven Minton (Bir) has 17 knockdowns in 38 passes while Cleveland's Brandon Johnson has his 17 in 42 passes.
Boston's Ronnie Waltz leads the league with 6 fumbles but Jacksonville has 2 players in the top 4 and 3 of 9. Not surprisingly, a Jacksonville OL leads the league in recovered fumbles, RT Rodrigo Stephens. Too many are tied at 2 to list them all. Portland WLB James Waggoner and (NY) Stars MLB Alfred Payeur lead with 3 forced fumbles each. Again, too many tied at 2 to list.
Washington center Eddie Long has allowed 6 sacks while his cousin Isaac Long of Charlotte has given up 5. Detroit center Mark Daniels paces the league with 6 penalties and 44 penalty yards are also tops(?).
The top 3 in overall yardage are Arthur Strickland (Fla) 1,279, Oliver Thomas (Oak) 1,159 and Rudi Johnson (NJG) 992. The league's TD leader is James Sheckler of New Orleans with 10, one ahead of Jeffrey Zimmer (BIR) and Corey True (NJG), and two ahead of Tim "Donut Mogul" Horton of Memphis.
WEEK 7 Part 2: The Games will be out this evening
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Week 6: '76-'78 Detroit Wheels Pop Champagne
The Memphis Showboats 24 game win streak came to an end this week, thanks to a late defensive/special teams collapse and all the West Division does is win. We're six weeks in and only one division has a leader with more than a 1 game lead. The Midwest Division is much improved over 1986 but no division is playing as well as the 4 teams in the West. The Arizona Wranglers won the division last year but are in last this year despite a 3-3 record. Denver, Portland, and Oakland all sit at 5-1, setting up a wild west shootout for the division these last ten weeks. Houston and Cleveland are both 4-2 but are currently on the outside looking in, but ready to pounce should one of the West teams falter.
In the Pacific Division, Honolulu has lost 2 in a row to fall back to the pack while Los Angeles is 2-0 under the ownership of Zennarius. The Hawaiians currently have a 1 game lead over LA and the 2-4 Southern California Sun. In the Southwest, Houston has won 2 in a row and now find themselves just 1 game back of 5-1 Memphis. Michigan the Giant Slayer leads the Midwest at 5-1, one game ahead of 4-2 Cleveland. Chicago lurks behind them at 3-3. Of the teams I didn't mention, 0-6 San Jose is the closest to the division lead, 3 games behind Honolulu. Oklahoma is also 3 games behind, but overtaking Houston and Memphis is a tough ask, but not as tough as the 4 games San Antonio is behind. Detroit is 4 games behind Michigan in the Midwest.
In the National Conference, Jacksonville has a 2 game lead over Tampa Bay despite being shutout by Cleveland. This was the Bulls first loss of the year, and coupled with the Memphis loss, there are no unbeaten teams left. Florida (2-4) and Orlando (1-5) are struggling to keep pace.
The South Division also looks to be a tight race all the way to the end. Birmingham's win over New Orleans knotted them at the top with 4-2 records. Shreveport is right behind at 3-3 and Georgia is a tough luck 1-5.
The Atlantic Division looks familiar, with Baltimore and Washington tied at the top with 5-1 records. Pittsburgh (2-4) and Charlotte (1-5) have hit the skids lately.
The East also looks familiar with New Jersey (5-1) at the top, but the (NY) Stars have won 4 in a row after an 0-2 start to put some heat on the Generals. Philadelphia is playing great run defense but they have trouble scoring points while the Boston Breakers are struggling in all facets.
Panthers 28 Showboats 23
Michigan took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 6 plays for the early 7-0 lead, thanks to this 45 yard Jerry Ruiz to James Hills TD pass. Memphis came right back to answer with this 52 yard TD pass from David Allen to Roger Starnes. The Showboats always go for 2 points in the first half and this attempt was intercepted, leaving the score 7-6 Michigan. The Panthers were then forced to punt, and you can't pin someone deep any better than Julius Horowitz did, pinning the Showboats inside their 1 yard line. One play later, Mark Lambert was stuffed in the end zone for a safety and a 9-6 Panthers lead. Memphis would score the next 2 touchdowns, making 1 of 2 two point conversions to take a 20-9 lead before Michigan closed the first half scoring with a late FG to make it 20-12.
The second half was mostly uneventful until 3:20 left in the game when Memphis kicked a FG for a seemingly safe 23-12 lead. Michigan went on an impressive 11 play 75 yard drive, culminating in an Adam Scales TD pass to Cristobal Robinson. Scales then found Charles Ahumada for the 2 point conversion to make the score 23-20 Memphis. There was only 1:33 left in the game so Michigan had to attempt an onside kick, which was successful. Michigan faced a 3rd and 10 when Scales found WR Peter Lewis for 49 yards and a first and goal at the 3. One play later, Scales found TE William Woodbury in the end zone for the go ahead TD. Charles Ahumada caught another 2 point conversion pass to make the score 28-23 Michigan. Memphis had 0:57 left to try for a TD but the offense stalled and the winning streak ends at 24.
Hats off to Memphis for the second longest winning streak in league history.
Thunderbolts 17 Bulls 0
Jacksonville lost 3 fumbles and Cleveland punter Thomas Brott left 8 of his 11 punts inside the 20 as the Thunderbolts shutout the previously unbeaten Bulls.
Gamblers 51 Hawaiians 14
For this game at least there was no slow start for Houston. The Gamblers scored 21 in the first quarter en route to a 34-7 halftime lead. Houston intercepted 6 passes while 2 time MVP Tony Dean tossed 6 TD's. The Gamblers had a pair of 100 yard rushers, Wesley Hull (16-145) and Chase Miles (19-117). WR Gabriel Ahrens had 2 TD receptions among his 5 for 135.
Express 13 SaberCats 10 (OT)
Los Angeles racked up 370 yards of offense to just 152 for San Jose but 5 Express turnovers (3 INT, 2 lost fumbles) kept the SaberCats in the game. San Jose got the ball first in OT and promptly turned it over. Los Angeles didn't do much after the Joseph Taylor INT of QB Michael Temples, but they took over already in FG range and the (Mario) Price was right. Price nailed the 41 yard FG for the win.
Steamer 9 Sun 6
Shreveport won the FG kicking contest 3-2 over Southern California.
Bandits 31 Bell 3
This was a tale of QB's having opposite days. Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers tossed 4 TD's and 0 INT's while Philadelphia QB Robert Hernandez threw 0 TD's and 5 INT's. Tampa Bay WR Thomas Whitley had a nice stat line, 3 catches for 123 yards and 2 TD's.
Gold 23 Wheels 3
This game was closer than the score indicates as midway through the 4th quarter, the score was 9-3 Denver. Detroit forced a lot of incompletions in this game, as the Gold connected on just 16 of 37 pass attempts but as usual Detroit struggled mightily on offense. Denver scored 2 late TD's to make the score look bad, but the victory keeps them in the 3 way quagmire atop the West.
Invaders 12 Gunslingers 3
Oakland won the FG kicking contest with San Antonio 4-1. Both kickers missed a FG try as well.
Storm 20 Outlaws 15
Oklahoma fought hard in this game, winning the turnover battle (2-0), time of possession (36:46 to 23:13), and red zone trips (4-2). With 3:35 left in the game, Outlaws QB Shane Falco tossed a 10 yard TD to David Lopez to give them a late 15-14 lead. That was Oklahoma's lone TD in those 4 red zone trips however, while Portland crossed the goal line on both of theirs. Portland got a 2 yard TD run from James Pritchard with 0:50 left for the game winning score.
Wranglers 24 Blitz 13
Total yardage was close, though the Blitz struggled in the run game. Chicago chucked up 60 pass attempts, completing 43 in sort of a ball control pass attack as they had 37:37 time of possession. Chicago only mustered 10 points in 4 red zone trips. Arizona used the big play, including 47 and 49 yard Joseph Jones to Eric Duncan TD passes to propel them to victory, making both teams 3-3.
(NY) Stars 10 Force 6
All of the scoring came in the second quarter of this defensive struggle. Both teams committed 2 turnovers and failed to crack 280 total yards of offense. Georgia continues to be stingy on defense and will be a tough team to beat if they can figure out a way to score 20 points a game. The Stars of New York are on a 4 game winning streak leaving them just 1 game behind New Jersey. It's been some time since the Generals have had a threat in the East, how will they respond?
Generals 37 Breakers 3
We'll get a chance to see how they respond, as the Generals travel to New York next week. New Jersey wasn't looking ahead though, as they took care of business against Boston. Ric Flair threw 3 TD passes and Rudi Johnson had a double-triple (16-102 rushing, 7-104-1 receiving). The Generals even looked competent in the red zone for a change, scoring 3 TD's in 6 trips. Still not great, but considering the 0-11 with 7 FG's coming in, I'll take it.
Stallions 28 VooDoo 11
Birmingham's offense played a very good game with an 11 play 84 yard TD drive, 10 play 80 yard TD drive, 10 play 70 yard FG drive and a 6 play 75 yard TD drive. New Orleans topped 300 yards of offense and both teams killed it on 3rd down, VooDoo were 8-14 and the Stallions 7-11. The biggest difference was the running game. Both teams rushed 24 times but Birmingham more than doubled the VooDoo in ypc, getting 153 yards to 70. They are currently tied atop the South at 4-2 and you can bet Smirt has November 15, 1987 circled on his schedule for the rematch in the Superdome.
Federals 27 Maulers 6
Washington had 418 total yards to 237 for Pittsburgh and both teams combined for 7 turnovers. The Federals had significant advantages in yards per carry and per pass attempt/completion. Washington also kept Pittsburgh out of the red zone all game.
Stars 37 Hornets 9
It was an Atlantic Division round robin in Week 6 and just like Washington, Baltimore flexed their muscles. Both teams struggled on 3rd down conversions, but that's the only area Baltimore struggled. The Stars more than doubled the yardage of Charlotte 422-200 and scored 3 TD's in 4 red zone trips. The score was 21-6 after 3 quarters before Baltimore won the 4th, 16-3.
Blazers 41 Renegades 12
Florida took out their frustrations on Orlando today, jumping out to a 14-0 lead after 1 and 24-3 at halftime. Blazer WR Arthur Strickland caught 9 passes for 160 yards and 2 TD's. QB Sidney Maggard bounced back from last weeks 3 INT fiasco with 4 TD passes and 343 yards.
In the Pacific Division, Honolulu has lost 2 in a row to fall back to the pack while Los Angeles is 2-0 under the ownership of Zennarius. The Hawaiians currently have a 1 game lead over LA and the 2-4 Southern California Sun. In the Southwest, Houston has won 2 in a row and now find themselves just 1 game back of 5-1 Memphis. Michigan the Giant Slayer leads the Midwest at 5-1, one game ahead of 4-2 Cleveland. Chicago lurks behind them at 3-3. Of the teams I didn't mention, 0-6 San Jose is the closest to the division lead, 3 games behind Honolulu. Oklahoma is also 3 games behind, but overtaking Houston and Memphis is a tough ask, but not as tough as the 4 games San Antonio is behind. Detroit is 4 games behind Michigan in the Midwest.
In the National Conference, Jacksonville has a 2 game lead over Tampa Bay despite being shutout by Cleveland. This was the Bulls first loss of the year, and coupled with the Memphis loss, there are no unbeaten teams left. Florida (2-4) and Orlando (1-5) are struggling to keep pace.
The South Division also looks to be a tight race all the way to the end. Birmingham's win over New Orleans knotted them at the top with 4-2 records. Shreveport is right behind at 3-3 and Georgia is a tough luck 1-5.
The Atlantic Division looks familiar, with Baltimore and Washington tied at the top with 5-1 records. Pittsburgh (2-4) and Charlotte (1-5) have hit the skids lately.
The East also looks familiar with New Jersey (5-1) at the top, but the (NY) Stars have won 4 in a row after an 0-2 start to put some heat on the Generals. Philadelphia is playing great run defense but they have trouble scoring points while the Boston Breakers are struggling in all facets.
Panthers 28 Showboats 23
Michigan took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 6 plays for the early 7-0 lead, thanks to this 45 yard Jerry Ruiz to James Hills TD pass. Memphis came right back to answer with this 52 yard TD pass from David Allen to Roger Starnes. The Showboats always go for 2 points in the first half and this attempt was intercepted, leaving the score 7-6 Michigan. The Panthers were then forced to punt, and you can't pin someone deep any better than Julius Horowitz did, pinning the Showboats inside their 1 yard line. One play later, Mark Lambert was stuffed in the end zone for a safety and a 9-6 Panthers lead. Memphis would score the next 2 touchdowns, making 1 of 2 two point conversions to take a 20-9 lead before Michigan closed the first half scoring with a late FG to make it 20-12.
The second half was mostly uneventful until 3:20 left in the game when Memphis kicked a FG for a seemingly safe 23-12 lead. Michigan went on an impressive 11 play 75 yard drive, culminating in an Adam Scales TD pass to Cristobal Robinson. Scales then found Charles Ahumada for the 2 point conversion to make the score 23-20 Memphis. There was only 1:33 left in the game so Michigan had to attempt an onside kick, which was successful. Michigan faced a 3rd and 10 when Scales found WR Peter Lewis for 49 yards and a first and goal at the 3. One play later, Scales found TE William Woodbury in the end zone for the go ahead TD. Charles Ahumada caught another 2 point conversion pass to make the score 28-23 Michigan. Memphis had 0:57 left to try for a TD but the offense stalled and the winning streak ends at 24.
Hats off to Memphis for the second longest winning streak in league history.
Thunderbolts 17 Bulls 0
Jacksonville lost 3 fumbles and Cleveland punter Thomas Brott left 8 of his 11 punts inside the 20 as the Thunderbolts shutout the previously unbeaten Bulls.
Gamblers 51 Hawaiians 14
For this game at least there was no slow start for Houston. The Gamblers scored 21 in the first quarter en route to a 34-7 halftime lead. Houston intercepted 6 passes while 2 time MVP Tony Dean tossed 6 TD's. The Gamblers had a pair of 100 yard rushers, Wesley Hull (16-145) and Chase Miles (19-117). WR Gabriel Ahrens had 2 TD receptions among his 5 for 135.
Express 13 SaberCats 10 (OT)
Los Angeles racked up 370 yards of offense to just 152 for San Jose but 5 Express turnovers (3 INT, 2 lost fumbles) kept the SaberCats in the game. San Jose got the ball first in OT and promptly turned it over. Los Angeles didn't do much after the Joseph Taylor INT of QB Michael Temples, but they took over already in FG range and the (Mario) Price was right. Price nailed the 41 yard FG for the win.
Steamer 9 Sun 6
Shreveport won the FG kicking contest 3-2 over Southern California.
Bandits 31 Bell 3
This was a tale of QB's having opposite days. Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers tossed 4 TD's and 0 INT's while Philadelphia QB Robert Hernandez threw 0 TD's and 5 INT's. Tampa Bay WR Thomas Whitley had a nice stat line, 3 catches for 123 yards and 2 TD's.
Gold 23 Wheels 3
This game was closer than the score indicates as midway through the 4th quarter, the score was 9-3 Denver. Detroit forced a lot of incompletions in this game, as the Gold connected on just 16 of 37 pass attempts but as usual Detroit struggled mightily on offense. Denver scored 2 late TD's to make the score look bad, but the victory keeps them in the 3 way quagmire atop the West.
Invaders 12 Gunslingers 3
Oakland won the FG kicking contest with San Antonio 4-1. Both kickers missed a FG try as well.
Storm 20 Outlaws 15
Oklahoma fought hard in this game, winning the turnover battle (2-0), time of possession (36:46 to 23:13), and red zone trips (4-2). With 3:35 left in the game, Outlaws QB Shane Falco tossed a 10 yard TD to David Lopez to give them a late 15-14 lead. That was Oklahoma's lone TD in those 4 red zone trips however, while Portland crossed the goal line on both of theirs. Portland got a 2 yard TD run from James Pritchard with 0:50 left for the game winning score.
Wranglers 24 Blitz 13
Total yardage was close, though the Blitz struggled in the run game. Chicago chucked up 60 pass attempts, completing 43 in sort of a ball control pass attack as they had 37:37 time of possession. Chicago only mustered 10 points in 4 red zone trips. Arizona used the big play, including 47 and 49 yard Joseph Jones to Eric Duncan TD passes to propel them to victory, making both teams 3-3.
(NY) Stars 10 Force 6
All of the scoring came in the second quarter of this defensive struggle. Both teams committed 2 turnovers and failed to crack 280 total yards of offense. Georgia continues to be stingy on defense and will be a tough team to beat if they can figure out a way to score 20 points a game. The Stars of New York are on a 4 game winning streak leaving them just 1 game behind New Jersey. It's been some time since the Generals have had a threat in the East, how will they respond?
Generals 37 Breakers 3
We'll get a chance to see how they respond, as the Generals travel to New York next week. New Jersey wasn't looking ahead though, as they took care of business against Boston. Ric Flair threw 3 TD passes and Rudi Johnson had a double-triple (16-102 rushing, 7-104-1 receiving). The Generals even looked competent in the red zone for a change, scoring 3 TD's in 6 trips. Still not great, but considering the 0-11 with 7 FG's coming in, I'll take it.
Stallions 28 VooDoo 11
Birmingham's offense played a very good game with an 11 play 84 yard TD drive, 10 play 80 yard TD drive, 10 play 70 yard FG drive and a 6 play 75 yard TD drive. New Orleans topped 300 yards of offense and both teams killed it on 3rd down, VooDoo were 8-14 and the Stallions 7-11. The biggest difference was the running game. Both teams rushed 24 times but Birmingham more than doubled the VooDoo in ypc, getting 153 yards to 70. They are currently tied atop the South at 4-2 and you can bet Smirt has November 15, 1987 circled on his schedule for the rematch in the Superdome.
Federals 27 Maulers 6
Washington had 418 total yards to 237 for Pittsburgh and both teams combined for 7 turnovers. The Federals had significant advantages in yards per carry and per pass attempt/completion. Washington also kept Pittsburgh out of the red zone all game.
Stars 37 Hornets 9
It was an Atlantic Division round robin in Week 6 and just like Washington, Baltimore flexed their muscles. Both teams struggled on 3rd down conversions, but that's the only area Baltimore struggled. The Stars more than doubled the yardage of Charlotte 422-200 and scored 3 TD's in 4 red zone trips. The score was 21-6 after 3 quarters before Baltimore won the 4th, 16-3.
Blazers 41 Renegades 12
Florida took out their frustrations on Orlando today, jumping out to a 14-0 lead after 1 and 24-3 at halftime. Blazer WR Arthur Strickland caught 9 passes for 160 yards and 2 TD's. QB Sidney Maggard bounced back from last weeks 3 INT fiasco with 4 TD passes and 343 yards.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Week 5: World Bowl Rematch Deja Vu
Week 5 is in the books and 2 teams suffered their first loss, leaving the Jacksonville Bulls and Memphis Showboats as the last 2 undefeated teams. The Showboats winning streak is now up to 24 in a row, three short of the record 27 in a row set by the Detroit Wheels. In 1976, Week 12, the Cleveland Thunderbolts defeated the Wheels 26-19 before Detroit won their last 4 regular season games and all 3 post season games including World Bowl III. The 1977 Wheels went 16-0 in the regular season and again winning all 3 postseason games, including World Bowl IV. Heading into 1978, the Wheels had won 26 games in a row and extended that to 27 in Week 1 before losing in Week 2 to those same Cleveland Thunderbolts.
If Memphis can get to 27, it's conceivable they could carry this streak into 1988. The Showboats next 3 games seem like the best chance to end this streak, though they're all at home. Next on the Showboats schedule is the 4-1 Michigan Panthers, followed by 3-2 division rival Houston, who coincidentally was the last team to defeat Memphis, in the 1985 Conference Championship Game. If they get past those 2, they will have a chance to tie the record against their favorite World Bowl opponent, 4-1 New Jersey. The Memphis franchise has defeated New Jersey in 2 of their 3 World Bowl Championships.
Gamblers 34 Generals 19
Speaking of teams who have won 2 of their 3 World Bowls against New Jersey, the Houston Gamblers traveled to Piscataway, NJ for a World Bowl rematch (WB IX and XI). Houston needed this win badly, so as to keep pace with the seemingly unbeatable Memphis Showboats. The stats were relatively even in terms of yards per play, though Houston had 10 more rush attempts at 1 more ypc than New Jersey. This game boiled down to red zone deficiency/efficiency, depending on your perspective. Houston made 5 trips to the red zone, scoring a TD on all but 1 and that one they got a FG. New Jersey on the other hand, continued their recent trend of red zone failures. Despite winning their previous 2 games, the Generals have failed to score a red zone TD in their last 3 games. Today they made 3 trips, coming away with 2 measly FG's, leaving the Generals with just 7 FG's their last 11 red zone trips. That's no way to play if they hope to lose another World Bowl.
Showboats 31 SaberCats 3
Looking over the box score, it looks like a comfortable, boring win for Memphis. Overall, the yardage totals were good, 425-161 Showboats, but the thing I noticed individually is that Willie Howland is human after all. Mr. All World WR only caught 4 for 40 yards and no TD's. Nice of him to let his teammates shine some.
Gold 22 Wranglers 7
The West division is playing some good football, as evidenced by last year's division winner Arizona currently in last at 2-3. The rest of the division sits at 4-1 after the Denver victory. The Wranglers did force 3 Gold turnovers but 2 were late in the game, and overall the Arizona D did not have a good day. They allowed 6 of 16 3rd down conversions and 382 yards. The Wranglers offense didn't turn the ball over but they had trouble staying on the field, as evidenced by their 2-14 3rd down conversion rate.
Storm 20 Wheels 6
Portland is one of the other 4-1 teams in the West and the Storm headed to Detroit to play the hard luck Wheels. Detroit sits at 1-4 but the Wheels are not pushovers anymore, having only allowed 68 points all season. If the Wheels can find a way to score some points, they could be dangerous, but it's nice to see teams improve and get on the right track. Portland is on the right track in 1987, as they're in the top half of the league in all but 1 of the commish ranking stats, where they're ranked 6th overall. The West will be fun to watch the rest of the season.
Invaders 16 Panthers 8
Oakland is the 3rd team in the West tied at 4-1 and they played a tight, defensive game against the Midwest division leading Michigan Panthers. Michigan had been 4-0 coming into the game but 3 turnovers sealed their fate. Despite the loss, Michigan still leads the much improved Midwest. In 1986, that division hardly ever beat anyone outside their division. Fast forward a season and all 4 teams are playing better football.
Express 20 Sun 5
Los Angeles played their first game under the leadership of Zennarius and the Express enjoy their first taste of victory in 1987. This game was a defensive struggle, as a sack of Express QB Robert Burns in the end zone made it a 10-5 game early 4th quarter before the Express scored the final 10 points to give us our final score.
Gunslingers 7 Breakers 3
A crowd of 35,740 should demand their money back after witnessing this debacle of a football game. San Antonio traveled cross country to Boston as someone was coming out of this game with their first victory of 1987 barring a tie. All of the game's scoring occurred in a short time window, as Boston K Willie Putnam made a 27 yard FG with 2:57 left in the 3rd qtr. The ensuing kickoff was returned for a 108 yard TD by a guy who will gain way more fame in his post USFL career, Chris Cornell. It's currently 1987 in our MFN world, which means Soundgarden is still just a struggling band hardly anyone outside of Seattle knew about. That's it, 7-3 Gunslingers win.
Bulls 30 Bandits 24
Tampa Bay had a good chance to narrow the Jacksonville lead in the Southeast division, leading the Bulls 24-17 after 3. For the game, the Bandits had 494 yards compared to 296 for the Bulls, 399 of that was passing yards. Tampa was also 9-16 on 3rd down but lost the turnover battle 4-1, allowing Jacksonville to score the final 13 points for the come from behind victory to keep a "0" in their loss column. Bandits WR Thomas Whitley caught 9 for 238 yards and 2 TD's.
Outlaws 25 Hawaiians 13
Clint Young had 136 yards rushing, K Roger Ruzich booted 6 FG's and the Outlaws defense forced 3 turnovers as Oklahoma won their second in a row. Despite the loss, Honolulu still leads the Pacific division.
VooDoo 21 Force 3
The yardage stats were even enough, Georgia ran a little better than New Orleans but the VooDoo were better than the Force through the air. Third down conversion rates were similar and both teams made 3 red zone trips and we've now reached the fork in the road. The VooDoo defense forced 4 INT's and a fumble and completely shut Georgia down in the red zone, not even a FG. New Orleans wasn't great in the red zone offensively with 2 FG's and a TD but they did score on all 3 trips. New Orleans leads the South at 4-1 while Georgia seems to be the National Conference version of Detroit, not winning while not getting blown out, except for today.
Stallions 32 Steamer 19
It was South vs South all around in Week 5 as Birmingham traveled to Shreveport to see who would stay a game behind New Orleans. Stallions QB James Lightfoot threw 3 first half INT's but the Steamer couldn't capitalize, only leading 10-7 at the break. Shreveport would extend their lead to 16-7 with 12:21 to play and that's when Birmingham woke up. Two long Lightfoot to Jeffrey Zimmer TD passes plus an XP and 2 point conversion quickly gave the Stallions a 22-16 lead they would not relinquish. Shreveport cut it to 22-19, but the Stallions scored the final 10 points to close out a 25 point 4th quarter which enabled them to snag the come from behind win.
Stars 24 Maulers 9
An even stat game for the most part, no turnovers for either side and the Stars had better yards per play. Pittsburgh had the 3rd down edge (7-19 vs 2-11) but only got 6 points from 4 red zone trips. Baltimore had 3 TD's and a FG in their 4 trips.
Federals 28 Blazers 9
Florida jumped out to an early 9-0 lead thanks to their defense. Ricky Wyatt sacked Scott Bieber for a safety and Eugene Holland returned a Cory Martin fumble for a TD. That was it for Florida as their offense had 250 "nothing" yards, as in they got nothing for points or even red zone opportunities. Blazers QB Sidney Maggard tossed 3 INT's to take over the league lead and Washington was a perfect 3 for 3 in the red zone. The Federals remain tied with Baltimore for the Atlantic lead, a familiar statement last few seasons.
Thunderbolts 30 Blitz 0
Cleveland RB/WR Samuel Draper had a double triple, 33-128-1 rushing and 3-107-1 receiving as the Thunderbolts blitzed Chicago 30-0. Cleveland out gained Chicago 358-148 and kept the Blitz out of the red zone. Both teams are 3-2, one game behind Michigan in the improved Midwest division.
(NY) Stars 12 Bell 6
New York wins a kicking contest against Philadelphia 4 field goals to 2. The Stars of New York were an efficient 29/36 passing but joined the list of teams stubborn enough to run 20+ times against the Bell's stingy run defense (my Generals included). New York gained 20 yards on 23 carries but the 4 FG's were enough to give the Stars their 3rd straight win.
Renegades 31 Hornets 14
Orlando shut down Charlotte's running game and forced 2 turnovers as the Renegades get off the schneid for their first win of 1987. Orlando WR Daniel Williams caught 10 balls for 106 yards and 2 scores.
If Memphis can get to 27, it's conceivable they could carry this streak into 1988. The Showboats next 3 games seem like the best chance to end this streak, though they're all at home. Next on the Showboats schedule is the 4-1 Michigan Panthers, followed by 3-2 division rival Houston, who coincidentally was the last team to defeat Memphis, in the 1985 Conference Championship Game. If they get past those 2, they will have a chance to tie the record against their favorite World Bowl opponent, 4-1 New Jersey. The Memphis franchise has defeated New Jersey in 2 of their 3 World Bowl Championships.
Gamblers 34 Generals 19
Speaking of teams who have won 2 of their 3 World Bowls against New Jersey, the Houston Gamblers traveled to Piscataway, NJ for a World Bowl rematch (WB IX and XI). Houston needed this win badly, so as to keep pace with the seemingly unbeatable Memphis Showboats. The stats were relatively even in terms of yards per play, though Houston had 10 more rush attempts at 1 more ypc than New Jersey. This game boiled down to red zone deficiency/efficiency, depending on your perspective. Houston made 5 trips to the red zone, scoring a TD on all but 1 and that one they got a FG. New Jersey on the other hand, continued their recent trend of red zone failures. Despite winning their previous 2 games, the Generals have failed to score a red zone TD in their last 3 games. Today they made 3 trips, coming away with 2 measly FG's, leaving the Generals with just 7 FG's their last 11 red zone trips. That's no way to play if they hope to lose another World Bowl.
Showboats 31 SaberCats 3
Looking over the box score, it looks like a comfortable, boring win for Memphis. Overall, the yardage totals were good, 425-161 Showboats, but the thing I noticed individually is that Willie Howland is human after all. Mr. All World WR only caught 4 for 40 yards and no TD's. Nice of him to let his teammates shine some.
Gold 22 Wranglers 7
The West division is playing some good football, as evidenced by last year's division winner Arizona currently in last at 2-3. The rest of the division sits at 4-1 after the Denver victory. The Wranglers did force 3 Gold turnovers but 2 were late in the game, and overall the Arizona D did not have a good day. They allowed 6 of 16 3rd down conversions and 382 yards. The Wranglers offense didn't turn the ball over but they had trouble staying on the field, as evidenced by their 2-14 3rd down conversion rate.
Storm 20 Wheels 6
Portland is one of the other 4-1 teams in the West and the Storm headed to Detroit to play the hard luck Wheels. Detroit sits at 1-4 but the Wheels are not pushovers anymore, having only allowed 68 points all season. If the Wheels can find a way to score some points, they could be dangerous, but it's nice to see teams improve and get on the right track. Portland is on the right track in 1987, as they're in the top half of the league in all but 1 of the commish ranking stats, where they're ranked 6th overall. The West will be fun to watch the rest of the season.
Invaders 16 Panthers 8
Oakland is the 3rd team in the West tied at 4-1 and they played a tight, defensive game against the Midwest division leading Michigan Panthers. Michigan had been 4-0 coming into the game but 3 turnovers sealed their fate. Despite the loss, Michigan still leads the much improved Midwest. In 1986, that division hardly ever beat anyone outside their division. Fast forward a season and all 4 teams are playing better football.
Express 20 Sun 5
Los Angeles played their first game under the leadership of Zennarius and the Express enjoy their first taste of victory in 1987. This game was a defensive struggle, as a sack of Express QB Robert Burns in the end zone made it a 10-5 game early 4th quarter before the Express scored the final 10 points to give us our final score.
Gunslingers 7 Breakers 3
A crowd of 35,740 should demand their money back after witnessing this debacle of a football game. San Antonio traveled cross country to Boston as someone was coming out of this game with their first victory of 1987 barring a tie. All of the game's scoring occurred in a short time window, as Boston K Willie Putnam made a 27 yard FG with 2:57 left in the 3rd qtr. The ensuing kickoff was returned for a 108 yard TD by a guy who will gain way more fame in his post USFL career, Chris Cornell. It's currently 1987 in our MFN world, which means Soundgarden is still just a struggling band hardly anyone outside of Seattle knew about. That's it, 7-3 Gunslingers win.
Bulls 30 Bandits 24
Tampa Bay had a good chance to narrow the Jacksonville lead in the Southeast division, leading the Bulls 24-17 after 3. For the game, the Bandits had 494 yards compared to 296 for the Bulls, 399 of that was passing yards. Tampa was also 9-16 on 3rd down but lost the turnover battle 4-1, allowing Jacksonville to score the final 13 points for the come from behind victory to keep a "0" in their loss column. Bandits WR Thomas Whitley caught 9 for 238 yards and 2 TD's.
Outlaws 25 Hawaiians 13
Clint Young had 136 yards rushing, K Roger Ruzich booted 6 FG's and the Outlaws defense forced 3 turnovers as Oklahoma won their second in a row. Despite the loss, Honolulu still leads the Pacific division.
VooDoo 21 Force 3
The yardage stats were even enough, Georgia ran a little better than New Orleans but the VooDoo were better than the Force through the air. Third down conversion rates were similar and both teams made 3 red zone trips and we've now reached the fork in the road. The VooDoo defense forced 4 INT's and a fumble and completely shut Georgia down in the red zone, not even a FG. New Orleans wasn't great in the red zone offensively with 2 FG's and a TD but they did score on all 3 trips. New Orleans leads the South at 4-1 while Georgia seems to be the National Conference version of Detroit, not winning while not getting blown out, except for today.
Stallions 32 Steamer 19
It was South vs South all around in Week 5 as Birmingham traveled to Shreveport to see who would stay a game behind New Orleans. Stallions QB James Lightfoot threw 3 first half INT's but the Steamer couldn't capitalize, only leading 10-7 at the break. Shreveport would extend their lead to 16-7 with 12:21 to play and that's when Birmingham woke up. Two long Lightfoot to Jeffrey Zimmer TD passes plus an XP and 2 point conversion quickly gave the Stallions a 22-16 lead they would not relinquish. Shreveport cut it to 22-19, but the Stallions scored the final 10 points to close out a 25 point 4th quarter which enabled them to snag the come from behind win.
Stars 24 Maulers 9
An even stat game for the most part, no turnovers for either side and the Stars had better yards per play. Pittsburgh had the 3rd down edge (7-19 vs 2-11) but only got 6 points from 4 red zone trips. Baltimore had 3 TD's and a FG in their 4 trips.
Federals 28 Blazers 9
Florida jumped out to an early 9-0 lead thanks to their defense. Ricky Wyatt sacked Scott Bieber for a safety and Eugene Holland returned a Cory Martin fumble for a TD. That was it for Florida as their offense had 250 "nothing" yards, as in they got nothing for points or even red zone opportunities. Blazers QB Sidney Maggard tossed 3 INT's to take over the league lead and Washington was a perfect 3 for 3 in the red zone. The Federals remain tied with Baltimore for the Atlantic lead, a familiar statement last few seasons.
Thunderbolts 30 Blitz 0
Cleveland RB/WR Samuel Draper had a double triple, 33-128-1 rushing and 3-107-1 receiving as the Thunderbolts blitzed Chicago 30-0. Cleveland out gained Chicago 358-148 and kept the Blitz out of the red zone. Both teams are 3-2, one game behind Michigan in the improved Midwest division.
(NY) Stars 12 Bell 6
New York wins a kicking contest against Philadelphia 4 field goals to 2. The Stars of New York were an efficient 29/36 passing but joined the list of teams stubborn enough to run 20+ times against the Bell's stingy run defense (my Generals included). New York gained 20 yards on 23 carries but the 4 FG's were enough to give the Stars their 3rd straight win.
Renegades 31 Hornets 14
Orlando shut down Charlotte's running game and forced 2 turnovers as the Renegades get off the schneid for their first win of 1987. Orlando WR Daniel Williams caught 10 balls for 106 yards and 2 scores.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Week 4: VooDoo put up 67 and 8 close games
Off the top of my head, the 67 points by New Orleans is the most since New Jersey gave up 79 in the 1985 playoffs to Birmingham. We are down to four unbeaten teams, two in each conference. Michigan, Jacksonville and New Jersey join Memphis at 4-0 as the Showboats win streak is now 23. We have 5 winless teams, though one of San Antonio or Boston will break their schneid unless they play to a tie Week 5.
VooDoo 67 Steamer 3
New Orleans scored touchdowns and 2 point conversions their first 3 drives to take a commanding 24-0 lead after a quarter. The VooDoo had 245 rushing yards and 448 passing while their defense held Shreveport to 152. The rest of the game was all VooDoo, with 5 TD's and a FG in 6 red zone trips, 7 for 14 on 3rd down, while holding the Steamer to 2 for 16. Socrates Rogers had 72 rushing yards and 181 receiving (1 TD), James Sheckler had 144 total yards and an Al Bundy like 4 TD's while Ricky Hash contributed 180 total yards and a TD.
Showboats 39 Gamblers 34
Houston gave it everything they had but a furious late comeback attempt fell short as Memphis hangs on for their 23rd victory in a row. The halftime score was 15-10 Showboats as the Gamblers stopped both Memphis 2 point attempts. The Showboats would extend their lead to 29-10 before Houston cut it to 29-20 early in the 4th. Memphis would extend the lead to 39-20 with 3:29 left on a James Nash TD run and the game seemed in hand after the Showboats forced a three and out. Houston still had fight left in them as the Gamblers defense forced their own three and out to give Tony Dean the ball inside the 2 minute warning. Dean immediately found Gabriel Ahrens for an 81 yard TD, and Houston recovered the onside kick. Several plays later Dean found Bruce Edwards for a 33 yard TD with 0:48 left to cut the lead to 39-34. This onside kick failed however, and two kneel downs sealed victory for Memphis.
The total yards were pretty close but they got there differently. Houston only ran for 15 yards on 7 attempts but put up 416 through the air. Memphis ran 41 times for 274 yards and converted 8 of 14 3rd downs to Houston's 4 for 14. Red zone favored Memphis as well (4 TD in 4 trips).
Gold 23 Stars 20
Baltimore came into the game 3-0 and they had more yards than Denver and a much better 3rd down conversion rate. The Stars suffered a missed FG and 3 Jon Snow interceptions however, as Denver wins their second game of the season on a last second FG. This makes Denver 3-1, good for a 3 way tie atop the West. Baltimore falls to 3-1 and tied with Washington for the Atlantic lead.
Federals 21 Stallions 19
This was an even statistical game except for sacks. Washington had 3 sacks, one for a safety while their own QB was able to keep a clean jersey. Federals All Pro kicker John Bazile made 4 FG's but Washington needed a 2 point conversion stop with 1:13 left. Birmingham QB James Lightfoot had just found Jeffrey Zimmer for their 2nd TD hook-up but Richard Sutton was ruled down just short of the goal line on the 2 point pass attempt and the onside kick failed, preserving victory for the Federals.
Wranglers 28 Invaders 20
Despite Wranglers QB Joseph Jones throwing 4 INT's, Arizona won the first 3 quarters 14-10 and also out scored Oakland 14-10 in the 4th qtr for the West Division tightening victory. Both teams had a similar number of rushing attempts (24-23 Arizona) but the Wranglers amassed 227 yards while Oakland had just 60. The entire West is just 1 game apart, with everyone but Arizona 3-1, while the win improves the Wranglers to 2-2, keeping them in the thick of the race.
Sun 12 Force 9 (OT)
Georgia and Southern California needed extra time to decide their FG kicking contest. Georgia's kicker was more accurate (3-3) but football games aren't won that way. Sun kicker Alan Grossi missed 2 FG's but was 4-6 overall and made the last kick in OT, so all is well that ends well.
Panthers 12 Wheels 6
Detroit continues to play it's best defense in the fhunt3 regime, but Michigan's defense was superior, holding the Wheels to 142 yards. Michigan scored on a safety, FG, and a TD to eke out the 12-6 divisional win to remain unbeaten.
Storm 27 Thunderbolts 20
Portland put up more yards than Cleveland but kept settling for FG's in the first half, keeping the Thunderbolts in the game. In fact, Cleveland led 20-12 entering the 4th qtr but Portland stormed back, winning the final quarter 15-0 to earn their 3rd victory of the season.
Bandits 24 Maulers 19
This game was a tale of two halves, as Tampa Bay built a 24-3 halftime lead only to stop scoring after intermission. Pittsburgh won the second half 16-0 but it wasn't enough to overcome the first half. Tampa Bay won despite not entering the red zone all day. Both teams have a 2-2 record.
Outlaws 16 Express 3
Both teams entered the game 0-3, but Oklahoma came away with the victory over ownerless Los Angeles. No matter, all wins count the same. The Outlaws defense intercepted 4 passes while the offense had zero turnovers and 4 red zone trips (1 TD/3 FG's).
Bulls 30 Renegades 10
Orlando scored first and last but Jacksonville scored everything in between to remain unbeaten on the season. The Bulls shut down the Renegade running game and forced 4 turnovers as they have a 2 game division lead already.
Hornets 17 Bell 6
Philadelphia continues to play good run defense but the Bell had no answer for the Stanley Snyder to Robert Anderson connection. The Charlotte QB/WR duo connected on 2 long TD passes to give the Hornets their first win of the season.
Blitz 34 Blazers 20
The Florida Blazers probably wish they could turn back the clock as 1987 hasn't been as good to them as 1986. Blazers QB Sidney Maggard tossed 4 INT's while Blitz WR Michael Steffes caught 4 passes for 219 yards and 3 TD's. The victory enables Chicago to remain a game behind Michigan while Florida falls to 1-3, 3 games behind Jacksonville.
(NY) Stars 24 Breakers 6
The offensive woes continue for Boston in 1987 as the (NY) Stars held them to just 121 total yards. The Stars of New York didn't light up the scoreboard but the offense seems to have found comfort knowing Willie Bust will be under center, instead of the yo-yo of the first 2 weeks. Boston falls to 0-4 while the (NY) Stars second win in a row evens their record at 2-2.
Generals 40 Gunslingers 9
In 1986, New Jersey started 10-0 before collapsing down the stretch to finish 11-5. In 1987, New Jersey is again looking like an early season bully as they pushed San Antonio around. More accurately, they passed all over them as WR Corey True caught 5 passes for 330 yards and 4 TD's. QB Ric Flair tossed 5 TD's and 434 yards. The Generals were sloppy in the red zone again, which might come back to bite them when the schedule toughens up.
Hawaiians 38 SaberCats 20
The game was knotted at 17 after a half of football and San Jose had great rushing success (26-250). The SaberCats struggled through the air however, finishing with just 86 passing yards and 3 INT's. Honolulu had 516 yards of offense, 376 through the air as they won the second half 21-3. The Hawaiians had 100+ yard receiving days from Scott Stillings (9-119-1) and Mark Moody (3-110-2). Honolulu improves to 3-1, first place in the Pacific.
VooDoo 67 Steamer 3
New Orleans scored touchdowns and 2 point conversions their first 3 drives to take a commanding 24-0 lead after a quarter. The VooDoo had 245 rushing yards and 448 passing while their defense held Shreveport to 152. The rest of the game was all VooDoo, with 5 TD's and a FG in 6 red zone trips, 7 for 14 on 3rd down, while holding the Steamer to 2 for 16. Socrates Rogers had 72 rushing yards and 181 receiving (1 TD), James Sheckler had 144 total yards and an Al Bundy like 4 TD's while Ricky Hash contributed 180 total yards and a TD.
Showboats 39 Gamblers 34
Houston gave it everything they had but a furious late comeback attempt fell short as Memphis hangs on for their 23rd victory in a row. The halftime score was 15-10 Showboats as the Gamblers stopped both Memphis 2 point attempts. The Showboats would extend their lead to 29-10 before Houston cut it to 29-20 early in the 4th. Memphis would extend the lead to 39-20 with 3:29 left on a James Nash TD run and the game seemed in hand after the Showboats forced a three and out. Houston still had fight left in them as the Gamblers defense forced their own three and out to give Tony Dean the ball inside the 2 minute warning. Dean immediately found Gabriel Ahrens for an 81 yard TD, and Houston recovered the onside kick. Several plays later Dean found Bruce Edwards for a 33 yard TD with 0:48 left to cut the lead to 39-34. This onside kick failed however, and two kneel downs sealed victory for Memphis.
The total yards were pretty close but they got there differently. Houston only ran for 15 yards on 7 attempts but put up 416 through the air. Memphis ran 41 times for 274 yards and converted 8 of 14 3rd downs to Houston's 4 for 14. Red zone favored Memphis as well (4 TD in 4 trips).
Gold 23 Stars 20
Baltimore came into the game 3-0 and they had more yards than Denver and a much better 3rd down conversion rate. The Stars suffered a missed FG and 3 Jon Snow interceptions however, as Denver wins their second game of the season on a last second FG. This makes Denver 3-1, good for a 3 way tie atop the West. Baltimore falls to 3-1 and tied with Washington for the Atlantic lead.
Federals 21 Stallions 19
This was an even statistical game except for sacks. Washington had 3 sacks, one for a safety while their own QB was able to keep a clean jersey. Federals All Pro kicker John Bazile made 4 FG's but Washington needed a 2 point conversion stop with 1:13 left. Birmingham QB James Lightfoot had just found Jeffrey Zimmer for their 2nd TD hook-up but Richard Sutton was ruled down just short of the goal line on the 2 point pass attempt and the onside kick failed, preserving victory for the Federals.
Wranglers 28 Invaders 20
Despite Wranglers QB Joseph Jones throwing 4 INT's, Arizona won the first 3 quarters 14-10 and also out scored Oakland 14-10 in the 4th qtr for the West Division tightening victory. Both teams had a similar number of rushing attempts (24-23 Arizona) but the Wranglers amassed 227 yards while Oakland had just 60. The entire West is just 1 game apart, with everyone but Arizona 3-1, while the win improves the Wranglers to 2-2, keeping them in the thick of the race.
Sun 12 Force 9 (OT)
Georgia and Southern California needed extra time to decide their FG kicking contest. Georgia's kicker was more accurate (3-3) but football games aren't won that way. Sun kicker Alan Grossi missed 2 FG's but was 4-6 overall and made the last kick in OT, so all is well that ends well.
Panthers 12 Wheels 6
Detroit continues to play it's best defense in the fhunt3 regime, but Michigan's defense was superior, holding the Wheels to 142 yards. Michigan scored on a safety, FG, and a TD to eke out the 12-6 divisional win to remain unbeaten.
Storm 27 Thunderbolts 20
Portland put up more yards than Cleveland but kept settling for FG's in the first half, keeping the Thunderbolts in the game. In fact, Cleveland led 20-12 entering the 4th qtr but Portland stormed back, winning the final quarter 15-0 to earn their 3rd victory of the season.
Bandits 24 Maulers 19
This game was a tale of two halves, as Tampa Bay built a 24-3 halftime lead only to stop scoring after intermission. Pittsburgh won the second half 16-0 but it wasn't enough to overcome the first half. Tampa Bay won despite not entering the red zone all day. Both teams have a 2-2 record.
Outlaws 16 Express 3
Both teams entered the game 0-3, but Oklahoma came away with the victory over ownerless Los Angeles. No matter, all wins count the same. The Outlaws defense intercepted 4 passes while the offense had zero turnovers and 4 red zone trips (1 TD/3 FG's).
Bulls 30 Renegades 10
Orlando scored first and last but Jacksonville scored everything in between to remain unbeaten on the season. The Bulls shut down the Renegade running game and forced 4 turnovers as they have a 2 game division lead already.
Hornets 17 Bell 6
Philadelphia continues to play good run defense but the Bell had no answer for the Stanley Snyder to Robert Anderson connection. The Charlotte QB/WR duo connected on 2 long TD passes to give the Hornets their first win of the season.
Blitz 34 Blazers 20
The Florida Blazers probably wish they could turn back the clock as 1987 hasn't been as good to them as 1986. Blazers QB Sidney Maggard tossed 4 INT's while Blitz WR Michael Steffes caught 4 passes for 219 yards and 3 TD's. The victory enables Chicago to remain a game behind Michigan while Florida falls to 1-3, 3 games behind Jacksonville.
(NY) Stars 24 Breakers 6
The offensive woes continue for Boston in 1987 as the (NY) Stars held them to just 121 total yards. The Stars of New York didn't light up the scoreboard but the offense seems to have found comfort knowing Willie Bust will be under center, instead of the yo-yo of the first 2 weeks. Boston falls to 0-4 while the (NY) Stars second win in a row evens their record at 2-2.
Generals 40 Gunslingers 9
In 1986, New Jersey started 10-0 before collapsing down the stretch to finish 11-5. In 1987, New Jersey is again looking like an early season bully as they pushed San Antonio around. More accurately, they passed all over them as WR Corey True caught 5 passes for 330 yards and 4 TD's. QB Ric Flair tossed 5 TD's and 434 yards. The Generals were sloppy in the red zone again, which might come back to bite them when the schedule toughens up.
Hawaiians 38 SaberCats 20
The game was knotted at 17 after a half of football and San Jose had great rushing success (26-250). The SaberCats struggled through the air however, finishing with just 86 passing yards and 3 INT's. Honolulu had 516 yards of offense, 376 through the air as they won the second half 21-3. The Hawaiians had 100+ yard receiving days from Scott Stillings (9-119-1) and Mark Moody (3-110-2). Honolulu improves to 3-1, first place in the Pacific.
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